What Dreams May Come

One of the amazing things about Lady Artemis is how versatile her domain is. Here are just some of the prominent theoi she is connected to.

Artemis + Ares 💥

- These two were celebrated together during Kharisteria/Charisteria ('thanksgiving'), which took place on the sixth day of Boedromion.

- Goats were sacrificed jointly to Artemis and Ares for their roles in battle and war.

- Even though Artemis is not technically a 'goddess of war', her role as the (sometimes brutal) hunter gave her an association with battle and death. They were also both patron deities of the Amazons.

Diana of Versailles (original attributed to Leochares)

Artemis + Apollon 🎼

- Perhaps her most famous connection is to that of her twin brother. They are opposites but are also, in a certain sense, two sides of the same coin.

- Apollon is the warmth of the sun, Artemis is the light of the moon. (They also shared the epithet 'light-bringer') They compliment each other while contrasting.

- They are day and night, city and country. They complete a cycle, making them almost inextricably interconnected in myth. Yet they also share domain over hunting, healing, death, and even music.

- The muses, who were led by Apollon, were often seen accompanying Artemis and her nymphs as she danced through the forest. Dance and music were also vitally important in her rituals.

Artemis Hymnia=Of the Hymns

Artemis Hegemone=Leader of Dance/Choir

Diana awakening Apollo (Carl Bertling)

Artemis + Dionysus 🐆

- Artemis and Dionysus are both deities of the thin line between us and animals/'beasts.' They symbolize our own wild nature and what it means to succumb to it.

- They historically shared in rituals of 'frenzy', release, and estastic dance. Both are deities of revolutionary liberation and freedom.

Artemis as 'Potnia Theron' on the François Vase

Artemis + Hekate 🔥

- These two goddesses are so heavily connected that many conflate/synchronize them. They are both deities associated with the night, the moon, and for their roles in protecting the young/children.

- The Roman goddess Diana Trivia is sometimes thought to be a syncretism of Luna/Selene, Artemis/Diana, and Hekate/Trivia.

- They were both known to hold torches and snakes, and some say that it was Artemis instead of Hekate who used her light to guide Demeter to Persephone during her search. Although most still contribute this part of the story to Hekate, it shows how conflated the two goddesses are.

- In some versions of their stories, Iphigenia was 'turned into' Hekate by Artemis. In others, Artemis 'became' Hekate as a companion of Persephone after her descent into the Underworld. Variations of Hekate's name were also epithets of Artemis.

Artemis Hekatê/Hekate = Far-Shooting, Shooter from Afar, or Worker from Afar

Artemis Hekatêbolos/Hecatebolus = Far-Shooting, Far-Darting, or Hundred-Shots

Artemis, Hekate, and Leto from the Pergamon Altar

Artemis + Persephone 🥀

- It is said that these two were raised together, perhaps with Athena, prior to her descent into the Underworld. They also share domain over nature and vegetation.

- In the Homeric Hymn II to Demeter, (and many other sources) it is said that Artemis and Persephone were picking flowers (sometimes with Athena) when she was taken.

- When Persephone returns from the Underworld, we can only assume that the two sisters and childhood friends are reunited just as she is reunited with Demeter.

- Hekate is also considered to be Persephone's companion in the Underworld. So if one syncretises the two, Artemis-Hekate would be her companion year round!

Diana's Bath (Louis Devedeux)

Artemis + Demeter 🌾

- As well as being deities of vegetation, Artemis is connected to both Persephone and Demeter in their roles in the Eleusinian Mysteries (Hekate also had a prominent role in this tradition).

- The mysterious goddess Despoine, also central to the Eleusinian Mysteries, is thought to be Persephone, Hekate, Artemis, or some syncretism of them.

- The sanctuary of Despoine, which was vital to the tradition of the Eleusinian Mysteries, was in Arcadia. At this sanctuary, Pausanias stated that multiple representations of Artemis could be found; including a 'six foot tall bronze statue' which stood guardian in front of the entrance to the mystery cult.

- A theory states that Demeter is actually the mother of Artemis, while Leto is her 'sister' or 'nurse.' Pausanias claims that "Artemis was the daughter, not of Leto but of Demeter, which is the Egyptian account."

Artemis with a Dog (Munich)

Artemis + Selene 🌕

- It is traditionly stated that Selene is the personification of the moon itself while Artemis is a goddess of the moon.

- At some point, the two were congealed/synchronized as Artemis became more and more heavily associated with the moon. The Roman goddess Diana almost certainly involved syncretism between the two.

