“If Orpheus hadn’t turned around, if Psyche hadn’t tried to know, then we wouldn’t have believed in the strength of their love. Because love is strong like death, tenacious like hell and passion. Those whose happiness no one knows are not truly happy.” (Apuleio)

Lotz Károly - Apolló és Diána vadászaton

86,5 x 122 cm

Olaj, vászon

Apollo

Aries:  Ἀλεξίκακος -  “Warding off evil”

Taurus:  Φοῖβος - “The bright one”

Gemini:  Λεσχηνόριος - “The talker”

Cancer:  Ἀκέστωρ - “Healer”

Leo:  Αἰγλήτης -  “Light of the sun”

Virgo:  Ἐπικούριος - “The one that aids”

Libra:  Μουσαγέτας - “Leader of the Muses”

Scorpio:  Λοξίας - “Ambiguous”

Sagittarius:  Λυκηγενής - “Born from a wolf”

Capricorn:  Ἀρχηγέτης - “Founder”

Aquarius:  Ἀφητόρος - “The one that lets loose”

Pisces:  Νυμφηγέτης - “Leader of the Nymphs”

Signs as Greek myths pt. 1

Aries:

Meleager was the son of King Oeneus of Calydon and Althaea. Seven days after he was born Fates came to predict his future. They said that he shall live until one of the fire woods, currently in the family Hearth, burned completely. His mother snatched the piece of wood right away and hid it in a safe place. Years after Calydonian boar started roaming the area. He was sent by angered Artemis because Oeneus omitted her in one of the festivals. Meleager was chosen as a leader of the quest to kill the boar and he started gathering his crew right away. After assembling all the local heroes and the royal guard he decided they needed one more member in the team to ensure them victory, Atalanta. She was a huntress that lived alone in the woods, raised by bears. The rest of Meleager’s entourage wasn’t thrilled about having a women, let alone someone who was raised in the wilderness. Meleager didn’t mind since he knew how good a fighter Atalanta is, and she was definitely better than half of his men. At the beginning of the hunt Meleager promised to give the hide to the first person that draws blood from the beast. In the end Atalanta succeeded first and as promised she got the hide. Everyone was outraged that a woman got the war prize but no one acted on it except Meleager’s brother and uncle. They attacked Atalanta, hoping to kill her and get the prize for themselves. But Meleager got in the way and killed them both in order to protect her. As soon as Althea saw that he killed her brother and other son she took out the half burnt piece of wood she safely kept all these years  and threw it right back in the fire, killing Meleager.

Taurus:

Midas was the king of Phrygia. One day, Silenus, Dionysus’ teacher wandered off and stumbled upon Phrygia. After drinking too much wine he passed out in king Midas’ garden. After the king found him he realized who he is and welcomed him. He treated him as the guest of highest honor. Upon returning him to Dionysus’, the God promised to grant Midas one wish as a thank you for his hospitality. Midas chose the gift of golden touch. Anything he touched would be turned to gold instantly. At first Midas loved his gift and started turning everything in the castle gold. But when it was time for dinner and he sat down to eat he realized that even his food and drinks became the strong yellow metal as soon as he touched them. He became aware of the fact that if continued like this he would die from starvation soon. Moments later his daughter showed up, Complaining  about her roses, since her father turned them to gold. Wanting to comfort his daughter Midas went to hug her but as soon as his hand touched her she turned to gold completely. Right after he realized that his gift was actually a curse he went straight to Dionysus and begged him to take his powers away. The God felt sorry for the king and instructed him to go to river Pactolus and bathe in it. As soon as he did his powers washed away from him.

Gemini:

Prometheus was the son of the Titan Iapetus by Oceanid Clymene. He was one of the rare, if not the only one who would always oppose Zeus and trick him. One day Gods were supposed to decide what will people sacrifice to them and Zeus put Prometheus in charge to present them with choices. Prometheus decided to trick Gods, to see how shallow they really are. The first thing was beef hidden inside an ox’s stomach (It represented something good, grand, but hidden inside of something unpleasant), second was bull’s bones wrapped only in fat. (It was something poor but hidden inside something pleasing). Relying only on his sight, Zeus chose the latter and when he found out that Prometheus tricked him, and people will only be sacrificing fat to him, and keeping meat for themselves, he was outraged. As punishment he took fire from people. Prometheus was disgusted by Zeus’ action, punishing humans for his own ignorance, so he stole fire and gave it back to the humans. This only angered Zeus more so he chained Prometheus to a rock in the Caucasus. He was to stay there for eternity and every day an eagle, representing Zeus, would eat his liver, which would regenerate during the night, allowing the process to go without end. He will later be freed by the hero Hercules

