☤ ·Many faces of Hermes: Hermes Chrysorrhapis, or Hermes of the Golden Wand· ☤
Hermes ( Mercury ) wields Caduceus, a golden staff with two snakes wrapped around it. Traditionally, it is associated with a number of things including the planet Mercury, trades, commerce, negotiation, the duty of heralds and other messengers.
Hermes is a Deity traversing across two realms, and a snake is an ancient symbol indicating the crossing of worlds, thus, every area in which reciprocal exchange of gifts, services, and communicative acts is done, is his sphere of influence.
What may one say of Hermes of the Winged Feet? He stole the money that I left on the window The breeze took it, people said to me. Light as wind the son of Zeus came, then And just as rapidly he approached again After I was almost robbed on the sidewalks Take your coins, wine and honey, great Lord O Messenger, bringer of goods, leave naught behind So you may come again with gifts of luck and good health and a favourable mind.
Day 19 - What Quality or Qualities of this God do you most Admire? What Quality or Qualities of Them Do you Find the most Troubling?
I admire his resourcefulness, his ability to always find a way, his way, to come out on top in the end. No obstacle is too high for him and he conquer them with boldness.
I admire his wisdom, how he has seen and learned so much and how willing he is to help you on your own path.
I admire his kindness, he’s always there for me in my darkest hours, a gentle touch on my cheek, helping me to find my way out of sorrow. He inspires me to be a better person and be of help to my fellow humans.
I admire his brightness, he came to me like a light in the darkness that pushed all that was unnecessary and false aside and I’m forever grateful for it.
I admire his humor, how he uses his wit and cleverness to make you laugh but also learn and grow.
What troubles me ? I guess that no matter how I wish the gods were perfect, to me they are individuals and I think they can oversee things and make mistakes too. But I believe they always try to do what’s best despite that.
In Greek mythology, there are various personified spirits called daimones.Eventually this word evolved into what we now know as “demon” (a word with negative connotations), but daimones weren’t necessarily “evil” spirits. Most of these daimones are the children of Nyx, Eris, or Zeus. In general, the daimon children of Zeus are personifications of morally good concepts, while the children of Nyx and Eris represent the malevolent forces which plague humans. Some daimones (like Hebe, the goddess of youth, or even Eris herself) were full fledged gods, while others were mere personifications with no mythology or cult.
Children of Zeus
Moirai:perhaps better known as the Fates, these three goddesses are the daughters of Zeus and Themis. Sometimes the Moirai were instead called children of Nyx.
Horai:goddesses of the seasons, these three goddesses (Dike,Eunomia, and Eirene) also represent the concepts of justice, lawful conduct, and peace respectively. They are the daughters of Zeus and the titan Themis.
Elder Kharites: goddesses of grace and beauty, these three goddesses (Algaia,Euphrosyne, and Thalia) were the daughters of Zeus and the Okeanis Eurynome. They represented glory, merriment, and festivity respectively. I have an in-depth post about the Elder and Younger Kharites here.
Litai: the personified spirits of prayers were the daughters and ministers of Zeus, and their opposite was Ate, the spirit of delusion. Homer calls them kouraior maidens rather than the daughters of Zeus, but it is likely they were thought of as his daughters seeing as he was the honorary father of all the theoi.
Hebe: the daughter of Zeus and Hera, Hebe is the goddess of youth as well as Hera’s cupbearer and the wife of Herakles.
Aletheia: the personification of truth was also, according to some, a daughter of Zeus. According to Aesop’s fables, she was created by Prometheus.
Kairos:the spirit of opportunity, Kairos is the youngest of Zeus’ divine sons. He was often represented with a long lock of hair hanging from his forehead, suggesting opportunity could be grasped only as it approached.
Likely Children of Zeus
Pistis:trust, honesty, and faith. She was one of the good spirits who escaped from Pandora’s box, abandoning humankind.
Eusebeia: piety, wife of Nomos.
Nomos:law, husband of Eusebeia. Dikewas sometimes called their daughter, although Nomos was usually just an aspect of Zeus.
Dikaiosyne:righteousness, closely related to Dike
Kalokagathia:nobility and goodness, associated with Arete
Epidotes:ritual purification, assuages the wrath of Zeus Hikesios (god of suppliants). He was an attendant of Apollon at Delphi, but also appeared as an epithet of Hypnos.
Hormes:effort, impulse, and eagerness, especially in battle. He was worshipped at Athens as the virtue of industrious effort.
Ekekheiria:truce, cessation of hostilities, closely related to Eirene. She was worshipped at Olympia when a general armistice was declared across Greece for the Olympic games.
