#also while poseidon was the god of the sea he was very much associated with the underworld too especially in pre homeric times

[thegoatsongs]

On 13 July passed Cape Matapan. Crew dissatisfied about something. Seemed scared, but would not speak out.

On July 13th, the crew of the Demeter gets their very first dark premonition while passing Cape Matapan. The next day the first incident among them happens, followed by the first disappearance.

Cape Matapan, aka Cape Tainaron, is the southernmost place in continental Greece, and gateway to Hades.

There was a sanctuary of Poseidon there (ancient captains sailing past the Cape would stop to ask for a smooth sail), and a Nekromanteion (death oracle) or a Psychopompeion, because the Cape was a threshold to the Underworld.

Greek sailors have been traditionally using the phrase "Stay forty miles away [meaning as far as possible] from Cape Matapan" ("Από τον Κάβο Ματαπά σαράντα μίλια μακρυά"), likely due to it once being a pirate hideout, as it's associated with bad luck.

[alpaca-clouds]

Let me just be a mythology geek for a minute...

So... Persephone...

So, Stray Gods establishes that the gods for the most part do not remember their pasts too well. Because some knowledge gets lost each time the eidolon passes on.

To me this kinda makes for a fun option, though. Because... I am too much of a mythology geek not to look at this from the perspective of the development of the mythology. ESPECIALLY when it comes to Persephone.

You see, Persephone as a goddess is older than Hades. As in: Myths about her have been around for a much longer time than myths about Hades. Originally Persephone and Demeter were worshiped as "the two queens" by some old cults. We do not know much in detail what that worship entailed, but we know that for some people in the very, very early days of these gods, the two in their duality were very, very important.

You also might know that Persephone has the alternative name of Kore. Well, Persephone translated means Bringer Of Destruction, while Kore just means "the girl". And given that there is power in names and what not it is believed that the name Persephone was not spoken because people were afraid of summoning her. (Just as later on the name Hades was not spoken, with him being referred to as Ago, Aner or Laos.)

Now, the name Hades translates to "the Unseen". And... that brings me to one big thing.

Mythologically speaking Hades was originally not the god of the underworld or the dead. Again, he as a god came on fairly late and originally he was probably just an aspect of Poseidon, that after a while became worshiped as an individual deity. But even as such... If we look at the "three godly brothers" they are in fact God of the Sky, God of the Sea, and God of the Earth. Hades as a god is fairly new, but his association with the underworld and him being the king of the dead is even newer...

What I am getting at: There is a good chance that it was in fact Persephone who originally was the Goddess of Dead and Queen of the Underworld - with her and Demeter as the "two Queens" taking a kinda Yin-Yang theme of Demeter as a goddess of life and Persephone as a goddess of death.

Because let me make one thing clear: Persephone (you know, BRINGER OF MOTHERFUCKING DISTRUCTION) was never a goddess of spring. She just became associated with spring through the entire Hades and Persephone myth, with her returning to Demeter being the reason for spring. But she, as a goddess, is not a bringer of spring.

So, why am I rambling about this here?

Well, because if we took in this information... There is a good chance that at some point too long ago for them to remember Hades and Zeus usurped the throne of the underworld from Persephone, who was originally the queen.

God darn it, I need to write a fic about this, don't I?

EDIT: I started writing it. Here you go.

[ivorys-back]

New TWOF prequel incoming!

Okay, so you know how I've been infodumping a lot about Luzbel lately? Well, it's not for no reason because I'm making a new prequel that's all about him! It's called "Hymn of the Gods", and it's focused on Luzbel's growth as he struggles to fit in amongst the gods of the Skylands, all while facing the growing threat of the Underworld.

I just finished the Olympian's designs, and soon I'll be working on the Egyptians.

Let's kick things off with Zeus, the God of Thunder and the king himself! While he is a womanizer and has fathered many children with many mortal women, he still loves his wife Hera. He would split a planet in half for his children, and is very protective of his subjects, both divine and mortal.

Speaking of Hera, here she is! She's the goddess of marriage, and while she did always get mad at Zeus for cheating on her with mortal women, she just accepted that that's just how he is and she's calmed down about it. She's even friends with a lot of his spouses like Leto (Artemis and Apollo), Alcmene (Hercules), Semele (Dionysus), and many others.

Overall, she's very motherly and kind towards her children, but can also be very strict if they misbehave or are cruel to each other or other creatures.

Poseidon, the God of the Seas! Not much to say about him except that the sea reflects his mood, typical of an ocean god. On days when he's calm, the sea is calm and sailors can go by effortlessly. On days when he's pissed, the sea is tossing and turning with storms and tidal waves; he could drown a whole city if he wanted to, but he's not that ruthless. He's an excellent brother to Zeus and Hades, they make a great trio.

I've mentioned Hades a few times on this blog, and here he is in the flesh! He's the God of the Underworld, and despite him having a bad rep when it comes to underworld gods (I blame Disney for taking so many liberties with the Hercules movie; don't get me wrong, I like it, I just don't like how inaccurate it is to the real story), he's a nice guy and is always willing to listen if any of his subjects have something to say.

He loves his wife Persephone deeply, and would do anything for her. He's also became good friends with Orpheus after he died (he had to sit through at least an hour of tearful apologies of how stupid Orpheus was to look back at Eurydice), but now that Orphie and his beloved are reunited in the afterlife, all is well.

Demeter is the Goddess of the Harvest, and is easily the most strict and motherly of them all. She's very protective of her daughter Persephone, and while she had her complaints when Hades took her to the Underworld (they had been meeting in secret a few weeks prior because Persephone didn't want to be constantly controlled by Demeter all the time, and because Hades was the only one who treated her like an adult), she's alright about it now and even invites Hades over sometimes.

Hestia is the Goddess of the Hearth, and the oldest of her siblings (well, technically also the youngest since Kronos threw her up last since she was the first child he swallowed).

She's one of the more solitary gods, preferring to watch over and mingle among mortals since she enjoys their theatrics and culture.

Athena is the goddess of wisdom, and the oldest of the demigod Olympians. As we all know, she was expelled from Zeus' forehead after he swallowed his first wife Metis (who, in my AU, was expelled from him later in the same fashion), and as we know she came out full-grown and ready to kick some ass.

She's very smart and is well-read on all sorts of subjects, but she's also very smart and strategic when it comes to battle, which is where her association with war comes from.

Ares is the God of War, and exactly what you'd expect of him: brash, reckless, cruel, all that jazz. He's actually the real reason why Hephaestus is crippled the way he is.

In most stories, it's either Hera or Zeus that throws Hephaestus off of Mount Olympus after he's born, but in my AU it's Ares who pushed him when they were kids because he was jealous of how well-treated Hephaestus was compared to him (not that Ares wasn't treated well, he was just too much for his parents to handle). He was punished after this, and his ego only grew as he got older.

Hephaestus is the God of Blacksmithing, and is very calm and rational and smart. He brought the gift of machinery to man, and he made the first robots, which were made of bronze and given life so that they could move and do things all on their own.

He's very gentle as well, and despite the stories, he and his wife Aphrodite are a fabulous couple. He treats her very well and showers her with jewelry that he crafts himself, and her most prized treasure is the girdle he made for her as a wedding gift.

Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love, and that title is not lost on her. She's very sweet and gentle with everyone, and is more than willing to help out others with their relationships, whether it's romantic or not. She's deeply in love with Hephaestus, and hates Ares with a passion (the bad kind). The reason she married Hephaestus was because Zeus was afraid that the male gods would get into a fight over who would be her husband, and that someone would get hurt, so he asked her who she would like to marry and she chose Hephaestus.

As for the time when Ares got tricked and was caught up in chains, Aphrodite was sick and tired of Ares' constant advances and mistreatment toward her, so she and Hephaestus came up with a plan to trick him and expose his misdeeds to the gods. So Hephaestus created a net of chains that were so thin they were nearly invisible but were very strong, and strung them all around his and Aphrodite's bedroom, and instructed Aphrodite to wait for Ares to try and sneak in while he pretended to go on a trip. When Ares arrived, once he was within three feet of the bed he was suddenly caught and trapped in the net, and Hephaestus came back with all the other gods in tow. After that, Ares steered clear of Aphrodite and Hephaestus and just didn't even bother with them anymore.

Apollo is the god of the sun, healing, and music. He's very gentle but also kind of a wisecracker, and is one of the more laid-back gods. He runs an infirmary on Olympus, where he takes care of the injured after a battle or if there's an accident, and makes no exceptions to whoever he's healing.

Artemis is the goddess of the moon and the hunt, and is Apollo's twin sister. She's a bit of a tomboy, not even bothering with men (except her friendship with Orion), and spends a lot of time with her nymphs and dogs in the forest.

Hermes is the god of travelers, thieves, and messages. If anyone has a message to go to the other Skylands, they go to Hermes. That's partially why he's the smallest of the Olympians; his small size makes him faster, and he's mostly found hovering in the air or relaxing.

Last but not least, we have Dionysus, the god of wine and merrymaking. He's either too drunk or too sober, either way that's how you've got him. He's always one to host and go to parties and get-togethers in the Skylands (especially if there's booze, he bee-lines off to Asgard for those). He has a pet leopard, and looks after a grapevine that's grown so much it's all over the inside of his temple on Olympus now. Overall, he's a chill guy and good to hang out with.

And that's all I've got for the Olympians! I'll move on to the Egyptians, and then the Asgardians.

[happyk44]

So I just found out that Poseidon is also the god of droughts and what are your thoughts on a child of poseidon with drought powers, a complete opposite to their more sea based children?

[ID: Screenshot of a google search. The search term reads, "god of drought in gr...". The search term is cut off due to the mobile layout of the screenshot. A featured snippet at the top comes from wikipedia, reading, "List of water of deities".

The core of the screenshot is the People Also Ask section, of which the return is "Who is the Greek god of drought?" This question has been dropped down to show a result from "www.theoi.com". The answer reads, "Poseidon was the Olympian god of the sea, earthquake, floods, drought and horses. He was depicted as a mature man with a sturdy build and a dark beard holding a trident (a three-pronged fisherman's spear)." /end ID]

Oh! I knew this 🙌 I think it's related to him being the god of the sea/water, sort of like how Apollo is associated with healing but also the plague. I always find it funny when that happens 🤣

So for the kids who skew more to the side of drought, obviously they still have their sea powers. They're probably far more dry in tone, less empathic, less emotional. Maybe they're more prone to the earthshaker side of Poseidon as well, and the equine, to make up for the lesser interest in the sea. Plus earthquakes and horses are more land-based and a drought affects the land (agricultural loss, wildfires, increased sandstorms, etc).

In PJO canon, I'd want to say drought-based kids grew up more inland where access to a large body of water was difficult to come across. So it's less about internal nature (as with my interpretation of the freshwater vs seastorm Neptune babies), and more about familiarity and adaptation - sort of like how catci and other desert plants have evolved to handle long periods without water.

Powers that they have an increased capability for over their sea counterparts:

causing earthquakes! they can manipulate them on a small or large scale, but they have higher propensity. it's a little harder for them to cause underwater earthquakes tho (which. can become tsunamis btw)

dehydration - sort of an inverse of drowning a person in their own fluids, they will the liquids inside them to dry up at a rapid pace

as a subset of that, i think it would be so cool if they could pull a tantalus-like punishment with enough focus on someone. no matter how much you drink, you will always be thirsty, you will never be satisfied, you will be captain barbosa and his crew, turning skeletal in the moonlight

they can withstand higher and drier heats than their sea-preferred counterparts (for example, percy would be hanging off of carter in the desert, crying for water, while they're chilling and vibing, truly a cactus of a person)

similarly, they retain water better, and sweat less. their bodies need less fluid to keep going on (this makes them better at giving blood lol, stay juicy everybody!)

while most children of poseidon are capable of piling water in the air into something usable, the drought prone kids have picked up how to pull water/usable liquid from anything available, as dry climates may lack enough water in the air for it to be worthwhile compared to humid climates --- so they're more likely to pull water out of living things, pull water out of the ground, or even find water deep underground (well water!)

due to the above, they're more capable of causing inland floods, they can pull water out from deep in the earth and force it to surround areas that are devoid of rivers, lakes, or even high rainfalls - this isn't just because of the whole "god of floods" thing either, it's because after a long period of drought, sudden rains can cause flash flooding to occur, so they're good at making flood happens

heat generation! they may be able to make things hotter, and/or drier

they have perpetual black thumbs. they are... not very good at growing plants lol

finding/summoning horses. it might take a while, but if there is a horse, they will find it (like the horse version of a dowsing rod, which, lol, they're kind of the human version of a dowsing rod, i guess), and if there are no horses nearby, they will get one to come to them through ✨ vibes ✨

their version of a storm is a heatwave OR extreme rain. yes, they can summon hurricanes or typhoons, but those are much more ocean-based things. so forcing high and burning levels of heat that makes everyone stumble and sag, sweating through every inch of fabric they have OR extreme and heavy rainfall that practically drowns you where you stand and knocks you to the ground is more their instinct

lowkey i wanna give them sandstorms as well, since that can be an effective of long-period of drought, but. you know. idk how much greece was ever getting pummeled by sandstorms for that to be something they associated with drought. (egypt, on the other hand, set, my dangerous and beloved)

(funnily enough set is also the god of foreigners, so like, who knows, maybe he and poseidon struck a funny deal when one of his kids traipsed over there while wandering around)

Since I think the difference between sea-based Poseidon babies and land-based Poseidon babies is just due to their adaptation of their environment, I think someone who is sea-based could easily become more land-based after living in such conditions for a while, and vice versa. Sort of like accents, lol. You know, if Percy decided to up and move to the desert in his 40s, he'd adapt after an initial period of "oh my gods oh my gods where is the fucking water where is the ocean i am dying" lol. it would take him a lot longer to pick up on the accent of the land than if he were younger, and so he'd still maintain his "sea" accent long-term

Because of this, I think it would be really neat if, way back when, it was common for the kids to take a few months away from camp to go living in the desert for a bit so they could pick up some land skills - like a rite of passage for poseidon demigods. one of the older cabin members goes out with them to make sure they don't die, helps them hone into the skills they might not have tapped into before, etc and so on. The kids come back at the end of their outing, more well-rounded and capable of tapping into the opposite side of their powers, when and if needed. Some of the kids might repeat the outing more than once for funsies, but most of them usually just do the one time thing, and then practice their land-based powers on a smaller scale at camp.

If a land-based kid comes into camp when they're much older, they don't typically have to do the outing, but sometimes they'll go out, not to learn anything, but to help the others, since they'll essentially receive assistance with their sea-based powers while they're at camp (presuming every version of camp has been based near the ocean or some giant water mass throughout the years - if not, then it goes the other way around, where they take a few months to go chill out on a beach for a few months).

Thanks for asking! If anyone else has any extra ideas, feel free to add them on! :)

Additionally, just 'cause, here are the four types of droughts I came across while googling "drought causes" because, lol, I'm an island boy, I am not familiar with droughts and wanted to get some facts in that weren't high temps and low rainfall (source):

Meteorological: region-specific; occur when an area receives less rainfall than normal; often measured by comparing the current situation to previous years’ rainfall. Some locations are affected more harshly than others.

Agricultural: when there is not enough moisture in the soil to sustain the growth of crops. Crops need different amounts of water based on their level of maturity, so they can be susceptible to droughts at different times. For example, most plants require moist topsoil to germinate, but this could be less important down the line as the plant matures. So, the effects of an agricultural drought hinge largely on the growth stage of the plants.

Hydrological: when there is a lack of surface and subsurface water supply; detrimental effects can be most readily observed in watersheds and river basins; affect the entire water cycle, take longer to notice, and have effects less immediately obvious than with other droughts.

Socioeconomic: when the water supply is too low to support human and environmental needs; wreaks havoc on the supply and demand of crucial commodities like water, grains, fish, and hydroelectric power.

[sapphyreopal5]

Who is Jennifer “Genevieve” Nicole Padalecki an Incarnation of?

Hello, my name is Ellie. I am a psychic who mostly does pendulum divination work and get messages from various deities, faye and other benevolent beings. I always ask all guides to prove they are who they say they are and also ask to provide ways to show it is them speaking and not an imposter. In this post, I’m going to reveal who Jennifer “Genevieve” Padalecki is an incarnation of.

Jennifer “Genevieve” Nicole Padalecki (Née Cortese) was born on January 8, 1981 in San Francisco, California. Around the age of 13 she moved to Montana and eventually Sun Valley, Idaho. Although it’s a widely known fact she met her husband Jared Padalecki on the set of the television show “Supernatural” where she portrayed the demon Ruby, she also did some stage plays including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”, “Crimes of the Heart”, and “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. She also was in the 2007 movie “Salted Nuts” as Jen, the 2004 movie “Death Valley” as Amber, 2005 movie “Kids in America” as Ashley Harris, 2012 movie “Hated” as Veronica, as well as a couple other TV shows including “Wildfire” (2005-2008) as the main character Kris Furillo and recurring character Emily Walker on the show “Walker” (2021 and ongoing).

So who is Jennifer “Genevieve” Padalecki an incarnation of? Gen is an incarnation of the Greek deity Aphrodite aka Venus in the Roman pantheon. If you haven’t done so already, please read other posts of mine where I discuss things like how incarnations work, so this post makes better sense and other posts like this where I discuss who is an incarnation of who and such.

Aphrodite/Venus in Mythology

Aphrodite in Greek mythology is often portrayed as a beautiful woman that’s sometimes accompanied by Eros the god of lust and sexual desire. She is the Greek goddess associated with love, lust, beauty, passion, and procreation. She was said to be the patron goddess of prostitutes. It’s said that she was born in the sea outside of Cyprus; in some versions of mythology, she was born after Cronus castrated Uranus and testicles thrown into the sea where eventually foam came from the testicles and created Aphrodite who came out of the sea as a fully grown woman. Even the name Aphrodite is interpreted as meaning “foam arisen”. In various artforms, Aphrodite is often depicted nude. Aphrodite was given overall very little specific descriptions in writing, although Homer stated she could be recognized by her “shining eyes and desirable breasts” while other writers mentioned things like a crown of gold or flowers in her hair, adorns much expensive jewelry, and sometimes wearing perfumed and/or silk garments that are closely draped. Her hair is often depicted as being long and often left at least partially down. She is depicted in different places with a wide variety of appearances (ex. Brown hair in some places, blonde in others), due to how little the Greeks described her therefore leaving room for imagination in artist’s depiction of Aphrodite.

Aphrodite married the blacksmith god Hephaestus who was said to be gruff, ugly and lame. She had many lovers including Poseidon, but her longest lasting affair was with the Greek god of war Ares. After Hephaestus discovered Ares in bed with Aphrodite he demanded the return of all wedding gifts to Zeus. Since Zeus refused to honor this calling this a marital dispute and making fun of Hephaestus, Poseidon instead suggested Ares should pay for the marriage gifts and offered to be the guarantor. Poseidon was smitten with Aphrodite when he first laid eyes on her while naked. Although Ares defaulted on the debt, Hephaestus didn’t want a divorce so he never brought up the affair again.

