#no one is saying this to hellenistic

[playthe-piper]

“Being a Celtic pagan is cultural appropriation” SHUT!!! THE!!! FUCK!! UP!!

I am a pagan who believes that religion/the gods have changed as cultures and worship did. No matter how you worship, no one can tell you that you’re practicing wrong. That’s bullshit. Don’t gatekeep how someone chooses to honor their gods, that makes you a dick.

“New religions” are just as valid as any other old gods, please shut the fuck up and let people be happy. No one made you the pagan police.

[thoodleoo]

"romans stole all their mythology from the greeks" ok well im stealing your spine. how about that

[gingermintpepper]

Absolutely the funniest thing about my current corner of tumblr is that pretty much everyone I've recently followed for Apollo-Appreciating Purposes are either genuinely Hellenist or just rather very into Rick Riordan's Trials of Apollo series which is wild because I know a net zero about both of those things.

[somecunttookmyurl]

wild to me that people are actually trying to defend that classification system cause my reaction whenever i see poor curation is the unshakeable urge to go get a qualification in curation just to be able to storm back in and smack everyone's hands away so i can do it properly this time (yes i know it would never be that easy, but a woman can dream)

even if it would make sense at all ever to group them all together like that (it wouldn't! if for no other reason than they aren't ordinarily labelled like that and so the natural reaction is at least some degree of confusion) there are still... literal factural inaccuracies everywhere?

It's Just Bad, Man

[necrogfie]

how do i explain to lady aphrodite that she will have to share her altar with archangel gabriel /silly

[wishesofeternity]

"The concentration of Stratonike’s public appearance within the Antigonid milieu introduces a frisson to the notion of her voiceless compliance with Seleukos’ schemes for dynastic succession. In her public appearances on Delos she is distant from her affines; in her own words she was the daughter of a king and a queen, not wife of two kings. Clearly the evidence is not fulsome and does not provide the personal motivations for such decisions or the emotional attachments present in these relationships, and neither can we say that Stratonike never attended to Seleukid interests nor Apama to Baktrian ones. The Antiochos Cylinder’s portrayal of Stratonike shows that her persona as divinely appealing consort got good traction in Babylonia, at least, and she could have exploited it elsewhere.”

-Gillian Ramsey, "The Diplomacy of Seleukid Women: Apama and Stratonike", "Seleukid Royal Women," (edited by Altay Coşkun and Alex McAuley)

[cyberclouddream]

The 6th House and Bad Fortunes

In Hellenistic astrology the 6th house is referred to the “place of bad fortune”, connected to disease and decline in vitality. Here it’s more associated with hardships and illness than daily routines and activities. This is due to it being twelve houses away from the 7th house, which would mean imprisonment to significant commitments, like our health and vitality.

It represents the challenges that arise when our creative and romantic aspirations meet reality. By addressing the issues related to health, routines, and service we can transform the challenges here into opportunities.

Aries Rising

- tedious jobs that demand grinding

- may clean up after others or work beneath your skill level

- burnout because of perfectionism

- overworking with little recognition

- hypochondria; frequent doctor’s visits or checkups

- nitpicky with coworkers

Remedies: balanced diet; prioritize and delegate tasks; activities that promote self-improvement; face issues head-on; eliminate distractions; learn to say no

Taurus Rising

- passive-aggressive co-workers

- people-pleasing overload

- headaches or skin problems

- jobs that lack beauty or creativity

- indecisive career path

- superficial relationship with colleagues

Remedies: make workplace aesthetically pleasing; distinguish supportive relationships from toxic ones; take proactive steps to manage burnout; stay physically active

Gemini Rising

- jobs full of manipulation, power struggles, or drama

- unhealthy or overwhelming intensity at work

- anxiety, digestive issues, or fatigue

- strong desire for control over work environment and tasks clash

- help others with hidden agendas

Remedies: stop avoiding hard tasks; let go of grudges; find a life outside of work; channel rage into work; get regular check ups

Cancer Rising

- dissatisfaction in routines

- overcommitting to responsibilities

- lack of exercise, weight issues, digestive problems

- conflict with traditions or authority

- too much optimism

Remedies: learn to focus on tasks; be wary of escapism; be honest about what you can handle; establish flexible routines

Leo Rising

- rigid rules or strict hierarchies in workplace

- relentless pursuit for success

- issues with bones, joints, or skin

- missing opportunities for joy

- feelings of isolation and loneliness

Remedies: drop guilt about labor and delegate tasks; don’t take work too seriously; reassess goals if feeling stagnant or underappreciated

Virgo Rising

- jobs that feel misaligned with values or ideals

- alienation at work

- inconsistent health practices; issues with circulation, nervous system, or sudden changes in well-being

- rebel against routine tasks or authority figures

- difficulties with structure or traditional methods

Remedies: make decisions instead of overthinking; engage more with colleagues; address and change when there’s discomfort; stop idealizing job or coworkers; embrace structure

