Hellenic Polytheism - Tumblr Posts

baby moth friend 🩷

a little chop n color

the luteal urge to **** myself to great wide nowhere go crazy

Hello, I'd just like to say- I've heard some hellenic witches talk about offering Ares energy drinks and- the new ultra gold energy is literally themed after ambrosia and nectar, a food/drink consumed by the gods- so aha- planning on offering some to Ares (even tho it isn't ambrosia its an energy drink that references it and like- idk the moment I read the little Greek references on the side I instantly felt I had to share it with him :] ) (plus it also says it tastes like pineapple and like- that shits good asf)

Hello hello! I’ve officially started worshiping a new deity,,, one of the most popular deities to worship… Apollo,,, I honestly should’ve saw this coming 😭

Anyway, this post is about how I see Apollo :) I see him in a very typical way. I see him with long blond hair and looking very youthful,,, I see him with more tan skin and with brown eyes. Ofc with pictures via picrew :)

Praying to Asklepios that your doctors, nurses, specialists, etc. listen to you and take your concerns seriously, and that you’re able to get the help you need, and whatever answers you’re looking for.

some epithets i found on theoi.com surrounding the theme of justice, civil safety, and the ability to be accepted by the gods because some people think our gods are not welcoming to those who are othered by society and don’t care about our individual politics, so i just have to prove them wrong

Aphrodite:

Aphrodite Pandemos - common to all people

Aphrodite Xenia - of the foreigner 

Aphrodite Nikephoros - bringer of victory 

Apollon

Apollon Akteios - of the foreigner 

Ares

Ares Laossoos  - he who rallies men

Artemis

Artemis Philomeirax -  friend of young girls

Artemis Soteria - savior

Athena

Athena Eryma - defender

Athena Soteria - savior 

Athena Poliatis - of the city 

Athena Xenia - of hospitality, of the foreigner 

Demeter

Demeter Thesmophoros - bringer of laws

Demeter Panakhaia - of all the greeks

Demeter Praxidikê - exactor of justice

Dionysus 

Dionysus Eleuthereus - of liberation, freedom

Dionysus Saôtês - savior 

Dionysus Politês - citizen

Dionysus Agyieus - protector of the streets, the ways

Hermes

Hermes Agoraios - of the marketplace

Hermes Hermêneutês - interpreter, translator

Hermes Pompaios - the guide 

Poseidon

Poseidon Asphalios - secures safe voyage 

Poseidon Laoitês - of the people

Zeus 

Zeus Koryphaios - chief, leader

Zeus Amboulios - counsellor 

Zeus Xenios - of hospitality, strangers

Zeus Phyxios - of refuge 

Zeus Laoitês - of the people

Zeus Sôsipolis - city-savior

Zeus Eleutherios - of freedom

(all epithets found on theoi.com) 

TERFs/Radfems/Racists/Homophobes/Ableists/etc. don’t clown on this post, just take a moment to learn and move on instead of harassing like you always do. 

⚧️ The Gods & Gender ⚧️

Discussing Trans-Exclusive Radical Feminism and the views of the Gods is not "speaking for the Gods,"—it is looking at facts and information and drawing completely reasonable conclusions that squarely put the foundations of trans-exclusion in opposition to the Gods.

(definitely not audio proof read, sorry for the dyslexia)

🌿Aphrodite & Venus🌿

Aphroditos (or Aphroditus) is Aphrodite with male characteristics including a penis and/or beard.

A cult of Aphrodite included a bearded Aphrodite at Amathus, Cyprus on a high cliff temple. [Wikipedia citing Macrobius, Saturnalia III]

Her relationship with bisexuality (referring to being dual sex not sexual orientation in this paper), androgyny, and transvestism is also documented in Cyprus:

— Aphrodite in the Theogony by William Sale in Transactions and Proceedings of the American Philological Association Vol. 92 X

(Sorry for the shitty screenshot JSTOR did not want to work with me)

This worship of Aphrodite with a penis was also seen as equal to Venus:

There's also a statue of Venus on Cyprus, that's bearded, shaped and dressed like a woman, with scepter and male genitals, and they conceive her as both male and female. Aristophanes calls her Aphroditus, and Laevius says: Worshiping, then, the nurturing god Venus, whether she is male or female, just as the Moon is a nurturing goddess. In his Atthis Philochorus, too, states that she is the Moon and that men sacrifice to her in women's dress, women in men's, because she is held to be both male and female." — Macrobius (c. 400s AD), Saturnalia 3.8.2

🌿Hermaphroditus🌿

There is also the "intersex child of Aphrodite & Hermes" named Hermaphroditus.