Agon:contest and struggle, worshipped at Olympia. It is possible he is the same as Zelos (rivalry).
Praxidike:exacting justice, one of the Praxidikai along with her daughters Homonia (unanimity) and Arete (virtue). She is also the mother of Ktesios (spirit-protector of the household), although he is more often an epithet of Zeus.
Peitharkhia:obedience and following commands. She is the mother of Eupraxia (good conduct).
Soter & Sotera: male and female personifications of safety. These titles are more often used as epithets of gods like Zeus and Dionysos.
Hello it’s me again with a post I was meant to put online three weeks ago! I’ve done several of these: Artemis-Demeter - I also made one for Hermes during my 30 days challenge but I’ve just realized it’s quite short so I will be making a new one again at some point in the future.
What are devotional acts?
Devotional acts, or devotional activities/practices are things one can do in order to honor a deity, just like one would do with physical offerings or prayer. In short, instead of giving, say, wine, you will offer time and energy (the mundane one). You would typically look at a deity’s domains and pick some things related to them.
So here is a list of things you might do, in the hope that it would spark some ideas. Of course the list in non-exhaustive !
☀️Study academic fields (sciences or humanities) - dedicating your studies to him can be one of the easiest devotional act you can do. Can be for school/uni/work or simply your research related to the hellenic path. He’s all about the pursuit of knowledge so no matter the field, you can dedicate this time to him. It’s a side of him that is a bit forgotten as people will think of Athena first, but it is completely in line with his domains as a god of Knowledge and Education.
☀️ Art and Music making and appreciation - he is the god of music and all the fine arts so you can dedicate the practice of these things to him and call upon his aid to develop your skills and sensibilities. The mastery of Arts requires the combination of technical skills, emotional sensibility, the capacity to break down things mentally, and the creativity to bring out solutions, things that are his domains as a god of Reason and Expression. If you don’t make art, you can simply dedicate some time to your appreciation of those fields by going to an exhibition or a concert.
☀️Honoring the Muses - his epithet Musagetesmeans leader of the muses and is meant to connect him to the Arts, as previously mentioned. However, you could also take that more litteraly and devote your time forming a relationship with the Muses to him.
☀️Write and appreciate poetry - made this a separate entry for how important this was to the Ancients. Without judging yourself, write your thoughts and feelings freely and see it as an expression of your mind and soul. Alternatively, lose yourself into the writings of others.
☀️ Working around health - Apollo is the god who inflicts but also relieves plagues, and the father of Asclepios. He is thus linked to the medical field and any practice related to that would be a great idea. One of his epithets, Acestor, means healer.
☀️Philosophy- Apollo is the patron of those who seek truth and wisdom, so not only would studying philosophies and religions be a neat idea, the most important would be to adopt that mindset and make sure you reflect on your values, the meaning of your life, your place in society, etc… The delphic maxims can be a good place to start, not to use them as dogmas but rather to stimulate your own thoughts and spark questions. When I think of Apollo I think of a god who wants us to keep questioning the world and ourself and push us to a better understanding of things and to build our own sense of ethics.
☀️Introspection - As an extension of that, practising a form of introspection as a way to shed light on the most unknown parts of yourself and seeking understanding of your whole self. Keep an journal to write down your introspection sessions can be a great devotional act and would draw his good influence upon you.
☀️Pursue the best version of yourself (with kindness) - to some extent all gods want to see you become the best version of yourself, but I don’t know why, maybe it’s a bit of an UPG, but I see Apollo as the one who thrives for perfection the most and works hard for that. Just be careful that this doesn’t become unhealthy and that you are always doing this with kindness and love for yourself.
☀️Celebrate the blessings the light and the warmth of the sun gives us - he isn’t the Sun himself (that is Helios) but he is undeniably linked to the Sun and its light so he is the one I go to when I want to celebrate the bright season and its blessings. Personally I intend to celebrate the summer solstice with him.
☀️Practice methods of divination - he is the god of prophecy and oracles and one you can go to to improve your ability to divine. He isn’t the only god whose domain is of one form of divination (Hermes has ornithomancy and astragyromancy, and Zeus had oracles), but he was the one who spoke through the Pythia so you can dedicate the development of your psychic senses to him. Also, Tarot is a relatively modern invention but I link it to him due to the fact that it’s an elaborated system through which spontaneous insight arises.
☀️Teaching- giving a drawing or music class, or just anything really. The idea of transferring your knowledge and allowing someone else to become more skilled at something. Especially great with the youth since Apollo is one of its protectors.