Libra Rising

- neglect important tasks and responsibilities

- elusive health issues; frustration when seeking health solutions; often feel tired without clear reason

- sensitivity leads to overwhelming emotional labor

- lack of structure in workplace

- romanticizing hardships, sacrifices, or struggles

Remedies: stop dreaming and start doing; get real about health issues; don’t overindulge in pleasures; don’t let feelings dictate work ethic; confront conversations and conflicts head-on

Scorpio Rising

- rush into tasks without proper planning

- take on too much workload at once

- headaches, high blood pressure, or injuries over overexertion

- struggles with monotonous tasks

- inconsistent motivations

Remedies: think before you speak to not burn bridges; learn to collaborate; own your mistakes; get organized

Sagittarius Rising

- stuck in unfulfilling jobs that lack progress

- overindulge in comforts; overeating or neglecting physical activity

- resistance to new opportunities and changes at work

- jobs that offer little financial security

- neglecting mental health

Remedies: don’t cling to routines or methods; avoid complacency; don’t overindulge in comfort foods or luxuries; don’t expect people to read your mind

Capricorn Rising

- erratic work performance

- overwhelmed by too many projects

- headaches, digestive issues, or anxiety

- resist structured routines

- prioritize mental stimulation over exercise or proper nutrition

Remedies: don’t take on too many tasks at once; confront workplace drama; avoid procrastination; make time for resting well; think before you speak to avoid misunderstandings

Aquarius Rising

- difficulty separating feelings from workplace

- fluctuating health issues, like digestive problems or issues linked to their emotional state

- prioritizing helping others over their own needs

- home dynamics effect work

- lack of professional boundaries

Remedies: don’t play victim; set emotional boundaries at work; don’t beat around the bush; avoid overindulgence; be realistic about your limitations

Pisces Rising

- snuggle with recognition at work

- desires for leadership clash with authority

- neglect health for status and appearance

- difficulties maintaining routine

- dramatic responses to setbacks, like unnecessary stress

Remedies: quit trying to be the center of attention at work; limit drama and theatrics; don’t let your pride blind from constructive criticism; be a team player; avoid overcommitting because of your passion;

[royal-wren]

In honor of Pride, I'm going to list a few Hellenic deities to think of more actively during this time

Aphrodite: Historically known to be intersex and trans, especially under the name Aphroditos. Not to mention as a goddess of love, that means all kinds of love and expressions of it. Everyone in the LGBT+ umbrella can turn to her without worry.

Apollon: He is known for epithets like the Unshorn, and for literally wearing feminine clothing for the time.

Artemis: Known for embracing masculinity and more masculine traits like her interests, mannerisms, and appearance (attire). Also known to be aro/ace spec.

Athene: Most know her to lean more toward masculinity, but she's more an equal mix of both masculine and feminine (nonbinary by human terms). Also known to be aro/ace spec and wlw as well.

Dionysos: Like Apollon, is known for wearing feminine clothing for the time and occasionally a feminine appearance to match. Embracing the unconventional and what lies outside of society's standards and mentalities is his thing, and it shows with epithets like Androgynos.

Hekate: A goddess of the liminal (everything in between), boundaries, and transitions, of paths and crossroads (which are more than physical ones).

Hera: As a goddess of women, that includes every kind of woman no matter what, there is no room to try and exclude anyone from that. She's also a goddess of marriage and one to lean on for rights on that matter.

Hermes: A god of the liminal, the god of transitions, boundaries, paths, and roads, and a god of romantic unions, the god of fire - the literal and figurative sparks that ensue as a god of friction, a weigher of love like Aphrodite. Before the late Classical and Hellenistic periods was also known to be aro/ace spec as outside of cultic unions, a majority of his immortal (and deity) children are goddesses as well, and he has two nonbinary (one intersex) children, Palaistra and Hermaphroditos, and occasionally the father of Eros either by Aphrodite or Artemis (and no this is real, you're just not ready for this conversation on this information).

Leto: In worship, she has the cult epithet Phystiê (the Grafter) that relates to a myth of her helping Leukippe transition at the wishes of his mother to avoid death. With the grafter epithet, she has a festival in her honor, Ekdysia (Stripping (Festival)). One of her sacred animals is the Ichneumon (Egyptian Mongoose), which was known to be both male and female in an individual member of the species.

Palaistra: The goddess of wrestling and daughter of Hermes is nonbinary, being both genders at once and neither at the same time

The Erotes: It kind of goes without saying that they should be here for a month of love, identity, and acceptance.

The Kharites: As goddesses of joy, merriment, and festivity/celebration, it feels as essential to have them here as the Erotes are. During Pride, they will lift your spirits and cause you to cheer.

[avelera]

Let's Play: What's Wrong with this Sculpture?

