#Hellenic reconstructionist

[olympianbutch]

Tending the dining room altar. :)

[highropoios]

How do I explain that while—yes—Greeks do exist, the vast majority (and of course I’m including the diaspora) either (a) don’t care about, or (b) even know modern Hellenic polytheism is practiced today.

I agree with the base sentiment that “when engaging with Greek culture (ancient or modern), it is good to be aware of + respectful towards Greek people.” That’s awesome! 👍🏻 It's so awesome that I encourage applying this same sentiment to all other cultures you’re able / invited to engage with! :)

That same base sentiment can be and has been twisted into a pretzel and salted with straight-up ethnonationalism, though.

Be aware of + respectful towards Greeks when engaging with Greek culture. But also be aware of the fact that there are ethnonationalists running in Hellenic polytheist spaces.

They will twist seemingly innocuous ideas in order to declare indigeneity and primacy over Greek culture. They will deny Greeks their ethnicity because—according to them—“true Greeks can’t be Christian/Muslim/Jewish/mixed/etc.” And they will deny non-Greeks the opportunity to engage with the culture, especially if it’s in a way that even slightly diverges from their very sad idea of ““““true”””” Hellenism.

Being aware and informed goes hand-in-hand with being respectful.

[a-creature-as-bright-as-the-sun]

Hi all. I suppose this question might be more on the recon side of things, but I wanna to hear from anyone with relevant experiences 😊🙏🏻 I've have been thinking about trying to reach out to Athena again, even though I never heard from her in past attempts to reach out, since I'm am picking up jewelry making again. And thinking I might continue to honor her even if I don't get a response. Because piety, etc. So my question is, what are your thoughts or experiences with this sort of practice? Did/do you keep it up long term? Was it too disappointing to never hear back and you eventually stopped? This also kinda applies more to people who do have godphone/can sense gods/entities around them, but I am also interested in hearing the experiences of those for whom not "hearing back" is a regular occurrence! Also this goes for any Hellenic god, not just Athena, I'm am asking about the experience of the practice, not a deity-specific request.

[bookofchaos]

Hellenic Moon Cycle Ritual (Editable & Updated)

Hellenic/Greek reconstruction/revivalist simple moon ritual

 (This ritual can be edited for each cycle as needed)

 (If you'd like to honor the dark and new moon via the Deipnon, Noumenia, and Agathos Daemos, I will have rituals for this coming up). 

Components:

Candle and/or incense

Hot Drink

Spoon for stirring

Something yummy to eat

Pre-Ritual Cleanse:

Wash yourself completely in a ritual bath or shower of your choice

Or wash your hands

Connecting to the Cosmic Grove:

 Close your eyes and take 3 deep breaths. Connect with the sensations of your body. Feel as your sides expand and release. From your spine shoots a thick, gnarled root wrapping around and breaking through that which is beneath you until it finds the dusty earth. Other smaller roots follow suit from each part of you that touches a surface below. As these roots break the surface, they crawl well into the crust until they are met with a cavern and rushing water. It is here that they begin to drench themselves intermingling the energy of the water as the energy of the surrounding terrain. This energy swells upwards rising upwards through the root system, through your legs, your pelvis, your torso, your arms, and finally your head. Your back straightens as the trunk of the tree centers you between the base of the tree and the now forming branches. They sprout from your arms, shoulders, and the crown of your head. New leaves reach upwards waving in the winds letting the shadow and light of the moon dapple between. These energies seep downwards through your head, your shoulders, your arms, chest, pelvis and legs. All these energies fill you and ultimately mix with what is inside you already. You are empowered. You are grounded. Your working can begin.

 Poem:

 (Below are poems I’ve chosen for each of the different major moon phases. Select the one best fitted to the moon cycle or intention you seek to energetically work with). 

