#apollodeity

[lucifersmockingbird]

I love Him so much. I just wanted to share His altar. 💛

[sunquiver777]

Rainbow of approval

[teawiththegods]

All roads lead to Apollo

[whispersinthewaters]

Lord Apollon, my bright shining star,

Some say when the sun is gone you have gone a far,

But even when the sun has gone away,

I still hear the melodies you play,

Your healing hand glows soft and bright,

Even through the darkest night,

And in a Black-crow call,

Or in a wolfhounds maw,

I hear your voice,

And I Rejoice,

To hear such a sweet sound!

(Border by firefly-graphics, go check out their page)

[shewithbloodofdevotion]

I tell Apollo "good morning" on my way to work as the sunrises every morning. He helps start my day off a little brighter

[loverofdoves]

i wasn’t in the path of the total eclipse and the picture i did get did not get the entire vibe of the grey desaturated lighting but i still had a wonderful eclipse! i set out cards for Apollon and Artemis on my altar and because it finally feels like spring more than it has since the equinox, i lit some pink candles and rose incense. i also made some eclipse water to cleanse my altar with and do rituals with. i hope everyone had a good eclipse if you could see it!!

[evilios]

Ritual at the temple of Apollo in Ardea, Roma, Italia

via Associazione Tradizionale Pietas

[hestiashearthfire]

Hi so I the think lord Apollon is mad at me, for reference I am a devotee of Helios and I have been getting kinda mad at people recently for assuming that Apollon is the sun god and or just replacing Helios entirely and I know this is purely a me issue and I have prayed and given libation to him to let him know that I still respect him and don't think of him the way I am of some people and such but I have been seeing a lot of dead snakes recently (yes I know not everything is a sign and yes I know that snakes are associated with a lot of gods but idk about this one)

Khaire, dear Anon! I don’t think Apollon is mad at you in the slightest. We must always remember that the gods, while capable of anger, are gods. They’re closer to the Good, and certainly wouldn’t get angry over something small like this. Now, if you murder your parents or something, you might need to worry, but generally we don’t have “sins” in Hellenic polytheism, so the gods aren’t here to punish us for every mistake.

Regardless, even if you had somehow angered Lord Apollon, you offered him libations and expressed your sincere apology. Why should Apollon not accept it? Again, the gods are not so petty they’d reject a well-made offering. The poets may say one thing, but that doesn’t make it true.

I’m not sure what to make of the snakes, but I wouldn’t worry too much. With all this hot weather we’re having, our snake friends are probably just more active than usual.

[matriarca-inodora]

A modern take on Apollon Smintheus (UPG)

(this is a non-scripted ramble, all views here are my own)

I had a very interesting (personal and def upg) insight about Apollo's connection to mice and rats while I was playing with my pet rats earlier today.

My lord always finds ways to surprise me. I knew the fact that I recently got pet rats is one of many ways I'm battling depression, but it's so, so much more than that.

You see, rats are often very negatively portrayed in contemporary culture. They are seen as a pest, as a synonym to illness, as something to be fought against. People see them with disgust for what they are. Hell, even Apollo Smintheus is often seen as a rather scary aspect of the god.

Now, this is the thing. This is also very much how I see myself in my worst days of depression. Horrible, pestilent, surrounded by mourning and illness. I have been very deep into this pit and it feels like all you wanna do is eliminate that pest that is yourself.

And then I saw it all under a new light. Slowly, with intense ups and downs, until the idea shone on me.

Pet rats are wonderfully smart and loving creatures. They are fun, energetic, and full of surprises. Despite being quirky compared to most usual pets, they have a lot to teach in their short, fragile lives.

That is how I perceive myself in my bright days, too. As a mortal, I know I'm fragile, ephemeral, and small compared to the enormity that is life on this planet. And imagine just how much "smaller" a rat is. Small, short lived, fragile, and yet absolutely curious, full of live. The duality, clear as day, terrible as the night.

Their existence taught me once again what it is to be alive. Being limited, being human, is not something that hinders our lives. It doesn't diminish their, or our worth. The fact that I am small, or that my rats are small, doesn't make any of us less alive.

Apollo Smintheus, lord of rats, taught me that just as there is death, there is life. To me, he is a fierce protector of mental health and (alongside Dionysos, Aphrodite and Eros) a god that celebrates live as the amazing flame it is.

Not just that, Smintheus, by very definition, is ambiguity. Leader of rats, destroyer of rats. A protector, yet unpredictable. There is a very fine line that threads these oppositions, and in this nuance I once again find the old wisdom of Apollo.

I remember I am mortal and I cherish my life, twice-given by him.

[cculdrons]

The Apollo Belvedere from the Vatican his left hand resting on the tree trunk around which coils a pythonca. ca. 1510–27  Marcantonio Raimondi

[screeching-0wl]

You mentioned Apollo was the God of healing, does that include psychological healing aswell?