Although there are many stories in Greek mythology surrounding Aphrodite, the other myth I wanted to bring up here is the Judgment of Paris and the Trojan War. To start all of this, all Greek deities except Eris (goddess of discord) were invited to witness the marriage of Peleus and Thetis, who were the parents of Achilles. She chose to arrive with a golden apple that had the word kallistei “for the fairest” inscribed on it and threw it amongst the goddesses. Hera, Aphrodite, and Athena all claimed to be the fairest. Zeus elected to chose the Trojan prince Paris to be the judge of who the fairest one is. At the time, Paris was raised as a shepherd not knowing he is in fact one of the princes of Troy. This is because a few days after Paris’ birth, his mother had a dream of Paris running through the city with a blazing torch and setting it on fire. Because an oracle said this would all come true, Priam ordered for Paris to be taken to Mount Ida and left to die. Some shepherds found him and raised Paris as their son.

Since Paris couldn’t pick between the three goddesses, Hera bribed Paris with power of all of Asia and Europe, Athena wisdom, fame and glory in battle, and Aphrodite promised him the most beautiful woman in the world to be his wife (who was Helen of Sparta). Paris chose poorly, as Helen was already married to Menelaus. This led to Paris finding Helen while in Greece and fled back to Troy with Helen where they eloped. This resulted in the Trojan war that lasted 10 years. Paris was ultimately slain in battle by an archer named Philoctetes. The city of Troy did end up burning up, just not by Paris’ hand.

Aphrodite could be both kind and cruel in mythology. The mortal Psyche who eventually became the Goddess of the Soul was born a very beautiful woman whose beauty was rumored to rival that of Aphrodite’s. Visitors from neighboring countries would visit Greece and shower her with gifts and admirations. Aphrodite being a goddess who does not like being outshone or not properly worshipped, she chose to punish Psyche. She asked her son Eros to shoot her with an arrow so she falls in love with a hideous creature or monster. He instead shot himself when he was looking at her beauty while she was asleep in her bedroom. Eventually after the direction of an oracle led her to sitting on top of a mountain dressed in funerary clothing to meet her future husband (at the time described as a horrible serpent) is where she met Eros who guided her to an invisible palace. Psyche accidentally injured Eros when she took her candle to his face when he was initially refusing to show his face to her and burned him. Aphrodite attempted to punish Psyche by giving her impossible tasks to complete such as separating grains from each other, collecting black water from the River Styx, and obtaining the beauty of Proserpine in a golden box. However, various mythical creatures helped Psyche complete them all. After Eros heard of her struggles while he was healing, he begged Zeus to turn her into an immortal to be with her and agreed, so she became the Goddess of the Soul.

Offerings for Aphrodite/Venus include: pink, red, blue or white objects, honey, chocolate, vanilla, water, sugar, salt, tea, scents or flowers (ex. rose, frankincense, myrrh, vanilla, wildflowers), gems or jewelry (ex. rose quartz, copper, silver, gold, pearl, aquamarine, pearls), animal objects (ex. dolphins, doves, bees, swans) or other objects related to either war, beauty, beachy objects, or any devotional art.

Traits of Aphrodite in Genevieve Padalecki

Gen and her husband Jared have 3 children together, Tom, Shepherd “Shep”, and Odette. Derived from her website nowandgen.com and YouTube channel, Gen talked about her giving birth at home plans with her children. Tom ended up being born in a hospital, Gen used an acupuncturist who delayed her birth when Jared was not there initially, and she went with a water birth for Odette their “water baby”. She also discussed how she and her siblings were also all born at home. It’s not stated if her mom did any water births let alone if Gen was born via water birth. However, it’s an interesting thing to notate here in the context of Gen being an Aphrodite incarnation who was born in the sea. On her website nowandgen.com, she has discussed various things relating to women’s empowerment including advocating for women’s rights during childbirth and stated she planned for her children to be born at home, how to take better care of yourself after giving birth and other forms of self-love, that reading books is not weird, and home gardening. She also mentions having several chickens (14 in all!) as well as a few dogs and a colony of bees. This makes sense as an Aphrodite incarnation, given Aphrodite is a deity of love, beauty and procreation and bees being a sacred insect to Aphrodite.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Genevieve Padalecki (@genpadalecki)

I mentioned in a previous post that her husband Jared is an incarnation of Poseidon. I also mentioned in this post that Poseidon became smitten with Aphrodite when he first saw her while nude. An interesting fact to point out about how Jared and Gen first met in 2008 was when they were shooting a scene of Ruby in her underwear in a hotel room while working on “Supernatural”. They also have a sex scene on the Supernatural episode “I Know What You Did Last Summer”.

Gen and Jared made a TOWWN ad a couple years ago regarding being conservative with water and proceeded to “shower together”. Gen also posted 1 photo on her IG where she was nude under her white bed covers with a shirtless Jared not looking at the camera. Some other users here on Tumblr also informed me in the past she made multiple posts including things like a dildo. These things do all seem fitting of Gen to me as an Aphrodite incarnation, particularly seeing as how the TOWWN ad starts with a statement saying "A Valentine's day public service announcement". I also noticed browsing some of her IG posts quite a few of her posts are photos of her being surrounded by wildflowers or being in nature a lot, which also seems fitting as an Aphrodite thing to do, wanting to be surrounded by natural beauty.

On the show “Wildfire” where Gen played the main Kris Furillo that bonded with a horse named Wildfire, one interesting tidbit I came across while doing research for this post is the theme song is called “Morning Light” by Truman. Venus the Roman equivalent for Aphrodite is often called “the morning star”. It’s also interesting because Aphrodite favored the Trojan prince Paris who King Priam wanted left for dead after an oracle said his wife’s dream of Paris causing Troy to catch on fire. In the 2004 movie “Troy” and in mythology, it was said that Troy caught on fire after the Greeks created a giant wooden horse that the Trojans brought in as an offering to the Greek god of the sea Poseidon. It was after this that the Greeks were able to invade Troy who ultimately are who caused the city to burn down. It is worth noting that their son Shepherd was seemingly named after actor Mark Sheppard. Funny nudge in my opinion, given Aphrodite favored the Trojan prince Paris who grew up as a shepherd...

EDIT (added 11/22/2023 around 8:36pm EST): Also on a darker note, it was while Gen was pregnant with Shepherd is when her sister Sarah fell off a 4 story building and had severe head trauma from it but is apparently doing much better today and is "doing great and kicking us"; it seems her "psyche" stayed intact despite the head trauma. On a funnier note, in recent weeks on Twitter there's an account named archivesmilfs that created a top MILFs list where Danneel Ackles was named number 1 and Gen named number 5. Plenty of Twitter users commented on Gen's post saying things hinting at not knowing her or not agreeing with her being on this list. It's been said by some sources that the number 5 is a sacred number to Aphrodite, as it is said in numerology to represent the nupital number of love and union and also is involved in multiple aspects of creation (5 physical senses, 225 Earth days in a Venus year, being a multiple of 5 and 45)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Genevieve Padalecki (@genpadalecki)

[marine-indie-gal]

Personal takes on Other Goddesses from Different Mythologies (Sedna and Hathor)

Sedna

The Inuit Goddess of the Sea and Marine Animals. Sedna is known as the Mother or Mistress of the Sea. There have been particularly many versions of Her Story that have been retold throughout the Years. She’s also known by many different names from different goddesses. In many versions of her, she was either the Daughter of a Goddess or a God, but one of the Other Versions of her say that she was a Mortal Woman and that Men admire her Beauty but she ended up marrying an Animal (either a Dog or a Bird depending on which version). Most of her Stories of where she was born as a Human say that she ended up falling into the Water and became a Goddess. But she is described as being the Most Fearsome Goddess in all of Inuit Religion.

SBSP Universe

Sedna is the Inuit Goddess of the Sea and Marine Animals. She is mainly the Protector of All Sea Animals around the Arctic as the Arctic Sea Folks claim her as their God much like how Neptune is towards the Bikini Bottom. She is extremely Sweet, Kind, Loving, and Caring. She is mainly a Mother Figure to all of her People as she is known by her many title names such as “Mother of Marine Animals”, “Mother of the Sea”, or “Mistress of the Sea”. Unlike Neptune and Poseidon, she is mainly not cruel or arrogant, but is rather mainly thoughtful and gentle. But she does tend to suffer abandoned issues ever since she was abandoned by her Father and as a Protector of the Sea, she would scare Fishermen away from the Arctic to prevent capturing her own People. She was once a Human Mortal living with her Father after her Mother died. Men began to admire her Beauty but considering that her Father wanted his Daughter to marry any Man, Sedna mainly rejected any of their own proposals to her. When a Strange Man came to her Homeland, she was surprised to meet a Mysterious Man who greeted her and asked her Father for permission to marry her. Her Father agreed as he made a Love Potion for his Daughter to fall in love with the Man and accepted him in exchange for Fish as Sedna was taken away by the Handsome Man. Unfortunately, the Man revealed himself that he was a Bird who wanted her for a Wife which shocked Sedna since this was a kidnapping all along. Sedna spent Days on Bird Island while being forced to live with the Bird that fell in love with her. Her Father really missed her very much, so he rescued her from the Island and traveled back to their village. When the Bird found out that his Bride was missing, The Bird chased Sedna as he wanted her back so he caused a huge storm over the Ocean which made Sedna’s Father accidentally throw her into the Water where she was transformed into a Sea Goddess as Marine Animals starting to grow from her own Fingers and became the Goddess of the Sea. She never really saw her Father or the Bird ever again as she had to live and move on with her new life. Her Father briefly abandoned her and it was unknown what happened to the Bird after when She escaped, she claimed the Sea as her New Home as the Sea Creatures started to worship her around the Cold Lands. Her people even call her “Mother Sea” or “Sea Mama”. She happens to like Neptune and Poseidon despite their major differences. She also likes SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward but she strongly dislikes Mr. Krabs because of his Greed.

Hathor

The Egyptian Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Music. One of the Most Famous Goddesses of Egypt and even one of the Children of Ra as she’s often associated with Bastet and Sekhmet. She is also a Mother Goddess because of the Earthly representatives, known for her Queenship with either Horus or Ra representing Kingship. She also crossed between Two Worlds including Life and Death for she helped the Dead in the transition to Duat since she was associated with many things other than Love like Dancing and even the Afterlife. In some versions of her Origins, she was said to be a Daughter of Ra for She and Bastet were born the essence of Sekhmet (who was created by Ra through his Eye when Ra felt disrespected due to how most of Humanity in Egypt were losing in the sign of respect in the Egyptian Sun God). Another version believes that she came from the beginning of the Earth along with Ra or Khonsu while other versions state that she was somehow a Daughter of Ra and Nut. Ra was upset after being insulted by another god, Babi but Hathor cheered up Ra by exposing her own genitals towards him which made Ra laugh as Ra went back to perform his duties as Ruler of the Egyptian Gods. Hathor was praised for her beautiful hair, she lost a lock of hair that represented her sexual allure. Implying that the loss of Hathor's lock was as catastrophic for her as the maiming of Horus and Set was for them. In the The Contendings of Horus and Seth Myth, Hathor found Horus lying in the desert as he wept so Hathor captured a gazelle and milked it for Horus.

SBSP Universe

Hathor is The Egyptian Goddess of Love, Beauty, and Music. She is the Wife of Horus, the Current Queen of Egypt, and even the Mother of their Sons (Imsety, Duamutef, Hapy, and Qebehsenuef). She is Very Kind, Loyal, Loving, Well-Meaning, Positive, and Passionate. As the Goddess of Love and Beauty, she tends to enjoy festivals of Egypt as she loves to Sing, Play Music, and Dance with the Gods and the Humans. She can heal broken relationships and even heal people with her Power of Love and can take away the smooth pain away in those who have been wounded. She loved Horus when they were Kids. And although Horus didn’t like him at first, they grew up and fell in love during the years when Horus had to live with his Mother as a Peasant, even after Set got to take over Egypt and overthrow his Brother (Osiris). She even helped out Horus during his Trials against his Evil Uncle (Set) as Hathor threw a spear at Set’s butt in his Beast form to save Horus. Even after Set was banished for punishment, Hathor became the Current Queen of Egypt and married Horus as they ruled over the Egyptian Lands amongst their Pantheon. She even bore Horus their own Four Sons. She does like Neptune and Poseidon since the Egyptian Gods were often bond with the Roman and Greek Gods as Hathor seems to be a Friend of both Venus and Aphrodite. She also likes SpongeBob and Patrick and would like to dance with Pearl due to their love for Music and Dancing

[horoscopeguidance]

Everything To Know About The Rare Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Pisces

One of the defining markers in astrology of was the conjunction of Jupiter and Neptune in Pisces. While this specific conjunction hasn't occurred since 2022, the astrological principles remain relevant. Get ready to delve into the fascinating realm of a Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Pisces, a potent alignment known for its dreamy idealism, spiritual expansion, and potential for creative breakthroughs.

During mighty Jupiter’s year-long journey through the sign of the Fish, it made an extremely rare and special connection with dreamy planet Neptune, also known as the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Pisces. Many got over-hyped about this rare transit, seeing it as a once-in-a-lifetime wonderland of vague enchantments and enlightenments. But to overpraise it is to fall into the very head-over-heels Neptunian fantasies we should be wary of. Don’t get mystified. Instead get mystical. Ultimately, Jupiter is a worshipful, religious, and spiritual planet. At the same time, Pisces, like Neptune, can take us to otherworldly dimensions. Follow the white rabbit but do so in a spiritual place–yoga, reading, meditation, ashrams, quiet, soundbaths. But let’s take a big step back to contextualise this transit.

First, meet Jupiter

The fifth planet from the Sun, Jupiter is named after the Roman god of the sky (Zeus in Greek mythology) and referred to as the “Great Benefic” by traditional astrologers for the luck, fortune, and blessings it bestows. Think shameless optimism sans moderation. Jupiter takes 12 years to travel through all 12 astrological houses in the sky, which means it stays in a zodiac sign for approximately one year.

Now, onto Neptune

While a cool 2.865 billion miles from planet Earth, Neptune was actually one of the first celestial bodies discovered by telescope in 1846. Interestingly, there is some evidence to suggest that Galileo himself was able to observe Neptune in the early 1600s despite it being invisible to the naked eye. Galileo noted that, on two special days in December 1612 and January 1613, Jupiter seemed to shine just a bit brighter. Although Galileo attributed the illumination to a star, it was later determined that he had witnessed — you guessed it — the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Hell yeah. Neptune is named after the god of the sea (Poseidon in Greek mythology) and, accordingly, is associated with the magical, mysterious vastness of the spiritual unknown. From an astrological perspective, Neptune governs the subconscious, dreams, art, entertainment, and psychic powers. Neptune has an extremely long orbit; it takes 165 years to move through the entire zodiac, with 14-year journeys across each of the 12 signs. In 2011, Neptune entered Pisces, where it will continue drifting until 2026.

Jupiter and Neptune come together in the zodiac approximately every 13 years, making this a relatively uncommon alignment. However, it’s much more rare that these celestial bodies meet in the dreamy sign of Pisces. Due to the slow-moving nature of Neptune, the last time this conjunction occurred was 1856 and won’t again until 2188. 

In 2011, Neptune, Planet of Dreams, Smoke and Mirrors, entered into no-boundaries Pisces, the sign it co-rules with Jupiter. Neptune is associated with art, magic, glamour, and sleight of hand. It lords over the Sea and its darker valences can manifest in addictive behaviour and deception. It’s a deeply mysterious planet – hazy, beyond our ken, slowly orbiting our cosmos (it takes 156 years to circle the Sun).  

When a planet enters into its sign, as the Sea-God did in 2011, the qualities of said planet begin to bubble more in our lifeworld. Not to make some big correlative claim, but since the Spellcaster’s ingress, we have witnessed the rise of face-tuning, social media AR, bunny filters, metaverse utopianism, NFTs (um?), crypto, Q-Anon, fake news, deep fakes, and myriad other parlour tricks of “through-the-looking-glass” virtuality. These percolations are all very, very Neptune.

Now we add Jupiter, the great expander, into the Neptunian mists of the past decade, where all that’s solid has melted into air. Planet luck has been moving toward this big conjunction since late December of last year, when it floated into oceanic Pisces (the sign it also rules). Jupiter is a spiritual force in our cosmic drama. It stands for luck and opportunities, but also for knowledge and wisdom. In its negative valences, however, Jupiter can lead to excessive behaviour – too much drinking, too much eating, too much face-tuning.

Aside from being prone to excess, Jupiter also augments that which it comes into contact with. In other words, it can be excessive and lead other planets toward excess. Jupiter and Mars: lots of anger. Jupiter and Moon: lots of moodiness. With this in mind, Neptune (fantasy)+Jupiter (excess)=lots of delusion, particularly around romance (Venus is co-present with these planets from April 5th to May 3rd).

Any time two planets come together in a conjunction aspect in astrology, it’s the beginning of a new cycle. In the case of Jupiter and Neptune, the last cycle began back in 2009, when the two met in the futuristic sign of Aquarius. The explosion of pop hits that dominated the charts in 2009 are still beloved bangers today, and the trends that emerged are thought to have influenced the pop music scene for years to come.

This time around, the two planets are meeting in Pisces, which only happens approximately every 150 years. This particular zodiacal placement is especially notable because of both Jupiter and Neptune’s associations with Pisces: Jupiter is considered the traditional ruling planet of Pisces, while Neptune is considered its planetary ruler in modern astrology. To have both of Pisces’ cosmic crowns travelling through its watery realm at once is profound, as it allows both planets to operate more effectively, embrace their true nature, and feel “at home.”

Jupiter traverses through Pisces about every 12 years, and spends about a year in the sign in total. In 2022, it’ll be in the sign of the fish through 19 May and again from 28 October to December the 20th. This auspicious period could bring rapid spiritual growth, dreamy artistic inspiration, and a deep sense of idealism. It’s also a great time to pursue the exploration of mystical arts, creativity, or emotional healing. Meanwhile, Neptune only visits Pisces every 165 years or so — but when it does, it stays for more than a decade. In our lifetime, Neptune first dipped into Pisces in 2011, and it’ll sail through its seas until 2026. The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction on 12 April marks the only time during this Piscean transit that Jupiter and Neptune will perfectly align.

Despite its beneficial qualities, then, Jupiter could have the effect of intensifying Neptune’s magical irreality. Keep in mind, too, that watery Pisces is in the mix, meaning that we could find ourselves emotionally over-invested in apparent opportunities and romantic interludes during this time, believing them more positive and/or substantial than they are. While we may be feeling swept away by these oceanic Neptune-Pisces-Jupiter tides, the advice is this: try to stay moored to the safe harbours of healthy scepticism and practical reason. 

What Happens During The Jupiter & Neptune Conjunction In Pisces 2022

This is the beginning of a new cycle — one that comes from the heart. The hopes and dreams that we've been carrying within us for some time now have the ability to spread their wings and fly. The question is: Are you ready? 

