#epona devotee

[nehalenniaspeil]

— A little prayer to Rhiannon and Epona 📜

🌞 🌿 TO RHIANNON

Bright Rhiannon

Full of grace

Maiden of otherworld

Shining in the light of Bealtaine

The power is within

Be with us now and always

Blessed be

🏛️ 🪙 TO EPONA

Hail Epona

Noble and bright

Shining in the light of Winter

Holy mother

Queen of horses

The power is within

Be with us now and always

Blessed be

[freespiritlilith]

FRIENDS! spiritual, magical, divine, and devotee friends welcome!

Check list plsss🎆 Birds of a feather let’s flock together! Pretty Please!!

Like/interact w this post those lovers who love:

Aphrodite

Areia

Landback

Gaia / Ge / Terra / Tiamat / Cybele

Adi Parashakti

Astarte

Apollon

Lucifer

Lilith

Nike

Hekate

Ares

Epona

Ananke

Jezebel

Anat

Lamia

Medusa

Azrael

Pazuzu

Azazel

Hebe

Nyx

Selene

Helios

Thanatos

Zagreus

Cerberus

Qadesh

Samael

Amaterasu THEE RADIANT

Kali

Durga

Gratiae / Charites

Ama-no-Uzume

Antheia

Pomona

Great Satan

Echidna

Aku

Beelzebub

Inari

Iris

Hermes

Guanyin - Kannon

Bishamonten

Anadyomene

Benzaiten

Moon Princess

Mother Mountain

let’s have fun! i’m always happy to make new friends and revel in our shared interests!!! 💐💛

peace be upon us all💛🕊️

[ihearhercalling]

Archaeological evidence suggests that the domestication of horses and the formation of nomadic horse clans first occurred in a region which is now Kazakhstan around 4000BCE. These people were part of a larger ethnic group which Marija Gimbutas has named the Kurgans, for the small mounts or hills these people build on top of their pit graves. These early patriarchal Kurgancultures from the Eurasian Steppes moved, in 3 waves of expansion, into the Mid European area of the Cucuteni-Trypillian civilizations: Old Europeans who originated from Anatolia. (Marija Gimbutas; The Prehistory of Eastern Europe, 1959). The Cucuteni-Trypillian had the largest settlements in Neolithic Europe of between 10.000 and 50.000 people based on an agricultural gift economy model ofgreat abundance. Known for their pottery, use of copper, and for the invention of the wheel, the peaceful Goddess loving equalitarian communities of the Cucuteni co-existed for a while together with the Kurgan invading groups who settled in the region. (J.P. Mallony; In search of the Indo-Europeans, 1989). That there was cultural exchange between the sky-God worshipping, warring horse riders and the peaceful Goddess honouring agricultural communities that resulted in hybrid cultures, is evident from many grave finds in what is now Hungary, and most noticeably in the Usalova culture of the area of the mouth of the river Danube. It is in this cross-cultural meeting place that the Horse Goddess first arises and Epona-Rhiannon has Her roots.

It feels appropriate that our Goddess of Love finds part of Her origin at the merging point of two diverse and apparent opposite cultures. Her Scythian priestesses found buried in what Vicky Noble calls the ‘Dakini’ (or tree-) pose, connect to the sacred sexual aspect of this Goddess of Horse and Moon. (Vicky Noble: The Double Goddess) We have, of course, no clear knowledge of how Her worship manifested or precisely what ceremonies were held to celebrate the Goddess we now call Rhiannon-Epona, however it feels significant that this culture and time is also where we find the source of the myth of the Amazons. A significant percentage of horse riding Scythian-Sarmatian "warrior graves" on the lower Don and Danube, as well as far away on the lower Volga, contained ‘females dressed for battle as if they were men’, a phenomenon that probably inspired the Hellenistic Greek myths. (David Anthony ‘The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders Shaped the Modern World’ Princeton University Press. 2007).

All Cucuteni and hybrid settlements were abandoned by 2750BCE, probably through a combination of further waves of Kurgan invasion and climatic change. Climatic shifts brought a period of arid, cool and drought prone times to Europe, less sustaining of agricultural practices in a period known as the Sub-Boreal Phase. The genetic lineage of the Cucuteni-Trypillian people was however not lost and makes a significant contribution to European DNA. (Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza; Analysis of human evolution haplo-blood group genetics. Nature Magazine). In other words, the ancestors who worshipped Epona/Rhiannon did not die out, and with them survived their Goddesses.

