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#hellenic revivalist
olympianbutch · 11 months
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Tending the dining room altar. :)
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highropoios · 9 months
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How do I explain that while—yes—Greeks do exist, the vast majority (and of course I’m including the diaspora) either (a) don’t care about, or (b) even know modern Hellenic polytheism is practiced today.
I agree with the base sentiment that “when engaging with Greek culture (ancient or modern), it is good to be aware of + respectful towards Greek people.” That’s awesome! 👍🏻 It's so awesome that I encourage applying this same sentiment to all other cultures you’re able / invited to engage with! :)
That same base sentiment can be and has been twisted into a pretzel and salted with straight-up ethnonationalism, though.
Be aware of + respectful towards Greeks when engaging with Greek culture. But also be aware of the fact that there are ethnonationalists running in Hellenic polytheist spaces.
They will twist seemingly innocuous ideas in order to declare indigeneity and primacy over Greek culture. They will deny Greeks their ethnicity because—according to them—“true Greeks can’t be Christian/Muslim/Jewish/mixed/etc.” And they will deny non-Greeks the opportunity to engage with the culture, especially if it’s in a way that even slightly diverges from their very sad idea of ““““true”””” Hellenism.
Being aware and informed goes hand-in-hand with being respectful.
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morselmint · 11 months
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Leto - Divine Mother of Twins
Dark-veiled Leto, revered goddess,
mother of twins,
great-souled daughter of Koios,
queen to whom many pray,
to your lot fell the birth pains
for Zeus’ fair children,
you bore Phoibos
and arrow-pouring Artemis,
her on Ortygia,
him on rocky Delos.
Hear, lady goddess,
come with favor in your heart
to bring a sweet end
to this all-holy rite.
Orphic Hymn - To Leto
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athiest witch to hellenic polythiest
it’s been a while since i posted to this blog, but i’m happy to inform the lot of you that i’m still very into paganism + witchcraft after all these years & found a faith  i’m comfortable residing in!!
so far i’m really connected to aphrodite & made an altar for her, but really want to make altars for dionysus, persephone, & hecate soon!! here’s my altar for those interested!! also, if you’re an aphrodite/dionysus devotee (bonus points if also filipino/SEA/EA) & i’d love to connect with more of you <33
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thegrapeandthefig · 5 months
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Dissecting ancient Greek wedding customs (or “How to adapt the clusterfuck they are into something somewhat doable for the 21st century”)
This post is going to be a bit different. I could stick to writing about the customs we know of from a purely historical perspective, and while it would be informative, it wouldn’t reflect what I’ve actually been up to. Some of you might already know, but I’m getting married, so I approached this topic with the intent of seeing what I could do (and get away with).
So this post is going to be more about method and the practical challenges that come with doing the groundwork of adapting very old (and often outdated) traditions in a way that makes sense for our modern times.
I do have some disclaimers to make before I get started:
Most (if not all) of the literature around ancient Greek marriage is hetero-normative. However, this does NOT mean that marriage rites shouldn’t be adapted for queer marriages or that queer marriages can’t be done within Hellenic paganism. It’s our job as reconstructionists and revivalists to rework and adapt to our needs.
Similarly, this post is bound to mention or detail cult practices that are no longer in line with our modern sensibilities. I also want to make it clear that this post is not a tutorial. I’m not saying how things should be done, I’m only exposing elements that I consider reworkable and propose suggestions so that it can help others make their own research and decisions, with the level of historicity that they deem fit.
While the wedding customs from fifth century BC Athens are decently known, the ones from other cities and regions of Greece are much more obscure outside of anecdotal and fragmentary details (with the exception of Sparta). For this reason, the Athenian example is what I’ll be using as foundation. If you reconstruct practices from other areas of the Greek World, you might find something valuable in this article: The Greek Wedding Outside of Athens and Sparta: The Evidence from Ancient Texts by Katia Margariti.
Basic/simplified structure
The typical Athenian wedding would spread over three days, and be marked by several steps, some of which are listed below. Note that the order of these steps is not precisely known and might have been flexible:
Pre-wedding:
Decorating: korythale at the door, decoration of the nuptial bedroom
The Proteleia
Filling of the loutrophoros
Wedding day
Nuptial bath
Adornment of the bride
Wedding Feast
Hymenaios
Anakalypteria
Nymphagogia
Katachysmata
Day after
Epaulia
Gamelia
Final sacrifices
Some of these steps included specific customs and traditions, not all of which are reconstructible for various reasons.
