To the people who write Hades and Persephone retellings,
Where is Adonis?
I’ve seen Minthe occasionally mentioned, especially as an antagonist, or Aphrodite will be an antagonist because she had a “the boy is mine” Brandy and Monica fight with Persephone over Adonis, but no one ever writes about the relationship between Adonis and Persephone even though it was very important because he represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth so it’s kind of weird that I haven’t seen it.
Tumblr vs Tiktok
For Hellenic Polytheist resources and information:
Please pay attention to where you are getting your information from and what the motives are for those giving it to you, and why. Also, please pay attention to how accessible it is for the platform to give information.
Tumblr:
- This platform makes it very easy to access information in posts via links.
- The people posting won’t get much out of sharing information so the ones who share information tend to just do it because they want to, and their information is easy to analyze and determine if it’s useful.
- The Format via Reblogs also makes it easy for others to challenge the information on posts who get popular. The button that lets you see the discussion and reblog history also makes it easy to see what previous people have said in case there have been challenges, which is good for those doing their research. You don’t want one person to be the only one with that source, and if their information is not very concrete you want others to challenge that.
Setbacks: people who have reading disabilities like dyslexia or are visually impaired might have problems with long posts so getting information via a visual format might be better which is why Tiktok is popular.
Tiktok: is great for entertainment and inspiration but as a tool for information it can be a headache.
- getting links from videos is hard because the poster has to post their sources on the video itself, on the information about the video section or put the sources on a pinned comment which is very limited, so most people have a “trust me bro” attitude when giving information and not adding sources. This also makes it hard to determine which information is good and which isn’t.
- challenging misinformation is difficult: You can’t always count on stitched videos to challenge misinformation because someone’s stitch feature might be disabled and the ones calling out the post might refuse to use OP’s name so even when people try to do call out posts for misinformation it’ll have a “he said, she said, but I won’t say who,” game of telephone vibe about it.
- People get paid via engagement so the information will often be hyperbolic and scary. Scare tactics trigger people’s survival instincts which will make them more likely to engage in someone sounding the alarm and triggering your fight/flight instincts. Your fear makes them money so the information will be very volatile.
- Short Format for engagement: Even when there is an option for 10 min. videos, a lot of people will still choose to use short videos so you are forced to click on their other videos if you want the rest of the information. This will cause more engagement and thus more money for them. This is also a nightmare when the algorithm suggests part one of a video posted 3 years ago and you have to go looking for part 2, and the person didn’t bother to make a playlist.
Video and Audio alternatives: YouTube and podcasts: YouTube videos can be very long in order to fit as much information as possible and often have links and resources added to the information about the video section and there are some podcasts that I’ve been told are very resourceful (I haven’t listened to podcasts myself so please feel free to add suggestions if you have any!)
I’m not trying to discourage people who use Tiktok as a resource, there are some good videos out there, but because of the nature of the app, accessing that information without having people prey on your emotions is hard because you being upset makes them money and that’s what bothers me the most about the app.
All I ask is for you to keep these in mind when you do open Tiktok for information. Tiktok is great for funny memes and cool videos but when you bump into a video warning you that “Hera hates devotees who,” or “Artemis gets mad when devotees,” or “so and so has declared war on Apollo,” or “so and so is planning to curse the moon,” please remember that it is an app design to rage-farm your attention and turn it into money so posters will say ANYTHING to get views and as people continue to get laid off, the videos will get even more desperate and the rage bait will be even more intense.
The gods are a lot more forgiving and accommodating than people on Tik Tok make them seem.
I'm in the same boat, lad. So here are my tips for those who are in Muslim households.
I'm making this because I mostly see people give tips for those in Christian households. It is somewhat worse for those in Islamic countries because of there is lack of freedom and how strict Muslim parents are..
⁜ Namaz/Prayer - yes, you have to do Namaz. But in this case, do the act of Namaz but address your deities when you do the act of making dua.
⁜ Roza/Fasting - this, too, you have to do. It is a good way to cleanse yourself spiritually from miasma (spiritual filth).
⁜ If your parents ask why you have Greco-Roman stuff, you can say its for the aesthetic, or because you think it's interesting.
If they ask why you have so many books relating to Ancient Greece, you can say you like classical literature from the Mediterranean, or you like history. Give vague answers.
