#spg info

[brooklynisher]

Hey all, you ever hear of Jaunty?

[x]

Do you WANT to learn more about Jaunty?

Well I dug deep, and found some things I never thought I could find. I'm really excited to share what I've found with y'all. This post is sort of a little journey of how I found Jaunty.

There's a few sections to this.

Skip to But where does Jaunty come from? If you just want answers

Is Jaunty even a real character?

Jaunty, from what I originally found, is SUPPOSEDLY a Steam Powered Giraffe character. But where have we seen this character before? Was it the comic? Was it the timeline? Maybe in a song cover? Does the band ever talk about Jaunty?

And to answer all of your questions, no! At least not that I knew of. The only source of Jaunty’s existence is here.

The Steam Powered Giraffe Wiki

So that makes this whole thing pretty complicated right? The wiki has info, and it’s not too inaccurate most of the time, but some of the lesser known/more nuanced information tends to get scuffed.

It really doesn’t help knowing that David has mentioned before that the information on the wiki wasn't that accurate.

What I’m saying is, the only proof we have for the existence of this character is on what might be one of the more unreliable sources of SPG information.

But despite that, this page is special in the fact that SUPPOSEDLY it was uploaded by Steam Powered Giraffe themselves!

[x]

However, there isn’t really much of any information on this user at all. All we know is that they founded this wiki, added a few characters and a bit of information, and then became inactive. Really our biggest reasoning for believing that this was an actual SPG member is the fact that they are the founder and have been around for a very long time.

Okay, suspicions aside, let’s see what I found about this thing.

What the wiki tells us

One, this image was touched by the founder of this wiki twice, it was uploaded in 2011, and in 2014 they protected the page, which means only the administrators can edit the page.

[x]

Both are pretty major years for SPG being the year Upgrade left the band and the year Rabbit transitioned, but there’s not many connections you can make with that.

This user was first active in 2010 and last seen in 2015 [x]

Cool dates to have, but not a lot to work with. It mainly gives us a clear vision of what SPG was looking like at the time of the creation of this page. I can see this thing being used for a special, slightly themed show.

Of course, the information the wiki alone offers is very limited, but we know two things for sure. One, this character is a robot being under the category of robots, and two, these photos were taken by Cineria.

[x]

So, here's the problem, you'd think that by having the name of the photographer, we could get far with that, but unfortunately, it is such a vague name, that there is just no way we could figure out who Cineria actually is. It really doesn't help that they don't seem to be a professional photographer. The only page I could find that connects both the name Cineria and Steam Powered Giraffe is this one.

Useless information

I started searching for stuff by reverse searching it. It wasn't really successful, as I was expecting, but I did find one thing.

A different source.

This source doesn't go anywhere must you know. The ORIGINAL site, florist.buketbunga.com is still up an active serving as an Indonesian site for selling flowers, but this very specific link is broken, and the Wayback Machine doesn't know a thing about it.

The good news is, the link title alone gives us a ton of stuff to work with! Appropriately, the last part of this link translates to "Flower Bouquet Florist Shop Address Nearest 24 Hours Online", which makes sense.

What DOESN'T make sense is everything else coming before it. Specifically the Team Fortress 2 Wiki. This made me believe that someone used these sites to create a scam link, but it's weird because somehow, it's relevant?

Yandex was able to match these images of Jaunty to this site, and what's crazier, Jaunty is in the title of the link! But it's not just Jaunty, it's the Jaunty Explorer.

I did some searching, and discovered that the Jaunty Explorer originates from a TF2 livestream charity event called Tip of the Hats! Donations can earn you medals known as the Jaunty Explorer ($10 Donations), the Jaunty Ranger ($30 Donations), and the Jaunty Mountaineer ($100 Donations). They can come in many different color variations, but here are the main ones.