Decorations
The korythale: the korythale was a sprig, usually from an olive tree (or laurel), which was placed at the groom’s door (and perhaps the bride’s too). The word in interpreted as deriving from “koros” and “thallein”, which would translate “youth-blossom”.
The korythale is very reminiscent of the eiresione, which was a similar kind of branch of laurel used during the Thargelia and/or the Pyanepsia that had apotropaic purposes. Athenian weddings included a procession from the bride’s home to the groom’s house, so the presence of the korythale at the doors would indicate that a wedding was taking place involving the decorated homes.
While I haven’t seen any one make this interpretation, I would still be tempted to argue that decorating the thresholds of houses has a similar protective and luck-bringing purpose than the eiresione, which was also hung above the door of Athenian houses.
The thalamos (nuptial bedroom): While there is no doubt the houses were properly decorated for the occasion, we have mention of special care given to the nuptial bedroom.
It’s important to understand that the procession from the bride’s house to the groom’s went up to the bedroom door, it was generally an important location and its preparation is seen represented on ancient pottery. Euripides mentions the adornment of the bed with fine fabrics, while Theocritus mentions the smell of myrrh (sacred to Aphrodite). There is also evidence that, in the Imperial period, the practice of hanging curtains to create a canopy above the bed was adopted, very likely from Egypt.
When it comes to adapting this today, it is pretty straightforward and there is plenty of room for personalization. The korythale could be challenging depending on how easily available olive or laurel are in your area. I would also argue that the custom could be more loosely adapted so that instead of being at the houses’ doors, it could take the form of a floral arrangement at the door of whatever venue you are using.
Proteleia
In short, the proteleia refers to sacrifices and offerings that would be made to various gods before the wedding. The exact timing of these is more or less unknown, but we have reasons to believe they could be done a day or a few days before the wedding, and perhaps also on the day of the wedding. These offerings were made independently by each family.
It is in this context that the offering of a lock of hair and of childhood items is best known for brides. The recipients of the offerings are varied: In Athens the most mentioned are the Nymphs and Artemis, but various sacrifices to Aphrodite, Hera, Athena and Zeus were also performed. In other parts of Greece, pre-nuptial customs often included sacrifices to local heroines. Plutarch, in the 2nd century AD (and therefore way after the focus of this post) mentions the main five nuptial deities to be Zeus Teleios, Hera Teleia, Aphrodite, Peitho and Artemis.
Today, I believe the exact choice of who to offer to and what to offer very much comes down to personal preferences and circumstances. While we assume that both families made prenuptial sacrifices, we know very little of the groom’s side of things, since the focus was on the bride, and the rite of passage aspect was not present for the groom in Ancient times. This is a gap that leaves room for modern innovation eg. including Apollon to either replace or accompany Artemis or choosing a group of deities that is more couple-centric rather than family-centric.
Personally, I have settled on Aphrodite, Hera and Artemis and have integrated a Spartan custom that includes the mother of the bride in the sacrifice to Aphrodite. Hera Teleia will receive a lock of my current hair, while Artemis will receive a lock of hair from my first haircut as a child (that my mother has kept all these years), alongside some other trinkets. The groom will honour Zeus Teleios in a passive way. And I will honour the Nymphs through the the rite I will explain next.
Nuptial baths
Both bride and groom had a ritual bath before the wedding. Its purpose was of cleansing and purificatory nature, and is consistent with other water-based pre-sacrifice purifications. What made the bride and groom's baths distinctive was their preparation. The bath water used to be drawn at a specific spring or river. At Athens, the water for bridal baths came from the Enneakrounos, the fountain house for the spring Kallirrhoe, but each city had its dedicated source. The water was carried in a special vase named the loutrophoros (bathcarrier) and the act of fetching the water and bringing it back to the homes constituted a procession. The loutrophoros was often given as offering to the altar of the Nymphs after the wedding. It was an important symbol of marriage, to the point that, if a woman died before being married, she would often be buried with a loutrophoros.
This will be more or less difficult to adapt depending on circumstances and environment, but the logic of a purifying bath (or shower even) can be kept (though I would discourage bathing in water you are not sure of the cleanliness of). The idea of having a specific vessel can also be kept. Personally, I plan to have a special vessel for some type of purified water, and while I may not bathe in it, I plan to sprinkle it and/or wash my hands with it.