☀️Crafting things for your altar - maybe you want to make a laurel wreath (his sacred plant) to DIY your altar, or what about a scented candle containing solar plants, you could also use clay to shape little elements that you will paint later as a decoration. The possibilities are endless!
☀️Note on donations: an alternative to practising the activities I previously mentioned, you could also give your money to those causes and domains. For example: by supporting local artists or health-workers.
At the request of a lovely anon, this post is going to be about a very unique and very interesting epithet of Zeus - Meilikhios.
I’ve talked in passing about Zeus Meilikhios in two other posts of mine: Zeus KatharsiosandMisconceptions of Zeus, but I’ve never done a post focusing solely on this epithet, mostly because it can be a bit to talk about. So, let’s get into it today!
Some translations of Meilikhios that I’ve seen include “the merciful”, “the mild”, “the kindly”, “open to propitiation”, etc.
MEILI′CHIUS (Meilichios), i. e. the god that can be propitiated, or the gracious, is used as a surname of several divinities. 1. Of Zeus, as the protector of those who honoured him with propitiatory sacrifices. At Athens cakes were offered to him every year at the festival of the Diasia. (Thuc. i. 126; Xenoph. Anab. vii. 7. § 4.) Altars were erected to Zeus Meilichius on the Cephissus (Paus. i. 37. § 3),at Sicyon (ii.9. § 6), and at Argos (ii. 20. § 1; Plut. De cohib.
Zeus Meilikhios was often depicted as a giant snake - a creature of the earth.
Even if in one perspective Zeus Meilichios was simply one aspect of Zeus, in another he had to be treated as an independent figure. He was often portrayed differently too, as a gigantic snake. (p.91 of On Greek Religion by Robert Parker)
It is a Chthonic epithet of Zeus, one that has to do with the placating of the dead. He is, like Zeus Kathersios, a god of purification; Votive offerings at Argos were dedicated to him in order to be cleansed of the miasma inccured through bloodshed:
Bryas of Argos was put in command [of the Argive Thousand]. He committed a number of violent outrages against common people, and on one occasion he dishonoured a bridal procession by snatching a virgin girl they were leading to the bridegroom. When night fell the young girl watched Bryas going to sleep and then blinded him. But the coming of day betrayed her; she fled to the people as a ritual suppliant. They refused to give her up to the vengeance of the regiment, there was a fight, the people won it, and in their fury they left not one man of the thousand alive. Afterwards, among the ceremonies of their purification from the blood of kindred, they dedicated a statue of Zeus Meilichios. - Pausanias (2.20.1-2)
There was also a festival in his honor at Athens, called the Diasia, which was celebrated on the 23rd of Anthesterion. For those that could afford them, pigs were sacrificed and burnt whole, as no part of the animal was meant to be eaten in a sacrifice to a god of the underworld. For those who couldn’t afford them, cakes baked in animal shapes were sacrificed.
The festival was described in antiquity as ‘performed with a certain loathsomeness’ and accompanied by grim expressions. This was the public side. Domestically, it was a day of family meals, hospitality and of giving children presents. (pg. 66 of Zeus)
So, not only is he a god of purification, but he also has familial connections and even protective ones:
Thucydides tells the story of the sixth-century athlete Cylon, famous as an Olympian, and married to the daughter of the tyrant of Megara, who attempted in 632 BC to seize political power in Athens. The Delphic oracle advised him to attack during the greatest festival of Zeus. Not surprisingly, he construed this to be the Olympic Games, but his attack went disastrously wrong. Had he attacked during the Diasia, Thucydides points out, he would have found the city largely empty as all the citizens left it for the sanctuary of Zeus Meilichios. Whether designedly or inadvertently, the god protects his worshippers from threats to the city, and ensures their safety. (pg. 3 of the role of Zeus Meilikhios in Argos)
So, this chthonic epithet of Zeus is quite complex in and of itself – on one hand, he is a god tasked with purifiying those who have incurred miasma through bloodshed, but also has strong familial and gentle connotations with the Diasia.
Feel free to send in requests for certain epithets!
Sources:Zeus by Ken Dowden, The role of Zeus Meilikhios in Argos by Diana Burton, and On Greek Religion by Robert Parker
Question: would anyone here be interested in my reverse baptism ritual?
It’s basically just breaking a Christian baptism and cleansing the body/spirit. I wrote it for a couple online friends who were interested in doing it and I’ve been meaning to do one for myself.