Diana and Endymion (Jérôme-Martin) Langlois

Artemis + Pan 🌿

- Artemis and Pan are both deities of the wild, pastures, woodland, animals, and the country. Rural deities with connections to dance and music, these two have a similar untamed persona.

- Pan gave Artemis a pack of seven hunting dogs as a gift, showing their companionship. Pan also famously had a love affair with Selene, so syncretism between Artemis and Selene also connects her to Pan.

Diana the Huntress (Gaston Casimir Saint-Pierre)

Artemis + Zeus ⛈️

- Artemis has always been a favored daughter of her father. Perhaps their most famous interaction occurs from Callimachus when Artemis, still a child, presents Zeus with a list of requests - including her 'eternal virginity'.

- Zeus is happy to oblige and gives her all that she desired and more. This unconditional love and acceptance illustrates Zeus' affection for his feral daugher of the forest.

Diana the Huntress by Guilluame Seignac

Artemis + Athena 🦉

- Artemis and Athena share many similar qualities, including their 'chasity' and their choice to remain 'virgins' (in the historical sense of the word).

- As mentioned above, Persephone, Athena, and Artemis are said to have grown up together and were seen picking flowers together.

- As with Artemis' connection to Ares, Athena's domain of war, battle, and death are also connected to Artemis. Their sterness, intensity, and ability to commit violence when deemed necessary connect the two deities.

Diana as Huntress by Bernardino Cametti

Artemis + Hera 👑

- While these two were often in conflict with each other in myth, they still share connections. In historical celebration and ritual, women/girls progressing to adulthood and/or entering into marriage were ceremoniously passed from Artemis' protection to Hera's. They shared space in the context of transitions.

- In addition, Artemis has been heavily conflated with Eileithyia, a goddess of childbirth and daugher of Hera. 'Eileithyia' has even served as an epithet of Artemis.

(From The Theoi Project - theoi.com)

Divine Chaosyne

Divine Androgyne

Recently I’ve finished reading a book dated back to the year 1899 regarding the Hellenic traditions and Hellenic religion.

Some of described rituals (connected to offering) gave me an idea, that I would like to share with those who are interested.

• According to the book, not only boys have sacrificed their hair to Lord Apollon as their reached their adulthood, but also women before marriage

• Ancient alternatives to animal offerings were also baked goods.

For example, as an offering to the Lord Apollon, people who could not afford to sacrifice animals due to their economic conditions baked “cookies” in the forms of a lyre, a bow, arrows etc. They have also baked cookies in the forms of basic sacrificial animals (sheep, pigs, sometimes cows etc.).

The thought that has crossed my mind is that, maybe, if you cannot practice Hellenic religion openly and are looking for the ways to offer something to gods of your choice, you may also bake something in their honour?

I also think that the next time you are off to a hairdresser (or when you cut your hair yourself) you might as well devote this process to Apollon?

Weighing of the Heart Spread

In Ancient Egypt (and now through Kemeticism), it is believed that when the deceased arrived in the Duat, their heart was weighed on a scale against a feather of Ma'at's in order to see if the person was worthy of to live forever in paradise (if not, their heart was devoured by Ammit).

This spread draws from that story, and lays out what you need to know about yourself and what you need to do in order to grow!

1. How do you currently see yourself?

This card touches on your idea of yourself- do you see yourself positively or negatively? What do you think of your current self?

2. What are you really like?

Following up on the first card, this card brings up what you are actually like, not just your self image. How does it vary from what you see?

3. What are you balancing?

What are you able to do in order to see yourself as you truly are? What do you need to do to "balance" those two view points?

4. What does your ideal self look like?

This card touches on what your "perfect" or "ideal" self, and how they would look or act.

5. What can you do to actually grow?

Alllllmost forgot to post this one

Rahdue’s Wheel, a 78-card spread.

If you were wondering what this would be like, wonder no more.

Since my best friend and I have a great deal of magickal motivation and are clearly insane, WE COMPLETED THIS READING.

It was roughly 5 hours of direct cardwork and reading, but we took breaks for food and rest, so the total time spent, between taking the cards out of the box and putting them back in, was about 9 HOURS.

(Photo ft. bad lighting and my unbrushed hair.)

I had the privilege of choosing the cards, setting them up, and giving the reading for my much-beloved @haemoferedoll, who was a very patient and open querent.

By the end of the reading, we were decidedly exhausted.  My eyes were blurry, my head was swimming, my brain seemed to have deteriorated into rude, viscous mush, and my throat felt raw and sore from having talked so much.  Even my joints were achy.  I was basically an old crone by the end of it.

But, oh, let me learn you a thing.  THIS SHIT WAS  

E N L I G H T E N I N G.

