Hey everyone! I'm Lizbet, I am a music business major at a small university in the US. I'm aromantic and asexual and use she/he/they pronouns. I am a hellenic polytheist that primarily worships the twins Artemis and Apollon, although I do love to learn about and occasionally work with other deities as well.

This blog will be a mix of different things, but some things I post about (in no particular order) are:

Music (I like a large variety of genres and play trombone, piano, viola, acoustic guitar, drums, and ukulele)

Recipes (I am gluten-free and my mom is gluten-, dairy-, and soy-free, so every recipe I post will be guaranteed gluten-free and sometimes dairy- and soy-free as well!)

Languages (English is my native language, but I am also currently studying Latin, Greek, and Czech)

Gardening

Archery

Fitness/Workouts

Yoga

My worship

LGBT+

Writing (I like to write books in an assortment of genres—99% of the time fiction—from fantasy to sci-fi to action to adventure, sometimes a combination of multiple genres)

This list may change as I go on and either find new interests/hobbies or lose interests/hobbies.

[ID: A header reading "What Helps Me Write" in orange, capitalized text. The top half of the background is pastel green and the bottom half is pastel blue. On the left of the text is a sharpened number 2 pencil, and on the right of the text is a white eraser and an orange binder clip. /end ID]

As someone with ADHD and a busy schedule, it is often hard for me to get into the right mindset, or have enough time to write, even though it's something I love to do. Whether it be creative writing, or an assignment for one of my university courses, it can be hard to get started on writing, but once I start, I can't seem to stop.

Over the years, I've found a method that works for me, so I thought I would share it here so others who find they have similar struggles can try some of what I have found helps me! Hopefully, you'll find something here that works for you to, although chances of my entire process being what works for are slim, so make sure to try out other things too. After all, we're all different people who need and use different things!

1. The first thing I always do when I'm getting ready to write is find a quiet place with minimal distractions. This can be my bedroom or sunroom at home, my dorm room or practice room at college, someplace quiet outside such as a secluded area of a park. Wherever I won't have to worry about people interrupting me and where I am comfortable enough to focus.

2. Next, I set the mood for whatever it is I'm writing. Silence gives my brain too much room to wander, so I like to put on instrumental music to fill that void. The genre of music I put on depends on what I'm writing. If I'm working on an assignment that I need to crank out because it's due in a few hours and I had been neglecting to start on it, I put on a playlist of music from final boss battles in video games. If I'm writing something sad, I'll put on sad piano music. If I'm writing a fantasy story, I'll put on Renaissance music. Whatever I think will fit the mood of the story, to act almost as background music if the story were a movie playing out in my head.

3. I set alarms. This one may seem a bit weird, and might be unnecessary for some of you, but I often forget that there are other things that I need to do when I'm writing, such as eating, drinking, and going to the bathroom. So, I set alarms to remind me of these things. Every 10 minutes, I set an alarm to remind me to take a drink of water. Every hour, I set alarm to remind me to go to the bathroom, and every 2 hours, I set an alarm to remind me to eat something.

4. Now, we get to the actual writing part. To start writing, I go to writeordie.com. If I'm writing for an assignment, I set the word goal to that amount of words, or to the maximum amount of words if the assignment is over the maximum or I am writing for a creative project. I always set the grace period to 2 seconds, as this keeps me more on top of making sure I am writing instead of staring off into space. Then, I enable Kamikaze Mode and start writing. Note: there is a pause button, so if one of my alarms goes off or I need to look something up, I use that to my advantage.

5. Once I have met my word goal or have completed what I intended to write for the day, I save the word document that the website gives me and open up a new word document, formatted how I need it to be based on what I am writing. Instead of copying and pasting from the Write or Die word document into the new document, I retype everything and make minor edits to spelling and grammar as I retype.

6. I make another edit. Once everything is retyped into a new word document, I reread over it all, making even more edits and adjustments to the writing as I see fit. Sometimes there are errors that I did not find the first time, or new errors that had been made as I retyped everything.

7. I use the immersive reader option in the view tab of word to read aloud everything that I have written to me. This gives me a better feel for grammar and sentence structure, and helps me make my final edits.