[x] [x] [x]

There are TWO connections between this and SPG. One, the shared name of Jaunty, and two, hats. Steam Powered Giraffe is pretty big on hats. But, bad news, these are completely unrelated. Main reasoning? The image of Jaunty was posted to the wiki back in 2011, while Tip of the Hats as an event started back in 2013. Can't even take the "SPG was inspired by TF2" route with that.

Okay, but what even IS it?

Now we get into the visual aspect of this!

I tried to see if there was at least any way to identify what this is, but that solely relies on observational skills. There are two images of this thing, but the image with the blue background is much easier to make out.

[x]

There's a lot that's going on with the design of Jaunty. Unfortunately, I'm not smart enough to identify what half of the doodads are. This machine, whether it's an actual machine or just a prop, is definitely a one of a kind as I couldn't find anything like this.

I talked with @boneinator about this, and he was able to read the text: "STAND CLEAR!" on the top of the doors of this machine which lead him to believe that it might be a time machine of sorts.

What we both managed to agree on when it came to the design of this thing however, was that it looks like a cabinet.

Now, like I said, this thing has a one of a kind design, so it's not going to look exactly like one thing or another, but it has similar features to other things such as to this cabinet

[x]

Two longer doors on the upper half, and two smaller doors/drawers on the bottom. Is that actually what it is? I didn't know, but there is a resemblance.

One thing that's REALLY interesting about this machine is the intense amount of steam it lets out.

[x]

So it's definitely a very active machine.

But where does Jaunty come from?

Something I've been wondering is how much of this is actually connected to SPG.

Is it theirs? Is this a part of a bigger thing? Is it just associated with them?

A bigger thing. There is one example of a big SPG show that comes to mind, and it was not just them.

During their 15 Year Anniversary Livestream, the band was asked about their favorite memories. Bunny mentions that one of her favorite memories was at a show called Clockwork Vaudeville. This was one of the band's first time having a massive audience. According to her, this was a time traveling show, and they performed alongside others.

I looked into it and found that the full name of this performance is called Clockwork Vaudeville Circus Cabaret. And there, I found a little advertisement for it as well!

The Kickstarter for this show started in late 2010

I did some more searching and realized there is a bunch of video from this show out there though all these clips are recorded at random intervals. Assuming that the uploader posted these clips close to the date of the actual show, we can see that this show took place in February of 2011!

About one month after this show, this page was added to the wiki.

I checked the clips, and guess what.

[x]

Right there in the corner, there was Jaunty.

But that's not all

Not only have a found a video that contained Jaunty, I found a video that contained Jaunty in action!

[x]

Unbelievably enough, it was a video of the band performing Honeybee alongside a pole dancer. And thanks to the title, we now know that this show took place February 19, 2011

Which all this confirms 100% that Jaunty IS a time machine.

Now with all things considered, Jaunty is not necessarily an "SPG character" as in they didn't create it. It's hard to say if Jaunty is even a character at all at this point! But it does exist in their world and they actively interact with it!

Who cheered? I cracked the code!

[p2ii-pngs]

finally... fanbots of my own :)

[steambot-shenanigans]

The incredible Inky Becile!

She may have been created as a copycat, but that’s not his fault!

Learn more about Becile Industries’ newest hydropower automaton!

Powerful purpose!

Created in 2011 by Becile Industries as a response to Steam Powered Giraffe getting a gig at the San Diego Zoo, Inky was designed to play music at the Birch Aquarium in La Jolla California! We couldn’t let our “friends” at Walter Robotics have all the fun! He was programmed with a love for music and all the creatures of the sea!

Magnificent Magnetism!

His chassis makes good use of electromagnetism and is fully covered in Ferro Fluid, that can be shaped how she wants by changing the strength of the current through certain parts of her plating! His favorite thing to do is shape her arms and head to look more like an octopus or squid! She can form a mouth on her face, but he doesn’t have a jaw, just speakers, so he usually just doesn’t appear to have a mouth at all. The only feature that never changes is a pair of big glowing green photoreceptors that are the cutest and most expressive part of her.

Hydropower!