The cards spelled out a clear story, with significant life lessons, warnings, and even illuminating information about past lives.  I’ve honestly never had a reading with such clear and definitive messages.  It was like the veil just parted to let the universe throw us some handy-dandy-4-1-1.  

For real, the cards were super specific and helpful.

Actually, after we were done, I was told that the reading was “more helpful than years of therapy.”~.  Potential hyperbole aside, I think the reading really did assist real and significant progress for my friend, which I’m wicked pumped about. 

IF YOU WANT TO DO THIS READING YOURSELF, I say to fuckin’ go for it.  It was a great experience as a diviner, an awesome chance to practice, and very affirming of my ability, and @haemoferedoll found it really helpful.  

However, PLEASE read all of the detailed information on the spread and how it works BEFORE you start the reading. If you don’t, you’re gonna have a hell of a bad time.  

Also, be aware that a significant portion of the reading revolves around past lives. If that doesn’t align with your personal beliefs, I would suggest you either skip those parts of the reading, or replace them with specific questions of your own.

ALSO.  I’m pretty sure this reading doesn’t NEED to last so long.  I was extremely thorough, and I’m very picky with choosing cards, so just the process of setting up took almost an hour.  

I also personally went into a lot detail with helping my friend interpret the cards and their story.  If you simply do a quick overview, I bet the reading would be way faster and much less of an ordeal.

For me though, the “ordeal” of it made it an experience.  It was absolutely worth the effort for what I got out of it.

TL;DR: We did the thing.  We liked the thing.  The thing was exhausting.  If you do the thing yourself, do the thing your own way and be smart about it.  

Maybe that why Apollo guided the arrow that finally killed Achilles, because none other that a god could.

Maybe Apollo killed Achilles knowing it was a mercy. Apollo, who had lost his love Hyacinth, and probably Daphne knew Achilles’s despair and how he mourned and Apollo guided the who wasn’t a mortal who could find his love again after death and having himself mourned all he had lost… even though he was a God - immortal and eternal and unfeeling - he knew love and he knew loss.

And so maybe Apollo didn’t guide Paris’s arrow true as a curse of vengeance maybe it was blessing to Achilles to find his love again.

Sigil Hour Set #2

Top:

@eldritch-augur

For breaking a recurring cycle

@childofthenight 

Aid in communication with spirit and deities alike

Bottom:

@gothmacaroni

To go unnoticed and protect from those who wish you harm

@tallismymiddlename

To bring health and happiness to houseplants

Make the way you see Apollo

He fancy

what if when ariadne cast the rope across a broken branch aphrodite stepped in with a reminder that this, this is not the kind of love you die for.

what if when achilles was ready for war ares appeared with a smile and said “you win well when you win, but what are you unwilling to lose if you lose?” and achilles knew the answer.

if you could retell the tale wouldn’t you want to tell it kinder? wouldn’t you want to give them peace, even love, where you could?

THE SPREAD

Childhood

Three leftmost cards (King of Cups, The Tower, The Chariot)

Young Adulthood

Three cards below (The Emperor, Five of Cups, Page of Swords)

Adulthood

Three rightmost cards (Six of Pentacles, Four of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles)

Mature Age

Three cards on top (Three of Cups, Nine of Swords, Knight of Swords)

Past Life Essence

Card in the middle (The Star)

READING THE SPREAD

Childhood

This trio reveals your sex in your past life, your temperament as a child, and your family’s financial situation in your early years.

Young Adulthood

These cards unveil your personality and perspective from the age of 13 to 28 — the rite of passage into astrological adulthood, your first Saturn Return.

Adulthood

These cards speak of your psyche, status and life story for most of your adult years, until your mid-50s.

Mature Age

The last trio discloses your physical, emotional and psychological states from the age of 56, your second Saturn Return.

Past Life Essence

The card at the bottom of the deck is the rope that ties together all previous cards into a final answer.

Important Notes:

All trios are to be read individually, then together, as a scene.

The last card is to be read literally in conjunction with other key cards.

If The Tower and Death appear beside each other in any of the first three trios, it means you died within that age range. Any succeeding trios of cards should therefore be disregarded.

SAMPLE INTERPRETATION

Childhood

King of Cups, The Tower, The Chariot

You were male in your past life (Male-dominated: King of Cups, the man in The Tower, the charioteer in The Chariot).

You were a bad-tempered child (The Tower).

You were spoiled and privileged (Presence of a King and The Chariot, mixed with The Tower’s implications).

Young Adulthood

The Emperor, Five of Cups, Page of Swords

You had a tendency to be sad and solitary (Five of Cups).

