#ares devotion

Things that may not count as offerings/devotional acts but I still think of Him when I do it:

Fixing my posture

Stopping myself from lashing out

Lashing out

Studying

Calling out hypocrites

Reading angsty romantic stories, especially those with some violence

Work/ labor, especially ones that gets my hands dirty

Challenging myself to do things within a time limit

Having a good cry

Forcing myself out of bed

Self-care, even if I really don't feel like doing it

Playing violent video games

Staying sober

Reading posts about him

Wearing masculine clothing while strutting around like a feminine model

Tidying my room

Wearing red

Carrying around self-defense weapons

Being stubborn

Unmasking

When something physically hits me

Being honest

Shadow work

Failing but trying again

Oh Ares, You stand in war, but You are with people who fight for peace just as well.

Oh Ares, You who stays with courageous and stubborn, all the same as You stand with those who get silenced.

Oh Ares, You whose wrath is the fiercest, yet stand with those who talk the calmest, because they know they’re right.

You, with those who have fire in their souls, and those who were dimmed a long time ago.

You, the enemy of fear, the helping hand of the oppressed, the scream of those without a voice, the confident stand of those forced to crawl.

You, who lights the fire of rebellion, You, the sharpness and clarity of the world when panic steps away.

You, the fire in my heart, the instinct to fight, when I cannot breathe.

You, my torch, my sword, my shield.

You, my emotion and my rage. You, who gives me courage when I fight for justice.

Today I have the courage to share my altar for Ares!

Ignore how bad the camera quality is, my flash is a pain in my butt and it was dark outside :(

Now of course, these two are born out of love, Aphrodite. Love for your people, who you might lose, by your death or theirs. Love for what you're fighting for, whatever that may be. Love for yourself, the most dangerous thing you can lose when you're blinded by emotion. And even love for your opponents, because maybe you truly don't want to hurt them.

Love makes you afraid for what you might lose in life, a constant battle with your surroundings and yourself.

Almost nothing is more terrifying than love. What if you lose everyone? What if you don't lose your people, but your love itself? What if you never get to have it? Or even scarier, what if you do?

The constant battle of living and the inevitable need for love we have is the most terrifying thing in the world. But is that not what we are?