Following in the theme of sharing astonishing moments of ancient sculpture pedantry here on Tumblr, based on my brief undergraduate stint as a T.A of ancient art history, I thought I'd share one of my other proudest moments of being an absolutely insufferable know-it-all about ancient sculptures.

In the process, I hope I can also share some of the sort of largely useless (from a practical perspective) information that Tumblr tends to glory in, so buckle up buttercups.

This question was posed to me on a walking tour of the Capitoline Museum in my ancient art history class while I was living abroad. Our professor, a delightfully curmudgeonly Belgian, stopped in front and asked us to figure out why this sculpture is just plain wrong.

I intend to walk you through the process of how I got the right answer and, after gaining my teacher's rare approval, glowed with enough serotonin to power a small nuclear reactor.

So, let's return to the original question: what is wrong with this sculpture?

Because if you are truly eagle-eyed you should be able to spot what very famous sculpture this actually is, before an overly imaginative Frenchman brought it back wrong.

Hint #1: It was incorrectly restored.

Look closely at the the difference of the patina, or color of the stone. It's a bit hard to tell in this photo, but the head was added later. It's a paler white than the core of the torso, which is what we have of the original sculpture.

Hint #2: It was incorrectly restored in the 18th century by a Frenchman (Pierre-Étienne Monnot) who made some, shall we say, creative interpretations of what's going on here.

You can tell it's by an 18th c. Frenchman because the facial features are so delicate. Ancient statues tend to have less narrow and delicate chins and noses. In general, that is a dead giveaway when something is 18th century French vs. Ancient Greek or Roman.

Here's a good example. The first sculpture is 18th c. French, the second is the famous Venus de Milo. Note her blockier chin and less delicate features. So in the future, you can tell these sort of later additions to Greek or Roman sculptures if they added a new head because 17-19th century sculptors in Europe had tools (like finer drill tips) and tastes (beauty standards that favored more delicate men and women) that led to a pronounced difference in the faces.

Hint #3: Check out the anatomy of his lower shoulder. That's another addition, that arm should not be coming straight out of a torso where the muscle, if you look closely, is turned inward.

Seriously, that looks painful.

Hint #4: The sword he's holding up is just total nonsense for the Roman era. I mean, the restoration makes no secret of the fact that this sword is a later addition, but it's also just an absolute nonsense sword with its silly little curved cross guard. This Frenchman literally just made it up.

Here's an ancient sculpture with a sword in it that actually looks right:

From the Ludovisi Gaul, a famous Hellenistic Baroque work of Greek sculpture. Note the much blockier sword though I will admit, it could be a later addition, I don't know for 100% certain, but I'm pretty sure it's the original. Regardless, it fits the sculpture much better and let me add that sword I'm criticizing is completely made up for the sculpture we're talking about and is not there in the original sculpture that was incorrectly restored.

Ok, so those are all the hints.

Look closely at the body of the first sculpture. Cut away the arms that are not connected to the body correctly, the sword that shouldn't be there, the face that was far too delicate. When you separate those later additions out, can you tell me what sculpture that actually is?

Because here is the reveal!

The Discus Thrower, aka, the Discobolus by Myron.

The French restorationist got carried away by his own imagination, saw a twisted torso and thought it could only possibly be a warrior in the midst of twisting around to fend off a blow, not an athlete in the midst of a demonstration of skill. It's a martial, fanciful read that completely misinterpreted the subject.

This is why most restoration today employs a much lighter touch, rather than trying to reattach pieces incorrectly, they tend to just outline where the missing pieces are with a light sketch of an educated guess of what might have actually been there. Faulty restorations like the Capitoline Discobolus is one reason for this modern stylistic principle when it comes to restoration work.

When my professor asked us to identify the correct original sculpture that day on the museum tour, it was the sword that pinged me as wrong first, but zeroing in on the core of the sculpture, the torso, is what revealed the true statue underneath.

This notoriously difficult to please professor was very proud when I blurted out, "It's the Discus Thrower!" and the high-octane serotonin I got from his approval probably could have propelled me into the sun that day, and brought to you Yet Another Moment of Ancient Sculpture Pedantry.

[lunarforager]

Who Is Aphrodite?

Welcome to the first of my "Introductions to the Hellenic Gods" post series! I thought it wise to start with Aphrodite as she is the deity I have been working with the longest and is also one of my favourites of the 12 Olympians. Now, onto the introduction!

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Aphrodite is the name given to the ancient Greek goddess of love, beauty, passion, pleasure and sexuality. Her Roman equivalent is the goddess Venus.

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There are multiple myths that speak of Aphrodite's birth/creation.

Hesiod, in his Theogony, said that Aphrodite was brought into being when Cronus cut off the genitals of his father, Uranus, and threw them into the sea. Out of the sea foam created by the mixing of blood and water emerged the beautiful goddess.

Homer, on the other hand, in the Iliad, says that Aphrodite is the daughter of Zeus and Dione (who is either an Oceanid or a Titan, depending on the author).