In astrology, jovial Jupiter is the planet of luck, philosophy, and expansion. Its growth-oriented energy helps us to expand our minds, manifest abundance, and often brings good fortune, too. Neptune, on the other hand, is the planet of dreams and illusions. Its mystical energy is associated with intuition, spirituality, and symbolism — and its hazy vibe can sometimes make it hard to see things clearly. When these two planets form a conjunction aspect, it makes it easier for us to fully embrace our spiritual self and enhance our creative instincts. It’s great for deepening any mystical practice, expressing emotions through art, and tapping into our intuition.

While Jupiter and Neptune have been travelling together in Pisces for months (and will continue to do so on-and-off through the rest of this year), they’ll be at the same degree of the zodiac on April 12, which marks the peak of their conjunction. Because both planets are further from the sun and orbit more slowly, the energy of this conjunction will still be felt strongly for a week before and after the exact alignment.

With Jupiter and Neptune coming together in their collective home sign, the Pisces zodiac energy is being greatly amplified. Spiritual, creative, and intuitive, Pisces is all about embracing our emotions and losing yourself in intangible things. Pisces is also the final sign of the zodiac, so its energy is mutable, ethereal, and transcendental — it teaches us to heal and transform. All zodiac signs will be able to tap into this energetic flow more easily during the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. It can also be helpful to look at where Pisces is located in your birth chart for an even clearer idea of how this might manifest for you.

Regardless of your zodiac sign, the Jupiter-Neptune alignment has the potential to strengthen our sense of spirituality, heighten our intuition, and encourage us to explore our subconscious minds more deeply. Because expansive Jupiter brings abundance and illusive Neptune brings mysticism, we might find that it’s easier to tap into a meditative state or glean insight from the symbolism in our dreams. Strengthened by the power of emotional Pisces, integrating new concepts on a subconscious level or new philosophies into our hearts becomes easier to access now. Together, Jupiter and Neptune are about feeling things in your soul. This makes it a powerful time for prayer, meditation, or a Pisces-themed ritual.

This alignment may also spark a creative renaissance, both on a personal and societal level. An influx of inspiration or artistic visions could help you bring a symbolic project to fruition, so try to express your feelings through whatever creative medium you’re drawn to. We may also find that we’re connecting with art, music, or film in a more meaningful way. 

This isn’t to say that the Jupiter-Neptune conjunction is all rainbows and sunshine. Neptune has the potential to bring deception, while Jupiter has a tendency to expand everything it touches — meaning that escapism, delusions, or a lack of boundaries could be an issue. It’ll be important not to let yourself get swept up in any too-good-to-be-true illusions during this transit, as confusion is likely and things may not be as they seem. It’s also important to try to stay present and grounded, as the desire to flee from reality or put on rose-colored glasses may be hard to resist.

Depending on where Pisces falls in each zodiac sign's chart, the luck brought by this astrological event will impact a specific area of your life. Here's what to expect based on your sign, and how to make the most of this magical cycle that will last for the next 13 years. 

Aries or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 12th House of your natal horoscope

The Jupiter-Neptune conjunction occurs in the most spiritual section of your natal birth chart, Aries, so you are highly likely to sense something of the weird and wonderful energy around us this week.

This is when you don't back down. If you've had trouble in the recent past, this is the time when all of it — and I mean all of it — starts to make sense. You are now able to shake off the dusty past and embrace all the greatness that you've always known you've been a part of. Grab it all, Aries. Life is superb! 

Also, healing starts from within. All the more reason for you to manifest a life without pain and only pleasure. This will require you to let go of the past and stop dwelling on situations that are in the past. Then, you can be at peace with yourself, others, and the universe.  

Taurus or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 11th House of your natal horoscope

The Jupiter Neptune Conjunction is about to turn your world around, friend. You'll be seeing an instant turn in your health and relationships with others, and that's because you put the effort in. This transit takes your efforts and spins them into gold, which means you are in touch with supreme manifestation skills. What you put your mind to not only is achievable, it's beneficial to the rest of us.

You’ll sense a deeply profound connection to friends this week, Taurus, as it is this sector of your natal horoscope which is illuminated by the magical Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. Relationships are very important to you, which is why you've been wanting to evolve and grow your friendship circle. The catch: In order to have that big group of besties, you'll need to expand your mind and cultivate relationships with people who share different views than you.

Your sense of calling will be strong too, and you may find yourself drawn to humanitarian or charitable projects.

Gemini or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 10th House of your natal horoscope

The rare Jupiter-Neptune conjunction occurs at the very top of your birth chart, Gemini, highlighting your ambitions and career goals. The Jupiter Neptune-Conjunction knocks the scales off your eyes so that you can see what you've let stand in your way; there's no more time left in your life for dawdling around — you need firm, resolute direction and this is just the transit to kick you in the pants and cause you to take action. Expect to feel a strong sense of vocation; you will want to know that your career is meaningful and making a difference. The promotion or job you've been dreaming of for some time can be yours, if you truly want it. After all, you have been giving your all to work and the appreciation is well deserved. Make it known that you are down for the gig and that you want it. 

Cancer or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 9th House of your natal horoscope

You can expect to feel drawn toward the mysterious and mystical this week, Cancer. The rare Jupiter-Neptune conjunction opens your heart and your mind to new philosophies, religions, beliefs, spiritualities and ways of understanding the world. Even if you are not a religious person, you will feel drawn to understand the role that awe and mystery play in our consciousness. It’s a very intellectual but deeply fascinating feeling for you.

You're looking at incredible intuitive ability during this time, Cancer. The Jupiter Neptune Conjunction works on your sense of self-trust, and that means that if you get a 'feeling' about something — you're on the right track about it. You'll be able to tell what is a clear sign and what is false hope.

This transit will put you in a state of empathy as well, so you will be able to clearly identify with the feelings of others. Kindness rules during this time and everyone around you is committed to helping you see your dreams through to manifestation.

It's time to step outside your life and open your eyes to newness. Travelling around the world and understanding different philosophies, cultures, and mindsets will bring you closer to a deeper state of being. You'll be able to think, connect, and be part of the global community and broaden your horizons. 

Leo or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 8th House of your natal horoscope

You may find the energies from the spiritual Jupiter-Neptune conjunction a little bit confusing, Leo, or even unsettling. Don’t be surprised if you start to second guess yourself or to question the things you thought you knew. The point of this planetary meetup as far as you are concerned is to get you thinking - and you may come to some profound realisations along the way.

During the Jupiter Neptune Conjunction, as all of your hopes and dreams seem both possible and probable. You've always believed in yourself, but during this transit, your self-belief broadens into a sort of self-respect that keeps you on the right track. You want to do good during this time, and you will.

At times you can be a tad spendthrift and flashy, which is why you need to manifest ways to enhance your bank account. If that means a raise at work or sales at the store then so be it. Once you're flush, you can spend as you want and wish.

Virgo or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 7th House of your natal horoscope 

The intensely magical Jupiter-Neptune conjunction occurs in your opposite sign, activating the love zone of your natal birth chart. This is a fantastic time for exploring the karmic links in your love match, and in other close relationships too. If you’re single, this energy gives you a profound understanding of your strengths as an individual in your own right.

It is time to shake off the dreaded and dusty past and make room for all of those outstanding Virgo dreams to get online, ready for the manifestation process. Oh, how you will wake up during the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction. It's as if you open your eyes for the first time only to discover that you are the most important person in your world. Yes, Virgo, it's you, and it's been you all along; you've given away too much of yourself. Let this glorious transit sweep you up in your own self-love.

The most important priority in your life at the moment is love. It can be scary, but creating a healthy relationship with your partner/crush will require you to implement boundaries and speak from the heart.

Libra or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 6th House of your natal horoscope 

Your notion of routine is challenged by the rare Jupiter-Neptune conjunction. You are being asked to step outside of your comfort zone and to acknowledge that fear and anxiety can bring about profound transformation. 

You want to accomplish so many things, and this is the transit where you start to feel as though your part in this world is to enjoy it all, without fear. Fearlessness, Libra — it's what you've wanted and now, it's what you have.

It's time to shake up your daily routine, challenge yourself more, and rejuvenate your energy. This might mean implementing a new daily schedule, workout, or personal vibe. Step up and be positive, then absolutely commit 100% to ensure that you're living every day to the absolute fullest and best. 

This is an intense transit for your mental health, Libra, but ultimately an extremely healing one too.

Scorpio or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 5th House of your natal horoscope 

It’s your creative instincts that are most stirred by the rare and spiritual meetup of Jupiter and Neptune, Scorpio. Your sign will feel as though you've been set on fire, in all the right ways. You may sense that you can help others through arts, crafts, music or fiction, or you may want to look into creativity as a way to help you channel your own emotions.

You now believe — in yourself, as well as in the best in people. Oh, how you've waited for this day to come. Stay with it, Scorpio. You are a magnificent beast, filled with love and the ability to give love. Make the most of it.

Creativity is pouring through your bones right now but you're unsure about what you want to make and show the world. Manifesting the artist within will require you to let go of your fears and criticisms. Embrace your talents and release those judgments you have of yourself in your mind.

Sagittarius or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 4th House of your natal horoscope 

Notions of sacrifice and family are inextricably intertwined this week, as the spiritual Jupiter-Neptune conjunction activates the family zone of your natal horoscope. A happy home life is something that you want and need in order to thrive. As you know, happiness starts within. This is why you will have to allow yourself to embrace your true positive spirit and savour all of the wonderful time you have to spend with your family. Where you care for an elderly or vulnerable family member, you may sense a profound shift in your spiritual understanding of the issue. For all that the onerous responsibility sometimes weighs you down, you will find beauty and peace too.

As a Sagittarius, you know all too well how Jupiter energy tends to expand upon feelings, and sometimes those feelings can be negative. Thankfully, for you, your inner world will be unencumbered by negative thoughts, and what's even better is that you'll start to become so creatively inspired that you'll more than likely create something so incredible that others will just stand there, gawking at your talent.

The Jupiter Neptune Conjunction stimulates your desire for knowledge and prompts you to become an even better person than you already are.

Capricorn or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 3rd House of your natal horoscope 

This week’s spiritual Jupiter-Neptune conjunction is here to teach you the power of intuition. You are a highly rational being, Capricorn, with a liking for facts and order. However, this astrological vibe asks you to look beyond what you can prove and to understand the value of your instincts and your gut feelings.

Now, this is one transit you really won't have any problem accepting, Capricorn. It's free and it's coming your way, and what it — Jupiter Neptune Conjunction — brings is both peace of mind and an easy way of going about things.

You, in your Capricorn way, have made life harder for yourself...until now, when this transit allows you to recognize that it's been you at the centre of your problems, not the world 'out there.' Knowing that taking responsibility makes things seem suddenly easier for you may start to become your new way of life. Why carry around the burdens of ignorance, when wisdom is so easily available to you now? Go for it.

No one knows more than you that serenity is something that is underrated. Now, you can add the chill and calm energy that you need and crave into your life by allowing yourself a few moments of chill a day. This will also help you have a better work-life balance. 

Aquarius or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 2nd House of your natal horoscope 

This week’s rare Jupiter-Neptune conjunction is here to help your relationship with money and abundance - not by showering you with extra cash, but by shifting your understanding. Start to pay attention to what you do have, Aquarius, rather than focusing on what you lack. It’s an excellent time to start a gratitude journal, thereby inviting greater blessings into your life.

For the Aquarian, this transit represents the ability to stay the course, as you prefer. That means that whatever it is that you love doing — it's OK. And not only that, because Jupiter Neptune Conjunction boosts our sense of confidence in ways never before experienced, you will take that love and make something special and exciting out of it.

If you are a creative person, know this: You're only just starting now. This amazing journey is boundless. How lucky for you!

Although you are confident most of the time, you doubt yourself and question your choices. Building your self-esteem will bring you to a higher place of being where you won't be held back from making decisions. You'll stand behind them with certainty.

Pisces or the Jupiter-Neptune Conjunction in the 1st House of your natal horoscope 

The magical Jupiter-Neptune conjunction in Pisces is one of the most significant astrological events in your lifetime. This is a long-lasting influence, so don’t panic if you don’t immediately feel anything much - but gradually, you will notice that your higher self is able to better make itself felt in your life. Your intuition, already strong, will skyrocket, and you will be empowered to be the spiritual way-shower you are destined to be.

You are in for the big one, and by that, we mean that this transit is going to act like a magic wand; wave it the right way and watch your dreams come true. This covers love, finance, health, work, and the home. Especially the home, yes.

The cold Winter is a story of the past, and with Jupiter Neptune-Conjunction in play, all that lies ahead for you is a promise. What you want will come to be. You are the great magician now, and thankfully, you will be using that incredible magic of yours for the benefit of everyone in your life. Including yourself!

[holdyourwine]

Praise The Heavenly Goddess and Her Love.

˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ featuring Poseidon and Hades

YOUR FONDNESS, LORD POSEIDON ; masterlist

(.n) Divination is also the agent which brings about good relations between Gods, because it knows what aspects of love. With the words that helps the couple from Hades’ wise head, it is how their love started to appear.

“So, she just flew away to Demeter’s place as soon the news reached her ears?”

Silver strands of hair swayed following the direction of his head, glancing to the bored expression that etched upon his brother’s face. A small thud aired after Hades lets his frame fall atop of the cozy sofa, earning a frown from the sea God. Those ocean eyes of his move up from the pile of papers on his desk, gazing at his older brother’s strong presence. “Yes, so you may go.”

A deep chuckle grumbles under his breath, “Why so? I did come here to see my Little One, but I do have another Little One here, am I correct?”

His face scrunches in disgust as he notices what Hades referred to was he himself. Hours prior, the sea God was savoring the only time he secretly enjoys in his day ; being with that little Goddess who he demanded to stay in his manor longer than what the agreement with Morpheus and Hera said— with a reason that she still needs learning for she is still very mortal, though every souls who stands upon Olympus could say, how divine she already is and how wise she is as a half, within just 2 years.

Poseidon had to witness how the beam spreads in second within those cheeks of hers, gleaming orbs distracted from him upon the arrival of the Underworld couple in the Heaven, and the very courtesy she granted before those feet bring herself hastily to where the spring Goddess is ; she is very fond of these two, even in her early day of immortal, for her, Hades and Persephone are the closest deity she claims to have a human relationship with herself, since many Gods do not have much benevolence towards others— Poseidon, as in example.

“Out of curiosity, I may know her development, since Melinöe and Morpheus did talk about the work involved with her.” Says Hades, never grows tired of wasting his words for his dear brother.

“Ask her yourself. I did not remember anything.”

A squint in Hades’ eyes brings a slight discomfort to the sea God, as those piercing eyes of his glance to the opened luxurious box in an empty rack of his bookshelf, filled with hand-picked finest pearls of his ocean, messily rearranged in a gold thin chain as if someone tries to stringing it into a necklace. “Then, mind telling me about that feminine thing?”

Poseidon lets out a grunt, slamming a hand to the table as seconds prior he used it to let his face rest upon. It is clear that he does not want to answer, whilst he himself scolds his reckless act for not hiding the stuff, did not expect his brother to come in without any arrival announcement. “There is nothing.”

Hades nods to himself plenty of times, observing the room while his pointer finger taps upon the armrest. Though the words that left his brother’s lips are bold and stern, he himself can dive down to the look that Poseidon has each time Hades mentions the Goddess’ name. Not to bring only warmth to the sea God, the elder deity does have a peculiar sense of being affected by the way a love does change him.

For the ruler of the Underworld, the first 6 months after her ascension were not always filled with the tenderness of his fatherhood— instead what lies beneath is vigilance he showed in his mien before her. With his very brotherly instinct, and for eons he watches the God of the sea ; who has never lowered those eyes of his to any Goddesses, let alone a half-blooded one, it is plausible to aim that he is cautious with what awaits ahead. Does she serve to attract luster for herself? Does she desire the gold crown to be claimed as the one in his reign? What makes his little brother accept her?

O, darling Hades. With only 3 months of association, the very obviousness poured its wet realization to his own version of herself ; whilst his dearest wife— the spring Goddess, Persephone, does take the fascination upon her company around with twinkle within her eyes that speak, “Husband, if only I can wish to meet her before Lady Hera did and be the one who escorts her to this very stage.”

It is truly the power she has in her full consciousness ; what enchants any mortal to immortal lives to take a look with their adoration and astonishment. No one expected that her perfect facade managed to break down the most fearsome God alive— Poseidon himself.

“I found no mistake in being smitten, brother mine. Let alone denying what your heart already urges.”

He witnesses the growth of their chemistry, how the light shines brighter in her face when she encounters her loved one, how something equivalent with affection writes itself within his eyes each time he sees her, how the atmosphere goes dreamy and fluff with the two of them. There is no mistake, they are in love.

“What do you want, Hades?” The sea God seems to grow fatigued with his own brother’s fuss in his place ; while he puts down whatever engages him, he lets those cold blue eyes meet his other ones.

He shrugs his shoulders, “I see the stars shine within those cold blue of yours each time she is before.”

“What an ugly statement. Try again.” His sharp tongue throws a sarcasm which pulls a chuckle from Hades’ lips.

“My, for I certainly cannot say what greater blessing there can be for any man or God To have the right of heavenly Goddess and her love.” An amused glint is shown upon his eyes as Hades notices how his brother’s chiseled body grows tense with the mention of the sweet one who has dwelling inside his mind every day since the 2 years.

Those soft lips go in a thin-pursued line, eyelashes illuminating the softening look he tries to hide from Hades with his usual stern demeanor. “The love that belongs to the heavenly goddess is fair and fairer than any gold, hence those who are showered with the love revealed doing something graceful too.”

“I alone am already—“ “We all know it, Poseidon. You are becoming more humane around her, which is holding the grace in the art of living as a perfect God. Do take care of your own loneliness. Even the wisest king does have a caring hand of a woman who sincerely stays in a marriage.”

His jaw tightens as a form of response to his brother’s insolent sentences— but what holds him back? Is it because it came from the lips of the first one who gained his whole respect as his equal? Or is it also because what he said is true?

“What makes the heavenly love fair, since it compels the lover to take great care with regard to his own excellence and the beloved to do the same. All belong to that sweet goddess, when will you take it to be yours too?”

“You know nothing. I demand you to stop telling me what to do for I am the one who has the right to give myself an order.” Poseidon throws a menace in his gaze, yet the tone that wraps his voice is evident for anyone who hears it, that he just is protecting his pride.

“Said the little brother to his older brother who has been married for eons, having the greatest love with his only eternal flower that blooms in my dead atmosphere?” A frustrated sigh leaves his lips as he gets up from the cozy sofa, walking closer to where his brother sits

Hades puts a gentle smile upon his face, though Poseidon can not witness it for he is dismissing his sight from him, which brings the God of the Underworld a giddy feeling of seeing the sea God being his little brother. “Do not ever waste the time, Poseidon. never thinks of you procrastinating on claiming her heart before her light leaves your world. let it surge like your sea to your veins.”

Before Poseidon can slam whatever force he has within his fist or summon his trident, the elder God gives a soft pat upon his fluffy blond head before disappearing to wherever the God of the sea does not know, not even like he wants to think about it too.

