Regardless of the type of relationship you share with your deities, there’s a good chance you spend some time learning new things for them or with them.
For me, I don’t wait, I actively ask for lessons. Those are some of those lessons’ topics:
Hades: intense shadow work, trauma processing, grief processing, empath work, some ancestry work
Hermes: philosophy, quantum physics, energy work, some divination techniques ideas, physical activity
Aphrodite: some love related shadow work, self acceptance work, affirmations
Rhea: coping with endometriosis, Coping with breastfeeding, self acceptance
Ares: anger management, gentle parenting, Coping with breastfeeding, motivation
Leto and Artemis: parenting, labor pain (and pregnancy in general)
Apollo: anxiety, physical pain, first aid for others
Hestia: home making, cooking, cleaning, sharing abundance
Demeter: gathering wild plants, herbalism
Dionysos: bartending, how to relax
Each of them is a wonderful tutor, we have so much to learn and so little time to do so. What better way to enjoy our time here than to learn lessons from the Gods?
Barefoot you amble through wilds Well-crowned with mists of the evergreen. Flowers raise their petals in joy as you pass. Beasts bow their heads in humility. “Our Lady has come!” Announce the birds chirping proudly. “She’s come!” Accompany the whispers of the treetops And the rustle of the woods chants your holy name.
honestly even if you are a “stereotypical” worshipper of a god, you’re still doing great. You’re a Dionysian that likes to get drunk? Good, just be safe! You’re a chaotic bisexual Apollonian? That’s okay! You’re an Ace or lesbian Artemisian who wants to chill in the woods? That’s okay! You’re doing great! You’re an Aphrodite worshipper who’s really into pink, self love, and sea aesthetics? You’re doing lovely!
Your worship isn’t lesser even if it’s what people expect. Your relationship can still be deep and interpersonal. You’re doing amazing — don’t doubt yourself.
A night with the Guides and the joys of having a sister who doesn’t mind witchcraft
In layman’s terms, last night was wild. I share a room with my sister and the vibes have just been super off recently, and I decided I finally wanted to try smoke cleansing (I usually use sound cleansing for the energy in my room.) So I stole bay leaves from my kitchen (we don’t have sage) and my sister and I tried to burn them without nearly burning the house down.
Note:nearly. It’s April fool’s, I work with three trickster gods and quite literally the best friends trio of the Olympian gods. So you know shit was wild.
To start off, my sister and I were trying to light the bay leaves on fire inside this small candle since we didn’t have anywhere to burn it (I’m broom closeted and my sister is the only one who knows and is accepting of it.)
However we just couldn’t get it to stay on fire. And during one of our attempts, my sister dropped a lit match on our wooden floor and she and I lost it.
We blew it out and we were both shaking, not in fear, but at the fact we quite literally were the dumbest bitches alive and nearly burned our house down trying to light bay leaves.
Apollo and Dionysus were there watching us the entire time and were just laughing at our dumbassery. Hermes joined in soon after and the trio were watching us like we were some sitcom. Loki was there too, as he usually is when things nearly go horribly wrong.
Apparently it was part of their April Fool’s joke. Like, there was no burn mark on the floor at all and was no evidence of it happening. No soot, black spot, no nothing. A lit match was dropped on directly exposed wood and there wasn’t even an ember forming. Mind you, the fire on the match was like, big enough to reach halfway down the matchstick.
It was a disaster I swear.
Soon enough, we finally got the bay fire going and it was relaxing. The overall vibe was just really nice and warm, the lights were off and the room was lit up by two candles: one where the bay leaves were burning and another I have for Apollo.
And I decided that since he and the rest of the trio were here, I wanted to play some music. I played Yellow by Coldplay (I consider it to be a song that binds me to Apollo, since the first time I fully felt his presence as a whole was when I invited him to listen to this song with me) as well as some Big Time Rush (I read somewhere he liked BTR so I asked him if he wanted me to play it and his little candle was just going wild so I did.)
Cute anecdote: The fire of Apollo’s candle would flicker in beat to the songs and I thought that was the cutest thing (especially to Boyfriend.)
I sang along to some of the songs and it would flicker as if singing with me. It also happened when I played the Phantom Of The Opera theme for Dionysus, who used the candle we were burning the bay leaves in as his temporary candle. It was really cute.
It was also the first time my sister fully acknowledged the presence of my gods. Both of us are some form of clairvoyant (both of us are very sensitive to energy and in turn, we can see visuals in our head brought about by the energy as if pinpointing certain things like where my deities were sitting in the room; if that makes sense? It’s a bit difficult to explain and put into words and I’m not sure if anyone experiences the same thing, but I initially thought I was crazy until my sister pointed them out too. Then we sorta like, tested each other on it and it worked so far.)
She experienced sitting next to Hermes, feeling his energy directly, she saw Freyja, Lucifer, Apollo, and even felt Aphrodite hold her hand. She told me she’s never experienced something like this before, and I told her that stuff like this just happens at times.
A lot of other wild shenanigans happened last night. Like my sister meeting my deities and guides, feeling their presence, and even witnessing me getting pranked for April Fool’s.
Womenly things; it’s my red week and apparently it was the perfect opportunity for a prank, so some of my gods thought it would be funny to not tell me that I started bleeding through. Loki and Hermes fucking lost it and I was just dying last night. Freyja and Aphrodite were trying to get me to change, etc. Wild night.
