#kharits how could you

[rottenpumpkin13]

I do value my life

Don’t I?

‎

[that-cunning-witch]

How do the gods interact with you? How do you know they approve/disapprove of a particular offering or action? How does that mutual connection that a lot of people talk about manifest?

This is a huge question to unpack because it really depends based on what you're looking at. Mediterranian, Celtic, Asian, etc.

I would love to answer your question and I've been pondering for a couple days on how to answer this question. I think the best I can do for now is talk about *my* experience and *my* perspective as a Hellenic Polytheist and just keep in the back of your brain that this is not universal whatsoever.

I'm gonna go a bit out of order with your question. I'll answer your third question first, then your second question, and then finally the first one. Hope that makes sense!

In Hellenic Polytheism, the basis of maintaining relationships with the gods is referred to as kharis. While there isn't one definition as this word isn't exactly translatable in English, the best I can describe kharis is the act and upkeeping of cyclical reciprocity. You give time, worship, offering, love, etc. to the gods and they give in return. Your kharis to the gods is not built on wanting things from them but rather loving them unconditionally.

But how do you know this cycle of kharis is being maintained on the god's part? If part of kharis is maintained with offerings, how do you know they accepted the offering?

In Ancient Greece, a lot more could be done. Specifically by looking at the remains of sacrificed animals to see if they were perfect. If they were imperfect, that meant the gods didn't accept the offering. However, for several (hopefully obvious) reasons, this isn't done any more and shouldn't be done anymore. Aliakai has a great video explaining why animal/meat offerings shouldn't be done anymore. Note that this is the opinion/beliefs of some helpols, not all. Some still choose to sacrifice meat product and that's totally okay, that doesn't make them any less of a helpol! But what does this have to do with anything?

Well, if we can't figure out the god's approval that way, what can we do instead? Feel happy!

When giving an offering, if you feel happiness, an overwhelming sensation of joy, or just overall positivity, then that's the gods expressing their happiness with you. Think of the Kharites and how they're the personification of happiness and joy if that helps. However, if you don't feel anything or feel negativity about the offering, chances are that's the god(s) disapproving of the offering.

Something to note here is that feeling anxiety does not automatically mean it failed. As someone who has a big problem with always feeling anxious and wondering "am I doing the right thing?" feeling that anxiety in the back of the brain can be worrying as you begin to spiral and wonder if it all failed and if it's your fault. The answer is no. I've noticed that when I cleanse myself prior to ritual/prayer/offering, it helps my brain calm down and I'm able to shelf away my anxiety-ridden thoughts for the time being. However, I know that won't work for everyone. The best I can say is that as long as you feel happiness or joy somewhere, that's the gods approving of the offering. Once you get that message for the first time, the anxiety quickly becomes less and less with each additional offering you give to the gods over time.

We now look at the first question. How do the gods interact with you? This varies from person to person, but there are several ways they can contact you and speak with you:

Divination (ex: tarot cards, oracle cards, psephoi, etc.)

Symbols connected to the god in question appearing (sun rays filling your house despite being cloudy earlier, sudden rain or thunderstorm, spider in your room, rainbows, butterflies flying around you, etc.)

Sensing their presence via the clairsenses (clairaudience, clairvoyance, clairsentience, etc. but please make sure that you don't have any physical or mental conditions as what may be a clairsense may actually be a symptom of a larger problem)

Seeing them or their symbols in a dream

An offering or gift from them (ex: you've never worked with Athena before but you somehow pass an exam you didn't think you would pass)

This list is not exhaustive in any way!

One last thing: a lot of the time when people ask about how the gods interact with us a reason they're asking is because they want to know when a god is contacting them to work with them. Several cultures have different ideas on who should contact who first, but in Ancient Greece, humans are supposed to be the ones to contact the gods first. There are obviously exceptions, but overall, it's typically the gods that are doing the waiting.

According to Porphyry in Life of Plotinus (also referred to as The Enneads by Plotinus, but Porphyry was an editor), "Amelius was fond of sacrifices, and used to busy himself with rites of the new moon, and rites to allay fears. He once tried to get Plotinus to participate with him, but Plotinus said: 'They must come to me, not I to them.' We did not know what consideration led him to make such a grand pronouncement, and did not have the nerve to ask him."