He lets his body fall to the backrest of his chair, eyelids flutter close to conceal the sapphire eyes. It is only a half of the day, yet his brother’s visit did waste his energy. But what a shame, Poseidon finds himself recalling what Hades had said to him, connecting the dots by the end he meets her name echoes within his head. Indeed, she is a goddess. Each sway of her legs, the universe yields to her. Her wise wings which cradle the world, not even he realizes that she cradles him too.

If only Hades did not mention how he might lose her at any time, Poseidon would not let his head full of many things related to her. He remembers how the sun always beams upon her cheeks ever since they first met and until this very day, and how it grows sweeter and delicate with her loving touch, that speaks to him, speaks of her love. How silly, he himself declared God needs no companions as for he might not understand what is so great from being in love, since the matrimonies around him are filled with treason that brings only pain.

Or maybe, if it is as strong as her pleasurable love and with the high tenet I have for living without betrayal, it will not be a really sorrowful union. What did I think?

What a tiring coversation— no, he really wants her. And it does help to encourage him.

***

“Oh? You are finished with her?”

Pulling out one of his hands from his pocket, Hades waves his hand playfully in the air as soon as the sight of a gleaming Goddess enters his range. The satin fabric of her simple dress flows as her legs bring her hastily to him, with a smile full of blithesome she puts in her face to greet the God.

“Yes! I remembered I have not said anything to Lord Poseidon but ran away hours ago, and I feel bad.” A soft chuckle leaves her lips as she tiptoes her feet many times to cease the flooding feeling inside ulon seeing whom she respects after Poseidon, for a month did not meet him due to the business.

He bends his body down, close enough to make her shoves her head back with a funny expression ; a mix of embarrassment and disgust. “So you neglected my wife, hmm? What a bad kid.”

She hurriedly puts her hands atop of his shoulders, forgetting the small gap between them as the panic rushes her countenance. “It is not like that! We sure did spend a good amount of time with tea and sweets, though Lady Persephone wanted me to stay a little longer, but I do think I have to give Lady Demeter her time with her daughter.”

A laugh breaks under his breath as he lets his hand fall upon her head, giving it a soft stroke while he straightens himself. “Sure, sure. Papa knows what my ladies think. So, I will take my part now?”

Hades offers his arm to the younger deity, insisting her to come with him for a talk— which she gladly accepts since she knows the sea God will be fine with or without her presence around, oh, he may not care at all about her though. As she wraps her arm around his, her small giggle splits the air. “Yes, the special time for a special God.”

A sweet and full of joy coo comes from Hades whilst he dramatically lets his other hand clenched around his left chest. The walk is not so long, though it looks like the God who escorts her, it is her who actually points the direction to her private chamber ; not the bedroom, but another room for her to paint, to sculpt statues, and play instruments. It is specially made for the Goddess, under the demand of the owner of this manor himself— Poseidon, as he wants her to feel comfortable in working here.

The smell of hyacinth, and the mildness of vanilla ; the usual scent that trails her body wherever those feets wander shrouds his lungs, with the hint of jasmine essential oil on the table for stuff, acrylic paint fumes and clay— not so strong and intoxicating. The room is in a medium size, with many finished to half finished paintings of the sea under any skies and colours, the soft touches from any subtle silk that hugs the Divine's body, and the majestic within the sea that he notices to be the one God deserves her art ; Poseidon. In the middle, a fancy sofa stands still with a small table that is decorated with a vase of white roses, which she kindly welcomes him to sit above.

“Little one, is there something you want to tell me?”

With an usual amused grin, Hades watches the younger deity pour an exquisite teapot to two teacups, revealing a brown clear liquid that has a mild smell of jasmine. A confused mien showed within her face as she let her body rest upon the soft cushion of the sofa in front of him. “As in what?”

Sipping the sweet tea for a moment, he lets the taste explode on his tongue with its warmth. “Hmm, about my brother? Do you need any help?”

As for her, any emotions can be shown clearly upon her face ; and this time, the shock and embarrassment show. Not very dumb, she knows what the God meant with his brother, and where this conversation leads. “No … ? Why is it about Lord Poseidon?”

A deep chuckles grumbles in his chest as he finds it is enticing to see how the little Goddess tries so hard to conceal whatever she has inside from him, when in fact it is obvious how the butterflies break free from her lower tummy whenever their skins colliding in a small form of physical touch, or when those blue eyes find themselves in her eyes.

“Shan’t you keep your feelings to yourself?”

Teeth against her lower lip, she calms her breath before those orbs glance back to his other ones with wavering sparkles. “He is not someone worthy for me, it is what it is.”

Oh, Hades tries back a snort upon the funny statement— or at least for his ears. If only she knows what he can see through his little brother. “No one deserves to say such a thing, sweet. I am baffled now, why do you two keep denying it?”

“Because he will not want me, and I do not want to get hurt!”

The demi-Goddess seems to not recognize the words you two as she unconsciously cries out with the frustration she tries to suppress all these years with her pure devotion solely for him. “It is love who is concerned with the good and finds fulfillment in it in the company of temperance and justice, whether in the earth or here amongst the gods.”

With the guilt starts eating her up ; for the insolent act, she finds no harm within Hades’ face instead a care that speaks so much. “And with the fulfillment and what I have for him, which I am confident enough to say to be the fairest sense of adoration, it is enough to not desire his heart to be mine.”

As I thought, what comes is the greater blessing from heavenly Goddess and her love. “For if, instead of gratifying your love with only existing in the same divinity equal with Goddesses, as he does claim to be, why not honor both you and his heart?”

The silence pours a cold water all over her sense, for how the astonishment shines within her visage— Hades finds it as a sweet scene inside his head ; how he feels a sense of proud over his apathetic brother, who now has the greatest love and lets any warmth she can give surge into his marble heart, not to mention her true nature where the red that was running through her veins prior. To how such a Divine can hold a majestic loyalty for years, never lets the fatigue eat her, and shower The Poseidon with the given clarity in her love.

“Do speak your heart, little one. For what he has you shall know it if you’re willing to be open first.”

“What if it does not go the way we hoped it …”

The faint voice sounds holding a concealed despair within, as those small hands clench the fabric of her dress. She does not know, though with all the affection she has and the many days she spent with Poseidon— never did she be brave enough to say that the sea God returns her feelings. To even when Poseidon is well known to shove people away from his gate, putting thick and tall wall around, but how he was willing to sleep in her chamber, listening to her worries, or how he often offers his arm to escort her in a hall full of Divines, as if she is his consort. She only thinks it is a courtesy he shows to one who stays loyal to him.

Afterall, he is Poseidon. A hard God to approach and crack. No one is to blame if the Goddess thinks that way.

Hades gets up, doing the same thing he did to his brother ; patting her crown softly before he walks his feet around the room to appreciate the arts. “Trust me, as his brother.”

A puff of breath leaves her lips as she chooses to give up, accepting the advice he gave her as she follows his steps. The king of the Underworld has his fingers upon his chin as his eyes wander to a painting that does attract his attention ; somehow it speaks Poseidon, with the light blue sea water that glimmers under the sun, which is slightly disguised beneath dark clouds, and the rest of the sea seems dark for its unthinkable depth. “You do love him so much, too much, little one.”

She giggles in flattery as she stands beside him, ready to give him a guide to her small gallery. “And is it a bad thing for being too much?”

Hades tilts his head to her direction, a gentle smile is displayed upon his strong, handsome face. He feels proud of her to finally admit what her heart desires, to show it with confidence lies in it.

“Never in heavenly love.”

[] nesi’s note : AHHH IT FEELS NICE TO POST AGAIN!! i hope you all enjoy this hihi btw for references i read plato’s symposium lmaoo so yeah if you feel like reading his mind, yes you are <3

[percabeth4life]

Can you explain anything about Poseidon’s Mycenaean version? I’ve heard some say he ruled the sky, sea, and the Underworld but I wasn’t sure since I couldn’t find much on him.

Knew I saw one of these in my inbox! Okay so uh...

We don’t actually have much information on this Poseidon, on Posedao (or Posedawone). We know for example that he was worshiped in Crete, in the Minoan Era, and was almost certainly a bull God at the time and the most important.

We know that there are Linear B tablets talking about him, and many of the other Olympians (Atana Potiniija=Lady Athena is also mentioned).

We know he has been portrayed in tablets as ruling the Underworld, while still having command of the Sea. We know Zeus (diuja) is portrayed as a lesser elemental deity of the Sky, which Posedao as the supreme God of the time would have command over.

We know he was extremely prominent as a Sea deity, and in a land which is surrounded by water with a very large coast line that makes sense.

We know he has been known as the Earth Shaker (Enesidaone) for a very very long time (and as this area is where tectonic plates have shifted, this makes sense).

But we don’t have enough information to be certain on him.

We don’t know what his name means, only that it has several possibilities. He could be known as the Husband of Earth (Posis Da), which would mean he was actually secondary to his wife (Posidaeja (Persewa) or Da (Potinija) (Matere Teija) maybe, there are Two Goddesses associated with marriage to him) (we have records of offerings to the “Sito Potinija” which is most likely Demeter (along with Da, or Potinija, or Matere Teija), associated with Poseidon in this time but not in later times so much, these offerings were to the two queens and the king (or the two queens and Poseidon) (wanasoi, wanakate).

Though Posis meant Husband, Lord, or Master, so it could also be calling him Lord of Earth, and Ergo ruler of the Earth as well as the Sea and Underworld. It may also be a reference to him being the Earthshaker, and ergo Lord of Earth, as that is his most common title (Enesidaone) at the time.

His name may also mean Lord of the Waters (Posei-dawōn), which is supported by most of his shrines being by the sea, and most of his notable mentions in later mythos being as the Sea God. But in the Bronze age he was not referenced as a Sea God nearly as much as the Earthshaker (Enesidaone) so... hard to say. It was a popular later translation though.

We know Poseidon was the Wanax, but that simply means King or Military leader. Indeed we do not know if there was a title for high king, as many of the individual city states of the time had a Wanax (but there is implications that can imply they also had a high king, but we have no proof of such unfortunately).

He was venerated at Pylos and Thebes, and well noted in Knossos (as the Earthshaker specifically). His partners (and many other Goddesses) were called Mistress of the Labyrinth (dapuritojo potinija) in Knossos, which as theorized by some that the actual palace of Knossos at the time was named Labyrinthos or something of that nature, would make sense as the deities being Patron Gods of their palace.

Now if one goes to Arcadia, then Poseidon was a horse God who was a river spririt of the underworld. He persued Demeter (Sito Potinija) who became a mare and from the union Arion and a Daughter “Despoina” are born (and once there were animal headed portrayals of the Gods, Demeter included, in Arcadia). It is quite possible this is part of the origin of t he Minoatur myth, the portrayal of the Gods with animal heads, and later worshipers with animal masks.

(Notably Artemis or Atemito or Atimite is a child of Demeter (Sito Potinija) here, and closely associated with Poseidon (Posedao).

A lot of what we “know” is theory, or conjecture. We do not have enough record to hold accurate knowledge of Posedao, or any of the Mycenaean Gods. So much has been lost in the Bronze age collapse, and unfortunately we may never hold enough information.

Maybe one day, if Linear A is translated, we can learn more. But as of right now we are limited by our knowledge, and Linear B does not hold enough information.

Sources: The Greeks (Roderick Beaton), History Hub, EarthAndStarryHeaven, Mythopedia, Live Journal, Wikipedia

[posallys]

poseidon > zeus

lol okay so here's the little "analysis" thing about poseidon I was talking about. it's not much, but it's a bunch of stuff I found that more or less supported the idea that poseidon was more powerful than zeus and in all actuallity could be king if he chose to be.

I will preface this by saying that this is an informal analysis; it’s (almost definitely) biased and some of the sources probably aren’t very accurate (but they're myths so are any of them?), but I lack access to a database with more accurate sources. Also, since this isn’t for academic purposes, I’m foregoing intext citations and I’ll throw them all in at the bottom.

analysis under the cut, or you can look at it in my gdoc here i guess (and comment if you want)

Intro

I’ve always personally believed that Poseidon was a more powerful god than Zeus, which I’ve addressed several times. The most in depth post was this one where I laid out a brief and incomplete background about both zeus and poseidon. I’ve got some others scattered around my blog, which you can find under the tags: poseidon, poseidon apologist agenda, poseidon analysis (I'll tag this post with those, too).

Mycenaean

Mycenaean Greece (the Mycenaean Age) was a period whose time frame varies from roughly 1750-600 BC, depending on the source. It came after the Bronze Age and before the Dark Ages, the Archaic Period, the Classical Period, and the Hellenistic Period (it is worth noting here that many of the sources I looked at seemed to merge the Classical and Hellenistic periods into one). It is also worth noting that in the Bronze Age, Poseidon was viewed as a chief deity in both Pylos and Thebes, and that it is believed many Mycenaean myths stemmed from Bronze Age verbal stories.

During the Mycenaean Age, there was a script known as “Linear B” which is one of the earliest written forms of Greek, as it came several centuries before the Greek alphabet. “Linear A” preceded “Linear B,” but the script used in “Linear A” is undeciphered. Other scripts from this time are lost or destroyed.

In “Linear B,” Poseidon (Po-se-da-o, Po-se-da-wo-ne) also held the title of Earth Shaker (E-ne-si-da-o-ne). There are several theories on the origin of the name Poseidon, of which include: husband/lord (posis), earth (da), and a second interpretation of da that translates to water in Indo-European language. Through these theories, we obtain several ideas of what Poseidon stands for, including a rather popular “husband of Earth,” which from what I gathered tends to stick because of the constant connection between Poseidon and Earth Shaker during this period. However, the second interpretation of da is often overlooked, and can be translated to “Lord of waters,” meaning that it’s likely Poseidon was associated with both the earth and the sea dating back to the Mycenaean era.

Poseidon (Po-se-da-o, Po-se-da-wo-ne) was often attached with the word Wanax (wa-na-ka), meaning king in Linear B. In addition, Poseidon occurs more frequently than Zeus (di-u-ja) in this text.Many Mycenaean artworks also show a connection between Poseidon and the Underworld (rather than Hades) while simultaneously keeping him as the master of the seas. It is also said that Zeus was more or less a minor god during this time, since sky deities weren’t worshiped with as much reverence due to the fact that Mycenaeans were a naval-based civilization. I also didn’t find much on a Mycenaean Hades (but in all fairness, I really didn’t look that hard). Due to this, it can be inferred that Poseidon was most likely “King of the Gods” during the Mycenaean Age, and that his range of powers was much more vast than any god during the Classical Period. From the above, we can assume his powers spanned the Underworld, the Earth, and the Sea. In addition, I found several pages that mentioned Poseidon as the god of storms, meaning it’s possible his range also included the sky and/or wind to some extent.

(I also found a source that said Poseidon is often portrayed wearing a crown/wreath on his head which may have signaled his status as “king.” However I’m unsure of which age these artworks are from as the source also said that both Zeus and Hades didn’t have a crown/wreath, which leads me to think these pieces were from post-Mycenaean times after Hades came into existence, and Poseidon being recognized as King was in the stages of dying out. These same artworks also depict Poseidon as more muscular and heavier than both Zeus and Hades, suggesting that he was stronger than both.)

Classical and Hellenistic

Now, you may be wondering If Poseidon was King during the Mycenaean Age, what happened? Why was Zeus the King in all subsequent ages? Well, one reason I came across was the fact that since Greeks had already “mastered” the seas in the sense of travel and livelihood, they had a newfound curiosity for the sky and wished the favor of the sky gods to aid in their aspiring knowledge/conquering of the skies. This was supported with the myth of Icarus and his affinity with the sky, saying that it was a product of the times.

It is said that between the Classical and Hellenistic periods, the stories of the Bronze and Mycenaean ages were reworked and in the process often mistranslated. Consequently, these new translations became the gospel and, due to the mistranslations, Poseidon was essentially demoted despite still being one of (if not) the most revered gods.

The origin of the gods during this period is fairly well known—Kronos ate his kids to prevent them overthrowing him the same way he overthrew Uranus, but Rhea hid Zeus from Kronos, and eventually Zeus defeated his father and freed his siblings. However, I did find several sources that mentioned a different version of this myth where Poseidon was also hidden from Kronos, and that Zeus and Poseidon worked together to overthrow their father.

In this era, after the Hellenistic Greeks demoted Poseidon from his position as king, he is often portrayed as jealous of Zeus being the new king. This is done through many things, such as petty fights with Zeus and “pushing” his limits without overstepping in order to prevent wars. It’s suggested that despite these spiteful acts towards his brother, Poseidon was actually quite content with his domain, as he was still the God of the Seas and the Earthshaker, and was still worshiped as one of the most important gods, but without the responsibilities of actually being King. Many of Poseidon's acts of defiance went unpunished, as he claimed he was acting as King of the Seas rather than as an Olympian (because if it was as an Olympian he would be subject to Zeus’ orders) suggesting that either Zeus didn’t care enough to properly punish Poseidon, or feared that the nature of his king title would be jeopardized if Poseidon decided to go against him.

Another interesting thing I found was that Zeus’ master bolt was often the source of his power, and that he couldn’t cause storms without it. However, Poseidon’s trident wasn’t the source of his power, but rather an amplifier. It would make his storms stronger, cause stronger earthquakes, etc., but Poseidon could still do all of those things without it, another suggestion that Poseidon was more powerful than Zeus. Something else I found interesting is that, no matter what the period, Poseidon is always worshiped just as much (and usually more) than Zeus. And also, Poseidon only attempted to overthrow Zeus once at the request of Hera, and the source I found suggested that he didn’t even follow through with it because he wasn’t in the mood to fight (which I think is funny tbh because it implied that if he was in the mood, then he would have overthrown Zeus). That coupled with the fact that Poseidon was always testing how far he could take it until Zeus snapped at him makes me believe that Poseidon kind of just wanted to assert his power (showing Zeus what he could do if he wanted to) but genuinely didn’t care enough to cause a whole war over it. And Zeus’ actions (i.e. letting Poseidon use the “King of the Oceans and not an Olympian” excuse) makes me think that Zeus was well aware that if he directly limited and tried to control Poseidon it probably wouldn’t end well.

Also in the Titanomachy (the war of the Titans vs. Olympians), it’s said that the only reason Zeus was able to defeat Kronos was because Poseidon had managed to weaken him enough to be vulnerable to Zeus’ attack.

Conclusion

Anyway all of this was mainly just to say that I think Poseidon is way more powerful than Zeus ever was and the only reason he’s not king of the gods is simply because he chooses not to be. He’s more than capable of overthrowing Zeus if he wanted to (seriously…the lightning thief had the right idea with taking the master bolt…if Poseidon wanted to he could have just overthrown Zeus right then and there, considering Zeus was basically powerless).