New Moon

by Rupi Kaur

Rise

said the moon

and the new day came

the show must go on said the sun

life does not stop for anybody

it drags you by the legs

whether you want to move forward or not

that is the gift

life will force you to forget how you long for them

your skin will shed till there is not

a single part of you left they’ve touched

your eyes finally just your eyes

not the eyes which held them

you will make it to the end

of what is only the beginning

go on open the door to the rest of it

time

Waxing Moon

by Jessica Semaan

I waited at the edge of the cliff

Seasons passed me by and I whispered

The next one will be the one

Gray hair, wrinkles, and many aches later

I thought I was fooling time

But time was no fool

And its wind pushed me forth

And I jumped

I soared

Only when you decide to jump

Do you realize you can fly

Full Moon

by Nayyirah Waheed

Even if you are a small forest surviving off of moon alone,

your light is extraordinary.

Waning Moon

by Marala Scott

That vision you created,

goal you fought to attain,

purpose you claimed,

vision you saw repeatedly,

it’s there,

within reach.

waiting for you

and no one else.

you brought it to life

You believed

 Offerings:

 (Take your hot drink and stir it clockwise three times. Speak or think about how the energy of the drink is your offering to the night, the moon phase, the stars, and those spirits who work during this time. At this time also light your candle and/or incense. If you work with any deities or spirits or ancestors, feel free to give this and other offerings to them as well.)

 Magical Working:

  (written for the full moon; can be edited for any phase)

Hello Moon and Night, it is good to see you in your full splendor shining down.

 I, (insert name), come before you, honoring you in this sacred safe space outside of time only as I can do.

In your illuminated glory, I am reminded that I too shine and shimmer with growth and change finding new ways to deepen my love for myself and the world around me.

 I accept aspects of myself are like that of the Moon and the Night. I, too, go through phases.

 That which will further my healing and growth shall come to me as the Moon passes through this luminous stage.

 Then as the Moon begins to wane, I shall remember that rest is an important part of my life - for I cannot always light up the sky.

 With the darkening of the Moon and the start of the new cycle, I will accept that which is dark within me and begin to release that which does not serve my present self.

 As the waxing of the Moon becomes visible lighting up the night once again, I bring that darkness within into light illuminating changes I can make to better myself, my life, and the relationships around me.

 Again, thank you for these reminders as you fulfill your cycle in the Night sky.

 Ancestors, Spirits of this place and land, and deities, should you be here, I too offer energy to you at this time in thanks for your presence in my life.

 Release from the Cosmic Grove:

 (You can do this in reverse to the visualization above bringing in the branches and leaves, followed by the roots and releasing from the trunk of the tree).

 Feast:

 (Take time to eat with the group or by yourself not only to ground again, but also to commune with the energy of the evening.)

Sources:

 Poems to Read during each phase

[ofsappho]

“Hey where have you been”

I took magic mushrooms in a meadow filled with daisies and dandelions and met Aphrodite and Zeus and Hera and Hermes and Poseidon and Dionysius and also channeled alligator spirits. And then I converted one of my friends into the cult of Hozier and the cult of Aphrodite. No I will not elaborate further.

[madmonksandmaenads]

I think that reconstructionists should get more specific with what it is they are reconstructing. Now from here I could write up a long post about how varied traditions and beliefs are over geography and time, so that if there is any desire to have a "construct" to "reconstruct" you need to specify. Instead, I will say I want to start seeing

ULTRA-SPECIFIC RECONSTRUCTIONISTS

Forget reconstructing the practices of a broad language group. Instead, imagine reconstructing the religious practices of one specific Saronic Island that mostly involve fertility rituals and rituals to usher in a good pistachio harvest. It's such a bold move! The style! The panache! Not to mention the potential to be a genuine authority! Let's face it no one on this site is likely to be the most important devotee of so popular a diety as like Dionysus, but with some work and study you could definitely make a convincing claim to be a world authority on Aphae tutellary goddess of fertility and agriculture to one small island off the coast of Athens.

[solvicrafts]

13, 14, 15, 26, 29 from the recent ask meme?

(13) Do you believe in reincarnation?

For the most part, I'd say yeah. I think it's very plausible, but I also think it's probably not *quite* what we think it is, if that makes any sense. That's basically my stance on all spiritual and religious beliefs -- there's probably truth to it, but we've probably got a few things wrong.

