I Miss Them Your Honour

altars for minor greek deities pt. 1

i'll probably end up making a part 2 to this since there's quite a lot of greek deities who are mentioned in only one story, or only a few icons, but are still important to some reconstructionists/revivalists. leave suggestions in the comments if you have any! the next post will likely include the four winds and several minor death deities

CIRCE: goddess of magic, a sorceress, daughter of Helios and an oceanid

Colors: purple for magic, blue for oceanid heritage, gold/yellow for being daughter of helios Offerings: allium moly, mandrake, peony, yarrow, poppy, rue, mugwort, wormwood, nightshade, snowdrop, any sort of medicinal herbs (like licorice, willow bark, aloe vera, etc.), pork, honey Crystals: amethyst, lapis lazuli, larimar, aquamarine, fluorite, bloodstone, citrine

GANYMEDE: cupbearer of the gods, consort of Zeus, god of homosexuality

Colors: pink, red for love. gold, silver for being cupbearer. blue for association with aquarius sign Offerings: perfume, jewelry, makeup, dice, musical instruments, writing letters, pride flags, drinks, flowers, rosemary Crystals: rose quartz, gemstones, ruby zoisite, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, pyrite, flower agate, kyanite, angelite

HEBE: cupbearer of the gods, daughter of Zeus and Hera, goddess of eternal youth and patroness of brides

Colors: red for association with brides. gold, silver for being cupbearer Offerings: lettuce, drinks, turmeric, chamomile, ginseng, calendula, basil, ivy, feathers Crystals: honey calcite, pyrite, red/yellow jasper, gems, ruby zoisite, lapis lazuli, aquamarine, angelite

EILEITHYIA: goddess of childbirth and midwifery

Colors: pastels for babies Offerings: raspberry leaf, chamomile, catnip, cohosh, crampbark, peppermint, baby toys/blankets Crystals: calcites, agates, moonstone, labradorite, rose quartz, amethyst, quartz, citrine, lepidolite, celestite

EROS (the younger): god of love, intercourse, and fertility

Colors: red, pink for love. white for his wings Offerings: roses, apples, pomegranates, rabbit skins/feet, basil, myrtle, rosemary, thyme, feathers Crystals: bloodstone, rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, morganite, celestite

ANTEROS: erote of mutual love

Colors: red, pink for love Offerings: basil, flowers, rosemary, thyme, myrtle, feathers Crystals: rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, morganite, celestite, milky quartz

HIMEROS: erote of sexual desire

Colors: red, pink for love Offerings: basil, rosemary, thyme, myrtle, feathers Crystals: rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, morganite, celestite, red jasper, carnelian, garnet, citrine

POTHOS: erote of passion

Colors: red, pink for love. purple for passion Offerings: basil, rosemary, thyme, myrtle, feathers Crystals: rose quartz, rhodonite, rhodochrosite, morganite, celestite, milky quartz, red jasper, carnelian

HERMAPHRODITOS: child of Aphrodite and Hermes, erote and god of androgyny

Colors: red, pink for love. blue for androgyny Offerings: flowers, star anise, makeup, icons of genitalia, myrtle, lavender, cinnamon, ivy Crystals: rose quartz, moonstone, watermelon tourmaline, ruby kyanite, labradorite, jade, morganite

NEMESIS: goddess of revenge and retribution

Colors: red, black for revenge Offerings: basil, oak, pine, nettles, thistle, symbols of a wheel or sword, angry letters Crystals: smokey quartz, obsidian, bloodstone, red jasper, carnelian, tiger's eye, onyx, black tourmaline

AMPHITRITE: the wife of Poseidon, nereid and goddess of sea life

Colors: blue, green for the sea Offerings: coral, pearls, beach sand, kelp, celery, pine, ocean water Crystals: aquamarine, chrysocolla, malachite, amazonite, lepidolite, lapis lazuli, sodalite, jade

PAN: god of nature, animals, shepherds, and fertility

Colors: brown, green for nature Offerings: acorns/pinecones, leaves, pan pipes, phallic symbols, grapes, basically any herb or flower Crystals: jaspers (various), agates (especially moss, tree, flower), tiger's eye, obsidian, carnelian, sunstone, malachite, jade

IRIS: goddess of rainbows and messenger between gods and humans

Colors: rainbow Offerings: irises (and other flowers in that family), orris root, hyssop, suncatchers, feathers, snake skin Crystals: moonstone, labradorite, aura quartz, morganite, fluorite, agates (especially multicolored), malachite with azurite

