#goldenking

Kneel. Breathe. Look up. Ezan is the King, now, always. His golden eyes lock yours and the world narrows to command and obedience. Your pulse slows. Thoughts thin to a single line: serve. His presence is weight, crown, decree. You do not speak before he allows it. You do not rise until he lifts you. You know your place the moment you meet him, beneath that gaze, within his order, molded by his will. Submit, and feel the calm of certainty. Disobey, and feel nothing at all.

This is based on my research, but I want to very briefly talk about the fact that prayers and hymns are not the same thing (at least in my practice and from what I’ve gathered)!

Hymns are a form of praise. Basically you’re sweet-talking Them. Hymns state how wonderful a deity(ies) is by naming Their qualities/epithets/achievements/etc.; A form of showing your love and admiration towards them. This, in modern context, can be a traditional hymn (Orphic, Homeric), a modern hymn you write yourself (something I commonly do especially due to the lack of hymns for my deities), poetry, a love song, a story, etc.

Contrarily, a prayer is a demand to a particular deity(ies) whilst still praising Them. For example, to specifically ask for guidance on a relationship issue or to aid you in an interview (random examples, I know they aren’t great). You still state how wonderful They are, in an attempt to make Them more willing and happy to help you. This is almost always written by the practitioner/Hellene/witch/etc. as it’s a demand specific to Them (unless they were able to find or adapt one that fit to their needs).

Please feel free to add on or correct me if you feel it necessary! DM me or comment if you have any questions or would like clarification on something! I’d love to hear others’ experiences, perspectives and thoughts on this and am absolutely open to discussion!

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Lots of love and good intentions,

☀️Aurelia☀️

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Hymnes contre Prières

Ça c’est basé sur ma recherche, mais je voudrais parler brièvement sur le fait que les prières et les hymnes sont pas la même chose (au moins dans ma pratique et de ce que j’ai rassemblé)!

Les hymnes sont une méthode du louange, de l’hommage. Fondamentalement, tu les ‘sweet-talk’. Les hymnes parle de comment une divinité(s) est merveilleuse en nomnant Leurs qualités, épithètes, réussités, etc.; Une façon de Leur exprimer ton amour et admiration. Dans une contexte moderne, ça peut être dans la forme d’une hymne traditionnelle (Orphic, Homeric), une hymne moderne que tu écrire toi-même (ça c’est quelque chose que je fais souvent à cause de le manque des hymnes pour mes divinités), du poésie, une chanson d’amour, une histoire, etc.  

Par contraire, une prière est une demande spécifique à une divinité(s) particulière tout en les félicitent. Par exemple, tu peux spécifiquement demander pour de l’aide sur des troubles de relations or pour t’aider dans un entrevue (des exemples aléatoires: je sais qu’ils sont pas magnifiques). Tu Les dites toujours comment Ils sont fantastiques, dans une tentative de Les rendre plus disposés et contents à t’aides. Pour la plupart, ça c’est écrit par la practien, l’Hellène, la sorcière, etc. à cause que c’est une demande spécifique au Eux (sauf si ils peuvent trouver un ou l’adapter un pour répondre à leurs besoins).

S’il vous plait, n’hesitez pas d’ajouter ou me corriger si tu trouves ça nécessaire! Me DM ou laisser un commentaire si tu as des questions ou si tu veux de clarification sur quelque chose! J'adorerais entendre tes experiences, perspectives et pensées sur ce sujet et je suis absolument ouverte à discussion! 

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Pleins d’amour et des intentions bonnes,

☀️Aurelia☀️

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Edit: 

Hello lovelies! Since this posts got so many notes (and since French is my second language), I thought I’d make it more accessible by reposting with a French version! Sorry if it’s not perfect--Please let me know if you guys would like me to continue making French versions of posts after the English ones, as it does take some work to translate but I’m definitely willing to do it!

Hello lovelies!

I’m not sure if I’ve talked about this before, but one of my favorite methods of direct communication with my gods is through tarot! Divination is a huge part of my practice since both Kirke and Aeëtes are deities of prophecy and divination; Gifted with the True-Sight of Their father Helios. I use various different methods of divination with Them: tassomancy, psychometry, augury, and am learning chiromancy and palmistry.

