O rosy-armed perfection: God's daughters 🌙

Zephyr and Apollo

By Pietro Francavilla

if you’re anything like me, the desire to meet and communicate with a new deity might be stunted by the idea of actually, ya know, communicating. whatever the reason (you don’t use divination, cant speak aloud, are afraid of being overheard, can’t meditate easily, etc.), initiating contact with deities can seem intimidating, and might even deter you from following the god or pantheon at all. but rest assured, there are easier and more discreet methods of talking, other than whipping out a dozen tarot decks and chanting pagan prayers

💫Why a Devotional Journal? What Is It?

devotional journals are journals dedicated to a specific deity or pantheon, where you can write messages, prayers, questions, or anything else you’d like to speak with Them about. i like to think of these journals like writing letters to a good friend- except your good friend is also a god!

☀️Beginning a Devotional Journal

depending on personal preference, this can be as intricate or as simple as you please. if you feel inclined to introduce yourself, explain what you’re doing or why you’re keeping a journal, or anything else, then feel free to! when i started mine i kept it as easy as writing “dear Apollo,” in a composition notebook, then explained my reasons and goals for keeping a journal specifically for Him. so honestly? go wild

⚡️What To Put in a Devotional Journal

prayers

Their name written in its orignal language

stories about your day

your relationship goals

tarot spreads for/to Them

song lyrics

poetry

hymns

Their family tree

things like the delphic maxims (hellenic) or 10 commandments (christian)

pressed flowers

printed pictures of what They look like to you

artwork

a list of things you associate with Them

gratitudes

what your altar to Them looks like (or what you wish it could look like)

messages you’ve received from Them

devotional acts

sigils/runes/etc

Their symbols

Their myths and lore

offering ideas

Their sacred animals, plants, cities, etc

famous works about Them

if you can think of anything else to put in a devotion journal, please feel free to add on! no matter how crazily beautiful or inconspicuously simple you make yours, the important thing to remember is your gods appreciate all efforts to strengthen your relationship with Them

• Hyacinthus was resurrected by Apollo and became immortal.

• His favorite bird was swan. Apollo gifted him a chariot pulled by swans.

• Hyacinthia was a festival celebrated in honor of Apollo and Hyacinthus. It was the national festival of the Spartans.

• Achilles used to sing about Hyacinthus in his training days.

• His only surviving title is “he of the goodly ashen spear”

• Per ancient art, Apollo turned into a swan and gave his bf rides. It’s also said that these two visited all of Apollo’s sacred lands

• He was approached by 3 gods and one mortal. He was fuckin hot is what I’m sayin

• He spent a lot of time with Apollo doing a lot of things, like sports, hiking, music, dance yeah sex too ofc

• He introduced gymnastics to Sparta.

• He had 2 elder brothers and a younger sister.

• There was a stone called Hyacinth, named after him. It’s called Sapphire now and it was and is still sacred to Apollo.

• If you’ve read Odyssey, you’d have come across “Hyacinthine hair” - yup, he has a hair style named after him

(it could refer to nature of the hair, i.e. curly hair or the color, i.e, black)

• Laconian men would get their pregnant wives the potraits Hyacinthus so that they could distract themselves from the discomfort. The og fangirls bruh.

• He was identified with Hymenaeus, the god of wedding hymns

• His tomb was called the tomb of Apollo-Hyakinthos because Spartans believed his death merged him permanently with Apollo, i.e, they both were one.

• His little sister was also resurrected with him.

First

Let

Me

Take

A

Selfie

(When even Beyonce has a selfie with Apollo)

__________________________

Apollo killing the python snake - Louvre

Oh and you know Hermes is constantly finding ways to photobomb and ruin Apollo’s selfies.

And then there’s of course the selfie wars between him and Aphrodite. Who can take the best selfie!

Translation:

Zeus

Oak

Carnations

Olive branches

Styrax incense

Eagle, bull, swan images

Hera

Lilies

Peacock feathers or images

Pomegranate

Incenses

Cuckoo images

Athena

Olive branch/oil/fruit

Weavings

Myrrh incense

Perfume

Owl images

Apollon

Laurel

Red roses, sunflowers

Frankincense (manna) incense

Palm tree

Raven, swan, wolf, mouse, dolphin images

Artemis

Cedar, palm and cypress trees

Tokens of deer

Jasmine

Myrtle, white flowers

Frankincense (manna) incense

Amaranthus

Peanut

Wormwood

Deer, dog, bear, partidge, quail images

Hestia

Incenses

Chaste-tree

Pig images

Poseidon

Sea anemone

Myrrh incense

Pine

Bull, dolphin, horse images

Dionysos

Ivy

Grape vine

Pine

Styrax incense

Leopard, panther, donkey, bull images

Hermes

Tongue-shaped tokens

Rosemary, saffron

Almond tree and pine tree

Frankincense and styrax incense

Mint (for Kthonios epithet)

