sonofthedeathless

[sonofthedeathless]

MORTCATUS’S DEITY SERIES: THANATOS

Thanatos is a chthonic Hellenic deity – meaning he dwells beneath the earth, in the realm of the dead, or the Underworld. Thanatos was specifically viewed by the ancient Greeks as the god of peaceful death, or the personification of Death itself. He also acted as a psychopomp, touching the living who were to die to bring death to them, and then bring them back to the realm of the dead. His touch is gentle, likened to that of his twin brother Hypnos, the god of sleep. Violent death was the domain of Thanatos’ sisters, the Keres, spirits of slaughter and disease.

He does not have many worshipers in modern day, similarly to back then. He was feared more than he was honored, even today, most people are weary of or completely closed off to dealing with any entity that has such a direct connection to death. With this being said, it is common to hear that Thanatos does not care for offerings, I don’t find this to be true, and I don’t think that it is impossible or ill-advised to interact with Him, or that it is inappropriate to allot Him traditional offerings and bond with Him as you would any other deity. – However, Thanatos does not care to receive offerings with expectation of some sort of reciprocating action on His part. Thanatos does not respond well to those who try to bend his will, to silver tongues. Though giving Him offerings for the sake of thanks, honor, love, or respect are welcome. Building a shrine to share with Him as a gesture to show that you are open to His presence and willing to learn is welcome. Thanatos is not inaccessible at all. He has His own lessons to teach and stories to tell, if only you are willing to listen.

Below is a list of symbolism / offerings / devotional acts that I feel to be well-received, this is not an exhaustive list and is UPG. It is also worth noting that because Thanatos is a chthonic entity, there is a certain etiquette you should follow when you give Him your offerings. With chthonic deities, offerings are poured downwards rather than sent upwards, therefore incense is a less common offering, as you want to offer things that are poured down into the earth, where they reside. Pour the remains of your offering into the earth after you feel they’re done – just be sure that you are not harming any nature when you’re doing this. For edible offerings, it is unwise to take a sip / bite of your offering before you offer it, it is traditional to offer the entire food / drink to chthonic deities, and failing to do this may upset them. @death-witch-envy has a more inclusive post on tips for worshiping chthonic deities here.

SYMBOLISM

+ Snakes + Bones + Scythes + Poppies + Gravestones + Wreaths

OFFERINGS

+ Obsidian + Lapis lazuli + Bones / teeth / furs and other “leftovers” of once living things so long as they’re clean + Carved bone + Skulls + Lavender + Poppy seeds / flowers + Breads + Snake skins + Dead moths / butterflies, moth / butterfly wings + Dark wines + Oils + Tobacco + Dark chocolate + Myrrh, patchouli, frankincense, opium, and musk scents + Black, grey, and purple candles

DEVOTIONAL ACTS

+ Collect and honor dead moths / butterflies + Build a wreath + Ancestor veneration + Place flowers / offerings on unmarked graves + Spend time in graveyards, keep the spirits company + Eat foods or baked goods with poppy seeds – use more poppy seed dressing + Decorate using poppies + Plant poppies + Harvest and dry flowers or plants + Spend time enjoying a river or creek + Adopt an older animal, or be particularly kind and gentle to your older animal + Volunteer at a nursing home + Spent time outdoors at dawn or dusk + Burn a myrrh, patchouli, frankincense, opium, or musk scented candle before bed + Hunt for bones or fossils + Clean / dye / articulate bones. As a practicing member of the VC community I feel very connected to Him personally when I am working to give honor and beauty to the remains of a being forgotten, abandoned, or disgraced in death. + Wear dark, soothing colors + Go swimming in natural bodies of water + Have spaces where you can avoid time + Say thank you.

Compiled from my personal grimoire.

[sonofthedeathless]

Thanatos Deity Guide

Who is Thanatos?

Thanatos is the personification or the spirit of death. In this way, Thanatos is considered a daimon in the original meaning, a spirit.

Thanatos was often depicted as a young male with wings, but occasionally he was depicted as an older man with a beard. He as well as his twin brother, Hypnos, are seen in ancient art holding torches turned upside down.

His role in mythology is a psychopomp—a being who carries the souls of the dead to the underworld. Though he was often referred to in myths, he rarely appeared physically.

