I see a lot of posts on Tumblr about how to go about having casual relationships, or showing your devotion subtly but never have I seen ways in which those who wish to move on from that realm of being would actually start having a dedicated practice. People don’t need to be subtle to worship the Gods - in fact, most practices aren’t blatant and don’t need to be blatant. It is understandable and often necessary to be in a closet but you can still have a very deep relationship with the Gods while it still being meaningful.
Here’s a list of things you can do to strengthen your devotion with the Gods as well as build and deepen your relationship.
Build a shrine dedicated to an individual Deity and take time to know Them by using it.
The idea that you need to have multiple Deities all the time and worship all of Them together is a very strange way of doing polytheism and it is a more powerful usage of space to have one singular Deity at a time rather than a mix together. People may feel less of a need to be so bent out of shape if they can’t afford offerings for an entire pantheon of Gods if they only have one household Deity and the rest are specific to other tasks or needs. I’m not saying you need to pick one above the rest, but I am saying that when you work with the Gods, it’s not about quantity of your relationships, it’s about quality and how long you actually spend together in a similar fashion.
Design your shrine to be simple.
You don’t need a bunch of things on your shrine and in fact, that won’t make it any more detectable to the Gods or show how dedicated you are as a polytheist. It is not about how much work you put into the shrine to make it more about the Gods you worship but it’s more along the line of what needs to happen when you go to the shrine, what actions you take while you’re there.
Hypothetically, all you need is a candle to light to show that you wish for a Deity’s presence, but to make it more usable and detectable to a Deity, it is recommended you also have an image, statue, or likeness of the Deity. You can also have a bowl or a glass to fill for your offerings. Do not make huge offerings if you are going to forget to empty them out. Only make the offerings that won’t rot should that be the case, and only do that if you know you’re going to throw it out, eat it, or dispose of it shortly after.
Make a plan to go to your shrine at least once a day if not several times a week.
The more time you spend at the shrine, the easier it will be for the Deity to realize your intent of showing interest. It isn’t because you’re more devoted, are special, or show any signs that you’re worth looking into, but rather, the concept is mostly around how much energy is built up gradually over time. Energy is only built up because of the amount of time you spend there and how much meaning is there. It is not some moral issue you should feel guilty about should it not happen.
The fact is, the Gods aren’t waiting around and checking off boxes above your head so when you fail They mark it against you for the rest of your time with Them. They are, however, flawed in the way that They only can go about recognizing the material world based off of the flow of energy and how much is stored that is unique to Them.
Having a journal at your shrine to write to Them in while a candle is lit is a perfect way of building a relationship. The act of writing is a perfect way to build energy.
Keeping a specific divination tool at the shrine for that single Deity to use and to build Their energy around is also extremely important. It has to be unique to Them while also being used and stored at the site where you are making the most attempts at being at your shrine.
It is important to keep the shrine contained in a way that makes sure that other energies cannot get in. So even if you are closeted or must keep it on the low, go to the craft store and get a photo storage box. You only need a few items in there to make it meaningful. Over time, the use of those items will become more and more sacred. You can take them in and out of the box - it doesn’t matter how it’s stored but as long as it is contained and out of reach of animals and other things that can be hazardous to them and also maintain the cleanliness of the shrine. If not a box, a closet, cabinet, or bookshelf that is high up are all good places to keep it.
If you’re going to keep the shrine out in an open space, make sure the environment around the area is kept free from dust, dirt, animal hair, organized and vacuumed around it. Dirt that is built up makes it harder for the Gods to reach you energetically - cleaning the room it is in is going to be required if you have it outside of a container. If you’re low on spoons or live in a place that is impossible, a box is perfect. As long as the items are kept tidy energetically, no harm would be done if you’re not super hellbent on keeping a very energetically and physically pristine home.
Most people don’t have the space to have a dedicated area that is solely meant to remain clean for the Gods it is dedicated to. If that’s you, don’t worry about having it out at all.
I realize I’ve spoken a lot about using a shrine in this post and that is really a very important thing when trying to build a better relationship with a Deity. It isn’t about who you are or what you’re doing, it’s about recognizing the importance of what the Deity needs to get to where you are first before going about creating a relationship. That’s all that matters for those starting out on the path looking for ways of transmuting their effort into a meaningful way instead of basing it off of appearances and looks.
Gods don’t have eyes and do not see the way humans can. It is necessary that you build up energy as that is what They are and how humans and Deities can interact. Your devotional actions will likely be unseen unless you do them based on the idea that it is repeated, somewhere dedicated to that Deity, or building up a framework of a practice to continue daily.
Not because it’s a moral issue, not because you should feel obligated, but because the Divine are not omnipotent beings who know everything going on and can see everything. Otherwise, you’re not going to get very far in your devotional activities or rituals.
The usage of a dedicated space over time will make communicating with the Gods easier. Consider a shrine like a window in this world for the Gods to look into. The more you use it, the easier it will be for Them to have access to you and the easier it will be for you to hear Them. Yes, discernment is important and having a sensitivity is a great start, but it’s not the only thing that matters in communicating with your Gods.
