Sometimes Being Hellenic Is Like:

Just a reminder (specifically to US folks) that the gods are not at fault for the election results. I feel this is important to say because while some of us were praying for different results, it doesn't mean that we were ignored, forgotten, or left on our own. The way I think about it is that the gods don't control the individual free wills of people; we have our own free will and make our own decisions. We can't blame them for the actions of others, for the free will of others. It sucks that things turned out the way that we did, but it's not the fault of the gods. Try to remember that.

Furthermore, they'll have the backs of their worshippers during the times ahead. They didn't completely abandon us or something. If they supported you before the election, they'll continue sharing that support with you. They're not going to leave you swimming in the middle of the ocean without a lifeboat.

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.

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

When deciding what the properties of a crystal are, please do yourself a favor and look up why. WHY is obsidian associated with cutting ties with things or reflection? Ohhhhh it’s because the Aztecs used it as sacrificial knives and reflective mirrors. WHY is rose quartz associated with love? Ohhhhhhhh because the goddess of Love (Aphrodite) had a lover who bled out onto the stone. WHY is amethyst- ok you get the point. Context is EVERYTHING. Otherwise it’s just meaningless regurgitation of concepts missing their original relevance. Then, after you figure out why they are associated with certain attributes, decide for yourself if you subscribe to this. If YOU feel a difference in energy then obviously use it differently.

I think a system thing that fails to be represented is how difficult basic hygiene can be, simply because mirrors are so scary. it's hard to look at a reflection that isn't yours, acknowledge a body that isn't yours. it's very easy to skip out on things that most people consider easy, like showering or brushing your teeth or washing your face. it's tough, and it's valid to be freaked out by it. go easy on yourself

The whole "Disney villain hates something because of trauma" meme that started with Cruella makes me kinda angry because it's one of the earliest examples of people either not understanding what actually happened, or worse, people not bothering to actually see the movie in question and just basing their thoughts on reviews they've seen.

Estella/Cruella never shows any kind of real hatred towards the Dalmatians themselves. She steals them as revenge, but they're shown to be taken care of and never actually harmed. Most she does is make a bad joke about maybe turning them into a coat, but that never actually happens.

And she never blames the dogs for her mother's death. First, she blames herself, in a similar way to how Simba blamed himself for his father's death - assuming that her mother just got caught in the crossfire, since the dogs had been chasing her daughter and she got caught in the middle. And when she learns her mother was targetted, she turns her anger towards the person who sent the dogs after her mother, not the dogs themselves.

I haven't seen dancing pumpkin guy ONCE this year, are you guys okay?

BIG shoutout to those who are practicing in secret

y'all don't get enough recognition because leading a double life is exhausting (i know because i'm one of those people leading that very same double life)

shoutout to those who can't tell anyone about their practise

shoutout to anyone who can't own tarot or oracle decks and so use household items to do divination

shoutout to those who can't have candles or fancy altars

shoutout to those who practice in secret.

There should totally be a movement called “Sleep in Public” where people defend their right to sleep on public property. Sleep in your cars. Sleep on benches. Sleep at the park. Just make it a mundane and regular part of life to see someone napping in the library. It would make it much harder to single out the homeless for harassment if everyone else is doing the same thing and much harder to argue that it’s a “threat to public safety” when it’s so clearly harmless.

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.