I thank you for everything. I thank you for your patience, your kindness, your understanding and caring, your guidance, your strength, and your love. You are welcomed in my life, my heart, and my family for as long as you like. Truly, it’s an honour to worship you and devot myself to you again and again every day and every night.
Soft, swaying, lulling, grey He takes you when he wants you You can invoke his presence But He’ll never be far As draining as invigorating He will open the world for you He will be the last person You will mistake him When he comes He waits patiently But He is always there There is no escape He will take you He is sleep Preparing you for his twin He will deliver you onto his brother, Death
Incantations, sometimes known as magic words, are probably one of the most famous types of a spell, and with good reason. We often picture some kind of chant to help summon whatever magic powers we want to use at the time. I love incantations in my spells, both because I am dramatic and live for ominous chants, and because incantations are a great place for a little poetry which I also love.
When it comes to the how to of incantations there’s very little to say beyond “do what comes naturally”. Incantations can be long drawn out chants in verse, they can be a quick quip in latin saying what you want to do, they can be a single word that you made up for the specific spell you’re working on, or anything in between. The greatest importance for incantations is your intent.
No matter what you’re saying, what language it’s in, or how many times you repeat it the incantation won’t work if you’re not clear on what you’re doing. That’s why intent matters so much in all spells, it’s so very important to know exactly what you’re trying to accomplish and have it firmly in your mind before you begin, beyond that the only rules are what feels right and what has meaning to you.
Now for the most part incantations are a wonderfully unisex way to practice, but I’m sure there’s someone in the world saying, “Poetry, what guy is caught dead doing poetry?” My response to that is a simple list of gods who have poetry included in their domain: Odin, Angus Og, and Apollo. I’m sure there are more, but I don’t know who they are. It’s also worth pointing out that King David was an accomplished poet and wrote the psalms.
That brings my ramble on incantations to a close. Practice safe and Ret'urcye mhi!
“Persephone”, “Hermes” by Vera Bousiou. A modern dialogue between the two gods that were often associated with matters of the soul. The two figures were drawn in a spontaneous way, emerging straight from the unconscious mind, the mystical cave or gate of imagination and creativity. Persephone, the fruitful and the uncanny, standing for the primordial female, all embracing, element, while Hermes representing the analytical, spiritual processes, the “animus” of the artist.
This post will be updated any time I make a new devotional activity post. If there is any you want but do not see on her please feel free to message me.
i keep thinking about an event or something for polytheists focused on writingmyth retellings.
if its something specific itd be like a “MythReWriMo” (along the lines of a “Myth-Retelling Writing Month” or anything with less of a silly name fkdkdkd)
and maybe even something more non-specific? like not a month-long thing, but a more general event for coming up with retellings.
or better yet !! modern myths!!narratives or poetry
(with monthly or weekly prompts perhaps, maybe focusing on different deities depending on the time?)
i just feel like itd be so cool to have a little community interacting with our own versions of the known stories, and also with modern mythos, new stories, with the gods interacting with new domains that are a part of modern worship and cultus….
The most powerful symbol of Hestia is the hearth itself, but she did have some common attributes as well as animals which may have been sacred to her (based on various plays and myths). The image below is a popular modern symbol of the hearth.
My first exposure to Hestia would’ve been in my childhood Greek mythology books. Unfortunately, Hestia doesn’t appear often in myths, so the books often only mentioned her in passing or skipped her completely, and many books replaced her with Dionysos as the twelfth Olympian.
All of this is to say that the first time I properly took notice of Hestia is in fifth grade when I read the Last Olympian by Rick Riordan. This isn’t to say Riordan’s portrayal of the gods is entirely accurate (he is very obviously opposed to the idea of worshipping them because he takes the myths very literally). However, Riordan’s portrayal of Hestia stuck with me for a very long time. Even though she only appears in one or two scenes, or perhaps because of this, I think her portrayal is one of the most beautiful and respectful–even though it hinges on the fake abdication myth.