⁜ Be discreet, obviously. In this case, make your altars hidden. Use gum or mint containers such Altoids tins, Trident, etc. Paste an image of your deity and a prayer.
Put birthday candles, broken incense, and a little incense holder. BAM LAD you got yourself a little altar!
⁜ If you don't have access to little altars, you can make a Pinterest board with images and prayers of your deity.
⁜ If you want to do little acts for your deities, user khaire-traveler has a lovely masterpost about subtle deity worship!
⁜ Use symbolic imagery for your deities. If you worship Lady Athena, use owl or snake imagery. If you worship Lord Kronos, use scythe or sickle imagery. If you worship Lady Gaia, use flower imagery
⁜ Lastly for my AFAB pookies, if you are doing the hijab, keep doing it. Veiling is a method to protect your energy.
If i remember anything else, I'll be sure to add!
Anonymous asked:
Hi! I love your blog and find it very beneficial, do you have any recommendations for blogs that are pagan? The pantheon does not matter. Thank you, have a great day/night!
khaire-traveler answered:
Khaire! Hope you have a great day/night as well! And I’m glad you find my blog helpful. :3
Sure, there are a few I can recommend! If one isn’t mentioned here (especially one that I follow), that doesn’t mean that they aren’t a great resource; I just don’t want to get marked as spam on accident. ^^;
Below the cut is the list! If you were tagged in this post, it’s because I recommended you to this person! If a deity name is mentioned, it’s because I’ve seen the blog focus a bit more on that deity, though that doesn’t mean they don’t worship others on their blog.
Friendly reminder that your devotional acts don’t have to make sense to anyone but you. 💖
I'm remembering this one time, back when I had TikTok in about 2021, I followed this Hellenic Polytheism based creator who was the same age (18 or 19 at the time). She constantly ranted about how Achilles was supposedly a "homicidal teenager" in The Iliad and didn't deserve to be respected or worshipped as a hero because he was just a moody teen taking it out on everyone else. Since I was insanely new to the religion and didn't really understand anything, I just agreed with her at the time, but then I actually started reading The Iliad and was like, "What the fuck lol." It's very silly because this person claimed to have read The Iliad many times over, so I find it interesting that she'd still, not only believe this argument but also actively boast about her hatred of Achilles, as if it were something to be super proud of. One of the (many) pitfalls of this argument is that Achilles' age is never confirmed in The Iliad. She, like another much older creator she followed, was making assumptions based on the age that young boys were thought to have been enrolled in the military in ancient Greece. This must be some kind of fallacy, in all honesty, because A LOT of this argument is based on these kinds of assumptions. It's such a strange hill to die on, too; like, how did Achilles hurt you, bro? Were you one of the soldiers he killed during his rage in another life or something ? I just don't understand hating Achilles so viscerally. XD I look back on this, and I wonder why these people had such a hate-boner for Achilles (and Patroclus, but mostly Achilles). Like, if you don't want to worship him, you don't have to; it's ok to just walk away lol, instead of trying to convince a bunch of teenagers and young adults that Achilles is some kind of evil Disney villain or something. Probably one of the weirdest takes I've seen on The Iliad, tbh.
This is so freaking funny!!! 🤣
Also the thought of being someone Achilles killed in a previous life and is now hell-bent on hating him and making it their mission to get others to also hate him is so funny.
Anonymous asked:
Hi! I have a question.
I've gotten back into Helpol after leaving for a bit, basically the gist was I got too caught in being a 'good' Hellenic polytheist that I burnt myself out and ramped up anxiety in the process.
My time off has been good, I've been able to de-stress and reflect, and also learnt that the gods don't demand a schedule or utmost obedience etc- and most importantly I missed those guys dangit!
So I've been taking baby steps to get back into it, I have a small Hermes altar and such.
I did a prayer today, asking Apollo for guidance through an illness I have currently, and his protection and guidance through other stresses I have currently too- I don't know how to explain it exactly but it felt like I was- welcomed back? The more I spoke the more I felt peaceful and I just got these. Flashes in my head- I saw him literally coming back to me after I had left for a bit. It was such a strange experience I can't really describe it more than that lol.
But that's where my issue lies. How do you decipher the meaning of..images, instincts gut feelings - those things the gods may send us to guide us, and most importantly, how do you tell what's *real* and what's just a product of a sensitive/over active imagination? The worry that I might not have a connection I can actually verify to myself and that I might have just..made it all up- it's quite the nerve wracking thought, and I've seen your others asks and thought you may have some guidance.