8. After finishing up writing for a while, I like to celebrate with something! So, after I save my document and turn it in if it's an assignment, I get myself a treat. This can be anything from a bowl of ice cream to watching an episode or two of a show to going out to buy a donut or other treat for myself.

[ID: A header reading "The Duality of Gods" in dark gray text over a tan rectangle in the center of an image. The rectangle is overlayed over an image of an Ancient Greek temple with a dark blue filter over it. /end ID]

Often, we as Hellenic Polytheists tend to view each of the gods as having certain traits and ruling over specific things. While this is true and the gods are often depicted in myths in specific ways and they are confined to certain areas of rule, there seems to be a common and prevalent issue amongst Hellenic Polytheists of restricting the gods within their dominion based on how we view them.

The biggest example of this is when describing the sexuality and gender of the gods. We like to choose labels for them that we feel fit, and while the labels we choose are often representations of how we ourselves feel and are representations of ourselves within the gods we worship, it is ultimately impossible to label any of the gods as being a specific sexuality and/or gender, because they are otherworldly. Sexuality and gender are completely different concepts in the realm of the gods, so it is impossible to describe them with our own terms, no matter how hard we try. But, that doesn't mean you need to stop trying to label the gods' sexualities and gender. It's something that I have widely seen to help people come to terms with, accept, and discover their own labels, and is a completely valid way to sort through your own feelings.

The gods are also often stuffed into a box of "good" or "evil," and while this is less common within the Hellenic Polytheist community and more common outside of it, it is still important to be open and mindful to the concept of morals and how the gods are presented by the standards of earthly morals. Just as sexuality and gender are different to the gods than they are to us, so too are morals different. Not a single god is either "good" nor "evil" nor both nor neither. It is simply impossible to describe them as morality is an entirely different concept in terms of the gods.

The smallest thing, however, that I see when it comes to describing the gods, is actually the most important thing. I have seen so many instances of people picking and choosing which aspects of a god to worship, which is perfectly acceptable and valid; however, the moment you start forgetting that those other aspects exist is the moment you start erasing part of a god's entire identity.

See, the gods are often centered in duality. Artemis is both Goddess of Wild Animals and Goddess of the Hunt, protecting and killing wild animals. Apollon is both God of Disease and God of Healing, creating diseases and getting rid of them. There is so much duality in the aspects of each and every god, but so often I see people choosing to only worship the portion they view as being "good" and completely erasing and forgetting about the rest of them. While you can choose to only actively worship certain portions of each god, it is important to remember that that doesn't mean you can ignore the rest of it, as it all ties together to create the god. Their duality is an integral part of what makes them a god.

[ID: A header reading "Finding and Changing Your Label." The background is watercolor paint splatters in red, orange, yellow, green, blue, light blue, pink, and purple. Over this, in the center of the image, are three overlapping brush strokes, each in a different color. The first is yellow and reads "Finding" in orange text. The second is light blue and reads "and Changing" in dark blue text. The third is pink and reads "Your Label" in red text. The words "Finding and" are written in block text, while "Changing Your Label" are written in handwritten font. /end ID]

Finding the "right label" for you can feel like a lot. It can feel like one of, if not the, most important thing(s) in your life. Which, yes, finding the right label(s) often feels like and is one of the most validating and joyful things one can experience in their lifetime. However, it often seems like there is so much pressure and rush to find those labels in the LGBT+ community, and that once you find one label you think fits you, sometimes one can feel a little apprehensive about changing labels, or even like changing labels is something you aren't allowed or supposed to do.

This is absolutely not the case. Labels change all the time, and there is no reason to just find one and stick with it. If you find the perfect label(s) for you on your first try, that's great and I'm so happy for you! If you go through a few, maybe even every label you can find before you find something that fits, you are entirely valid and I'm so happy for you for finding one and for experimenting with your identity! If you never find the perfect label(s), that's okay and you are no less a part of this community just because there is not something that fits your experiences, I'm so happy for you for accepting yourself and being a part of this community! Every experience in the search for the correct label(s) is valid, and you are loved!

In my own lifetime, I have identified as cishet, bisexual, lesbian, and bisexual again before I landed where I am now with biromantic asexual. And that's just my sexuality. I am always learning new things about myself through different experiences, and that's okay!