Later in time, Epona was brought to Gaul by the Sarmatian cavalry of the Romans, and so eventually as far North as the edges of the Roman Empire, where we have found Her images at Hadrian’s Wall. The merging of the Romans with the local population of Britannia’s lands meant that Rhiannon–Epona found a much wider resonance amongst followers, priestesses and devotees across a greater geographical area then Her original region of Wales. She is believed to have been widely honoured and celebrated out at woodland altars under the moonlight. (Robert Hutton: Pagan Britain, 2014)

Soetens, Katinka. The Teachings of Rhiannon Part 1: Sacred Sexual Priestess Empowerment (p. 12)

[species-8472]

You worship Epona? I think I've been feeling Her calling(as well as a calling to the Dewoi in general) when listening to certain songs, and I'm not sure how to proceed and form more of a connection with Her. Any tips for beginners to veneration/worship of/working with Epona, and to Gaulish Polytheism in general? Thanks!

To start with, I’m so sorry if this is really late! Stupid tumblr hasn’t been notifying me when people send me asks!

I’ll be honest, I’m not much of a reconstructionist so I can’t really help you with Gaulish Polytheism in general, however I know that @thebloodybones and @houndofbel are Gaulish polytheists so I recommend checking out their blogs. Also @fieldsofstone is a great blog with prayers to loads of Gaulish deities.

However, Epona is a goddess who is very close to my heart so I can definitely give some advice about honouring/working with her! But please note some of this is my own UPG that I have found out from my own interactions with her. I’ve found that she is a complex and powerful goddess that imo many modern pagans tend to over simplify or overlook. This agressivedevotions post very accurately describes my feelings towards to this goddess. 

Some sources: 

This is a very good academical website all about Epona

This is a very good book solely about Epona, but I would warn you that the author puts in a lot of his own opinions about things, and the modern devotees that he interviews are…interesting, to say the least (not to mention the very transphobic and unnecessary conversation they all have towards the end of the book *rolls eyes*). 

She is a goddess who I like to call upon when doing workings to do with animal/pet protection and blessings (I’m a horse owner so literally anything to do with my horse I ask for her help with), self love/shadow work/inner sovereignty, birth/death/rebirth rituals, protection during physical journeys (or any journey), transformation, healing and fire/light festivals. I don’t work with her in relation to the moon, in my experience she is definitely a solar deity.

Her roman feast day is December 18th, so you can really go all out for her on that day!

Altars dedicated to her could have things such as horse/dog/birds of prey imagery, or anything associated with those animals (e.g I have had horseshoes and my own horse’s hair on her altar before), roses and rose imagery, keys (representative of journeys and new opportunities), bones and other death related items, solar imagery etc.

For offerings, I have in the past given her roses, apples, carrots, grains, honey, milk, wine, apple juice, mead, candles, and jewellery with horse imagery on it. 

If you want to connect with her in a non-ritual way, see about having some horse riding lessons! I know this is not possible for everyone, but it is a wonderful way to gain some perspective on the power and strength of her children, and how much work goes into caring for them, which I think is necessary to understand Epona, as although she is a loving, kind and gentle goddess, she is also a powerful queen who takes no shit, just like horses.

For prayers, here are some links to prayers to Epona that I have found and loved, however I have found that she likes it when her devotees create their own prayers and don’t use the same prayer all the time (Epona does not like stagnant spirituality!)

Prayer 1 

Prayer 2

Prayer 3

This particular prayer is a favourite of mine, but I can’t seem to find the source for it now! If anyone knows where this is from please tell me! 

Epona, Epona

As sweet as the grass, I greet you this morning, let us watch the sun pass.

I would deck thee with roses, Epona, Epona, ride with me on my journey, Epona, Epona

Epona, Epona

As soft as the rain, the gifts that I give thee are apples and grain.

I would deck thee with roses, Epona, Epona, ride with me on my journey, Epona, Epona

Epona, Epona

As bright as the sun, in my dreams of the night time, with thee may I run. 

I would deck thee with roses, Epona, Epona, ride with me on my journey, Epona, Epona

[pencilsponyforge]

I'd recommend changing the title of this page to Pencil's Artwork as there's very little Pony material to be seen anymore. Another possibility is to setup another non-pony page for all the 'monkey business' and anime type art. I'll spend my limited $$$ on Pony material but will pass on other. I've purchased all of the IDW stuff you've done. PLEASE finish up Anon's Pie Adventure and allow us some 'closure' on the story. Thanks, Eponas Devotee...