Sources

(I’m in no way saying these are all reliable, but I didn’t have access to very many reliable ones, and if we’re being completely honest, they’re myths. None of them are reliable. There’s also a really good chance that I missed some of the links because I think I accidentally closed some of them lol)

https://www.britannica.com/facts/Poseidon

https://www.worldhistory.org/poseidon/

https://www.worldhistory.org/Linear_B_Script/

https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Poseidon

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycenaean_religion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linear_B

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poseidon#cite_note-Earth_shaker-21

https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/631835.pdf?casa_token=MemRNgzZDFAAAAAA:GNhOFCA6deB7Xk7M-R2k2um7ZRl_RC_N81irKxnVMH2qyPfax3SIAdeFORmmjC61qamtTlH_fiOjLKri1HD3DHlLd8-98FVFwwVX-DhX8BajcRJoOMNi

https://historyhub.info/the-development-of-poseidon-over-the-years/

https://www.thoughtco.com/greek-god-poseidon-king-of-sea-120417#:~:text=Poseidon%20and%20Zeus%3A%20Poseidon%20may,made%20the%20trident%20for%20Poseidon.

https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/3761334/Kelder_Palamedes3_2008.pdf?response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DA_Great_King_at_Mycenae_An_Argument_for.pdf&Expires=1642979278&Signature=dNx4IsttIq7hoItmlum~tcWLXV3KvN-7zmaS5yuNAh3cSXApB7~XcY-5CS4TTkvtU4431-QpvWddiGL6dhfEpG6QHtoYH1z3dgykP-YYbk6qC2STbwg9U66cxWzLysqR4J214bZ5Iiha8YTSggOkPuS6U9NkTRnUMvaf7xbL0OzoYLtaZkcj0mQmRzArfPixFumK-1tp6lDx40MO4i1cJY7TtlmgUWIfJ7efdxVO8bSZiROu7gMjKbJCu7BbfBHr3Nu27MfaM9fUEkl5fNiVKdz1a3GsS~luRcN54wgthdYdBKksdxqWvf79lbq9~p50VJhZe7X4SHtf-gHZoawlIA__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA

https://www.theoi.com/Olympios/Poseidon.html

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+8.8.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160

https://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/text?doc=Paus.+8.8.2&fromdoc=Perseus%3Atext%3A1999.01.0160

https://www.greekboston.com/culture/ancient-history/time-periods/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greece

https://www.desy.de/gna/interpedia/greek_myth/olympian.html#:~:text=Poseidon%20is%20the%20brother%20of,become%20lord%20of%20the%20sea.&text=He%20is%20second%20only%20to%20Zeus%20in%20power%20amongst%20the%20gods.

https://www.greekmythology.com/Myths/The_Myths/Titanomachy/titanomachy.html

https://greekgodsandgoddesses.net/gods/poseidon/

https://mythopedia.com/topics/poseidon

[solena2]

So.

Tommy isn’t Theseus. Every time I see Techno’s analogy about Tommy being Theseus brought up I’m filled with endless rage and I’ve DECIDED!

That it’s about time I explained just why it’s so objectively incorrect.

-

First: a bit of backstory on Theseus, because I doubt many of you actually know much about him beyond what Techno said in his “so you want to be a hero” speech, which left out a lot of relevant details.

Theseus was a demigod with two fathers and one mother. His fathers were king Aegeus of Athens and the sea god Poseidon, and his mother was Aethra, Aegeus’ wife. Aethra raised Theseus on her own, far from Athens to avoid him being assassinated.

Aegeus left him nothing but a sword with the Athenian crest and a pair of sandals, buried under a rock so no one else could get them.

When Theseus came of age, he took the sword and sandals and headed up to Athens, slaying various monsters along the way. (It pains me to abbreviate it that much, but Techno left out everything before the Minotaur so it won’t help me much in debunking his analogy.)

Once he got to Athens, he met up with his dad, chased out his stepmom Medea, (yes, that Medea) and killed some people. Then comes the relevant part.

Crete had won a war against Athens a while back, and because of this, every seven years Athens was forced to send 14 tributes to be killed by the Minotaur. (Yes, this inspired the Hunger Games)

Theseus decided he’d volunteer and kill the Minotaur, thus ending the tribute system for good and getting one over on Athens. He promised his dad that if he won, he’d come back in a ship with white sails, as opposed to the standard mourning black that signified the death of the tributes.

So he went to Crete, met king Minos and his daughters Ariadne and Phaedra, and got sent into the labyrinth. Ariadne gave him a magic ball of string that kept him from getting lost, allowing him to find the Minotaur and then safely get out afterwards, providing he could kill it.

He killed it, led his other 13 tributes out, and sailed back home. On the way, Athena told him to leave Ariadne stranded on a tiny island in the middle of the ocean, so he immediately did so, because Theseus was an asshole.

He got home, his dad committed suicide because Theseus forgot the white sails and his dad assumed he’d died, Theseus became king and married Phaedra, and then the fun began, because again, Theseus was an asshole.

First, he cheated on Phaedra with Hippolyta, queen of the Amazons, so she left and took the kids. Next, he and his other asshole friend Pirithous decided to kidnap themselves some new wives. Theseus decided on Helen of Troy, who was a child at the time, and Pirithous decided on Persephone, which resulted in both him and Theseus getting stuck in the Underworld for a while due to pissing off Hades.

Once he got back up, he killed his son for fucking his wife, which is messed up on many levels, and then left Athens because his people were rightfully not super okay with that.

Then he goes and meets Lycomedes, who throws him off a cliff.

-

Next, let’s talk about Techno’s speech a bit.

He starts off by accusing Tommy of being a power hungry dictator (paraphrased), before asking him if he wants to be a hero.

Then, he provides what is apparently the archetypal example of heroism, something often associated with selflessness, kindness, and generally giving at least one singular solitary fuck about other people.

Theseus! Heroic hero who does heroic things, like, uhhh *checks notes* cheating on his wife, kidnapping children with plans to forcefully marry them, leaving people alone on tiny islands with no supplies, killing his kid, etc. etc...

So we’re off to a great start.

Then, he gives a short summary of Theseus’ life and times! He skips the first part of his life completely, which is hilarious to me because it’s the only time Theseus ever did anything actually heroic or selfless, and gets straight to the meat!

“Let me tell you a story, Tommy. A story of a man called Theseus. His country was in danger, he sent himself forward! Into enemy lines. He slayed the Minotaur! And saved his city. You know what they did to him, Tommy? They exiled him. He died in disgrace, despised by his people. That’s what happens to heroes, Tommy.”

-Technoblade

So first off, he doesn’t mention... really anything other than the Minotaur and the exile, which is leaving out a lot of relevant details, like why Theseus was exiled. (You know, killing his son in cold blood?)

Second, he doesn’t give details in general. Not that he should’ve given a full telling, or anything, but I’m always surprised by the shortness of this speech when I go back and listen to it. He pretty much just gives the barest bones of an argument and expects his audience to take it at face value. (Which they do, but it’s still bad practice)

From the more accurate (if still brief) summary if Theseus’ life I’ve just given, I’m sure you can see why this might be more than a bit dubious, as an analogy. Given cc!Technoblade is literally an English major, and doubtless knows significantly more about the myth than I do, I’d imagine this was never intended to be taken at face value.

Over and over again, c!Techno proves himself to be an unreliable narrator, and over and over again, the fandom at large takes his word as gospel.

-

Now, as far as a more in depth argument for Tommy as Theseus goes, I will attempt to debunk that as well, because there are some genuinely good points to be made.

First of all, most people make Dream out to be the Minotaur. Given the time this speech was made, I imagine Schlatt was the intended target of that, but with latter events in mind, Dream does make much more sense.

I’d say this is honestly pretty fair, but I don’t think Tommy takes the role of Theseus in that narrative. I’d argue he’s much more analogous to the role of Ariadne, giving the tools required to defeat Dream but ultimately not doing so through his own power, but because someone chose to take those tools and make use of them. This also provides the very interesting characterization of Punz as Theseus, which is an incredibly unique take that I hope some a Punz enthusiast does something with, because I don’t know enough about his lore to make a good analysis on that.

The idea of Schlatt as the Minotaur, as was probably intended by Techno at the time, makes much more sense, though I still think other characters fit the role better. Firstly, Schlatt wasn’t killed, he died of a heart attack, and if someone had killed him I think it’s more likely to have been Wilbur or Techno who did it than Tommy, as Tommy was still very hopeful and idealistic at the time, at least compared to his character now. You could posit Tommy as Ariadne again in this situation, given he was the one to mastermind the final charge, and though I think Tommy as Ariadne is an idea that’s worth further exploration, I’d say Fundy futs the Ariadne role here much better, with him giving the spy’s diary before being effectively shunned and left out in the cold by both Pogtopia and Manburg, much like Ariadne was abandoned in the original myth.

I’d posit the Theseus in this scenario as Techno, Wilbur, or possibly Philza, as they were the ones to actually kill things in the 16th, though Techno and Wilbur’s killings were more in the metaphorical sense, taking the second life of L’manburg.

As for the exile, Tommy exile was alike to that of Theseus only in concept. Both were sent from their kingdoms for a crime, resulting in a falling out with someone close to them, and had a precarious relationship with heights while they were gone, but that’s about where the similarities end and even then they’re superficial.

First of all, Tommy’s exile was far more because Dream was looking for an excuse to do it than because briefing actually means anything on the SMP, given how Dream had been griefing bases and blaming Tommy for it for a while before it went down. (Fun fact, Bad and Skeppy were going to burn one of his discs over this, but one of them got sick so they had to cancel the stream.)

Theseus’ exile, on the other hand, was entirely deserved, especially when you consider how serious a crime killing family was in Ancient Greek culture. It was pretty much the biggest no-no in existence, and I’m almost surprised he wasn’t just straight up executed for it.

Second, Tommy’s falling out with Tubbo was almost entirely due to outside forces, (Dream) rather than because anything Tommy had done. Though Tommy’s cavalierness towards the trial and attempts to threaten Dream with Spirit doubtless didn’t help things, Dream surrounding L’manburg in obsidian walls and threatening them to exile Tommy was entirely his own choice, and not something that can be pinned on Tommy, no matter what the apologists may say.

Meanwhile, Theseus’ falling out with Phaedra had begun long before his exile with him cheating on her. Him killing his son was merely the last in a long line of dominos to completely destroy their relationship.

Last, Tommy nearly killing himself is very different from Theseus being pushed off a cliff. Tommy’s near suicide was the direct result of physical and emotional abuse at the hands of c!Dream for what was canonically, I believe, several months? (Correct me if I’m wrong on that one.) Tommy almost jumping off a pillar because he was deliberately isolated from his support systems is nothing like Theseus being killed because he was a cocky asshole who thought he was god.

-

So that’s why I don’t think Tommy is anything like Theseus, and why I’m filled with endless rage by the completely uncritical acceptance of this parallel, but it’s not the whole reason it pisses me off.

It also pisses me off because, as stated earlier, cc!Techno is an English major. He knew what he was doing with this. The fandom’s insistence on refusing to acknowledge his character as an unreliable narrator is, in my opinion, acting as a massive kneecap to what could be a great analysis of how he thinks.

Specifically: why does c!Technoblade think Tommy is like Theseus?

Of all the Greek heroes to pick, why that one? Was it just the tantalizing opportunity to parallel Schlatt with a horned monster, or was it because c!Techno has some genuine in-character reason to think this myth specifically applies to Tommy.

Now, we all know people in the SMP have a habit of analogizing Wilbur and Tommy. The assumption Tommy wanted to be president, the belief that Tommy nominated Tubbo directly, the belief that he was intentionally deceiving Techno about Pogtopia’s intentions regarding Manburg... all of these stem from Wilbur. There are more cases of this, of course, but several analyses have been done in the subject already, and this is long enough without more padding.

So why does Techno think Tommy is Theseus? Well, it’s simple, isn’t it?

Wilbur is Theseus.

To be continued, because this is already too long and my brain hurts.

[mean-scarlet-deceiver]

The Classic Main Cast as the Olympian Gods

Here they are in the order which I matched them up… I think the logic will be slightly easier to follow that way. *sweatdrop*

Percy = Hermes

Matching the messenger god and the engine who takes the mail train is a gimme. Hermes is also a trickster, which suits Percy pulling the wheel of other engines (“stay in the shed today, James!” “do let’s pretend I’m a ghost and scare Thomas!” etc.) God of trade and merchants very much tallies with Percy’s long history working exchange yards. Finally, Hermes’s domain also includes thieves and conmen. Percy in RWS lore has one of the rougher and more knock-about backgrounds so this all fits very well.

Gordon = Zeus

Powerful bigshots who are also surprisingly great comedic fodder. ‘Nuff said? Well, there’s also the frequent language of Gordon thundering by with the Express—in fact, in “Henry’s Forest” James specifically drops this metaphor when he compares the raging storm to Gordon.

Emily = Hera

Next to Gordon, Emily definitely has the most regal personality (prior to Brenner and BWBA eras making her thing “insecurity”). There is even the episode where she declares herself a queen! Also, frankly, the notion of Gordon and Emily as a judgey power couple, while not canonical, still amuses me so much.

Henry = Poseidon

He is after all another very powerful engine/god. Also, a lot of his lore is associated with water. There is his infamous rain-tantrum-as-origin-story... and the Flying Kipper is a very apropos assignment for an engine with dominion of the sea.

Donald = Hephaestus

Douglas = Ares

These two rather fiery gods, both linked with war (*whispers* and Aphrodite), seem like a pair to me. Donald is Hephaestus not because of the limp or lameness (which didn’t really suit anyone, quite) but because of the associations of fire and battle. Both these figures are badasses, but Hephaestus is a shrewd sort, much like Donald, who is the strategic thinker of the two. Douglas, who flat-out destroyed a brakevan, suits the more full-throttle and destructive Ares.

Duck = Apollo

Oliver = Artemis

The sun and the moon. Clever, hardworking Duck fits the daylight, rational nature of Apollo, who is also a harbinger of order and higher civilization (very Great-Western-Way sort of traits). Apollo is also a prophet and truth-teller—reminiscent of Duck, who never minces words! On the other hand, Oliver is the one of the two associated with the night—his origin story is all about him running in secret under cover of darkness, much like the wild fleet-footed Artemis who cannot be bound by law. Artemis is also infamously destructive (even by Olympian standards!) which definitely puts one in mind of a certain uppity private wagon who, after taking aim at Oliver, was never the same truck again…

James = Aphrodite

While I can’t really associate James with love (self-love, maybe?), the themes of appearance, beauty, and pleasure make this one a lock. Aphrodite is definitely the most splendid Olympian and you can’t tell us otherwise! (There was an entire Trojan war based on this fundamental fact! Also, that Aphrodite cheated her way to victory in the beauty contest is hilariously Jamesian to me.)

Edward = Athena

Goddess of wisdom, mentor of worthy youths, and the one you can’t have anything even remotely approximating a civilization without. We good here? She’s even a warrior goddess, suiting Edward’s part-time forays into heroic determination. (Speaking of the Judgment of Paris, the fact that this now means that it is a contest between Emily, Edward, and James is fine by me—as it happens, I think they are the three best-looking engines by far.)

Toby = Demeter

Actually, my first thought was that Toby was Hestia, goddess of domesticity, but apparently Hestia is only an Olympian if we exclude Dionysus, and I don’t believe we can do that (see below). Demeter also works well—she’s an earth goddess, of grain and harvest, fitting Toby’s frequent work taking loads to and from the farmers. His brown color also screams earth to me. Interestingly, Demeter is also the giver of sacred law—given Toby’s earthy good sense, freely-given advice and opinions, and how downright judgmental he can be, I think this suits quite well. Finally, there’s his near-miss with living death (his origin story is very much “Toby was at the end of the line, and even shedded up for good—but then!” which is incredibly fitting, because Demeter was so associated with death and rebirth.)

Thomas = Dionysus

Okay, so I admit that I got here by process of elimination—Thomas was the last engine unmatched when I got to the last god, who can be either Hestia or Dionysus. Dionysus is admittedly a kinda wild matchup, but hear me out because it also kinda works. First, as another earth god, he can function as a pair with Demeter, much as our two also-alliterated boys ran the (heavily agricultural) Ffarquhar branch exclusively for a while. Obviously, Dionysus is the wilder and more chaotic of the two. If one of these twelve engines is gonna be Dionysus, surely it’s the madlad who burst through the stationmaster’s dining room? Dionysus is also a wanderer… he roamed more of the world than any of the others (he even famously visited India—oh hi there BWBA!) The ‘god of wine’ thing is a stretch for any of these characters, but Thomas did notoriously drink something verboten in the ‘fishing’ incident. Yup, next to Thomas/Dionysus the rest of them are definitely “stick-in-the-mud”s.

Finally, if we allow the correspondence of these two chaos agents, then that means Annie and Clarabel are Thomas’s maenads—which is a hilarious take!

[balticapocalypse]

THE SNAKE IN BALTIC RELIGION

"Chronicles, travelogues, ecclesiastical correspondence and other historical records written by foreigners often made mention of snake worship among the Old Prussians, Samogitians, Lithuanians, and Latvians. The snakes were frequently referred to as žalčiai (cognate with Žalias 'green') which has been identified as the non-poisonous Tropodonotus natrix. Sometimes the chronicles also referred to them as gyvatės, a word which is clearly associated with Lith. gyvata 'vitality' and gyvas 'living'. The following historical records should more than suffice to demonstrate that snakes were worshipped widely among the Balts.

In the eleventh century, Adam of Bremen wrote that the Lithuanians worshipped dragons and flying serpents to whom they even offered human sacrifices (Balys 1948:66).

Aeneas Silvius recorded in 1390 an account given him by the missionary Jerome of Prague who worked among the Lithuanians in the final decade of the fourteenth century. Jerome related that:

'The first Lithuanians whom I visited were snake worshippers. Every male head of the family kept a snake in the corner of the house to which they would offer food and when it was lying on the hay, they would pray by it'.

Jerome issued a decree that all such snakes should be killed and burnt in the public market place. Among the snakes there was one which was much larger that all the others and despite repeated efforts, they were unable to put an end to its life (Balys 1948:66; Korsakas, et al 1963:33).

Dlugosz at the end of the fifteenth century wrote that among the eastern Lithuanians there were special deities in the forms of snakes and it was believed that these snakes were penates Dii (God's messengers). He also recorded that the western Lithuanians worshipped both the gyvatės and žalčiai (Gimbutas 1958:35).

Erasmus Stella in his Antiquitates Borussicae (1518) wrote about the first Old Prussian king, Vidvutas Alanas. Erasmus related that the king was greatly concerned with religion and invited priests from the Sūduviai (another Baltic tribe), who, greatly influenced by their beliefs, taught the Prussians how to worship snakes: for they are loved by the gods and are their messengers. They (the Prussians) fed them in their homes and made offerings to them as household deities (Balys 1948: II 67).

Simon Grunau in 1521 wrote that in honor of the god Patrimpas, a snake was kept in a large vessel covered with a sheaf of hay and that girls would feed it milk (Welsford 1958:421).

Maletius observed ca. 1550 that:

'The Lithuanians and Samogitians kept snakes under their beds or in the corner of their houses where the table usually stood. They worship the snakes as if they were divine beings. At certain times they would invite the snakes to come to the table. The snakes would crawl up on the linen-covered table, taste some food, and then crawl back to their holes. When the snakes crawled away, the people with great joy would first eat from the dish which the snakes had first tasted, believing that the next year would be fortunate. On the other hand, if the snakes did not come to the table when invited or if they did not taste the food, this meant that great misfortune would befall them in the coming year' (Balys 1948:67).

