Yesterday was the day I officially introduced myself to Aphrodite.
I set up a working space with her statue and prayer beads. I lit some vanilla incense and her pink cherry blossom candle. I also had a ring that I had decided to dedicate to her as devotional jewelry.
Then I just kind of talked to Her - I have no idea if I did it “right” or not.
But it felt . . right
After I was done introducing myself and telling Her why I want to work with Her I dedicated a silver heart spoon ring I had to Her.
I had it siting in my cleansing bowl (The large glass container directly behind Aphrodite) over night. I cleansed it with the incense and then held it between my hands while I thought about all the reasons I wanted to carry something the I felt would connect me to Her. What it would remind me of throughout the day when I felt it on my finger or saw it.
I closed by thanking Her and then leaving Her an offering of water mixed with some raspberry syrup.
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Content warning: Because of the deity being discussed in this post, there are talkings of sex and sexuality under the cut.
Who is Aphrodite?
Aphrodite is the Greek goddess of love, beauty, desire, passion, pleasure, sexuality, fertility, and procreation. She has many epithets, or titles, that relate her to other aspects as well.
Antheia - The blooming, Friend of flowers
Anadyomene - She who rose from the sea
Ambologera - Delayer of old age
Aphrogenea - Foam born
Apostrophia - Expeller of sinful desires
Areia - The warlike
Callipygos - Of the beautiful buttocks
Charidotes - Giver of joy
Elikoblepharus - She with fluttering eyelids
Eleemon - Merciful
Eratoplucamus - Lovely haired
Gamelia - She who resides over marriage
Morpho - The fair shaped, Of shapely form
Nicephorus - Bringer of victory
Ourania - Heavenly
Pandemos - Common to all people, Of all people
Panmorphilos - Lover of all shapes
Peitho - Persuasion
Pontia - Of the sea
Philomeides - Laughter loving
Philopaneia - Lover of all
These are just some of her many names. She has many more epithets, including newer ones applied through UPG and modern practice.
Aphrodite and the Moon
This section is entirely UPG
I associate Aphrodite with the moon, more specifically, the moon's cycle. I do not see her as *the* moon goddess, but rather as having an aspect of the moon. I see her as the cycle the moon follows. There’s a few factors that contribute to this UPG of mine.
The first being that the moon’s cycle and a woman’s cycle are roughly the same length in time. I guess here it’s important to note that I am female, and a part of my work with Aphrodite has been centered around that.
The second is that the moon controls the tides. Aphrodite is considered a sea goddess. But my association goes a little deeper than that. I have always heavily associated the ocean and its movements with Aphrodite, beyond just her usual ‘risen from the sea’ aspect. I don’t see her as the personification of the sea, or *the* ocean deity, but as the movements of the ocean. The waves, the tides, the things washed up on the shore in the waves, the feeling of a wave pulling and pushing the water as you stand in it. \
I really began to understand this association when I started working with the moon phases, and learning about how to live and plan by them. A book I highly recommend to learn about this subject is Lunar Living by Kirsty Gallagher.
Offerings for Aphrodite.
Chocolate
Honey
Fresh Fruits
Cherries
Apples
Olive oil
Water
Apple juice
Wine, especially red
Teas infused with herbs associated with her
Or just any tea
Fruit and/or herb infused water
Roses
Jasmine
Myrtle
Cinnamon sticks*
Orchids*
Love letters (to yourself, or to someone else)
Jewelry
Seashells
Devotional Acts
Self care
Morning / night beauty routines
Write love letters to yourself or to someone else
Visit the ocean if possible
Practice gratitude
Practice self confidence
Listen to music that makes you feel confident
Listen to music that reminds you of Aphrodite
Practice self acceptance
Tell your loved ones you and appreciate them
An act of kindness toward a stranger
Give compliments to yourself or to someone else
Watch a romance movie
Read Sappho’s poetry
Read poetry about love, romance, or sexuality
Read poetry dedicated to her
Explore your sexuality
Learn about the important of practicing safe sex
Pleasure yourself
Read a romance novel
Read an erotica novel
Care for your mental and physical self
Learn about the ocean
Read her myths
Read modern retellings of her myths
Write retellings of her myths
Write poetry or song dedicated to her
Practice cyclical living (by the moon phases)*
Practice sea focused witchcraft
Dance
Create a playlist dedicated to her
Meditate and ask her to be present
Other Aspects of Aphrodite
People often forget, especially with the more popular and well known deities, that they can have aspects most would view as negative.