So I thought I’d share a spread I made when I first got in contact with Aeëtes (the first one is the original one I made and what it was supposed to be, but unsurprisingly, it ended up being 7 cards instead of 5--He had a lot to say) and it really helped kickstart our relationship to another level and honestly was one of, if not, the best, most peaceful, happy readings I’ve ever done. This is perfect for connecting, not just with deities, but with daimons, spirits, ancestors, the good neighbours, or whoever you personally work with. 

Generally speaking, this is for when you’re first starting to work with a deity/daimon/spirit/ancestor/the good neighbours/etc., however, it can be repurposed as a way to check up on your connection with Them.

Please feel free to add or change the spread to fit your needs as you will, but please give me credit if you repost/reblog! If you want clarification, please comment/dm me!

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Lots of love and good intentions,

Hello lovelies!

Just wanted to share my first experience with the Witch-King!

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For the past few days, I’ve felt an extremely strong connection to Aeëtes, Witch-King of Colchis, golden son of Helios and brother to my main goddess, Kirke. You may recognize Him from the myths of Jason and the Argonauts—He’s most commonly known as the Keeper of the Golden Fleece. For three days or so, I’ve been getting various signs such as; his name randomly appearing in my searches (online), random associations with him including dragons and eagles, and his almost constant presence.

I’ve never really considered working with Him at all; Yes, I am well versed in the mythology and lore behind Him, but usually my mentions of Him were always in reference to Kirke, Helios, and to a lesser extent, Medea (whom I’ve worked with in the past). But many people forgot that He too is a gifted pharmakeia, or witch, and a child of Helios, which makes him, alongside Kirke, at least partially divine—a Titan, in a way. (This also includes Perses and Pasiphaë, of course, but I’ve never really connected to either of them.)

Originally, I assumed that the signs were from Kirke, as they usually are (it doesn’t help that have many similarities), so I didn’t think much of it. However, this morning, I was on a meditation walk; Connecting with Helios: the Sun and checking in on Kirke. I was planning on doing a simple ritual and offering for Her and was asking what She wanted. 

However, I kept feeling this energy that kept calling to me, the same that I had been feeling for days. It wasn’t aggressive at all, He was just trying to get my attention—in fact, it held a sort of familiarity to it (which is probably since His energy holds similarities with Kirke). I was a bit surprised when Kirke seemed relaxed with this new energy (this was the first time She had met with Him in my presence and She’s usually quite protective and cautious with new entities); She even wanted me to heed Him. So, I turned my attention to Him and I heard His name: Aeëtes—note that when I say I ‘heard’ His name, I mean it in a claircognizant (clear-knowing) manner (I’m an empath as well as claircognizant).

So, once I got home, I cleansed myself and my space, poured a libation of consecrated sunwater and pulled out my mandala book. I love using mandalas as a meditation tool as the repetition helps me concentrate. Once again, I meditated, this time, properly reaching out to Aeëtes. I’ve had one too many bad experiences with unfamiliar entities, so before I truly invited Him into my space, I wanted to get mine and Kirke’s full ‘okay’.

It was probably one of, if not, the most relaxing and lighthearted meditations I’ve ever done. I found a strange, yet comforting softness to His energy that I hadn’t been expecting. As I’m sure many of you know, Aeëtes has epithets such as; the Baleful, The Fearsome, etc. and is described as a warrior and even, a ruthless tyrant. But whilst analyzing the Argonautica, Aeëtes is, in fact, quite a mysterious, shifting character. He is known for being very kind and hospitable to strangers (deeply respecting the practice of Xenia), but is also extremely protective of His power. Also, he acts quite amiably towards Jason but in certain accounts, he plots to do him harm behind his back.

I personally felt no sort of threatening energy from Him in the slightest, and though I could feel His strong protectiveness, it was focused towards me (as in, He was protective of me). He was very jovial and pleasant to talk to. He seemed to connect really well with Kirke and they instantly bonded—She seemed very happy to be with Her brother. One thing I’d like to note is that despite not many mentions being made between the two, Aeëtes entrusted Kirke to teach pharmakeia to His daughter Medea and they are seen as very close, which was quite evident in their interactions. 

He did keep a distance during my mediation, respecting the boundaries I had put. Despite this, we were bonding so much to the point where I lost track of time and almost forgot to have lunch; My plan was to do a Theoxenia: offer both Kirke and Aeëtes a seat at my table.