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Adornment of the bride (and groom)
Traditionally, the bride would have a nympheutria (which we could equate as a bridesmaid, but seems to have often been a female relative) charged of helping the bride get ready. I won’t get into the details of the clothing we know about, mostly because there seems to be a lot of variation, and because I consider this to be a very personal choice. However, we can note that both groom and bride were adorned with a wreath or a garland of plants that were considered to have powers appropriate for the occasion (sesame, mint, plants that were generally considered fertile or aphrodisiac). Perfume is also something attested for both bride and groom, especially the scent of myrrh. The bride would wear a crown, the stephane, which could be made out of metal or be vegetal (the stephane is now the object of its own crowning ceremony in Greek Orthodox weddings). The bride’s shoes were also particular for the event, and named nymphides. The bride’s veil was placed above the crown.
Hymenaios and Feast
I am grouping these two since they are linked. The feast was more or less the peak of the wedding ceremony and lively with music and dances, as Plutarch indicates (Moralia, [Quaest. conv.] 666f-67a):
But a wedding feast is given away by the loud cries of the Hymenaios and the torch and the pipes, things that Homer says are admired and watched even by women who stand at their doors.
The hymenaios was a sung hymn in honour of the couple and the wedding, and there were other songs that were specifically sung at weddings. However the hymenaios wasn’t only for the feast, these songs would be sung also during the processions. The hymenaios also had the purpose of ritually blessing the couple, a ritual that bore the name of makarismos.
As for the feast, it was obviously abundant with food and the prenuptial sacrifices provided the meat that would be served. There is otherwise very little difference with what a modern wedding feast would be like: food, drink, music and dance around which gathered friends and relatives of the couple. Like today, the wedding cake(s) was an important part of the celebration. It was called sesame and consisted of sesame seeds, ground and mixed with honey and formed into cakes to be shared with the guests.
Anakalypteria
Note that there is a bit of a debate around this step, which is the unveiling of the bride. Some believe the bride kept her face veiled until this part of the wedding, where her face would be uncovered for the groom to see. Others interpret this step the other way around, where the bride is then veiled as a result of being now married. The timing of the unveiling is also up for the debate. It might have been during the feast (at nightfall), or after once the couple was escorted to the bridal chamber. There doesn’t seem to be a clear consensus.
The concept of unveiling the bride is otherwise something that isn’t unknown to us as a modern audience. As with everything else, how to interpret and modernize it is up to personal preference.
Nymphagogia and Katachysmata
The nymphagogia aka the act of “leading the bride to her new home” took place at night, likely after the feast. It is at this point that the groom ritually led the bride to his home by taking her by the wrist in a ritual gesture known as χεῖρ’ ἐπὶ καρπῷ (cheir’ epi karpo). The relatives and friends of the couple formed a festive procession that accompanied them to their new home accompanied by music and songs. The mother of the bride led the procession carrying lit torches, while the groom’s mother awaited for the new couple in their home, also bearing lit torches.
Once there, the rite of the katachysmata would happen. The couple would be sat near the hearth and the guests would pour dried fruits, figs and nuts over the bride and groom as a way to incorporate them into the household and bless the union with prosperity and fertility. As part of this rite, the bride ate a fruit (either an apple, quince or pomegranate). It is only after this step that the couple would be escorted to the bridal chamber.
These two rites are tricky to adapt in a modern context because of how location-specific they are (and that’s not even taking into account the implications of having family escort you to your bedroom etc). My take would be that the katachysmata is not too far off from the custom of throwing rice/flowers at the couple after the ceremony, and could probably be incorporated as such. The torches could also be replaced by any source of light placed in a meaningful location, depending on the where the wedding is being held. The nymphagogia could also do with an update, the easiest of which could simply be holding hands while leaving the wedding ceremony.
The day after (Epaulia, Gamelia & sacrifice)
The epaulia refers to wedding gifts to the couple, which would be given the day following the ceremony. At this point, it is implied that the couple has consummated their marriage and are officially newly-weds. Pausanias informs us that the term “epaulia” (also?) refers to the gifts brought by the bride’s father in particular and included the dowry.
After the epaulia, the bride's incorporation into her husband's house was complete. This might have been when the groom held a feast for his phratria (aka direct family), as a way to conclude the wedding.
As for final sacrifices, the bride herself may have marked the end of her wedding by dedicating her loutrophoros at the sanctuary of Nymphe, south of the Acropolis.
The epaulia could be adapted, in modern terms, with having a registry. Should someone choose to have a specific vessel linked to the ritual bath today, it could very well be kept, dedicated to the Nymphs and used as a small shrine. Considering how symbolic the object is, there is also room for it to become a piece of family heirloom.