I was even visited by an unexpected newcomer in the form of Zeus, who I hadn’t made contact with properly at all. I was doing shadow work earlier on that day with Apollo and apparently Zeus was listening in, I asked Apollo to make sure after witnessing the tree outside my window going batshit crazy because of the wind.
And apparently he wants to work with me too, as I clarified with him earlier today.
Overall, last night was just so positive and warm. I experienced so many surreal encounters with my gods and guides, who were all present with me. Heck, even Asmodeus made an appearance, and I barely interact with him.
I witnessed a lot of stuff too, like Eros and Psyche being lovey dovey, Lucifer being standoffish when I mentioned possibly working with Hades, and even Loki just being outright weird. Ares even went dad mode when he went downstairs with me so I could change since he knew I’m like, a major coward and that I’d be too scared to go alone.
Heck, my sister and I finally got around to locking our numerous mirrors. I showed her how to do it, and I wanted to cry in being a proud sister while watching her figure out how to draw the sigil right.
Also, Apollo hugs and cuddles. Very nice.
I can’t forget what happened later that night though. Everything was going really well until I spotted Apollo’s candle flickering. It usually wasn’t an odd occurrence, but it was like it was trying to get my attention. Apollo’s presence and energy changed a bit, going from warm and amused to something a bit more protective. I then felt something coming from outside the door, like an odd energy. We just cleansed the room, so a lot of lingering entities/energies were kicked out and apparently it was one of them (according to Apollo anyway) and he told us not to go near the door or leave the room anymore.
I could feel a bit of tension coming from some of my gods and guides, such as Ares, Lucifer, and Freyja who were the closest to the door. Even Zeus’s energy seemed a bit tense. My intuition was telling me they were watching it in case something happens, so it began to worry me.
Apollo told me to sleep then, and I in turn asked him if I could put out the candles. However, after my inquiries, he told me that I really couldn’t. I was worried, seeing as it was a literal fire hazard, but I trusted him and the rest of my gods to keep me safe. I am not sure what it meant to keep the candles on or what would happen if I put it out then, but I let them stay on. I couldn’t sleep easily at first, seeing as I didn’t want my house to burn down, but after Apollo’s and Hermes’s coercion, I ended up falling asleep.
Another cute anecdote: holding hands with Apollo is my new favorite thing. Like, he’s such a dad, like I even call him Pater or Papa. He’s just really warm, both in personality and his energy. Hermes too. The two were just looking after me and calming me down so I could sleep already.
I felt safe, with all of my guides being there looking after me.
I woke up pretty abruptly a few hours after, the sun was rising and the energy of the room had changed. I put the candles out, seeing as the odd energy I felt outside the door a few hours prior was gone. I was still sleepy then, and I ended up falling asleep again directly after. I still felt Hermes’s and Apollo’s energy then, and it was just really surreal.
I really love my gods and guides. I really do. I’ve always known it, I know they know it, and now even my sister understands why I confide in them.
In conclusion; burning bay leaves with my guides on April Fool’s night is a totally fantastic and safe bonding experience. Well, if you don’t count dropping a lit match or dealing with a possible energy vampire. Would totally recommend, but be sure to have a fire extinguisher on hand just in case.
Messenger of the gods, Guider of Souls to to the Underworld, Olympian God of Herds & Flocks, Travelers & Hospitality, Roads & Trade, Thievery & Cunning, Heralds & Diplomacy, language & writing, athletic contests & gymnasiums, astronomy & astrology
⚕️Invocation:
Keen minded Hermes, light-fingered one, light footed one, quick & cunning, bright & merry, ever watchful, ever agile, ever sharp of wit. The wings at your feet carry you to any landing-place, in any realm; wearing cap of Aidoneus,you tarry, unseen by mortal men, Wielder of the golden sword, player on the shepherds pipe, god of herdsmen, god of thieves, god of cities and pastures, rustic and urbane, you walk the line between contradictions. Hermes of the borderland, Hermes of the threshold, god of the uncertain, consistent and contrary, you stand in the doorway, you stand at the edge; knife-sharp boundary between two worlds is yours. Hermes, child of rich-tressed Maia and Thundering Zeus, I thank you for your many gifts, I praise your might.
⚕️About Hermes:
Sacred animals: tortoise, ram, hare, & hawk
Sacred Plants: Crocus Flower, & Strawberry Tree
Other Names:Argeiphontes
Cult terms: term relating to his religious praxis
Hermaion:Temple of Hermes
Hermaia:Games & festivals of hermes
Hermai:Pillar statues of Hermes
⚕️Titles & Epithets:
Epimêlios:Keeper of the flocks
Kriophoros:Ram Bearer
Agoraios:Of the Market Place
Dolios:Of Crafts, Of Wiles
Enagônios:Of the games
Promakhos:Champion
Hermêneutês: Interpreter, Translator
These are just main cult epithets theres much more location based ones & poetic ones
You can make different shrines to specific epithets if desired to connect to different aspects
⚕️Offerings:
Libations: Milk, Chamomile tea, olive oil, Virgo or Gemini moon water
Honor his other children: Angelia (goddess of messages), Palaistra(goddess of wrestling), Eleusis(goddess of the Eleusinian Mysteries) & Pan(god of shepherds & the wilderness)
Invoke him on your travels or when looking for a job and always thank him when you arrive safely or have some luck in your life
If youre an athlete, small business owner, or travel for work a lot or in general you can invoke him & devote it to him
Support small businesses
Support local ranchers
Support small astrological businesses
Support local athletes & sports teams
Give money to the homeless
Donate to homeless shelters in his name
Altar/Shrine ideas:
Decorate his sacred space with souvenirs from your travels, money/coins(domestic or foreign), turtle statues/art, astronomy art, astrology art, dice, crocus flowers, Statues/Art of Him, gold & silver objects, Amethyst, Orange Crystals
God king of the Underworld, God of the dead, funeral rites, defender of funeral rights. God of the hidden wealths of the earth, fertile soil with nourished the seed-grain, the mined wealth of gold, silver, & other metals.
