Amazingariadneisnotonfire - Porco Dio

mental health??? i only know academic validation.

Little prayers for dionysus

Try using these in conjunction with prayer beads! Each bead should remind you of an epithet.

“Dionysus Nyktelios, lull me to sleep.”

“Dionysus Lyaeus, brighten my day.”

“Dionysus Taurus, help me stand my ground.”

“Dionysus Lampter, guide me through dark places.”

“Dionysus Lyseus, free me from my worries.”

“Dionysus Psilas, grant me the freedom to be myself.”

I will create a full list of epithets with meanings for your enjoyment in my next post.

hellenic polytheism and ethnic greeks

it has to be said and i dont really care about your feelings soooo

as a greek, some of you hellenic polytheists vex me SO MUCH. i'm NOT here to tell you that only ethnic greeks can worship the gods so do NOT get it twisted but, i AM here to say that some of you are getting too confident with talking absolute smack about the deities of my ancestors and portraying them in ways that are inaccurate to align with the political agendas of today and make you feel better about whatever religious trauma the catholic church gave you. respectfully, history doesn't care about you.

i'm sorry but what the actual FUCK are some of you on??? why am i logging onto tumblr and seeing drawings of Athena and Aphrodite kissing with comments about how everyone ships them?? are you okay?? aren't you aware of how disrespectful that is?

these are not some book characters. these are not just two actors from a film. these are DEITIES. they are not jokes. they demand your respect.

again, i'm not saying you can't worship them. they are gods, after all, and they get their power from people believing in them. but they come along with a culture and history and superstitions and traditional recipes and clothes and a language and literature and music and ideas. these gods originated in GREECE, so i dont know why everybody is discounting the opinions of modern day greeks and having the audacity to call us gatekeepers as if this isnt literally OUR history and the people before US. btw, the greeks had an empire so there are a few other countries where the gods were honoured in antiquity (select areas of italy, south albania, parts of turkey, parts of egypt, north macedonia as well as others) so i do acknowledge our shared heritage in those cases.

but, the vast majority of hellenic polytheists online are literally american teenagers. and no offence but most of you have no idea what you're talking about lmfaoo. i know it's not coming from a place of malice but it honestly angers me when i see these hugely powerful beings being portrayed as cartoon characters.

i also think that some of you have the idea that ancient greece was perfect and accepting of everything and that the stories that literal HOMER wrote are inaccurate. the one that gets on my nerves the most is the whole Hades and Persephone story. no, she did NOT go willingly. sorry that this doesn't fit into your idealised version of things, and you can interpret the stories however you want to but do not debate the literature with me and do not dismiss these details online. women were NOT respected in ancient greece. they did not have the right to vote, own land or inherit. ancient greece was not the gay utopia everyone seems to think it was. sexual violence was commonplace. so was slavery. and paedophilia. people look at these times with rose tinted glasses, forgetting to actually read and learn about the reality.

so don't tell me what Zeus and Hera stand for or against. and dont drag politics into it. because if you use the concrete evidence the ancients THEMSELVES created, it doesn't really help your arguments. it all contradicts itself anyway if we're being real here.

and dont debate terms with me. greek is my mother tongue. i dont need people to 'educate me' by what the differences between hellenic, hellenism, hellenismos and hellenes means. i dont think ive ever actually seen a post thats 100% correct on that front lol

and for the last time, i want to reiterate that im NOT saying you can't worship them because i know how people like to twist things and call me a gatekeeper. but. be respectful. and remember these are the gods of a nation.

𝓐pollo is most famous for such aspects of His as healing, art, and music. However, while valid, those are some of the latest inventions of the Apollonian cults. Some of the oldest found archeological evidence allows us to tie Apollo to very primal, nature-tied aspects of the world such as the heat of the Earth, prophetic fumes, and the Underworld.

Apollo Soranus is one of the least spoken of incarnations of the God and one of the most curious ones. As Soranus, Apollo was closely associated with the Underworld, given human sacrifices to, and worshipped alongside Dis Pater, the Lord of the Dead.

Continua a leggere

Hera and Ares sketch 👑 twitter

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔪𝔭𝔦𝔬𝔫 𝔄𝔭𝔬𝔩𝔩𝔬

'' I whose rays make the lines of thunder, And whose altars the universe worships; I whose greatest gods would fear war, Can I take mortals without dishonour?

I attack in spite of myself their proud envy, Their audacity overcame my nature and fate; For my virtue which is only to give life, Is now forced to kill them.

I free my altars from these troublesome obstacles, And trampling on these brigands whom my darts will punish, From now on everyone will come to my oracles, And prevent the harm that may befall him.

It is I who penetrate the hardness of the trees, Tear from their hearts a learned voice, Who silences the winds, who makes the marbles speak, And who traces to fate the conduct of kings.

It is I whose warmth gives life to roses, And raise up the buried fruits, I give duration and color to things, And bring to life the radiance of the whiteness of the lilies.