(14) Would you want to be reincarnated?

Mm... maybe. I lean more towards 'no,' but we don't always get what we want.

(15) Do you think you're special, or just another person among billions? Can you be both?

I think I'm a special kind of pain-in-the-ass.

Bad jokes aside, I think everyone's fairly unique or special in their own way and has potential for something, but few are able to really act on it. So I guess I think we can be both. Some are certainly more charismatic or influential than others, but I don't think any one human is inherently more special or valuable than the other.

(26) What's the most life-changing choice you've made so far?

In middle school we were studying ancient Greece and I decided to write a paper on Achilles (but you'll see me refer to him as 'Akhilleus' on my blog if I ever talk about him, for personal reasons).

Spoiler: I didn't stop researching after I finished my project and it led me down a whoooooooole different path in life.

(29) Do you believe in some form of god/s?

I do, but my beliefs are hard to explain with words and kinda... complicated, I guess?

I definitely believe in some forms of gods, but my belief is that the true nature of divinity is very much beyond human comprehension, and that gods have a symbiotic relationship to humans the same way different animals in the ecosystem do.

Like... I don't believe gods necessarily created the world, or that humans invented gods. I think gods exist in some form we cannot understand, and that much like humans and other animals, they adapt and change over time.

I don't believe ANY religion has all of the answers or even most of the answers, and I think it's absolutely bonkers how wild people will get about their arguments over gods and religion.

I think there's just a lot of things humans will never, ever fully understand, and the challenge of that is what makes it all so very fascinating to me. I'm a lot like Kimmuriel in this regard, I suppose: somewhere out there, there is a hard limit as to what I am capable of knowing, but that does not deter me in the slightest as I will keep trying to learn anyway.

[thegrapeandthefig]

Dissecting ancient Greek wedding customs (or “How to adapt the clusterfuck they are into something somewhat doable for the 21st century”)

This post is going to be a bit different. I could stick to writing about the customs we know of from a purely historical perspective, and while it would be informative, it wouldn’t reflect what I’ve actually been up to. Some of you might already know, but I’m getting married, so I approached this topic with the intent of seeing what I could do (and get away with).

So this post is going to be more about method and the practical challenges that come with doing the groundwork of adapting very old (and often outdated) traditions in a way that makes sense for our modern times.

I do have some disclaimers to make before I get started:

Most (if not all) of the literature around ancient Greek marriage is hetero-normative. However, this does NOT mean that marriage rites shouldn’t be adapted for queer marriages or that queer marriages can’t be done within Hellenic paganism. It’s our job as reconstructionists and revivalists to rework and adapt to our needs.

Similarly, this post is bound to mention or detail cult practices that are no longer in line with our modern sensibilities. I also want to make it clear that this post is not a tutorial. I’m not saying how things should be done, I’m only exposing elements that I consider reworkable and propose suggestions so that it can help others make their own research and decisions, with the level of historicity that they deem fit.

While the wedding customs from fifth century BC Athens are decently known, the ones from other cities and regions of Greece are much more obscure outside of anecdotal and fragmentary details (with the exception of Sparta). For this reason, the Athenian example is what I’ll be using as foundation. If you reconstruct practices from other areas of the Greek World, you might find something valuable in this article: The Greek Wedding Outside of Athens and Sparta: The Evidence from Ancient Texts by Katia Margariti.

Basic/simplified structure

The typical Athenian wedding would spread over three days, and be marked by several steps, some of which are listed below. Note that the order of these steps is not precisely known and might have been flexible:

Pre-wedding:

Decorating: korythale at the door, decoration of the nuptial bedroom

The Proteleia

Filling of the loutrophoros

Wedding day

Nuptial bath

Adornment of the bride

Wedding Feast

Hymenaios

Anakalypteria

Nymphagogia

Katachysmata

Day after

Epaulia

Gamelia

Final sacrifices

Some of these steps included specific customs and traditions, not all of which are reconstructible for various reasons.

