lighting the candles for my evening prayers :)

some of the things i saw at the chicago art institute! (all photos taken by me) in order: -a bronze statue of dionysus, 100 BCE-100 CE -fragment of a funerary naiskos, 330 BCE -relief depicting the gigantomachy, 3rd to 2nd century BCE (with wonderfully preserved colors!) -a replica of the great eleusinian relief, 2017 CE (made by artist charles ray using aluminum) this counts as a religious pilgrimage and no one can convince me otherwise

i LOVE classical architecture. I love it so much. I love the forms, the shapes, the connections between Roman/Greek buildings and the gods they worshipped. The symbolism, the iconography, the awe inspiring splendor. It's something I will always be drawn to. I want new classical buildings, but without the drab, boring, monochromatic look that most neoclassical buildings have. I want COLOR! I want reds, blues, yellows! Neoclassical architecture needs a renaissance, but it needs the color and life breathed back into it.

Asklepios, God of Healing and Medicine

didn't think i'd need to make a post like this, but if you're a terf, or "gender critical," don't fucking follow me. don't interact with me, just fuck the hell off. i don't want anything to do with you or your bullshit.

Some Minecraft builds from the Roman section of a polytheist server I'm in :) (built by me)

Hot takes and opinions incoming... touching on the topic of godspousing. So, the concept of godspousing is very popular in online Helpol spaces, and it's something I've personally grown to have a few issues with. And it's clear to me that my issues with it stem primarily from my religious upbringing. I grew up as an Eastern Orthodox Christian, and there was a heavy emphasis placed on reverence towards and even fear of-- (I use fear not in the BOO! SCARY! way but in the old fashioned sense)-- God. I grew up believing that the divine was powerful and awe inspiring, and deserved worship and respect. Not that Eastern Orthodoxy taught that the divine could not become approachable at all, but just that it viewed the divine as something to strive towards. As much as I've distanced myself from that sphere of thinking, I realize that it has had an impact on my current spiritual views, especially with regards to the Theoi. I view them as tangible to an extent, through prayer we can approach the gods and get to know them. But personally, the idea of godspousing is not something I could ever see myself participating in. I just do not see the appeal or the benefits to it. But, that being said, I hold no ill will towards those who do see the benefits! If it benefits your spiritual life and your relationship to the gods, then by all means pursue that. I am not a hardline reconstructionist by any means, and I don't think I ever will be. I'm not going to go around shouting about how we need to do things exactly like ancient group A did it 2500 years ago, but I do like to incorporate certain aspects of traditional worship into my own modern praxis. Overall, there is no right way or wrong way to worship. If godspousing brings you joy, then absolutely do that. I just don't think I'll ever be fully able to understand it, and that's okay. :)

the struggle

The Pythia, the oracle and priestess of the temple of Apollon at Delphi.

Ἀπόλλων Ἀλεξίκακος, Apollo the Deliverer from Evil Art by me :)

Beautiful haired Hades, the Savior of the Dead.

i also think theres something to be said for our explicit rainbows love in the funding and formal collectivization of our temples as well as in the highlighting and nominating of leaders aside, do you believe a process to become formally sanctified as a priestess ought to be rigorous and lengthy, easy and concise, or maybe some variation? Also any other thoughts? :3 cheers! may your gods make sweet your days

I think that a volunteer system would be preferable, and one whose members could shift and change, since I feel that it would be unfair if only a few people got to serve for extended periods of time. In ancient times they were appointed by city officials, but since those times have long passed, that's not something we could pursue. Priests and priestesses were also custodians of the temples and holy places so that would be one of the primary functions alongside leading public festivals and rituals. I don't think it should be long or rigorous, but dedication to the theoi should still be a necessary qualification. I say this not as an expert in these matters but rather as someone who just longs to see a beautiful, physical community flourish someday. :)

to build temples we’re gonna need a lottt of collective fundraising + donors But i’d love to see our temples also have like free public housing/showers/cafeteria + community recreations :3 we’ll need architects! if they aren’t learned in the ancient ways we’ll get renaissance wonkiness and if they are too hoity toity we’ll get uncanny valley neoclassical but we also don’t have to go true to the many ancient styles we can come together and decide our own path :3

Honestly, as someone who's interested in architecture, I would love to build a temple myself someday, or at least design one. I'm not formally educated in architecture but I would love more than anything to design a place where people can come and worship the gods and celebrate festivals. Someday, maybe.

You...you're aware there are physical hellenic polytheist groups here in the states. right? And you know to be careful because some of them are racist and/or homophobic, right?

I am aware that there are some physical groups, and I would always try to use caution when researching them. I am never going to join a group that condones any form of bigotry whatsoever. I am a queer hellenic polytheist.

A blessed new year to you all, I'm a little late on this but I wish you all the best and pray that the theoi bestow each and every one of you with blessings, peace, and love.

(Art by Peter Jackson)

Hail, O champion queen, O divine strategist, O wise defender. Hail to thee, O pure virgin Athena, grant us wisdom and peace.

shameless advertising i know,

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if anyone is interested in joining and helping regrow the server, we'd be utterly glad to welcome you!

server invite : https://discord.gg/cHKGx5rvwG