I hope this answers your question anon! Feel free to send in another ask if needed

[cherry-blossomtea]

7 / 8 / 12 / 13 / 20 for BOTH (giving you friend homework)

also pray tell us how they both feel about their sexuality 👁️👁️

Oh Jesus

*griffin McElroy voice* let’s go!

7: Is there something that could cause your OC to question their identity?

Not really. Both Ryl and Khari are both quite sure about their sexualities. Rylaxha is happily bisexual, Kharites has some GNC gender fuckery going on, but he has no issues with being a cis gay man. bnuuy. Whatever.

8. Have they had struggles with their identities, due to internal or external reasons?

Rylaxha, no. Her environment growing up was always supportive of her bisexuality (though not so much the sleeping her way through the list of Gridanian girls her age).

Kharites, yes, mostly in the form of harassment.

Internally he also struggles with his sexuality in the AU where he was raised in Garlemald (we established as a collaborative writing group the Garlean nobility are stricter about enforcing heterosexuality. Monarchy, etc).

12. Does your OC ever wish they could change the way they are? If it’s in the past how did they get over it?

Again for Ryl, who is quite confident in her sexuality, she never really felt guilt or regret about it.

While Khari grew up with a parental figure who was supportive of his exploring gender and such, after she died and he was on his own, he tended to suppress his GNC side, favoring masculine and utilitarian clothes rather than the more feminine side he occasionally preferred. It’s something he still does during MSQ at least.

13. Would your OC ever be open to a poly relationship?

It’s funny because even though both of my WoLs, as Azem, were in polyamorous relationships, as the WoL, their answers are different.

Ryl is actively polyamorous, though she tends towards the open relationship style of polyamory. She’s afraid of commitment tbh.

Kharites on the other hand dreams of whatever qualifies as a white picket fence in Eorzea, with a steady monogamous partner and long term commitment.

20. Have your OCs helped you in your self discovery? How?

Yes actually, in a surprising way.

There’s the jokes about bisexual people “liking every girl and only 3 fictional men” and that was something I tried to adopt for myself to fit in. But in playing FFXIV, in having Ryl, who I knew was bisexual from the beginning, have nearly exclusively heterosexual relationships, something clicked. I realized that I do prefer men actually and that there’s nothing wrong with that. I’ve started loudly repping the boy-leaning-bisexuals and it’s really been good for helping me reduce shame about my sexuality.

I don’t know whether to thank you or to curse at you XD

[letters-to-hermes]

Hellenic Polytheism & Weddings - A Quick Overview

Alternate Title: How to honor the Gods in your weddings

Due to me getting married this year, I did some research on wedding traditions and rituals related to Hellenic Polytheism. It's important to know that they varied depending on location on time. So this is a very generalized overview:

General Information

Weddings were usually a legal affair between two families without any clergy/priest/priestess involved

Weddings were held over three days (depending on the wealth of the families, this could be significantly shorter)

Offerings were given throughout the three days

Day before the wedding: the bride spends time with her female relatives. Offerings to Hera, Aphrodite and Artemis are given. Offerings for Artemis can be childhood toys or locks of hair for example to symbolize the end of the brides childhood.

Wedding day: the day begins with a ritual bath for cleansing. The bride is escorted to the grooms house with a procession led by her mother, carrying a torch. Friends and family follow, singing and dancing. At the grooms house, his mother greets her with fruit and a cake to welcome her into the family. Other examples of wedding customs are showering the bride in coins & figs, the groom giving the bride a pomegranate, a basket of fruit & bread given to the couple by a young man, etc. Most of those customs are for good luck, prosperity & fertility. A feast is held at the grooms house.

The day after the wedding: the families gather together once more to give gifts to the couple

Wedding colours for the groom were traditionally red or white

The bride wore bright colors and a long veil covering her face

Important Gods and Goddesses

The "main" Gods & Goddesses presiding over marriage and weddings are Hera, Zeus and Aphrodite.

Other important Deitys that should/could be included in offerings are Artemis, Hestia, Eros, Pheitos, The Kharites, Eunomia, Harmonia, Hymenaios and Hebe.