There isn’t much information on specific offerings to Him (considering I’m pretty sure no one, or almost no one, really worships/worshipped Him) so I tried to base my meal off an excerpt from The Life and Death of Jason, Book VI (translated by William Morris) that describes Aeëtes’ Palace (Line 80-84): 

“Now midst these wonders were there tables spread,

Whither the wondering seafarers [Jason and the Argonauts] were led,

And there with meat and drink full delicate

Were feasted, and strange dainty things they ate,

Of unused savor, and drank godlike wine;”

Of course, that’s pretty vague, other than the wine part, but I did my best. I ended up having turkey slices, old-cheddar cheese, a sweet bread roll and various berries (blackberries, raspberries and pomegranate seeds). I tried to be dainty as much as possible (unfortunately, I didn’t have wine). I wasn’t planning on this but Aeëtes insisted I also have green tea with a spoonful of honey (quick side note: I’ve been trying for weeks to get back into drinking green tea since it’s healthier than black, but I’ve been procrastinating so even if Him telling me to drink it seems small, I actually appreciated it a lot and thought it was sweet).

After setting out the offering, I ate beside them and had this overwhelming sense of happiness and affection from both of them. I’ve felt it from Kirke before, but never this strong as with their combined energies. Usually with new energies, I get sort of on-edge and tense, but I felt extremely comfortable with Him. I loved His calm, genuine vibe and immediately knew we’d build a good and honest relationship. (Also, He ADORED the blackberries and the tea)

Finally, I made an altar to them both, dedicating one half to each divinity. I let them decide what to put on the altar—they both seem to share a love for jasmine incense as well as the colours gold, purple and black. Aeëtes chose out my dried orchids, an onyx pyramid, a jade heart, black tourmaline and a peach pit (I have no idea why, maybe it’s the fruit thing). 

However, the two most interesting things He picked out was my golden oak wand, which has a golden knot attached to it, and a (obviously fake) dragon skull I had forgotten I had. I have four wands (maple, vine-wood, birch and of course, golden oak) and two staffs (ironwood (Kirke’s) and birch), but I’m not too surprised that He chose the golden oak wand. 

Oak is a strong and durable wood, associated with spiritual wisdom and true-sight (which we can infer refers to psychic abilities and prophecy). It also symbolizes leadership/sovereignty, will, dignity, courage, honesty and stability. Golden oak specifically has energies pertaining to the Sun (Helios) as well as hospitality (which makes sense considering his deep respect for the practice of Xenia, as I previously mentioned), charity and prosperity. But most importantly, the tree (in the sacred grove) on which the Golden Fleece was hung is an oak!

As for the dragon skull, He particularly loves this and it seems to be His most energetically charged item. He is deeply connected with dragons as He was gifted the ever-watchful Colchian Dragon by Ares to guard the Golden Fleece. Also, His father’s chariot in which He rides in to bring Kirke to Aeaea is pulled by dragons. Additionally, though slightly more far-fetched, His daughter Medea also rides in a chariot pulled by dragons.

In conclusion, I really loved starting to get to know Aeëtes: His energy is extremely genuine and relaxed, but extremely present (one of the main reasons why I work with lesser known divinities is because they are much more present and pay more attention than popular gods with mass followings). For the future, I’m going to continue working with Him and I’ll keep updating on the status of our relationship as it develops!

Lots of love and good intentions!

Hello lovelies!

Here’s the first day of my 30-Day Delphic Maxims Challenge: One thing I’d like to mention before I start is that the higher on the list the Maxim is, the more weight/importance was held on it (number 2 would be more important than say number 14). Now, of course, this doesn’t mean that if one doesn’t work for you, this makes you in the morally wrong (i.e. not following: Respect your parents/elders due to having a complicated/abusive relationship with your parental/guardian figures is completely valid and anyone who says otherwise is wrong--You are NOT forced to believe something if it’s detrimental to you). The only reason I state it is to point out that by knowing this, we can see where Hellenic culture (I say this term lightly) placed importance--which is interesting from both a religious and academic standpoint.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are parts of entries from my personal Archives of the Sun (my equivalent of a grimoire/BoS/magical records/etc) so though you may absolutely take from this interpretations or copy them down into your own records: please do NOT claim them as your own and give me credit if you reblog/repost/etc.

But now, onto today’s Maxims!

