#Sappho worship

[aphrodisianbaby]

I would absolutely love to hear more about your Aphrodite & Sappho UPG if you're comfortable with sharing! 💖

hello lovely ! I am comfortable, though it's heavily influenced by how i interpret Sappho's work and how i view Aphrodite. a lot of it stems from my own relationship with Aphrodite, and the ways I feel She interacts with Her devotees. me, and many others I've met, have very personal and intimate relationships with Aphrodite. Her willingness to extend Her influence or opinion over anything that matters to me is something I deeply appreciate about her. it's what allowed me to cultivate a very unique love for Her and feel assured that She loves me back.

Sappho's poetry in particular has heavy themes of love and longing. she writes of the her love for the people in her life, the things she admires, and particularly writes of details in the world around her. when i read Sappho's work, I feel a sense of love and wonder for the world she inhabited.

poetry hinges on personal interpretation, but I feel like Sappho was entrenched in a very romantic view of the world. even something as commonplace like the cicadas is worth observing and turning into poetry. i believe the world was a poem to someone like Sappho, and when I first discovered her works it reminded me deeply of how the world looks when Aphrodite is around. I see Aphrodisian themes in a multitude of Sappho's fragments as well.

the Ode to Aphrodite really sealed my UPG however. for one, it's the only known poem of Sappho that we have in it's entirety. i wouldn't be surprised if Aphrodite had a small hand in ensuring it's preservation and survival. the poem itself is so beautiful too. Sappho speaks directly to Aphrodite with such a familiarity and openness. the poem isn't a lovey-dovey love song, it both praises and curses Aphrodite for the pains She inflicts. many hymns are worded to flatter the Theoi, but Sappho gives much more personality and dimension to Aphrodite. these lines in particular stand out heavily to me:

"and you, blessed one, with a smile"

"asked what was the matter with me this time and why I was calling this time"

"who wrongs you, Sappho?"

this is not their first meeting by a long shot, there's such familiarity that Aphrodite smiles when She sees Sappho. Aphrodite asks Sappho what is the matter, and Aphrodite has come when Sappho called out to Her.

there is such an endearing air to these lines. hell, to the entire poem. even as Sappho vents to Aphrodite, she still asks for Her to deliver her from the sorrows that Aphrodite is blamed for at the end of the poem

i hold a UPG that Sappho was "devoted" (however that looked for her) to Aphrodite in a relationship that was intimate and personal. i believe that Sappho probably held a love for Aphrodite that was unique to the human women she knew. I also believe that Aphrodite held Sappho very dearly, both because of how Sappho portrays Aphrodite and because of my views on Aphrodite as a goddess.

i hesitate to say that they were "in love" with each other, because i think that is probably a gross oversimplification. I think that Sappho adored Aphrodite, and that Aphrodite adored her back. I think that the things Sappho cries to Aphrodite are deeper than a typical kharis-based relationship. i think that Aphrodite heard poetry from her that no other ear was privy to. so, I simply call them lovers, because in one way or another i believe that love was not one-sided

[irisrainbowplumed]

(x / x / x)

Sappho, o' great mortal mousai Handmaiden to Aphrodite Herself She who sings up to the skye Poems and poems upon the shelf Though most are surely lost to time Her melodic voice rings through As lyres strummed and small bells chimed Her cheeks became a rosy hue Violet-haired lover, I pray to you For guidance in despair It's you that I turn to, Poetess, lovely and fair

[doves-of-aphrodite]

Sappho - Queer History and what Lady Aphrodite had to do with it

As it’s currently pride month, I couldn’t think of anything better suited to talk about this month than Lady Aphrodite’s role as the Patron of Lesbians.

Sappho’s poetry was mostly lost, and only fragments remain, with the first of these fragments and the one which is considered to be the only completed one (as there are only two parts where it’s hard to understand it) is her Ode to Aphrodite, through which Aphrodite gets labelled the patron of lesbians.

This poem is written in Aeolic Greek and Sapphic stanzas, a meter where three long lines of the same length were followed by a fourth shorter line. It was written in first person and was one of the most important things which proved that Sappho was in fact queer, as the person mentioned to be the object of her desires was female . The poem was written in form of prayer to Lady Aphrodite, and was written how most Ancient Greek hymns are, in three parts.

The contents of the poem were the speaker asking for Lady Aphrodite’s help in her longing for an unnamed female who’s caught the speaker’s eye. The speaker (who it’s believed to simply be Sappho) asks for Aphrodite’s help in easing her pain from the unrequited love she’s experiencing. After being invoked, Aphrodite appears to Sappho and comforts her by saying that the woman who rejected her will someday pursue Sappho herself. The poem ends with the speaker asking the goddess to help her in all her future romantic struggles.

Overall, this poem showed Aphrodite as a kind and caring goddess and helped cement the idea that she is happy to help wherever she can, no matter if it’s homosexual relationships or heterosexual relationships you find yourself in, which would help a lot of people come to terms with their sexuality, and would help a lot of her queer worshippers nowadays.