How to include the Gods in Modern Day Weddings

Just some easy ideas inspired by other blogs (sources below this paragraph) and what I read.

Grooms wear red or white, brides wear a veil (doesn't have to cover the whole body)

Wear a laurel wreath

Wear flower crowns

Prepare your own vows & prayers

Read hymns & prayers during the ceremony or privately before/after the wedding

Have a dinner with your family and friends the evening before (maybe even at your fathers house if possible/wanted)

Choose sacred flowers of Gods you want to include in your wedding for bouquet & decorations

Have pictures/figures of the Theoi at the wedding

Have pictures/figures of sacred animals or objects related to Theoi at the wedding

Do the more "simple" traditions such as giving your partner a pomegranate, showering the spouse in coins, your friends and family giving you bread/fruit/etc.

Give offerings to Artemis, Hera, Aphrodite the night before the wedding

Take a bath the morning of your wedding (if possible time-wise)

Have a breakfast together with your family and friends the morning after the wedding

Give offerings the morning of your wedding to Hera, Aphrodite, Zeus (and whoever else you chose): the wedding day is usually super busy so quick & simple offerings are more than enough. You can always do something "bigger" before or after the wedding days (if you want to).

Include Hellenic-themed decorations

More Resources

List of ideas to honor the Gods on your wedding day by @honorthegods

List of ideas by pomegranateandivy

Hellenic Weddings: History and Modern Ritual

Dromena for the Celebration of Marriage

A Hellenic Greek Wedding based on the Dromena above

Last update: May 1st 2022 Dividers by @firefly-graphics

[homehearthandheart]

Fun and Fancy Friday / 11 January 2019

Welcome, Devotees!

Going crazy every once in a while is good for you. Try one of these:

Build Others Up: Time and energy may not be physical offerings, but they are still important ones. Here’s one to dedicate to the Gods and Spirits of the home and hearth. Go purchase something sweet–a cake, a box of cookies, or a box of donuts, for example–from a local grocery store. (Bonus points for going to a small locally-owned-and-operated bakery.) Find a place where there’s a lot of foot traffic. Offer free goodies to people walking by.

Go Outside! Charge up your portable music player of choice. Choose a fun, dance-inspiring playlist that makes you think of one of your beloved Gods or Spirits. Go to a park or a walking trail, turn the music up, and start dancing. See if you can get people to join you.

Self-Improvement: Since we tend to take our religions seriously, it can be easy to forget how important play is. Take some time out of your day to play a game that reminds you of one of your beloved Gods and Spirits. You could play a game of fetch with your dog, hold an impromptu board-game night at your house, or log into your MMO of choice–but set some time aside to have fun and play with your Gods and Spirits in mind!

Today in the Hellenic Calendar:

Today is the 4th of the lunar month.

In Hellenic traditions, the first few days of a new lunar month tend to be special days for honoring important Deities in one’s area. In the Athenian calendar, today is sacred to Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, and Herakles.

If you like incorporating daily hymns into your prayers, Drew Campbell recommends the following prayers for today: To Hermes; To Aphrodite; To Adonis; To the Kharites (or Graces, the attendants of Aphrodite); To Eros; To Protogonos (literally “The First-Born,” the first Being to come into existence in the universe, sometimes referred to as Eros or a form of Eros).

Daily Reminder: If you know of any resources you’d like us to incorporate on our site, or any sites/projects you’d like us to signal boost, send us an ask or fanmail!

[coloricioso]

Just want to say that I thoroughly enjoy your blog and the way you debunk widespread misconceptions about Greek mythology. You mentioned in one of your Persephone posts about how scholars claimed she had blonde hair. I was curious, do you know any books/research papers about Greek mythology regarding the gods' 'physical appearance', or sources where there is a 'consensus' regarding a certain god's appearance? The question itself is paradoxical since the gods can take any form but still :P

Hi! Thank you!