Decorations

The korythale: the korythale was a sprig, usually from an olive tree (or laurel), which was placed at the groom’s door (and perhaps the bride’s too). The word in interpreted as deriving from “koros” and “thallein”, which would translate “youth-blossom”.

The korythale is very reminiscent of the eiresione, which was a similar kind of branch of laurel used during the Thargelia and/or the Pyanepsia that had apotropaic purposes. Athenian weddings included a procession from the bride’s home to the groom’s house, so the presence of the korythale at the doors would indicate that a wedding was taking place involving the decorated homes.

While I haven’t seen any one make this interpretation, I would still be tempted to argue that decorating the thresholds of houses has a similar protective and luck-bringing purpose than the eiresione, which was also hung above the door of Athenian houses.

The thalamos (nuptial bedroom): While there is no doubt the houses were properly decorated for the occasion, we have mention of special care given to the nuptial bedroom.

It’s important to understand that the procession from the bride’s house to the groom’s went up to the bedroom door, it was generally an important location and its preparation is seen represented on ancient pottery. Euripides mentions the adornment of the bed with fine fabrics, while Theocritus mentions the smell of myrrh (sacred to Aphrodite). There is also evidence that, in the Imperial period, the practice of hanging curtains to create a canopy above the bed was adopted, very likely from Egypt.

When it comes to adapting this today, it is pretty straightforward and there is plenty of room for personalization. The korythale could be challenging depending on how easily available olive or laurel are in your area. I would also argue that the custom could be more loosely adapted so that instead of being at the houses’ doors, it could take the form of a floral arrangement at the door of whatever venue you are using.

Proteleia

In short, the proteleia refers to sacrifices and offerings that would be made to various gods before the wedding. The exact timing of these is more or less unknown, but we have reasons to believe they could be done a day or a few days before the wedding, and perhaps also on the day of the wedding. These offerings were made independently by each family.

It is in this context that the offering of a lock of hair and of childhood items is best known for brides. The recipients of the offerings are varied: In Athens the most mentioned are the Nymphs and Artemis, but various sacrifices to Aphrodite, Hera, Athena and Zeus were also performed. In other parts of Greece, pre-nuptial customs often included sacrifices to local heroines. Plutarch, in the 2nd century AD (and therefore way after the focus of this post) mentions the main five nuptial deities to be Zeus Teleios, Hera Teleia, Aphrodite, Peitho and Artemis.

Today, I believe the exact choice of who to offer to and what to offer very much comes down to personal preferences and circumstances. While we assume that both families made prenuptial sacrifices, we know very little of the groom’s side of things, since the focus was on the bride, and the rite of passage aspect was not present for the groom in Ancient times. This is a gap that leaves room for modern innovation eg. including Apollon to either replace or accompany Artemis or choosing a group of deities that is more couple-centric rather than family-centric.

Personally, I have settled on Aphrodite, Hera and Artemis and have integrated a Spartan custom that includes the mother of the bride in the sacrifice to Aphrodite. Hera Teleia will receive a lock of my current hair, while Artemis will receive a lock of hair from my first haircut as a child (that my mother has kept all these years), alongside some other trinkets. The groom will honour Zeus Teleios in a passive way. And I will honour the Nymphs through the the rite I will explain next.

Nuptial baths

Both bride and groom had a ritual bath before the wedding. Its purpose was of cleansing and purificatory nature, and is consistent with other water-based pre-sacrifice purifications. What made the bride and groom's baths distinctive was their preparation. The bath water used to be drawn at a specific spring or river. At Athens, the water for bridal baths came from the Enneakrounos, the fountain house for the spring Kallirrhoe, but each city had its dedicated source. The water was carried in a special vase named the loutrophoros (bathcarrier) and the act of fetching the water and bringing it back to the homes constituted a procession. The loutrophoros was often given as offering to the altar of the Nymphs after the wedding. It was an important symbol of marriage, to the point that, if a woman died before being married, she would often be buried with a loutrophoros.