Personally, I do believe so but it's largely based on my own interpretations and reasoning.

Apollo is the god of health and health does not end with our physical body. The fact that he's been associated with philosophy, getting to know oneself and bettering oneself (as I understand it, as a human being, as a whole) also prompted me to think that his area of influence over health extends to mental health as well, on the contrary to his son, Asclepius, who was primarily associated with medicine and the more physical aspects of health. We could search for answers in ancient sources, however, the ancients did not have the same terminology for such things as we do nowadays.

Let's look at this text:

"These two, Asklepios and Plato, did Apollo beget; One, that he might save the soul; the other, the body." Olympiodorus, Life of Plato, 2.164 - citing the alleged inscription on Plato's tomb

This could technically indicate that by Apollo's will, Asklepios helped with physical wellness, while Plato was supposed to "heal the soul" - perhaps Apollo's contribution to healing the psyche (soul & mind) could be interpreted as him assisting with mental wellness as well.

On top of that, Apollo had functions as the god of religious healing and ritual purification, so maybe this could also be linked to healing the psyche.

But how about we move on to some mythology now?

"As for Aristaeus, after the death of Acteon, we are told, he went to the oracle of his father, Apollo, who prophesied to him that he was to change his home to the island of Ceos and told him likewise of the honours which would be his among the Ceans." Diodorus Siculus, Bibliotheca historica, 4.82.1

Aristaios was a rustic god whose son Acteon fell to the fatal wrath of Artemis, punished for having seen her bathing. Such an event is obviously a huge tragedy and experiencing it would leave any parent terribly heartbroken.

In this case, Apollo essentially gave advice to his son Aristaios, who'd just suffered the loss of his child, to move to a different place where he might feel better, and perhaps we could even assume, find it easier to recover.

[Although this is just me interpreting this fragment of the text in the context of the possible connection between Apollo and mental health.]

Apollo is also the god of music and art, both of which can be quite therapeutic. The god was believed to play songs for the Moirai to help them relax, for example.

Now let's take a look at another text referencing mythology:

"Neither doth Thetis his mother wail her dirge for Achilles, when she hears Hie Paeeon, Hie Paeeon." Callimachus, Hymn to Apollo, 17

Here we can see that hearing a pean (a song or lyric poem expressing triumph or thanksgiving sung during some festivals dedicated to Apollo) had the power to soothe the grief of Thetis, the mother of Achilles who was mourning the death of her son.

Other gods:

On a side note, if you're interested in other gods who could be associated with mental health Hygeia, daughter of Asclepius and Epione, goddess of good health was sometimes thought to be the giver or protectress of mental health.

[lucifersmockingbird]

Apollon understands my beauty. He understands my human sorrow. He will gather my tears and keep them as an unique diamond. He knows my flaws and cherishes them. He sees my cracked skin and kisses it. He chooses to love me back everyday, despite the human mortality. I've met many gods, but His heart is like no other.

I touch His gold-kissed skin and all pain fades away. Nothing exists anymore but Him and His divine presence, the blinding light of His eyes and the softness of His golden hair. I am loved. I've been blessed.

So praised be Apollon, He who dares to love.

[sunquiver777]

[teawiththegods]

My mini shrine to Apollo on my desk at work. It’s important to me to have Apollo with me at my job bc not only is he my main deity overall, but considering I work in a library he’s also my patron deity at work.

Personally, I see libraries as modern day temples to Apollo. So supporting your local libraries can be seen as a devotional act to him! 📚☀️

[whispersinthewaters]

Hebe

Shes like a summer day, playing with your friends, making crowns out of flowers, jamming to ABBA as you cruise down the road with your sunroof open. You stop at a coffee shop and order your favorite drink.

Apollon

He's like an autumn afternoon, strolling down the sidewalk, looking up at the trees that are turning colors as rays of light filter through creating a mosaic above you. Thunder rumbles from afar, so you stand in the sun to get the last of it before it is swallowed up by the approaching clouds.

Artemis

Shes like a winter night, your breath makes clouds in the air. You shiver, thinking of going inside, but something stops you. And as you look up into the sky, fluffy snowflakes floating down, the moonlight shines on your face, and the stars glitter. You decide you'll brave the cold for a few more minutes.

Aphrodite

Shes like a spring morning, you step outside, and, for the first time in months, little flowers surround your doorstep. Tiny birds flit overhead and you smile. You hop in the car with a loved one and decide to get breakfast before starting your day. You go to a cafe and get a croissant with chocolate drizzle and some coffee. You stir the honey in, and pour the cream, and as you look at that person whom you love so much, you wonder what in the world you did to get so lucky.

[shewithbloodofdevotion]

Gifts from my sister that she found at an antique store! This has got to be my new favorite décor. It says its handmade in Greece.

I hope everyone has had a good holidays so far, I'm very excited for celebrating the New Year which is when I celebrate Rural Dionysia.