---

Aphrodite also has many different epithets, or versions of herself that were worshipped in different places across Greece. I suggest looking into all the different versions of her that are out there, they are all so fascinating!

But my favourite of all of her forms, is Aphrodite Areia, translated as Aphrodite the Warlike. This form of Aphrodite was worshipped by the Spartans and she was seen in a similar light to Ares or Athena, as a goddess of war and battle, often depicted in a full armor.

---

Aphrodite was worshiped by many across Greece and throughout both the Classical and Hellenistic periods. In the Classical period the festival of Aphrodisia was held in her honor and in the Hellenistic period, Aphrodite had many temples and was particulary worshipped in Alexandria.

---

To wrap up this post, I wanted to share my favourite stories and art pieces that mention or depict Aphrodite.

The Aeneid, by Virgil --> Venus (the Roman equivalent to Aphrodite) appears often as she is the mother of the main character, Aeneas

Venus de Milo --> Statue of Venus carved during the Hellenistic period, currently in the Louvre

The Birth of Venus painted by Sandro Botticelli --> A beautiful work of art depicting the birth of Venus as she rose from the sea

Aphrodite of Knidos sculpted by Praxiteles of Athens --> My favourite statue of Aphrodite, marks an important shift in art at the time as typically only men were depicted nude as a display of heroism

Aphrodite and Anchises by Homer --> Aphrodite annoyed the god Zeus by causing gods to fall in love with mortals, so he made her fall in love with a mortal named Anchises who later would be the father of her son, Aeneas of the Aeneid

[foreversandalways]

unpopular synastry opinions

as someone who studies ancient hellenistic astrology and as someone who’s been genuinely enthused by astrology/synastry for a long time now.

- there is no perfect synastry. synastry is relative to the people involved; it informs us about a dynamic, but doesn’t in and of itself make a statement about the longevity, success, or even health of a relationship. you’re much better off asking a horary astrologer a specific outcome based questions about a certain relationship to get a definitive answer. a “successful” (using that word relatively, because what constitutes success differs greatly between people) relationship largely depends on two people and their karma. synastry just informs a dynamic.

- conjunctions are not positive aspects to have. ancient astrologers didn’t even consider the conjunction an aspect. it’s a blending of energy, and the “goodness” you get from it depends on the planets involved.

for example, moon conjunct mercury can be nice for telepathy but I’ve seen it play out where the moon person doesn’t let the mercury person get a word in where they’re talking.

if venus is conjunct mercury, that’s positive because venus is a benefic, not because the the conjunction itself is positive. even venus/mercury squares can make for a pleasant dynamic because VENUS as a planetary archetype promotes harmony no matter what aspect she’s in. conversely, venus conjunct saturn would be more difficult because Venus’s pleasantness is inextricably tied to Saturn’s cold, dry nature, which over time can weight her down. especially if the Saturn person is a night chart. which leads me to my next point.

- SECT MATTERS. whether one person is a day chart or a night chart matters tremendously. For people with day charts (you were born during the day, or your sun falls in houses 7-12 in the whole sign house system) your most positive planets are the sun, jupiter, and saturn. for people with night charts (you were born during the night, or your sun falls in houses 1-6 in the whole signs house system) the moon, venus, and mars are your most positive planets. mars is more troublesome in a day chart, saturn is less troublesome and more helpful. saturn is more troublesome in a night chart, mars is less troublesome and more productive.

venus conjunct saturn in the synastry where the saturn person is a night chart is going to be way more difficult than if it was a day chart. venus trine jupiter in a chart where the jupiter person is a day chart is going to be felt more positively than if they were a night chart.

- which leads me to my next point. i like venus/mars aspects waaay better when the two people are both night charts, because venus and mars are both part of the night sect. i find them hotter, there’s less bickering and more passion. yes, even the squares and oppositions. in fact i prefer them.

- a bunch of trines and sextiles in synastry are boring, and i’d even go as far as saying those are the real synastry red flags. oppositions and squares bring tension, but tension is a part of growth and life. tension sparks creativity. think about the sexual tension it takes for two people to have sex and create a child. think about how the moon cycle is brought to manifestation via squares and oppositions. we have our new moon (conjunction) first quarter moon (square) so on and so forth until we reach the full moon (opposition) where things come to fruition.

trines and sextiles are nice and do have their value and place, but they’re just that. nice. not dynamic. i barely felt it when pluto trined my sun, but when it squared my mars it spurred me to action for the better. souls need growth and that’s what the hard aspects provide.