A label isn't necessarily the end-all-be-all, and you should never try to force yourself into fitting into a certain box and staying there just for the sake of having a term to describe yourself. Labels are nice, but they aren't everything, and you are allowed to change.

A musician is allowed to change what genre of music they play as they go through life. An artist is allowed to change their artstyle. An actor is allowed to change what type of roles they want to play. People are allowed to change what jobs they have. People are allowed to change what religion they follow and believe in. Everyday, people change based on new things they learn about what they like, what they don't like, and everything in between. That's okay. The same thing applies for labeling your sexuality and gender. It's okay to change.

And just as musicians shouldn't be expected to confine themselves to and conform to a certain genre, or artists to an artstyle, actors to a role, people to a job or a religion, etc., you shouldn't feel like you have to, or be expected to, confine yourself to and conform to a certain label. If you try something and it fits you, great! If not, that's great too, and I wish you the best of luck in the future!

Labels aren't everything. Sure, they're nice to have, but I promise, it feels so much better to take your time with figuring things out than it does to rush into it because it seems like everyone else had figured it out so early and you're behind, or because you feel like you need to find the right label or you're a fraud.

Changing labels does not mean you were previously lying, it just means you have learned something new about yourself, and you have changed how you describe yourself because of it.

And remember, if you ever feel the need to talk to someone to help figure out how you want to identify, or if you need help finding a term that you feel fits you, there are so many wonderful people out there who are willing to help, and countless resources to aid in your research. My inbox and asks are always open, and while I am in no way an expert on anything, I am happy to help as much as I can and will be glad to point you in the direction of someone who can help in the case that I can't.

[ID: The background image depicts a sunrise, the right half of which has a semi-transparent, dark blue overlay over which the heading "My Summer Morning Routine" is written in italicized, ballet pink text. /end ID]

While I'm home from uni for the Summer, I've had more time in my mornings to exercise and relax, and it has really helped me feel better throughout the rest of my day, so I thought I'd share my routine!

I wake up to my alarm 20 minutes before the sunrise each morning, as I like to get up early to keep up for school, and watching the sunrise helps me feel more calm and grounded.

When I wake up, I write down anything that I can remember of dreams that I had that night, then I get up to use the restroom and make myself a cup of tea and some breakfast (either a gluten-free bagel with cream cheese, gluten-free toast with homemade strawberry jam, or Fruity/Cocoa Pebbles).

By the time my tea and breakfast is done, it is time to watch the sunrise, which I do from my sunroom, normally joined by my dog and sometimes by my cat, and I stay out there until I finish my tea. While watching the sunrise, eating my breakfast, and drinking my tea, I like to say a prayer to Artemis and Apollon, and to any other deities I might feel the urge to pray to.

When I am done with my breakfast, tea, and prayers, I empty the dishwasher from running it the night before and load it with any dirty dishes that might have accumulated.

Then, it's time to put on some comfy clothes and do some yoga. I switch routines based on what I have planned for the rest of the day.

After I have done my morning yoga and possibly meditated, my mom and I go for a walk. We only walk on Monday-Friday, however, and on Saturday and Sunday I skip to number 7.

After working out for the morning, it's time to shower, wash my face, brush my teeth, and get ready for the rest of the day.

Once I am dressed and ready to go, I water the flowers and the fruits and vegetables, picking anything that looks ready enough for me to wash it up and finish ripening in the windowsill.

With all of my daily routine complete, I feel more prepared, relaxed, and I stay in a better headspace as I go through the rest of my day!

[ID: A header reading "Greek / Ελλενικά" centered in large, dark green letters. Below that, reads "The Alphabet and Pronunciation" in smaller, dark green letters. Cartoon images of trees, both light and dark green with brown trunks decorate the sides. The background of the image is light tan. /end ID]

The Greek alphabet consists of 24 letters, and uses different characters than the Latin characters that are used in the English alphabet.

Α / α (alpha): Sounds like the "ah" sound, as in "father."

Β / β (beta/vita): Sounds like the letter "v," as in "vivid."

Γ / γ (gamma): When before ε, υ, or ι, it sounds like the letter "y'" as in "yellow." Otherwise, it sounds like the letter "g," as in "grand."

Δ / δ (delta/thelta): Sounds like the hard "th" sound, as in "there."

Ε / ε (epsilon): Sounds like the "eh" sound, as in "egg."