Invocation:
Hades, lord of the underworld, host of the dead, stem holder of the boundary between death and life. Cold flesh becomes spirit, bright eyes glint from the shadows, lovers long parted unite, families join once more—Kind one, fearsome one, all this you encompass, light in dark, love in death. Hades unseen, lord of all who have lived and died, I pray to you. Master of dreams, giver of wealth, receiver of those most dear to us, lost to us, treasures all, all within your realm. Great Hades guardian of all who have passed to your kingdom, gracious god to whom we all will go, I praise you.
About Hades:
Sacred Animals: screech owls
Sacred plants: Asphodel, Mint, White Poplar
Other Names: Pluton, Aidoneus
Retinue:Judges of the Dead, The Erinyes, Cerberus
Cult terms: terms related to religious praxis of Hades
Ploutônion(Plutonium):Temple of Plouton
Nekyomantêion(Necyomantium):Necromantic shrine
Titles & Epithets:
Ploutôn(Pluto): Of Wealth
Theôn Khthonios(Theon Chthonius): God of the Underworld
Polysêmantôr(Polysemantor): Ruler of many
Polydegmôn(Polydegmon): Host of many
Polyxenos(Polyxenus): Host of many
Nekrodegmôn(Necrodegmon): Reciever of the dead
Nekrôn Sôtêr(Necron Soter): Savious of the dead
Offerings:
Libations:black coffee, black tea, peppermint tea
Honey
Dark Chocolate
Rich meats
Sharp cheeses
Breads or cakes
Pomegranates
Apples
Mint
Peppermint
Poppy seeds
Black Narcissus
Cyprus tree leaves or bark
Thyme
Rosemary
Coins
Stones: Garnet, onyx, black tourmaline, jet, black obsidian, & hematite
Small Fossils
Keys
Shedded snake skin
Owl or vulture feathers
Naturally shed black dog fur
Animal bones
Poems/prayers/hymns/letters
Art of him or for him
Statues/art of Cerberus & black dogs
Statues/art of him
Black, gold, or silver candles
Cypress, Amber, Pomegranate, and/or winter scents
Drinking horns
Scepters
21+ Offerings:
Sweet dark wine
Strong dark whiskey
Devotional acts:
As with other Chthonic deities, libations should be poured into the ground and food offerings are burnt or buried, never shared, unlike with Ouranic deities.
Keep a budget, save your money and spend it wisely
Honor the dead
HonorPersephone, his wife& their children: Zagreus, Melinoe, & The Erinyes(Tisiphone, Megaria, & Alekto)
Honor his siblings: Zeus,Hera,Poseidon,Demeter, & Hestia
Honor/learn about your ancestors
Learn avoid his history, myths, & hymns
Learn about varying funeral rites of different religions & cultures
Visit & clean up cemeteries
Visit & tour caves
Learn about necromancy & death magic
Learn about and work with spirits
Tend a garden
If youre a mortician, miner, etc, dedicate your craft to him
Wear black
Wear silver jewelry
Volunteer to walk/play with dogs
Support miners especially those who are striking against their unfit working conditions
Donate to those who can’t afford a funeral
Donate to suicide prevention organizations
Donate dog food, toys, blankets, etc to animal shelters
Digital Devotions:
Make an E-shrine for him
Make a Mood board for him
Write blogs about funeral rites or the inhuman working conditions of miners
Altar/shrine ideas:
Incorporate a lot of death imagery; like skulls, etc, but also connect to his wealth associated sides, incorporate stones, crystals(especially black), metals, coins, fossils, black candles, statues or art of him and/or Cerberus & black dogs, you could also dig a hole outside if possible for libations(this goes for any chthonic deity or chthonic epithet of a deity btw)
Queen of Olympus, Goddess of Marriage, childbirth,women, the sky, & the stars of the heavens
Invocation:
Glorious Hera, fair one, noble one, beautiful Hera with eyes as deep and full as any well, as bright as distant stars, as clear as cloudless sky, I praise you. Peerless Hera, queen of high Olympus, chosen bride of thundering Zeus, only you could match his might, his wit, his every step. Dear Hera, guardian of marriage, of love between partners, of constancy, of faith and of faithfulness, your blessings you give to those who hold together against the world; who build together a family, a haven, a life; who grow together into a fond old age, ever ardent, ever devoted. Shining Hera, sublime goddess, I honor you.