In a thelogical sense of speaking, sure, Gods have no form. But when it comes to Ancient Greek art (literature, statues, paintings) the Ancient Greek gods did have a -more or less- “canon” shape. Obviously this changed through ages and places (like sometimes you have a beardless young Hermes, others a bearded and older one). If you read the Iliad or Odyssey, indeed, the Gods can change their shapes, but there is a distinction from Athena looking like herself or being in her own shape, and Athena disguising herself as someone or something else. Do I explain myself so far? Or take Zeus, he could be rain, a bull, or a mortal, but those were not his “usual” form.

So, when we speak of the “usual” appearance Ancient Greek gods displayed (and that Ancient Greeks depicted in their art) it depends, again, time-place, but the goddesses were light skinned and light haired (xanthós), eye color changed depending on the goddess. Let’s remember the Ancient Greek beauty ideal for women was that: being light skinned  (but not too pale) and light haired. There were cosmetics, hair dye and other ways Ancient Greek women used to change their appearances.

Main sources are: Homeric Hymns, Odyssey, Iliad, Pindar works, Hesiod works.

some examples

Homer, Odyssey 18. 193 ff (trans. Shewring) (Greek epic C8th B.C.) :

“[Athene] cleansed the lovely features with the fragrant balm that Kytherea [Aphrodite] puts on when she enters the bewitching circle of dancing Kharites, and with this she made her skin more white than ivory newly sawn.”

Homeric Hymn 6 to Aphrodite 6 ff :“The Horai (Horae, Seasons) clothed her [Aphrodite] with heavenly garments: on her head they put a fine, well-wrought crown of gold, and in her pierced ears they hung ornaments of orichalc and precious gold, and adorned her with golden necklaces over her soft neck and snow-white breasts, jewels which the gold-filleted Horai wear themselves.“ 

More examples:

Demeter: she is blonde /fair-haired (Hymn to Demeter, Iliad Book V, 500).

Aphrodite: she is white-armed, white-breasted, golden-haired (Homeric Hymn to Aphrodite) She is also called several times “golden Aphrodite” (Theogony, Odyssey, Iliad, Ibycus, etc)

Athene: white skinned, blonde, blue eyed (bright-eyed). (Many times in Iliad and Odyssey)

Poseidon: dark haired and dark eyed (Odyssey III, 6)

Persephone: white-armed, dark-eyed, fair-haird (Hesiod Theogony, Oppian, funerary epigram).

Hera: white-armed (Theogony, Iliad, Odyssey).

There is a book by Marcel Detienne called The Daily Life of Greek Gods, which speaks a lot about what the title says, but I’m not very sure right now if it spoke on physical appearance. There is also a book called Gods in Color that reconstructs the colors of the ancient statues.

I will look for more book sources because right now I don’t recall one that addresses this point exactly (as you see, I know because of the different Greek sources above).

[aphrodihe]

tagged by my angel @dearestvita (love u very much x)

— What movies do you wish you were a character in? the chronicles of narnia (2005), practical magic (1998)

— Create your dream fragrance; what would be the ingredients and the name? hmm! mine would be earthy, yet fresh. elderflower, cinnamon, jasmine, cedarwood. i really love calvin klein’s beauty, so something a little like that. i would probably call it something myth related, maybe to do with the goddess hera? i just love having an earthy base with the soft and gentle undertones of fresh flowers!

— As a siren, what bewitching song would you sing to lure people to their doom? how still my love by stevie nicks or i’m kissing you by des’ree or misty by ella fitzgerald

— *Clicks shoes together three times* Anywhere in the world (fantasy or reality) where would you go? somewhere in italy, ideally a small town.

— Similar to Harry Potter, if you could reside in a painting, which one would you choose? the birth of venus by botticelli, its what i deserve! 

— Like the symbols associated with the Greek gods and goddesses; what would be your chosen symbol/s to embody you as a person? (eg: some symbols of Aphrodite are dove and sparrows) lavender, stars, moonlight, honey

— If you were to create your own met gala theme, what would it be based on? a greek myth theme would be really interesting

— What seven objects would you choose to hide a fragment of your soul in? (the horcruxes) my cancer zodiac necklace, my tiffany’s bracelet, the old globe i have on my shelf, my jigsaw book on fairies, a love lock on the pont des arts bridge in paris, an old ring my grandmother has given to me, a penny in a fountain

— You’re whistling while you work, what animals would you like to come and join you? doves, kittens, hummingbirds and deers

