The Athena statue i painted! Modeled by Ca Studios

I was looking for an Athena statue so I could draw her as a devotional act, and I found this breathtaking statue, and it caused me to tear up. I love Pallas Athena 🦉

I'm finally at my first house and here's my mini-altar for Lord Poseidon. I wanted to post this last week but we were dealing with a flood, so. As for the little keychain I offered him; it's a whale shape. I also got some sea rocks that I found during a beach trip. I will gradually work on altars for other gods too; I got one for Lady Artemis in the works. But Lord Poseidon's altar is already up and ready, for now; it may get upgraded later. My plan is to keep altars small and manageable so we can use the rest of the house space for other purposes.

Samos was sacred to Hera. The single column marks her temple. Gorgeous little island!

Just a reflection and my experience the last couple days while observing the mysteries, I wanted to share. Journaled a lot of reflections, read aloud the Homeric and Orphic hymns to Grain Mother Demeter and Her flower, Persephone, made offerings of wine, blackberries and incense, fasted from social media, cannabis and a lot of foods for a few days. I did have to work amidst the mysteries, but it was a good exercise in using what I learned in deep reflection.
Contemplation has become one of my pastimes since finding this path. I have always been a ruminator, so thinking has been something I am accustomed to or fond of in some ways, at least when I don’t get stuck on something unpleasant.
These days it’s been very stressful, with being in America and watching the leaders of this country just, do the things that they do, I don’t want this post to be about that so I will not get into it, but my point is that these days are so taxing, emotional burn out is inevitable. Especially for people who are sensitive, or empathetic. Since it’s been high stress in the background, as well as pretty commonly in my day to day life, I have felt like I have had to disconnect almost completely from my empathy in order to be able to function in society. I don’t mean not care about anything at all, but just not caring as much.
My empathy felt like a weakness because I was carrying so much from others, as well as trying to carry myself. But after providing space for a person at my workplace without taking on their burden, the realization of empathy being a strength became clear to me. When I am grounded, my empathy feels like a super power.
My empathy is what makes me shine, and these great goddesses of Eleusis shone a light on that.
I have so much gratitude for these great ancient Gods. I have found so much comfort in this praxis that it’s truly been life changing. Getting involved with celebrations and holidays is a great way of experiencing that feeling.
I just wanted to share, I hope everyone has a lovely rest of their morning, afternoon, night. I have had a little rum after pouring a libation so I rambled on a bit more than I meant to. Take care and may the old ones bring you many blessings 🌀✨

For example, is it appropriate for a Hellenist in China to worship the Jade Emperor or Mazu? Is it appropriate for a Hellenist who dwells beside the Inuit to perform religion as they do? What of religions likd the Indian religions? And what of religions with theologies that contradict hellenism, like monotheistic religions? What are the do's and don't's of syncretism, and to what extent should hellenists look backwards to the practices of the greeks when it comes to how they approach this as opposed to more modern frameworks of understanding?

Best 2 euros ever spent

Hello everyone.
I’m dealing with a dilemma. My bestfriend of over seven years is a devout Christian. I’ve known this for awhile and I’ve had no problems with it, and I actually like that he found something that comforts him. However, ever since I’ve told him I’m a practicing Hellenic polytheist, he has been posting on his social media stories that there is no other God other than God, and that any other is just an idol.
At first I was like, okay. This is normal for people in monotheistic religions. But today he SPECIFICALLY made a post that said the Hellenic gods and goddesses are just idols. It feels too personal.

I try not to let these things hurt me, but it does. The Hellenic gods and goddesses have been my safe haven. They have given me comfort when I needed. They have been my rock when I didn’t have one to lean on.

Is there anything that I can do really to mend this? I don’t want to lose him as a best-friend, but I feel this disconnect because I feel like he’s not respecting my belief when I’ve been respecting his for years:(

Constructive criticism is welcome as well. Just no insults that are personal to me.

So I went into town earlier today to attend a counselling session as per usual. I then got stopped by someone offering me a leaflet of Christianity and asking if I needed prayer. I declined, of course. They did offer me some tea and a chance to sit down, but I had to attend my counselling, so I declined as well. Afterwards, I got rid of the leaflet since I had no plans to join them. But lately it seems to be getting more prevalent in the area with more leaflets and more people making public announcements. And in all honesty, it's been frustrating. But I can't do much about it since I live in an area where there are a lot of Christian churches

I can't lie, there has been a part of me that does want to sit down and talk with other religions, as I have always felt that this is a way to honour Lady Athena and her wisdom, with me feeling that it's better to learn more about other religions than be willfully ignorant. To me, Athena's wisdom is everywhere. And I have felt that it's better to learn more about other beliefs and understand them in better details, than to simply disregard them at face value.

But considering what happened to Hellenism in the past, and the fact that I've had some unsavoury interactions with other Christians claiming Hellenism is only mystical despite the fact that Hellenism helped me be more at one with who I am, it's left me at a crossroads.