This will be more or less difficult to adapt depending on circumstances and environment, but the logic of a purifying bath (or shower even) can be kept (though I would discourage bathing in water you are not sure of the cleanliness of). The idea of having a specific vessel can also be kept. Personally, I plan to have a special vessel for some type of purified water, and while I may not bathe in it, I plan to sprinkle it and/or wash my hands with it.

Adornment of the bride (and groom)

Traditionally, the bride would have a nympheutria (which we could equate as a bridesmaid, but seems to have often been a female relative) charged of helping the bride get ready. I won’t get into the details of the clothing we know about, mostly because there seems to be a lot of variation, and because I consider this to be a very personal choice. However, we can note that both groom and bride were adorned with a wreath or a garland of plants that were considered to have powers appropriate for the occasion (sesame, mint, plants that were generally considered fertile or aphrodisiac). Perfume is also something attested for both bride and groom, especially the scent of myrrh. The bride would wear a crown, the stephane, which could be made out of metal or be vegetal (the stephane is now the object of its own crowning ceremony in Greek Orthodox weddings). The bride’s shoes were also particular for the event, and named nymphides. The bride’s veil was placed above the crown.

Hymenaios and Feast

I am grouping these two since they are linked. The feast was more or less the peak of the wedding ceremony and lively with music and dances, as Plutarch indicates (Moralia, [Quaest. conv.] 666f-67a):

But a wedding feast is given away by the loud cries of the Hymenaios and the torch and the pipes, things that Homer says are admired and watched even by women who stand at their doors.

The hymenaios was a sung hymn in honour of the couple and the wedding, and there were other songs that were specifically sung at weddings. However the hymenaios wasn’t only for the feast, these songs would be sung also during the processions. The hymenaios also had the purpose of ritually blessing the couple, a ritual that bore the name of makarismos.

As for the feast, it was obviously abundant with food and the prenuptial sacrifices provided the meat that would be served. There is otherwise very little difference with what a modern wedding feast would be like: food, drink, music and dance around which gathered friends and relatives of the couple. Like today, the wedding cake(s) was an important part of the celebration. It was called sesame and consisted of sesame seeds, ground and mixed with honey and formed into cakes to be shared with the guests.

Anakalypteria

Note that there is a bit of a debate around this step, which is the unveiling of the bride. Some believe the bride kept her face veiled until this part of the wedding, where her face would be uncovered for the groom to see. Others interpret this step the other way around, where the bride is then veiled as a result of being now married. The timing of the unveiling is also up for the debate. It might have been during the feast (at nightfall), or after once the couple was escorted to the bridal chamber. There doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus.

The concept of unveiling the bride is otherwise something that isn’t unknown to us as a modern audience. As with everything else, how to interpret and modernize it is up to personal preference.

Nymphagogia and Katachysmata

The nymphagogia aka the act of “leading the bride to her new home” took place at night, likely after the feast. It is at this point that the groom ritually led the bride to his home by taking her by the wrist in a ritual gesture known as χεῖρ’ ἐπὶ καρπῷ (cheir’ epi karpo). The relatives and friends of the couple formed a festive procession that accompanied them to their new home accompanied by music and songs. The mother of the bride led the procession carrying lit torches, while the groom’s mother awaited for the new couple in their home, also bearing lit torches.

Once there, the rite of the katachysmata would happen. The couple would be sat near the hearth and the guests would pour dried fruits, figs and nuts over the bride and groom as a way to incorporate them into the household and bless the union with prosperity and fertility. As part of this rite, the bride ate a fruit (either an apple, quince or pomegranate). It is only after this step that the couple would be escorted to the bridal chamber.

These two rites are tricky to adapt in a modern context because of how location-specific they are (and that’s not even taking into account the implications of having family escort you to your bedroom etc). My take would be that the katachysmata is not too far off from the custom of throwing rice/flowers at the couple after the ceremony, and could probably be incorporated as such. The torches could also be replaced by any source of light placed in a meaningful location, depending on the where the wedding is being held. The nymphagogia could also do with an update, the easiest of which could simply be holding hands while leaving the wedding ceremony.