Parents and Siblings

Nyx (mother)

Erebos (father in some myths)

with his being mother, Nyx, has many siblings. Most notibly:

Hypnos (twin brother)

The Keres (sisters)

Geras (brother)

Eris (sister)

Nemesis (sister)

The Moirai (sisters)

Apate (sister)

Charon (brother)

Lovers or Partners

Makaria according to some

Children

None

Epithets

Mors (Roman)

Letum (Roman)

Paian (Healer or Striker)

Acherontis (Woeful)

Leukokhrotos (White-Skin)

Notes

Though there are no ancient cults known to be dedicated to Thanatos, there have been traces of sacrifices left to him as well as a temple in Sparta.

In one myth, Zeus commands Hypnos and Thanatos to carry the dead body of the warrior Sarpedon off of the battlefield and to the country of Lykia so that he could be given a proper burial.

Other popular stories involving Thanatos are the story of Sisyphus and the story of Hercules wrestling Thanatos.

Thanatos has been depicted in art as a youth holding a butterfly or an inverted torch. The former represents a soul (the greek word for butterfly can also mean life or soul), and the ladder represents a life having been extinguished. He is also seen with a wreath of poppies or a sword.

In art and literature, Thanatos is also depicted as a cloud or mist that hangs above a person’s head who is soon to die.

He lives in the Underworld with his twin brother.

In some myths he is considered cruel, in others, he is considered sweet, as he is peaceful death. The descriptors chosen would likely depend on the writer’s outlook on death.

Modern Deity Work

Since there is very little record of historical record, this list has been compiled based on Thanatos' myths as well as what is known about him historically. In this list I have also compiled items from modern witches' posts about Thanatos, these posts will be in the References and Further Reading section.

Rocks/Stone/Crystals

Porphyry

Onyx

Obsidian

Iron

Bronze

Herbs/Plants

Poppy

Cypress

Animals

Butterfly

Snakes

Vultures

Crows

Symbols

Upside down torch

Sword

Butterfly

Wreath of poppies

Offerings

Any of the items or depictions of the items listed above.

Dead things that died naturally or peacefully. Or dead things that were ethically sourced.

It was common for Greeks to offer honey, olive oil, freshwater, and milk to their deities.

An altar or corner of your personal altar dedicated to him.

Jewelry dedicated to him.

Bones

Acts of Devotion

Learn about him, his brother, and his mother.

Learn about thanatology (study of death and dying)

Take care of those in hospice.

Show respect and appreciation for hospice workers.

References and Further Reading

Britannica

Theoi Project

Greek Mythology

World History

Mythus

The Underworld Oracle

Amino - Thana

Devotee of Thanatos - Tumblr

If you or anyone you know works with Thanatos and you welcome questions about him please feel free to reach out to me so that I can add you to this post!

[sonofthedeathless]

Story Time - "Anubis wants to talk to you..."

Someone else's deity shook me to get their attention, story time below.

So... I do not worship or work for/with Anubis. It's not for any reason other than I just don't, you know? He's never reached out to me before and I have never reached out to him. Our paths have never directly crossed and that's totally fine! However, one of the folks I live with, we'll just call them S, has worked closely with Anubis in the past and has identified him as one of their spirit guides.

I love to hear S talk about it because their relationship with Anubis is really different from my relationships with Lugh and The Morrigan.

To get to the story, I was doing tarot reading for myself on Christmas night, it's a tradition of mine to specifically do pagan shit on Christian holidays (it's like a fuck you to my religious trauma, we won't get into that today).

At first everything was normal, Lugh told me to chill out and focus on creative work (again, cuz I keep not listening and falling back into anxious habits). The Morrigan is busy so she didn't pop in, which is totally normal for Deities.

Then I felt a really weird feeling, like something was looking over my shoulder. Not in a bad or scary way...just looking, like it was waiting for a turn.

So I said aloud, "I am open to whatever or whoever is trying to reach me. If it is a god or spirit show me a humanoid figure on my cards, if it's anything else just show me a card that has no humanoid figures."

This is how I usually do it since the deck I was using has a lot of different depictions of both objects and humanoid figures, so it's not hard for my cards to show me what they need to. It works pretty much every time. This is actually how I found out Lugh was reaching out to me the first time!

I shuffle the cards really well, allowing the universe to pick the card it needs to show me.