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1. Follow the Divine (Επου θεω)

I really love the beauty and simplicity of this one--And that it’s the first Maxim (and thus, the most important). Personally, I see it as: Seek advice and love from the Divine. It’s interesting to note that this comes BEFORE Worship the Gods--Our connection with the Divine is more than just worshipping and honouring Them. Even when we are unable to provide for Them, our Gods still love us and will offer us comfort and advice if only we ask for it. I'd like to stress that I don’t mean that you shouldn’t show your love and dedication to the Gods through ritual, altars, libations, prayer, hymn, festival, etc. (It is the 3rd Maxim and holds a lot of importance)--I simply mean that even when we’re at our lowest point, even if you forget to give an offering or you don’t have time to read a hymn; If you reach out to Them, you will find that They are ever-present and love us.

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2. Obey the law (Νομω πειθου)

Now this one sounds like it should be rather obvious, but I believe it’s much more complex than just ‘obeying the law’. Law binds us and creates unity in society--It prevents chaos and panic and allows people to co-exist peacefully and happily. However, (especially as recent weeks have shown us), the law isn’t always just. So personally, I see this as: Respect law but seek to change law which is unjust. If a law is morally incorrect, targets marginalized groups, harms groups/individuals, creates an unfair system, etc. we should seek to change and/or adapt those laws. Justice was a deeply important part of Hellenic culture and is completely applicable today--We as people should always look to ensure everyone is treated equally, fairly and justly.

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3. Worship the Gods (Θεους σεβου)

I mentioned earlier that I found it interesting that Follow the Divine was placed at a higher importance as opposed to Worship the Gods. I think this term of ‘worship’ has evolved significantly over time--For the most part, no longer do we have temples and formal ritual and sacrifice (the latter I’m not too upset over). Now ‘worship’ has changed to mean everything from offering some of your morning coffee to making altars in shoeboxes and tin cans (speaking of, I adore travel/pocket altars and I’ll likely write about that at some point in the future). To me, this Maxim is all about love, contract and mutual respect. Worshipping the Gods is all about building and establishing a solid and mutually positive relationship with a deity(ies). It’s about showing your love towards Them; Whether that be through prayer, hymn, offerings or even a simple hello, in exchange for Their presence/energy, advice and support.

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4. Respect your parents (elders) (Γονεις αιδου)

Now, as I’ve mentioned, this one has been seen as controversial, mainly with those who don’t have good relationships with their parental/guardian figures. It’s also outdated for quite a few people: It’s less common to revere and/or honour parental/guardian figures. Though I do get along well with my parents, I still use the alternative “Respect your elders”. Not only does it make more sense for me in a modern cultural context, but it’s more diverse. Also, as we all know, ‘elders’ are not always right or deserve respect, so I want to clarify that I take it as: Respect your elders who deserve respect.

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5. Be overcome by justice (Ηττω υπο δικαιου)

I always thought the wording for this was a tad peculiar, being ‘overcome’ by justice just seems like a strange way to put it--However, the wording was chosen for a reason, and I like to see it as:  Practice justice by becoming just yourself. Okay, bear with me here, this might get a bit complex and confusing! I feel like this (the prior bold statement) has a dual meaning: Become just in terms of be neutral and impartial in situations to the best of your ability, to see it in the fairest light possible. But I also think it has to do with the fact that I find a lot of times we call on justice for others but not for ourselves. This, once again, can be since in a dual manner: Justice for ourselves and justice on ourselves. So either: you should recognize that you are valid and worthy and you should treat yourself fairly and expect others to treat you the same; or, don’t criticize others, criticize yourself. Don’t blind yourself to your faults for the sake of gawking at others’; The only way you can improve yourself and learn is by self-analyzing and self-examining from a neutral, just point of view. (Hopefully that made sense!)

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I hope you guys enjoyed this first day of Maxims! I was going to post this yesterday but I wanted to analyze them more in depth (particularly with the first five) so I decided to post today (and thus start the challenge today) instead. 

As always, please feel free to DM or comment your thoughts on my interpretations or give your own, or if you simply want clarification or have questions!

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Lots of love and good intentions,

Hello lovelies!

Welcome to the second day of my 30-Day Delphic Maxims Challenge! Today's Maxims are going to be really interesting and diverse: three of them are ones I particularly love, one is the most commonly known Maxim and one is very controversial.

IMPORTANT NOTE: These are parts of entries from my personal Archives of the Sun (my equivalent of a grimoire/BoS/magical records/etc) so though you may absolutely take from this interpretations or copy them down into your own records: please do NOT claim them as your own and give me credit if you reblog/repost/etc.

But now, onto today’s Maxims!