The day after (Epaulia, Gamelia & sacrifice)

The epaulia refers to wedding gifts to the couple, which would be given the day following the ceremony. At this point, it is implied that the couple has consummated their marriage and are officially newly-weds. Pausanias informs us that the term “epaulia” (also?) refers to the gifts brought by the bride’s father in particular and included the dowry.

After the epaulia, the bride's incorporation into her husband's house was complete. This might have been when the groom held a feast for his phratria (aka direct family), as a way to conclude the wedding.

As for final sacrifices, the bride herself may have marked the end of her wedding by dedicating her loutrophoros at the sanctuary of Nymphe, south of the Acropolis.

The epaulia could be adapted, in modern terms, with having a registry. Should someone choose to have a specific vessel linked to the ritual bath today, it could very well be kept, dedicated to the Nymphs and used as a small shrine. Considering how symbolic the object is, there is also room for it to become a piece of family heirloom.

Final words

This is really only a small summary of what a wedding could have looked like, sprinkled with a few ideas of how to manage the gaps, discrepancies and limitations. As I said in my introductions, there are details I haven’t mentioned. Some of the customs detailed here have clear modern counterparts, but others don’t. I’d like to conclude by addressing these.

First, the ancient Greek (Athenian) wedding is completely devoid of priestly participation. It was entirely planned, organized and led by the two families. Religious responsibilities were entirely self-managed. I find this point important to remember because it makes it much more accessible than if modern Hellenic pagans had to seek out an external authority.

Some of you might have noticed the absence of wedding vows, at least in a formal form like the one we are used to in our modern days (derived from Christian and Jewish traditions), this is not an oversight, there simply were none that we know of. As a sidenote, I would also advise against turning a wedding vow into a formal oath. I’m still debating on what to do myself, but I’m leaning towards a religiously non-binding vow that won’t curse me should things go wrong.

Adapting the structures and rites of the ancient wedding to today’s framework of ceremony will naturally lead to changing the order of things, on top of sacrificing elements for the sake of simplicity, practicality, personal preferences and, very likely, visibility. Unless you’re lucky enough to do a private elopement, chances are that relatives and friends might be there, and not all might know or even approve of your faith. I hope this post shows that there can be ways to include traditional religious elements that will go unnoticed to the untrained eye, like I hope it showed that the private nature of the ancient Greek wedding rites is a significant advantage for modernization.

[normal-horoscopes]

I believe it was the Hellenism subreddit? But they straight up say that anytime a story shows a Greek god being imperfect or evil, it’s non literal. Because the Greek gods are perfect in nature and cannot actually do acts like that.

The subreddit says it’s reconstructionist but I was wondering what your take was. They very much claim the Greek gods can do no wrong and the myths showing they are are allegorical only, in any case of wrongdoing shown

MOM! The Neopagans Accidentally Reconstructed The Ethical Framework of Christianity Again!

[multiplicity-positivity]

Here’s some positivity for polytheist pagan systems!

Systems of all faiths and spiritual backgrounds belong in the plural community. No matter what higher powers you or your system believe in, rest assured you are welcome here! This post is for all the polytheist pagan systems out there!

🌟 Shoutout to systems who worship gods and deities from a wide variety of faiths!

🌧 Shoutout to systems who are considering paganism or are actively learning more about it in order to potentially become pagan in the future!

🌿 Shoutout to Hellenic, Celtic, Baltic, Druid, neo-Pagan, Wiccan, Reconstructionist, and other pagan systems who belong to a specific faith!

💨 Shoutout to eclectic pagan systems who are forging their own religious paths!

🌟 Shoutout to pagan headmates in non-pagan systems!

🌧 Shoutout to pagan systems and headmates with patrons, or who have specific gods or deities that they are wholly committed and devoted to!

🌿 Shoutout to systems with members who are deities from the religion they practice!

💨 Shoutout to pagan systems who set up altars, pour libations, take part in rituals, and incorporate other religious traditions into their daily lives!

🌟 Shoutout to systems whose plurality is due to or heavily influenced by their paganism!