Aphrodite isn’t just the goddess of love and beauty. She also resides over the negative aspects of her associations. Jealousy, obsession, clinginess, heartbreak, self-centeredness, manipulation.
This isn’t to say that working with her will bring those things. You can work with her to get past these things or move them out of your life just as you would any other aspect of her.
Anything in this post marked with the symbol * means that it is my own UPG
Seawater: if you don’t live near the ocean, make your own saltwater for Her
Olive oil: olive oil is liked by many deities
Golden honey: honey is another liked gift by many gods
Sweet perfumes: offer Her the whole bottle or wear some as a devotional act
Poems and hymns: make them about Her or about someone you love
💗Sweet devotional acts💗
Practice self-care and self-love
Feeding birds, bees, and fish and taking care of nature
Dancing
Enjoying the beauty of the world
Masturbate in Her name if you feel comfortable doing so
Music, either your own or a playlist that reminds you of Her
Remember to tell the ones you are close to your love
Do a little extra for yourself - a spa day, new clothes, go a little extra on your makeup even if it is just a normal day for you, etc.
💗Cute altar ideas💗
An altar to Aphrodite should be as beautiful as you can make it. Decorate it with ocean motifs, roses (real or fake), flower garlands, nods to Her sacred animals (doves, swans, dolphins,) art of Her or erotica, rose quartz, pearls, and bright colors that capture feelings of love and the sea. An altar beside a window, on a windowsill, a vanity stand, or somewhere with a mirror. If you need to keep it secret or wish to keep a travel altar, try to keep her altar in a pretty box adorned with floral or sea decorations or something like a makeup pouch.
Having an outdoor garden altar is also a perfect option for Her - make it bird and bee friendly, use organic products (ones without pesticides) on your plants, have bird-feeders around, and have a little place where you can safely light a candle or incense for Her along with an offering bowl and a place for you to sit and enjoy the beauty she brings to you.
She is the Goddess of love, passion, sex, beauty, pleasure, and procreation. She is also my matron
Here are some of the things I did researched that she likes but also personal offerings that she enjoyed it; those will be represented with (PO). Credits to all those to inspired me to write this!
Roses (red, pink, Gold, and white)
Chocolates
Cinnamon buns
Cinnamon
Kombucha (There is a love one, PO)
Flowers
Honey
Pearls
Sea Water
Seashells
White, Pink, and Red candles
Things that are associated with love, like heart shaped things
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research: studying their history and the things they’ve done can help deepen your own bond with them and feel more connected to them
Offerings: the most talked about thing in having a deities, it doesn’t have to be expensive, small things you find outside or things you own or stuff you’ve made or cooked/baked specifically for them can be considered an offering!
hobbies: doing something that honors your deities and the things they love, like for artemis you can practice archery or learning more about feminisn history, for aphrodite you can practice self care and even doing spells for making your own hair masks or face masks
journaling: writing down any dreams you have or the experiences you experience with your deities, it’s always a good way to review and reflect on past decisions and see how much you’ve learned
altar/shrine: have a small area dedicated for them and your practice for them, it can help you focus on them and their engeries
Apollo is a Patron of young communities and protector of new cities.
I feel like this is yet another aspect often forgotten about Apollo when His other aspects - usually much older ones - get most of the attention. However, it’s important to remember that He is multi-faceted like any God is.
Apollo has been historically noted to serve as a protector of those who are young and the establishments that are new, such as newly built cities. A lot of Spartan towns were first blessed by His light, the connection here being often tied to the metaphor of wolves - being one of His sacred animals - serving as the basis of the building society. He was among the first Gods to sanctify cities under Roman rule, too.
Apollo isn’t all sunshine, music, and art. He can and has been reported to be a serious, protective, ruthless, fatherly Deity. He is capable of the same judgement in state matters that “traditionally seen as serious” Gods are usually associated with.
It would be so nice to see Him praised as something other than sunshine and art. There are so many aspects to Apollo that are almost never talked about on here: protector of cities, patron of athletes, father, wolf-tamer, patron of shepherds, bringer of justice. It’d be nice to see these parts of His personality appreciated.