I pulled the only card in my deck that depicts Anubis. I clammed up immediately, the energy that was looking over my shoulder surrounded me now. Again, not scary, but still pretty unnerving. I asked if it was Anubis, I got a definite yes. I asked if he wanted to talk with me, knowing we had never interacted before, I got a no.

I breathed in and slowly breathed out to allow myself to calm down. I have been dealing with major imposter syndrome recently when it comes to my magic, so I wanted to make damn sure that I was speaking with Anubis.

My cards basically yelled at me that yes, Anubis was talking and that he needed to talk to S.

I was really confused at this point, why was he coming to me to talk to S??? I asked a lot of questions and I felt like Anubis may be getting impatient with me, like there was a time limit for him that I wasn't aware of. He said that I can't tell S anything about the questions or answers that I got during this reading and that I need to go tell them now.

So I got up then sat right back down. S is a very anxious person, I said out loud, and they aren't gonna like it if I just say "Hey ya boy wants to speak with you!" and leave. Can I at least tell them that it's nothing bad?

He said yes, so I immediately walked over to S's room and once I entered the looming over my shoulder energy was back.

I told them "Hey I don't like to do this cuz I don't want to be presumptuous but Anubis said he needs to talk to you..."

S looked stunned for a second and then kinda laughed before saying, "Okay, wow." and proceeded to tell me that recently they had also been dealing with the fear that their magic wasn't real, that their spirit guides weren't real and that it was all some fairy tale they believed when they were younger.

The words they used were, "I was planning on closing all of the doors like this weekend, I was going to shut it all down."

Obviously I couldn't help but laugh a bit in disbelief. S, who was struggling with spiritual imposter syndrome, had almost shut out Anubis completely.

Now I never want to assume a deity's thoughts or feelings, or anyone else's for that matter. I can only guess that because S was in the midst of slamming all of their spiritual doors, Anubis came through one of my doors in a last ditch effort to reach out to S.

Which was pretty cool considering I myself was struggling with the fear that none of this was real. Maybe this was also the world's way of telling me to keep going and to keep learning about magic and it's weird and wonderful ways of working itself into every crevice of your life.

On a side note: I thought it was nice that Anubis knew exactly what he wanted to say and didn't want to beat around the bush at all, we love direct communication.

--

Also, you don't have to agree with the practice of working with deities, but please keep it to yourself because I do not care.

:) If they don't want people to talk to them I trust that they tell us.

[sonofthedeathless]

Everyday ways to praise Hermes:

Thank a mail carrier for their service.

Messengers have always been important members of their communities, and present-day is no exception. Without them, civilization would grind to a standstill—no matter how automated things are.

Mail carriers are modern-day messengers, and they deserve more credit than they get.

They face dangerous weather, difficult driving conditions and physical exhaustion every single day. Last year around Rural Dionysia, I thanked a mail carrier for her service, and she got the BIGGEST smile on her face as she excitedly told me that this was her third day on the job and that I was the first person to thank her for her service so far.

Especially this time of year—thank your local mail carrier, and consider a holiday gift, whether it’s a tip or something else.

[sonofthedeathless]

Offering flowers

Flowers are of those offerings that are universal to all Theoi, and are even more appropriate to Aphrodite and Hera, who share the epithet Antheia “blossom/flower” (Antheia is also one of the 3 Graces so obviously appropriate too). But then, if you take into account the countless of myths involving flowers, it gives new information for when you want to make a more special offering. 

Important disclaimer: while some associations are traditional (aka we have proof of them in cultus), others are purely mythological, etymological or downright unknown. Also, I’ve left out other types of plants to concentrate only on flowers.

All gods: Everlasting (Helichrysum), especially dried. Aphrodite: roses, anemones Apollo: larkspur (the flower currently called hyacinth is not the same as the ancient greek plant bearing the name hyakinthos. What was the ancient hyakinthos was in fact larkspur), violets Demeter: poppies Dionysus: orchids  Helios: heliotrope Hermes: crocus Hypnos and Morpheus: poppies (opium) Iris: iris Persephone: roses, crocus, violet, iris, lily, larkspur, narcissus/daffodils Poseidon: rock-rose

[sonofthedeathless]

15 Days of Deity Devotion: Apollon

Day 10: Devotional Practices

• writing poetry — write hymns and poetry in Apollon’s name, dedicate them to him, or simply dedicate your personal poetry writing and creative time to the god of poetry.