— Like the story of Swan Lake; what mythical creature/beings from folklore would you like to transform into by day? a mermaid, as a water sign, its my duty to become a mermaid!

i tag: @vercna @kharites @rosepetcl @julietcapulct @rhianonn @ripleylesbian

[herateleia-blog]

hebe: an introduction

Who is she?      Hebe is the youngest daughter of the King and Queen of Olympus, making her one of the younger Olympians and only slightly older than her half-brother Hermes.  She is the goddess and personification of youth, the patron goddess of young brides teenage girls, and an attendant/handmaiden to both Aphrodite and her mother, Hera.  She is sometimes depicted as a winged goddess and has gone by other names, such as Ganymeda and Dia, and is often seen in company with the Kharites (Graces).

Before the rapture of Ganymede and her marriage to the famed Heracles, Hebe was the cupbearer of the gods.  According to Apollodorus, she is the mother of Alexiares and Aniketos by Heracles.  

( appearance )

Hebe is petite, standing at about/almost 5′, making her the shortest of all her full- and half-blood siblings.  Thick eyebrows and long lashes frame gorgeous dark brown eyes and her hair (dark brown or black) goes past her shoulders or just under her jawline in loose curls.  Her body type is slender and soft, delicate, with thin wrists and trim ankles, though there is some noticeable muscle definition in her arms and calves.  Her skin is a warm light brown that can be described as “golden” or “sun-kissed”, and she has a light dusting of freckles across her nose and shoulders.  

Her fashion sense is informed by her youthful associations---and her connection to the Kharites---and largely involves light, breathy fabrics in bright colors and lots of skin showing.  As with most things, there are exceptions, but the trend is there.  She is also known to “adorn herself” with makeup and accessories, as do many Kharites.

Hebe has a pair of wings that are usually hidden from sight.  Some of her feathers are an off-white, creamy color that glints in the sun, while others are more of a peach color.  (More specifics to come at a time when I learn more about bird wings.)  The wings are elliptical, best for short, low speed flight and maneuverability.  

( persona )

One of the first things someone might notice about Hebe is that she is perpetually in motion and has a bounce to her step.  If you watch closely, you may notice that she often hums and sometimes dances while she goes about her day.  Those who know her speak highly of her temperament, which is pleasant and friendly, and of her wide-beaming smile that brightens everyone’s day.  Rarely does anyone realize that her cheerfulness can be almost aggressive, or how stubborn she is about not showing the “uglier” emotions she might feel (such as upset, disappointment, sadness, etc.)

Hebe is highly emotive in a way that is slightly performative and might come off as “fake” to those who are used to more understated people.  Her voice is full of inflection, she gestures a lot when she speaks, and her expressions are hardly subtle---all of it genuine, if exaggerated for emphasis.  When experiencing an “uglier” emotion and showing it, Hebe either has a strained expression/reaction as she tries to suppress her reaction, or has very soft and minor tells of upset (which are a great change from her more emotive self).  One of the only negative emotional outbursts that Hebe has ever had involved the announcement of her betrothal to Heracles, her half brother.  

By nature and nurture both, Hebe is peace-loving, non-confrontational, and leaps at the opportunity to soothe bad tempers and ruffled feathers.  

( biography )

Hebe was conceived during the reconciliatory period following the marital separation of Hera and Zeus, a time marked by an almost honeymoon-esq sense of peace and happiness.  In the week after her birth, the gods contended to see who could offer the young princess the greatest gift.  Athena gave cunningly crafted toys, Poseidon gave her toys more precious than gold, and Apollon wrote a song so beautiful that Hebe charmed him right back with her first laugh.  

It was around that same time, however, that Hermes revealed himself as Zeus’ illegitimate son by the Pleiad Maia, conceived in secret during the supposed time of reconciliation between Heavenly monarchs.  The blissful era of peace on Olympus abruptly ended and Hebe was raised in an unstable home with parents who fought often and bitterly.  Though she often escaped to her Lady and the Kharites, the atmosphere and tension haunted her every step.  