Offerings:
Libations: pure water & milk
Honey
Chocolate
Breads, grains, homemade sweets
Fruits
Pomegranates & pomegranate seeds
Flowers: lilies, poppies, irises, white roses, and waterlilies
White, royal blue, purple, dark green, grey, & silver candles
Crowns
Throne imagery
Framed family pictures
Stones: pearls, garnets, citrine, amber, diamonds, & star sapphires
Perfumes
Silver/gold jewelry
White or gold rose petals
Golden roses
Art youve created for her
Poems/hymns/letters
Crafts youve made
Stories youve written
Pictures of you and your S.O. And/or children
21+ Offerings:
Wine
Devotional acts:
Housework
Help others
Reminisce with old pictures
Set aside time in schedule for your S.O., children, family etc
Turn your bathroom into a spa
Take a long bath with bubbles, soaks, music, candles, wine, etc.
Take care of your mental health
Pray to her & talk about life, crushes, romantic partners, past relationships, etc etc
surprise your S.O. with breakfast in bed, a movie, a massage, booking a romantic retreat, etc
HonorZeus, her husband
Honor her siblings: Poseidon,Hades,Demeter, & Hestia
Honor her children: Ares,Hephaestus,Eris,Enyo, & Hebe
Support single mothers
Support people with neglectful or absent mothers
Donate and support domestic abuse victims
Donate a dress to organizations like Bridges for a Cause, or brides against breast cancer or donate to help fund someone’s wedding/wedding dress
Donate and support charities that aid in ending child hunger
Digital Devotions:
Make an E-Shrine
Make a mood board
Make a playlist
Write blogs on relationship and/or wedding advice
Altar/shrine ideas:
A sacred space to Hera should incorporate royal imagery & colors like a purple cloth & crowns, as well as statues, pictures, or art of her sacred animals(peacocks, cows, cuckoos, etc), peacock or cow prints, peacock feathers; white, royal blue, or purple candles; white flowers, statues or pictures of her, pictures of you & your S.O, children, or family, etc
Olympian god of war, courage, rebellion, & civic order
⚔️Invocation:
Bright helmed Ares, strong of arm and stern, of visage, firm of stance, unyielding of will, ever ready to face any foe, to hold the line against all who may come, to battle until the end. Ares, son of noble Zeus and wise Hera, cherished by golden Aphrodite, honored by those who call you for strength and courage, in the north you were much honored in times of old, in Thrace and Thessaly were you held in esteem by those whose lives were harsh, whose world was stony, whose comforts were hard-won. Ares who answers the prayers of the despairing, I honor you.
⚔️Offerings:
Libations: pure water, black coffee, black tea, olive oil, sport drinks, protein shakes
Beef & other red meat
Cooked fat from meat
Blood from cut meats
Spicy jerky
Heavy spices
Spicy food
Garlic
Hot sauce
Jalapeños
Dark chocolate
Frankincense
Sandalwood or frankincense incense
Red, black, and purple candles
Art or statues of him
Statues of his sacred animals: horses, venomous snakes, dogs, woodpeckers, barn owls, and/or vultures and/or feathers of the last 3
Weapons, armor, and shields (art, statues, toys, etc)
Trophies
Stones: red crystals like garnets, rubies, bloodstone, fire opal, steel
Iron/steel jewelry
Roses
Thorns
Snake skin*
Animal teeth*
Written fears or successes
Medals & ribbons
Antiques
⚔️21+ Offerings:
Strong dark wine
Strong whiskey
⚔️Devotional acts:
Try new things
Explore alternatives to the systems and paths you were told to follow
Wear darker makeup
Shadow work
Take care of your mental health, take your medication, go to therapy, eat, drink enough water, the hardest battles are fought inside us all
Help your friends clean up after a party
Pray to him for help when depressed, anxious, having PTSD, etc
Pray to him for justice
Tell him about your accomplishments
Tell him about your fears
Research military history
Research history of Protests & riots
Educate yourself on the downsides of war & the affect it has on people
Research PTSD, not only from war but also from sexual assault & other causes
Create a playlist that makes you feel brave & confidence
Join a debate team
Take self defense classes
Learn first aid
Fuel your hate into productive energy
Partake in combat sports(i.e. martial arts, fencing, etc)
Exercise, find fun work outs you like
Play strategy games like risk, chess, civilization, etc
Watch documentaries on military history, history of protests, riots, & civil disobedience, and sexual assault victims
Stand up for yourself & your beliefs, write to your governor/mayor for change, attend protests, riots(be safe & look out for each other), etc—but dont push yourself if your physical/mental health isnt up to par, he doesn’t want his followers injured
Stand up against bigots
If you play any sports, invoke him for strength and endurance before the game
If youre a soldier, pray to him to protect you on deployment and to bring you home safely, and if you suffer PTSD from combat pray to him to help alleviate your struggle
If you’re a survivor of SA, pray to him for the strength to keep living your life, & to help you while struggling with PTSD, Ares Canonically arrested a man who tried to r*pe Hera & killed one of Poseidons sons who r*ped his daughter, Ares is a protector and ally of SA survivors
HonorZeus&Hera, his parents
HonorAphrodite, his beloved, & their children: Phobos,Deimos,Eros, & Harmonia
Honor his attendants: Eris,goddess of discord & strife, sometimes described as a consort too, Enyo, goddess of war