Due to the magnetization of the ferro fluid decreasing the more the temperature of the paramagnetic material increases, he cannot be powered by steam or coal, due to the heat it generates, so his genius inventor rigged a system to use the green matter to cause water to move and flow perpetually in his core, spinning a rotor to generate the electricity she needs to function! Environmentally friendly AND practical!

Clever Clothing!

Inky knows herself to be of two genders, and as such, uses the pronouns he and she! His only adornment—due to the discomfort of wearing clothes overtop of the gelatin-like ferro fluid—is a snazzy green bow. Masculine bow tie or feminine hair bow? The article can serve both purposes as this bot can maneuver it with ease to where it needs to be using his expertly manipulated ferro fluid coating!

Rocking Repertoire!

Inky the automaton can play and sing a wide variety of songs, all things that have to do with the water and the creatures that live in it! She has a combined programming of covers and songs he wrote himself with his very own composition software! You could find her rocking out on her pretty purple electric guitar, serenely strumming a ukulele, or even striking the keys of a keyboard.

But this tale is a tragic one!

Our innocent little Inky was laid off from his place of employment at the aquarium because of her appearance, which the staff described as “creepy” and “like if venom and kuthulu had a small robot child”, which we here at Becile industries think is very unfair to the poor kid. Everyone who’s gotten a chance to know her has said she is polite, friendly, and energetic! He may not be perfect, but what 13 year old boy/girl is?

You can help!

If you want to help our robot, look for him when he busks around the San Diego area, or if you aren’t local, you can support her and her robot siblings at Becileindustries.com, or check out https://tinyurl.com/InkyInfo-BecileIndustries for more information! And finally, if you just want our correspondent to pass on a message her way, you can message the blog that sent this informational post, and our crew will tell him what you wanted him to hear!

[howdyitisme]

Fanbot list!

Art credit to some wonderful people.

@boneinator @mrmonarch

More info about them under the cut.

I present to the first and "Hearty Harmoni Ruth " and "Skips Kinder." This pair are two sweet Valentine's themed bots commissioned by Walter Robotics in the late 1960s by what was a simple yet popular homemade candystore in the biggest mall at America at the time.

❤️ Hearty Harmoni,a wonderful gal with a glowing personality and a constant sweet tooth. Standing at 6'5, light pink (painted) metal, permanent wink, and her heart-shaped cheek that light up and flash. From a distance, a string of pearls decorates her neck, and the four front-facing pearls connect to her neck, used as avent to let out steam while she operates. Lower torso she proud supports a heart shaped speaker that plays music as she walks around the store while talking and greeting others into the store; though in after hours it's her job to effortlessly lift up shelves or moving heavy equipment. Her looks are based on classic vintage style cards and the once lively wife of the store owner.

👒Skips, a sharply dressed gentleman that may only be "standing at" 4'3, hus big personality and charming words make him seem bigger. Supporting a pencil mustache,chin stubble, and q simple straw hat adorned with red ribbon with a tiny matching version of his bowtie. Unfortunately, a lack of funding led to them not being able to afford Skips' second half. His second half was originally to be a planned gondola boat, where he would connect to his bolted down legs and be a photo-op for customers. Both he and Harmoni share a matching red heart-shaped bow; whether it be on her head or adorns Skips' bowtie.

🔴Emmett, the embodiment of a cartoon bully and probably the sassiest merc with a mouth, even if it's all old slang. Who just happens to work across from a pair of love bots, in an upcoming to fame clothing brand, and does everything he can to bring customers away from them and into his clothing store. Adorned in 1970s denim fashion, shiny silver metal and bright red hair that'd make anyone turn their head to look at.

Somewhere in the late 1960s, the owner of a brand new clothing store noticed how a little homemade candy shop was gaining traction of dozens of customers an hour. A tall and beautifully pink bot and what seemed like half an automaton speaking to them all and made them all feel welcome. Having him be commissioned by the Walter Robotics company in the 1969's - early 1970's, there he was, a proud,loud, and shiny Emmett. Made to charm with any passing and possible customers to come look at his store and show off what they got. Unfortunately for the love bots, he deems them as an easy target to mess with since they're the only other automatons he's ever met and sees them as competitions.