Final words
This is really only a small summary of what a wedding could have looked like, sprinkled with a few ideas of how to manage the gaps, discrepancies and limitations. As I said in my introductions, there are details I haven’t mentioned. Some of the customs detailed here have clear modern counterparts, but others don’t. I’d like to conclude by addressing these.
First, the ancient Greek (Athenian) wedding is completely devoid of priestly participation. It was entirely planned, organized and led by the two families. Religious responsibilities were entirely self-managed. I find this point important to remember because it makes it much more accessible than if modern Hellenic pagans had to seek out an external authority.
Some of you might have noticed the absence of wedding vows, at least in a formal form like the one we are used to in our modern days (derived from Christian and Jewish traditions), this is not an oversight, there simply were none that we know of. As a sidenote, I would also advise against turning a wedding vow into a formal oath. I’m still debating on what to do myself, but I’m leaning towards a religiously non-binding vow that won’t curse me should things go wrong.
Adapting the structures and rites of the ancient wedding to today’s framework of ceremony will naturally lead to changing the order of things, on top of sacrificing elements for the sake of simplicity, practicality, personal preferences and, very likely, visibility. Unless you’re lucky enough to do a private elopement, chances are that relatives and friends might be there, and not all might know or even approve of your faith. I hope this post shows that there can be ways to include traditional religious elements that will go unnoticed to the untrained eye, like I hope it showed that the private nature of the ancient Greek wedding rites is a significant advantage for modernization.
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sag-dab-sar · 1 month
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Recon and Revival Polytheists & Pagans
I'm Hellenic & Sumerian polytheist but any who fall into reconstructed or revivalist polytheism I'm interested in your answer (Celtic, Roman, etc)
Please reblog for larger sample size 🤍
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valuesofold · 5 months
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⋆ Offerings in Hellenism ⋆
Offerings are central to the veneration of the theoi - through a revivalist lens - it is how we build a relationship with them, through gift giving, and if the Gods will, gift receiving, this goes a bit into the concept of "kharis", which will be talked to more in depth on a later post.
Normally, when offering, one goes through the motions for any other type of ritual. This starts with purifying oneself of miasma, this can be done by simply washing the hands, or by washing the hands and face with Khernips.
>> What are offerings?
They are anything you give to one of the theos, this can be food, liquids, items, incense and much more.
It is possible an offering might be mentioned as a sacrifice, this word comes from the latin "sacrificare", meaning "any act by which one puts something in the possession of a God". This is not exclusive to animal sacrifices. As modern day hellenists, it is of my opinion this specific practice shouldn't be brought back. This is mentioned here to acknowledge that a sacrifice, despite what modern culture believes, can be the simple act of giving a piece of fruit, for example. Essentially it is the aspect of giving something up that counts.
You cannot bribe a God with an offering, these are meant to be voluntary gifts you give despite the outcome you receive, and the same applies to a gift a theos might bestow on you. The more you establish a relationship with a specific God, the more they will be likely to answer your prayers, after all we are more likely to help out a good friend than a stranger. In a similar fashion if you give a gift to that same friend, you typically don't expect a gift back, you do it so out of love for them and out of friendship.
>> Offering:
Generally, a prayer to the God you are offering would be given, followed by the giving of the gift. It is customary, in the house, to give the first and last prayer, along with a gift, to Hestia. In practice this would look like:
Prayer to Hestia -> Giving the offering;
Prayer to Choosen God -> Giving the offering (copy this step for as many Gods as you want to offer to, it should be done in this order, separately for each God);
Prayer to Hestia -> Giving the offering.
For Ouranic (theoi that live in Olympus), you can give a tiny bit of the whole you have, so for example, a cup full of wine, all you need to give is a little, the equivalent of a sip is enough. You can use from the remaining wine (in the cup) for other ouranic deities, pouring only a little at a time. Any remaining wine could be drank by you (if you are of legal age).
On the other hand for Khthonic (generally theoi connected to the underworld), you would pour all of the offering, so a full cup of wine, would be the whole cup. For example, in the case you were offering to Hades this would apply. You don't need to give a full cup if you only have a tiny bit on the cup, what is important is that it is the whole content of what you have prepared for the offering, be it a full meal or half a slice of bread.
>> Types of Offerings:
1. One of the most common ways of offering is by burning, typically, food offerings and/or libations (liquid offerings). All you have to do, is throw the offering into a flame. The smoke is thought of as going up to the theoi.