Thank you! :)
Hello, Thank you for trusting me with this ask, I hope you have a very quick recovery!
The main rule I always follow when it comes to signs is this:
If it feels like a sign, it’s a sign.
Because signs can be all kinds of things and gods can either reference their own mythology and associations or even the mythology and associations of a god they’re close with, for example: I don’t work with Artemis (yet) but I ask for a sign and see a deer or something specifically Artemis, I know it’s coming from Apollo. Sometimes the gods will refer to things you associate with them for example: in the ancient world Aphrodite was not associated with the color pink 🩷 but in our modern times, I associate pink with her. Sometimes the gods will reference a memory of a conversation you might have had with them, etc. So I usually stick to that rule.
Also, I know you weren’t specifically asking about how to worship the gods but I hope it’s okay if I write a response that might ease your anxiety for how you worship them in the future to help you ease back into it and change it to better fit your lifestyle:
How you worship the gods is more for you than it is for the gods themselves.
At first this may seem a little counterintuitive because you don’t want to offend the gods and you’re trying to be as respectful as possible, so you might try to worship them in ways you think would be best, so you might do a bit of research on how other Hellenic Polytheists do it and might even bump into posts of people being offended because they don’t like how some worshippers choose to have a more casual form of worship, and thus deviating from what they believe is the structured, formal and “true way” to worship the gods. But since this is a dead-religion (one that will never be able to be worshipped in its original form since ALL the people who worshipped it in that form died and the archaeology we’ve found for it is in bits and pieces of regional and time period differences meshed together by people trying to create a religion that might resemble the original religion, thus it will still never be in its original format), some Hellenic Polytheists turn to modern religions to see how people practice them to give them ideas to create a more formal and structured form of worship. So some people will veil, others will incorporate hymns, while others will have a strict diet for their gods but here’s the thing: these practices only really work for people who wish for a more structured religion to feel like they are actually practicing a religion.
Others who don’t need a more structured form of practice but have been tricked/bullied/guilted into thinking they have to do it that way and try to do it will inevitably burn out and in their exhaustion combined with guilt/shame, will start to avoid their gods which defeats the purpose of working with the gods. The gods know we are all very different individuals with different needs, different mental structures, and different ways of life.
The gods would rather be a part of your life and comfortably flow within it, than feel like a burden because you are trying to use a form of worship that is incompatible with you.
Saying a simple “this is for you” when giving an offering is the same as doing a whole ritual to offer a gift, the only difference is whether or not you want to do the ritual. The gods will appreciate the gift either way, they won’t be upset they were given in different forms. Some people might be upset because they want to go through the whole process of engaging in big elaborate rituals to show the gods how much they love them and might get mad that I’m saying it’s not necessary for those who don’t want to do that but here’s the thing: some people do not have the spoons to go through those kinds of elaborate rituals and also love the gods as much as the ones who do have the means/spoons/time to do that. Both types of devotees are cherished by the gods just the same; the only difference is how the devotee chooses to express their devotion.
There are people here on Tumblr who post very elaborate rituals they regularly engage in along with their own strict rules to shape a Hellenic Polytheist religion that works for them meanwhile I’m over here occasionally writing on my journal, giving them a thumbs up and calling it a day because that level of ritualistic dedication resembles the Catholic religion too much and as someone who was raised in an Catholic extremist household, it’s very triggering when I do try to be more formal in my worship. I can’t pray in front of my altar without my PTSD expecting to be flogged. The gods know I start to strammer and panic the second my form of worship gets formal. I can’t even call them Lord or Lady without them worrying that I’m building a spiritual wall between us (which I have before) so clearly a formal form of worship doesn’t work for me, but I still love them and want them in my life which is why I’m dedicating my life to them by becoming an archaeologist. Instead of engaging in formal prayer I speak to them from my heart in a casual way and find more casual ways to connect with them. I spiritually hug them, cry on their lap, mentally high five them, or say things like “guys, I did it!” And show them whatever it is I’m proud of. And this works for me.
On days when it’s too hard to do anything, dedicate mundane tasks to the gods. Gonna brush your teeth anyway because it’s part of your morning/night routine? Do it on behalf of Apollo (or whatever god you want to honor) and imagine that god brushing their teeth next to you. In the mornings and evenings I do light stretches and physical therapy exercises and imagine Apollo and Dionysus in their modern workout clothes and yoga mats next to mine doing the same exercises with me.
