Blessed Persephone
Lady of the Springtime
Of the new grass and buds on branches
Of the growing power that fuels life
After a Winter’s rest
To you I make this offering
To you I say this prayer

Let this Spring be full of joy
Of enjoyment and kindness
Of sharing and friendship

Let your gifts be shared with all
Let them feel the warmth of the sun
And smell the scents of the growing greenery

Be with us and walk with us
As we enjoy nature’s renewal
And rejoice in a future full of beauty

Blessed Persephone
Lady of the blossoms
Of the sprouted seeds
And the treelings tended by man
That they may grow and provide
As they always have with your mother’s grace
And the joy you bring her

#polytheism #pagan #helenismos #prayer #goddess #Persephone #paganism #polytheism #pagan #helenismos #prayer #goddess #Persephone #paganism

Blessed Apollo
Keeper of the herbs
Keeper of the potions
Keeper of the salves
Lord of healers and the learned
For they keep the ways alive
Generation after generation

Blessed Apollo
Bringer of the light
Bringer of the song
Bringer of the arts
Lord of wolves and hunters
For they are strong and wily
When they are needed the most

Blessed Apollo
Seeing that which is
Seeing that which is yet to be
Seeing that which was
Lord of oracles and readers of omens
For they see with your eyes
When answers are sought

Blessed Apollo
Dancing to your own music
Dancing with the lovely Muses
Dancing on sacred grounds
Lord of protections from harm
Averting evil with joyous celebration
When our paths lead us astray

#polytheism #pagan #paganism #hellenismos #apollo #prayer #religion

Come, Dionysus, pour a cup
Let the dark juice flow into it
Made with care and tended with pride
To bring your power to us all
Who can take it without obsession

Come, Dionysus, be with me
Let the madness fill me
That I may see things anew
And allow myself to accept the truth
Though it may be hard to bear

Come, Dionysus, into the sunlight
Like the leaves of the ivy
And the scurrying mice of the fields
A spirit of nature and human emotion
That come to us unbidden

Come, Dionysus, son of heaven
Like a beam of sunlight through the canopy
And the sodden earth in which life thrives
Whose life and spirit eternal is
A boon to man and all his kin

Art: The Discovery of Honey by Piero di Cosimo

#Dionysus #polytheism #Hellenismos #paganism #religion #prayer

“each of the Gods is the
universe, but after a different manner,”

Proclus In Tim. I, 308

#Proclus #Neoplatonism #Polytheism #Myth #Mythology #Gods #Paganism #Pagan #Platonism #Timaeus

‘All the gods are in Zeus zeusically, and in Hera heraically – for no god is incomplete.’

Olympiodorus (In Alc. 214)

#Olympiodorus was the last #Pagan #Neoplatonist Philosopher, and this quote shows the nature of the Gods as #Henads (aka units/individuals) who are All-in-All as the #Gods contain all things, including every other God but each in their own unique way (they are "in" Zeus in a "Zeus" like way and so on)

#Neoplatonism #Polytheism #Paganism #Platonism

but the power that provides unification is foreign to the one who presides over the division and opposition of encosmic things [Ares]. So it is this cooperation of dissimilar causes that the myths have referred to as adultery." Proclus, Commentary on the Republic 141f. (2/2)

I like this from Proclus as it works as a continuation of #Empedocles idea of the Cosmos sustained by Love/Strife

#Proclus #Polytheism #Aphrodite #Ares #Hephaestus #Paganism #Myth #Neoplatonism #GreekMythology #Mythology

"Both require Aphrodite for their own activity: Ares so that he can implant harmony and order among the opposites, Hephaestus so that he can produce in perceptible creations beauty and splendour because communion with the cause which produces beauty and binds together belongs by nature to the demiurge of perceptible things [Hephaestus], (1/2)

#Proclus #Polytheism #Aphrodite #Ares #Hephaestus #Paganism #Myth #Neoplatonism

Shed down a kindly ray from above upon my life, and strength of war, that I may be able to drive away bitter cowardice from my head and crush down the deceitful impulses of my soul. Restrain also the keen fury of my heart which provokes me to tread the ways of blood-curdling strife.
-Homeric Hymn 8, to Ares

A very late written Homeric Hymn sometimes attributed to #Proclus because it's close to his style of #Platonic hymns.

#Polytheism #Myth #Ares #Paganism #Neoplatonism

"Now these things never happened, but always are"

-Sallustius from the book commonly called "On the Gods and the World". #Polytheism #Mythology #Myth #Platonism #Neoplatonism #Paganism

I love this quote as it shows the value of myth while also highlighting the dangers of mythic literalism.