Cow, ram, hawk, turtle, hare images

Wild strawberry (purslane)

Ares

Bronze weapons

Frankincense (manna) incense

Swan, vulture, dragon/poisonous snake, owl images

Aphrodite

Roses, myrtle, anemone (poppy)

Quince

Apple, pomegranate

Perfumes and fragrances as incense

Dove, goose, sparrow, turtle images

Hephaistos

Daisies

Frankincense (manna) incense

Donkey, dog, crane images

Asklepios

Frankincense (manna) incense

Bread

Serpent, dog, goose, rooster images

Pan

Pine, beech trees

Fern

Wild flowers

Herbs burnt as incense and the smell of perfumes

Reeds

Goat, turtle images

Demeter

Poppy

Tokens of pigs

Styrax incense

Mint (for Kthonia epithet)

Wheat

Dove, bee, pig images

Persephone

Asphodel

Wheat

Hades

Pitchfork

Pomegranate

Daffodil

Styrax incense

Dried laurel leaves

Poplar, cypress trees

Mint

Daffodil

Hekate

Saffron

Rosemary

Garlic

Red Mullet

Amphiphon (candy)

Styrax incense

Dry laurel leaves

Oak

Ferret, dog, bull, lioness images

Delian Temple of Apollo

Delos, Greece

476 BCE

The Temple of the Delians is a Doric peripteral temple, with 6 columns on each short side and 13 columns along each length. The cella is aligned opening to the west with a pronaos and an opisthodomos, both distyle in antis. The temple foundations measure ca. 30 x 13 meters overall. Construction was funded by the Delian League and began in 476 BC. Construction was interrupted in 454 BC when the Delian Treasury was transferred to Athenian control. Work resumed during Delos’s period of independence after 314 BC. The finishing touches and decorative embellishments were never completed. The temple contained the cult statue of Apollo and centuries of precious offerings.

The famous Colossus of the Naxians stood in the adjacent courtyard.

Ohhh alright! There are actually quite a few aspects about Apollo which are not found in popular myths, and hence not well known. But these elements of him were recognised and celebrated by the ancients. For these, you’ll have to turn to epithets and his cults, his temples etc. (I’ll mention some of the epithets as well)

I think one aspect that is mentioned in myths and still overlooked is - Apollo as a hunter - (Agraeus, Hyalates): He wasn’t an all time hunter like Artemis, but he did hunt wild beasts. He has beautiful forest in Hyperborea, called ‘The Gardens of Apollo’.

As for the one you mentioned, Apollo and winds - (Apollo telchinios): Due to telchines being able to produce storms and earthquakes, and Apollo being the Lord of telchines. (And I’m sorry, it’s not gentle wind lol, it’s actually storm winds). There is story about how Apollo causes storms and earthquakes to protect Delphi from invaders. (Hera and Zeus are the other gods associated with Telchines)

Apollo and death: In Ionia, he is the god of the cemetery who guards the souls that linger for 30 days until they are retrieved by Hermes. His motherland Hyperborea was adjacent to death realm as well. Crows and ravens, the messengers of death are scared to him.

Apollo’s wartime functions - (Paean, Eleleus, Chrysaoros): The first war cry was dedicated to Apollo. He’s called upon to help the warriors and to heal their injuries on the battlefield.

Apollo as a marine deity - (Epibaterius, Actius Apobaterius, Delphinios): He was the god of embarkation and disembarkation, the protector of sailors. Before sea voyages, he was prayed for safe travel and return. The first thing Odysseus did when he returned was to build Apollo a temple. Same in the case of Diomedes. Even the argonauts sacrificed in honor of Apollo after he helped them survive a storm. His sacred animal, Dolphins, would be sent by him *sometimes* to protect and guide sailors.

Apollo in agriculture - (Parnopius Smintheus, Erithius, Karneios, Pasparius): protected and harvested fruit crops.

Apollo in seasonal changes - (Horomedon, Hyperborean): As the leader of Horae, the seasons, he caused seasonal changes. His absence during winter caused darkness and decrease in temperature.

Apollo and law - (Nomios, Thesmios): Apollo was in the law making council, along with Zeus, Demeter and Themis.

