#DEITIES relationships

[deadshadowcreature]

Childish mother of three

[criticalbeauregard]

so this is who laudna and imogen were calling to while taking a moment alone from the group, under the moonlight, after which they stole a kiss together

[sarafangirlart]

[utilitycaster]

I put this in the tags of one of my posts but here is my submission for "why having Pelor appeal to Laudna specifically on the basis of the Sun Tree connection would be great":

Would confirm the Sun Tree patronage which is good because like, the point of a warlock is the patron relationship and while I think Delilah's potential has been utterly exhausted by now, Laudna does need a patron. I'm not sure how the subclass continues to work with this but to be fair it sort of hasn't made sense for a while so it can just not make sense, it's fine

Further Dark Reflection of Vex parallels

Explicitly puts her at odds with Imogen's current worldview; excellent conflict potential

It's possible that team AOL will either have cleric or paladin companions, or will simply not receive divine messages, but if they do this is more interesting to me than Orym and the Wildmother, which felt like a more contained moment, though I wouldn't be mad if we got both.

I think Laudna should show a famously serious Prime Deity her Cockney dead rat familiar and see what happens

[lokavisi]

Y'all, Thor is so great. If you need just a solid buddy, he's your guy. We just shot the shit for a while tonight, and it was just lovely. He really gives a shit about us, about humanity. (I mean, protecting us is kinda his Thing™️, after all.) Having spent a little more time with him, I see why he and Loki share so many stories with one another. Neither of them is dumb or weak, but their respective strength and cunning pair really nicely when you wanna get up to some shit. Even if your partner in crime has a slightly different agenda than your own. Add Odin into the mix and you've truly got a sitcom on your hands. Earlier this week I was talking with Thor and Loki together, and Odin just showed up like, "Who the fuck was gonna tell me y'all were hanging out?" What a kooky fucking bunch. I love these dorks. 10/10, would hang out again. ❤️

[soup-guts]

Trials and Trust Issues

Inspired by @savimatteo2810 ‘s civil war au

[sluttylittlewaste]

I haven't seen any of the FHJY discourse (praise bless), but like....Kristen Applebees is a newly deprogramming baby gay who has died TWICE and very likely just broke up with someone she referred to as "The love of my life," last season. In the real world, that person would spend the next DECADE being the most emotionally unavailable, internally misogynistic, toxic fuckboi dyke you'd ever met. Kristen being a somewhat dismissive gym bro is the good outcome.

[devouredbyflame]

Deepening Relationships with the Divine

I see a lot of posts on Tumblr about how to go about having casual relationships, or showing your devotion subtly but never have I seen ways in which those who wish to move on from that realm of being would actually start having a dedicated practice. People don’t need to be subtle to worship the Gods - in fact, most practices aren’t blatant and don’t need to be blatant. It is understandable and often necessary to be in a closet but you can still have a very deep relationship with the Gods while it still being meaningful.

Here’s a list of things you can do to strengthen your devotion with the Gods as well as build and deepen your relationship.

Build a shrine dedicated to an individual Deity and take time to know Them by using it.

The idea that you need to have multiple Deities all the time and worship all of Them together is a very strange way of doing polytheism and it is a more powerful usage of space to have one singular Deity at a time rather than a mix together. People may feel less of a need to be so bent out of shape if they can’t afford offerings for an entire pantheon of Gods if they only have one household Deity and the rest are specific to other tasks or needs. I’m not saying you need to pick one above the rest, but I am saying that when you work with the Gods, it’s not about quantity of your relationships, it’s about quality and how long you actually spend together in a similar fashion.

Design your shrine to be simple.

You don’t need a bunch of things on your shrine and in fact, that won’t make it any more detectable to the Gods or show how dedicated you are as a polytheist. It is not about how much work you put into the shrine to make it more about the Gods you worship but it’s more along the line of what needs to happen when you go to the shrine, what actions you take while you’re there.

Hypothetically, all you need is a candle to light to show that you wish for a Deity’s presence, but to make it more usable and detectable to a Deity, it is recommended you also have an image, statue, or likeness of the Deity. You can also have a bowl or a glass to fill for your offerings. Do not make huge offerings if you are going to forget to empty them out. Only make the offerings that won’t rot should that be the case, and only do that if you know you’re going to throw it out, eat it, or dispose of it shortly after.

