To The Gods Lost To Time

Todays witchcraft is realizing that my body is a temple so taking care of it is actually sacred work✨

When I brush my teeth it’s like intention setting and cleansing of my mouth and all the bad things I’ve said about me

Abolish Tesla.

appalachia is devastated. towns i loved, towns i visited all the time, are gone. not damaged, GONE. they are leveled to the ground. there is nothing left but rubble and ruin. people are dead. appalachia is poor to begin with and relies on tourism for a lot of its income, and multiple of those tourist locations are just...gone.

my town is okay, but it's flooded and wrecked. trees are blocking all but one way out of our neighborhood. power lines are hanging limp in the roads. we've been without power for over 24 hours and will continue to be without power for likely another 24+. disabled people and poor people are GOING to die from this. gods save appalachia.

My Personal “Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism”

You may have seen or heard of the “7 Pillars of Hellenism”. The creator of these pillars, Timothy Jay Alexander, is known to be extremely homophobic and bigoted, and therefore these pillars aren’t seen in a positive light by many Hellenic Polytheists, including myself.

That being said, personally, I like to have sort of guidelines to follow, and Alexander isn’t the only one to have created “moral pillars”. So I took inspiration from multiple sources, including @/hyakinthou-naos in one of their recent posts, to make my own pillars. These are things that are important to me, personally, and they may differ from yours if you have some. I chose to have 5 pillars as it is a number associated with Lady Aphrodite, and the pillars will be listed in alphabetical order.

Hekousios- Ε´κουσίος

ἑκούσιος translates to “free will” or “voluntary”. To me, this means to do things at your own pace, and to always have worship be a personal choice, not something put on someone.

Kharis - Χάρις

Kharis can be translated to “grace, kindness, goodwill, elegance, favour, joy, charity, beauty”, “reciprocity”, “grace, favor, goodwill”, or a reciprocal relationship with the Gods. To me, this means to not ask for things without offering something in return, to not take advantage of gifts from the Gods.

Periergia - Περιέργεια

Periergia translates to curiosity and is often associated with devotion to researching something. For me, this means to always be curious, open to new ideas, and never stop learning new things. It also means to never claim that I know everything, and be willing to research things I don’t know much about.

Symmakhia - Σύμμαχία

Symmakhia translates to “allyship”. It also happens to be an epithet of Lady Aphrodite! It is usually used in the context of military and war, but here, I am using this word in the context of allyship and support towards marginalized groups. Allyship is active, and so to me, this pillar means to show active support to those that are a part of marginalized or minority communities.

Xenia - Ξενία

Xenia is the concept of guest-friendship or hospitality. For me, this means kindness and hospitality towards those from all walks of life and lived experiences, as long as it is safe to do so.

Hera by Eduard Niczky (German painter, 1850-1919)

In ancient Greek religion, Hera is the goddess of marriage, women and family, and the protector of women during childbirth. In Greek mythology, she is queen of the twelve Olympians and Mount Olympus, sister and wife of Zeus, and daughter of the Titans Cronus and Rhea. ~ Wikipedia

small things you can add to your worship/work with lady hestia

try to look through your wardrobe pretty often, take out the pieces you don't love, free up the space for things that actually make you feel good, cozy & comfortable

protect your hair when outside, i know when talking about lady hestia it's usually about veiling and covering, but veiling is also a protection for you hair, from wind & sun damage, if not veiling, protective hairstyles,

don't do your hair in a bad mood, doing your hair can be stressful even without additional factors, taking care of yourself is a necessity, but it can be a pleasant necessity

if you find yourself being bored, instead of being on your phone, try to find a comfortable position, with you back & neck supported, and simply relax, let yourself be bored, cause most of the time it's not boredom, you're just overwhelmed,

keep a journal dedicated for her, digital or physical, make moodboards, write prayers and poetry, write your questions and write about your day

think of your space as yours, don't think of the future tenants. decorate, furnish, put this painting on the wall, both you and lady hestia want this place to be yours

have more dimmed, warm lights around you, they are far more relaxing. at night they ease you for sleep, and in the morning they help you ease in the day, also they feel far more cozy than overhead lights

dedicate some space on your desk to her, even if it's going to be just a candle, she is here to remind you about rest and ease your work

find a special nook in your space that will be dedicated to your time with lady hestia, somewhere you can sit and have a nice warm cup of tea, where you can have a snack while watching a cozy movie, where you can comfortably lounge

being a witch and feeling the pain of a dying earth is terrifying

Devotional art of grand Lady Leto and Her blessed twins (inspired by Her statue)

Apollon is the warmth you feel when you wake up in the mornings.

Apollon is the sound of birds chirping on a sunny morning.

Apollon is the breeze on a hot day.