Protest injustice
Protect & help those in need
Help out at a local protest
Support local veterans
Support PTSD victims
Support sexual assault survivors
Volunteer at a VA
Vote against unnecessary war
Protest unnecessary war
Donate to the Rape Crisis Center & similar programs
Donate & support victims of war
Donate to charities that support abuse victims
⚔️Digital Devotions:
Make an E-Shrine
Make a mood board
Write blogs on PTSD, both from war & abuse
Write blogs about protest tips
Write blogs about the neglect of veterans especially those suffering poverty and/or PTSD by the government & people who claim to support them
⚔️Altar/shrine ideas:
Incorporate red, black, or purple colors like with an altar cloth, have statues or art of his sacred animals: poisonous snakes, vultures, dogs, woodpeckers, barn owls, eagle owls, bears, fish, horses etc, statues of weapons, armor, warriors, chariots, etc, statues of him(their sometimes hard to find unfortunately, so pictures or paintings work well too), incorporate his stones(bloodstone, fire opal, garnet, steal, & ruby), or even anything that reminds you of strength or courage
Olympian god of the sky, Chief god of the Hellenic Pantheon, ruler & protector of the gods & humans
⚡️Invocation:
Father Zeus, holder of lightning, master of storms, ruler of fair Olympus and all who there dwell. All is within your power, all bow to your will, great Zeus who hears all oaths, who sees justice done, who watches over all with benevolent gaze, whose blessings are great; awesome Zeus, I honor you. Guardian of our homes, protector of our children, kind Zeus, I pray to you, Guide me to be just, to act with honor, to keep my promises, to welcome guests freely, to do what’s right. Watch over our home and bring it to abundance, O Zeus, watch over our children, shield them from harm.
⚡️Offerings:
Libations: milk, tea, coffee, rain water
Small cakes
Breads
Red meat
Scaled fish
Fruit
Cinnamon
Laurel
Incense: frankincense, myrrh, or rain scented
Silver, blue, white, and/or gold candles
Figures or pictures of eagles
Figures or pictures of bulls
Eagles and/or bull toys
Oak
Pine
Pictures, paintings, statues, etc of lightning & thunderstorms
Meditate to the sounds of rain and/or a thunderstorm
Enjoy rainy days and/or thunderstorms, relax with tea or coffee and watch the storm outside
Make a playlist for him
Learn about the political climate of your nation, and your state and/or local area
Vote in national & local elections
Learn about your rights
Learn about the legislative & judicial systems of your government
Learn about the history of your country
Learn about his history, read his myths, hymns, poems, etc(YOU NEED TO CONSIDER HISTORICAL CONTEXT WHILE DOING SO, he gets a very bad rap now a days Bc people think a bunch of stories written by sexist rich folk in ancient greece is the literal nature of Zeus)
Learn about weather, storms, & how to tell if one is coming
Learn a new skill
Be fair & just & hear both sides of an argument before making a decision
Be proud of your achievements and yourself
Share your accomplishments with him
Take care of your mental health
take care of friends and family
Take charge & be a leader
Be assertive
Help others whenever you can
Work hard in school or work
Pray to him, tell him about everything, ask for guidance, he is a very fatherly presence
Honor his sisters, Hestia, andDemeter(andHeratoo again)
Honor his children & their mothers, he had COUNTLESS, so im only going to list significant ones, Athena (born from zeus’ head after consuming her titan mother Metis),Artemis&Apollo(FromLeto),Hermes(fromMaia),Ares, (from Hera),Dionysus(fromSemele, a mortal woman), & Persephone(fromDemeter)
HonorAphrodite,Homer describes her as Zeus’ daughter while Hesiod describes her being born from Ourano’s castrated ding a ling falling into sea foam, I subscribe most to the second it aligns with her near eastern origins. But regardless Zeus has a fatherly relationship with her eventually either way, she is adopted by Zeus & raised as his own as she was born from the sea without parents of her own
Support single fathers
Support people with neglectful, absent, or deceased fathers
Donate to organizations like the American Eagle organization
Donate to relief organizations for natural disasters
Participate in local government(volunteer, donate, vote, make your voice heard)
HonorAphrodite, another significant sea deity & Olympian & at one time lovers, Aphrodite was grateful for Poseidon supporting her relationship with Ares & they had two daughters— Rhodos&Herophilos, honor them as well
Recycle♻️
Avoid single use plastic
Donate to Ocean Conservation in his name
Donate to Coral Restoration in his name
Support local fishermen
Help clean up oceans, beaches, lakes, rivers, riverbanks,etc
Digital Devotions:
Make an e-shrine
Make a mood board
Write articles about ocean conservation, horses, marine biology
Altar/shrine ideas:
A sacred space to Poseidon should have a lot of blue or green color, with lots of sea shells, shark teeth, pearls, possibly even coral, trident statues, dolphin motifs, but also try to incorporate his land dwelling associations as well, have a horse statue or painting or even a horseshoe, you can also incorporate bull statues or art, or even a Hippocamp statue, have a statue or picture of him along with blue, green, or silver candles, have some aquamarine on there too, you could possibly use a sea shell for an offering bowl too!
