#real hellenism

i first got into it in 2022, when i was pretty outcast at school for a few reasons. i got into witchcraft, specifically wicca (which obviously i now know was massively problematic) because that’s what was available to me in bookstores like The Works.

while the book was problematic because of the wicca, it did introduce me to a few different pantheons, the concept of colour magic, and what certain herbs or crystals meant.

i began painting and writing for apollo, and got REALLY good results! offering honey and water colour art that he had a good response to! similarly i worked with aphrodite and had a kind of pocket altar in a box where i put pearls and perfume and a letter i wrote on valentine’s day. honestly i think this for me getting a boyfriend that i’ve been with for three years now bc we got together in 2023z

besides that i read song of achilles and heard the song “achilles come down”.

then i distanced myself from all that 2023-2025. BUT in 2025 i chose to study classical civilisation at alevel. GAME CHANGER.

the modules for classical civilisation is World of the Hero (iliad), Greek Religion, Imperial Image of Augustus, and World of the Hero (Aeneid).

So as part of Greek Religion it’s heavily “recommended” to do wider reading of your own and research, especially because the mark scheme revolves around gender in religion, personal experience with the divine, lustration, city vs deme vs family religion.

The Iliad really opened my eyes to the difference between gods in literature and the gods in worship. Also, I became interested in how the gods perceptions changed over time.

as a whole, i also began thinking critically about who prevalent monotheism is in our global society.

at some stages in this blog i may be very critical of abrahamic religions, this is not my reflection on individuals in the religion, nor and i saying that no good can come of it. but i am highly critical, just to warn you.

So what do I believe?

i think that regardless of what names we assign to deities, polytheism logically makes the most sense.

for example: polytheism seems to best explain why the world/nature is the way it is; conflicting constantly and acting of its own accord. this contrasts monotheism which (i believe) focuses on what the world should be ideally and anything that goes against that ideal is stuck with a kind of “evil label”.

polytheism makes the most sense because each deity has its own role, and it honestly creates more connectivity with nature and humans. i also like the do ut des of hellenism.

while i am hellenist because i think the specific domains of the gods make the most sense, i also am because i just really like the literature and philosophy surrounding ancient greece/ancient athens!