Although Hebe placed a great worth on love---both romantic and friendly---due to her love of Aphrodite, she actively avoided romantic entanglements.  This was made easy by her general disinterest in boys---barring Hermes, her best friend---and her many adopted sisters among the Kharites.  She did have a girlhood crush on Apollon---an unrequited, one-sided affection that was nurtured by his resemblance to their father and his purely filial interest in her.  (Still, she envied of his closeness to Artemis, and feared that no one would ever love her as much as Apollon loved his twin).

Over time, Hermes grew up.  He took on lovers and had children, while Hebe remained young and forever on the cusp of adulthood.  He grew up and she remained the same and even though she despaired over the ever-widening gap between them, she still had no romantic or sexual desire (for men).  She was relieved when Dionysus---newly reconciled with the queen---was offered the princess’ hand in marriage and declined it in favor of his newly apotheosized bride, lovely Ariade of the gold thread, of the labyrinth, who stole Hebe’s breath without trying.  

But after the Gigantomachy ended with Heracles reconciling with his old enemy, the queen, Hebe’s hand in marriage was offered yet again, this time by the king.  There would be no refusal this time, no denial.  

Hebe’s marriage was unhappy and miserable.  It didn’t matter how hard she tried to make the best of it, neither wanted the match and both felt forced into it.  At best, Hebe and Heracles became friendly and tolerated the union, happy to return to separate quarters at the end of the day.  

Also, I mean, she became pregnant with twins because... expectations of marriage, but the conception and pregnancy were miserable experiences and neither was repeated and they soon dissolved the marriage with Hera’s blessing.  OK thanks for reading, I’m done!!!  

FYI if you didn’t pick up on my subtle clues throughout, Hebe is a lesbian.  She is very much gay and while she was closeted for much of her life and throughout her marriage because of compulsory heterosexuality, she is still a lesbian.  She may or may not be ace (I’m not sure! Don’t ask me!), but she is definitely a lesbian, goodbye.

[jesvscastillo-blog]

BECAUSE WE ARE MORTAL, #27

“hope is not pretending that troubles don’t exist. it is the hope that they won’t last forever. that hurts will be healed and difficulties overcome. that we will be led out of darkness and into the sunshine. thus, it is not possible to escape the mind of zeus.”

the facts

diety: ἐλπίς [elpis] ~ the personification and spirit of hope (commonly depicted  as a female rather than a male, due to his floral messages to the mortal (blossoming flowers and specifically, the cornucopia. the roman equivalent, spes) 

mortal name: ελπίδα  [elpída] ~ the greek translation for hope 

faceclaim: diego luna

backstory

 a child of nyx, a parent to pheme (the goddess of fame, renown and rumor).

roman equivalent: spes 

though seen as something positive, elpis widens the scope of the misery inflicted on mankind

“only hope was left within his unbreakable house, he remained under the lip of the jar, and did not fly away. before [she could], pandora replaced the lid of the jar. this was the will of aegis-bearing zeus the cloudgatherer.” - mentioned in the story of pandora’s box

hesoid closes the story with “thus it is not possible to escape the mind of zeus”, which is rather fitting to the event lmao

elpis (hope) is the only good god remaining among mankind; the others have left and gone to olympus. pistis (trust), a mighty god has gone, sophrosyne (restraint) has gone from men, and the kharites, my friend, has abandoned the earth. men’s judicial oaths are no longer to be trusted, nor does anyone revere the immortal gods; the race of pious men has perished and men no longer recognize the rules of conduct or acts of piety. but as long as man lives and sees the light of sun, let him show piety to the gods and count on elpis (hope). let him pray to the gods and burn splendid thigh bones, sacrificing to elpis (hope) first and last.

headcanons

elpis was always on earth, never as an actual figure whom breathed or talked but wandered the earth casting hope upon the less fortunate. he was an element, more than anything else. that may be the cause of the popular understanding that elpis was a female. hope was always materialized by flowers - pieces of him scattered across the land. unlike the others whom he knew, he never actually went up to olympus and has never stood upon the ground. so, to now be chained to the earth, isn’t much of a curse for him. 

he loves it, actually. he loves seeing emotions, how people grow and change. the only thing hes truly unhappy with is that he now has to take on a physical form due to zues’ commandments. 