"Apollon (Apollo) is the Olympian God of prophecy and oracles, music, song and poetry, archery, healing, plague and disease, and the protection of the young."
Large Altars:
Sun water
Wine diluted with pure water
Milk
Olive oil
Herbal teas
Honey and honey cakes
Orange or lemon pastries
Lamb or goat meat
Fruits
Cheeses
Wheat
Breads
Golden objects such as gold bowls, gold wine cups, flakes of gold, etc.
Bows and arrows, real, toys, or art
Images or art of the sun
All musical instruments, especially stringed instruments
Wolf and/or dolphin imagery
Any images of birds, especially crows and swans
Yellow, gold, and white candles
Incense such as frankincense or myrrh
Small/Hidden Altars:
Chocolates with orange or lemon flavors
Laurel wreaths
Gems such as amber, sunstone, and yellow sapphires
Laurel tree branches or leaves
Lily of the valley
Sunflowers
Aloe vera
Anise
Bandaids
Poetry you've written
Music you've written
Art you've drawn
Photos you've taken
Concert tickets
Golden jewelry or jewelry of the sun or arrows
LGBT+ flags
Divination items (tarot cards, pendulums, etc.)
Wolf and/or dolphin art, toys, or photos
All bird feathers, but especially swan and crow feathers
Devotional Acts:
Donate to medical charities
Support up-and-coming/indie artists and musicians
Sing to Him
Play musical instruments for Him
Hold dance parties
Make a playlist for Him and listen to it daily
Read poetry to Him
Take care of your mental health and remember to take your medicine, if you have any
Try archery
Try different types of divination
Try and wake up early and watch the sun rise
Go for a walk and feel the warmth from the sun
Let more sunlight into your home/room
Learn a musical instrument or how to sing
Learn simple medical care, like CPR
Learn about His history, His mother's history, and His sister's history
Learn about His lovers
Attend pride
Support LGBT+ rights
Wear yellow or orange clothing
Honor Leto and Artemis
Pray to Him and speak to Him often, things to consider praying for are guidance, healing/good health, inspiration, a prophecy or truth
Sources:
Official artwork from Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson
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Easy Ways to Connect More Strongly with your Deities
Say Good Morning when you wake up, say Good Night before you fall asleep
Share your food with them. If you’ve ever wanted some of your friend’s french fries, you know how they probably feel.
Donate to causes that fall under the jurisdiction of your deity. Are they a goddess for women? Donate to a women’s shelter or Planned Parenthood. Is your deity a patron of the arts? Give to PBS or local theatres.
Cook a full meal in honor of your deity. Seriously. It sounds silly but you can definitely find a regional cookbook based on your pantheon to cook a full ass feast for them.
Write them letters or notes. Keep a little notebook of notes and letters to your deity. Did you see a cute cat that you think Frigga would’ve liked? Maybe you saw a girl’s outfit that would’ve made Aphrodite drool. Let them know, or give yourself a reminder to tell them about it later.
Change your phone background. Does your deity have a temple or built pantheon? Put that shit as your wallpaper! Did you find a picture that so perfectly captures the spirit of your deity? Make it your lock screen.
Make them a Mix Tape. You know, so you can belt out songs in their honor while making your way downtown. Faces pass. And you’re home bound.
DIY your Altar. I’m not going to lie, I’m not to altar type. However, it is a fantastically personalized space that you can do anything with. So don’t let anyone stop you from knitting that mini statue of Hecate a scarf.
There are three main parts to prayer in ancient Greek religion: the invocation, the argument, and the petition.
THE INVOCATION —
This is where you address the god by name, including any honorifics, references, functions, or qualities you wish to entreat. Several stacking elements of identification are used here—including epithets.
THE ARGUMENT —
Why should the god listen to you? Remind the god of your prior relationship. If you haven’t yet built one, you should ask a friend or devotee to pray on your behalf. Better yet, use this as an opportunity to introduce yourself to the god and sing their praises.
THE PETITION —
State your purpose. This can include what you want the god to do, regardless of whether your request is specific or relatively intangible.
Of note is the fact that the petition is not a mandatory part of the prayer structure. “You might as easily invoke a god and remind them of your relationship, but not want anything specific, just to keep in touch as it were, and that would be totally fine” (Dr. Ellie Mackin Roberts).