____

As of now, there is no set in stone"canonical" ending for any of them due to a split time like we see in the SPG OG comics.

"Info junk-" It's basically just canonical stuff that won't change over time.

"Giggling-" dumb thoughts or jokes used for the fanbots.

___

More important information will be added here if needed or posted about. Hopefully, you'll enjoy them as much as I do.

[citrineandrosmarin]

30 Days of Deity Devotion - Athena

Day 10: Offerings, Historical and UPG

(Feel free to comment your own additions!)

Minerals

Sodalite, Lapis Lazuli, Fluorite, Gold, Blue Aventurine, Bronzite, Blue Calcite, Iolite, Kyanite, Lepidolite, Moonstones, Obsidian, Onyx, Smoky Quartz, Tourmalinated Quartz, Ruby, Snowy Quartz, Tiger Eye, Tiger Iron, Zoisite

Plants

Olive, Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, Orange, Cypress, Ivy, Oregano, Yarrow, Oak, Peppers, Basil, Pine, Marigold, Dandelion, Geranium, Tiger Lily, Hellebore

Incense and Candle Scents

Most aromatic herbs, Dragon’s Blood, Musk, Cedarwood, Cinnamon, Pine, Frankincense, Myrrh, Oakmoss & Amber, Blood Orange, Apple & Cinnamon, Peppermint & Nutmeg, Orange Cinnamon and Clove, Vanilla, American Rosewood, and the incenses "Tree of Life", "Pagan Spell", and "Celestial Bliss"

Food and Drink

Olives and Olive oil, Water, Diluted Wine, Grapes, Honey, Bread, Cakes, Most Fruit, Fish, Rooibos (Redbush) Tea, Mint Icecream, Raspberry, Chocolate, Red Grapefruit, Cheese, Cookies

Items

Candles (Particularly blue or white ones)

Any kind of craft such as crochet, knitting, pottery, sculpture, etc.

Books, especially non-fiction

Art of any kind

Snake shed

A playlist or moodboard dedicated to her

Any study materials such as pens, notebooks and dedicated devices

Grades and Documentation related to your studies

Any imagery of her or her symbols

Devotional Acts

Cultivating intellect - Research. Studying. Reading non-fiction. Watching documentaries or video essays. Reading essays on topics you're interested in. Learning or practicing a skill. Developing critical thinking skills. Developing debating skills. Learning about her, mythology, or ancient Greek society.

Utilizing intellect - Strategy games. Coding. Planning of any kind, especially business-related. Being inventive. Tutoring. Teaching your friends about something.

Crafting - Weaving, knitting, crochet, macrame or other textile crafts.

Physical Cultivation - Exercise. Going to the gym. Learning self-defense or a martial art. Learning stage combat. Doing an archery or sword fighting course.

Activism - Researching and supporting just causes. Attending a protest. Uplifting the voices of those who are often silenced. Signing petitions. Learn about the gender pay gap, glass ceilings, class cliffs, etc.

Justice & Law - Learn about your rights. Jury Duty. Learn about how the justice system works and how it does not work. Voting.

Miscellaneous - Using olive oil. Learn about her sacred animals. Meditation. Donating to LGBTQIA+ organizations. Colony sim games such as Civilization.

[irradiatedvulture]

🎨🎸‼️ for the fanbot ask game

you can answer them individually (one per bot) or for all of them, as you wish :]

Ohohohoh, i havent gotten to chat about my bots in a WHILE so here we go. I did have to search the base of my brain for lore. But, here we go! Answers under the cut.

🎸Do they play an instrument?

Bombshell: She cant play shit. Music is not her forte at ALL

Asmodeus: He can! He can play the bass and the drums. If he could start a robot punk band, he absolutely would.