I’m not going to explain the portrayal here, but if you’re the type of Hellenic Polytheist who can enjoy more problematic portrayals of the gods, I highly recommend reading it if only for Lady Hestia. To be completely honest, this portrayal is what drew me to Her in the first place, and I often imagine her in a very similar way to her description in the book.
government (as Hestia Boulaia and Hestia Prytaneia)
As goddess of the hearth and home, Hestia is central to household worship. She is the patron of cooking and received a portion of each meal as well as the first and last offering in all household rituals.
The public hearth was also an extremely important domain of Hestia. Just as in the home, it is likely that Hestia received the first and last sacrifice in public rituals and festivals. Hestia’s two epithets (Boulaia and Prytaneia) are both connected to government because her role as goddess of the public hearth was central to state affairs.
Hestia’s hearth is said to be at the center of the cosmos, representative of her central position in hellenic worship. Her hearth is what connects us to the gods and to each other.
For a more in depth introduction to Hestia, see this post.
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.
The Kharites are the goddesses of kharis (grace), personal beauty and adornment, and pleasures such as feasting, relaxation, and joy. They are also the goddesses of charming speech and song as well as festive dance and song. They are the attendants of Aphrodite and Hera.
“They are mostly described as being in the service or attendance of other divinities, as real joy exists only in circles where the individual gives up his own self and makes it his main object to afford pleasure to others. The less beauty is ambitious to rule, the greater is its victory; and the less homage it demands, the more freely is it paid. These seem to be the ideas embodied in the Kharites. They lend their grace and beauty to everything that delights and elevates gods and men.” (theoi.com)
This idea of the Kharites giving their grace to others makes sense when you remember the meaning of kharis: a reciprocal relationship with the gods in which mortals make offerings to the theoi.
The Kharites, especially Algaia as the wife of Hephaistos, also represented artistic beauty. Like the Mousai, they were said to have inspired and favored certain artists, and the gracefulness and charm associated with Hermes (words), Peitho (persuasion), Aphrodite and Eros (love), and even Athena (wisdom) is said to come from them. The Kharites were often depicted as companions of Apollon and the Mousai and were said to live with the Mousai on Olympus. Poetry was thought to be their favorite of the arts.
“Poets are inspired by the Muses, but the application of their songs to the embellishment of life and the festivals of the gods are the work of the Kharites.” (theoi.com)
We are excited to announce the launch of the first edition of the Rural Dionysia. Over the past years, the City Dionysia, first held by @forthegloryofthetheoi and later passed over to @sisterofiris has known some success. It is for this reason that we decided to introduce the Rural Dionysia as a smaller event to warm us up for the Dionysian season.
As of now, the two admins are myself @thegrapeandthefigand@adri-le-chat. Our ask boxes are opened, so feel free to address questions to either one of us or directly on this blog if the need arises.
How to participate
The Rural Dionysia is meant to be a smaller competition than its urban counterpart, as such, we have selected only 3 categories:
Freestyle poetry
Modern hymns
“Complete the fragment”
As you can see, we are keeping the poetry category from the City Dionysia and adding 2 new ones. For clarity: poetry and modern hymn differ in that a poetry entry can be about anything (myth, personal religious experience, etc.), while a “modern hymn” entry has to sing the praises of a deity.
As for the “Complete the fragment” category, here is the chosen fragment for this edition:
Sappho, Fragment 43 … throws peace mind … sits down … for day is near into confusion … but come, … toil … my friends
The challenge is that the initial fragment must be included somewhere in your piece somehow in their original order. This means you can fill the gaps however you want, but you can’t switch the order of the words in your piece. For added clarity, please put in bold or underline those words in your composition, so we can spot them right away :)
Please submit your piece through submissions on this blog. Check the rules below for further information.
Calendar of the event
Nov. 15: Official announcement and opening of submissions Dec. 13: Final submission day. Dec. 15: Vote opening Dec. 26: Vote closing Dec. 28: Announcement of the winners!
No worries though! We will be posting reminders about each step when the time comes.
General rules
They are the nearly the same as for the City Dionysia, that is:
Roleplay and fanfic are not acceptable submissions. This is a religious festival, please respect our faith and do not submit an entry if you are roleplaying or writing fanfiction.