Make a plan to go to your shrine at least once a day if not several times a week.

The more time you spend at the shrine, the easier it will be for the Deity to realize your intent of showing interest. It isn’t because you’re more devoted, are special, or show any signs that you’re worth looking into, but rather, the concept is mostly around how much energy is built up gradually over time. Energy is only built up because of the amount of time you spend there and how much meaning is there. It is not some moral issue you should feel guilty about should it not happen.

The fact is, the Gods aren’t waiting around and checking off boxes above your head so when you fail They mark it against you for the rest of your time with Them. They are, however, flawed in the way that They only can go about recognizing the material world based off of the flow of energy and how much is stored that is unique to Them.

Having a journal at your shrine to write to Them in while a candle is lit is a perfect way of building a relationship. The act of writing is a perfect way to build energy.

Keeping a specific divination tool at the shrine for that single Deity to use and to build Their energy around is also extremely important. It has to be unique to Them while also being used and stored at the site where you are making the most attempts at being at your shrine.

It is important to keep the shrine contained in a way that makes sure that other energies cannot get in. So even if you are closeted or must keep it on the low, go to the craft store and get a photo storage box. You only need a few items in there to make it meaningful. Over time, the use of those items will become more and more sacred. You can take them in and out of the box - it doesn’t matter how it’s stored but as long as it is contained and out of reach of animals and other things that can be hazardous to them and also maintain the cleanliness of the shrine. If not a box, a closet, cabinet, or bookshelf that is high up are all good places to keep it.

If you’re going to keep the shrine out in an open space, make sure the environment around the area is kept free from dust, dirt, animal hair, organized and vacuumed around it. Dirt that is built up makes it harder for the Gods to reach you energetically - cleaning the room it is in is going to be required if you have it outside of a container. If you’re low on spoons or live in a place that is impossible, a box is perfect. As long as the items are kept tidy energetically, no harm would be done if you’re not super hellbent on keeping a very energetically and physically pristine home.

Most people don’t have the space to have a dedicated area that is solely meant to remain clean for the Gods it is dedicated to. If that’s you, don’t worry about having it out at all.

I realize I’ve spoken a lot about using a shrine in this post and that is really a very important thing when trying to build a better relationship with a Deity. It isn’t about who you are or what you’re doing, it’s about recognizing the importance of what the Deity needs to get to where you are first before going about creating a relationship. That’s all that matters for those starting out on the path looking for ways of transmuting their effort into a meaningful way instead of basing it off of appearances and looks.

Gods don’t have eyes and do not see the way humans can. It is necessary that you build up energy as that is what They are and how humans and Deities can interact. Your devotional actions will likely be unseen unless you do them based on the idea that it is repeated, somewhere dedicated to that Deity, or building up a framework of a practice to continue daily.

Not because it’s a moral issue, not because you should feel obligated, but because the Divine are not omnipotent beings who know everything going on and can see everything. Otherwise, you’re not going to get very far in your devotional activities or rituals.

The usage of a dedicated space over time will make communicating with the Gods easier. Consider a shrine like a window in this world for the Gods to look into. The more you use it, the easier it will be for Them to have access to you and the easier it will be for you to hear Them. Yes, discernment is important and having a sensitivity is a great start, but it’s not the only thing that matters in communicating with your Gods.

If you are having issues listening for and hearing the Gods, the problem likely is not just you, it’s that They cannot reach you. The Gods are the most obvious beings on this realm. They are enormous. They take up a lot of space and energy. Those who have experienced Them know that it is not subtle and the more you make it easier for Them to access you, the easier it will be to have Their energy available in order for Them to talk back in a meaningful way and use what’s available in your life to communicate.

Their presence is about as subtle as an elephant sitting in your bedroom. It really isn’t that hard to detect Them once you get the hang of having Them in your specific area in this way. You’ll also know you’re not hallucinating because there is no other experience quite like it. You really won’t know what hit you.

That’s all for now. For more tips on building a shrine or finding more material on this topic, check out my blog.