The main reason why I believe the formal or informal forms of worship are more for the worshiper and what works for them than they are a preference from the gods is because:
There are countless gods who interact with people who do not worship them at all:
1) Many gods interact with children:
And I know they do because I was a child when they started interacting with me and children are notorious for being casual with gods because they think of them as their imaginary friend and they aren’t formal with their imaginary friends (well, not all the time and I guess it depends on the imaginary friend but I definitely wasn’t formal with Ares as a kid), they are children so they’ll do things children do.
2) The gods still interact with their modern Greek descendants who are often Greek Orthodox by inspiring them.
They don’t require their Greek descendants to worship them in a formal way, but they still connect with them. When I was in Greece last week there was this very sweet moment where I was talking to a Greek guy about archaeology and why I chose the University of Athens for my master’s program. Then the topic changed and I suddenly felt the urge to ask him if he had a favorite Greek god and his face lit up and his smile softened when he mentioned Poseidon. “I don’t know if it’s because I live right next to the ocean but every time I think of Poseidon, my heart just feels so much lighter and I want to cry.” He had been talking about going to church before the topic of archaeology came up so I know he’s a very religious man but I could almost see Poseidon behind him put his hand on his shoulder and smile and I suppose that’s where my sudden urge to ask him came from, maybe Poseidon wanted him to feel him at the moment.
Another cute story I often think about was from a few years ago we had gone to Greece for the first time in my life and while there, me and Sky were on our way to the Agora when we saw a group of about 15 little Greek boys on a school trip when their teacher mentioned that Apollo was once the god of little boys and one of them said “he’s not anymore?” And the teacher responded with “no.” And another little boy said, “but we’re gonna go see his temple!” Before the teacher could reply, another boy shouted, “let’s say hi and thank him for taking care of us!” the teacher was about to correct them but another teacher shook his head at her and smiled as if secretly saying, “let’s just let them have this.” So the teachers quietly laughed while the little boys all started shouting, “FOR APOLLO!!!” over and over again on their way to his old temple. It was very sweet and you could feel Apollo among them also basking in their love.
3) Scholars who are inspired by them.
I’ve also had classicist and archaeology professors smile fondly when they tell me who their favorite Greek god is. “Well for me it’s Apollo because he’s the god of knowledge and music and as an archaeologist myself who was also in a rock band when I was younger, I still play the guitar whenever I’m feeling inspired, so I often think about him.“ Or my Classicist professor who said: "Right now I’m translating the Bacchae and sometimes I can almost feel Dionysus smiling behind me. Don’t tell anyone but I love it!”
4) Fans who fall in love with the gods via the media.
I once was told by Apollo that he loves Percy Jackson because it has helped him reach a lot of people whom he previously didn’t have access to. Some of these people would become worshippers but some would stay fans and simply be inspired by his myths which he didn’t mind because the myths are what really keeps the gods alive. So long as they inspire, others will spread their lore.
My point in mentioning all of these moments is that the gods interact with people who don’t see them in a religious settings all the time.
They will do this by inspiring them and making them feel better when they mention them so this to me shows me that a formal religious form of worship isn’t necessary for them if it doesn’t work for their devotee because they don’t want their devotees to experience burn out, like you did.
They don’t care how you interact with them so long as you interact with them. Now that you are talking to them again, look at your life, look at your schedule and see how you can incorporate the gods into it in a more casual way because at the end of the day:
They will always prefer whatever method works best for you!
Today we’re leaving Greece and going back to NY but something weird happened yesterday:
So I was talking to one of the people who was making our coffee at a cute Cafe. He was asking us the normal questions, “how are you liking Greece?” Etc. and he saw that I had bought a Greek mythology book for children (because I wanted something to help me learn Greek but wasn’t for adults to focus on more general vocabulary.) And then the following conversation happened:
Him: you know there are Greek people living in Greece today who worship those gods like they’re actually real. (Scoffs).
Me: Oh cool!
Him: (confused because based on his tone, he seems to have expected me to say something along the lines of “that’s weird,” meanwhile it took everything in me not to say “me too!”).