Unlike with the City Dionysia, entries do not necessarily have to be about specific deities or hellenic polytheism except for the “Modern Hymn” category, which has to be dedicated to one or many gods.
All stories, myths, and poems must be entered using the submissions button.
All entries must be tagged for the category they are being submitted to. Entries must also be tagged for potentially triggering content and squicks.
An entry may only be submitted to a single category.
Each person may only submit one entry per category each year.
Winners for each category will be decided by popular vote.
We are already 10 days away from the deadline for submissions, that is, Sunday 13th of December.
So far, we have received 9 wonderful entries. I’m boh very happy about this and extremely grateful that we already have participants! Keep them comin’ :)
If you have missed the initial announcement and rules, you can find it here.
Reblogging for visibility but also because I want to add something a bit more personal:
This is a light-hearted event, even the word competition is too strong to describe it. We’re just two dionysians happy to host a virtual festival for the god we honor. There’s no prize to win from this.
So here’s for you, if you want to participate but the idea of a competition makes you nervous, or if you feel insecure about your writing: there’s no rating nor is there judgement on submissions sent. The vote is not there to judge, it’s just meant to be a fun event and every single piece that is submitted is valued and we’re excited to see people participating.
Lets Have Some Fun Tonight!!Tell Me Your Unpopular Opinions About Hellenic Polytheism, the Greek Gods, Greek Mythology, and Ancient Greece!
Here’s a few:
The dichotomy between mythology (totally just ancient fanfic) and cultus (the Actual Truth™ about Hellenic polytheism) doesn’t exist. Myths werepart of cultus and people absolutelybelieved in them. A lot of people just can’t fathom something being both religiously informative and not literal gospel truth at the same time. Also, many people try to distance themselves from Ancient Greek misogyny, slavery, abuse (etc) by discrediting mythology; a far healthier approach, in my opinion, would be to recognise that myths hold bothreligious value and deeply flawed and harmful beliefs inherent to Ancient Greek society. It’s possible to appreciate the former while condemning the latter.
Similarly, the polarisation of views about Ancient Greece (and ancient civilisations in general) between “they were all horrible and irredeemable” and “some people were horrible but actually the religion was matriarchal and peaceful and racism didn’t exist and imperialism was invented by the Romans” is just as incorrect as it is harmful. We can acknowledge the flaws in a society without focusing onlyon them, or glossing over them. This is particularly important when studying ancient history. Painting an entire society as irredeemable, or claiming it was utopian, both imply there is nothing worth studying and learning from it.
The actual dichotomy, in my opinion, should be between religion and philosophy. Platonism isn’t Hellenic polytheism; it’s the beliefs of one specific Athenian man and his followers. That doesn’t mean philosophy wasn’t heavily influenced by religion (it was), nor does it mean you can’t follow a certain philosophy if it suits you, but reading The Symposium won’t provide you with the Actual Truth™ about the Gods as most Ancient Greeks viewed them.
Speaking of which, there is no Actual Truth™ about the Gods.
Just because you don’t like Homer and just because his epics have been over-studied doesn’t mean there isn’t value in them. Especially for recons whose practise isn’t rooted in 5th century Athens.
Revivalists need to understand that reconstructionism isn’t about inflexibly copying everything the Ancient Greeks did and nothing else. It’s about seeking historical precedent first and foremost, doing one’s best to understand the context behind ancient practises, then adapting it all to the modern world and filling in the gaps with innovation/UPG. What makes the difference between recons and revivalists is prioritisation: both groups use ancient sources and modern innovation, but recons prioritise ancient sources whereas revivalists prioritise modern innovation.
It shouldn’t be okay to insult deities. Disagree with their portrayal by certain authors, sure (hello, Ovid). Point out that certain myths are the product of bigoted and harmful societal views, absolutely. But if you genuinely think that Zeus, Hera or Poseidon is villainous, you shouldn’t be a Hellenic polytheist.
Believing that the Gods are neither perfect nor all-powerful does not equal believing that they are villainous.
Zeus is a wonderful Sky Papa whom I love, and that is a hill I will die on.