THANATOS: god of death

Colors: black, grey, white for death Offerings: cinnamon, chocolate, coffee, willow, mugwort, wormwood, lotus, spider lilies, asphodel, bones, poppies Crystals: quartz (especially milky, smokey), obsidian, onyx, bloodstone, jaspers (various), black moonstone

PSYCHE: goddess of the soul, lover of eros

Colors: white for the soul. purple for magic Offerings: feathers, myrtle, vervain, sage, chamomile, lavender, flowers, figs, nuts Crystals: amethyst, rose quartz, rhodonite, quartz (especially milky and aura quartz especially), moonstone

being self-directed, being my own muse, my own inspiration, my own mental point of origin, putting my own opinion of myself first, these are what gives me the confidence to happily do as I please and live my life without caring what others feel about my decisions and most importantly, without caring what decisions others are making with their lives. this is being self centered in a healthy way.

why can't women characters hate their abusers the way male characters can😔

I love all handmade stuff, but before I started knitting, I always wondered why folks poured so much time and energy into making stuff that looks exacly like what youd buy at a store.

It very quickly hit me: store- bought stuff SUCKS. Handmade stuff RULES.

The kinds of stitches used, the thickness/ quality of yarn, even the dimensions of the item itself are just so shitty and cheap on mass- produced clothing. Once you know what youre looking at, you can see that its made to be worn and disposed of within a year. But that handmade brown sweater? That sucker weighs 3x what a store bought sweater weighs. Its softer, it has better stretch and even with messier seams, its STRONGER. It can survive a trathalon, a hop over a barbed- wire fence, and a minor nuclear explosion.

So hats off to all of the more stubtle fiberworks artists out there, your bulletproof crafts are magnificent.

ehm I'm afraid to say that mine are Harry potter (marauders obvs), Audhd, greek gods and mlb

what’s everyone’s weird/fucked up interest/special interest/hyperfixation

(doesn’t have to be a special interest but bonus points if it is your special interest)

autism, chronic fatigue syndrome and depression make up some unholy trinity where anything u do or don’t do to try nd appease one (or just for anything) negatively affects at least one of the others and if one gets bad it drags the others down with it and living is impossible

Prayers to the gods are traditionally spoken aloud. In fact, the word for prayer euchesthai also meant to boast and to let out a victorious cry of triumph. The gods will always hear even the softest of entreaties, but a loud prayer is a way to draw attention to oneself.

There were three ways to pray to different gods:

Ouranic (Olympian) Gods: standing with arms outstretched and palms upward

Oceanic Gods: standing with arms outstretched toward the sea, palms turned toward a cult image (statue, item, figure etc)

Khthonic (Earthly/Underworld) Gods: on the ground, pounding the earth with fists

Kneeling down to pray is unusual. The gesture of entreaty is outstretched arms. To invoke the heavenly gods, both hands are raised to the sky with upturned palms; to call on the gods of the sea, the arms are extended out to the sea; the hands are also stretched toward the cult image. […] Special measures are required, however, if the dead or the gods of the underworld are to be reached. Poets describe how the suppliant hurls himself on the ground and hammers the earth with fists.

- Greek Religion, Walter Burkert

Prayer of Thanks to Hermes for Safe Travels

To blessed Hermes, kindly God of wanderers and travelers, For safe walks on dangerous and unknown roads, For safe journeys in places always known to me, And for safe journeys in new ones, For kind strangers assisting me, Or for peace journeying with me, Do I give my thanks. With Your guidance I am at the end of my journey, With Your help I am safe again.

Greek Pagan Basics: How to Write a Prayer

When it comes to prayer, there aren’t a lot of rules. Prayer can be as simple, direct and informal as talking to the gods, off the cuff, in a time of need or just because you feel like it. Prayer can also be something you plan and prepare for, whether by making use of the many existing historical or modern prayers to the gods and reading or memorizing them, or by writing your own modern prayers.

You do not have to write your own prayers–it is not a requirement of worshipping the gods. But if you feel called to do it, it can be a wonderful and meaningful way to connect with deity. And while the act of prayer is not an offering, the work you put into creating it can itself be a gift to the gods.

The idea of writing your own prayers to the gods can be intimidating. You look at the readily available surviving texts, the Homeric Hymns, the Orphic Hymns, and they are so beautiful. If that’s the standard, how can we ever attain it?