WARNING: Please be careful when working with fire, make sure you are outside or in a well ventilated area, it may, most likely, be unhealthy to inhale the fumes in concentrated quantities. Be also attentive about being a reasonable distance away from flammable materials, some offerings when burnt might project the flame higher, making it easier for the fire to catch on cloths, curtains, etc.
2. Another way, for those of us that can't easily burn our offerings, can be to simply place the offerings on an offering dish/bowl.
Further down, I go over ways to dispose of these offerings.
3. Lastly we have votive offerings. This is the offering, generally of an item, maybe a piece of artwork you did for a theos or a sculpture you just got. Even a necklace or other jewellery.
Generally speaking, once you give an item such as these to a theoi, in a votive offering, you do not use it anymore. It is to be left on the altar or on a specific place for the God.
This type of offering is mostly common as a thank you for something a theos helped you with, or in hopes that your prayer will be answered.
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P.s. We typically assume a specific posture when saying the prayers and presenting the offerings, there are two main ones, one for the ouranic Gods and another for the khthonic Gods. I will go over these in another post.
>> Disposing of the Remnants of the Offerings:
The most agreed upon way is keeping the remnants (be it ashes or the offering itself) until you can go outside and bury it in the earth. Some agree that in case this is not possible for you, respectfully putting them in the trash/down the drain can be done.
Alternatively, and most debated in the community, is the option to eat the offering that is left out, this is from the belief that the Gods do not take the physical side of the offering, so once the rite is done they have already partaken in their part. Note that if you go for this option, under no circumstance can you eat the offering given to a khthonic deity, this is because of their connection to the dead, this means the offering now has miasma (pollution), eating it would be taking in this "pollution".
>> List of Non-deity Specific Items to Offer:
Food: fruit; grain; meat.
Plants: laurel; flowers.
Liquids (for libations): wine; wine with water; honey; milk; milk with honey; water.
Objects: statues; artwork; amulets.
For a step by step guide on how to make an offering ritual, check here.
>> Sources:
https://hellenicfaith.com/do-ut-des/;
https://www.hellenicgods.org/offerings-to-gods-in-hellenismos;
https://www.hellenicgods.org/proper-care-of-offerings-to-the-gods-in-hellenismos;
https://www.hellenicgods.org/libation-in-hellenismos---sponde.
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crazycatsiren · 1 year
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When it comes to Hellenic Polytheism, I consider myself a revivalist, in that I mostly do not replicate the ancient Greeks for my religious practice and worship of the theoi.
But there is a reconstructionist side to me, since history has always been so important to me. There is no learning a religion without learning its history. The reconstructionist part actually directly leads to the revivalist part, as in, I know and understand why I can't or don't want to do exactly what the ancient Greeks did, when it comes to the ancient Greek religion.
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hellenicrisis · 3 months
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What kind of Hellensim do you follow? And do you consider the Gods all knowing :)
Hi there, sunshine! ☀️
Honestly, I don't think there is a particular subsection of Hellenic paganism/polytheism that I subscribe to entirely. I think I take bits and pieces and make it my own.
For example, I do base most, if not all, of what I do in my practice on what was traditionally done in Ancient times. However, I apply that knowledge of the past in modernised and personalised ways so I am definitely not a revivalist or reconstructionsit.
I view and worship Dionysus in line with how he is described in Euripides' The Bacchae, and in line with Orphism, though I am not an Orphic practitioner. Things like that make it difficult to categorise myself within the Hellenic pagan faith.
I have to say, while I obviously am a polytheist, I choose to refer to myself as a pagan because of the heretical nature associated with the word. Especially when you consider the Christopagan side of my faith, I feel it's only fair to embrace the heretic label.
As for whether I consider the gods all knowing, yes I do. The concept of "Gods' will, not mine" is a huge factor of how I believe. I believe that we are instruments of the gods, we are made in their images, and we are to submit our wills and fates to them. I think whatever happens to us in this life or the next is, in some way, part of their plan for us, and I don't believe that we are supposed to understand the gods in their entirety. That's why it's called faith.
But that's just me, I've met other pagans who disagree with me on how submissive we should be to the gods, so it definitely depends from person to person.
Thank you so much for asking, sunshine! This was such an interesting question. Please feel free to send more asks in future. Also, I love your blog 🤗
Khaire! ☀️
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hyakinthou-naos · 2 months
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❀ The Temple of Hyacinthus ❀
Khaire and welcome weary traveler, to our humble Temple. Here we honor many Theoi and welcome all who seek their graces and blessings.