Cancer:

Coronis was the lover of Apollo. She died very young, either by the hand of Apollo for being unfaithful or in labor. As a result Apollo had to cut out their child from her womb. He named their son Asclepius. Right after he took him to centaur Chiron to raise him. Chiron taught Asclepius in the art and medicine. One day Asclepius showed kindness to one of the snakes passing by and as a reward, the snake taught him the secret knowledge of healing. Soon Asclepius became better healer than Chiron and after that even better than Apollo himself. His skill was so high that he could even resurrect the dead. Once he realized that, he started bringing people back from the Underworld. One time he even took money for it. This enraged Zeus and Hades, Zeus was worried because balance of the world was being shaken and Hades was just pissed that someone was taking souls from his world. So one day Zeus struck Asclepius with a thunderbolt and killed him immediately. Angry at Zeus for killing his son, Apollo went and killed the Cyclopes that made Zeus’ bolts. As a punishment Zeus banned Apollo from Olympus and cast him to the earth where he will have to serve Admetus, king of Thessaly for a year. After a year has passed, Zeus returned Apollo back, revived the Cyclopes and decided to do something for Asclepius too. Some myths say that he put him in the sky and turned him into constellation known as Ophiuchus, and the others say that Zeus turned him into a God but forbid him to resurrect people without his consent.

Leo:

Narcissus was  a hunter from Thespiae that was known in the world for his extreme beauty. One day while he was walking through the forest he was noticed by a dryad Echo, a tree nymph. She was momentarily mesmerized by his beauty and fell in love. She tried talking to him but he wouldn’t even pay her a second glance. Sorrow washed over her completely that nothing but her echo was left of her. Gods got angry at Narcissus and his attitude so they decided to punish him. Goddess Nemesis took that upon herself. She led Narcissus to a lake and showed him his reflection. When he was born, the blind seer Tiresias told his mother, nymph Liriope, that Narcissus will have a long and happy life as long as he never recognized himself. Nemesis counted on that and that’s why she brought him to the lake. As soon as he saw himself he fell in love immediately. Realizing that he could never have himself he jumped in the lake and took his own life. In other myths he turned into a tree. At the end, on the spot where he met his end a flower grow that had his name, narcissus.

Virgo:

When Persephone was taken by Hades, Demeter went searching for her all over the world. On one occasion she got to  Eleusis in Attica, she took form of an old women named Doso and sought shelter. The King Celeus and Queen Metanira gave her a warm welcome, they even offered her a job to take care of their two sons, Demophon and Triptolemus. She was deeply touched by the couples’ hospitality so she decided to give back. She wanted to turn their son Dempohon into a God. She would do it by coating him in ambrosia and then holding him above open fire, burning all of his mortality. She would do it every night, in the family hearth, without knowledge of his parents. Unfortunately she was unable to finish her ritual because one night Metanira walked in just as Demeter was holding him above fire. She screamed and snatched Demophon back. Demeter was angry and couldn’t understand how the humans didn’t realize she was only trying to help them. She gave up on helping Demophon but decided that she would do something for Triptolemus instead. She chose to teach Triptolemus the art of agriculture and he would go on to teach all of Greece. He was driving a chariot drawn by dragon while Persephone and Demeter were at the back, helping him educate the people.

Aries, Pisces: Galatea and Acis

Galatea was one of the most beautiful Nereids and she fell in love with Acis. Acis felt the same and they started a relationship. One day they were at a field where Acis was signing Galatea a love song, unfortunately he was heard by Polyphemus, a cyclops that was also in love with Galatea. Upon seeing them he was filled with rage and picked up a huge boulder and threw it on Acis. After seeing what happened, Galatea took his blood and turned him into a river and his spirit became an immortal river spirit just like she is. The stones which Polyphemus threw became the Cyclopian Rocks in Sicily.

Taurus, Libra: Philemon and Baucis

An old married couple that lived in Phrygia. They were very poor and barely even survived on their own, but they always welcomed the guests that came at their door. One day 2 strangers showed up and needed shelter, they took them in right away and served them. The strangers were actually disguised Zeus and Hermes. After realizing that they are gods the couple offered to sacrifice the last thing they had, a goose. Touched by their kindness and love, Zeus and Hermes took them to a near mountain and then destroyed their village as punishment for everyone who turned them down. He offered to grant them any wish they had. The only thing they ask for was to die at the same time so the other wouldn’t have to suffer. When the time came that’s exactly what the Gods did and they turned them in trees, oak and lime. So they can stand next to each other for all eternity.