Finally posting pictures of my Yule gift for Hades, and also my creature maquette sculpture. I went with Cerberus and decided to make my lovely boy a Pittbull. My reference photos all came from my best friend’s boyfriend (close friend of mine as well) and his pupper, Bellatrix. About 40 hours of work in a singular week, about eight hours every day. My hands were completely dead by the end and it was exhausting. But our teacher was super nice and sweet and helped us whenever we needed it. He actually poked his head into our current class yesterday to say hi and remembered all of our names and asked me how my hands were doing (we talked of my condition near the end of that week).
Here’s photos he actually took of us working and my favorite Bellatrix photo that you can see I have taped up on the mirror:
I started school and have been really busy. But that’s not why I’m making this post.
I was doing an entity identification reading and it got hijacked instead.
Apparently, I have a familiar.
His name is Kai. He’s a Raven. Remember that dream I had awhile ago about a talking Raven named Kai? Yep. That’s him.
According to him, and Melinoe who also slipped in during the reading, the entity I was trying to speak with is malevolent and they wanted me to stop for the night and try again with better protection and a better plan.
A strange evening indeed. But I guess I have Kai as a familiar now. That’s cool :)
I was finally able to get my tattoo today! My uncle designed it for me with Hades’ sigil in mind. So it has that part of it as well as symbols of the mythology.
It’s almost 5 AM but I was alerted to the fact Pluto has been in retrograde since April 27th? And so I had to research what that meant and how it affected things.
Destroyer of lies. Out with the bad, in with the good. Turn towards the darkest parts and shine a light. Uproot the bad and plant the beautiful. Discover what lies beneath and expose it.
Here’s the part that I felt the need to share because there’s no way it’s not connected:
Pluto went retrograde on April 27th, 2021.
After six years of nearly consistent chronic pain, I finally found answers and was diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehlers Danlos Syndrome on April 29th, 2021.
Okay, so August 14th was a very special date for me.
It was my three year anniversary. I’ve been a Hellenic Polytheist for three years now and I just cannot fathom how fast time has flown.
So, in celebration, I’ll have a recording of me singing “All I Ask Of You” from Phantom of the Opera as it really makes me think of Hades.
In other news, I’m going to start packing my things up to move next month. There’s no way I’m leaving any of my altar behind or any of my spiritual things.
I’ve been working at the state fair recently and on a day off, I decided to go to the psychic booth just for fun. The look on that woman’s face when she pulled a card representing the “karma” around me…priceless. She was concerned about the “thing” attached to me that “reeked of death” and the fact it was “powerful.” Imagine her surprise when I asked if it was powerful enough to be a god and just said: “Yeah, he’s fine. Don’t worry about (Hades).”
My coworker is also a HelPol, which was surprising to learn! We talked about Hades and Persephone for a bit on some down time and then some other deities (I can’t remember, I’m sorry! Brain fog >_<).
Doing a lot of research into the death traditions and folklore in different cultures. I’m currently finishing up Morbid Magic and will move onto a book about the Night Marchers. After that, not sure :P
So, I’m curious: If I were to do paid tarot readings, would anyone be interested?
The price would be dependent on the type of reading and amount of cards. I’m struggling at the moment to find a second job (and my first one is slow at the moment with shifts).
I’m just gauging interest in the community and my followers :)
I know there’s a lot of wishes as a polytheist or pagan for a temple to worship at. And I have them OFTEN (like today I dreamt of a repurposed house used as a pluralist polytheist temple)
But honestly, I kinda just wish I had a small group of friends in the same religion. And be close enough to rent a campsite and do a small offering ritual and group hellenic hangout thing together. Judgement free, supportive, and out in nature but still private. Just would love to do burnt offerings over a large campfire and be able to talk about the gods openly and laugh with some people.
I dunno; with the seasons changing and wishing I could go camping right now, having that small group community would be nice.
Hope everyone is well and safe! I know my blog has been rather dormant for a while, and I truly appreciate everyone that has been keeping it alive and interacting with it. Truly humbling to see my words and stuff meaning and impacting so much.
So I’m giving this blog a little revamp, and I’m hoping to be posting some new stuff more. I’m in a more stable place and better with things. I’m also going to be looking into some witch stuff and magic - so if you see some of that content on here that’s why! Literally just starting, so bear with me as I go about it.
Anyway, just want to say hi again. Thanks for everything. Looking forward to more things coming!
Cheers!
-D
p.s. if anyone has some resources (books, blogs, podcasts or videos) to look into with witchcraft and magic, I’d love to know. Send me an ask or message if you can! Thanks!