🌧 Shoutout to pagan systems who are divinely inspired, or who create art, stories, poetry, music, or other works directly inspired by the gods, deities, or pantheons they worship!

🌿 Shoutout to indigenous systems whose paganism is influenced by or related to their cultural religion, spirituality, and tradition!

💨 Shoutout to secular or agnostic pagan systems who are polytheist without worshipping any specific gods or deities!

We truly hope that all pagan systems can find peace, comfort, and fulfillment in their religions and spiritual practices. Regardless of how devout you are, how many gods you worship, or how central polytheism is in your system’s lives, please know that you are loved and cherished, both by the deities you follow and by the plural community!

Your presence in our spaces is so appreciated, and we value your thoughts and perspectives here! Please don’t hesitate to let us know if there is anything we can do to help keep our spaces more inclusive to polytheist pagan systems. We hope that your future is filled with meaningful connections to your deities, and that y’all will grow ever closer to the gods you worship as time goes on! Thank you so much for reading, and take care!

[teawitch]

Wicca vs Witchcraft vs Pagan

It's not fair to enter the debate without posting my own definitions, is it? The below just scratches the surface of each of these. I could go on forever and keep in mind - I am a Gemini and will go on forever if given the chance.

Wicca  is a form of witchcraft as much as it is a religion. When Gerald  Gardner created Wicca his claim was that he was working with an ancient  witchcraft tradition. How much of what he had was truly from an old  witchcraft tradition is much debated (he borrowed liberally from various  sources). Wicca began as an initiatory practice, where a person joined and worked within a specific tradition. On a general level, rituals follow the Wheel of the Year and work with a god and goddess. Practices can vary with tradition and knowledge of practice can vary by degree within a tradition.

Witch is used as a very generic term, often to indicate any magic user. Which is not always correct. My grandmother practiced folk magic but would never have considered herself to be a witch. She was good Southern Baptist. Ceremonial magicians practice magic but don't identify as witches.

So the best way to consider witch is as a form of self-identification. Someone is a witch when they say they are a witch. Generally they would also be practicing some form of magic.

Now Pagan or Neo-Pagan gets a bit more complex.  Overall Pagan or Neo-Pagan is sometimes used to mean “A group of people that operates outside societies expectations”  with no indication of actual practice. I know the expectation is "pagans worship the old gods" but that isn't always true. Some do. Some, well, see "Party Pagan" below.

Within the Neo-Pagan movement, you'll find Reconstructionist groups who try to recreate, as much as possible, older religions such as Hellenic or Kemetic (ie Greek or Egypt) or Norse or Druidic. But you'll also find people who just consider themselves to be outside of Christianity with no specific structure.

Generally speaking,  Wicca and witchcraft traditions may be considered part of the larger  Neo-Pagan environment. Perhaps an easy way to see this is that if an  area holds a Pagan Pride Day, it may be the best way to meet people from  the local initiatory Wiccan covens as well as the local Druids,  Heathens and other groups. If an event was labeled “Pagan” it generally  just meant everyone was invited.

But the actual practices  can be very different. Hellenic and Heathen groups may or may not  welcome Wiccans or witches as members. They may practice ritual honoring  their gods but want nothing to do with spellwork. Though they may not  be as opposed to it as say, the Southern Baptists. Some Neo-Pagans  are  happy to attend a Wiccan ritual though they wouldn’t hold one  themselves. (There is also a term - Party Pagans - which is the crowd  that shows up to every ritual or event though no one knows what they  actually do on their own.)

Now a word of caution the term Pagan (Neo-Pagan) -  this is considered a reclaimed term, meaning we don’t call anyone a  Pagan unless they claim that term for themselves. So if you call your  Buddhist or Hindu friend a Pagan, they may become upset with you. This  is because regardless of any dictionary definition the term Pagan is  still used as an insult. The same with Heathen and Witch.