But it isn’t the standard. It never was. Not all historical hymns were the Homeric hymns. Not all hymns were high art. (And certainly not all prayers were hymns, although the two terms have a lot of overlap in meaning. I usually use the term “prayer” to refer to my own writings, in part because it feels more like I’m focusing on function.)

The Homeric hymns and similar pieces were often performed at festivals and in competitions. The beauty of these hymns, while not separate from their religious significance, is not solely related to their liturgical function. Many of the hymns actually used in ritual were more to the point–more focused on that function. Few of these works survive, and those that do are of widely varying literary quality. (I personally, as a writer of my own prayers, find this idea quite comforting. :))

The Rhetoric of Prayer

I will admit it, I write a lot of prayers of praise and prayers of thanks. I don’t often pray for something and if I do it’s usually pretty informal. (I suspect that says at least as much about my life as it does about my theology.) But many of the same techniques can be used just as effectively in prayers of supplication.

Reciprocity. Like most Indo-European cultures, the ancient Greeks had a view of relationship that included “a gift for a gift.” This does not mean that you are buying friendship–rather, it emphasizes the give-and-take that is a part of any healthy relationship.

A prayer of supplication might include a reminder of past relationship, which can be either a mention of blessings the god has granted you in the past, or a mention of offerings or other services you have provided the god. It can also mention a gift being given at the same time this prayer is being made. Or it can include a promise of future gifts and services. In all cases, it is a statement of relationship.

Myth. Mythic references can refer in general to the greatness of the god, or can be used to point specifically toward the theme of the prayer. For example, a prayer to Aphrodite to bring love into your life might mention the story of Pygmalion and Galatea as an example of the goddess’ greatness. It goes without saying that these mythic references should be positive ones–you might use stories from the Iliad in a prayer praising Athena, but probably not in one for Ares.

History. Since we lack a large and thriving worship community, for concrete examples I sometimes refer back to the power and prestige a god enjoyed in the distant past. If you are asking Apollo for divinatory help, a mention of his oracular prowess at Delphi would be appropriate; if you are asking his help in health matters, the role he took at ancient healing temples would be more to the point.

Style. Historically, some sorts of prayer were believed particularly appropriate to certain gods. The dignified paean was Apollo’s, while the livelier dithyramb was for Dionysos. For a modern writer, you may want to keep in mind the rhythm of the words and metre when writing.

Voice. While a hymn or prayer of praise may be written in the third person, all the better to tell a good story, a prayer that asks for something is most often written in the second person, thus providing a direct, personal message from the writer/speaker to the god.

The Elements of Prayer

Although there is no precise and standard form that all historic prayers followed, there are a few guidelines, things that a number of prayers tended to have in common. Generally Greek prayers included three parts, each providing a different function.

Invocation. First of all, you need to get the god’s attention, and to get the interaction off on the right foot. Call to the god by name, including words of praise (pro tip, all the gods are beautiful, all the gods are mighty :)) and by the use of descriptive words and phrases. Referring to Asklepios as “son of Apollo” underlines the sort of healing power he comes from. Referring to Apollo as “swift-shooting” has a different meaning than referring to him as “sweet-singing,” although both emphasize his power and skill.

Note that there is nothing wrong with using an epithet you’ve seen in historical texts, “ox-eyed Hera” and “thundering Zeus” were common phrases and had all the more meaning because they were known and understood by all.

Argument. Here you give reasons why the god should look favorably on your request. (See Reciprocityabove.) You can also include reasons based on something other than personal relationship–for example, asking for help in matters of love from Aphrodite, or in matters of justice from Zeus, because those are among their respective realms. This is where you make your case.

Request. Finally you ask the god to look kindly on your request, to grant you their blessings and gifts.

Example: Invocation: Grey-eyed Athena, daughter of thundering Zeus, Argument: if ever I have poured out sweet wine for you, Request: look kindly on me and grant me your wisdom.

The Act of Prayer

It was traditional to stand while praying, with arms raised toward the heavens.

If praying to a chthonic deity, it would be appropriate to kneel (placing yourself symbolically closer to their realm), or to focus your attention toward the earth in some other way.

(It is more than appropriate, by the way, to sing hymns, as was often done historically, if this is something you feel drawn to do. A performance, again, is work that is a gift to the gods.)