theghoststewardpersonal

[theghoststewardpersonal]

[theghoststewardpersonal]

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Which is the feeling who bite my tongue while others offend me? Which is fear that made me feel cornered? That take my words when the only thing cowards had to bend me is numbers? Why I let them bully me while others watch and never intervene? What voice told me to be gentle? What voice told me to accept the cold, lonely night? What voice told me to take care of the ones that hurt me?

𝗦𝗼 𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆, 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗿𝗲𝘀 Break the shackles of womanhood. Bread the ties that made me docile. Let me spill spiteful words, Let me give what I got. Thus I am tired, of letting men's feelings be more important than I, To bend my will to others, to let other's less knowledge or experienced than I tell me how to live my life. More than all, I am tired of fear.

Be my shield and be my sword, Let me mark what have been told, As much as I keep my own word. Let me not forget. Take my wraith and take my pain, Let it not be the same. As vengeance, as bright as may be, I hope from better from tee. Let this simple flames of mine, Feed deep and burn bright. Like a torch to shatter the dark, To pass along this rightful line. I give to the one that had been harmed, I give to the pain, the lost, the forgotten, I give it hot, I give it cold. I give as it may, to never be broke. To undo what should never be done, Our flame will feed us like a sun.

[theghoststewardpersonal]

⚔️ A GUIDE TO ARES WORSHIP ⚔️

So you decided you wanna worship Ares. Great! It's kind of hard to find information on him right away, so I'm here to help you out with this masterpost. It may be big, but covers up just about everything you need to know for a start.

WHO IS ARES?

In hellenic polytheism, Ares is the god of war, bloodshed, courage, battlelust, civil order and rebellion. He is the patron of soldiers and personification of strength.

Ares has been shown in media and in most greek myths as a hotheaded, stupid, sadistic jock who only cares about harming others and causing chaos, but obviously, he is a lot more than that.

Ares is angry, I wouldn't dare saying anything different, but he isn't out of control or mad. Ares is one for minorities and for women, he is a passionate god that inspires us to be brave and keep fighting whenever we feel like we can't anymore.

Most of mythology does not offer an accurate depiction of Ares' character, but that's not the case with the myth of Alcippe.

To sum it up, Alcippe was one of Ares' daughters. She was being raped (in some versions, was about to be raped or generally being sexually assaulted) by Halirrhotius, a son of Poseidon. She cried out for her father, who showed up and killed her rapist. Poseidon wasn't happy with the murder of his son, so the first trial took place. Ares was considered innocent and the hill where his trial took place was named Areopagus after him.

Another time his mythology did not fail him was the myth of the amazons, warrior women who were daughters of Ares. They fought side by side on many occasions and from what I noticed, he's giddy at any mention of them.

I'd describe Ares as an amazing father, a seeker for justice and someone who will be there for you when you need it most – wether it be as the hand on your back, supporting you and urging you on or as the final push of strength you didn't know you had in you.

SACRED DAYS & FESTIVALS

As Ares is connected to Mars, his sacred weekday is Tuesday. Tuesdays are associated with action, physical activity, sexuality, the color red, passion, strength, vitality, raising motivation and anger. Perfect match, right?

Ares had few temples, but was always honoured with special rites in times of war or before battle. Unfortunately, I haven't found many resources for festivals honouring him other than one celebrated only by women and one celebrated only by men.

The one celebrated only by men occured in Geronthrai, in Lakonia. Ares' cult in this village happened yearly, when he was asked to bless those who would serve as soldiers and asked for their victory.

The second festival honored Ares Gynaikothoinas, Ares Feasted by Women. It originated in the Lakonian war, after the women of Tegea set up an ambush for the Lakedaemonians. They won the fight and celebrated by giving victory sacrifices to Ares on their own account, without the men.

I think it's important to say that while the festivals were separated by the gender binary, that doesn't mean that Ares only accepts male or female followers. Being non-binary myself, I know that's not the case, but it's not like centuries of cisgender and heteronormative historians didn't do harm... Anyways! What I mean is: Ares loves every single one of his followers, whether they're cis or not.

TAROT CARDS

The tarot cards associated with Ares are The Chariot and The Emperor.

The Emperor upright means masculinity, stability, fearless, passion, fatherhood, authority, discipline and regulation.

The Chariot upright means advancement, mastery, assertion, willpower and control.

SACRED ANIMALS

serpents

the boar

vultures

dragons

dogs

barn owls

woodpeckers

eagle-owls

SACRED PLANTS

Ares doesn't actually have any sacred plants. In mythology or historical practices, there's nothing about it. Here's some of my UPG:

basil

buttercup

yarrow

ginger

anything with tiny yellow flowers

spicy stuff: peppers, paprika...