Title stays as it is. There’ll be more pony material down the line. and there’s been tons of it in the past. I will finish Anon’s pie adventure, but I have had a lot on my plate recently what with new projects from IDW I needed to practice and research up for, so APA had to take a small break as I needed days for work related practice.

Since you are unhappy that I draw other things than pony, I fear that’s a state you must make peace with, as I am not gonna stop drawing other things, or change my blogs name. The moment I change the blogs name, there’s bots that take my old blog URL and redirect to skeevy porn sites. And I don’t want that.

[parsleysagerosemary-and-time]

I was curious, you have a horse tattoo. What is the meaning of it to you? Do you follow the old horse god's and goddesses?

The answer to your question is yes, but also no. This is going to sound pretty silly, but those horse tattoos came to me in a dream, before I had committed myself to paganism. When I woke up, I knew it was a sign and that I needed them, so I put pen to paper and drew them, and then got them done. I knew I needed them, that they held some sort of spiritual weight, but i didn’t actually know why or what for.

The funny thing is, until this question, I actually never connected them with a specific deity, though I do have a special fondness for horse deities, like Epona, and horses in general. I grew up around them - I spent my childhood sneaking into horse pastures and riding bareback, reading while the horses milled nearby. I used to ride through the trees at the front of a small string of horses and pretend I was a knight on a mission. They used to follow me around, and I could walk around them and just be in their space without fear - theirs or mine. Horses were home to me.

However, that being said, I am a devotee if the Morrigan, a triple goddess. One of her trinity is Macha, who is associated with the land, fertility, sovereignty, and - you guessed it - horses. I always have loved the tale of her pregnant race against the King’s Horses, her subsequent win and labour, and the curse she put on Ulstermen for their pride. Another myth I love about Macha is Macha Mong Ruad, where she managed, through might and mind, to take her rightful place as a warrior queen. There are a lot of beautiful and interesting old myths about Macha that are fun to look at and learn from, and the Morrigan in general. If you’re interested, I suggest The Book of the Great Queen by Morpheus Ravenna - a deep and detailed scholarly work and a really interesting insight from a priestess of the Morrigan.

There’s a lot to Macha that I relate to and revere, from her boundary crossing, her strength, her protector nature to her fierce spirit. I think it’s a bit funny, for how long I have been a devotee of the Morrigna, to think she marked me early as one of her own, and then put her stamp upon me before I fully knew it. The Gods are funny that way, I suppose!

Thanks for the ask!

Xoxo,

Delta

[trojanjean]

music tag

tagged my the wonderful @meimagino thank uu ❤️❤️

rules: list 10 songs you’re currently vibing on and tag 10 people!

( artist - title )

1. Vesala - Älä droppaa mun tunnelmaa /Muitaki ihmisii / Ei pystyny hengittää / Tytöt ei soita kitaraa (im cheating bc this is four different songs but i don’t want to use up so many spaces for finnish songs no one knows about but these are so so 6/5)

2. Ultra Bra - Kirjoituksia

3. Eluveitie - Epona

4. The Front Bottoms - Wolfman

5. Carly Rae Jepsen - Run Away With Me (this is for u lia @otasucc)

6. Jon Bellion - Woke The F*ck Up

7. The Gathering - Souvenirs

8. Scandinavian Music Group - Itkevä lintu

9. The Front Bottoms - The Plan (Fuck Jobs)

10. Panic! At The Disco - LA Devotee

nobody look at me

tagging @happydraco @kirinvlinder @hopelessmushroom @elluloov @zarryside @h-y-p-h-e-n-d-o-t-s @vityanikiiforov @trans-boy-yuri @mysanitynotfound @nanamo @definitelynotadulting @cathaindonneliath @otayeet @daddybek @altisetsky @kymbawee @ghostmoonchild @rayrayswimusic @aftgonice aahshs that’s more than 10 but i love hearing about everyone’s fav songs :)))))) i would’ve tagged more ppl but that’s all i can remember so early in the morning

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

I've recently begun worshiping five deities (Flidais, Freyja, Epona, Cernunnos, and Cathubodua) and I was wondering what holidays I should celebrate for each of them? I have marked the main seasonal celebrations and holidays.

Neither Flidais, Epona, Cernunnos, nor Cathubodua are associated with specific holidays.  Little is known about the Irish goddess Flidais; I’d recommend looking through @fiadhta‘s blog, as she’s both a devotee of Flidais and an Irish Studies scholar.  For the latter three deities you might check out the info on Gaulish polytheism here, which includes calendar-related sources.  A case might be made to honor Cathubodua on Samhain, given the relationship between her and the Irish Morrígan and the fact that Samhain was also known to the Gauls (see the Coligny Calendar and some surviving texts), but that’s purely speculative.

