If You’re Having A Hard Day Remember That The Gods Still Love You.

Ancient Greek Religion & Hellenic Polytheism: A Reading Guide

I’ve been wanting to make something like this for a long while, and talking to my friend @olympianbutch today gave me the push I needed to do so. When I was starting out as a Hellenic Polytheist years ago, this is the kind of resource I needed. So I hope you all enjoy and find this helpful!

Introductory Reading:

Ancient Greek Religion by Jon D. Mikalson

Athenian Popular Religion by Jon D. Mikalson

Greek Religion by Jan N. Bremmer

On Greek Religion by Robert Parker

Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship by LABRYS

Comprehensive Guides:

Greek Religion by Walter Burkert

Companion to Greek Religion edited by Daniel Ogden

Understanding Greek Religion by Jennifer Larson

Rethinking Greek Religion by Julia Klindt

The Oxford Handbook of Ancient Greek Religion edited by Esther Eidinow and Julia Klindt

Polytheism and Society by Robert Parker

The Gods and Theology:

Ancient Greek Cults by Jennifer Larson

Theologies of Ancient Greek Religion edited by Esther Eidinow, Julia Klindt, and Robin Osborne

Underworld Gods in Ancient Greek Religion by Ellie Mackin Roberts

Gods and Heroes of the Ancient World (Routledge Series)

Offerings and Sacrifice:

Personal Experience and Materiality in Greek Religion by K.A. Rask

Singing for the Gods by Barbara Kowalzig

Smoke Signals for the Gods by F.S. Maiden

Sharing with the Gods by Theodora Suk Fong Jim

Primary Sources:

Theogony & Works and Days by Hesiod

The Homeric Hymns

The Orphic Hymns

Sources for the Study of Greek Religion by David Rice and John Stambaugh

Greek Religion: A Sourcebook by Valerie M. Warrior

Ancient Greek Religion: A Sourcebook by Emily Kearns

For those of you that can't offer physical offerings/can only leave certain physical offerings and it makes you feel like you're not worthy as a result:

You're doing enough.

Recognizing what's around you is enough.

Working around/Trying to work around setbacks to show your devotion is enough.

Just being there and being yourself is enough.

Whether you're leaving offerings to deities, spirits, nature, ancestors, whatever... you're doing enough.

It's hard but you're not alone and you're recognized for your efforts.

being obsessed with your god’s domain before you started worshipping is so reassuring…

like what do you mean you’ve been here the whole time? that you’ve always been a part of me lying in wait? that you, the divine, has innervated & enriched my life long before i acknowledged you were divine? SICK!!!

What my deities see on a daily basis (I’d say several times a day and I’m beyond happy they tolerate me ) 😄

[grabs your shirt] listen. listen to me. the practical is holy. the everyday is sacred. the simple act of surviving is divine. do you get it? sanctity begins at home, in the hands that build and the lives we live and the deaths we die and the worms that eat our bodies. if making something by hand is not worthy of veneration then nothing is.

looks at you like this

You do not have to be filled with boundless faith and zero doubt 24/7. That's actually not a reasonable expectation to have for yourself. You'll feel doubt sometimes, and that's entirely ok and normal. I promise you that everyone has gone through periods of doubt, regardless of what faith they hold.

No for real cause the amount of times people have gotten really aggressive about how you should fear the gods/guides/etc when I find the most comfort and I’m actually able to relax around them.

Frankly, I'm of the POV and opinion that you really shouldn't be scared of your spirit guides, gods or not. Yes, you should acknowledge their great, tremendous power and how that could harm you. Like it's good to acknowledge that Zeus could absolutely fuck you up if He wanted to. But at the same time... why would Zeus want to fuck you up? That's the question.

See, when you worship, work with, or otherwise interact with a spirit, you're gonna hopefully seek out a friendly relationship. Even if it's more vertical than horizontal, you're still on good terms with your spirit.

Your friends shouldn't want to hurt you. Your teachers shouldn't want to hurt you. Your coworkers shouldn't want to hurt you. Etc, etc, just fill in whatever relationship type you have. So essentially, your spirit guide shouldn't want to hurt you, and if they do, that's a problem entirely.

I kinda somewhat get the idea of fearful obeisance, where you provide humble respect but keep a healthy amount of fear. I get the concept. It just does not fit in with my preferred way to work with spirits.

This post isn't saying "If your spirit guides hurt you, you must have done something to deserve it" either. I think, personally, that's a really bad take. Harsh lessons exist, yes, but that's not the same, and the difference should be that it's being done for your genuine highest good and that your guide isn't getting some kick outta the hard parts of it. If your spirit guide is actively trying to harm you for funsies or some shit, there's a problem.

It's fine to be a bit nervous. It's fine to feel a bit of fear when faced with such intense power. But you shouldn't be scared of the person that holds the power, is my opinion. If you do feel scared, consider (A) if this is a person you want to work with, and (B) if this is even the person you think it is, because a fear response can mean a malefic spirit.

Your offering is good enough.

Your prayer is perfect the way it is

Your altar does not have to be extravagant or expensive. Simple ones are just as powerful.

You are good enough. The gods love you and want the best for you. They are here to lift us up, so don’t beat yourself down.

You are not a bad worshipper for forgetting to pray.

You are not a bad worshipper for not having enough time to worship every day.

You are not a bad worshipper if giving offerings is inaccessible to you right now, no matter the situation.

You are not a bad worshipper for not being able to worship every god you have interest in.

You are not a bad worshiper for being imperfect.

You are not a bad worshipper.