• painting / drawing — unleash your creative spirit and just allow yourself to create without perfectionistic worry; the art of being creative is something precious to dedicate to Apollon.

• learning / playing an instrument — taking on a new challenge such as learning a new instrument could make for a lovely devotional project to Apollon, particularly if this is something you have been wanting to do for a while; if you can already play an instrument, wonderful! Set aside a time to immerse yourself in musical devotion and dedicate it to him.

• song writing / singing — this ties into the previous idea of playing an instrument; all things musical are very fitting ways or practicing devotion to the god of music and song himself.

• archery — whether you have yet to learn it (and if you do, please do so safely from an instructor) or are already a skilled archer, practicing archery is a wonderful devotional act to the golden archer himself.

• divination — whether it be an Ancient Greek form of divination or another one, Apollon is the god of oracle and prophecy, and divination is quite a fitting devotional act to him.

• helping the sick — as the god of healing, it would be both a lovely devotional act, and a kind act overall, to help aid the healing of the sick; this may be an ill family member (stay safe and have the proper protection when taking care of people with contagious illnesses!) or through volunteering.

Original 30 day challenge by Arrin Deuognatos (not on Tumblr anymore), list posted here. Condensed 15 day challenge posted here.

[sonofthedeathless]

[sonofthedeathless]

How to Create a Functional and Pinterest-Worthy Altar

If you love aesthetic altars on Pinterest and Tumblr, then you might want to make one of your own. But how do you erect pia pretty altar that’s still functional? This blog post should help.

Here are some tips:

Determine your altar’s function. What will you do at this altar? Will you be writing, lighting candles, or giving offerings? Knowing the function will encourage you to include must-have items first.

Sort through what you already have before going out and buying new items. You might be surprised by what works with the altar’s purpose.

Divide your stuff into three piles: “must-haves” for essentials, “maybes” for items that are optional, and “no’s” for items that are not appropriate for this particular altar.

Establish symmetry. On each side of the altar, place two items of similar heights (such as statues). It’ll look put-together that way.

Arrange the largest items first, such as books, statues, mirrors, and large candles. Remember to focus on the “must haves!”

Include items of varying heights. If you need more height, stack items on top of books or boxes.

Fill in the gaps with smaller items.

For more details along with step-by-step example pictures, check out the full blog post. The above image is also available as a print.

[sonofthedeathless]

A Druids Crane Bag - A Druids Altar

Because druidry is all about the connection to nature many druids take their practice outside. They have outdoor sacred spaces that they use to connect with spirit, the earth and the gods.

The crane bag is the bag that druids carry their magical items and ritual tools in. Its similar to a travel altar.

A druids altar is all about found things. Things that magically come to the druid overtime. It isnt about having the fanciest or aesthetically pleasing altar although they can definitely have a traditional home altar. The choice is entirely up to you.

Examples of a crain bag and druid ritual tools.

/\ Source for information on crane bags and all images used. Check out their blog for more info.

[sonofthedeathless]

Altar element jars

(I found this image on Pinterest, but I couldn't trace it back to it's original poster. If there is anyone out there who knows, please let me know so I can credit where credit is due.)

I like this idea of using small jars with symbolism and intent. Right now I have four small stones with the elemental symbols drawn on them. I like this idea.

[sonofthedeathless]

✧ Alternative Altar Ideas✧

Not everyone can have a traditional altar or want one. Here are a few that I think could be fun.

☾ If you’re in the broom closet, try making a small altar within a shoebox or amazon box. You can slid it under your bed, keep it hidden in your closet, stack it under some books, etc and it’s super discrete.

☾ A mint tin or cigarette case altar. The smallest option that I can think of and the most minimal, this would be a great option for a practitioner on the go who always wants a bit of something with them at all times.

☾ Dedicate an entire room to be your altar. Decorate with various foliage and flowers, have various tools and symbols scattered around, use the entire space to cast to your hearts content. This option is not the most conventional, sadly. (This is the option I currently opt for. My entire bedroom a space of relaxation and work)

☾ A digital altar. Be it on your phone, tablet or on your desktop, create a background or a theme with all the things you normally would have on an altar but virtually: icons of tools/herbs/flowers/etc for apps, color schemes you enjoy, witchy apps, etc.