Our Temple is not solely made up of reconstructionists or revivalists practices, but instead contains a combination of the two. Here we seek to commune, honor, and worship The Old Gods in the modern age in a myriad of ways. Our goal is never to offend, ostracize, or other any Hellenic or Roman Practitioner - but in the same breath our temple does not follow a strict or pre-determined path.
Our temple is currently stewarded by Farhan Wiles, Hythiereia* in training and Devotee to Lord Apollo and Lord Hermes.
*Hythiereia is a gender-neutral term uniquely coined by our Temple to denote those within our order who have dedicated themselves as Mystics and Leaders within The Temple of Hyacinthus. The word comes from Hiereiai (the title of the [priestesses] in ancient Greek religion) and Pythia (the name of the [high priestess] of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi).
All who enter here must abide by our Code Of Conduct and Community Rules - which can be among the links below:
About The Temple
About Farhan
Ask Box
Offerings
Resources
Theoi Info Sheets Series - Master List
Code of Conduct
Community Rules
Our temple is under constant construction as we seek to expand our services and community. We appreciate your patience.
Eirene, peace and farewell.
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Ήρα Αιώνια - Íra Aiónia - Eternal Hera
The Temple of Eternal Hera is a religious organization whose purpose is to promote education, understanding, and worship of the Great Goddess Hera. We base our beliefs not just in the mythos, but in the living practice of the ancient and classical Hellenes, who viewed Our Queen as the perfect model of Womanhood.
We believe the Gods are deathless and eternal. We are a recon-based revivalist Hellenist community - thoroughly grounded in the history of our theological forebears, living in our present, with an eye to the future. Our faith may have died, but our Gods have remained. As we return to Them, we must apply the ancient wisdom to our modern lives.
As Hellenists, we revere and adore all of the Gods, but Íra Aiónia is devoted to the Queen of the Heavens. She is the ideal model of a Woman, of a Wife, of a Mother, of a Leader.
Our Values
We look to the wisdom of our forebears and the nature of Queen Hera to guide our values, which are:
Eusebia - a sense of reverence and duty to the Gods
Xenia - hospitality and generosity
Sophia - the unending pursuit of wisdom
Hagneia - spiritual purity
Kharis - giving without expectation and receiving with gratitude
Amyna - the stalwart defense of Hera's domain, especially women and children
Our Tenants
We affirm that Hera is the Queen of the Gods; mighty and worthy of no less praise and worship than Zeus, Her King.
We affirm that the Gods are deathless and eternal.
We affirm the reality of the Gods and do not consider Them metaphorical.
We affirm that the nature of ancient worship reflects the existence of multiple pantheons.
We affirm that we are simply mortals: we do not speak for the Gods, nor do we have special knowledge of Them.
We affirm that Hera is the beloved and ideal model of Womanhood and Motherhood, as believed by the ancients, not the cruel and bitter tormenter portrayed by popular culture and certain man-created myths.
We affirm that our traditions and beliefs are based in history, while understanding that we live in a different age.
We affirm that we are all students of one truth, and that we only know parts of the whole.
Virtues of Hera
Hera is the model of Womanhood, Motherhood, and Leadership. These virtues of Hers are an inspiration to all who revere Her.
Dignified
Loyal
Courageous
Mature
Wise
Temperate
Passionate
Protective
Creative
Nurturing
Generous
Unifying
Marriage
Blessed Hera is the Goddess of Marriage, and we view marriage as a sacred rite. As we do not have a priesthood, we do not perform marriage rituals. We recognize the blessed nature of marriage between any two consenting adults.
We consider the following to be blasphemy: forced marriage; marriage between children; marriage between adults and children; predatory marriage; forced polygamy; cheating; and spousal abuse.
Marriage is a vow that must not be taken or broken lightly. However, we affirm the right to divorce when the continuation of a marriage violates the sanctity of the rite or the dignity of the participants. We believe that it is between the individuals and the Queen of the Heavens to decide.
Cult Traditions
While these traditions are not based in ancient Greek worship and customs, we find meaning in them and embrace them.
Wednesday as Hera's sacred day
Bead-counted prayers and mantras (such as Her epithets or short, self-written prayers)
Associating each month with one of Hera's epithets or virtues
Discord membership will be taken as express agreement with our values and tenants. Additional rules will be posted in the Discord, and are intended only to govern activity therein.
This pinned post serves as an active document that will be updated as this concept becomes more fleshed out with time.