Me:
Before my trip, I’ve already had Greek followers who actively worship the gods and are currently located in Greece warn me about this attitude where they are looked down on by their fellow Greek neighbors who have this attitude of thinking they’re weird for worshipping the ancient gods, so it wasn’t something I didn’t expect, but it was still weird that I got to experience it in real time.
Me, having a casual conversation with Athenian locals: (this conversation happened 3 times with 3 complete strangers)
Me: I’ll be staying here for a year starting in September, so I’m really excited about it.
Athenian local: that’s so cute.
Me: what is?
Athenian local: that you think you’ll only be here for a year. You’re gonna be living in Greece for the rest of your life. Or for at least 20 years, and that’s only IF you ever do manage to leave 😌
Me to the gods: what in the land of the lotus-eaters is happening?
The gods: shhhh don’t fight it.
Kind of worried, NGL, but also weirdly intrigued.
Anonymous asked:
Sorry to bother you, but could I please ask you a question about Hermes? I'm learning how to drive right now but I struggle with terrible severe and chronic anxiety, so I'm asking Hermes for help with the whole process. I just got home from a driving lesson where I nearly threw up from anxiety, so I lit some incense for him as well as a devotional candle, and I basically begged him to help me drive. How do I know he's accepted? I remember wanting to work with him years ago and I think he declined to do it then, so I'm terrified he won't help me even though I really need him. I do feel less anxious about driving physically, which I'm wondering is confirmation that he will help me, but idk. I'm just nervous about him declining to help. Do you have any advice? Thank you so much. Your blog, and you, are a truly incredible resource and the Hellenic Pagan community is very lucky to have you. Take care!
Hello,
I’m sorry it took me so long to answer this ask, I was in the middle of getting ready to go to Greece when you asked it and I finally found the time to reply, the jet lag has been kicking my ass, so thank you for your patience, I really appreciate it and also appreciate this ask.
This ask touches my heart because this was me literally this morning. It was my first day of visiting my new school in Greece and I was so nervous my brain kept trying to tell me to go back to New York and just stay there and Hermes was like “come on, get up. You’ve worked so hard to get here, we’re not going to do that, let’s go.”
So I understand the anxiety can get overwhelming but I think he’s with you and you feeling less anxious about driving physically is absolutely a sign he’s with you.
I’m personally of the mind that if you want to work with the gods, it’s a sign that they want to work with you and are influencing you to want to work with them so for me that’s confirmation enough but I know this situation is scary and confirmation will help ease the tension but sometimes our fear and anxiety can make it hard to hear the gods. That doesn’t mean the gods aren’t helping you, it just means you can’t hear them, and there’s a scientific explanation for why that happens so I wrote a post about not being able to hear the gods and what to do about it here: (LINK)
The reason why I’m saying this is because Hermes takes safety very seriously (the only time he ever got mad at me was when I wasn’t paying attention when crossing the street and almost got hit by a taxi) and he’s especially serious about the safety of his followers who are driving so I’m sure he’s with you and sending you signs and messages that you are unable to hear or notice because as I mention in the post I shared earlier, there’s a scientific reason for why you can’t hear him. Neuroscientists have categorized brain waves that affect how we perceive the world. Our amygdala which controls fear will turn off our ability to spiritually sense the divine by turning off our Alpha and Theta brain waves and keeping our brain set to beta three levels which only focus on survival, meanwhile our Alpha and Theta levels help us relax and connect to the divine.
I’m prefacing the answer to this ask with all of this because signs are funny in that they can be very obvious or very subtle depending on the one asking for the sign. They also can be very personal. For example, I usually associate the movie Aladdin with Hermes because the main character is a thief who befriends a genie that grants him wishes and Hermes is not only the gods of thieves but under his “friend of man” epithet, Hermes often does what he can to help humanity whenever he can which is why I associate the movie with him, especially the song “friend like me.”
Having said that, I encourage you to think of signs you personally associate with Hermes that may be different from the cheat sheet I’m attaching at the bottom of this post because sometimes the gods will rely more on our own personal associations that we have attached to them while we work with them.
Here’s a cheat sheet of all his associations formatted in a way that’s easy to reference quickly, created by the amazing @screeching-0wl (LINK)
If you bump into any of these, or any associations you have assigned to him, that’s him sending you a sign, the main rule when looking for a sign is:
If it seems or feels like Hermes, it is Hermes.
I pray Hermes takes the wheel and guides you with ease, calm and focus as you travel and explore the world around you.