Gemini, Leo: Penelope and Odysseus

After the Trojan war, Odysseus, king of Ithaca was ready to come back home. Unfortunately he angered the God Poseidon and his journey prolonged to 10 years. During that time his wife was getting numerous offers for marriage, at the beginning she managed to turn them down, saying how her husband will be back soon, but over time that excuse wasn’t enough. A lot of suitors showed up and demanded her hand in marriage and she was powerless to stop them. She promised that she will marry someone right after she finishes a burial shrug for Odysseus’ father. For 3 years , she would weave during the entire day and then at night she would undo one part of the shrug and then in the morning she will have to start all over again. Finally Odysseus showed up and dressed as a beggar he entered the palace and killed all 108 Penelope’s suitors.

Virgo, Capricorn: Paris and Helen

In one occasion Paris got on Aphrodite’s good side and she promised him the hand of the most beautiful girl in the world, Helen. Unfortunately she was already married to king Menelaus. Paris sneaked into Menelaus’ chambers and abducted Helen (some myths say that she left willingly, because she fell in love with Paris as soon as she laid eyes on him) As a result Menelaus gathered an army and set attack on Troy, Paris’ kingdom, thus starting the Trojan war. In the war Philoctetes mortally wounded Paris and Helen took him to his first wife, nymph Oenone, hoping she could save him. But bitter over the fact that Paris left her for another women she refused and Paris died.

Scorpio, Cancer: Hyacinth and Apollo

Hyacinth was (probably) a prince of Sparta and a lover of Apollo. But Zephyrus, the god of West wind was also in love with Hyacinth. Hyacinth chose Apollo and that angered  Zephyrus. Unable to spend time with him, Zephyrus always watched them, hoping for an opportunity to be together. One day Apollo and Hyacinth were throwing discus. Apollo threw it and Hyacinth ran to catch it, trying to impress Apollo. But in that moment Zephyrus changed the wind direction and the discus hit Hyacinth in the head, killing him. When it was time for Hyacinth to go to the Underworld Apollo wouldn’t let his soul go, so he turned him into a flower from his spilled blood. That way they can stay together forever.

Sagittarius, Aquarius: Perseus and Andromeda

Andromeda was the princess of Aethiophia. One day her mother Cassiopeia committed hubris by saying her daughter is more beautiful than Nereids. That angered Poseidon and he sent a sea monster to ravage the coasts of Aethiophia. After consulting the oracle they found out that the only way to stop him was to sacrifice Andromeda. So they tied her up naked to a rock. In that moment Perseus was coming back from his quest and saw her. He took out the Medusa’s head and turned the creature into stone. He freed Andromeda and took her as his wife, but, she was already promised to someone else, her uncle Phineus. At the wedding Perseus showed up and turned Phineus into stone . He and Andromeda sailed away together. She followed him through all his quests until they finally set in Argos. There they started a long dynasty of Persidae. They lived happily together until they grew old. When both of them died Athena put them on the sky and turned them into constellations.

Apollo: please don’t tell Arty! She’s gonna—

Meg: kill your ass?

Apollo: exactly! And I’m very protective of my ass, it’s one of my best features!

teawiththegods:

I believe that humanity’s immense love for Apollo is proof of Apollo’s unwavering love for humanity

teawiththegods:

Apollo has to make EVERYTHING a teachable moment i swear!

So there I was, minding my own business, reading Demon Slayer when Apollo popped up right next to me and said

“Notice the emphasis of breathing in this series. How they train, how they advance their skills, how they learn and achieve, and how they survive all comes down to their breathing. Its a concept you should consider bringing into your own life”

And I’m sitting there annoyed because A) He’s absolutely right, like always, and B) I read Demon Slayer for the wholesome, the heartbreaks, and the hotties not for the life lessons so please let me be destroyed in peace, Apollo!

Me: I’ve come to the realization that I need ways to handle my anxiety that don’t involve avoidance or me running screaming towards it.

My Therapist: Not to sound cliche but have you ever tried any breathing techniques?

Me: Damn you, Apollo.

Me:*asks Sky a question relating to Apollo but does not ask Apollo himself because I haven’t seen him in over a month*

Apollo:*shows up a little bit tipsy and giggly and answers question and leaves*

Sky: That was so weird! I’ve only ever seen him like that if he’s celebrating something…

Me: ……Yeah, how bizarre………

Sky:…..

Me: *suddenly remembers* OH YEAH, I ALMOST FORGOT! IT’S HIS BIRTHDAY!

Happy birthdayApolloandArtemis!

But you think that I can’t see what kind of man that you are… If you’re a man at all. Well, I will figure this one out on my own. (I’m screaming, I love you so, on my own). But my thoughts you can’t decode)