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olympianbutch · 1 year
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🌩 ZEUS AITHIOPS 🌩
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highropoios · 9 months
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how we feelin’, Zeus Aithiops devotees?😍😍
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ourtheoi · 3 months
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Our Theoi
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WARNING: This is a religious blog dedicated to my worship of the greek pantheon. This is not a fandom blog!
Any and all hate will be blocked and reported.
22 year old Finnish Hellenic Polytheist (He/Him) of 4ish years. I mix revivalist and modern worship together. I come from a JW upbringing.
Devotee of Athene, Hermes and Hephaistos but I worship/honor many other gods aswell.
I am Pansexual, Polyamorous, Trans man, Disabled, chronically ill and Neurodivergent.
Messages always open for anyone who wants to chat!
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luunare · 1 month
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hello loves 💕✨
you can call me lunare, and i'm new to this space!
i use it/he pronouns
i am 17 years old, still very much a minor
i'm trans and queer [terfs and radfems will be blocked on sight]
i'm a hellenic-roman polytheist, worshiping these pantheons both alongside each other and syncretized in certain aspects. i am also an aspiring luciferian [still in my research phase there]. i recognize all divinities, though none above the rest.
i'm a revivalist, and aspiring reconstructionist. i'm very new to reconstructionist research, but i do deeply desire to learn more of the historical context and historical ways of practicing faith and worship.
i feel a close connection to aphroditos and venus barbata in particular, but i venerate and praise all gods in the hellenic and roman pantheons 💕💕
i'm just a guy, trying my best. feel free to reach out, ask questions, or correct me if i say something incorrect! i want to be part of a community here, so dms are open as long as you aren't a creep lol
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sociallyanxious-eros · 8 months
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Dictionary of Terms Inside Witchblr (com tradução PT-BR no final)
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I’m new to witchblr and got confused with a lot of terms I had no idea what they meant, and I didn’t find a “glossary” of all terms together to help me out, I had to hunt each one, so I decided to create one for me and others to help out. I also included some terms that don’t necessarily have to do with witchblr/paganblr. 
This will be updated when I encounter other terms and I did not include my personal opinion since my goal is to be clear and objective. ·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙
Paganblr → The pagan community of Tumblr.
SPG (Shared Personal Gnosis) → A personal belief and/or experience that many unrelated people share.
Spoonie Witch → A spoonie that practices witchcraft. Spoonie is a term for people with disabilities/illnesses that have low energy (mental, emotional, and/or physical energy) or loses energy quickly due to their disability. The term comes from The Spoon Theory and was coined by Christine Miserandino.
UPG (Unverified Personal Gnosis) → A personal belief and/or experience that has little to no historical evidence. Like having an experience or spiritual revelation different from what is documented in history.
VPG (Verified Personal Gnosis) → A personal belief and/or experience that has historical evidence and is accurate.
Witchblr → The witch community of Tumblr.
Terms of Witchcraft in General⋆.ೃ࿔*:・
Baneful Magic → Mean-spirited magic, done to be harmful or just to be inconvenient.
Closed Religion/Practice → A religion/practice exclusively to a community and/or ethnic group. Examples: Indigenous practices, Judaism, Kabbalah (ancient Jewish tradition), etc.
Curses → A spell with bad intentions that last longer and, in some cases, can be generational.
Hearth Witch → A hearth witch is a witch that combines nature witchcraft (green witch) with their home and mundane activities. 
Hellenic Paganism → Pagans that have the Greek pantheon as their main focus.
Hexes → Small curse, they are temporary.
Jinxes → Mean-spirited magic that are almost harmless.
Neo-pagans → Someone that is inspired by ancient religions, but doesn’t practice ancient rituals.
Pantheon → Collective noun for Gods/Goddesses of a religion. Example: The Greek Pantheon has Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, and others.
Reconstructionists → Someone that intends to practice an ancient religion and its rituals as close as possible to its old practices.
Revivalists → Someone that seeks to practice an ancient religion and its rituals, but adapt it to the modern world.
Threefold Law/Rule of Three → Wiccan religious tenet that states that any energy a person put into the world will be returned three times. (Some non-wiccan pagans also follow this tenet).
Xenia → Concept from ancient Greece that states that everyone should be hospitable to their guests, offer them food, and drinks before asking their name and what they want, when they leave, offer them gifts. The guest should also be generous. Xenia today is followed by many pagans against racism and other types of oppression. 