It is not, therefore, that the insanity Hera causes in Herakles has the ancillary benefit of causing his civilizing labors: rather, Herakles’s labors and his insanity are symbolically one and the same . Heroic action is in a certain sense, then, linked to divine passion." (4/4)

Edward Butler (@EPButler@twitter.com) "Queen of Kinêsis: Understanding Hera"

academia.edu/5098733/_Queen_of…

#Proclus #Neoplatonism #Hera #Myth #Polytheism #GreekMythology #Polytheist #Pagan #Platonism

"Queen of Kinêsis: Understanding Hera," pp. 126-148 in Queen of Olympos: A Devotional Anthology for Hera and Iuno, ed. Lykeia (Asheville, NC: Bibliotheca Alexandrina, 2013).

^{Edward P Butler (Bibliotheca Alexandrina)}

The myths symbolize the cause of this as insanity because ‘sanity’ for souls lies in turning oneself back toward the sources of one’s being. In this sense, it is ‘insane’ to be concerned with going deeper into the world of conflict.( 3/?)

#Neoplatonism #Myth #Mythology #Polytheism #GreekMythology #GreekMyth #Hera

"Every God in his/her own existence [huparxis] possesses the providence [pronoein] of the universe [tôn holôn], and the primary providence is in the Gods”

(Proclus Elements of Theology prop. 120) #Proclus #Polytheism #Neoplatonism

***The gods so described resemble closely the gods described in the best sources for practised religion***, gods who also are aware of humans' activity, hear prayers, feel *charis* at sacrifices and dedications, and bring many good things to humans… In the cultic tradition the bad things in life, as in the Platonic tradition, are not caused by the gods."

> - p.240 *Greek Popular Religion in Greek Philosophy*, Jon D. Mikalson (2/2) #polytheism #platonism

Just going to do a thread of some of the more interesting quotes I've come across recently regarding Ancient #Mythology, #Philosophy, #Polytheism (Mostly going to lean towards #Platonism)

So feel free to mute if it bores you.

In Norse mythology, the father of the Jötunn, Ymir, was taken apart by the gods, and his body was used to make Midgard. His teeth became mountains, and his head became the dome of the sky.

There are many comparative myths throughout the world where a primordial being is defeated, broken apart, and the universe becomes ordered.

I think even our modern day creation myth, the Big Bang, has echoes of these long-held human truths. An initial high-density entity existing in a void breaks up into pieces, and then the pieces become ordered. We are all made of the resulting star stuff.

#Pagan #Polytheism

Dionysus
Earthy and bold
Dancing to the beat of your own drummer
Overflowing with joy and enthusiasm
Eyes like the wine dark sea
Hair decorated with ivy
Beautiful
Lord

Dionysus
Heavenly and powerful
Your coming foretold by the great mother herself
Filled with dreadful force
Body like the growing vines
Entwined upon the trellis
Fruitful
Lord

Dionysus
Like unto the sea
Flowing like tides of wine and ale
Erotic, sexual, engorged like a satyr
Your hips thrusting as you dance
Like the grape leaves in the breeze
Exotic
Lord

Art: By Giovanni Francesco Romanelli

#paganism #pagan #helenismos #polytheism #gods #goddesses #religion #prayer #paganism #pagan #helenismos #polytheism #gods #goddesses #religion #prayer

I'm a writer, which is a kind of small business, I suppose. So even though I find this awkward and uncomfortable, I am once again reminding you that I write books that you might like to read. Up today, Labrys & Horns, the "starter pack" for Ariadne's Tribe style inclusive Minoan spirituality. Find the details here: lauraperryauthor.com/labrys-an…

#book #bookstodon #pagan #paganism #polytheism #Minoan

Goddess
Lady of the sacred flames
Of the containing hearth
Of the holy altars of the gods
Bless us one and all

Let your presence warm us
Like the flames of a fireplace

Let your presence reassure us
Like the feel of a good home

Let your presence safeguard us
Like the walls that shelter us

Hestia
Lady of the home
Caregiver and nurturer
Virgin Lady of the home
Bless us one and all

#Hestia #goddess #polytheism #Hellenismos #paganism #religion #prayer #Hestia #goddess #polytheism #Hellenismos #paganism #religion #prayer

The myths and aspects of the Gods are not concrete. They reflect the current usage of the Pagans who worship them.

An example is Freya's cats. In the Gylfaginning, it says Freya's chariot is pulled by "köttum." This word has the same root as our modern day "cat." However, the word was originally used to reference martens before it was applied to cats, because there are no wildcats indiginous to far northern Europe.

Another word used in the Eddas for Freya's animals is "fressa" which simply means "growler," and is used for wild cats *and* bears.