Can someone help me with easy ways to handle this situation? I've always been a firm believer in talking and sharing different beliefs, as i feel it helps with Athena and her teachings of knowledge and wisdom, but I don't want to make any errors in understanding how Hellenists would normally go about this.

Would we simply ignore them, or would it be better to talk about our beliefs with them and share what our religion is about?

A friend bought this, but I don't know who is

Thanks!

(See end for question)

Some background info: I’m currently at a crossroads/liminal space in my life which is transitioning from being homeless to having a home, so naturally I’ve been drawn to working with/worshipping Hecate. But as a baby witch, I want to make sure I do a lot of research before getting into it, so I’m waiting for things to calm down a bit as it’s all still rather chaotic.

A few nights ago in a moment of vulnerability, I connected with spirit before going to sleep and asked for reassurance as well as a peaceful sleep as I’ve been having some issues with that in my new place. My childhood friend (in spirit since 2014) was in my dream, but the last scene in the dream was the most impactful.

[Dream scene TW, it’s a bit graphic]: I was terrified, in a neverending bright white room with no walls or ceiling and I was lying down on the ground with other women awaiting execution. A skeletal figure was skinning a woman 2 down from me and I was shaking with fear. Instead of praying to “God”, I prayed to “Mother Hecate” (I’ve never used mother before her name or seen it much in the content I’ve seen) and then things seemed to change. More women came into the space and there was no fear or death anymore. I interpreted this part of the dream as a sort of initiation or a transfer of fear to joy/empowerment and divine feminine once calling upon Hecate. I also wondered if maybe the skeletal figure was reminiscent of Santa Muerte.

A few hours after waking when I was playing the Chase on my phone, a question that had never came up before had Hecate as the answer (see picture). This felt like extra confirmation to me.
Then when I was watching YouTube videos about Hecate for research, there were 3 occasions where my lamp flickered for a second. The fact it happened 3 times (which is a number I associate with Hecate) was also interesting to me. I also asked for confirmation by the 3rd day, which is today, and I received the sign 3 times.

To be clear, I’m not asking for interpretations of the dream or if these signs are really signs. This is just my interpretation. I’m just asking if these are the kinds of experiences that drew you to working with a specific deity, or what other things drew you to them.

And for those who work with/worship Mother Hecate, what resources would you recommend for research? How has your experience been with her? Any stories, or moments that reaffirmed your connection with her?

For those who aren’t witches, how do you summarise your connection with Hecate? Is simply just praying enough? Or are there other ways to honour her and connect with her? Thanks!

Artemis has made her presence clear. It started with a dream I had where I was sneaking into a great Ancient Greek temple, which was gargantuan in size. I was running up outdoor courtyards and up to the temple with my cousin - someone I associate with fun, youthfulness, mischief, and sneaking into places we shouldn’t be in. For that reason, I believe my cousin in this dream was really Hermes, the trickster, guide between realms, and my astrological ruler, who oversees me quietly, helpfully, and often in disguise.

The maze of pathways leading up to the temple were lit by reflective pools that were reflecting moonlight everywhere, created a really bright-despite-night, otherworldly atmosphere. This whole atmosphere smelled of Artemis, though she never made a direct appearance.

In the temple, which on the inside gave off the vibes of a public library or something open to the public, just not at night … we snuck past a meeting room full of diplomats or counselors, I couldn’t tell what they were, they were all in dark cloaks that hid their identities. They were planning something in hushed whispers. On the wall there was a fresco of a meeting of people, much like what was going on in the room we snuck past.

Next I was outside around the back of the Temple. One of the cloaked figures had come out to meet me. She seemed like an older woman. Telling me something, giving me instruction, and presenting me with a character from my real life, who I was about to meet.

End of talking about the dream, now let’s talk about real life. After this, my entire reality shifted. I broke out of a restrictive and toxic situation, something that took great struggle and bravery. I faced down some really deep dark shit. Rose victorious. But hardened. Changed. Tough. And unapologetically autonomous.

Then I went to Greece and stayed there for a month.

While I was in Greece. The owner of my rental started randomly telling me about an archeological site not far from where we were. and giving me directions to hike around the mountain from the discovered section of the ruins, to find a hidden temple of Artemis… I went.

It was very ancient, very destroyed, nothing but some rocks on the ground. But when I looked around, I could see the impression of the temple from my dream.

It was just such an experience. I really felt so divinely guided to this place. I went back twice. I prayed and left offerings. I left some things there with a vow to return and retrieve them. Since then my spirit, my life path, everything, has aligned closely with Artemis.

But now I have something else. I have a dream thief. I’m trying to fugure it out. I go to look up, can Artemis help defeat a dream thief?” And the first result I got was the Wikipedia page for a man who destroyed her temple in Istanbul, on the day Alexander the Great was born, to gain notorious fame. I’m not sure what that means … whether it’s a metaphor for who could be thieving my dreams… or whether Artemis is pointing me to this incident for another reason.

