#beginner's guide

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Here's an intro to Formula 1 lore. Get to know some famous rivalries, resident curses, and basic history!

I mean, at the risk of sounding crass, you're likely going to run into Americanization no matter what you do because America itself was built on many cultures, especially that of Greek philosophy and storytelling.

Buuut if you mean you wanna read some actual Greek myth content that AREN'T modern American spins on classic tales, Emily Wilson is a popular choice for many people dipping their toes into translated mythology as her translations are both simplistic and concise in their language choices as well as fun in their structure to read both internally and orally (iirc her translations are done in iambic pentameter which is very familiar to anyone who's ever read Shakespeare). I've been working through her translation of The Odyssey, it's been pretty enjoyable :)

I've also heard great things about both Lattimore and Fitzgerald, the latter of whom I will be reading next after I finish Wilson's translation. That said, I haven't read either of their works yet, so take my recommendation of them with grains of salt! (I hope you enjoy them though if you check 'em out! If you beat me to it, let me know how they went!)

OH also, I know it's sorta the opposite of what you're likely looking for as it's VERY influenced by modern contexts, but thanks to another anon I recently got into Destripando la Historia which is a super fun animated Youtube series that retells the stories of various different gods from different mythologies. If you're into stuff of the goofy anime variety, you might enjoy them, it's a Spanish series but you can turn on captions to read the translations! It's super beginner-friendly, it covers a lot of different stories and myths without getting into so much detail that it's overwhelming (but gives you a good kickoff point to start with!) and the songs and animations slap, Afrodita is one of my favorites haha

Overall the biggest advice I can give you if you're trying to avoid fanfiction-y / "Americanized" retellings is just to cross-reference. If you find a retelling you really like but aren't completely sure of its legitimacy as a functional retelling, keep reading, watching, and learning more. It's a skill like any other, and the more you read, the more you'll be able to pick out what's a legitimate retelling from studied scholars vs. what's fanfiction that you don't need to take too accurately or seriously LMAO

And honestly, nothing wrong with the fanfiction stuff! Mythology, in its very nature, changes over time, it's an inevitability and many of the myths we still draw from today are often derivative in and of themselves from even older versions that pre-existed them (see: Ovid).

it's okay if your introduction to Greek myth is through derivative fanfic, stuff like Disney's Hercules and even Lore Olympus ARE fun to consume for a lot of people and make for a good entry point into learning more about the myths!

What's frustrating - and what I tend to criticize the most here - is when the fanfiction gets advertised / sold as legitimate retellings; when the fanfiction grossly misrepresents the actual mythology and yet tries to claim it as legitimate anyways which results in fanbases that are running around with completely false information claiming it as fact. If you can give the team behind Hercules credit for one thing, their rendition may not be completely accurate, BUT the folks who made it never bragged about how much smarter they were than other people about Greek myth or call themselves "folklorists" when they didn't even have any formal education/training/etc. in it cough like another creator we know cough 💀 If we want to make a comparison between LO and a Disney film in terms of how it grossly misrepresents the themes and cultural contexts of the original stories it was drawing from... Disney's Pocahontas does exactly that 💅

So if you want to avoid any "grossly" Americanized versions of Greek myth that are borderline disrespectful to the stories they're drawing from... yeah, that's usually a pretty indicative red flag LMAO

"You cannot heal in an inferno, no matter how hard you try."

do you have like a beginners guide or just a small spiel of where to start? thank you :)

A beginner's guide is a really good idea, maybe I'll create one some day. As to where to start I suggest getting to know what many in the community now call your "big 3" which is your Sun Sign, Moon Sign, and Rising/Ascendant. Your Sun Sign is your "zodiac sign", the sign most people are familiar with in astrology. This is the sign based on the month you were born, for example if you were born between June 21 through July 22 then your Zodiac Sign or Sun Sign is Cancer. Your Sun Sign is your individuality, ego, some describe it as your life force, your vitality, it is the self, sort of like a base personality in which all other placements are integrated through. Many who first are learning about astrology I've noticed almost go through a "moon sign" phase. It is one of the planets or subjects outside of your zodiac sign many first learn about. The Moon Sign is your inner, emotional self. It is how you react to things emotionally, process emotions, it is your intuition, your nurturing side, your emotional needs, and it also has a connection to motherhood/parenthood. I sometimes describe the Moon Sign as almost a second zodiac sign because of how important our emotional selves are to who we are and how we live our life. The Moon changes zodiac signs every 2-3 days, so you will need to know the day, month, and year of your birth to determine what your Moon Sign is. Your Rising/Ascendant is another placement many first learn about when diving into astrology. The Rising, also called Ascendant, is a point in space, technically an angle in your natal chart. This determines how you come off to others, your raw self-expression, your impression or you could look at it as your "vibe", it describes your approach to the world, and it is also linked to interests and some believe physical appearance. To find your rising you will need to know your day, month, year, time of birth, and location of birth. After learning more about the Sun, Moon, and Rising, I would then suggest to learn about zodiac sign's elements and qualities so you can have a basic idea of how each sign can function in different areas of a chart/placement. Elements and qualities are also the basis of compatibility. Fire Signs are generalized by traits of passion, openness, individuality, independence, a temper, generosity as well as selfishness, and confidence. (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) Earth Signs are generalized by traits of dependability, loyalty, practicality, being grounded, patient, being a hard worker, and logical. (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Air Signs are generalized by traits of sociability, intellect and/or a love of learning, objectivity, has social intuition or intelligence, fair, respectful, detachment, an open mind, but also arguing, debating, and being opinionated. (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) Water Signs are generalized by traits of sensitivity, intuitive, depth, gentle, calmness, healing talents, emotional intelligence, understanding, empathy, kindness, and attachment. (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) The qualities are a classification of how a sign's energy might flow or be expressed. There is one sign in each element for every quality. The qualities are Cardinal, Fixed, and Mutable. Cardinal Signs are about taking action, leading, initiation, change, and assertion. (Aries, Cancer. Libra, Capricorn) Fixed Signs are about sustaining, managing, consistency, stability, and stubbornness. (Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius) Mutable Signs are about flexibility, endings and beginnings, versatility, instability, and unpredictability. (Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, Pisces)