does he get on with the other gods? of course, he’s generally quite good to be around but the hope he brings with him also spurs on the negative emotions.. so don’t be surprised if bad luck follows you if elpis is with you. 

but despite the negativity, elpis is fun. he loves to laugh, he loves to see people smile. and now being a physical person on this earth, he can talk and understand the mortals more. and though he doesn’t naturally go out of his way to ignore the gods and goddesses, but hasn’t been seen around them all that much. 

ill add more at some point !!!!

 connections

tba

[rottenpumpkin13]

Both you and the anon from that ask are going to be paying for my therapy 😭😭

[homehearthandheart]

Fun and Fancy Friday / 14 September 2018

Welcome, Devotees!

Going crazy every once in a while is good for you. Try one of these:

Build Others Up: Time and energy may not be physical offerings, but they are still important ones. Here’s one to dedicate to the Gods and Spirits of the home and hearth. Go purchase something sweet–a cake, a box of cookies, or a box of donuts, for example–from a local grocery store. (Bonus points for going to a small locally-owned-and-operated bakery.) Find a place where there’s a lot of foot traffic. Offer free goodies to people walking by.

Go Outside! Charge up your portable music player of choice. Choose a fun, dance-inspiring playlist that makes you think of one of your beloved Gods or Spirits. Go to a park or a walking trail, turn the music up, and start dancing. See if you can get people to join you.

Self-Improvement: Since we tend to take our religions seriously, it can be easy to forget how important play is. Take some time out of your day to play a game that reminds you of one of your beloved Gods and Spirits. You could play a game of fetch with your dog, hold an impromptu board-game night at your house, or log into your MMO of choice–but set some time aside to have fun and play with your Gods and Spirits in mind!

Today in the Hellenic Calendar:

Today is the 4th of the lunar month.

In Hellenic traditions, the first few days of a new lunar month tend to be special days for honoring important Deities in one’s area. In the Athenian calendar, today is sacred to Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, and Herakles.

If you like incorporating daily hymns into your prayers, Drew Campbell recommends the following prayers for today: To Hermes; To Aphrodite; To Adonis; To the Kharites (or Graces, the attendants of Aphrodite); To Eros; To Protogonos (literally “The First-Born,” the first Being to come into existence in the universe, sometimes referred to as Eros or a form of Eros).

Daily Reminder: If you know of any resources you’d like us to incorporate on our site, or any sites/projects you’d like us to signal boost, send us an ask or fanmail!

[homehearthandheart]

Fun and Fancy Friday /3 March 2017

Welcome, Devotees!

Going crazy every once in a while is good for you.  Try one of these:

Build Others Up: Time and energy may not be physical offerings, but they are still important ones.  Here’s one to dedicate to the Gods and Spirits of the home and hearth.  Go purchase something sweet–a cake, a box of cookies, or a box of donuts, for example–from a local grocery store.  (Bonus points for going to a small locally-owned-and-operated bakery.)  Find a place where there’s a lot of foot traffic.  Offer free goodies to people walking by.

Go Outside! Charge up your portable music player of choice.  Choose a fun, dance-inspiring playlist that makes you think of one of your beloved Gods or Spirits.  Go to a park or a walking trail, turn the music up, and start dancing.  See if you can get people to join you.

Self-Improvement: Since we tend to take our religions seriously, it can be easy to forget how important play is.  Take some time out of your day to play a game that reminds you of one of your beloved Gods and Spirits.  You could play a game of fetch with your dog, hold an impromptu board-game night at your house, or log into your MMO of choice–but set some time aside to have fun and play with your Gods and Spirits in mind!

Today in the Hellenic Calendar:

Today is the 4th of the lunar month.

In Hellenic traditions, the first few days of a new lunar month tend to be special days for honoring important Deities in one’s area. In the Athenian calendar, today is sacred to Aphrodite, Eros, Hermes, and Herakles.

If you like incorporating daily hymns into your prayers, Drew Campbell recommends the following prayers for today: To Hermes; To Aphrodite; To Adonis; To the Kharites (or Graces, the attendants of Aphrodite); To Eros; To Protogonos (literally “The First-Born,” the first Being to come into existence in the universe, sometimes referred to as Eros or a form of Eros).

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