Other Terms Often Mentioned
G-slur/g-word → Derrogatory word, a racial slur against the Roma community. (I won’t write the word down, you can find it on google, not sorry) SWERF (Sex Work Exclusionary Radical Feminist) → Explanatory, radical feminists against sex workers/sex work. TERF (Trans Excludent Radical Feminists) → Exactly what it stands for, transphobic radical feminists.
Dicionário de Termos no Witchblr
Sou novo no witchblr e fiquei confuso com muitos termos que não fazia ideia do que significavam e não encontrei um “glossário” de todos os termos juntos para me ajudar, tive que caçar cada um, então decidi criar um glossário para mim e outros para ajudar. Também incluí alguns termos que não necessariamente têm a ver com witchblr/paganblr.
Vou atualizar quando eu encontrar outros termos e não incluí minha opinião pessoal, porque meu objetivo é ser claro e objetivo. ·͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙⁺˚•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙˚⁺‧͙
Paganblr → A comunidade pagã do Tumblr.
SPG (Gnose Pessoal Compartilhada) → Uma crença pessoal e/ou experiência que muitas pessoas não relacionadas compartilham.
Spoonie Witch → Uma pessoa spoonie que pratica bruxaria. Spoonie é um termo para pessoas com deficiências/doenças que têm pouca energia (energia mental, emocional e/ou física) ou perdem energia rapidamente devido à sua deficiência. O termo vem da Teoria da Colher (link da tradução) e foi cunhado por Christine Miserandino.
UPG (Gnose Pessoal Não Verificada) → Uma crença e/ou experiência pessoal que tem pouca ou nenhuma evidência histórica. Como ter uma experiência ou revelação espiritual diferente do que está documentado na história.
VPG (Gnose Pessoal Verificada) → Uma crença e/ou experiência pessoal que possui evidências históricas e é precisa.
Witchblr → A comunidade de bruxaria do Tumblr.
Termos da Bruxaria em Geral⋆.ೃ࿔*:・
Baneful Magic (magia “banida”) → Magia má-intencionada, feita para ser prejudicial ou apenas para ser inconveniente.
Closed Religion/Practice (religião/prática exclusiva) → Uma religião/prática exclusiva para uma comunidade e/ou grupo étnico. Exemplos: práticas indígenas, judaísmo, cabala (antiga tradição judaica), etc.
Curses (maldição) → Um feitiço com más intenções que dura mais e, em alguns casos, pode ser geracional.
Hearth Witch → Uma bruxa do lar, que combina a feitiçaria da natureza (bruxa natural) com suas atividades domésticas e mundanas.
Hellenic Paganism (paganismo helênico) → pagãos que têm como foco principal o panteão grego.
Hexes → Pequena maldição, eles são temporários.
Jinxes → Magia má-intencionada que são quase inofensivas.
Neo-pagans (neopagãos) → Alguém que se inspira em religiões antigas, mas não pratica rituais antigos.
Pantheon (panteão) → Substantivo coletivo para Deuses/Deusas de uma religião. Exemplo: O Panteão grego tem Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Afrodite e outros.
Reconstructionists (reconstrucionistas) → Alguém que pretende praticar uma religião antiga e seus rituais o mais próximo possível de suas antigas práticas.
Revivalists → Alguém que busca praticar uma religião antiga e seus rituais, mas adaptá-la ao mundo moderno.
Threefold Law/Rule of Three (Lei Tríplice) → Princípio religioso da Wicca que afirma que qualquer energia que uma pessoa colocar no mundo será devolvida três vezes. (Alguns pagãos não wiccanos também seguem este princípio).
Xenia → Conceito da Grécia antiga que diz que todos devem ser respeitosos com seus convidados, oferecer-lhes comida e bebida antes de perguntar seu nome e o que desejam, ao sair, oferecer-lhes presentes. O convidado também deve ser generoso. Xenia hoje é seguida por muitos pagãos contra o racismo e outros tipos de opressão.
Outros Termos Frequentemente Usados
G-slur/g-word → Palavra derrogatória, termo racista contra a comunidade romani. (Apesar da palavra “cigana” ser traduzida no google para a g-slur, o termo “cigano” no Brasil não tem a mesma conotação racista, no entanto, isso não é consenço na comunidade romani no Brasil, portanto, o termo romani é preferivel. Em resumo, no Brasil “cigano” pode não ser pejorativo, mas a “g-slur” é)  SWERF (Sex Work Exclusionary Radical Feminist) → Feministas radicais contra profissionais do sexo/trabalho sexual. TERF (Trans Excludent Radical Feminists) → Feministas radicais transfóbicas.
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