Apollo as protector - (Agyieus, Prostaterius, Patroos, theoxonius): He protected houses, streets and cities. He, along with Hermes, is the protector of immigrants/foreigners.

Apollo and domestic animals - (Nomios, Carneios, Poimnius, Tragius, Kereatas): Again, protector and rearer of flocks, herds etc along with Hermes. His presence caused the cows of Admetus to give birth to twins.

Apart from these, he also presided over contests (Agonius) and marketplace (Agoraius) along with Zeus and Hermes. He presided over the banquets (Komaios) with muses, Hermes and Dionysus. (Hermes and Apollo have SO much in common)

Intent: to look irresistible; to have a goddess-like presence. 

You know when you want to look like you can both kill a man or make his night? Somewhere between Cat Woman and Shiva? Or give off an unreal brilliance? 

Literally me. Daily.

Which is why this glamour is so useful. 

Start it off by taking a moment to envision the image you have for yourself. Imagine that you already have, that this is who you are. Then, begin to work the spell by combining cane sugar and pink sea salt in a glass container. 

Light an incense that fits with your desired image. Since my intent is to be intimidating as well as beautiful, I chose patchouli and dragon’s blood.  

patchouli = love, desire, fulfillment, attraction

dragon’s blood = strength, confidence, goddess glam

The next step involves every witch’s favorite thing.

Fire.

Candles. 

Yes. 

Light a white candle and set it behind the glass. Combine cinnamon with sugar and salt blend, rotating clockwise. You can use ground cinnamon or a cinnamon stick. 

cinnamon = quick results, a bit of sass

Grind up two rose petals and place at the bottom of a second glass. Grind up another rose petal and mix it with the cinnamon, sugar, and salt. 

Put the objects you wish to enchant in the second container with the roses so that they fit comfortably. I enchanted several makeup items, but you can use jewelry, lotion, or a mirror. 

Pour the contents of the remaining glass over the objects. You may choose to say an incantation here. I used: “I am goddess, I am light. No one can resist my sight. Moon that turns from new to full, no one can resist my pull”. If you don’t want to use an incantation, you don’t have to. 

Envision yourself radiating light, as if sparkling from the inside out.

Allow the incense and candle to burn out fully. Alternatively, you may decide to snuff out the candle after the incense has finished burning. 

If you want to look stunning - and I mean head-turning, Helen of Troy, most-beautiful-person-they’ve-ever-seen stunning then do I have a spell for you. This spell was first made by the two of us, and it turned out far more successful than we could have imagined.

The primarily magical crux of the spell lies in the bath salt mixture, which should be made by (your) hand for best results.

Combine in a mortar and pestle:

A handful of sea salt

A handful of epsom salts

3 crushed up dried red rose petals

Essential oil of sweet orange

Essential oil of rose

Essential oil of jasmine

Some (body safe!) glitter

A dash of cinnamon

Grind together while envisioning your intent (which is to become a goddess incarnate).

For the spell itself, you will need:

The salts you just made

Several gold, pink or white candles

Items you find pretty

Dragon’s Blood incense

A small mirror

Lotion you like

A great, empowering, playlist (optional)

Leader of the Muses

Guide my creative steps as you guide my physical ones

O Patron of the arts.

By your golden light allow my creativity to flow

My charisma, my colour, my talent, my temperament

I think it depends on what you mean by “worship”. Since you’re taking classes, your schedule likely has some structure to it. Plan for a couple of minutes - perhaps when you get home each day, or before you start studying. Have a standard prayer available¹ and a standard offering². Make your clothes and hair presentable, wash your hands, stand wherever you worship, make your prayer and offering. Two or three minutes, your’re done.

¹An original prayer, or use one (or more)  from the Homeric Hymns , the Orphic Hymns  or a modern prayer written by Hearthstone or winebrightruby  

²There’s more choice of offerings if you can freely express your religion. I have incense and tealights on hand, and a cup set aside for offering fresh water. If physical offerings aren’t possible for you right now, the reading of the prayer (silently or aloud),  or the dedication of study or another activity at a future time are acceptable substitutes.

Safety note: allow for sufficient burn time if you use incense or candles before leaving your home. Some people put them out immediately after prayer. On my busiest mornings, I worship after washing myself, give the tealight and incense to burn while I eat breakfast, and extinguish them before getting dressed. If you’re in a rush, it’s better not to use candles and incense than to take the risk of accidentally leaving them burning unattended.

More on prayer and worship here and in my #101 tag.  If you have other questions, please feel free to ask.