In 1557 Zigismund Herberstein wrote about his journey through northwestern Lithuania (Moscovica 1557, Vienna):

'Even today one can find many pagan beliefs held by these people, some of whom worship fire, others — trees, and others the sun and the moon. Still others keep their gods at home and these are serpents about three feet long... They have a special time when they feed their gods. In the middle of the house they place some milk and then kneel down on benches. Then the serpents crawl out and hiss at the people engaged geese and the people pray to them with great respect. If some mishap befalls them, they blame themselves for not properly feeding their gods' (Balys 1948: II 67).

Strykovsky in his 1582 chronicle on the Old Prussians related:

'They have erected to the god Patrimpas a statue and they honor him by taking care of a live snake to whom they feed milk so that it would remain content' (Korsakas et. al 1963:23).

A Jesuit missionary's report of 1583 reported:

'...when we felled their sacred oaks and killed their holy snakes with which the parents and the children had lived together since the cradle, then the pagans would cry that we are defaming their deities, that their gods of the trees, caves, fields, and orchards are destroyed' (Balys 1948: 11,68).

In 1604 another Jesuit missionary remarked:

'The people have reached such a stage of madness that they believe that deity exists in reptiles. Therefore, they carefully safeguard them, lest someone injure the serpents kept inside their homes. Superstitiously they believe that harm would come to them should anyone show disrespect to these serpents. It sometimes happens that snakes are encountered sucking milk from cows. Some of us occasionally have tried to pull one off, but invariably the farmer would plead in vain to dissuade us... When pleading failed, the man would seize the reptile with his hands and run away to hide it' (Gimbutas 1958:33).

In his De Dies Samagitarum of 1615, Johan Lasicci wrote:

'Also, just like some household deities, they feed black-colored reptiles which they call gioutos. When these snakes crawl out from the corners of the house and slither up to the food, everyone observes them with fear and respect. If some mishap befalls anyone who worship such reptiles, they explain that they did not treat them properly' (Lasickis 1969:25).

Andrius Cellarius in his Descripto Regni Polonicae (1659) observed:

'although the Samogitians were christianized in 1386, to this very day they are not free from their paganism, for even now they keep tamed snakes in their houses and show great respect for them, calling them Givoites' (Balys 1948: II 70).

T. Arnkiel wrote that ca. 1675 while traveling in Latvia he saw an enormous number of snakes.

'die night allein auf dem Felde und im Walde, sondern auch in den Häusern, ja gar in den Betten sich eingefunden, so ich mannigmahl mit Schrecken angesehen. Diese Schlangen thun selten Schaden, wie denn auch niemand unter den Bauern ihren Schaden zufügen wird. Scheint, dass bey denselben die alte Abgötterey noch nicht gäntzlich verloschen' (Biezais 1955: 33).

The Balts' positive attitude towards the snake has been recorded also in the late nineteenth century in the Deliciae Prussicae (1871) of Matthaus Pratorius who observed: 'Die Begegnung einer Schlange ist den Zamatien und preussischen Littauern noch jetziger Zeit ein gutes Omen' (Elisonas 1931:8.3).

Aside from the widespread attestation of snake-worship among the Balts and its persistence into Christian times, these historical records also suggest an intriguing relationship between Baltic mythology and our folk tale. Both Simon Grunau (1521) and Strykovsky (1582) mention the worship of the snake in close reference to the god Patrimpas. This deity is commonly identified as the "God of Waters" and his name is cognate with Old Prussian trumpa 'river'. The close association between the snake and the "God of Waters" has prompted E. Welsford to suggest a slight possibility that the water deity Patrimpas was at one time worshipped in the form of a snake (Welsford 1958:421). A serpent divinity associated with the water finds numerous parallels among Indo-European peoples, eg. the Indie Vrtra who withholds the waters and his benevolent counterpart, the Ahibudhnya 'the serpent of the deep'; the Midgard serpent of Norse mythology; Poseidon's serpents who are sent out of the sea to slay Lacoon, etc. A detailed comparison of the IE water-snake figure would far exceed the limits of this paper, nevertheless, it is curious to note that except for the quite minor Ahibudhnya, most IE mythologies present the water-serpent as malevolent creature — an attitude quite at variance with that of the ancient Balts.

From the historical records it is difficult to determine to what extent the ancient Balts might actually have possessed an organized snake-cult. Erasmus Stella's account of 1518 concerning the Sudovian Priest's introduction of snake-worship into Prussia might suggest such an established cult. In any event, that the snake was worshipped widely on a domestic level cannot be denied. In general it was deemed fortunate to come across a žaltys, and encountering a snake prophesied either marriage or birth. The žaltys was always said to bring happiness and prosperity, ensuring the fertility of the soil and the increase of the family. Up until the twentieth century, in many parts of Lithuania, farm women would leave milk in shallow pans in their yards for the žalčiai. This, they explained, helped to ensure the well-being of the family.

In 1924 H. Bertuleit wrote that the Samogitian peasants "even at the present time, staunchly maintain that the žaltys/gyvatė is a health and strength giving being" (Balys 1948: II 73). To this day in Lithuania, the gabled roofs are occasionally topped with serpent-shaped carvings in order to protect the household from evil powers.

The best proof of the still persistent respect, if no longer veneration, of the snake (or žaltys in specific) is provided by various folk sayings and beliefs which were recorded during this century. Some of them clearly reflect the association of the snake with good luck, while others depict the evil consequences which will befall one if he does not respect the snake. The following are some examples:

Good luck

1. If a snake crosses over your path you will have good luck.

2. If a snake runs across your path, there will be good fortune.

3. Žaltys is a good guardian of the home, he protects the home from thunder, sickness and murder.

4. If a žaltys appears in the living room, someone in that house will soon get married.

Bad consequences

5. In some houses there live domestic snakes; one must never kill this house-snake, for if you do, misfortunes and bad luck will fall on you and will last for seven years.

6. If you burn a snake in a fire and look at it when it is burning, you will become blind.

7. If you find a snake and throw it on an ant hill, it will stick out its little legs which will cause you to go blind.

8. If s snake bites someone and the person then kills the snake, he will never get well.

9. If a snake bites a man and another person kills it, the man will never recover.

10. If you kill the snake that bit you, you will never recover.

11. If a žaltys comes when one is eating, one must give it food, otherwise one will choke.

12. When children are eating and a žaltys crawls up to them, he must be fed; otherwise the children will choke.

13. If you kill a žaltys, your own animals will never obey you.

14. If someone kills a snake, it will not die until the sun has set.

15. If you kill a snake, the sun cries.

16. If you kill a snake and leave it unburied, the sun grows sick.

17. When a snake or a žaltys is killed, the sun cries while the Devil laughs.

18. If you kill a snake and leave it in the forest, then the sun grows dim for two or three days.

19. If you kill a snake and leave it unburied, then the sun will cry when it sees such a horrible thing.

20. If you kill a snake, you must bury it, otherwise the sun will cry when it sees the dead snake.

The snake's name.

21. If one finds a snake in the forest and wants to show it to others, he must say: "Come, here I found a paukštyte (little bird)!", otherwise, if you call it a gyvate, the snake will understand its name and run away.

22. If you see a snake, call it a little bird; then it will not attack humans.

23. While eating, never talk about a snake or you will meet it when going through the forest.

24. Snakes never bite those who do not mention their name in vain, especially while eating and on the days of the Blessed Mary (Wednesdays and Sundays).

25. On seeing a snake you should say: "Pretty little swallow." It likes this name and does not get angry nor bite.

26. If someone guesses the names of a snake's children, the snake and its children will die.

27. If you do not want a snake to bite you when you are walking though the forest, then don't mention its name.

28. A snake does not run away from -those who know its name.

29. Whoever knows the name of the king of the snakes will never be bitten by them.

30. One must never directly address a snake as gyvatė (snake); instead, one should use ilgoji (the long one) or margoji (the dappled one).

Snakes and cows.

31. Every cow has her own žaltys and when the žaltys becomes lost, she gives less milk. When buying a cow, a žaltys should also be bought together.

32. If you kill a žaltys, things will go bad because other žalčiai will suck all the milk from the cows.

Life-index and affinity to man

33. Some people keep a žaltys in the corner of their house and say: if I didn't have that žaltys, I would die.

34. If a person takes a žaltys out of the house — that person will also have to leave home.

35. If a žaltys leaves the house, someone in that household will die.

Enticement.

36. When you see a snake crawl into a tree trunk, cross two branches and carry them around the tree stump. Then place the crossed branches on the hole through which the snake crawled in. When the sun rises, you will find the snake lying on these branches.

37. When you see a snake and it crawls into a tree-stump, take a stick and draw a circle around the stump. Then, break the stick and place it in the shape of a cross and the snake will crawl out and lie down on the cross.

Miscellaneous.

38. If a snake bites you, pick it up in your hands and rub its head against the wound. Then you will get well.

39. When one is bitten by a snake, say: "Iron one! Cold-tailed one! Forgive (name of person bitten)," while blowing in the direction of the sick person.

40. If you throw a dead snake into water, it will come back to life.

41. A snake attacks a man only when it sees his shadow.

42. They say that when a snake is killed, it comes back to life on the ninth day.

43. If a snake bites an ash tree, the tree bursts into leaf.8

44. If someone understands the language of the snakes, whey will obey him and he can command them to go from one place to another.

45. If there are too many snakes and you want them to leave, light a holy fire at the edge of your field and in the center; all the snakes will then crawl in groups through the fire and go away, but you must not touch them.

Some folk-beliefs show an obvious Christian influence and are possibly the products of frustrated Jesuit anti-snake propagandists:

45. When you meet a snake you must certainly have to kill it for if you fail to do so, then you will have committed a great sin.

46. If you kill a snake, you will win many indulgences.

47. If you kill seven snakes, all your sins will be forgiven.

48. If you kill seven snakes, you will win the Kingdom of Heaven

Such examples as these, however, are quite rare in comparison to the folk-beliefs which are sympathetic to the snake.

Considering the evidence amassed from both historical records and folk-belief that the Balts possessed a positive and reverent attitude towards the snake, it is little wonder that the snake husband's death is viewed as tragedy. If, as the proverbs suggest, a snake's death can affect the sun, then what consequences might the death of the very King of the Snakes have among mortals? This tragic outcome, as Swahn has indicated, gives the tale a character which is foreign to the true folk-tale (Swahn 1955:341). This tale could not terminate on the usual euphoric note typical of the Märchen (although the tale does contain numerous Märchen motifs) because the main event of the story relates to a "reality" which the people who tell the story still hold to be true. The tale is thus well-nourished in a setting where such folk-beliefs about the snake persist. On the other hand, the tale itself may have played a part in affecting the longevity of the beliefs. Whichever case may be true, it is obvious that both are closely related.

A specific element of folk-belief that survived as an ideological support to the tale is that of the snake's name-taboo. The tragic killing of the snake king is implemented only because the name formula is revealed. Thus, the general snake-taboo proverbs (No. 21-30; receive a specific denouement in the snake-father ordering that his name and summoning formula not be revealed to others. There appear to be two important aspects that surround this name-taboo. First of all, it reflects the primitive concept of one being able to manipulate another when his name is known. A second aspect is that the name-taboo may rest on the reverence and fear of a more powerful supernatural being that requires mortals never to mention the deity's real name. For example, Perkūnas, the all-powerful Thunder God of the Baits, has many substitutes for his real name which are usually onomatopoeic with the sound of thunder, eg. Dudulis, Dundulis, Tarškulis, Trenktinis. In our tale the general reason for the name-taboo may be partially related to this second explanation especially since there are a number of variants for the name of the snake-king, eg. Žilvine, which have no etymological support but bear a suspicious resemblance to the word žaltys 'snake'. This might then indicate a deliberate attempt to destroy the name žaltys in such a way as to avoid breaking the name-taboo but still retain some of the underlying semantic force. On the other hand, it must be admitted that many of the summoning formulas include a direct reference to the husband as žaltys. In these cases, since the brothers know his name, they can extend their power over him. It is likely that both these aspects should be considered when explaining the name-taboo of the story. The clear distinction between the obviously Christian folk-sayings (No. 45-48) and the underlying pro-snake proverbs carries considerable significance when one views the substitution of the Devil for the snake in many of the Latvian variants. This substitution occurred in all probability with the increasing influence of Christianity and its usual association of the serpent with the Devil as in the Garden of Eden story. It is interesting to reflect that in some cases the entire story proceeds with the same tragic development despite this substitution (Lat. 2, 7, 9, 15). Even in the Lithuanian variant (Lith. 4) where an old woman tells the heroine that her snake-husband is actually the Devil, this does little to alter the tragic tone of the tale's ending. Thus, it would seem that the Devil is a relatively late introduction, sometimes amounting to little more than a Christian gloss of the snake's real identity. On this basis, one might well conelude that the tale must have been composed in pagan times and is thereby, at the very least, four or five centuries old if not far older.

The effect of the diabolization of the snake among the Latvian variants seems to have led to a disintegration of the tale's actual structure. In some of the Latvian redactions (Lat. 4, 8, 15) where the Devil is the abductor, the story simply ends with the killing of the supernatural husband and the heroine's rescue. In variants of the tale which progress with such a rescue-motif development, it is important to observe that many of the other elements are consequently dropped. There is no name-taboo or magic formula, sometimes no children, and, of course, no magical transformation. Thus the tale is stripped of all these other embellishments and appears rather bare. It simply relates an abduction of the heroine and her rescue, usually accomplished by some members of her family or a priest and thunder storm (Latv. 15). In any event, the abductor is one whom she quite definitely cannot marry and therefore, there can be no Märchen marriage-feast. When the tale has been altered, the rescue motif can then be correlated to the other Märchen tale-types where the heroine is abducted (rather than married) and is eventually rescued by an eligible marriage partner. One might even speculate that this will be the eventual fate of those particular Latvian variants which no longer specify that the snake, a sacred and positive being, is the supernatural husband. We then have an intimate relationship between folk-belief and folk-tale which ultimately may be mirrored in the very structure of the story.

The place of the snake in Baltic folk-belief and its relation to our tale now having been well established, the obvious next question is whether similar beliefs exist in the neighboring non-Baltic countries and, if not, might we propose this as a possible explanation why the story as a Baltic oicotype has not spread to these other cultures. A complete analysis of the role of the snake in Germanic and Slavic folk-belief would far exceed the time allotted for the composition of this study, nevertheless, some of the evidence arrived at by way of a cursory review should be brought forth.

Of sole interest in our investigation of snake beliefs among the Germans and Slavs is the extent to which these cultures parallel the Balts with respect to the latter's quite sympathetic attitude toward the snake. Bolte and Polivka, Hoffmann - Krayer and J. Grimm all mention that among the Germans there are some beliefs which view the snake in a positive light. A few specific entries in Handwörterbuch des deutschen Aberglaubens are similar to some folk-beliefs already cited among the Baits (Hoffmann - Krayer 1935-36: VII 1139-1141). Bolte and Polivka in listing parallels to Grimm's Märchen von der Unke cite several instances of snakes bringing great fortune to those who treat them well and disaster to those who disrespect or abuse them (Bolte and Polivka 1915: II 459-465) .9 Both Hoffmann-Krayer and Grimm, after listing various "remnants" of what they maintain might be evidence for an ancient snake-cult in Germany, state that under the influence of Christianity the snake is usually diabolized and its image as a malignant and deceitful creature predominates. Only in some very "old" stories are there traces of the original heathen positive attitude towards the snake (Grimm 1966: II 684); Hoffmann - Krayer 1935-36: VII Sp. 1139).

Welsford, in writings about the snake-cult among the ancient Slavs, states that it was probably quite similar to the one which persisted among the Balts, but that the latter seems to have retained it much longer. In the Slavic countries the snake was usually regarded as a creature in which dead souls were embodied and through time came to be viewed mostly as a dangerous animal. It is this aspect of the snake which appears most often in Slavic stories. The snake seems to be similar or even identical with other evil antagonists such as Baba Yaga (Welsford 1958: 422). There are also many stories involving a hero or heroine who has been transformed into a snake by evil enchantment. These stories primarily relate how this "curse" is ultimately overcome.

These remarks indicate that the respect for the snake and its association with good fortune was also known to both Germans and Slavs. The heathen past, however, is farther removed from these peoples than form the Latvians and Lithuanians. If similar snake-cults existed in Germany and in Slavic lands, they were not practiced on the same scale within recorded history as they were by the Baits. The cited fourteenth to eighteenth century reports on the Baits were written by Slavs and Germans and already then the surprise and disgust with which they viewed Baltic snake-veneration gives us a good indication of the place of the snake within their own cultures.

Cursory perusal of present-day Germanic and Slavic beliefs about the snake seems to verify the fact that, indeed, the snake is usually considered deceitful and malevolent. The majority of folk-beliefs, expressions, and proverbs reflect this general negative attitude. There are only a few examples of a positive regard for the snake, usually associating it with powers of healing. One may speculate that the folk medicine beliefs which prescribe the use of a snake as an effective cure may be partially explained by the notion that evil conquers evil (ie. an extension of similia similibus curantor). This, however, is mere speculation for it is also likely that the snake's obvious vitality may be responsible for its specification in various folk cures. This latter case seems to be well supported in the Baltic beliefs (cf. folk-belief 38, 39) since the name for snake, gyvatė, and its association with gyvata 'life' helps one to consciously sense the logical correlation.

Stories which mention the affinity between snakes and children are probably known throughout the world because they describe an unexpected occurrence. W. Hand has suggested that the credibility of such stories rests on the notion that the child's innocence and helplessness can not be breached even by a snake (Hand 1968). Note that this kind of logic presupposes that the snake is evil.

Hence, although a more thorough investigation is definitely required, one may still suggest that the Balts have sustained through their history a more sympathetic regard for the snake than either the Germans or Slavs. Assuming that this hypothesis may be true, let us now see how it might be related to the discussion of our tale.

When one assumes no comparable folkloric basis among the Germans and Slavs with regard to the snake, then the Baltic tale would make very little 'cultural sense' to these people and even if it penetrated into their cultural spheres, it would probably by altered by the same process which seems to be occurring with the Latvian tales. Secondly, even if we posit the existence of a similar positive attitude toward the snake in these cultures at a pre-Christian time, these beliefs would now seem to have almost entirely died out. In any case, even though there may be some survivals, there has been no comparative retention of respect and reverence for the snake among the Germans and Slavs as one finds with the Baits. The narrative motif of this tale clearly rests on a folk-belief which serves as an ideological backbone to the story. Conversely, people unfamiliar with the underlying folk-belief or possessing quite antithetical beliefs would find this tale lacking in cultural meaning and, therefore, 'untransferable,' at least in its original form".

By Elena Bradunas, 'If you killed a snake the sun will cry' in Lituanus: Lithuanian Quarterly Journal of Arts and Science (21).

Illustration by Aleksandra Czudzak.

[sunkissedarcher]

TITLES & EPITHETS OF APOLLO

Over thousands of years, the deity known as Apollo has gained many different names he’s been called by, possibly due to the fact that not only was he one of the most important and complex/diverse of the Olympians, but also one of the individuals with the most domains attributed to him.