Moth: He can play the piano, doesnt do it often but he does enjoy it when he has the opportunity to play.

🎨what are their hobbies?

Bombshell: She tinkers on electronics (and other bots, with permission), and woodworks

Asmodeus: Ngl bro sets stuff on fire. Please, take his lighter away. He will arson.

Moth: As see above, he plays piano when not delivering mail. He also enjoys reading high fantasy books.

‼️something about the fanbot you want everyone to know

Bombshell: she has two different cores! Her main core is made of Teal matter (an unstable and highly experimental mixture of Blue matter and Green matter. I can go into it further later if anyones interested). While her alternate core is Red Matter, she usually has Red when shes either highly damaged, or experiencing PSTD-like symptoms from previous trauma shes experienced. Ive also had her for a LONG time, she was originally made in i think 2014/2015ish, back when i was still in highschool.

Asmodeus: at this point hes just me but cooler, im ngl. Amd he smokes, i dont know how but he does, it just works, if it effects him, i have no clue.

Moth: hes one of my oldest ocs! I made him originally in 2013. Hes since got a redesign since then but has stayed fairly similar to his original design.

[sincerelyang3l]

OC Dump

Pt 3: More Scrapped/Old OCs

A continuation of my OC dump pt 1, but this time with all my old characters. Just doing this for anyone interested. I’m making two parts to this, one of non-scrapped and the other of old/scrapped ocs. Feel free to ask questions 😊🙌

also pls be wary of the fact that some of these drawings are a lot older than others. My art style has improved a LOT over the past two years so, pls no hate.

Enjoy~

genuinely cannot remember their name (Ghost Band Fandom? Idk what it is I used to be obsessed)

Sear 🦋 (FavreMySabre Multiverse)

Blue & Oliver 📺 (Multifandom, my god these guys are OLD)

Walter Worker OC (SPG, does this count?)

Genesis 💚 (FavreMySabre Multiverse, also kind of doesn’t count bc it’s his character and this is more like a fanart but he’s pretty cool so)

Yippee that’s all yippee

[chaotic-tired-bastard]

I am shocked at the self-restraint I have when creating SPG OCs

[robin-walterrobotics]

[PINNED ASKS OPEN]

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

My name is Robin! Nice to meet you!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

~ built in the year 1900

~ I play guitar and sing

~ I use he/they pronouns, trans

~ I like books a lot!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Rules + RP info

-Mod is underage

-Mod uses it/its/he/him

-No DNI I will cater my own experiences

-This is an RP account

-NO NSFW, Mod is underage

-Open to any characters... ever, just anyone rily

-Not looking for any specific characters, just here to have fun!!

-fanbots and canon bots RP welcome to interact and start RPs

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Robin Info/lore:

A fanbot from the SPG universe, created in 1900

Most parts made from copper. The teal parts being oxidized after years of use, the more typically coloured copper parts being frequently replaced because they move a lot and can damage easily

Originally designed as a delivery robot in 1900, long after his siblings, he has wings to fly to delivery destinations and more complex and extensive facial mechanisms because he works in customer service. Ironically he has social anxiety and a fear of heights.

His siblings were not often at the mansion, instead touring and putting on shows, so Robin went a long while having never met them. They made friends with the Walter Workers but still felt very lonely most of the time, wandering the giant mansion alone. He looked up to his siblings greatly, and when they finally came back to the mansion and met him he nervously asked to join the band, they accepted happily.

He’s not trans in the same way that Rabbit was. He was built as a “female” robot (never had any genitals, but was programmed to “act like a woman” and view himself as a woman). But while in the Walter Manor he read magazines and news papers and articles about “transexuals” and “pansy performers” and identified with it, with how they presented themselves. That’s what he wanted to look like. The first time he ever met his siblings Rabbit talked about being trans and she helped him discover himself.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Tags:

Robinasks —— responding to asks!

Robinreblogs —— reblogs!!

Modposts —— posts made by the mod [me!]