Ζ / ζ (zeta): Sounds like the letter "z," as in "zebra."

Η / η (ita): Sounds like the "ee" sound, as in "reed."

Θ / θ (theta/thita): Sounds like the soft "th" sound, as in "through."

Ι / ι (iota): Sounds like the "ee" sound, as in "reed."

Κ / κ (kappa): Sounds like the letter "k," as in "make."

Λ / λ (lamda/lamtha): Sounds like the letter "l," as in "lion."

Μ / μ (mu): Sounds like the letter "m," as in "map."

Ν / ν (nu): Sounds like the letter "n," as in "nice."

Ξ / ξ (xi/xee): Sounds like the letter "x," as in "max."

Ο / ο (omikron): Sounds like the "oh" sound, as in "robe."

Π / π (pi): Sounds like the letter "p," as in "paper."

Ρ / ρ (rho/ro): Sounds like the letter "r," as in "row." It is sometimes a rolled "r."

Σ / σ / ς (sigma): Sounds like the letter "s," as in "say." The "ς" form is only used when it is the final letter of the word.

Τ / τ (tau): Sounds like the letter "t," as in "top."

Υ / υ (upsilon): Sounds like the German "ü," as in "Brücke," or the "u" in the French "tu," but for easy learning if you don't know German or French, can be pronounced as the "u" in "put."

Φ / φ (phi): Sounds like the letter "f," as in "food."

Χ / χ (chi): This letter does not have a common English equivalent. It sounds light a light gargly "ch" as in "loch," or a hissing sound.

Ψ / ψ (psi): Sounds like the "ps" sound, as in "chips."

Ω / ω (omega): Sounds like a mixture of the "awe" and "ow" sounds, as in "grow."

[ID: A header reading "Environmentally-Friendly Pest Control" in white text over a mint green background. Cartoon depictions of green leaves and a white flower decorate the sides of the header. /end ID]

As someone who is heavily conscious about the environment and what kind of environmental impact my actions have, I have always had a hard time justifying using pesticides or other manufactured methods as ways of controlling pests in my garden.

Then, recently, I was given an assignment for one of my college courses to connect the concept of being environmentally-friendly and making either no impact (positive or negative) or a positive impact on the world's carbon footprint to something that I enjoyed doing. I decided to use this assignment as an opportunity to research ways in which I could change my methods of pest control to being more environmentally-friendly.

So, without further ado, here is a (non-comprehensive) list of environmentally-friendly methods of pest control for your garden, no matter the size:

First, pests are not actually pests. Learn to work with them instead of against them. It will ultimately better your garden, allowing for more flowers to blossom and fruits/vegetables to grow.

To keep away deer, plant either textured plants (leaves with fuzz or bristles on them) or fragrant plants such as lavender, sage, mint, or rosemary. Deer dislike fuzzy textures on leaves, and strong fragrances confuse their olfactory senses, making them no longer feel hungry. You can also plant flowers or plants that are toxic to deer such as bleeding hearts, spurges, and daffodils. Don't worry about toxic plants causing harm to any deer, though, their instincts should keep them from eating them.

To deter slugs, plant rosemary, astrantia, wormwood, rue, fennel, and/or anise. Another way to get rid of slugs, especially if there are too many or you have a large area to cover, is to encourage predators of slugs to enter your garden, such as hedgehogs, badgers, and birds. If you so choose, chickens and ducks are also great for getting rid of slugs while also providing you with eggs!

To avoid animals eating your fruits and veggies before you do, pick them before they are fully ripe (if they change colors, about 2/3 to 3/4 should be the desired color) and then leave them in a windowsill to finish ripening in the sun.

For abiotic pests like dry soil, mix natural fertilizer such as manure or compost into the soil. The micro-organisms in the manure and compost will bring the necessary nutrients back into the soil for your plants to grow!

Make sure to research which plants should be planted together and which should not! For example, tomatoes and cucumbers grow well together; however, tomatoes and peppers do not, and will ultimately produce less and possibly die.

Similarly, be mindful of plants that are native to your area and plants that aren't. Those that are native will ultimately thrive better when you include them in the environment, while those that aren't could harm the environment and might not grow as well. Non-native plants are best suited to be kept in pots if you choose to grow them.