~ Roles ~

In Greco-Roman mythology, Apollo appears sometime after the Bronze Age; there is no surviving information of him prior to that; it’s sometimes believed that Artemis was originally depicted as a single goddess separate from him and he was later made her brother. Some claim there’s evidence to suggest that she evolved from/is identified with Britomartis who, to the Minoans, was the “Mistress of Animals” and in her earliest depictions was accompanied by the “Master of Animals”, a male god who had a hunting bow as his attribute, who may or may not have been a companion or her lover (very early versions of Artemis did not refer to her as a virgin; she was said to have had lovers and possibly even children). Apollo is the only major Greek god whose primary name remained the same when the Romans re-imagined them in their image after the rise of the Roman Empire.

Although Apollo’s origins are not certain, it is known that he was not worshiped at Delphi before the 8th century. It is believed that he came either from somewhere north of Greece or from Asia. One of his most common epithets is Lykeios, and Homer's lliad connects him with Lycia. In that epic he is an enemy of the Greeks, but other than his support for Troy there and a few other notable instances, Apollo was usually characterized as being impartial in politics. All the Greeks appeared to worship and respect him. There are also many oracles of Apollo in Asia Minor. But his Asian origin remains unproved. How and why he became a prophetic god in Greece is not known, but he is so from the earliest records.

In Roman religion. Apollo was introduced early into Italy, partly through Etruria and partly through the Greek settlements in Magna Graecia, but he was never properly identified with a Roman god. He was first introduced as a god of healing, but soon became prominent as a god of oracles and prophecy. In Virgil he figures in both these characters, but especially as the giver of oracles; the Cumaean Sibyl was his priestess; Sibyl, at the time, being a name simply meaning ‘prophetess’ and used as a generic term for oracles. In Virgil's Eclogues, Apollo appears also as the patron of poetry and music. The oldest temple to him in Rome was erected in 432 BC. His cult was further developed by the emperor Augustus, who took him as his special patron and erected to him a great temple on the Palatinc.

Apollo is in most sources recognized as the Greek god of archery (of which he and Artemis are both credited as inventing in some myths), light, hunting, music, poetry, dancing, prophecies and oracles, truth, order, medicine/healing and plagues/diseases, purification, civilization, knowledge and learning, as well as education (particularly in the arts) and science. Apollo was also known for his capacity to help guide children through growth and became known as the protector of the young who presided over the education, health and protection of children/youths, most often with prepubescent/adolescent boys, while his sister fulfilled the same role for young girls.

First and foremost, Apollo was seen as an Oracular god who ruled over prophecy and knowledge of the future, and as the god of light. After he was already established as an Olympic deity, Apollo’s domain was either merged with or he outright replaced the Titan of the Sun, Helios, which is where his title as the “sun god” began and possibly when the epithet Helius was given to him (around 3rd or 5th century BC, depending on the source). Around this time he started being depicted as driving the “solar chariot”, which was Helios’ main attribute. He is seen also as the god of warding off negativity and misfortune; various epithets refer to him as an “averter of evil,” and this is possibly due to his role in the protection of crops, as well as the god of plagues and diseases, he is sometimes referred to as Apollo Parnopius or the Parnopion (”God of Locusts”) for driving locusts away; or causing them as locusts are often associated with disease and calamity. Delphic Apollo was known as the patron of seafarers, foreigners, and the protector of fugitives and refugees (my speculation is this is related to his mother seeking ‘refuge’ on Delos from Hera’s wrath while pregnant when nowhere else would accept her), and numerous epithets elude to the many roles he played in Ancient Greek pantheism.

An important pastoral deity, Apollo was also the patron of herdsmen (shepherds, goatherds, cowherds) and is depicted as a minor god of agricultural protection over these herds, flocks and crops, which numerous stories refer to, and field plowing (see the times he was made mortal and tended to fields and crops on behalf of King Admentus, or the story of a baby Hermes stealing his sacred cattle). Protection of herds, flocks and crops from diseases, pests and predators were some of his primary duties, as well as encouraging the founding of new towns and establishment of civil constitution. He is associated with dominion over colonists. He was the giver of laws, and his oracles were consulted before setting laws in a city. As the god of Mousike (art of Muses), Apollo presides over all music, songs, dance and poetry. He is the inventor of string-music, and the frequent companion of the Muses, functioning as their chorus leader in celebrations. The lyre is a common attribute of Apollo.

As stated above Apollo was not originally viewed as a Sun God, nor was his sister the Moon Goddess, those roles belonged to the Titans Helios and Selene respectively, but eventually they began being viewed as synonymous and their origins conflated, to the point the Titans were phased out and replaced with the twin archers, sometimes seen as their godly counterparts or successors after the overthrowing of the Titans, when in reality Helios and Selene were some of the few deities who did not side with Cronus in the Titanomachy. It should be noted that for many deities, they hold minor or secondary roles in other fields than their primary; Poseidon is the ‘god’ of the sea, Oceanus was the ‘titan’ of the sea yet Apollo and many other gods are still seen as protectors of sea voyagers, and while Hera is the goddess of marriage, family, fertility, etc. her mother Rhea was the titan of female fertility and motherhood, and Hymenaeus (sometimes depicted as a son of Apollo, or in one bizarre circumstance as his lover) was a god of marriage ceremonies, inspiring feasts and song. Just like multiple Ancient Greek and Roman cities had more than one patron/protector god, so can one field of worship have more than one deity that represents it.

Apollo in some cases was not just seen as the Greek god of male youth, but of male beauty as well; he was stated to be the most characteristically ‘Greek’ of all the gods ironically enough given his unclear origins, and was often used as the perfect embodiment of a Kouros - a beautiful but athletic youth depicted as long-haired and beardless (Ancient Greek boys would grow their hair long until reaching adulthood; thus Apollo’s depiction as both beardless and long-haired pictures him as a youthful god, perhaps just on the cusp of adulthood). As a Kouros, Apollo embodied youthful but mature male beauty and moral excellence, which combined with his association to the beneficial aspects of civilization (healing, music, education, city-building, flock tending, sun/sunlight and prophecy, archery (but not war or hunting) and youth) may have been one of the biggest factors in how much the Greeks cherished him and how many monuments, epithets, and areas of duty were assigned to him.

~ Greco-Roman & Celtic Epithets ~

Sun & Light

Aegletes: “Light of the Sun”, or “the Radiant God”

Phoebus: Apollo’s chief epithet was Phoebus (literally “Bright” or "Shining"). It was very commonly used by both the Greeks and Romans for Apollo's role as the god of light. This also connects him with his maternal grandmother, the Titan Phoebe, the female variant of the name which is also applied to his twin sister Artemis.

Helius: Literally “Sun” - possibly becoming attributed to him when he took on the role previously fulfilled by Helios.

Lukêgenês: “Born of Light”

Lyceus: “Light” - The meaning of the epithet "Lyceus" later became associated with Apollo's mother Leto, who was the patron goddess of Lycia and who was identified with the wolf.

Phanaeus: “Giving or bringing light”

Sol: Latin for “Sun”

Thermius: “Warm”

Wolf

Lycegenes: Literally “Born Of a wolf” or “Born of Lycia”

Lyceius: Similar to or synonymous with ‘Lyceus’; a surname of Apollo with an uncertain meaning. Possibly from the word ‘Lukos’, which would give it the meaning “The Wolf-Slayer”, others from “Luke”, which would give it the meaning “The Giver of Light.” Or it could mean someone from the country of Lycia. Surviving passages indicate it could be any of the three.

Lycoctonus: “Wolf” and “To Kill”

Origin/Birth

Cynthius/Kynthius: Literally “Cynthian/Kynthian”; Apollo’s birthplace was atop Mount Cynthos (or Mount Kynthus) on the floating island of Delos; his sister has a similar name attributed to her.

Cynthogenes: “Born of Cynthus”

Delius: “Delian/of Delos”, someone born on Delos; the name Delia is applied similarly to his sister.

Didymaeus: “Twin”, a name attributed to he and Artemis together.

Epaktios: “God of the Coast”

Epibatêrios: “Leader of Sailors”

Latôios: “Son of Leto”

Pythios “Of Python”

Sauroktonos: “Lizard Slayer”, likely a reference to his killing of the monster Python.

Tityoktónos: “Slayer of the Giant Tityos”. Tityos was a giant in Greek mythology and the son of Elara and Zeus. Still scorned by the affair of her husband with Leto, she sent the giant to rape Leto and he was subsequently slain by the protective Apollo and Artemis. As punishment after death, he was laid out in Tartarus where two vultures would torture him by feeding on his liver, which grew back every night. This is similar to the punishment of Prometheus.

Places/Worship

Acraephius: Literally “Acraephian”, from the Boeotian town of Acraephia, reputedly founded by his son Acraepheus.

Actiacus: “Actian”, after Actium, one of his primary places of worship, a town in Ancient Acarnania.

Delphinius: “Delphic”, after Delphi, the location of the Oracle of Delphi, but also relating to dolphins. One Minoan origin story describes Apollo transforming into a dolphin and intercepting a pirate ship of Cretans, turning back into himself, and convincing the pirates to become his priests, and carrying them back to Delphi with him (possibly in dolphin form).

Epactaeus: “God worshiped on the coast” in Samos.

Erythibios: “Of the Mildew”. An epithet bestowed on a temple dedicated to him by the Rhodians.

Hebdomagetês: “The 7th of Every Month”

Hecatombæus: “Sacrifice of 100″

Hyacinthia: “Hyacinth”. A festival celebrated at Amyclae by the Spartans in honor of Apollo Actius, and in honor of the death of his young lover Prince Hyacinthus/Hyakinthos, who in some variants of the story was a Spartan Prince.

Leucadius/Leucadios/Leucates/Leukates: “From the Leucas”. A surname of Apollo deriving from Leucas (now known as Lefkada). From λευκός (leukos) meaning “White” as well as “Bright, Clear, Brilliant”. Also the name of Leukadios, the son of Icarius and Polycaste, who according to myth, was also said to be the eponym of the island.

Pythius: From the region around Delphi, related to Python who was slain by Apollo. For this reason, his priests are often known as the Pythian priests.

Semne: “Holy/Revered”

Smintheus: “Sminthian”, or “Of the town of Sminthos,” near the Troad town of Hamaxitus.

Spodios: “Sacred Altar Ash”

Thymbraios: “Of Thymbra.” A surname of Apollo, likely a localization, from Thymbra, which was a city near Troy that worshiped the god Apollo Thymbraios. It was in this altar that Troilus (son of Apollo or King Priam, depending on the myth) fled for sanctuary, possibly, and was beheaded on the altar omphalos by Achilles, incurring the wrath of Apollo.

Pastoral Duties/Agriculture

Arótrios: “Blesser of Farmers/Shepherds”

Meliae: “Of the Ash Tree,” Meliads were ash tree Nymphs, and the ones who nursed a young Zeus when Rhea saved him from being devoured by Cronus. This name is significant due to a grove that was sacred to Apollo in Colophon in Ionia. He also had a Nymph consort by the name of Melia, by whom he fathered the prophet and hero Tenerus.

Noumios: “Leader of Shepherds” or “Of the Pastures”

Nymphegetes: “Nymph” and “Leader”, for his role as a protector of shepherds and pastoral life, as Nymphs were regarded as minor female deities and personifications of nature.

Spærmeios: “Presiding Over Seed”

Patron Of The Young

Kouros: Apollo was sometimes referred to as the ideal image of a Kouros (a beautiful and athletic, beardless male youth). This name brings to mind the name of the female equivalent, “Kore”, which means young unmarried girl (maiden/virgin), and was also a name of Persephone. Kouros/Kore is also the name of a type of freestanding statue in Ancient Greek art of a young unwed male/female. In this, Apollo and Persephone can possibly be considered counterparts as archetypal Greek images of eternal youths.

Kourotróphos: “Nurturer of Children”. A name that was given in Ancient Greece to gods and goddesses whose properties included their ability to protect young people. Numerous gods are referred to by this epithet, including, but not limited to, Athena, Apollo, Hermes, Hecate, Aphrodite, Artemis, and Eileithyia.

Vulturius: “Of Vultures”. A surname and epithet given to Apollo after he saved a shepherd boy from death in a large, deep cave, by the means of vultures. To thank him, the boy built Apollo a temple under the name Vulturius.

Healing/Disease

Acesius: “Healing”. Acesius was the epithet of Apollo worshipped in Elis, where he had a temple in the agora.

Acestor: “Healer”

Akesios: “Of Healing” Culicarius: “Of Midges” or “Averter of Flies/Gnats”

Iatrus: “Physician”

Loimios: “Savior from Plague” Medicus: “Physician” in Latin. A temple was dedicated to Apollo Medicus in Rome, probably next to the temple of Bellona.

Oulios: “Of Sound Health”

Paean: “Physician, Healer” Parnopius: “Expeller of Locusts.” Locusts were a sign of plague and disease; this was a surname of Apollo under which he had a statue on the acropolis of Athens.

Sosianus: “Healer of Madness”

Viodóhtis: “Giver of Life”

Founder & Protector

Agêtôr: “Leader of Men”

Agônios: “Helper in Contests”

Agyieus: “Protector of the Streets”. A surname of Apollo, describing his role in protecting roads, streets, public places and homes.

Aktios: “Of the Foreshore”, possibly relating to Apollo’s status as patron and protector of sailors/seafarers (a duty he shared minimally with the chief sea god, Poseidon).

Alaios: “Wanderer”, perhaps a reference to his role as the founder of cities, or the patron of fugitives. Also the name of one of his temples, founded by the hero Philoctetes.

Alexicacus: Literally “Averter of Calamity”. A surname given by the Greeks to several deities; to Apollo, who was worshiped under this name by the Athenians, because he was believed to have stopped the plague which raged at Athens in the time of the Peloponnesian War.

Apotropaeus: “To Avert”

Archegetes: “Founder”. A surname of Apollo, under which he was worshiped at several places, such as Naxos in Sicily, and at Megara. The name either references Apollo as the leader and protector of colonies, or as the founder of towns in general.

Averruncus: “To Avert”

Boêdromios: “Rescuer”

Clarius: “Allotted lot”. A surname of Apollo, derived from his celebrated temple at Clarios in Asia Minor, which had been founded by Manto, the daughter of Teiresias, who, after the conquest of her native city of Thebes, was made over to the Delphic god, and was then sent into the country, where subsequently Colophon was built by the Ionians.

Embasius “Blesser of Those Embarking”

Epicurius: “To Aid”

Genetor: Literally “Ancestor”

Horios “Of Boundaries/Borders”

Kataibatês: “Glad Return”

Phuzios: “Protector of Fugitives”

Prostatêrios: “Protector Of Houses”

Soter: “Savior”

Theoxenios: “God of Strangers”/”Foreign God”, as the patron of strangers, foreigners and refugees.

Thyræus: “Of the Gate/Entrance”

Zosterius: “Savior”/”Encircling the World”

Appearance

Akersekomês: “Beautiful Hair”/”Uncut Hair”

Chrysokomes: “Golden Haired”

Comaeus: “Flowing Hair”

Daphnaios: “Bay Laurel”

Daphnephorios: “Bearing Laurel”

Dicerus: “Two Horned”

Karneios: “Horned”

Kýdimos Kouros: “Famous Youth”

Prophecy & Truth

Coelispex: From the Latin coelum, meaning “Sky”, and specere, “To Look At”.

Iatromantis: From the Greek words for “Physician” and “Prophet”, referring to his role as a god of both healing and prophecy.

Khrismohdós: “Chanting Prophecies”

Klêdônes: “Omen in Words and Sounds”

Leschenorius: “Converser”

Loxias: From λέγειν, “To say”, historically associated with λοξός, “Ambiguous”, or “Vague Prophecy”.

Manticus: “Prophetic”

Moiragetês: “Leader of the Fates”

Manticus: Literally “Prophetic”

Panderkes Omma: “All Seeing Eye”

Proopsios: “Foreseeing”

Thearios: “Of the Oracle”

Music & The Arts

Khrysolýris: “Of the Golden Lyre”

Kitharohdós: “Player of the Kithára”

Kýrios Orkhísæohs: “Lord of Dance”

Musagetes/Musegetes: “Leader”

Mousarkhos: “Leader of the Muses.” The same as above; Apollo was considered the leader of the Muses’ choir.

Tælǽstohr: “Sacred Teacher”

Archery/Hunting

Agraios: “Of the Wild”

Agréfs: “Hunter”

Aphetor/Aphetorus: “To Let Loose”

Arcitenens: Literally “Bow-Carrying”

Argyrotoxus: “Bearer of the Silver Bow”

Efpharǽtris : “Possessing a Beautiful Quiver”

Efrypharetres: “With Wide Quiver”

Hecaërgus: “Far-shooting”

Hecebolus: “He Who Attains His Aim”

Hekatos: “Shooter From Afar”/”Distant Deadly Archer”

Ismenius: Literally “Of Ismenus”; after Ismenus, the son of Amphion and Niobe, whom he struck down with an arrow after Niobe’s insult of his mother, Leto.

Khrysótoxos: “With Bow of Gold”

Toxovǽlæmnos: “Of Bow and Arrows”

Others

Aglaotimus: “Splendidly Honored”

Agnós: “Holy”

Amazonius: Pausanias at the Description of Greece wrote that near Pyrrhichus there was a sanctuary of Apollo, called Amazonius, with image of the god said to have been dedicated by the Amazons.

Anaphaios: “He Made Appear.” A surname of Apollo, after the island in the Cretan sea, Anáphi, which he was said to have made appear, from the light of an arrow, to the Agronauts as shelter from a storm.

Ánax: “King”

Asphetorus: “To Let Loose”

Cerdous: “Gainful”

Chrusaôr: “He Who Wields the Golden Sword”

Dekatêphoros “Bringer of Tithes”

Eleleus: “War Cry”

Enolmus “Of the Seat”

Enthryptos: “Of the Enthyrptos Cake”

Erasmius: “Beloved”

Genetor: “Ancestor”

Intonsus: “Uncut/Unshaved”

Isodetês: “He Who Equally Binds”

Kharopiós: “Bringer of Joy”

Korynthos: “Of the (Sacred) Corynthos Cake”

Kourídios: “Suitable Partner”

Kozmoplókos: “Holder of the World”

Mælioukhos Turannæ: “Ruling With Sweetness”

Mákar: “Blessed”

Marmarinos: “Of Marble”

Myricaeus: “Bearing Broom”

Napaeus: “Of Groves”

Naeominios: “New Moon”

Olviodotis: “Bestower of Bliss”

Pangkratis: “All Powerful”

Pantothalis: “Making Everything Bloom”

Patróös: “Father”

Philísios: “Friendly”

Prophítis: “Speaker for a God”

Psykhodotír: “Giver of the Soul”

Saligena: “Rising From the Sea”

Spelaites: “Of Grottos”

Thorates: “Engendering”

Celtic Epithets/Cult Titles

Apollo Atepomarus: “The Great Horseman” or “Possessing a Great Horse”. Apollo was worshiped at Mauvières. Horses were, in the Celtic world, closely linked to the sun.