[that-enby-witch]

Witchy Resources

Astrology

Cafe Astrology - does your birth chart and it’s presented in a really cute way imo. It also gives you info about each placement and you can check compatibility and stuff too

Co—Star - I downloaded is the other day, it gives you quick daily horoscopes, do’s and dont’s for the day, and a longer breakdown of the horoscope

Dream work

Little Book of Dreams - I got this at a local store but you can get it for £4. It’s really cute and small, with just little summaries for what common dreams mean. It’s very simple but good for beginners in dream work

Deity worship (These are specific to Hellenism. You don’t have to worship Greek deities to be a witch but it’s what I have resources on because it’s what I follow)

Wikipedia - no seriously. It has info on so many different deities and their mythology so it’s actually quite useful.

r/Hellenism - a good place to ask questions if you’re new to deity worship and get some SPG on less common deities. Be sure to fact check

Amino - there’s a couple of Greek mythology and Hellenist communities on here. Like with Reddit, fact check!

Theoi.com - so much basic info on various deities, and it’s got epithets and things too that Wikipedia doesn’t have.

Tarot

Nata Soul Taro - probably the best pick a pile tarot readers I’ve found on YouTube. she also has a website and does personal readings. The videos are very calming and often really accurate

Zodianz - gives you three tarot cards and their meanings. Includes whether they’re yes or no, zodiac signs, planets and elements that correspond with each card, keywords for the card and then a short paragraph about the meaning. It also gives the meaning of the numbers in the card (like in 8 cups it tells you about 8)

If anyone knows any websites where you can learn tarot meanings let me know and I’ll add them to this list

Spell work

The Works - if you’re British, The Works has a lot of trinket boxes that you can keep spell ingredients in, and some potion bottles which are meant for crafts but they’re perfect for spell jars

Witchipedia - has some basic info about spells and some simple ones that you can do without needing many tools. Perfect for broom closeted witches, beginners or witches who can’t afford fancy stuff.

@strangesigils has some posts on common sigil methods, or, you can use some of their existing sigils!

Shadow work

Pinterest - I’m not kidding Pinterest has some great shadow work prompts if you just type in shadow work. Some are meh and some are really good

Co—Star - as well as astrology this also has a section where you can write a message to yourself and it’ll pop up the next time the stars are in the same position as they were when you wrote it

Crystal work

Holly’s Hope Beads - handmade crystal jewellery! My mum knows the girl who owns it and I’ve gotten a few pieces here. Really pretty and good quality

[ramenwithbroccoli]

Hey I know nothing about steam powered giraffe but ur mechs Ben diagram post intrigued me, could u explain it pls?

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Steam Powered Giraffe is a wonderful musical act with elements of comedy, pantomime and puppetry (shout out to GG the Giraffe).

Created in 1896 by Peter A. Walter I, the band consists of The Spine (David Michael Bennet), Rabbit (Isabella "Bunny" Bennet) and Zer0 (Bryan Barbarin).

Former members are Upgrade (Erin Burke) [from 2008 to 2011], The Jon (Jonathan Sprague) [from 2008 to 2012] and Hatchworth (Sam Luke) [from 2011 to 2016, although he 'became' a robot only after The Jon's departure].

RELEASED ALBUMS

please note that spg's style varies from album to album and sometimes even from song to song, so every new tune is a new adventure ;]

Album One - the first one, most old-timey in vibe. with that one song you might have heard. there's also a 2011 version of it without upgrade, but with Ice-Cream Man

The 2¢ Show - second album filled with train trips, cowboys, airplanes and this other song you might have heard (insect edition)

MK III - third album, with songs letting us know more about robots themselves (my personal favourite)

The Vice Quadrant part 1 and part 2 - fourth album, 2h space opera and a masterpiece, happening in two parallel universes. even most devoted fans have to check out the timeline sometimes to remember what's going on

Quintessential - fifth album with individual songs and the dnd anthem ever

1896 - sixth (and the newest!) album with absolute bops and foreshadowing for the new album. also, a song about a band sang by a band of people playing the robot band. bandception.