Freyja loaned her name to the weekday Friday, so there’s that.  Is there anyone who can comment on the Heathen part of this question?

Edit: Fiadhta has purged her blog, so you can try my far-too-short tag for her instead here or @themodernsouthernpolytheist‘s tag for her here.

Edit 2: Here’s additional commentary for the Gaulish deities.

- mountain hound

[thegrovecalls]

Back for now

Hoping to be active on this blog again (but making no promises). Wrote a ton of my thoughts about it below the cut.

Ultimately I just want/need this to be a space for me to feel more in touch with my gods and the beliefs that sustain me. My intent isn’t for this to be some all-knowing, public-educating, research-based thesis on modern polytheism. I genuinely do not have the spoons nor the inclination to be a pagan public servant.

Archaeology, linguistics, comparative mythology, etc. are special interests of mine, but unfortunately that means I often hyperfocus to the point of doing so much amateur academic research that I burn out (not helped by a tendency towards thinking I must be a perfect, hard, evidence-based polytheist at all times) and then all other aspects of my devotion and practice are neglected before I’ve even begun.

I’m tired. I just want to love the gods. I just want to follow the path in front of me that’s mine alone. I’ve done more than enough reading and research to satisfy myself that I’m not wildly making stuff up, and that I’m doing this branch of polytheism justice. I don’t owe anyone anything. I don’t owe those who happen upon this blog a list of sources (even if I’d love to give one, I just don’t have the energy or focus due to disabilities). I know that when I have UPGs and less-than-hard aspects of my polytheism that they still have reasonable evidence behind them; I don’t owe strangers on the internet proof. I don’t want academic burnout messing with my relationship with the divine any longer: the gods aren’t checking anyone’s fucking bibliography.

ANYWAY

With that said and done, I want to talk about where I stand spiritually coming back from this hiatus. I changed my description to “Gaulish-Brythonic polytheist, sorta.” which really just means that I’m being honest about something that’s been true for quite a while: my research into comparative indoeuropean mythology/religion, and PIE reconstruction has definitely ‘softened’ my polytheism and I find the comparative approach massively rewarding and inspiring. (If I’m still being honest, my beliefs were never really ‘hard’ to begin with; theologically speaking I’ve always been a pantheist.)

I’ve always been fascinated by the evolution of things, and linguistics and mythology are no exception. I love knowing that my gods have deep roots and many reflexes in other branches of the same tree. I also find examining other ancient indoeuropean religions very helpful when trying to 'fill in the gaps’ in Gaulish/Brythonic polytheism (of which there are many; darn druids and their anathema towards writing stuff down eh?). So, essentially, if I ever seem influenced by a more Vedic, or Hellenic, or reconstructed-PIE sort of polytheism, that’s because I am! I also find a huge amount of comfort and guidance from certain Vedic/post-Vedic and Hellenistic philosophical schools; I like to think that had Druidic philosophy survived in writing there would be similarities.

Finally - back in the Gaulish/Brythonic pantheon - I’ve always felt closest to Epona/Rigantona, Maponos as her son, and (somewhat separately) Cernunnos. Through Epona I’ve found myself being drawn more and more to the chthonic gods and their mysteries, and I’ve felt a longstanding devotion to her. Shortly before this latest hiatus, however, she nudged me instead towards her son Maponos. I realised that he is inordinately more complex than simply 'the son of the mother’, that he has always been waiting for me, and that my devotion and spiritual journey lie, without a doubt, with him. In other words, there’s a good chance this might now turn into a highly personal Maponos devotee blog.

Since I mentioned chthonic mysteries - UPG and comparative studies have led me to believe that Epona & Maponos (& probably other related, now unknown, gods) may have had a mystery cult/mythological complex much like Demeter & Dionysos (& Kore etc.). I never thought I’d be the sort of polytheist whose path involves wild gods of destruction, rebirth, transcendence, & ecstasy, and an urgent call to deep, terrifying self-work. But here we are. Maponos knows I need it, and knows I can survive it.

(Without going into too much detail: I am a mentally ill trauma survivor and have scary memories/emotion to process, and a hope that by doing that I will be able to fully let go, lose control, and feel sensation and emotion in my body in a way that until now has been taken from me by trauma.) Maponos has come to me as the god of trauma processing - the god of letting go! completely losing it! being naked and vulnerable! - the god of embodiment and ecstasy - the god of facing and feeling what you fear most and coming out the other side more alive than ever - the god of everything I know I desperately need and deserve. And for that I honour him.