Poetry, music, letters, and/or hymns you’ve written
Art you’ve made
Photos you’ve taken
Golden jewelry
Lgbtia+ flags(especially bi or pan since he’s described as having female & male lovers)
Divination items(tarot, oracle, pendulum, etc)
21+ Offerings:
Wine diluted with pure water
Devotional Acts:
Read/write poetry, hymns, letters,songs, etc
Sing to him
Take care of your mental health, remember to take your medicine if you have any
Try and/or practice archery and possibly even compete in archery competitions in his honor
Try different types of divination
Watch the sunrise
Go for a walk in the sunlight
Let more sunlight into your home
Learn a musical instrument or learn how to sing
Learn simple medical care like CPR
Read his myths, hymns, & poems
Learn about his lovers
Attend pride
Support LGBTIA+ rights
Honor Leto & Artemis
Pray to him often, for guidance, healing, good health, inspiration, prophecy, or truth
Support LGBTIA+ owned businesses
Support small time and/or local indie artists, writers, & musicians
Donate to medical charities
Help street medics at protests
Digital Devotions:
Make an E-shrine
Make a moodboard
Write blogs on archery, medicine, music, arts, writing
If you have a divination service you can dedicate it to him
Altar/shrine ideas
Include a lot of solar imagery, bow & arrow statues & imagery, yellow or orange candles, statues or art of him & his sacred animals(snakes, wolves, foxes, deer, dolphins, crows, hawks), his stones, herbal medicines, musical pieces, divination tools, snake imagery, lyre statues & depictions
Olympian Goddess of wild animal’s, the hunt, the moon, vegetation, chastity(applying to both lesbians & aro/aces bc of the ancient greek beliefs on chastity), and childbirth
Invocation:
I praise bright Artemis, fair as the budding branch, fair as the spotted fawn, brave as the young bear.
From Crafty Hephaestus you took the artful bow, the sharp barbed shafts;From father Zeus you claimed your calling.
Far shooting Artemis, through the thick of the darkened wood you make your way, trailing boar and hare, swiftly and silently, your aim never flawless, ever kind.
Artemis, light bringer, mountain-dweller, graceful one who runs through thorn and thistle with never a scratch, a goddess unparalleled, friend of mothers in their travail, friend of maidens, friend of the pretty nymphs, in old Arcadia you roamed the wildernes, in Tauris you took the blood of men, in Ephesus you wore the mural crown.
The fire of youth is in you, goddess, the bold and valiant spirit that marks a child as yours.
Free hearted Artemis, worthy daughter of Leto, I honor you always
Offerings:
Moon shaped food
Animal shaped food
Honey
Round honey cakes
Fruits
Nuts: almond, walnut
Herbs: mugwort, wormwood, tarragon
Leaves & bark: oak ,cedar, fir, and/or willow
Stones: amethyst, moonstone, quartz, pearls
Silver
Wildflowers
Amaranth
Cooked meat/fish
Incense: Jasmine or lemon
Animal bones*
Animal hides*
Deer antlers*
Tusks*
Owl or quail feathers*
Animal claws, nails, teeth*
Moon shaped objects
Moon water
Pictures, art or figurines of wild animals
Pictures, art, or statues of Artemis
Art or figurines of bows & arrows
Bow
Arrows
Arrowheads
Art, poems, hymns, letters
21+ offerings:
Wine
Devotional acts:
Practice archery
Practice knife throwing
compete in archery and/or knife throwing competitions
Make arrows
Learn self defense
Go barefoot
Having a feast in her name
Learn herbalism
Dance
Go on hikes & enjoy nature
Go stargazing
Learn about feminism
Offer at midnight
HonorApollo
HonorLeto
HonorZeus
If you hunt, invoke her at the beginning of your hunt, & give thanks to her at the end of the hunt, offer her something from anything you kill, do not take it for granted, use as much as you can and donate what you dont use
Cook over a campfire or wood burning stove
Take a moment while drinking morning coffee, tea, etc & enjoy the fresh air
Be kind to kids, inspire them to follow their passions
Clean up trails and parks
Practice self love
Always help animals in need
Carry menstrual products in case someone needs one
Give money to homeless people you pass
Plant native plants near your home
Learn about the geography of the moon
Support lesbians & other sapphic individuals
Support aro/ace individuals
Support local sapphic & aro/ace owned business
Donate to wildlife programs in her name
Donate to womens shelters in her name
Donate girls and women’s clothing
Digital Devotions:
Make an eshrine
Make a mood board
Write a blog about wildlife conservation & ethical hunting
Write about archery
Watch wildlife/nature documentaries
Altar/shrine ideas:
A sacred space to Artemis should incorporate her two biggest associations, the moon & wildlife, lunar imagery, bows and arrows or just depictions of them, are all great. You should also have a candle or more for her, a Statue or picture of her, imagery or statues of deer and other animals, you can use an animal pelt for the shrine cloth, antlers are also great to set on her space, as well as silver and white candles, and amaranth flowers, my personal shrine to her I have a rabbit pelt for the shrine cloth, i then have a stone slab I found with two tealight candles, & rocks my girlfriend got me for last valentines day, I have an offering bowl made of a horn next to that & a small deer antler i found resting in the back & i hung a deer necklace on the antler, & then I have a white 7 day candle for her & her statue is set in the center, with a stone arrowhead my parents gifted to me & a small piece of a tree my aunt in Washington state had mailed to me w a letter
Why people hating on Zeus equals to hating on a whole ancient society and… it’s kinda dumb
If you have been in the part of social media that discusses ancient religions or ancient mythology you might know Zeus is hated badly. If you worship Zeus like I do I’m pretty sure you are aware of how many people actually waste times of their live doing bad jokes of how every woman on ancient Greece was pregnant with Zeus’s kid or another type of bullshit, and I’m tired of that. There are already like 100 posts on other Zeus worshippers giving their take on this topic but you know what? I want to be the 101 so here I am. I’f you hate Zeus I ask you nicely to grab your coffee, water, tea, whatever, sit and read this post.