[diaday333]

Hello everyone, I’m back >:)

Anyway, this is a post documenting my experiences (again). And todays is that your deities care about you a lot, and that they are there with you, even when you don’t know!

Yesterday, I was on break and I was sitting in my car, and I was really upset (ngl I have terrible coworkers lol), so I was just being sad or whatever. (And for a little context, me and my deities, we have certain signs that they will show me, and I know it’s 100% from them, and it basically just means that they are there) and in that moment, I got that sign from none other than our good Lord Ares. Ofc, I was already emotional, but that made me break down in tears (in a good way this time lol). And actually, the same thing happened that night too after I started getting upset about work again.

So this is just to show you that your deities do watch over you and care for you! I’m pretty sure they don’t watch over us 24/7, but Idk I think they get like… little alerts when something is going on 😭

Anyway, the Gods are the best :)

[samwisethewitch]

A lowkey offering to my queer ancestors and heroes. 🥰

[beautyofaphrodite]

ODE TO APHRODITE

Aphrodite, subtle of soul and deathless,

Daughter of Zeus, weaver of wiles, I pray thee

Neither with care, dread Mistress, nor with anguish,

Slay thou my spirit!

But in pity hasten, come now if ever

From afar of old when my voice implored thee,

Thou hast deigned to listen, leaving the golden

House of thy father

With thy chariot yoked; and with doves that drew thee,

Fair and fleet around the dark earth from heaven,

Dipping vibrant wings down the azure distance,

Through the mid-ether;

Very swift they came; and thou, gracious Vision,

Leaned with face that smiled in immortal beauty,

Leaned to me and asked, "What misfortune threatened?

Why I had called thee?"

"What my frenzied heart craved in utter yearning,

Whom its wild desire would persuade to passion?

What disdainful charms, madly worshipped, slight thee?

Who wrongs thee, Sappho?"

"She that fain would fly, she shall quickly follow,

She that now rejects, yet with gifts shall woo thee,

She that heeds thee not, soon shall love to madness,

Love thee, the loth one!"

Come to me now thus, Goddess, and release me

From distress and pain; and all my distracted

Heart would seek, do thou, once again fulfilling,

Still be my ally!

-Sappho

[joyfultearsandsweetmemories]

ugh I love sappho

RECENTLY just getting into her work , just I'm going to learn more about her poems and that

I love the ode to aphrodite one she made its just Hella sweet

Here's a link to a fellow aphrodite devotee analysing it

[sappho-favourite-pupil]

Her: "I know this is kind of an intrusive thought, but, you know, sometimes i wonder if you even find me attractive at all?"

What i say: "I'm sorry you feel that way, love. You know i do find you attractive. I promise i'll be more vocal about it, in the future"

What i think: you wonder if i even find you attractive? I just finished writing a forty-five verses poem about how heavenly you look while i undress you, about how it makes me want to kneel down and worship you and about how i wish you'd never come when i'm fingering you, so that i wouldn't have to stop.

[This post is about ✨lesbianism✨]

[star-princess-princess]

“What my frenzied heart craved in utter yearning.”

Ode to Aphrodite - Sappho

[cedaradec]

The night sinks above us, paints a violet sky

My heart, only the stars can see

and write our history

Someone will remember us

I say

Even in another time

When our bodies decomposed and our souls found paradise

They're going to whisper our love

In the stars' dark night until the words lost all meaning

I decided to extend on my favourite fragment (147) of Sappho's and decided to share it :)

[dandthegods]

Hi! I'm new to the Tumblr pagan/polytheist-sphere, and I was inspired by my research on Sappho and Aphrodite (I'm slowly working on defining modern Sapphic rhetoric and modern Sapphic online and offline spaces) for my MA thesis to look into Hellenic polytheism. I' also identify as a sapphic woman so this topic is in general very fun for me to learn about. I really like your blog, and I'm curious if you just worship deities, or do you worship heroes, spirits, etc. as well? Would you be interested in worshiping Sappho, for example? Also, would it be okay if I included your answer in my project? If not, totally cool! ☺️ and if so, thats great too. (I can def give you more info about what I'm doing if you'd like as well.)

-Sophie 🌷

Hello, sorry if this comes to you late.

I personally don’t worship heroes or characters from myths (such as Sappho, Medusa, Hercules, Theseus, etc.). For me, the Gods are my focus, though I believe in and acknowledge other spirits around me and have a general animistic view on the world around me. And the myths in my view and practice are just stories. I don’t see worship potential in any character mentioned in them as I see the stories as meant to teach lessons, entertain, or try to explain things. This includes how the Gods can be depicted in the stories. Those stories use the Gods, their names and characteristics for the story telling purposes, but I don’t hold any version of them as the “true” version of the Gods that I worship. As a fiction writer, it is similar to writing a character with similar characteristics as one of my friends or the likeness of a specific actor, but understanding and viewing that character as a fictional and separate version from the real friend/actor. I hope that makes sense. Worship and belief is quite complicated, especially when you consider the implications of either mythic literalism or not. I personally wouldn’t worship Sappho or any such character, because of my views. BUT, I want to stress this, I will never and do not advocate for limiting what others view or wish to worship in their practice just because of my own views. If it works for you, makes you a better person and fulfills whatever you need in life, then fucking go for it and have a ball. Just understand that I come from a specific point of view and will engage in a conversation with that bias/views in mind but will do my best to not push my views/bias on someone else. Believe, worship, and love whatever you want, just let me do the same.

hope this all makes sense. Stay safe and well

-D

[aphrodisianbaby]

Hi! I really like your blog, and I'm curious if you just worship deities, or do you worship heroes, spirits, etc. as well? Would you be interested in worshiping Sappho, for example? 