But you always did your best to fend off darkness and depression (Page of Swords facing the Five of Cups, culminating in The Emperor).

Nobody even had a clue what you were going through (The Emperor).

Adulthood

Six of Pentacles, Four of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles

You were wealthy (All cards are Pentacles, emphasized by the Queen and the rich man in the Six).

You were someone important (The Six and the Queen).

You were very protective of your reputation (The Four and the Six), which means you were a public figure (The Queen).

Mature Age

Three of Cups, Nine of Swords, Knight of Swords

You found your soulmate late in life (Knight of Swords rushing in; the lack of an opposite sex court card in the preceding trio). This person was younger than you (Knight vs. Queen [of Pentacles] and King [of Cups]).

The previous lack of romance in your life caused you sadness and frustration (Nine of Swords).

But in the end, your other half made it in time (Knight of Swords), and your wedding was glamorous (Three of Cups), befitting your status.

Past Life Essence

The Star

So in the last few days, I am alone. Meaning, my partner is traveling and won't be back for another week or so. Of course that makes me very sad, but I tried to use this alone time to practice more freely, far from prying eyes.

So I made candles. Not exactly what you think as waxy candle making. I just grabbed tiny jars and placed in them items I felt I can relate to my Gods.

My candle for Lord Hades:

It has pomegranates seeds, mint leaves, and a tiny white skull i found laying around. Yesterday I found a ruined skull bracelet and i might add the beads as well.

My candle to Hermes:

I placed some coins, a guitar pick with a tortoise painted on it, a dice, and strawberry tea leaves. I felt like the last ingredient was not to his taste so I might add something else next time, maybe chocolate?

My candle for Aphrodite:

Two seashells, wooden heart token, red and pink beads, tiny blue hummingbird pin, a jasmine flower from my window, and a pink incense cone that I later replaced with just a white candle and lavender oil.

I really enjoyed making them, and place them in the middle of the house. I only have 3 jars but since you need to wash and replace the ingredients everytime it works for me regardless.

Hey folks! I'm going to be offering tarot/oracle readings with these two spreads for a limited time! They're going to be $7! My usual is 1 for $2 or 3 for $5 so these are pretty cheap.

If you have a preference for just tarot and no oracle, let me know, and I'll be more than happy to do the spread with only tarot!

Chthonic deities are the ones that live underworld, or beneath the earth, so Apollo is technically not a chthonic deity. But if you meant to ask for Apollo’s association with death, then there are some. Though, I think the prominent one would be Soranus, the Roman underworld deity, being replaced by Apollo and His cults (I’ll talk about that in the end since it’s explanation might a bit lengthy).

> Apollo is the God of tombs/cemeteries. He guards the souls in the tomb till the body decays and soul can be separated. Hermes is the god who conducts the souls to underworld, but Apollo separates the soul from the flesh. The Ionian tombs have inscriptions asking Apollo to guard the dead bodies and purify their souls. 

> Apollo is the God of disease, and that’s his deadly side. He brings death to old and young alike (especially to the young boys). I know any God can bring death to a mortal if They wished, but it was under immediate care of Apollo and Artemis, and They were famously called as bringers of sudden deaths.

> Apollo is especially concerned with dead bodies and their proper burial. This can also be seen when He scolds the other Gods during Trojan war for letting Achilles drag Hector’s dead body. Apollo also protects the dead body by His magic. He is also the one to retrieve the dead body Sarpedon (a son of Zeus) from the battlefield. 

> Apollo’s connection with decaying of dead bodies can also be taken from Apollo’s punishment to Python. Python means “rotter”, and the first ever punishment given by Apollo is rotting. His epithet, Pythios, also derives it’s origin from this feat of His.

> The cycle of life and death is a part of Apollo’s nature. His visit to Hyperborea brings winter to the world (and was considered as His “annual death” in Delphi.) He brought death to everything (vegetation especially)with His departure. With His return, new life would be generated. Through the summer and winter cycle He caused, Apollo was both the bringer of life and death.

> Apollo has “consumed” some Gods. I mean, Python was considered as an oracular deity so Apollo basically killed a deity and established His own cult there. And Python wasn’t the only one. Apollo also replaced Paean, an early Greek deity of healing (Paean is now only an epithet of Apollo). Hyacinthus was a pre-hellenic God as well, whose cults were consumed by cults of Apollo, or rather, both were merged and considered as one God - Apollo Hyacinthus. And the most interesting one - Soranus, a Roman underworld deity, was also subsumed by Apollo (Here He is called Apollo Soranus). Hence Apollo basically has taken over the chthonic responsibilities of the former deity - death and purification.