- someone’s planet conjunct your angles isn’t necessarily good, just loud.

lemme say it again: SOMEONE’S PLANET CONJUNCTING YOUR ANGLES ISN’T NECESSARILY GOOD, JUST LOUD. that goes for the degrees of the AC, IC, DC, and MC. it can signify them being an important figure in your life, but important doesn’t always mean good, or lasting. just prominent. the angular houses (1, 4, 7, 10) are the anchors of the chart with the most important life themes, so planets here are LOUD, but loud doesn’t mean GOOD.

case in point: sophie turner and joe jonas. her venus sits right on his descendant. you’d think that would mean soulmate, true love, and it very well was for them at some point, but now it’s nasty divorce in the press (the descendant also being the place of opposition, and things seen in the public)

- synastry also isn’t static. what worked and was lovely one day could suffocate you tomorrow depending on your own souls growth. venus conjunct saturn can mean lovely stability and dependability between you two one day, and then three years later it means you feel like your partner gets colder and colder towards you, dampening your spark.

- saturn square venus in synastry does not work. spare yourself the heartache, it’s the most blatant omen of cosmic NO I’ve ever seen and experienced. the universe does not want y’all together.

- the 8th house is not about sex. I see this so much on tumblr and it makes me want to SCREAM. the 8th house is NOT. ABOUT. SEX. it is about the consequences of merging with someone. in the 8th house you take on their benefits and their baggage. the 8th house in the ancient tradition was associated with the esteem of others, i.e being beholden to what other people have and can provide you with. speaking as an 8th house venus myself, that isn’t always fun. it’s also a place associated with death, anxiety, and avoiding the inevitable. the 5th and even 7th house are much better places to look for sex. modern astrology has such a misconstrued view of the 8th house as some deep, intense sexy soul bearing place and that’s not what it is at all. i PROMISE you that if you become competent enough you’ll find intensity in some other aspect or placement in your synastry.

- 12th HOUSE SYNASTRY IS NOT SOULMATE SYNASTRY. I don’t even like speaking in absolute terms, I know a happily married couple where her aries stellium falls into his 12th (trining his leo venus, but i digress) but it’s more so the romanticizing of the 12th that drives me crazy. the 12th house is a place of mental anguish, suffering, isolation, and losing yourself. it is called the joy of Saturn, the greater evil-doer. it is a place of hidden enemies, and people who secretly sabotage you. if the ruler of the 7th is in the 12th, the partner can undermine you in some way. if the fourth house ruler is in the 12th, your parents or family could keep some secret from you. it is considered a bad house. the ancients called it “bad spirit” for a reason. tread carefully.

- sign affinity works! when all else fails keep it simple! you’re going to get along with people whose moon sign is in the same element as yours. if you’re a taurus venus, you just “get” other taurus placements, regardless of the house it falls in in your natal chart.

- 11th house synastry is good, and it’s not just cause you’d feel friendly feelings towards each other or whatever. the 11th house is called “good spirit” in ancient astrology, it’s the joy of jupiter. planets here are uplifting and supportive, so someone else’s planets falling here would have a similar effect. it’s warm. i especially like the moon here in synastry.

- nothing beats 7th house synastry. I don’t care, it’s the true house of merging and intimacy and closeness. the seventh house is where you find close bonds. 1st and 5th house are close second and thirds.

- don’t sleep on love asteroids! don’t make them the end all be all, planets will always tell the story best, but i’m currently obsessed with them at the moment. i could make a whole separate post on them.

- juno trines/squares/oppositions >>> juno conjunctions. i’ve seen the trines function much better than the conjunctions. goes back to my point about conjunctions being neutral. i have literally seen venus conjunct juno and saturn conjunct juno relationships fall apart while saturn trine juno, or jupiter square juno relationships thrive over years.

- the asteroid person is the one who feels it in synastry. they play out the myth/meaning through the planet person. this is what i’ve seen on an overarching level. if someone’s cupido conjuncts one of your planets, they have a crush/infatuation and you feel it, and may or may not reciprocate.

i think i’ll cap it here!

[sabrinathepolytheist]

In Defense of Aphrodite! - A Devotional Work!

Hello all, this is a thing I wrote a while back, but now that I have a blog, I figured I would share it! I get so annoyed by people giving Aphrodite flak and dishonoring her by the words they say. While I understand that most of these individuals are not pagans, or even Hellenist for that matter, I still think it is disrespectful. For those of you who are not Hellenist out there or worshipers of Aphrodite, please understand that she is a goddess, and that there are people who do honor and respect her. So, if you are a non-pagan and you put yourself in the shoes of an Aphrodite worshiper for a moment, you would see why we are annoyed, and quite frankly why we are angry about the recent trends spreading about our goddess on TikTok.

In Defense of Aphrodite:

What this post will cover:

What she is not!

How she shows love!

How she shows beauty!

She extends herself far beyond just love and beauty!

She is a mother figure!

She is not a monster!

What she is not!

People, pagans included seem to shun Aphrodite. They mock her and belittle her. They assume that because in myth she is portrayed as jealous, sadistic, and uptight, that it must be relative to her true nature. However, this is not, and never was the case. Aphrodite is not a monster; she doesn't "curse women who are compared to her in beauty". She definitely doesn't "take away your beauty if you ignore her". She is totally not the "whore" that modern media has reduced her to. She most certainly is not an advocate for the lesser-known toxic femininity that people often cast her with, otherwise known as a diva. She is SO much more than what people see!