[ascendingaeons]

Relationships With The Netjeru: Set

Of all the Netjeru I work with, Set (Seth, Sutekh) has been with me the longest. He came into my life when I was seven years old and was my constant companion growing up. I was in the second grade during our first trip to the school library. Almost immediately, I found a picture book depicting the Kemetic Mystery Play, the story of the primeval pharaoh Asar’s (Osiris) betrayal at the hand of His evil, jealous brother Set. Asar’s queen, the beautiful and wise Aset (Isis), traveled long and far with Her devoted sister, Nebt-Het (Nephthys) to restore Her husband to life. Sadly, because a “piece” of Him was lost, Asar was unable to fully return so He descended to the Duat to reign over the souls of the dead. With that “piece” Aset conceived and was left to raise Their son, Herupakhered (Horus the Younger). Eventually, the young Heru grows up and challenges His uncle for the right to rule. In the end, Heru is victorious and earns the kingship over the land of Kemet. I was absolutely enthralled.

Of all the Gods in that story, Set stood out to me. I noticed pretty quickly that He was different. To my young mind, Heru was probably the most similar to Set as they both had animal heads. If the story hadn’t said otherwise, They could be brothers! I was a… unique kid who struggled to fit in so I related to Set’s otherness. I could understand His anger and the distance He put between Himself and His fellow Netjeru. With Set in my life, I felt like I wasn’t alone even when it appeared that I was. I felt His presence even before I could understand what that meant. 

Controversial as this may be, I believe nothing would get done without Set. He represents the force of opposition, without which there could be no momentum or growth. Without expulsion forces, planets would leave their orbits and galaxies would rip themselves apart. Without friction, we could not walk. Without challenges, we would not improve. Without bad conduct, we would not know how to act. Set is the primeval Other that churns the waters of creation. Even in the Mystery Play, Asar would not become the ruler of the Duat without Set being there to kill Him. Set along with His brother Heru-Wer (Horus the Elder) were the Egyptian kingmakers since the predynastic era.

Long before the fertility cult of Asar gained prominence Kemet was divided into tribal territories possessing different patron deities with Set belonging to an archaic stellar cult and Heru-Wer belonging to a proto-solar cult. Eventually, these two cult centers and their mythos merged, originating in the concept of the Two Lands and creating the earliest narrative of the Contendings of Heru and Set or the Tale of Two Brothers. Set and Heru-Wer embodied the complementary forces of the cosmos that, through their interactions, are responsible for what we consider the creative principle. An important thing to note is that through all Kemetic mythos, Set and Heru fight and sustain injury but neither can destroy the other.

Set has a very aristocratic, noble personality that does not bow or bend to adversity. Once a benevolent storm God, psychopomp, and ruler of the honored dead, Set’s role was recast from the Second Dynasty onwards. He became reviled by those outside of the priesthood for millennia, representing isfet, destruction, and conquering foreigners—an irony I believe He revels in. Set knows His worth and recognizes those who recognize Him. Despite His treacherous role in the Asarian myth, every night Set defended the solar barque from the onslaught of Apep, a task otherwise reserved for the Eye of Ra. Set was so trusted by Ra that He was given the task of defending the light of creation in its most vulnerable moment.

Set was directly responsible for a lot of growth in my life. As a child, Set opened my mind to the vastness of the cosmos, showing me that there is so much more to… everything. He began to impart an understanding of All That Is and I began to question the apparent order of the world. As a teenager, He started to guide my Initiation, acting as an agent of Khepera through my expanding consciousness, and so I began to write. As an adult, He began the tedious, painful process of removing from my life and my being all that does not serve me, and so guided me through my first dark night of the soul. Without Him there to challenge me I don’t know where or who I would be. Set is the dad who tells you to get back up when you fall off your bike and takes you out for ice cream when you get it right.

Humor is one of the ways I commune with Set. He loves bad jokes, dirty jokes, and particularly irony. In all likelihood, Set invented the dad joke. It’s no surprise one of His sacred animals is the hyena. Laughter is a universal language that every conscious being can understand. It has been shown to promote physical healing in otherwise irrecoverable patients and I’ve known people with debilitating chronic depression whose road to recovery began with laughing until they cried. Humor is a way to take ourselves less seriously and release from material attachment. It moves mountains by illuminating what is hidden in darkness. All at once, Set’s Gift releases us from what doesn’t matter and shows us what does.