ARES' EPITHETS

Thêritas | Beastly

Aphneios | Abundant

Gynaikothoinas | Feasted by Women

Laossos | He Who Rallies Men

Khalkeos | Brazen

Teikhesiplêtês | Stormer of Cities

Aatos polemoio | Insatiate of Fighting

Rhinotoros | Flesh-Piercing

Deinos | Terrible

Enyalios | Warlike

Khrysopêlêx | Of the Golden Helm

Ares has many other epithets. Most of them are about his violence and bloodshed, so I picked my favorites or the ones that focused on other aspects of him.

ARES' SYMBOLS

a peaked warrior's helm

spear

shield

a dog

chariot

flaming torch

vulture

symbol of mars (masculine)

OFFERINGS & DEVOTIONALS

anything you made. seriously. as long as you worked hard and gave it your all, he'll love it.

hot sauce

pork ribs

a whole barbecue, if you'd like. even if it's vegetarian

pretty much any meat

peppers

a lighter

blades (of any kind)

anything that's sharp and potentially deadly

a homemade meal

alcohol in general, but especially whiskey, tequila and beer

exercising. it doesn't matter what it is, as long as you're exhausted, sweaty and gross by the end of it

energy drinks

things made out of iron or steel

beef jerky

bacon

cigarettes

broken glass

storm water

read him books on strategy or war history

take a self defense class

go to a protest

meditate focusing on your heartbeat

participate in political discussions

practice radical sports

dark chocolate (75-80% cocoa)

cookies (homemade are best)

matches

basil

strong scented stuff

study war history

learn first aid

healthy, unharmful things that give you adrenaline rushes (amusement park rides, bungee jumping, etc)

educate yourself on ptsd

spicy foods

follow through with your tasks

watch action movies with him

pet a dog

learn about his children

volunteer work

WHY WORSHIP A GOD OF WAR?

For me, life is war.

I don't say it to sound cool or edgy or whatever may be going through your head right now. In my country, trans people have a life expectancy of 35 years.

I didn't choose for it to be like this. I didn't sign up for a war. This is just my life. I just wanted to live it. I don't want to be fighting a battle every single day I go outside, but I am.

Can you imagine that? Your life being an incessant game of tug of war? Fearing everyone that looks at you funny on the street because oh well, this might be curtains for me?

All I know is war. It may not be the ones that get written down on history books and people make movies about, but it's war. It's terrible, but it's all I know. I can't imagine how my life would be without it. Sometimes, I wonder if there's anything to me but it.

Ares understands. He makes it better. I'm not sure he knows anything but war either, but he doesn't act like that's bad. War is all consuming, and Ares knows that better than anyone. Having him with me, every step of the way, makes it easier.

I was raised with a perfect God. A God that only cared about the beautiful, the perfect, the holy. The rest was shameful and should be cast aside, hidden.

I spent a long time ashamed of myself for it. Ares frees me from this.

He wants to know the ugly, the bad thoughts, the things that hurt and make you ashamed. Ares doesn't mind getting dirty. He'll hold you, bloodied and all, even if your tears wet his clothes.

Ares knows how bad humans can get. He's seen us at our worst, so he won't shy away when you're at the bottom.

He understands that we're flawed. I don't think he minds.

He isn't looking for perfect little angels, free of sin and guilt. You can come to him with with your evil, tell him all that's bad about you, all your past mistakes, all that makes you disgusting and ashamed, and Ares won't even bat an eye. He's seen worse. He might say it's okay, if you're scared. He won't be.

Ares will know all of your flaws and shrug. He will help you with them, loves seeing his followers grow, but won't think less of you for them. If you let him stick around long enough to learn all of your qualities too, Ares will love your bad and good all the same.

[theghoststewardpersonal]

✨ MODERN WITCHES DAILY - SIGIL MASTERPOST  ✨

Inner Peace / Protection / Inspiration / Courage / Self-Confidence / Health

I’m working on a project with my sigils and I thought it would be nice to put them all together somewhere! You can use them in your daily life! Lots of love and positive vibes to you my fellow witches ♥

Reblog appreciated ♥  Please, just don’t repost! 

[theghoststewardpersonal]

this and this and this - a song of achilles mix

sweetheart come nick cave & the bad seeds | my love will never die hozier | you’re the one that i want angus & julia stone | when we were kings have gun, will travel | exit music (for a film) radiohead | ho hey the lumineers | bloom the paper kites | the origin of love hedwig & the angry inch | the scientist coldplay | little lion man mumford & sons | a lack of color death cab for cutie | carry me nick cave & the bad seeds | cosmic love florence & the machine | draw your swords angus & julia stone | blood the middle east | take me to church hozier | skin & bones david j. roch | o children nick cave & the bad seeds | nights in white satin the moody blues | this is gospel panic! at the disco | love love love of monsters & men

[theghoststewardpersonal]

hiya!!

i come from a strict religious family but i want to start worshiping the hellenic gods i can’t give offerings since i don’t have my own room

pls help me 😭😭

Hello!

It's fine if you cannot give offerings to Theoi.