If you are having issues listening for and hearing the Gods, the problem likely is not just you, it’s that They cannot reach you. The Gods are the most obvious beings on this realm. They are enormous. They take up a lot of space and energy. Those who have experienced Them know that it is not subtle and the more you make it easier for Them to access you, the easier it will be to have Their energy available in order for Them to talk back in a meaningful way and use what’s available in your life to communicate.
Their presence is about as subtle as an elephant sitting in your bedroom. It really isn’t that hard to detect Them once you get the hang of having Them in your specific area in this way. You’ll also know you’re not hallucinating because there is no other experience quite like it. You really won’t know what hit you.
That’s all for now. For more tips on building a shrine or finding more material on this topic, check out my blog.
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how i find time for worship everyday as an extremely busy person
i'm a very busy person, and unfortunately i don't have a lot of free time (i haven't written in two and a half weeks 😭😭). however, it's still really important to me that i find time for worship every day. so here are the two ways i do that!!
1. It's the first and last thing I do
The first thing I do when I get up, is say a quick "good morning" and prayer to the theoi, and it's the last thing i do before I got to bed. i find it puts me in a good mood for the morning when I've had the chance to pray, and it's absolutely worth getting up a few minutes earlier.
2. Input devotion into daily routines
I'm a very routine driven person (I do the same thing every morning/night), so instead of adding new devotion to my day, I incorporate it into things I already do. I devote my morning stretches to Persephone, and do those with her. When I make a cup of tea each day when I get up, I set my intentions for the day as I make it, and offer the last sip to Hades (and sit with Him while I drink it), and when I do skincare & shower (especially washing my body), I devote that to Aphrodite.
It's a lot more manageable finding time for devotion when it's during things I already do, and I love having the Gods near me during mundane tasks.
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just thought i'd share this incase it helps any other busy helpols!! much love xx
Hestia (Ἑστια - meaning Hearth) is the Greek goddess of the hearth, home, and family. She had few actual temples but instead presided over hearths in all homes, altars, and the cities. Prayers and sacrifices started and ended with Hestia which is a reoccurring pattern in her worship, such as honoring the first/last bites of a meal.
I have always appreciated her for years and recently I've decided to start incorporating her more officially in my life and I'm very excited to do so. I want to start focusing on household worship and I thought a Days of Devotion to Hestia would be a great way to really get me started.
Bed time Routine: This can be as simple as brushing your teeth right before bed to as complex as doing a yoga routine, drinking some sleep tea, meditating, cleaning your face and teach, and doing a small ritual for the theoi. Just something that gets your body and mind ready for the rest ahead.
Naps: Take naps when you can and need them.
Lavender and Poppies: Poppies are his devotional flower and lavenders are simply calming and often used in sleep teas. So having imagery of these plants or wearing jewlery/clothes with their print is a great way to honor him.
Sleep/Dream Journal: Keep track how much sleep you are getting and how good of sleep you get. As well as any dreams you have during that sleep.
Birds: Hypnos often took the form of a song bird. So go bird watching, listen to bird sounds before bed, or even find a way to help care for birds, whether by dedicating the care of a beloved pet to him or by donating to bird sanctuaries.
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I'm not sure if this is true for any other pagan out there but I feel my gods presences in certain things I do.
I feel Rán's presence whenever I think about the ocean
I feel Frigg's presence whenever I crochet or knit
I feel Loki's presence whenever I drink my spiced tea
I feel Amphitrite's presence whenever I bathe
I feel Aíne's presence when I tend to my neighbor's horses
I feel Freyr's presence whenever I feel the sun fresh on my face
I feel Aphrodite's presence whenever I participate in acts of self care
I'm always happy to acknowledge my deities in every day life. A single altar for each of them wouldn't do justice. My deities are everywhere and in every thing I do.
You can dedicate certain tasks and hobbies and such to the gods? You don’t have to give, like, physical offerings? Like food and drink?
Because I’ve always thought that you had to have an alter space (if possible) and a place to put offerings of food and drink. And you’d have to be clean (with khernips I think????) to worship otherwise you’re dirty spiritually and may offend them. And I’ve always shied away from that because it just feels…. Idk. Weird to me? Not bad or anything! Because I know some people do worship that way. But, for me personally, it just seemed kind of strange that the gods would want you to waste food and drink on them.
I am so confused. 😵💫 I can just…. Sing and dedicate it to Apollo? Or draw? Or RESEARCH Hellenic polytheism????? And that counts?????????????
YESSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!! Devotional Acts are a legit form of worship! I have an entire episode on my podcast about them! They are pretty much the backbone of my entire worship! I very rarely give out physical offerings. My devotion is pretty much 95% work based!
Also I don't use khernips at all and I basically just keep up with basic hygiene. Nothing fancy or special. And sometimes bc I have depression I don't keep up with basic hygiene but the gods are never offended by it. They're always there trying to help me feel better because THATS what they truly care about.
And i've been without an altar for 3 months and have had zero problems.
Your worship is decided by you and your gods. No one else.