[sonofthedeathless]

[sonofthedeathless]

How to Create a Functional and Pinterest-Worthy Altar

If you love aesthetic altars on Pinterest and Tumblr, then you might want to make one of your own. But how do you erect pia pretty altar that’s still functional? This blog post should help.

Here are some tips:

Determine your altar’s function. What will you do at this altar? Will you be writing, lighting candles, or giving offerings? Knowing the function will encourage you to include must-have items first.

Sort through what you already have before going out and buying new items. You might be surprised by what works with the altar’s purpose.

Divide your stuff into three piles: “must-haves” for essentials, “maybes” for items that are optional, and “no’s” for items that are not appropriate for this particular altar.

Establish symmetry. On each side of the altar, place two items of similar heights (such as statues). It’ll look put-together that way.

Arrange the largest items first, such as books, statues, mirrors, and large candles. Remember to focus on the “must haves!”

Include items of varying heights. If you need more height, stack items on top of books or boxes.

Fill in the gaps with smaller items.

For more details along with step-by-step example pictures, check out the full blog post. The above image is also available as a print.

[sonofthedeathless]

Reading Chalice of the Gods and am now cackling because they took the Ganymede the God of homosexuality to a smoothie bar called Himbo juice. Like, I'm dying here.

[sonofthedeathless]

Imagine if Nico had faked his death the entire time. Hiding with Nyx and Erebos in the Mansion of Night, or with Anubis in the Duat. And faking his death was an accident. Like he had been away recovering from his grief.

The fact that Nico somehow has connections to unexpected parts of the mythological world and is widely appreciated by their members, thus making his existence essential and favorable implies that - in the event that I want to start a civil war among the (godly or not) factions - I can just kill him and let someone else take the blame.

Surely the consequences wouldn’t be pretty. I should be guaranteed at least a Hades vs Zeus fight that leads to the sky falling down and the earth crumbling and maybe finally an Alabaster vs Percy match or perhaps Alabaster vs Hazel if I play my cards right. And if I can just put Bob and the trogs in the equation, I can make a feast on Mt. Olympus.

Yeah I’d be punished severely when the truth comes out bla bla who cares. Do you see what I see? Nico’s death can be the catalyst for catastrophes and I’m not letting that go.

[sonofthedeathless]

Athena was the Warrior Maiden called Atanutiwaya, Atanuti, Atana, Mykene, Etheonoe

Hermes was called Pehuson, Hermanas, Emaha, Turms. Pehuson becoming the image of Hermes son, Pan.

When Zeus finally joined he was Ellel, Zojz, Dyeus, Diwo

When Hera came she was Qowia, Uni, Era, Erai, Hora

When Apollon joined he was the Singing Bard, Apaliunas, Apeljon, Qldans, Kwalyan, Amuklos, Pajawo, Perjo, Paean, Aeiballon, Apulu

Hephaestus was originally: Apaitijo and Sethlans

Whrn Ares arrived he was , Enuwarijo, Laran, Ara

It can be argued that some of the Gods aren't Hellenic or Grecian at all. Technically, only Poseidon, Demeter, Persephone, Dionysus, and Artemis are Grecian. And that's because they were in those lands from Pre-Mycenean times.

Before Zeus, Hera, Hades, or Aphrodite, etc there was:

Poseidon was called Enesidaone, Poseidawonos, Poteidas, Posedao. He was the horse that rides the shore, and stirs the waves. He was the horse that carried souls to the Underworld and ruled the dead. He was Wanax- King of the Gods. He was the Horse God of the Seas and the Dead.

Demeter was called Sitopotinija, Horta, Deazeia, Damate, Damatura. She was the Earth-Mother, and wife of Poseidon. She was nature incarnate.

Persephone was Preswa and Despoine. The Goddess of Death. The White-Veiled Queen. She was the daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. And the second wife of her father. She was merciless and ruthless. Fair, just, and unbiased. She was impartial as death tends to be.

Dionysus was Diwonusujo, Diwunoso, Dionusos. He was Madness given form. He was the Bull-Horned God. He drove mortals insane. Made mothers devour their children, and fathers kill their families. And people slaughter entire towns. Son of Poseidon and Demeter.

Artemis was Artemito, Artio, and Arktos. She was the wild, free, untamed Bear Goddess of the Hunt. Feral Daughter of Poseidon and Demeter. She was the Forest Queen.