So little that I am absent, a cloak of darkness Holds with cold horror heaven and earth covered, The most beautiful orchards are funereal objects, And when my eye is closed everything dies in the universe.''

''Apollon Champion'', Théophile de Viau, (french poet, 1590-1626)

Bust of Apollo, marble. Late XVII/ XVIII°

they say that long ago, before Prometheus's fire shone in the sun's absence, Helios left the side of man each night and fell into slumber beneath the waters of the sea. and when the night Mother took His place, cold grief wrapped the earth. the flowers hid and the animals disappeared, patiently awaiting their Father's return. all waking creatures followed in His footsteps—sleeping through Selene's darkness to dream of the mighty rays of life. when Eos came to give rise to the mighty sun, His tears of sorrow appeared on the grass and dripped from the highest trees. some say that He filled the streams and lakes as light spilled across the lands. the rise of Helios became a time of reunion known to mortals as mourning

this tale begins as Eos lifted Him from the sea once more. His tears swelled on the leaves and His rays called out to humanity. today, His children did not come. they hid within their homes, terrified of the malevolent whom took advantage of the night. the shadows wailed and writhed, keeping His humble children awake. now, they slept through the day in exhaustion.

devastated, Helios gazed upon His slumbering children, too tired to greet Him. each time He returned, the pastures remained unkept and the fields shriveled into dust. the day couldn't last forever, and humanity could not survive without cultivation under the sun. from divine kharis, He offered humans a hope to last through the night. as Helios fell from the sky, the last of His color collided with the frothing sea.

from the union of the radiant sun and the wine-dark ocean emerged a golden form. ripe from the sea foam and imbued with luminescence, it awoke the slumbering mortals. all who saw were beckoned by the flash, a beacon in the night, and crowded the shore where She lay. many names were uttered upon Her appearance—Amathousia, Anaduomenê, Melainis, Kallipugos, Ourania—as She lie in the sand with wafting waves kissing Her cheeks

Aphrodite, She called Herself—radiant divinity within mortal form. a Goddess given life from the love between the mortal and immortal. from Her kiss came the fertility of the sun and from Her skin the iridescence of the sea shone. Her touch harbored the purest of love while Her laughter was as contagious as the plague. She roamed the night, watching over the mortals whom Her father adored so dearly. She protected them in His absence, taught them the gifts He could not sew from afar. as Her story spread, She was beloved by all. Pandemos Aphrodite, She who loved the poorest of men and saved the most desperate souls

after many years, Her knees had became too brittle to travel and Her senses dulled with age. still, the masses lovingly stayed by Her side. when it came time for Her mortal form to expire, humanity fell to their knees and begged Helios to save Her. even so, Aphrodite was not afraid to die. She eased their weary minds, for even if She could not be with them anymore, She would live on within their hearts. Helios heard the cries of His people and extended down His hand, grateful to the Goddess. in a moment of excellence, a golden flash appeared, pulling Her soul from the jaws of Psychopompus

they say that Aphrodite did not die that day. though Her body had disappeared and Her light did not illuminate the night anymore, Her existence was poured into every living being. humanity did not weep at their loss. instead, they danced, kissed, and drank together. their hearts were full and their minds were clear, for glorious Aphrodite would never leave their side

— "The Birth of Aphrodite" Dionysianfreak, 2023

I started this story a long time ago, I'm so glad it's finally done ! I've wanted to write my own myths for a long time as I personally view them more as devotional stories that reflect personal associations and experiences.

this myth is a retelling of Aphrodite's birth. it's based on my upg that sunsets on the ocean are one of Aphrodite's most sacred places. this is because I see it as the union between the heavens and the sea, Aphrodite's abodes. i also wanted it to revolve around love that wasn't inherently romantic or sexual, but the pure love between the Divine and humanity. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it won't be my last <3

Khaire Aphrodite 🐚🫀✨🌹🌠

Zeus and Hera

I’ve seen several posts defending Zeus lately and honestly I love it. Entire cultures called Zeus father; he’s a protector of the home, foreigners, and sacred hospitality, among many other things.

For me, at first he felt scary and unapproachable even as the good king of the gods. I eventually incorporated Zeus Erkeios and Ktesios into my household prayers, but not much else.

Little by little, our kharis has grown, and Hera, patient mother that she is, has guided her daughter on the path of devotion to her husband. I am still learning, but now, Zeus feels fatherly and kind.

It’s difficult to explain, but I surprised myself today by praying to “Father Zeus” extemporaneously and just sharing my feelings with him. I’m not close with my own dad, so to be able to do that means a lot.

I guess what I’m saying is that I don’t understand the negative perception of either Hera or Zeus, because in worshipping them, I feel as though I’ve found a family. I love my gods, but I’m always overwhelmed and blown away by how much they love me in return.

the real reason mikey way used to be so quiet and stoic was because his jeans were too tight for anything to fit in his pockets, so he held it all in his mouth