this post is written with a target audience of people who do not have much knowledge aside from the myths and what social media say, I’ll be including the very basic theological and cultural aspects of Ancient Greece in this post so let’s consider this a baby course into epithets and the human kind changing their ethic code through time.
Before we officially start I’m sure some Zeus haters already have arguments to throw at me as soon as they finish reading this post so let me tell you, as a MUN delegate who’s obsessed with debate, some argument starters I won’t even read if you start a sentence with them:
“I believe or I think” I’m sorry but I don’t care about your personal biases I want facts.
“X media thing portrays” x media or x author is not a reliable source of information, unless it’s a historian with good background resources or reliable sources I won’t even take it in mind
“In other religions…” this is hellenism not other religions
“But in x myth” myths are not literal
“But x deity” all deities are different
Anyways, let’s start with what’s a myth, the merriam webster dictionary says a myth is “a usually traditional story of ostensibly historical events that serves to unfold part of the world view of a people or explain a practice, belief, or natural”. My religion teacher back on catholic school also added to this definition a “moral code or cultural reflection religions implied into their followers”, and it’s accurate.
In baby words, myths explain things our society can’t explain while also reflecting our culture and behaviours.
Clear? Clear.
History has shown us that many religions don’t take their myths completely literally, most times they take them as metaphors or teachings to follow or simply they use them as propaganda to increase certains individual power, and this includes Ancient Greeks. If a king wanted to increase his power to scare people that may want to rebel he could easily say he was the child of Zeus, which is an explanation to why so many kings and heroes were kids of the all-mighty deity. Ancient Greeks also had to find a way to explain different phenomenons, and as many cultures before and after them, myths were a perfect way of doing so. To finish with myths and their uses, as many religions did and still do, the ancient Greeks needed a way to spread lessons to their people without the need of sitting them down and literally teaching them. Instead of doing this they preferred giving examples of things not to do. What makes Hellenism so different to actual modern religions is that the practice was and is more important that the actually texts, that can be a base but at the end of the day they are not the structure of the religion.
Now, a huge mistake many people commit is thinking the myths we nowadays read are the original myths. That’s a mistake. Ingrid Holmberg says in her essay titled as The Creation of the Ancient Greek Epic Cycle “Their research (addressing Milman Parry and Albert Lord.) and the research of their followers has revealed that the Greek epic oral tradition formed a huge, interconnected, and variegated web of legendary and mythical narratives that comprised the corpus of the epic cycle(…).” Harvard university also addresses this topic by saying “Basically, the “question” came down to this: were the Homeric poems composed with or without the aid of writing? Parry’s project, the comparing of Homeric poetry with the living oral traditions of South Slavic heroic poetry, led him to conclude that the Homeric texts were indeed the products of oral composition.”
So tell me, years of investigation affirms that the myths were told from mouth to mouth, the poets did not write their original work down but after many years later someone did… the version written is a version passed generation from generation by someone who heard them from their parents who heard them from their grandparents that might have edited and changed the original version for hundreds of years. Knowing all this areyou’re still going to judge a culture and a religion through myths? Really? Because that’s plainly dumb.
Let me give you an example, I write you a message and then pass it through google translator 20 times, and send it. And actually did! The message I’ll translate 20 times is “Hello dear readers of the internet, this is an experiment with google translator to explain how dumb is to literally judge a myth that has been changed hundreds of times. Not only that, a myth that reflected a society with different a ethic code, in some hundreds of years if society still exists they are going to judge some things we do… so em don’t waste your time on that”. After passing that message through 20 different languages in google translator this is how it ended up: Hello, dear internet reader, you will be judged not only by this, but also by some of the hundreds of years that we have done with the growth of social networks … so don’t waste time. Don’t waste.
I’m not trying to say that historians and their translations are as bad as google translator, I know this people have studied years to do what they do, I’m just saying that the original stories were told so many times that we have hundreds of adaptations and changes. Here’s an example, if you read a copy of the iliad written by x guy and then grab another copy written by another guy… you’ll find many differences in the translation.
Now that we got the translation clear thing you’ll probably still say “yeah anyways still myths say Zeus is a pr3d4tor who cheated on his wife muuultiple times”. And to that I’ll laugh ten minutes because yeah but no. Look at my beautiful hazel and eyes and tell me, do you think Ancient Greek men cared about women? And how they were treated? and how they were portrayed in the moment of explaining things?
If you say yes I beg you to go study some history.
If you say no, bingo.