But modern day pagans have collectively settled on cats for Freya, because today's housecats exemplify those aspects of grace and independence we associate with Her.

Myth is like language; a "living" corpus which can take on new meaning over time as worshippers apply it to their lived experiences.

#Pagan #Polytheism

Today is the day
A day that will live with us
As we worship and pray
For today they come
Lords and Ladies of darkness and light
Lords and Ladies of earth and sky
Lords and Ladies of the wine-dark sea

Today we call them
At the altar fire where sacrifice burns
And the scents of our devotion rise up
In our groves and glens
In the forests and beaches
On the mountain tops and low valleys
By lakes and rivers that bring us plenty

Today our prayers are heard
Today our sacrifices are seen
And our offerings accepted as gifts
Onto them who dwell on high
Onto them who dwell below
Onto them who flow freely in the oceans
And those who shine like the sun
Or reflect it’s light like the moon

Today we pour our libations
Today we sing the songs
And yell out loudly for all to hear
A celebration and remembrance
To they who are our mothers and fathers
Lords and Ladies of the great green
And the storms that bring rain to nourish it
The Gods eternal and sublime
#Hellenismos #pagan #paganism #polytheism #olympos

The biggest part of my Pagan practice is stepping outside at around the same time most mornings and observing the seasonal shifts of the natural world.

I know how lucky I am to have access to wilderness right outside my door, and so I am frequently filled with immense gratitude and love that I can physically feel, like my heart is full.

That's what communing with deity feels like. No fancy rituals needed. The fancy rituals are fun, of course, and helpful. But the Gods can also be witnessed in a neon-pink sunrise and the chattering of a gray squirrel.

#Pagan #Polytheism

I liked this blog by John Beckett as much as I like most of his writing. I try to be a strong example of my faith and stand up for other people who are marginalized. However, being a religious minority in a very conservative state really scares me sometimes. Being "out" of the idolatry closet might have some very dangerous consequences for me.

#pagan #paganism #polytheism #idolatry
patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/…

Paganism In A Time Of Intolerance

In this time of growing intolerance, the best thing some of us can do is to be as openly and loudly Pagan as we can be.

^{John Beckett (Patheos)}

I dislike self-promo, but this is the shape of the world today, and I'm doing my best to make a (meager) living with my writing. So I am once again reminding you that I write books that you might like to read. Up today, Ariadne's Thread, all about inclusive Minoan spirituality for the modern world. Details here: lauraperryauthor.com/ariadnes-…

#book #books #bookstodon #pagan #paganism #polytheism #inclusive #Minoan

Cover reveal! This is my original art, for my upcoming book of Minoan myths - the tales of the Minoan deities as we know them in Ariadne's Tribe. The book is due to be released at Summer Solstice.

#bookstodon #BookCover #CoverReveal #Minoan #myths #mythology #paganism #polytheism #book

Sensitive content Click to open/close

I'm delighted to announce that my upcoming book Pantheon - The Minoans is now available for pre-order on a variety of platforms, including Bookshop dot org:

bookshop.org/p/books/pantheon-…

#books #book #bookstodon #Minoan #pagan #paganism #polytheism #nonfiction

Blessed goddess
Wise and beautiful
Shining with the light of reason
Rejoicing in knowledge
Delighting in tactics

We seek you
Those of us who know you
That you may stand with us
As times grow dark

Blessed goddess
Warrior and general
Teacher and student
Weaver and cutter
Delighting in the works of the hands

We seek you
We who would know what to do
And seek justice for those who cannot
In these times of corruption

Blessed goddess
Sound of judgement
Sound of strength
Sound of intellect
Daughter of heaven

We seek you
Athena of the aegis
Lady of the sword and shield
Goddess of wisdom and war

#polytheism #Hellenismos #religion #athena #paganism #pagan #prayer

The Serpent Mother says hello.

#Pagan #Paganism #polytheism #polytheist #Minoan #SnakeGoddess #goddess #altar

We are the children of Hyperion
That light of the heavens
Born of Gaea, our divine mother the sacred earth
And Ouranos, our divine father the starry sky

We are the children of Theia
That Titan that sees all and allows us to see
Born of Gaea, our divine mother and giver of gifts
And Ouranos, our divine father the heavens above

Helios
Resplendant lord of the Winter Solstice

Selene
Silver gowned lady of the moon

Eos
Bedecked in shades of gold, violet, and indigo at the dawn

The divine Hyperionides
Who from the East ride forth
Into the heavens above
To bring light and color to the world once dark
The gifts of their parents
They who measure the days
And the months of the year

Art: Nicolas Poussin, French, 1594-1665

#polytheism #hellenismos #paganism #pagan #prayer #hyperion #selene #EOS #helios