My relationship with Maponos - and I guess in some small way this blog- is my reminder that there is no healing without feeling. I’m about to start actual trauma therapy in a couple of weeks, and I know I want the gods - one particular god especially - in my heart as I do it. I’m so excited about this next step in my recovery journey, and I know that my psychological/emotional growth and my spiritual growth are one and the same. To nurture my physical and mental wellbeing, and to have the courage to recover from trauma, are to honour the divine. The more I heal and reveal my core self, the closer I am to the gods and the more I can give to them. May it be so.

[aspen-aura]

Upon further thought.

I have thought quite a lot about it recently, and have decided that if I were to allign myself with any God or Goddess, there would be a few.

Epona: I have been a horse lover for all of my conscious life, which has led to a life where I am privileged with the opportunity to work with these wonderful creatures. They work magic on my Soul, and when I ponder the ancient Gods and Goddesses, a white-robed female figure with a horse always comes to mind. She is a good start, I would think, to exploring this new world of polytheism.

Pan or Cernunnos: The Wilds have, like horses, always had a claim to my soul. I have always heard the song of a faint voice calling me into the unexplored, untouched regions of the world. As I grew up, I read of and learned about Pan, the faun, the God of the Wild, dancing endlessly to the music of his flute, half man, half animal. All animals are important to me, as I believe they all come bearing messages when we need to hear them. Recently, I have discovered the Celtic take on the God of the Wild, Cernunnos. I immediately fell in love with the concept. Both of these Gods hold special meaning to me, and I am excited to communicate further with them.

Loki or Trickster: Every culture has one. From Anansi the Spider in Africa to the Coyote of North American Aboriginal culture, tricksters are everywhere. Growing up, I was always fascinated with Magpies, and to this day, I consider them to be my Totem or Spirit Animal. I know, technically it's Raven who takes the title of Trickster in some Native American cultures, but I always thought that Magpies held equal claim to the title. They are an introduced species in the Americas, yet they flourish, even among humans. For me, the Trickster is what helps me retain my humanity, if that makes any sense. So please don't shoot me when I say I was brought to Loki via Marvel. I was enamored with him in Thor, and that continued to the summer blockbuster the Avengers. This infatuation with the character led to research about the God. Of course I do not confuse the character with the God, but to me, (and interactions between an individual and their God are highly personal, from what I understand), Loki is a companion to the feelings of alienation that I've had all my life. I'm not quite a "Plain Jane", and have never sought to adapt myself to fit into the norms of others, and from what I can tell, is something Loki never tries to do. To me, Loki is originality, which (as an artist) is extremely important to me. That, and anyone I know would most likely say that I have a knack for being a little shit, due to my taste for mischief.

And there you have a break-down of my personal pantheon and why they mean what they do to me. Keep in mind, I'm brand new to Paganism, so do forgive any blunders.

[species-8472]

Samhain altar done!

[pencilsponyforge]

I appreciate the courtesy of your response to my previous post about Anon's Pie Adventure. I didn't ask you to abandon this page only setup another one or more for non Pony material. IMO you are being unreasonable but this seems to be the path for so many of you 'youngsters'. I've resolved myself to visiting your page less and less. Perhaps one day (when hell freezes over) I'll see a closure to Anon's Pie Adventure... Epona's Devotee

I see. I am unreasonable when I don’t want the hassle of extra pages to maintain or abandon my current blog for your convenience? Are you just trolling or do you really think yourself the center of the universe?

[thepaganstudygrouppage]

Do you know any good resources on Cathubodua and Epona? Or devotees with more resources? Also, i'm especially interested in a Gallo-Roman path, especially in working with Proserpina within the Roman tradition too, but i'm not sure where to start on that part within a reconstructionist/revivalist framework.

For Cathubodua, you might start with @thebloodybones‘ GaulPol resource page and tags (here is Cathubodua’s and here is Epona’s).  I have a short tag for Cathubodua on my own blog.  Unfortunately I don’t have anything else for her at this time.

From our resource page (which has a Gaulish section, too) for Religio Romana:

Roman and Etruscan Blog List

Nova Roma, because the Gods of Rome are Calling

Cultus Deorum Reading List

Perseus Digital Library at Tufts University

Cultus Deorum, translated via Google

Reviving the Religion of Ancient Rome

Cvltvs Deorvm (in Spanish)

Would anyone who has information on Proserpina’s cult in particular be willing to add to this post?

- mountain hound