they say that long ago, before Prometheus's fire shone in the sun's absence, Helios left the side of man each night and fell into slumber beneath the waters of the sea. and when the night Mother took His place, cold grief wrapped the earth. the flowers hid and the animals disappeared, patiently awaiting their Father's return. all waking creatures followed in His footsteps—sleeping through Selene's darkness to dream of the mighty rays of life. when Eos came to give rise to the mighty sun, His tears of sorrow appeared on the grass and dripped from the highest trees. some say that He filled the streams and lakes as light spilled across the lands. the rise of Helios became a time of reunion known to mortals as mourning
this tale begins as Eos lifted Him from the sea once more. His tears swelled on the leaves and His rays called out to humanity. today, His children did not come. they hid within their homes, terrified of the malevolent whom took advantage of the night. the shadows wailed and writhed, keeping His humble children awake. now, they slept through the day in exhaustion.
devastated, Helios gazed upon His slumbering children, too tired to greet Him. each time He returned, the pastures remained unkept and the fields shriveled into dust. the day couldn't last forever, and humanity could not survive without cultivation under the sun. from divine kharis, He offered humans a hope to last through the night. as Helios fell from the sky, the last of His color collided with the frothing sea.
from the union of the radiant sun and the wine-dark ocean emerged a golden form. ripe from the sea foam and imbued with luminescence, it awoke the slumbering mortals. all who saw were beckoned by the flash, a beacon in the night, and crowded the shore where She lay. many names were uttered upon Her appearance—Amathousia, Anaduomenê, Melainis, Kallipugos, Ourania—as She lie in the sand with wafting waves kissing Her cheeks
Aphrodite, She called Herself—radiant divinity within mortal form. a Goddess given life from the love between the mortal and immortal. from Her kiss came the fertility of the sun and from Her skin the iridescence of the sea shone. Her touch harbored the purest of love while Her laughter was as contagious as the plague. She roamed the night, watching over the mortals whom Her father adored so dearly. She protected them in His absence, taught them the gifts He could not sew from afar. as Her story spread, She was beloved by all. Pandemos Aphrodite, She who loved the poorest of men and saved the most desperate souls
after many years, Her knees had became too brittle to travel and Her senses dulled with age. still, the masses lovingly stayed by Her side. when it came time for Her mortal form to expire, humanity fell to their knees and begged Helios to save Her. even so, Aphrodite was not afraid to die. She eased their weary minds, for even if She could not be with them anymore, She would live on within their hearts. Helios heard the cries of His people and extended down His hand, grateful to the Goddess. in a moment of excellence, a golden flash appeared, pulling Her soul from the jaws of Psychopompus
they say that Aphrodite did not die that day. though Her body had disappeared and Her light did not illuminate the night anymore, Her existence was poured into every living being. humanity did not weep at their loss. instead, they danced, kissed, and drank together. their hearts were full and their minds were clear, for glorious Aphrodite would never leave their side
— "The Birth of Aphrodite" Dionysianfreak, 2023
I started this story a long time ago, I'm so glad it's finally done ! I've wanted to write my own myths for a long time as I personally view them more as devotional stories that reflect personal associations and experiences.
this myth is a retelling of Aphrodite's birth. it's based on my upg that sunsets on the ocean are one of Aphrodite's most sacred places. this is because I see it as the union between the heavens and the sea, Aphrodite's abodes. i also wanted it to revolve around love that wasn't inherently romantic or sexual, but the pure love between the Divine and humanity. I hope you enjoy it and I hope it won't be my last <3
Khaire Aphrodite 🐚🫀✨🌹🌠
Many love spells in the ancient world, particularly in the PGM are that of what are known as fetching charms, or binding spells: love spells targeting specific people. However, there are a number of more generalized love spells, ones with no particular target, such as the Stele of Aphrodite.
The Stele of Aphrodite is Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) spell number IV. 1265-74, and dates back to the late Hellenic period of ancient Greece. It was used primarily for love magic, specifically to invoke the favor and obsession of a desired individual, as well as for favor and success within friendship, popularity and beauty. The stele was believed to harness the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, to sway the emotions and actions of whoever sees you in favor of the practitioner.