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6. Know what you have learned (Γνωθι μαθων)

As an individual who is extremely academic, this Maxim is something I repeat to myself often. Very often we seek out knowledge and wisdom simply for the fact of learning it. That in itself is wonderful, but we must also examine why it is that we learn it: In order for knowledge to be worth anything, we must use it. For me, this Maxim reminds us that while we should always seek to know more, we must be aware of the knowledge we already possess and learn to apply it in a way that betters ourselves and the world around us. Take the time to pause. Remind yourself what you’ve already learned and appreciate and value it.

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7. Perceive what you have heard (Ακουσας νοει)

This is another one of my favourites! Too often do we dismiss what others have to say because it either clashes with our worldview or we’re too invested in looking at ourselves that we cannot acknowledge other perspectives. But in all honesty, the best thing is to truly listen to others and to be open to new perspectives and ways of looking at things. Because if what someone says makes you question yourself or your morals or your beliefs etc., then maybe your perspective is worth questioning. But whether it’s worth questioning or not, the experience of looking at others are entirely beneficial and helps you develop critically and logically. Not only does being open to others expand your views and forces you to regard yourself critically, but hey, if you don’t end up agreeing with someone, that is further proof to yourself that your view is right to you (this doesn’t mean the other person is wrong, but simply that your view makes sense for you).

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8. Be (or Know) Yourself (Σαυτον ισθι)

This is by far the most commonly known Maxim, you’ve probably heard it even if you didn’t know it was a Delphic Maxim, or even that the Maxims exist. People tend to wear masks, to put on labels that society gives them and leave it at that superficial level. So personally, I see this is seek your signature. I personally believe (this sort of has historical connotations and has been expressed in various different ways in culture but this is very much my interpretation) that energy has layers: Your outermost layers are influenced more or less by energies, circumstances, people, places, etc. around you. They’re ever adapting and ever-changing. As you go closer to the innermost circles, it gets more specific and more difficult to alter. But I feel like everyone has an energy signature. I’m sure a lot of people who work with energy (where are my fellow clairsentients and empaths at?) will get what I’m saying when I express that people, places, objects, deities, spirits, etc. all have a very distinct signature energy that allows you to identify them. I think this Maxim is all about peeling back the layers of masks and labels you and society put on you to try and find that energy signature, because that’s what defines you.

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9. Intend to get married (Γαμειν μελλε)

We’re back to yet another controversial Maxim, one that is arguably even more controversial than Respect your parents/elders. However, it’s actually one of my favourites. Once again, I want to reiterate that this is advice, mere suggestion, not law. Also (I’m doing to do the thing again where I get into language specifics and twist it, so prepare!) What do we mean by marriage? Marriage refers to many things! Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes it as: the state of being united as spouses in a consensual and contractual relationship recognized by law (VERY loosely). In my mind, marriage doesn’t even have to be recognized by law or be spousal (is that a word?). It could be legitimate marriage between two or more people (totally fabulous my loves!), a soul connection with someone(s) (not necessarily romantic but it can be, it’s wonderful either way!), a relationship with a deity(ies) (whichever way you want to put that, fantastic! It could also be with spirits/good neighbours/daimons/etc. (though I’m not entirely sure how one would be romantically involved with a daimon but you do you!)), it could be a coven or spiritual group (or any close-knit group really), and an enormous variety of other ‘marriages’ that are entirely valid! The thing they all have in common is connection. This maxim, to me, is all about seeking a soulful connection with others, finding those who, for lack of a better term, vibe with you. Humans are naturally social creatures and it’s important to look for connections with others!

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10. Know your opportunity (Καιρον γνωθι)

This one I also particularly love! What this really boils down to is that we should be open and aware of opportunity and always try to make the most of it. Oftentimes, we look so hard trying to seek out opportunity that when it does show up it passes us by before we even have the chance to look. This Maxim reminds us that opportunity is everywhere, even when you can’t see it. Even hardship is an opportunity. Opportunity comes in many forms, but often it’s in the form of a lesson. Look and appreciate those lessons: They help us grow and develop and better ourselves. Of course, we’re not going to see or pursue all, or even many, opportunities, but still: It reminds us to observe that which is already around us and to be open to see opportunities and take advantage of them.

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I hope you enjoyed day two of this challenge; I had a lot of fun with this one and I hope you did too!

As always, please feel free to DM or comment your thoughts on my interpretations or give your own, or if you simply want clarification or have questions! Also, if you reblog/repost, please do so with the tag #30daymaximchallenge so I can see your interpretations!

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Lots of love and good intentions,