#building a shrine

[devouredbyflame]

Deepening Relationships with the Divine

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

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

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

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

Design your shrine to be simple.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[zomgcaleb]

how the boys would play minecraft with you

caleb, xavier, rafayel

caleb — the grinder

always out killing something, gets lots of food for the both of you. his exp levels are ridiculously high from it and he enchants your tools and armor for you, he makes sure you’re always decked out before he is. plays with coordinates on and remembers where all the treasure structures and caves are. speedruns all the boss battles and gives you the rewards. keeps the mob heads in a shed next to the house and calls it his trophy room.

sometimes travels too far from home without you and forgets to take his bed so neither of you are able to sleep. he also has a concerning amount of beef with bats.

xavier — the provider

there’s a lot to do in Minecraft so he just tags along to do whatever you’re doing. brings you any materials you need. haven’t found the cherry blossom biome yet for pink wood? he’s out to get you six stacks of it. need leather for bookshelves in your enchantment room? he’s on a killing spree. need quarts for the roof? he’s spending days in the nether to fill up his entire inventory.

gives all of his items to you no matter what it is. wood, spider eyes, seeds, raw meat, anything. raw dogs the game with no armor and survives nearly everything with just a diamond sword but watch him closely, he will ironically forget to eat and starve.

rafayel — the builder

helps you build whatever your heart desires and is very good at it. takes on very big projects like a bridge across a lake or a fancy mansion, sometimes leaves builds half finished. likes to explore the map with you a lot.

dies the most and will only play with keep inventory. you’ll see a lot of death messages in the chat; rafayel has fallen from a high place, rafayel was mauled by a wolf, rafayel was slain by a zombie’—the list goes on. do not crouch over any cliffs or ravines he will punch you off given the opportunity. punches the animals just because and will breed them in a 4x4 hole in the ground. plays like a lunatic, sets fire to the villages and tortures the villagers. walking creeper magnet.

[the-evil-skull]

Every time I watch Dune I forget about it but I'm foaming at the mouth over how Paul has a vision of himself as a powerful, respected, divine figure with millions worshipping him and he just says "Somebody help me"

[jinikaris]

FELIX ✿ SKZ TALKER GO: S5 EP8

[yes-no-maybe-soo]

Flatten your nose bridge...? Me?? Desecrate the eighth wonder of the world??? Sir, that bridge and the whole rest of your nose is my actual temple of worship — I'd sooner flatten myself 😤

[evillillad]

part 2 part 2 part 2 part 2

[drenched-in-sunlight]

random math moment but two-handing a weapon will multiply STR stat by 1.5, Marika hammer requires 20 STR, 12 DEX and 19 FTH.

Marika has to hold it in two hands in order to wield it which means girlie’s base stat is probably just 14 STR, 12 DEX and 70 FTH (Minor Erdtree incantation) 💀

like… im wheezing cuz yeah i still draw her with muscles and all, but all that is just for show. This woman puts all her points into faith !!! [Faith build is viable joke here]

Also if it’s Radagon he can hold the hammer with one hand. (“Here i abandon my STR and DEX build”)

And the thing is, faith build is actually viable in Elden Ring! when it’s her kids! (Miquella, Malenia, Messmer, Godwyn’s faith-scaling spells are all offensive spells), and Radagon who is INT-FTH hybrid (i have a lore rant about how one of the reasons he married into Carian line is to integrate offensive spells into power of Gold)

[kagooleo]

happy new years 2025! it's been nearly a whole year since I started posting about fluffyriceshipping here, and my art has changed a lot since then! what better way to start the new year than with some sweet potatoes with their partners 🍠🌅

[tulikettuun]

After climbing all the way up to the Wind Temple and fighting a giant worm, I think they both deserve a little break.

[bougainvillea-and-saltwater]

Fanart Alert!

“Have you read of Potema Septim? Scholars describe her as unambiguously evil; she killed people she didn’t like, subjects who disobeyed her, anyone who was against her, she was elated to trade the soul of her every living citizen for a little comfort. And this woman—was my father’s kin; and of… of my own blood.”

“Careful, Ysmir,” Miraak warns her, a little breathless, mouth slightly parted and lashes half-drawn in a haze. If someone could make love to his hands alone, that would be Jia now—this is how that sacred sensuality feels like. “You wrong your lips a great deal. The hands you name beautiful and kiss with such reverence are soaked in unspeakable amounts of blood.”

Chapter 22 of 🐉The Priest and the Dragoness🐉

OKAY, ALRIGHT. My most talented and wonderful friend @tesshere was inspired by my latest fic update and drew these UTTERLY MAGNIFICENT pieces of Jia, my Last Dragonborn and last heir to the Septim line! In the first one, we can see two versions of her, the one with a flower crown in her wild hair, simple and happy and free, and the other with the Empire's crown on her head, her neat hair and clothes, but with her eyes crying while wearing it. While a dragon is naturally inclined to dominance and rule, my Jia is very afraid of the legacy she carries on her back...

In the second one... Well, I think the excerpt is very self-explanatory, isn't it? 😼 Jia soothes Miraak's pain by tenderly and reverently kissing his hands, and as my friend Senu put it, "Miraak is well. Let's just say. horn".

[arc-hus]

Waterside Buddist Shrine, Tangshan, China - ARCHSTUDIO

[speckledust]

i am once again begging the one piece fandom to get on the law x nami ship CAN YOU GUYS NOT SEE THE POTENTIAL ahhhhh compatible trauma AND the right personality dynamics that is literal shipping gold please god please i need more content for this ship lawd knows i’ve exhausted it all 😭😭 i am on my knees

[ganondoodle]

Sorry ab the shitty English translations/localizations, it's bc they think that Americans won't get it otherwise (bc when we act stupid, we act REALLY stupid), our bad 💀

[sleepyvib-es]

should be sleeping but im up thinking about ethan and how he wanted to know the love of a mother. im up thinking of his devotion to her. im up thinking about how he wanted the gods to respect her. thinking that if his mother had her own cabin, he would've been claimed sooner and not had to reside in a crowded cabin full of unclaimed and unwanted kids. i'm thinking of him trusting what his mother told him enough to let her take his eye so that he could one day gain her the respect he felt she deserved. what must it be like to go to the lengths he did, to defend her name in the way he did, despite never really knowing her

[chilibeanir]

the likenapple is god and you can’t convince us otherwise

[yebreed]

Ancestral Hall of the Tiger Talisman in Fujian

One of those architectural gems that are scattered throughout the Chinese countryside: the Ancestral Hall of the Tiger Talisman (虎符祖殿) aka Huyan Ancestral Hall (虎岩祖殿) or Hufuyan (虎符岩) in Nanfeng (南豐村), Xinqiao, Fujian.

Built in the Song dynasty and rebuilt in the 16th year of Jiajing in the Ming dynasty (1537), the complex covers an area of about 1800 square meters. This temple is dedicated to the Taoist Leifa deity Zhang Shengjun (張聖君), the Master of Five Thunders. The papers with talismanic inscriptions are stuck under the ceiling.

Photo: ©劉江嶺