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“After screaming, [Cassandra] calls out the name of Apollo sixth times, then again a seventh time, but the seventh time, by shifting the inflexion of the name slightly, she shows its etymology. Apollo’s name is cognate with the Greek verb apollesthai, “to destroy utterly, kill, slay, demolish, lay waste.” By crying out “Apollon emos”, Cassandra can designate the god as “my Apollo” and “my destroyer” at the same time in the same words.”
— Anne Carson, excerpt of Cassandra Float Can, from Float (via mythaelogy)
Hermes Chthonios, guider of souls, sacred messenger and shepard of men, i honour you this holy Khytroi night. i honour those who begin their return to the underworld, guided by your grace.
Hermes Psychopompos, lord of boundaries, assist me to bid farewell to the restless souls around me. help me to celebrate their lives, to grant them peace, to continue their legacy.
Athanatos Diaktoros, messenger of the Blessed, send my regards to those i have lost and those who came before me. relay my greatest respects to *[insert names of ancestors/deceased friends or family here]*. grant them a peaceful and cherished departure from the kind of the living, and send them home with joy and blessings.
Dôtor Eaôn, immortal friend of mankind, may this night be yours.
i hope you all had a very blessed Anthesteria <3
I was being cancelled because apparently it was classist to put feathers on dinosaurs.
Both dream me and irl me were very confused.
She who is modest, dark-veiled Leto, She who is ever gentle and full of care; Great Mother of all and twin-bearing goddess.
Queen of Great Kindness, i declare my praise to you; for you have gifted me with the ability to love those around me so strongly. you allow me to feel a love that comes from you, ever-flowing.
O She-wolf Leto, i thank you for your care. i thank you for your divine love and protection. hail, Mother of Truth, whom i promise to worship and adore. Lovely-haired Leto, i shall light candles and write letters to you; i shall love and care for those around me in honor of you.
my appreciation to you overflows from my soul, dear Goddess.
Give me Hephaestus in a power chair building ramps in the old Temples. I want Him at His forge, sitting at a lowered table in His wheelchair and reaching for His tools with a hand grabber. Let Him sit in hospitals with burn care patients, showing them scars of His own. Show Him transferring from His wheelchair to His throne, some days with ease, some days with struggles. I want him sitting on a rollator, knees in braces, riding an elevator to the top of Mount Olympus.
Let’s stop portraying Hephaestus as an ‘ugly god’ and revere his disabled form.
And stop using slurs like cr*pple to describe Him.
Artemis, mistress of animals and protector of the young.
Do you know where to find out about ancient roman festivals?
Depends on what kind of info you're looking for but for general information, any book on ancient roman religion and even the wikipedia page on ancient roman festivals will get you started.
If you're looking for references, the most straight forward book to refer you to would be H.H. Scullard's Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic, which goes through each month of the religious calendar.
I'd also suggest taking a look at:
Jörg Rüpke, A Companion to Roman Religion: this is a thorough introduction to roman religion at large, but you'll find plenty of passages on festivals.
Rasmus Brandt, & Jon Iddeng, Greek and Roman Festivals: Content, Meaning, and Practice: more focused on the greco-roman aspects but some chapters of interest for you.
Harriet I. Flower, The Dancing Lares and the Serpent in the Garden Religion at the Roman Street Corner: This is about household religion rather than big, publicly-funded festivals but important to understand as the foundation upon which everything else is built.
Jörg Rüpke, On Roman Religion : Lived Religion and the Individual in Ancient Rome: good complementary read to understand the more personal religious experience.
In term of relevant blogs, take a look at @asklepiean's religio romana tag, and check out the many resources gathered by @honorthegods
as much as I stand by the idea that the Deities appear and speak to us in a way that we need and can comprehend best, sometimes I feel as if people mistake Hermes’s wit with “silliness and goofiness” and forget that to be able to come up with a successful joke that can uplift one’s spirit, you need to be intelligent, charming, observant, confident as well as read the other’s emotions like an open book. And that, my friends, requires some serious skill.