A year a go I went down the rabbit whole of homosexuality in the ancient world, wrote an essay on it, and I found out men repeled women and they saw them as baby machines (i mean, some still do) so some societies had this idea that the closest relationship to love you could have with someone was with another man. So, understand that the ancient world didn’t give a damn about women. Most myths shows them as trophies, that’s no surprise for anyone at this point. So of course, they saw women as baby machines and as myths are reflections of society, do you really expect the Ancient Greeks to portray them as something else aside baby creators? Nooo!!!! Ofc they were not going to do that, they needed mothers to give an explanation to the hundreds of kings saying they were Zeus’s kids, and they found them.
Okay now, some of you may ask why did he “cheat” on Hera… more cultural aspects being reflected. Here’s what Jennifer Larson the writer of Ancient Greek cults has to say:
Now that we closed the marriage ethic issue The Zeus has many child joke or insult is even dumber because kids were so important for the social status in that era that they stablished the social status. During all Human’s story, money establishes your place in the social status: the more you have the higher you are. This also applied in the Ancient Greece. By having more kids it meant you had more to offer and to sustain your family, basically more kids = more money = more power = higher rank.
Studying children and childhood is of great importance because it provides insight into social norms and social life in ancient Greece. Children were important for the parents, the home, and city. Not having children led to inability to pass on the property and wealth of the father.
If Zeus, the KING of the gods and mortals, father of humanity, doesn't have a lot of children then what do you think it would do to how Ancient Greeks perceived him huh. If they measured by kids ofc their higher deity had to have a lot because that gave him power, please, it’s pure logic. The fact that he has multiple kids is a perfect reflection of how the Ancient Greece society acted, do you really want to sit down and complain about it? Why don’t you instead start thinking of a way of changing that capitalist mindset that still rules our society instead of bullying an old civilization and their cults.
—End of the cultural rant—
Okay cultural part has finished, let’s dive into my favorite topic ever: epithets. And I actually did like 3 polls on this, both on my twitter and my instagram, asking if my followers knew what an epithet was. I always had this thought that one of the reasons many people hate on deities is because they only see one side of their multiple-side self… and ofc the answer was no, they did not:
And epithets are soooo important to understand a deity, So assuming some people might not know what epithets are here is a brief summary extracted from a previous post of mine addressing epithets and their importance: Literal definition of epithet: an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned.Let me give you an example: A friend of yours loves reading, they love it so freaking much, so one of your teachers is like “oh pepito the reader”, it’s obvious that pepito is a reader.Now examples with deities. Demeter Chthonia (of the Earth). WHAT DO WE ASSUME KIDS?! That Demeter is an Earth deity. Duh. And like that with all the deities.
Epithets basically tell us how deities were perceived when worshipped, and many of the people who love judging Zeus have ignoring epithets as their favorite hobby so here I am, giving you a list of my favorite ones to take in mind:
AGO′NIUS (Agônios), a surname or epithet of several gods. Aeschylus (Agam. 513) and Sophocles (Trach. 26) use it of Apollo and Zeus, and apparently in the sense of helpers in struggles and contests.
AGORAEUS and AGORAEA (Agoraia and Agoraios), are epithets given to several divinities who were considered as the protectors of the assemblies of the people in the agora, such as Zeus
ALASTOR (Alastôr). an epithet of Zeus, describing him as the avenger of evil deeds.
EVA′NEMUS (Euanemos), the giver of favourable wind
HETAEREIUS (Hetaireios), the protector of companies or associations of friends
HY′PATUS (Hupatos), the most high
LECHEA′TES (Lecheatês) i.e. the protector of childbed
NOMOS (Nomos), a personification of law, described as the ruler of gods and men.
PANHELLE′NIUS (Panellênios), i.e. the god common to, or worshipped by all the Hellenes or Greeks
PHY′XIUS (Phuzios), i. e., the god who protects fugitives
POLIEUS (Polieus), “the protector of the city;”
SOTER (Sôtêr), i. e. “the Saviour”
Theos Agathos - The Good God
MEILIKHIOS (Milichius) Gracious, Merciful
After reading all this epithets I want to ask one last time, do you still think Zeus is a jerk? When he has the literal epithet of being a Good God? A merciful one? A protector? THE PERSONIFICATION OF LAW?
A fact aspect I want to mention is how people love to completely erase the good sides of Zeus portrayed in many myths. In the Iliad Zeus loves one of his most loved sons, he wants to go and revenge him because he’s an amazing dad but he knows that if he does that he would be impartial and injustice to the other deities who have lost children but haven’t been able to do anything about it. Instead he mourns in silence just to refrain from making other deities feel less privileged, this happens in the freaking Iliad and I’m sorry but I think that is a perfect example of how good Zeus is even if myths are not literal.
IZeus is more than the character modern media converted him into, he’s way more than that. He’s a deity, with multiple aspects and multiple stories that have adapted to fit into into ancient societies idea of what was a higher deity. All the arguments people have against him show that they do not understand how myths work and they do not understand that ancient times came with ancient ideals.
So please, research and form your own criteria before hating on something you don’t actually know about. Give yourself the opportunity to listen all sides of the story and then after that you can say whatever you want. Most importantly, give yourself the opportunity to learn.
Hopefully this is my last post regarding this matter, if I quite changed your mind in any type of way then that’s great, if I didn’t that’s on you. That’s all I have to say and thank you for reading the post complete!