How she shows love!

If you would just get to know her, and begin to be one within her bliss, she will show you her truly loving, caring, compassionate, patient, and unconditional nature. This is when you begin to love her as she loves you. When you get to know Aphrodite you see that there is more to life than just slugging through pay-check after pay-check, that there is more to life than what the media will advertise to you, that life itself is beautiful. Life is her gift to us, and thus we should cherish this gift. She animates our soul, and fills us with wonder, and amazement to explore the world, and to explore life with curiosity. Life is such a special and sacred thing. She cried for Adonis when he perished, but this is not just her sadness for the death of her mortal lover, this is the sadness that she feels when each and every one of us dies! That is how much she truly loves us! She cherishes every waking second she gets with us before it's our time to go. She is love incarnate!

How she shows beauty!

Aphrodite can teach us one major thing about beauty, that is, that it is subjective. Beauty is, and always has been in the eye of the beholder. Beauty is not the caked-up face that society has forced upon most women, true beauty comes naturally. You are already SO beautiful and you don't even know it. Beauty is not reserved for celebrities, or models. Beauty is not the stereotypical body standard that plagues society these days. Beauty is for all! Men, and women alike can rejoice, and appreciate the beauty in themselves, and in our world! There is beauty in us, in the rustling of the trees on a windy day, within the hearts of the ducks swimming gracefully upon the pond, within the eyes of any living creature. Aphrodite is beauty incarnate! If you just look for her, she is everywhere!

She extends herself far beyond just love and beauty!

Aphrodite is the goddess of all love and beauty, but she is SO much more than that. She is also the goddess of pleasure, passion, romance, and desire - none of which are inherently sexual in nature but can very well be sexual in nature if one wishes. she is the goddess of the self; self-love, self-care, self-adoration, self-confidence, even self-discipline - the list goes on. She is the goddess of the heart and is a heart healer. You can vent your sorrows to her, and she will listen, and she will guide you to healing. She will speak to you, be it in your subconscious, or in your heart itself, she will heal your sorrows and your pain.

She is a mother figure!

Aphrodite is a mother too, and if you are one who has a not-so-great mortal mother, Aphrodite will take you into her arms, and openly accept you as her own child - though you are not her blood born child, and most certainly are not a demi-god - she will still take you as her own, especially those who lacked the parental love they needed in childhood. She loves her children very much and will do anything in her power to protect them. If Eros is anything to look at in myth, she doesn't let him get away with Psyche so easily, and I feel that as a mother, she was just trying to better understand Psyche before letting Eros pursue her fully. She wouldn't want anyone to hurt Eros. She gives this same loving motherly protection to all her children. She loves us so very much!

She is not a monster!

As we can see, Aphrodite is not a monster, she is not the vile goddess myth portrays her as. She is lovely in nature to say the very least about her character. She loves all, and wants us to realize that beauty is subjective, and that everyone holds their own beauty inside and out. I pray that Aphrodite blesses and protects each and every person who reads this! <3

[learnastrowallura]

💚The 10th house in astrology💚

The source if this information is The Astrology Podcast (Chris Brennan) on Youtube and I will add a personal example plus some of my own thoughts as well

10th house: career, occupation, profession, work, enactment, achievement, reputation, intention, choice, actions, public image, visibility, exposure, rank, position, demand, duty, reward, honor, MC, legacy, bosses, power dynamics, angular

The sign and planet(s) in the 10th house can show us the image that is apparent or visible to others within a professional context, what we do exactly or how we take action toward achieving what we desire, what is the vision that we have and the contribution that we make (within the 6th house it is more... well what you HAVE to do, whereas with the 10th it is more end result based aka what impact will I have in the world), what is my role to play here etc, technical abilities and talents, career potential, our tendencies or even enthusiasm pertaining to taking action (or in the opposite case hesitation toward it) during work, which type of career the individual will take on, what we are known for

Looking at the ruler of the 10th house can, of course, give us more detail on career/reputation matters.

The midheaven in hellenistic astrology may not always fall in the 10th house, so for example if it falls in the 9th house your career may involve spiritual and/or religious matters, teaching people perhaps in college, and if it is in the 11th house then it may involve friendships so maybe there is an overlap with the coworker and friend relationship, or if you pay attention to the talks that you have with your friends there might be a certain theme that comes up that may be a good fit for you in your career, etc (use whole sign house system for this)

Personal example: Leo in 10th house, no planets

Right well this one is a bit tricky to delineate, to be honest

Starting with Leo I definitely make... a statement, I suppose? See the thing is with the 10th house it is something that becomes easier to analyze and figure out in adulthood. I would say I am known for being a certain kind of provocative and bold at my school for sure. Leo is all about shining and self expression and I do not shy away from being authentic and presenting myself as I am, yk? Not many people like it but yea

The reason why I mention college is because I do believe the way I behave there is close to how I would behave in jobs as well since it does count as 10th house work for me but that is my own perspective on it so take it with a grain of salt <3

Right now I am doing an internship which is as close as it gets to a job as of now and I would say I am all fired up to get shit done and I am also quite focused on doing the things that I have to do in a good and proper way (fixed sign quality; stability is prioritized) even though the situation rarely ever demands it; I would say I have good work ethic personally.