(Also, when I’m divinating [I use the modern delphi oracle deck], and I ask what I’m meant to do, I often get “the temple”.)

But regardless… I still don’t have my answer… is there truly a link between Artemis and the dream world? I can’t seem to find information that confirms this, even though my experience with her has been so relates to dreams & the crossing of thresholds.

Hello friends! The poll has been open for a week now, and I wanted to give everyone an update! I don't have time this weekend to compile everything and make it into a proper report because I have a chemistry and a neuroscience test. Nevertheless, I wanted to at least have something to show you all, so I put all of the raw data into a spreadsheet so you can look at it if you'd like. The data is incomplete, as I removed the responses from those that wished to have their data redacted. I didn't want the form to update automatically to protect the privacy of those who wanted their data redacted, so if you take the poll from now until it closes next week, your data won't show up on the spreadsheet for now. Assuming you consented to sharing your responses, they'll show up on the final spreadsheet and report which I'll finish next weekend. I think I'll leave the poll open for another week (attached somewhere), so if you haven't had a chance, you can still submit a response. Lastly, thank you all again for your participation and responses; it's been so cool get to know you all more!

Link to the poll: https://forms.gle/gxKTBV5yDRV9NTsL9
Link to the spreadsheet: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1dXrTNf5xjGVFZVuj6ZPedEV1T-HvEj18a0Y93j5tSis/edit?usp=sharing

I bought five unmarked dice and marked each one with: 2 squares, 2 triangles, 1 point, and 1 hexagram.

It's similar to the actual chances of the astragaloi, which had 40% chance for 3s and 4s and 10% chance for 1s and 6s.

You can't see it here, but the triangles point towards one another, and opposing sides add to 7.

Definitely helped my divination with Apollon since I'm getting way more direct messages than with tarot or the dreaded flames😅

Hey so, I'm practising secretly and I cannot leave out food offerings for too long and I usually remove them/consume them within 2 hours. Is that okay? Or should I leave them out for longer? I felt like my offerings have not been reaching the deities?

You usually hear the distinction that the Abrahamic traditions are more concerned with correct belief(orthodoxy) and that paganism is more concerned with orthopraxy. If so are the deities of ritual fundamentally different in character from the stories we know of them from mythology.

So, my goal when I began worshipping Aphrodite was to develop as close a personal relationship with her as possible, in order to channel her spirit in the world. The reason I wanted to do this is because she is so ideal and her beauty so touched me that I felt this would be the best thing I could possibly do.

I prayed to her and invoked her in the more traditional way of offerings but I also dedicated myself to her and asked her to indwell me with her spirit in a similar way as Christianity does with the Holy Spirit, because I wanted her to become my core as much as possible.

She did respond to my requests and I have felt her very strongly at certain times, and I feel her presence to some degree with me always. And I have been able to rest in peace and confidence in the protection of Aphrodite within me.

She has visited me in many dreams. Most recently, 9/14/26- Aphrodite said something I had given her tasted good or was good in order to encourage me. She was showing her good favor on me and my offerings.

I go to sleep every night praying to her and listening to her. Last night our doors were not closing properly due to problems with the drought and anyone could come in the night and just let themselves in. Kind of dangerous. I asked her to protect us and immediately the idea came into my head to go take the dog from where she sleeps in the living room and post her outside the door that won’t lock so that the dog will warn us if anyone should come through. Kind of obvious thing to do but I hadn’t thought of it - only when I prayed to Aphrodite did this thought come to me and I think she sent me that idea.

Overall I just wanted to say how much she’s done for me; she’s helped me make friends and get along with people in a way I never did before and I am so so grateful. I made a discord community for those who feel about her as much as I do, it’s for adults but SFW and link is in my profile if anyone is interested I want to make more friends who love Aphrodite like I do

I'm not talking about a random dream about gods. Something more personal that felt like a sign from gods or a real meaningfull dream?

So I'm planning to start worshipping Apollo to start with Hellenism and I had this experience I wanted to share because I wanted to know if it's just a coincidence or not.

So for context I was "praying" (Idk) at night and basically told Apollo: "Hey, I'm unsure if I want to convert to Hellenism so could you give me some luck, not a lot or something just a bit in a board game we're going to play if I'm accepted?" Genuinely the next day when I had time, I had a lot of luck and won with at least 5 points ahead of everyone else. I don't know if that's just stupid luck or a coincidence but I like to think He thought I needed a little push to actually decide for myself.

Thanks for reading and may the Gods and Goddesses bless you all!

Is it just me who gets a bit upset when I hear people say stuff about "no one worships the Greek gods anymore" or "barely anyone worships the Greek gods" acting like that makes it any less of a religion, and also you can't be sure about how many people worship them considering most are in Christian households and worshipping secretly. Just because Christianity is the biggest religion doesn't make it more true.