[olympianbutch]

🌩 ZEUS AITHIOPS 🌩

[highropoios]

how we feelin’, Zeus Aithiops devotees?😍😍

[wohresongsiren]

Hi! I have a question (more just asking your opinion). How do you feel about pagans who "work with" deities? Like, do you, in your personal practice, feel it's appropriate to have a more equal dynamic with the Gods? If this is too personal or invasive, feel free to ignore!

Hihi! I’m sorry, I honestly did not see this lmao. I am going to be speaking about the Greek/Hellenic pantheon since I am not sure if this is the same for other pantheons/religions!

So, short answer: I think it’s okay. Idrc.

Long answer: I’m pretty sure that the ancient greeks worked with the gods and petitioned them, but even if you aren’t necessarily a reconstructionist, I personally believe there is no problem with working with the gods. Everyone’s practice is different, I choose not to work with them, but simply worship them, others do as well, some others don’t, and we should keep in mind that deities can interact with each of us differently. Now, do I think people should have an “equal” dynamic (as in seeing a them as your equals while working with them) with the gods? Personally, no. Again, everyone’s practice is different. I simply believe that us mortals should always treat/interact with the gods with respect and, well, treat them like GODS, no matter if we worship, work with, or are devoted to them.

Now, some people may have this dynamic with their deities, and perhaps they [the gods] have no problem with it, and that is totally fine. If the gods aren’t saying anything about it, who am I to judge?

(Hi, a lil note: I am no expert/scholar/historian/whatever of any kind, this is my belief/opinion on the matter.)

[hyakinthou-naos]

❀ The Temple of Hyacinthus ❀

Khaire and welcome weary traveler, to the Temple of Hyaincthus. This digital temple is a space where I honor many Theoi - and I welcome all who seek their graces and blessings to this space.

[This is a genuine blog dedicated to my religious and spiritual beliefs - this is not a roleplay or a fanfic blog]

The Temple is not solely made up of reconstructionists or revivalists practices, but instead contains a combination of the two. My goal with my Temple is to create a community where other likeminded pagans can commune, honor, and worship The Old Gods in the modern age in a myriad of ways. My goal is never to offend, ostracize, or other any Hellenic or Roman Practitioner - but in the same breath The Temple does not follow a strict or pre-determined path.

This digital temple is currently stewarded by Farhan Wiles, Hythiereia* in training and Devotee to Lord Apollo and Lord Hermes.

*Hythiereia is a gender-neutral term uniquely coined by our Temple to denote those within our order who have dedicated themselves as Mystics and Leaders within The Temple of Hyacinthus. The word comes from Hiereiai (the title of the [priestesses] in ancient Greek religion) and Pythia (the name of the [high priestess] of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi).

All who enter here must abide by our Code Of Conduct and Community Rules - which can be among the links below:

About The Temple

About Farhan

Ask Box

Offerings

Resources

Theoi Info Sheets Series - Master List

Code of Conduct

Community Rules

This Temple is under constant construction as I seek to expand its services and community. I appreciate your patience and kindness.

Eirene, peace and farewell.

[ofsappho]

I think for me, one of the coolest parts of becoming a (recon) Hellenic Polytheist and particularly becoming devout, is finding the Theoi in some of their most “unconventional”/“lesser known” ways.

For example, my patron (to whom I am very devoted to and will be for my whole life) is Aphrodite the Warlike.

Any relationship takes time and effort, and so do relationships with the Theoi and with individual Theoi. I’ve been praying to Athena for some months now but I was struggling to figure out the specific epithet/aspect of her that I was resonating with.

Recently, a wonderfully talented and blessed friend of mine divined for me that Athena Paionia, or Athena the Healer, was the aspect of Athena I was looking for and they were completely right.

Aphrodite is not well known as a war goddess (currently) and Athena is not well known as a goddess of healing (currently) but together, I think I am incredibly suited to them and I feel like my religious practice is well rounded. And I pulled some tarot cards for Aphrodite Areia and she actively encouraged me to worship Athena Paionia as the aspect of Athena I was looking for.

I’m still working on the relationship and understanding Athena in this new light, but hopefully I’ll have some interesting stuff to say once I’ve done more work!