 I'm new to the Tumblr pagan/polytheist-sphere, and I was inspired by my research on Sappho and Aphrodite (I'm slowly working on defining modern Sapphic rhetoric and modern Sapphic online spaces) for my MA thesis to look into polytheism. I' also identify as a sapphic woman so this topic is in general very fun for me to learn about. Also, would it be okay if I included your answer in my project? If not, totally cool! ☺️ and if so, thats great too. (I can def give you more info about what I'm doing if you'd like as well.)

hello love !! apologies that this is so late, asks are anti-my executive functioning. i absolutely wouldnt mind you including my opinion or asking for more ! since you're focusing on sapphic themes, I'll make it clear that I'm a transmasc mlm not a sapphic or a woman ! I'm unsure if that matters to your thesis, but I wouldn't want to skew your data :)

for your question, i personally only really worship Deities. this isn't because I wouldn't worship a hero or a past human, but I have never really felt called to thus far. the closest I've come is contact with a spirit i consider an ancestor and spirit guide whom i refer to as "the fox" online for privacy reasons. even then, we don't have a consistent line of contact like i do with the Divine.

I do have an appreciation for Sappho absolutely. i honor her on this blog specifically because i have a UPG view* that Sappho was a lover of Aphrodite. i believe that Deities can share different levels of relationship with humans, and that Aphrodite had favor for Sappho. I can go more in depth on this if you're interested, or if anyone else is, but I won't clog up this ask with my upg

I think, in the future, I may be interested in hero worship**. i think there is something very healing and personal about forming relationships with energies that were once human, especially those who lived in completely different times than us now. I think it can really bridge the gap between the Divine and human experiences by adding a level of understanding that a Deity may never have, the experience of living as a human being. this was something I valued a lot when I worshiped Psykhe, the Goddess often considered the ruler of the human soul. when you're surrounded by big Divine energies all the time, having a familiar, mortal energy can be quite relieving.

on top of this, I think there's something unique about Sappho's position. it's one thing for a Goddess to tell you how much She loves and accepts you, it's another thing to speak with a queer spirit who lived, breathed, and was adored by others for their queerness. the ancient people loved Sappho's poetry and it was spread across the middle east, even if only fragments remain now. i think it can be an amazing experience for queer people to connect with someone who was adored for their sapphic identity so long ago. even if you don't personally identify as sapphic or even as femme/female. Sappho is the teacher who reminds us that being queer was and always will be something to honor and worship.

*UPG meaning unverified personal gnosis. it's a religious idea or practice that I carry without it being a verified belief or practice in antiquity.

**when I say "hero worship", im generally referring to the worship of influential humans or human figures.

[verse-voyager]

Heaven Is Not Fit For A Love As Ours

She is the flame waltzing in the dark Amidst the frozen minds that answer your calls In this hall of hushed hymns and whispered prayers She sees the truth from false

I would crawl out of your Elysium to sit upon her threshold As the rain of our drops of sorrow conquers your oceans Her lips on my skin and your words in my ears She is the only one worth my devotion

She sings her melodies and I follow her honeyed tongue Past the gates that lead to you Whilst she gazes at the stars I wish I was the heavens Drenched in the evening’s hue

They weave tales that turn our love into crime Those hands that fought your wars They forget I’d rather reminisce my sins Than have nothing left to live for

Our souls are tied and intwined By our love, our pride, our guilt Her fallen angel kisses turn my flowers to embers And break down the lies you built

[wrathwritten]

when she visits, she will speak and you will not understand. still, you will think that the way she strings each sound together is beautiful, godly in their own right. sewn together, the soft lilt of her voice a vessel for the secrets sung only in the sweetness of her native tongue. and then she will look at you, haloed by the sun. yes, you have yet to meet her—but when she visits, oh, you will come undone. drink all that drips from her lips. we call this love.

[lovelypearls]

30 Days of Aphrodite

Day 19: Share a poem/lyrics/quote that reminds you of Aphrodite?

This one might be kinda cheating since it literally mentions her in it but this fragment from Sappho is just an Eternal Mood for me lol

Sweet mother, I cannot weave – slender Aphrodite has overcome me with longing for a girl

[floofysmallbob]

my family saying a blessing: dear father,

me praying to sapphic jesus, the little gay freak who lives in the sky: sup lesdyke bitch