My midheaven is in my 10th house so there is not much to talk about there it is the most common case

My Sun which is the ruler of my 10th house is in 1st house placidus and I do resonate with that because my career, my legacy is of priority to me and I take that shit super seriously like it is this huge like goal of mine

Whereas with WS my Sun is in my 2nd house and to me that manifests in being very financially driven so while I do have a good work ethic if I find myself investing my time and energy into something long term that is not going to give me a financial ROI then I will look for something that does idc

My Sun trines my Saturn in the 9th house which does make me feel like that slowly but surely success in career vibes are relevant to me and that hard work and leaning into spiritual studies is going to be quite beneficial

My Sun is also square my Uranus in 4th house and I am not in a stage within my life in which I can quite explain that, however, I do think that shit constantly happening within my private life and home could potentially make me lose my focus and weaken my resolve at times butttt I always bounce back so it's oki

Thank you for reading <3

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[pokkop15]

Thalergy

The opposite of Thanergy (AKA “Death Energy”) in the Locked Tomb series by Tamsyn Muir.

So you say, “ok so it’s just life energy?” to which you are mostly correct. Thalergy is exactly that but what’s interesting about this to me (and soon to you all as well I imagine) is the etymology of thalergy!

The etymology?

The Etymology.

Thanergy as death energy derives its name from Thanatos, the greek god of death (technically the personified spirit of non-violent death but modern perception of the name is usually edgier than that lol). So it would be normal for those unfamiliar with the myriad of divinities within the Hellenistic pantheon to justly assume the ‘thal–’ in ‘thalergy’ comes from an opposite divinity of Thanatos that was a personified spirit of life. Except that doesn’t exist. Reading the first two books I knew that thalergy as a word wasn’t derived from any greek or roman words meaning “life” but I didn’t really dig any deeper on where it did come from because I didn’t think it was overly important. I Was Incorrect.

Because you see, the context for me to really connect the dots had gone over my head up until I had read Nona the Ninth. (I recall some meta posts pointing out that the Themes™ had in fact been present in the previous books just less obvious.)

What Themes? And Who The Fuck Is Thalergy Named For??

Thalassa.

Primordial Goddess Of The Motherfucking SEA!!!!

So yeah! Remember all those posts talking about the importance of all the themes regarding the sea/ocean in the Locked Tomb series? Yeah so here’s more fuel for that lmao

Edit 11/20/2022: also many people have brought up other examples like Thalia (the muse of Festivity whose name also means blooming) as another more direct connection to life and @adurna0 who actually speaks Greek has pointed out that thaleros is in fact a word that means "lively" so even if the Thalassa connection is a thing it is more likely a double meaning than the lone one.

[sophieinwonderland]

sophie, you have got to stop claiming that the christian god is canonically plural. that alone is depleting what little respect we have left for you. you're not christian yourself, or even spiritual. you have no right to speak on this. not to mention that there are several denominations of christianity that don't believe in a trinitarian god (our denomination being one of them). when you make these claims, you come off as a willfully ignorant asshole who treats the spiritual beliefs of others as bargaining chips for syscourse, regardless of what your intentions may be. speculation is fine, but making the claim that your speculation (on a religion you're not even a part of!) is unequivocally true is........ bad.

have a good day /gen. we say these things not out of any hatred or malice, but out of a genuine desire to help you learn and grow.

You know, I'm not one to toss around "check your privilege" unironically... but let's just say that I find it interesting how you, as a member of one of the most popular religions in the world that permeates every ounce of our culture, is saying we don't have a "right" to speak on your religion.

And all I can think is just... can you imagine if Hellenists reacted as you do every time they encountered somebody talking about the Greek gods?

I made similar statements about the Wiccan moon goddess being plural, and even when it offended a Wiccan sysmed, they didn't have the gall to say I didn't have the right to make those statements.

Sorry, you don't need to have some special "right" to be able to talk about a religion.

Anyway, God is canonically plural, according to most mainstream churches. God is three people in one being.

Yes, there are a few non-Trinitarian churches out there. And in fact, when my host was Christian, he and his family largely had non-trinitarian views, seeing Jesus as a separate being from The Father.

I'm not ignorant of the fact that non-trinitarian beliefs exist. They're just an overwhelming minority of the faith.