I’ve been blown away with the luck and blessings I’ve gotten from the Gods this past year. I got to the point where I can justify having business cards for my art (which I made to double as mini-prints!)
Honestly, I can’t thank the gods, and epsecially Apollo, enough for it. I’ve made some awesome things and I’m still getting to do it. I can’t sustain myself on art work alone, but it’s been a great start.
Hope everyone is well and safe, and that you can pursue the things you love be it art, butterfly collecting, or just relaxing with a candle.
I just had a deep deep session yesterday with Zeus. Read a few hymns for him, said some prayers and gave him my true and deep thanks for everything that he does for me in my life. I nearly cried at the deep presence of Zeus as I praised him. At the end of my prayers I sat there, my gentle hand caressing the smooth bronze of my Zeus statue, thanking him for being there for me when no one else was, for the path he has shown me, for the guidance he continues to bring to me. Thanking him for the joy and calmness, the storms that kept me and continue to keep me safe and for the blessings he continues to bring upon me when I need them most.
Zeus truly is a kind loving God full of goodness and mightyness. A God that watches over this world with a kind heart and wise mind of law, order and truth.
Feeling his loving presence is something I will forever be grateful for.
It’s a Thursday and I get news of Northern Lights on Jupiter, I am wearing my Zeus shirt, Zeus ring, lightning necklace and my lightning earrings. I feel like a walking Zeus shrine today! I feel GREAT becuase of Zeus!
I praised Zeus for a bit, taking care of the staute of him on my altar making sure he isn’t dusty. Of course, my big bronze Zeus getting alot of hugs today and forever. Listening to some amazing Greek music feeling nothing but euphoria!
My passion for this path is endless, worshipping Zeus brings me absolute joy that I can never explain in full words.
I feel really relaxed and calm. I feel the sweet energy and presence of Lord Zeus! I feel Electric!
Lord Zeus, you light up my little world with your divine mightyness. I adore you and all that you are, all that you do and everything you bring to this universe!
Strong wielder of the Thunderbolt, one of true law, order, truth and justice ⚖You keep this universe running smooth. Such an amazing ruler you are.
So fatherly and caring, loving and accepting.
I thank you everyday for your love and protection. I appreciate you and the amazing blessings your bring.
My area was spared from the worst of the storm but we did get a little wind and heavy rain!!
I thank Zeus for that!
I love you, Lord Zeus
Your presence melts my heart and lights up my little world
Even tho I was a little cranky over my stuff getting soaked out in the rain this morning while grabbing a coffee, I deeply enjoyed feeling your soothing rain on my skin. Came back home feeling great after it. Your storms truly amaze me.⚡⛈⚡
Got my new addition to my little altar for you Lord Zeus! A little meditation tea infuser that is dedicated to you!
Zeus I honor, Zeus I praise, my devotion will last forever and always⚡⚡
Such a handsome and mighty God you are, you truly bring light, law and order to this universe. All-seeing Allfather Zeus, who wields the power of Lightning, who brings the rain upon the lands. You amaze me in every single way.
I thank you for being the one who was by my side through my toughest days. I thank you for your continued protection, wholesome love and care. You truly bring joy into my life, Lord Zeus
Going to take this time during the storm to honor Zeus and all that he is and all that he does.⚡⛈⚡
He is so mighty and magnificent, such an All-seeing father. Master of the storm, powerful wielder of the Thunderbolt.
I will take in the beauty and power of your storms and respect them. May it go easy on us.
Zeus, I love and honor you with everything in my heart! Forever grateful for the relationship that we have, you are so special to me and I love you unconditionally
O Thundering Zeus, I will honor you during your big mighty storm coming my way⚡⛈⚡
Your presence in my life is truly magical, and I thank you for it every single day. My heart even melts for you, Zeus, that’s how happy you make me when you are around me.
I will never stop showering you with nothing but true devotion, love, care, affection and honor.
I will be a walking shrine for you, Lord Zeus, that’s how passionate I am with honoring you
The fact that he accepts and loves what I give him makes my heart so happy.
Doing this makes me happy and I enjoy it every time.
I love and adore the almighty Zeus, he is so special to me and he truly is such a wholesome God.
He is so mighty but so sweet, he’s got a bit of tough love but still very kind and guides me through situations. I thank him everyday for everything that he is and everything that he does.
I truly honor Zeus, the almighty wielder of the Thunderbolt, all wise and All-seeing l, fatherly and full of law and order. He truly brings light into this universe.
Zeus, I love you unconditionally and honor you with all my heart