Even though His domains are unpleasant, Set is kind to a fault. It is actually because of His raw, destructive capability that Set is kind. Among the vices Set detests are self-pity, hypocrisy, and victimization whereas He respects those who take responsibility, speak the truth, and do their best. One of Set’s epithets is “Great of Strength.” He knows exactly what you are capable of and expects nothing less than that. He also validates emotions such as defeat, depression, grief, and anxiety. Were Set truly unkind and incapable of recognizing inner truth, He would be utterly incapable of guiding someone through a dark night of the soul.

He is also notoriously confident and proud. Although it might be difficult to discern there is a difference between arrogance and confidence. I think arrogance is like a snow globe and confidence is like a diamond—one is carefully crafted to be alluring but is ultimately hollow while the other is forged into something relentless by pressure, heat, and time. Working with Set is like becoming a diamond and reaping the rewards of your endurance. His confidence and bravado are reassuring and they often come out during His praise. He’s the dad who sits tall with a cheeky grin pointing out His kid who scored the winning touchdown.

Of all the things that I revere about Set one stands apart from the rest. Among Kemetics, Set is widely considered to be a “Gay God.” Until recent years, being LGBTQIA+ was widely considered to be unnatural, immoral, and in many instances criminal. I grew up living in South Texas surrounded by angry bigots, probably one of the worst places to be for someone queer. When I realized I was bisexual I decided that for better or worse I would never live in the closet. That was simultaneously the best and worst thing I could have done but it was also the most Setian thing I could have done. That decision made me who I am today and I made the conscious choice to never look away. I’d like to point out that all of the Netjeru detest acts of bigotry as it is antithetical to ma’at but Set in particular stands as a symbol of strength, courage, and resistance among the LGBTQIA+ community.

Set is my father, teacher, healer, and friend. I don’t see as much of Him now but He is around. I’ve gotten to a point where I don’t quite need Him as much but He still makes Himself known. The occasional life lesson sown by isfet reminds me that His lessons never end. He sometimes shows up as things go awry—always situations that He knows I can handle. Will I stress and worry or will I ride out the storm, however brief it is likely to be? One thing I’ve learned from Set is that I can choose what to worry about. If something isn’t worth my energy, I owe it only one thing—if even that—and that is to walk away.

Set represents the aspect of chaos that is beneficial in that it, by becoming aware of itself, undergoes self-transformation. His is the power of Ouroboros, the cosmic serpent that devours itself to so engender the greater alchemical process of eternal return. In slaying Apep, Set is proving that His Will and Nature transcend that of mindless chaos. In this way, Set has both an aristocratic air and that of a seasoned warrior. He is a trickster, a fighter, and a lover of red meat, spicy food, hard liquor, terrible jokes, and all things over-the-top. He is a Master of what we call magick and His is the process of Initiation. Set is all of these things. He is the Netjer of many hats.

Dua Set!

Recommended Books:

Seth: God of Confusion by Herman Te Velde

Images of Set by Joan Lansberry

Tankhem and Bull of Ombos by Mogg Morgan

Set by Judith Page and Don Webb

The Setian by Billie Walker John and Melusine Draco

The Sky Religion in Egypt by G.A. Wainwright

A Silver Sun and Inky Clouds by Bibliotheca Alexandrina

[moeblob]

What Deacon thinks: what did that mean? did he want me to wear a collar too? why else would he mention my neck? i mean, if he /asked/ me i would wear one but he didn't so would wearing one be weird?

What Ymber meant: It's nice to be near someone who isn't tethered to this world to serve it with a physical reminder for all to see.

[minkothelovergirl]

I can take it when other people hate on the gods but they don't consider them gods, I see their point of view and I understand why they act the way they act

But when other hellenic pagans hate on the gods?

My heart hurts so much

It's really obvious when someone treats the gods as gods and when someone thinks of them as silly characters that they can hate on.

[sarafangirlart]

See, when media overemphasizes Hera’s jealousy towards Zeus’s infidelity as well as make Zeus more sympathetic than Hera it sends the impression that cheating is the worst thing Zeus had done to her and that he’s actually a good ruler and Husband beside that actually, and so ppl think that all their problems would be solved if they had an open relationship, even though if you humiliate and neglect your partner multiple times knowing full well how much it angers and upsets them then obviously you don’t fucking deserve them and you are an abusive pos even if that’s the “only” bad thing you did to them.