PRAYER GESTURES
According to Aristotle “we humans all stretch our hands towards the heavens when we make our prayers” (On the Cosmos). Pollux too suggests this, using the phrases “to pray to the gods” and “to stretch one’s hands upward” interchangeably.
That said, not every prayer was accompanied by a grand gesture. Simon Pulleyn relates how artistic depictions more commonly show the worshipper with one hand raised—not above the head, but “held out in front of [oneself] in a gesture like that used by a policeman to halt traffic” (Prayer in Greek Religion, 1997, pg. 189).
Don’t overthink hand gestures. More than anything, know that prayers were typically done when the individual was standing, their face tilted up towards the heavens (where the gods reside). When consulting the Underworld gods, though, it would make sense to direct your prayers downward. An example of this is seen in the ninth scroll of the Iliad when Althaea prays to Haides and dread Persephone by kneeling and beating her hands on the ground.
MORE ON PRAYER GESTURES
The following illustrations were made by @seedsandsprouts / @jellynymphh and show the many gestures that can accompany your prayers to the gods.
Spoken prayers are typically paired with more dynamic gesticulations, while those that are silent (or muttered) are done more discreetly.
Ancient peoples believed that the gods could hear silent prayers, but such a practice was regarded as anomalous and looked upon with great suspicion. Such suspicions are better left in antiquity, seeing as we live in an age where spoken prayer is no longer standard.
When praying with one hand raised to your lips or the heavens, the hand at your side can be balled into a fist with the thumb tucked into the fingers.
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Hellenic Polytheism can be a bit daunting to start off - and it’s hard to know where to find the right information or what to research! Hopefully this post will help to give you a starting point - but please don’t base all your information off of one person! NOTE: I may link posts with conflicting information/methods. I leave it to you to decide what feels right and fits for you!
Websites, book lists and PDFs:
Theoi.com
Library Genesis
Hellenism resources
PDFs of myths
HP online accurate resources
Classics, mythology and modern worship
HP book list
Accurate resources
Book recommendations and online resources
Bibliography of Black-Centered Resources for Ancient Mediterranean Studies
The types of HP:
Recon vs. Revivalism
Reconstructionism vs Revivalism
The basics of practicing HP:
Making libations
Introduction to epithets
Veiling basics + a veiling primer + basic hair binding and veiling + hellenic hairstyles in religious rites
How to write a prayer
Daily prayer journal
How to pray, praise and worship the Theoi
Homeric hymns - helpful for writing devotionals, hymns, etc. (external site)
The Delphic Maxims
Basic Hellenic supplies
Oaths
Sacred places
Offerings (and whether or not to eat them)
Hellenic khthonic ritual
How to honor Ouranic and Chthonic gods
Hellenic Calendars and when to worship deities:
The days of the month
Devotions for the last day of the month
A Hellenismos calendar
Hellenion.org calendar (external site)
Hellenic festival year (external site)
About the Hellenic calendar of festivals
Pronunciation and terminology:
Hellenic pronunciation for the Theoi + Hellenic pronunciation pt. 2 + article
Khernips + Khernips pt. 2 + pt. 3
Miasma, khernips and katharmosis
On Lyma
Hellenic terminology (external site)
Finding / Information on deities:
Sacred animals of the gods
Theoi.com (my go-to)
Household gods
The Nymphai
Odds and ends:
On household worship
Other resources:
List of devotees on tumblr
Practical practicing of HP
This wonderful resource masterpost!
Masterpost of Hellenic polytheism and Roman polytheism resources
Shops for Hellenic polytheists
Introduction to Ancient Greek History - open Yale course
Note: Some areas are certainly lacking in the information department, please add resources if you have them! I’ve included all I could find as of mid 2020.
Links updated June, 2020. Please inform me of broken links via askbox!
Dandelions are regarded as good plants for messages and spirit work. They're very easy to grow. They're also regarded as sacred to the Lady Freyja. Their roots and leaves can be used to make a diuretic. Their flowers can be used to make what is called "Poor Man's Honey". They have a profound history in wish magick, their roots could be taken and anointed with an appropriate oil and kept with a petition for the wish. They're also regarded as being able to draw forward spirits through their smoke or steam.
The period just before and during sunrise is especially auspicious for prayers and for undertaking cleansing rituals.
Some of the best times for divination are after waking and before resting as the mind is still between the physical and the subtle planes.
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