For some not-so-obvious, discreet and "closeted worship" friendly alternatives I could suggest:

prayer - you can absolutely pray silently ("in your head"), even sitting down and without performing any typical "obvious" gestures (more about prayer in general: LINK)

devotional acts - you could dedicate everyday activities to deities of your choice (e.g. drawing, taking medicine and listening to music could be dedicated to Apollo)

devotional jewellery - you could dedicate any piece of jewellery to some deity and wear it to honour them (I mention it here - the part about my bracelets): LINK)

devotional playlists - you can make a playlist with music that reminds you of a certain deity and listen to it whenever you'd like as a way to honour them (more about this: LINK)

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Plate 151 Turkey Buzzard, John James Audubon

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Apollo & Ares

These two have been like guardian angels to me, always safe and protective and loving in exactly the way that I needed it, so here's a post to honour them.🕯

[theghoststewardpersonal]

A guide to worship of Athena - cheat sheets

Hellenic cheat sheets

If you like my content consider supporting me on: https://ko-fi.com/screeching0wlet

[theghoststewardpersonal]

A guide to worship of Aphrodite - cheat sheets

Hellenic cheat sheets

If you like my content consider supporting me on: https://ko-fi.com/screeching0wlet

[theghoststewardpersonal]

A guide to worship of Ares - cheat sheets

Hellenic cheat sheets

If you like my content consider supporting me on: https://ko-fi.com/screeching0wlet

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Hellenic deity tip: Ask Hermes to send you messages on behalf of the gods

It's honestly so validating to be researching something about a deity & find confirmation of something that's a part of my practice, somewhat unrelated to the topic.

E.g. reading up on Ares' epithets, I find this:

Two weeks ago I dedicated an altar to Ares & my intuition told me to add my D&D tarot deck to it

Source

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Another e-offering

This time a moodboard for Lord Ares!

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Discord Server

Made a server on discord it's mainly dedicated to Ares but is open to any hellenic polytheist as well as any other paths as long as your respectful. Server Info:

This server is primarily dedicated to Ares, Greek god of War, Courage, Violence, Anger and Rage, Rebellion and Civil order etc. However,the server is open to everyone, no matter what deities you worship, or what religion/background you come from!

What the server features: ⚔️A safe and welcoming space for everyone regardless of race, gender, sexuality, and religion ⚔️Gaming Pings to find others to play multiplayer games or if you want to stream yourself playing a game ⚔️Community rituals and celebrations of the ancient Delphic Holidays ⚔️Divination channel where requests and offers can be made! ⚔️ Pluralkit bots for systems ⚔️ Channels for sharing resources ⚔️Numerous self roles ⚔️ A suggestions channel for ways to improve the server ⚔️And more coming as the server grows and improve

Here’s the invite link if you’d like to join: https://discord.com/invite/c3EF2wQQqB

[theghoststewardpersonal]

Another day where I think about my dear war god's violent epithets.I'm so in love with them.Like,look at them:

Θηριτας- Thêritas (Beastly, Brutish)

Μιαιφονος- Miaiphonos (Blood-stained, Bloody)

Λαοσσοος- Laossoos (He Who Rallies Men)

Βροτολοιγος- Brotoloigos (Manslaughtering)

Ανδρειφοντης- Andreiphontês (Manslaying, Destroyer of Men)

Αατος πολεμοιο- Aatos polemoio (Insatiate of Fighting, War)

Θουρος- Thouros (Violent, Furious)

Δεινος- Deinos (Terrible, Fearsome)

Aren't they fascinating,cool,interesting? I wish there were articles analyzing these specific epithets.... :(

Anyways,I love Lord Ares and I am in LOVE with his violent and cruel side.

Theoi.com is the source from which I found these epithets.

[theghoststewardpersonal]

I bought this beautiful custom candle for Ares from Darkly Divine Crystals , absolutely gorgeous and the candle smells amazing highly highly recommend ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

[theghoststewardpersonal]

I’m your rose.

It hurts me to admit that I miss you. I miss your hands resting on my hips and you looking down at me. I want to touch you, your broad shoulders and your big arms. I love you towering over me and staring at me as if I am a deer caught in the forest and you are the big bulky bear hunting down his prey.

I hate to start a letter this desperate for you. But you HAVE to know that I miss you Ares. You are my salvation.

I know that I am weak, physically. So I need my protector. I need you. You can’t let go of this responsibility, it’s what you signed up for willingly. And now? I oblige you to kneel down and love me like a famished wolf. The wolf that finally found his lovely sheep. The sweetest and prettiest woman on Earth.

I need you to love me, to show it to me. Caress my skin and kiss my freckles all over my body, count them if you dare. I want you to prey for the sun you’ve surrendered to, that is my body and my soul. You know that I was going to be the end of your world. And you crave me more than before.

Now come to me, settle your way to my heart. Come back to me and cherish the magnificent aura that we create once we’re back together.

My love please give me your love and everything. I need you. Now.