Not to mention that Zeus has been verbally and physically abusive to Hera multiple times in mythology but even then the cheating alone is abusive and somehow the cheating is fine if Hera was a whiny bitch and Zeus is just a guy that tries to do his best.

[jessreadsandreads]

Respectfully and affectionately, why do I feel like Loki is some kind of social disease that you're just going to pick up from Tumblr, if you're new to deity work and not being careful?

Anyway, now I have to make a note on my to do list for Saturday, to clean out a designated place for this to live, because my local witch shop was selling cool snake candles made out of local beeswax. I was only shopping for a top-up on fifty-cent chime candles; it suddenly got very out of hand!

[lokavisi]

So about two nights ago, I had a really solid conversation with Loki. A friend got some cues from him through their pendulum, we were both very confused, and then my wife (who barely gives a shit about the Guy lol) interprets this message so pristinely. It was like getting slapped upside the head when she gave her explanation. So I started free writing to continue the conversation more directly with Loki. There were a few big points made in this conversation.

First, he expressed frustration that, in spite of working with him for 4 years now, I still don't seem to "get" him. Like I keep coming to him to vent about some bullshit that's winding me up, he offers a suggestion to help me unwind, and then I brush it off or forget or just straight up ignore it. So he was like, "I've been telling you the same shit for 4 years now... It feels like you're just fundamentally ignoring all the parts of me that make me, ME." So...naturally I felt really fucking stupid and shitty.

Then he very lovingly affirmed that "this isn't me being facetious or angry or trying to put you down. I'm frustrated and irritated, yes, but surely you do realize by now that I fucking love you and you're stuck with me." This meant a lot to me more so than it might for others because my ADHD comes with mad rejection sensitivity dysphoria. Any time anyone says something that indicates some level of upset at me, my brain catastrophizes and breaks down because "clearly" it means they hate me. (This is basically never the case.) This leads me to the primary nugget of wisdom that came from this conversation.

I realized this whole time (once my wife interpreted the initial message) I was hearing him more clearly than I had in a long time. It was nearly as if a physical person sat next to me speaking. As the conversation was wrapping up, I made a note of this and asked, "Why do I feel l hear you clearest when you're frustrated with me?" We've had plenty of similar conversations, and when I look back at past moments when I simply couldn't deny the messages were coming from outside myself, he usually had some level of frustration with me. But to answer my question, he said:

"Because that's all you wanna hear. That's all you think you deserve. Even when you seek love or comfort and I provide, you don't always fully receive it. I try to be funny to cheer you up and you won't have it, just calling me stupid. You are terrible at receiving input that doesn't put you down or reinforce any negative thoughts you believe about yourself. So stop it. Seriously. Fucking stop believing bad shit about yourself."

He went on to talk about the rune readings I did for a bunch you on here (thanks again for the practice❤️), and how I should be pumping myself up from all the positive feedback I got from it. And we exchanged some jokes and "I love you"'s before calling it a night.

As per usual, I share my story in a giant block of text to remind everyone of what Loki reminded me: to not just take in the messaging that supports a negative view of yourself. Allow yourself to believe that you are the gods' gift to humanity. (I just heard him say, "Seriously. I do it all the time. It works wonders for your self-esteem." 😂❤️) Maybe that verbage doesn't have the greatest connotations, but the point is to think more highly of yourself. Believe in the power and confidence that you possess. Even if it doesn't feel like you have either of these things, fake it til you make it - until you realize they've been here this whole time.

I'm on this struggle bus, too, y'all. We're gonna find ourselves together. Hail Loki ❤️

[noxsn]

Does anyone else find similarities between how you treat/feel about your deities and your partners? Because its just so strangely similar for me

I think of them so often, i get exited when i see something they would like or hear a song that reminds me of them, hell i love giving them random gifts SO much even if i dont know if they'll like it

It might be because im not that close to any of my friends but these feelings are pretty much reserved for my lover and my deities only

I dont know its somehow both a weird and comforting feeling to know you love someone on about the same level as the gods, i just hope it will be reciprocated in the future

[rakkuntoast]

Does Bugza sound like regular Phil, or like when Phil uses the tiny voice setting on his mic

DJSJDJS bugza sounds like normal Phil 😭 but for funsies he does sound in tiny when he's talking to one of the deities in their full form (mostly to rose)