The Seventh - an upcoming album. all we have now is this trailer.

Bonus music

Music from SteamWorld Heist - new space-pirate themed songs and covers of older, popular tunes made for the SteamWorld Heist game. definitely deserves more recognition

covers and stand-alone songs not included on any of the albums

STUFF WORTH CHECKING OUT IF YOU WANT TO KNOW MORE

general info about the band/members

lore about creation of the band + timelines of both their fourth album "the vice quadrant" and the band itself

spg comics (now also on webtoon!)

@owlhari's youtube channel, with really fun early-performance compilations and more recent videos discussing lore, theories and the band itself

obviously the youtube channel of the band itself (if you dig around a bit you can find some pretty cool videos, such as these ones)

not to self-advertise, but spg community on tumblr is pretty neat. i've met wonderful people there and also found out that colonel walter ate dog food, so it's worth it to visit our tag sometime, i guess ;3

[brooklynisher]

Guess who found a higher quality more saturated version of the VI photoo.

[x] [x]

[hyakinthou-naos]

Theoi Info Sheets Series Part 5: Aphroditê

"Moisa, tell me the deeds of golden Aphrodite... who stirs up sweet passion in the gods and subdues the tribes of mortal men and birds that fly in air and all the many creatures that the dry land rears, and all the sea..."

- Homeric Hymn 5 to Aphrodite (trans. Evelyn-White)

(The following is UPG, possible SPG) (TW for minor mentions of sex/sexual themes)

Aphroditê, to me, is Goddess of more than just love, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. Lady Aphroditê, born of the severed phallus of Ouranos, is a transgender goddess in form and also function. I believe She is the mother and creator of transgender and non-binary humans (this is partially cannon in myth, as She is the mother of Hermaphroditus).

Growing up, I saw Lady Aphroditê portrayed as a vapid, sexual, and self-centered entity; and for many years I never gave those portrayals a second thought. However, since I began my journey into Hellenic Polytheism I have come to revere Aphroditê as a honored member of my personal pantheon. Aphroditê has helped me with self-love, self-image, and sexual intimacy. She has helped me fully embrace the complex relationship I have with masculinity and femininity - and has also helped to guide me towards better understanding my gender.

Lady Aphroditê has helped me heal, grow, and evolve - and for that I am eternally grateful.

I implore any trans/enby Hellenic Polytheists to not overlook Aphroditê in their worship - she is so much more than the portrayals we all grew up consuming.

*You may have seen this info sheet before on thewitchfarhan.tumblr.com - that is my old Tumblr. These info sheets are my own creation - please do not repost without credit.

[mex-rarksley]

I was talking to my sister about spg and after info dumping for about 15 minutes she only just realised that the robots aren't actually real.

She thought

She thought that they were real, singing robots :')

And was even more confused about why I love them all so much whenever she found out that they are technically just people.

She's maybe not the brightest in the bunch lol

[tenebrisdivina]

UPG terms and its problems

This is a bit of a rant.

To start off with I actually really dislike the term UPG, SPG, VPG. These terms are also a recent phenomenon. I do understand why people use it and it can be helpful in some cases. However It kind of puts an unwarranted onus on needing to prove or validate our experiences and gnosis; as though it isn’t good enough or valid- unless others can verify it. This simply is not the case.