Apollo Belenus: “Bright” or “Brilliant”. This epithet was given to Apollo in parts of Gaul, Northern Italy, and Nocrium (a part of what is now Austria). Apollo Belenus was a healing and sun god.

Apollo Cunomaglus: “Hound Lord”. The title given to Apollo at a shrine in Nettleton Shrub, Wiltshire. May have been a god of healing. Cunomaglus himself may originally have been an independent healing god.

Apollo Grannus: Grannus was a healing spring god, later equated with Apollo.

Apollo Maponus: A god known from inscriptions in Britain. This may be a local fusion of Apollo and Maponus.

Apollo Moritasgus: “Masses of the Sea Water”. An epithet for Apollo at Alesia, where he was worshiped as god of healing and, possibly, of physicians.

Apollo Vindonnus: “Clear Light”. From a temple at Essarois, near Châtillon-sur-Seine in present-day Burgundy. He was a god of healing, especially of the eyes.

Apollo Virotutis: Possibly “Benefactor of Mankind”. He was worshiped, among other places, at Fins d’Annecy (Haute-Savoie) and at Jublains (Maine-et-Loire).

( Sources: X X X X X X )

[stormyblue90]

Work Boredom Strikes Again!

So, while working in the museum galleries, ADHD brain likes to wander to all sorts of places! Well, it decided to fixate on two things I enjoy, Greek Mythology, and dinosaurs.

So, pretty much most if not all the Greek Pantheon have a bird sacred to them right? Zeus has the eagle, Athena the owl, Ares the vulture, Hera the peacock, etc. etc.

So then my paleontology loving self thought “What non-avian dinosaurs could be symbols for the Greek deities?” So, I wrote down the ones I thought of, which is...not many, but I’ll share the ones i DID think of below the cut. Note, if a god doesn’t appear, it’s because I haven’t decided on one yet, and am open to suggestions.

Zeus: Tyrannosaurus rex. C’mon, the most iconic and popular theropod of all time, the “King of Dinos”, how could it NOT go to the King of Olympus?

Also Carnotaurus. “Meat-eating Bull”. Bulls were also associated with Zeus, sooo...why not?

Poseidon: Sauroposeidon. ...It’s named after him, need I say more?

Also Spinosaurus. Whether you go for the aquatic pursuit predator, or stork-like wading model for hunting, Spinosaurus was clearly adapted to a lifestyle with lots and lots of water. It’s big, it’s WEIRD, and growing as an icon. I also personally find it rather regal looking with that sail, I think it’d fit Poseidon, King of the Seas, well....

Hades: Acheroraptor It’s essentially named after one of the rivers in the Underworld, that’s....really all I got.

Ares: Allosaurus Another pretty iconic theropod, sadly overshadowed by T. rex, but no less deadly. This beast was tough, many gruesome, but healed over, injuries have been found on Allosaurus remains, the most famous of which being Big Al. It’s also been theorized that they might’ve used their jaws like a battle axe to make up for a relatively low bite force; swinging their head down to chomp down on their prey. They could take quite a bit of damage, but also dish it out. Seems like a good fit for the mighty God of War in my opinion. (this is also my favorite large theropod and Ares is one of my favorites but I swear this has nothing to do with my choice...)

Hermes: Microraptor. IT’S GOT LEG WINGS!!!! How could that NOT become a reference to Hermes’ winged sandals? It’s a small, cute, gliding dino, and I imagine it’d be incredibly mischievous. It’s also one of the few non-avian dinos we know the color of due to fossilized melanosomes. An iridescent blue/black, like crows and ravens. (Also another fav of mine...)

Hephaestus: Ankylosaurus. Heavily armored with a HAMMER/CLUB LIKE TAIL. As a god who uses hammers and other tools, and known to make weapons and armor, I think an armored beast such as this would suit him.

BONUS! I know he’s not an Olympian god, but he was the one that started this train of thought!

Prometheus: Pyroraptor. It’s full name, Pyroraptor olympius, pretty much translates to “Fire-thief of Olympus” or “Olympic Fire-Thief”. If that’s not Prometheus then WHAT? ....Also I’m desperate need of art featuring a cute little feathered raptor running from Mt. Olympus with a torch in his jaws....

Sadly these are the only ones I’ve thought of. I hate how I couldn’t figure out any possibilities for the goddesses! Need one suitably beautiful for Aphrodite, or regal for Hera....hmm..

I DID settle on the idea of a hadrosaur of some sort for Apollo, but not which one. Reason being due to the fact they were LOUD, likely VERY VOCAL, and we’ve simulated what they could’ve sounded like. THe god of music should have something known for lots of sound. Also the wide array of lovely crests many had would suit him as he’s also a beautiful god.

[redteabaron]

The three gods and their lots - (three heads of the dragon)

Contains meta below the cut as well as possible interpretations and theories and speculation. I feel like I should also add a disclaimer that no, I don’t think Targaryens are gods incarnate, this is just examining mythological aspects in their stories and characters and finding commonalities. (I only respect one mortal turning into a god and that is Bran) 

The major three gods of the Greek pantheon were: Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. They drew lots and shared dominion over the world - Zeus was god of the sky and king of the gods, Poseidon was god of the sea, and Hades was the god of the Underworld. Three dominions, three gods. 

“The dragon has three heads.” - Daenerys IV, ACOK 

Aegon/Zeus

“I have. Why should I go running to my aunt as if I were a beggar? My claim is better than her own. Let her come to me...in Westeros.” - Aegon, The Lost Lord, ADWD

The lesson began with languages. Young Griff spoke the Common Tongue as if he had been born to it, and was fluent in High Valyrian, the low dialects of Pentos, Tyrosh, Myr, and Lys, and the trade talk of sailors. … Geometry followed languages. There the boy was less adroit, but Haldon was a patient teacher…” - Tyrion IV, ADWD

“...Yandry said we ought to throw you back, but the lad forbade it.” 

The prince. - Tyrion VI, ADWD

Upon his birth, Zeus had to be spirited away from his father, Cronus, who had swallowed his siblings and hidden so he could escape the fate of his siblings. He would later grow, revolt against his father, and regurgitate his siblings. After drawing lots, Zeus would be given dominion over the sky and be named king of the gods. 

Zeus was affiliated with protection, authority, righteous rule, battle, and justice. He was considered a fair protector and ruler, but not above petty jealousy or anger (or amorousness). 

Aegon, in what little we have seen from him, is actually groomed from a young age to rule. He doesn’t have the hands-on experiences several other characters are thusly put through in the books, but it is very clear he knows what is expected of him, has the knowledge required for the position, and has a good claim to the throne - one that is seemingly preordained, as Zeus’s was foretold before his father swallowed his children. 

Aegon’s connection to the red comet seen on the day of his birth can be loosely traced to Zeus’s mastery over the sky itself (where the sky reflects a point of significance to both Zeus’s temper or demands, so did Aegon’s birth seemingly coincide with the prophecy of the prince that was promised). 

“Young Griff”/Aegon had similarly been spirited away as Zeus had during a time of catastrophe when his claim would threaten another (where instead of a stone wrapped in swaddling, Aegon’s escape was tendered by Varys switching him with another baby) and raised in secrecy, despite being the rightful heir of a kingdom. It’s not Cronus he was hidden from or his actual father, but Robert Baratheon who is hellbent on wiping out the entire line of Targaryens, even agreeing to Tywin’s methods (whether or not he ordered the Mountain to do what he did to Elia and the children doesn’t matter; he was the Mountain’s lord, and so at best he just insinuated ‘do what you want’ very well knowing what Gregor was like). Not so different from Cronus, who, desperate to keep his power, swallowed all of his children.  

In text he’s shown to be a little impatient in his desire to be taken seriously and not be coddled by Griff (but honestly he’s 16 and every teenager everywhere in the history of anybody can be impatient and a little overdramatic; Tyrion is briefly reminded of Joffrey when Aegon throws a tantrum over cyvasse, but Tyrion is shown to not like a lot of people for various reasons, so). However, he has a fantastic grip on his studies, in particular language and history, and we can infer that he has an interest in ruling that goes well beyond ‘it sounds like fun’ (Robert Baratheon’s quote that he never felt so alive as when he was winning the war, and never so dead after it was won comes to mind), at least from what we know from Varys and Griff, and a bit from Tyrion. 

But aside from the impatience we see from him, he shows compassion and an unwillingness to forget kindness when he refuses to let Tyrion drown after Tyrion saves him from a stone-man. From the Tyrion chapters in ADWD, we see Aegon laugh quite freely, is at ease among people of a different station from him; we actually get the idea that even if he can be a little immature, he shows a lot of promise for rule and justice.  

One of the more interesting connections between he and Zeus is the fact that there is some debate as to whether Zeus is the youngest or the oldest of his siblings since he was never swallowed by his father (who technically, after he regurgitated them, also gave ‘birth’ to the swallowed siblings) - and there is understandable debate as to whether Aegon is really Aegon. It could go either way; they are Schrödinger's brother and represent a puzzle, a possible paradox (I do actually believe Aegon is the real deal; if Ned can smuggle out a secret-baby from a tower across a battlefield with only his buddy from the swamps, Varys could certainly have arranged a switch).  

And associating Aegon with justice, imo, isn’t a stretch - particularly when we’ll get to see him gain some traction outside of Jon Connington’s influence (who just likes to hate on the Martells because he’s a Rhaegar fanboy don’t @ me) and we see him meet Arianne. Jon C only sees Rhaegar in Aegon because all Jon C can ever see is Rhaegar; once we move beyond Jon C’s immediate and constant influence over Aegon (and him trying to shape him as Rhaegar 2.0) we’ll see Aegon have the opportunity to connect directly with his Martell side. I believe there’s a good chance we’ll see Aegon seek out, and speak about it, justice for his mother and sibling especially given that he’ll have a positive Martell influence at his side. We just haven’t had the opportunity yet. (And Zeus was always associated with righteous authority and justice). 

It’s not a huge hint, but there is also the connection Zeus has with gryphons; in a translation of Prometheus Bound by Aeschylus, Prometheus has a warning for Io “Beware of the sharp-beaked hounds of Zeus that do not bark, gryphons”. Gryphons/griffins are also said to pull Zeus’s chariots. Jon C is undoubtedly the guard dog that stands ready at Aegon’s side and manages to ‘carry’ him in a sense to Griffin’s Roost (poor influence on him notwithstanding, I can’t really cast aside the fact that he is loyal to Aegon, regardless of the reasons why). 

Admittedly, Aegon is definitely much milder than Zeus with his flaws microscopic compared to the king of gods, but I think a lot of mythology references aren’t word-for-word, and in asoiaf they sometimes pull through less obviously. Casting Aegon as Zeus works specifically for this because of the rule of three, and who I ended up going with for the other two in this meta/theory. 

Zeus was not without his share of flaws and while he was king of the gods, his rule never went unchallenged - chief amongst them to instigate things was Poseidon. Aegon similarly won’t be unchallenged for it. 

Daenerys/Poseidon

“The Dothraki sea,” Ser Jorah Mormont said as he reined to a halt beside her on the top of the ridge. Beneath them, the plain stretched out immense and empty, a vast flat expanse that reached to the distant horizon and beyond. It was a sea, Dany thought. - Daenerys III, AGOT

“...I shall fear the Dothraki the day they teach their horses to run on water.” - Ned, Eddard VIII AGOT

The horse seemed to know her moods, as if they shared a single mind...The Dothraki were a hard and unsentimental people, and it was not their custom to name their animals, so Dany thought of her only as the silver. She had never loved anything so much. - Daenerys III AGOT 

“...I know that somewhere upon the grass, her dragons hatched, and so did she. I know she is proud. How not? What else was left her but pride? I know she is strong. How not? The Dothraki despise weakness. If Daenerys had been weak, she would have perished with Viserys. I know she is fierce. Astapor, Yunkai and Meereen are proof enough of that. She has survived assassins and conspiracies and fell sorceries, grieved for a brother and a husband and a son, trod the cities of the slavers to dust beneath her dainty sandaled feet.” - Tyrion VI, ADWD

Poseidon was lord of horses, god of the sea (and all that it entailed). Upon drawing his lot, he envied Zeus his position as rightful king and challenged him for it several times (conspiring with his siblings at some points), and would often needle his sibling. He was a key deity to pray to for protection, mostly travelers and sailors. He was associated with the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses. In some stories, he too was smuggled away from Cronus, in others, he was swallowed like his siblings. 

Poseidon’s temperament was known to reflect the sea and storms; he was unruly and seen as a rebel against authority that existed both in the divine realm and the mortal realm. Him being lord of the sea, storms, earthquakes, and horses, reflects a wilder nature. 

While Aegon is seen as the rightful heir to the iron throne (and consequently has the Golden Company with him, lending a further air of credibility to his right since the GC are ‘honorable’) and has a shared mastery of the sky with Zeus (referring to the day of his birth and its connection to the red comet), Dany has been ‘given’ domain over the sea. The Dothraki sea, at any rate, and the Dothraki themselves (who are also known as horselords). While her temperament hasn’t shown itself to quite the extreme Poseidon’s has shown in his tales, she has a connection to the foreshadowing of a storm, of bringing a storm (her name, the day of her birth, repeated connection with the unruliness of her largest dragon Drogon, and indications of her possibly forming an alliance with Euron Greyjoy in the future etc). 

No squall could frighten Dany, though. Daenerys Stormborn, she was called, for she had come howling into the world on distant Dragonstone as the greatest storm in the memory of Westeros howled outside, a storm so fierce that it rippled gargoyles from the castle walls and smashed her father’s fleet to kindling. - Daenerys I, ASOS 

It’s an interesting connection that Dany has with the sea and horses, imo. She’s shown to love the freedom of the sea, of sailing, and she loves horses. Both are associated with freedom to travel and journey, as we see her ecstasy on the back of Drogon flight gives her a similar feeling. It is, I think, reflecting the fact that she isn’t shown to enjoy ruling, but she does enjoy power and victory (and conquering although it’s not so cartoonishly overt). The fact that Ned says there’s nothing to fear so long as the Dothraki never learn how to cross the Narrow Sea on their horses was setting up that they will ‘learn’. 

Dany, cast under Poseidon, as lord of horses and the sea (and journeying), gives them that “opportunity” (one they don’t want or need, desperately). 

While all the gods of the pantheon were guilty of petty meddling and warring with each other and having rivalries, Poseidon was infamous for having disputes with other gods for supremacy and control of other countries. At once point, when Athens chose to follow Athena over him, he flooded them in his outage. Some believed that his anger roused storms, caused earthquakes, and floods. (Again, he was far from the only god to do petty things like this, but he was held up as the one who was infamous for it even as he was also viewed as a protector). 

Dany doesn’t summon any of those things, but there is a buildup of her anger/frustration in the books. Her justice is biased (to say nothing of her hypocrisy in dealing with slavery, in one breath claiming it is abominable, in the next allowing it to happen and partaking a portion of the profit just as the slavers she had ousted did) when she corrects herself to demand that the wineseller’s daughters be questioned more harshly, rather than gently (implying there is torture to follow in the interrogation). 

We see that temper rear its head when she burns Mirri, a victim of the Dothraki who was taken as a slave after being assaulted a number of times, after Drogo dies, when Jorah’s duplicity is revealed to her and she sends he and Barristan into the sewers hoping they’ll die, etc, (not necessarily to say her anger in some of these moments isn’t warranted, but gradually over the course of the books, her frustration becomes more obvious and her solutions bloodier and less focused). 

Poseidon, despite having his own dominion and having drawn the lot for the sea, challenges Zeus for his. He loses, but it isn’t the only time he challenges Zeus, or any other gods, at times enacting terrible vengeance on them or their favored humans. 

Dany and Aegon meeting is pretty inevitable, but there is foreshadowing that they will be at odds. Maybe they’ll meet with the united idea that the Lannisters/Baratheons have to face justice for what was done, but Dany’s idea of a legacy is wrapped up only in the legacy of the Targaryens, and she refuses to consider any other elements that occurred during the Rebellion (her father going mad, why the Starks and Baratheons rebelled, what Rhaegar was at fault for, etc). Aegon at least is implied to listen to Tyrion - he isn’t only blinded by what Jon C undoubtedly has told him - meaning he’ll likely hear Arianne out too, and Jon Snow. Dany has one truth, passed down from Viserys, one legacy. 

Like Poseidon, Dany already isn’t satisfied with her lot, warring over other countries (or conquest, claiming Meereen for her own after Astapor falls to the butcher). She will challenge Aegon for a lot that belongs to him, but I believe that unlike Poseidon, she’ll actually win against him. 

Jon/Hades

Casting Jon as Hades is something I’ve already written about in this meta, so this is just a summary with bits added on. 

When I compared Jon to Hades, I also compared the Night’s Watch being the place when men went and died, metaphorically, they died in the eyes of the realm (no wife, no sons, no land, no glory, etc). I believe that Jon is being groomed for rule in a different way, that is, holding domain over the condemned or forgotten. 

When Aegon and Dany inevitably clash over the throne, the aftermath is going to look like a hellscape. King’s Landing is repeated through the text to be the seat of power, the center of Westeros, multiple times, and with another Dance building up, I think, leads to foreshadowing that it’ll be ruined or on the brink of ruin at the end. It’ll still need someone to rule it, whether through the infant stages of an elective monarchy (it sounds like they’ll need something more than that or it’ll just invite more chaos as though rule can only be achieved through conquest of some kind, particularly for a monarchy) or otherwise. 

Jon has already fallen into an unenviable position. Sure, he gets to be Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch - an order that vows to remain at the Wall, against a horde of undead, with no support besides Stannis, with ‘dead’ men as his subjects. 

Some myths meld Zeus and Hades into the same being existing on different plains. Hades is also known as “Other Zeus” or “Infernal Zeus”; here, where Zeus is the god of living mortals, Hades is the god of the dead souls. 

Aegon is meant to take the Iron Throne and be the ruler over the Seven Kingdoms, in King’s Landing, a place of power, wealth, bounty from other kingdoms, etc. Dany will be his end in the Dance of Dragons and turn that bounty, or its possibility, into a wasteland. I don’t doubt people will still be alive, but it’ll be a place of ruins, and so will quite a few other places. I think Jon will likely kill Dany after the fact, for kinslaying and being a threat to the north and the realm, and thereby becoming a kinslayer himself. 

The gods of Westeros punish kinslaying. Jon, at this point of finding his family and being murdered for being Lord Commander and spending time under threat with the free folk (even if they do get along now) will probably just want to go home. Punishment for kinslaying will be for him to hold another position no one wants; the throne. Where when Aegon is set to take it, the kingdoms are in chaos, he’ll seem like a bright spot with hope, we might see him pay attention to food issues, the chaos, logistics, etc. And then he dies. And then Dany dies. And all that’s left are the survivors - those seemingly forgotten and condemned to this place afflicted by war and famine -, and Jon. His punishment for kinslaying (and maybe making mistakes with Dany) will not be able to go home, or be made to take up a post at the Watch; he’s condemned, once again, to the people who’ll seem more dead than alive after everything that’s occurred. 

Jon’s duty was, and will continue to be, to the condemned.