(Also, I guess someone should tell all the religious anthropologists to find a new field because apparently nobody has the right to say anything about a religion they aren't a part of. 🙄)

[lilacstro]

determining the sect of a chart (important)

this is in combination to my previous post on dignities.

Let us see what is a chart sect and how do we determine it.

Sect is a technical term that is used in astrology in order to refer to a distinction between day and night.

vettius valens (for those who do not know he was a 2nd-century Hellenistic astrologer) says:

"The benefic stars that are suitably and well-situated bring forth their own matters according to their nature and the nature of their zodiacal sign, with the additional mixture of the aspect testimonies and co-presences of each star. When they are unfavorably situated, they are indicative of reversals and obstacles. Likewise, even the malefic stars, when they operate suitably and are of the sect, are givers of good and indicative of greater rank and success. But when they are in unprofitable places, they bring about banishment and accusations"

again, things are always black and white in traditional astrology which is absolutely not true. I would like to assume they write like this so things are clear to people.

In practice it is used to associate different planets or different parts of an astrological chart with either the day or the night.

so a chart can be

nocturnal (for someone born in night and the moon is rising and the sun is setting)

dinural (for someone born in day and the moon is setting and the sun is rising)

and now we will see how do we see that in a chart.

draw a line from the ascendant, if the sun is above that line, it is dinural, and again if the sun is setting, it is nocturnal.

well, is it just that simple? Not really. let us first see some examples.

Source of image: kepler college

let us see a few examples:

below is the chart of BTS Jungkook:

the moon and sun are both below horizon, so it is a night chart. he was born at 3am around (see the right side of the second picture )

this is the chart for angelina jolie

we see, the sun is above the horizon . She was born at 9am around. (see the 2nd picture, left side)

this is the chart for kendric lamar, and it is a day chart, you get why?

sun is above the horizon , while moon is below the horizon

let us see lana del rey. Now this for some people who think bruh, why should we use so much brain when we can just see the time?? and this is a day chart, even though she was born around 4:47pm, which is not really day.

and now let us see what happens once we determine the sect of a chart.

source: kepler college (edited by me)

so what this means is

when you are born with a dinural chart, your jupiter and saturn are well placed, but mars is your biggest problem.

while, when you are born with a nocturnal chart, your venus and mars are well placed, but saturn is your biggest problem

mercury is neutral throughout.

and what this table above means, is a benefic planet, jupiter and venus is one plus, on both the teams side. One luminary, sun and moon are on either side, while one benefic (saturn for dinural and mars for nocturnal )are on each side too.

So you can say, they have both equalized themselves.

now let us see, how we arrange the strength of a planet based on your sect.

source of image: kepler college

so Jupiter is your best friend when you have a dinural sect, then venus, then saturn and mars (keep in mind we are not talking about the luminaries, the sun and moon yet)

and when it is a nocturnal chart,

Venus is your best friend, then Jupiter, then mars, and saturn becomes your enemy.

So to summarize:

The house of the most positive planet will tend to be an area of good fortune and ease in the life of the native. – Jupiter by day or Venus by night.

The house of the most negative planet will tend to be an area of difficulty, hardship and sometimes misfortune. – Saturn by night or Mars by day.

Now you may ask, why even bother knowing this information, well, this is actually pretty useful when studying transits, electional astrology, profections and even syanstry charts.

let us see an example from chris brennan on how to use the information of sects.

now as we are coming to the end of this post, I would again like to clarify, that this is not the end of the world. None of this is. There are the conditions we talked about in my previous posts, some that we did not (receptions), and declinations and a lot of advanced stuff that comes into calculation

and even after all those big numbers, life is greater than all of us, and there is free will that god himself gives us, and I am saying this though I am getting diploma in astrology. Lmao not me getting philosphical. Anyways, so these factors are called mitigating factors.

Mitigating factors can offset things. – Rejoicing conditions related to sect. – A planet being in its own sign, exaltation, or mutual reception. – A planet being bonified or maltreated. – Reception

Outcome becomes more moderate or extreme depending the presence of mitigations.

Many charts will have multiple factors present

Day chart. (Mars in the 1st, Jupiter in the 3rd)

He was a Green Beret in the United States Army Special Forces. A soldier. Was involved in the war in Vietnam. The native was gruff, direct, assertive, sometimes combative, sometimes coarse, rude of vulgar, but honest and forthright (his mars in 1st). He was also an astrologer, and good at teaching basic concepts by breaking them down(his jupiter in 3rd)

now if you find my recent post where I talked about Neville Goddard, you would also see him with Mars in 1st house, but he has a night chart. But he was not violent, or crude in speaking at all. So now you should understand, that there are multiple factors that contribute to a person and his life, astrologically.

In my practice with my clients, I always see, that a birth chart ALWAYS keeps on highlighting at least one thing over and over in the chart, and it is very prominent. The more you read charts, the more you develop skills to have a feel of it.

I hope this was helpful.

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