Given the vastness of the realms and experiences and the differing paradigms and individual energies (and how those energies interact with things)- it is not all that likely that others will experience the same things that you do. This does not mean that your experience isn’t real and important; even if its to yourself. This is why I prefer the term Gnosis; there isn’t this “proving its true” or “has to be right” energy attached to it. I also find the terms actually quite diminishing and qualitative in the long run as well. I do think it comes from a bit more of a scientific evidence based emphasis on needing to prove things, and again while it can be helpful sometimes; it is also rather limiting to expect spiritual experiences to be able to be “proven.” -otherwise they aren’t “real” or “valid”. Also for this what counts as verified?- just because some other people may agree with it or have experienced something similar? And what “qualifies” them to be able to do so- do they need to be on the same path?, have a similar understanding or paradigm? The same experiences? The emphasis on things needing to be validated/verified also can lead to some people being reluctant to share things because it isn’t validated by a wider community. I do feel this emphasis also leads to an idea of sameness and oneness- a need to be the same as someone else or united in one viewpoint- and this can lead to a diminishing “value” of the diversity of experiences. While UPG, SPG and VPG could be helpful maybe to gain a kind of beginning level understanding of different entities/beings for example- it should not stop there or be limited by what a wider community thinks is possible. This also introduces a judgement bias towards things and can add peer pressure into the mix.

I do not believe that spiritual pursuits should be so limited or subject to the idealization of “one right way” or truth- that these diminishing terms and ideas are seeming to lead towards. So much is cut off because of this.

I use the term gnosis ( also with what I discuss publically) for my experiences- because it isn't "just in my head" like UPG can sometimes suggest ( ie the idea of it being " just your imagination") . Whatever I post here has been discussed with the DL's first, and as priestess this is important to me to be giving accurate insight into things. These are lived experiences and other practitioners I know have also experienced and discussed similar viewpoints and takes. As such this is not unverified (especially since the topics and info has been either discussed with the demonic divine or channeled with soul level and the Demonic divine insight). Using the term gnosis to me also encompasses a much wider range of energies and allows for more diversity in experiences. Gnosis in and of itself its also not relegated to nor "judged" via the mind or set (mental or other) criteria either as it transcends such things. It is for me a lived experience, encompassing; energetic, soul, spirit, multi-planar, bodily and mental understandings - which cannot be simply broken down into nice neat little boxes for ease of consumption and understanding.

[citrineandrosmarin]

30 Days of Deity Devotion - Athena

Day 3: Symbols and Icons

The Aegis — Made for Zeus but most often in use by Athena and Apollon, the aegis was originally a goat skin with a gorgoneion and the power to cause panic. It has also been presented as a shield or breastplate. Learn more

The Gorgoneion — A common apotropaic (protective) symbol of a gorgon (think Medusa) head.

Helmet (Corinthian Style) — This style of helmet is the one most frequently depicted in art.

Spear, Shield, Sword, Armor — All relate to Athena's war and protection aspect.

Distaff and spindle — Used in weaving.

Owls — The Little Owl was considered Athena's sacred bird, representing or accompanying her. It was depicted on Athenian coins, and often with her in art.

Snakes — Snakes are another sacred animal to her depicted with her in art works. Snakes symbolized wisdom and were also linked to Athena's adopted son and mystical king of Athens, Erectheus.

Horses, the Chariot — Poseidon was the father of horses, but Athena was the one who invented the bridle and chariot, and was often associated with the skill of charioteering.

Olive Tree, Olives — Just as Athena took the wild horse and tamed it, she also taught humans to cultivate the olive tree to make olive oil. In one myth, she gifted an olive tree to the city of Athens in a contest against Poseidon, after which the city adopted her name.

The Sphinx — Often appears on her helmet, possibly relating to her aspect of cunning.

Ivy — There is a regional epithet of hers which means "of the ivy", Athena Kissaia

Colors — Blue, Grey, Gold, Red, Ivory, Bronze (Some include emerald green too)

UPG Section

Books and Scrolls — I mean fairly obvious, right?

Knitting/Crochet Needles and Loom — Weaving aspects.

Spiders — Not because of the Roman myth (I'm more hard polytheist), just from experience and also because it makes sense. Most spiders are weavers, and patiently trap and ambush their prey. They even lure prey to them by plucking threads of their webs in some cases. They are more intelligent than we think, capable of foresight, planning and other complex mental processes!

Computers/Technology — To go with my UPG about her being patron of technology which I will cover later on.