I have seen many use Hermaphtoditus as an excuse to wipe away the Goddess Aphrodite with a penis that the ancients worshipped. Which doesn't even make sense because I hate to break it to you— Hemaphroditus also opposes TERF ideology by its nature. A God existing as bisexed/dual-sex/bigender (however you'd like to word it) negates the idea that the Gods somehow support the ridged biological essentialism and gender binary that TERF ideology necessitates.

There are different accounts of Hermaphtoditus' creation but one, Ovids, tells of him merging with a nymph and then asking his parents to make the water transformative causing men to have thr effeminate bodies like women:

Her prayer found gods to hear; both bodies merged in one, both blended in one form and face. As when a gardener sets a graft and sees growth seal the join and both mature together, thus, when in the fast embrace their limbs were knit, they two were two no more, nor man, nor woman--one body then that neither seemed and both. So when he saw the waters of the pool, where he had dived a man, had rendered him half woman and his limbs now weak and soft, raising his hands, Hermaphroditus cried, his voice unmanned, ‘Dear father [Hermes] and dear mother [Aphrodite], both of whose names I bear, grant me, your child, that whoso in these waters bathes a man emerge half woman, weakened instantly.’ Both parents hears; both, moved to gratify their bi-sexed son, his purpose to ensure, drugged the bright water with that power impure." — Ovid, Metamorphoses 4. 28 ff (trans. Melville) (Roman epic C1st B.C. to C1st A.D.)

🌿More on Aphroditos vs Hermaphroditus read @theoi-crow's excellent post about them here.

Also some lovely statues:

Marble copy statue from a fresco at Herculaneum, Italy. X (left)

Statue from Pergamum, Turkey. X (center)

Statue from Nymph Sanctuary in Lacori, Italy X (right)

Statue from Pompeii, Italy X

🌿Inana & Ishtar🌿

From a hymn to Inana

To open up roads and paths, a place of peace for the journey, a companion for the weak, are yours, Inana. To keep paths and ways in good order, to shatter earth and to make it firm are yours, Inana. To destroy, to build up, to tear out and to settle are yours, Inana. To turn a man into a woman and a woman into a man are yours, Inana. Desirability and arousal, goods and property are yours, Inana. Gain, profit, great wealth and greater wealth are yours, Inana. Gaining wealth and having success in wealth, financial loss and reduced wealth are yours, Inana. Observation (1 ms. has instead: Everything), choice, offering, inspection and approval are yours, Inana. Assigning virility, dignity, guardian angels, protective deities and cult centres are yours, Inana. — A Hymn to Inana (Inana-C) ETCSL 4.07.3 in Lines 115-131.

This shows:

Inana has the power to change a person's gender/sex .... which means people can change gender/sex

This is listed among other normal things such as journeys, wealth, settlements so on. Suggesting that it wasn't super special, it was a part of Sumerian society that Inana was given power over.

This was written by Enheduanna High Priestess of Nanna, Ur's city God, and Inana. Inana was a popular Sumerian deity and Enhenduanna's father, Sargon of Akkad's, personal deity was Ištar. One of Enhenduanna's goals as a priestess was to conflate the popular Sumerian deity Inana with her father's Akkadian personal Goddess Ištar. Then raise Inana (and thus her father's personal Goddess Ištar) to an extremely high place in cosmology and explain just how much control she had in society— including over sex/gender.

Also from @sisterofiris's post on Inana's queer priests here.

🌿Nanaya🌿

In later times Inana/Ištar was equated with Nanaya but in earlier times they were worshipped side by side as separate deities. While Inana's hymn gives her rule of gender, a Nanaya hymn has her directly declaring she has breasts in Dadumu and a beard in Babylon. Leick also mentions here that Ištar was worshipped in both genders.

—Dictionary of Ancient Near Eastern Mythology by Gwendolyn Leick. Page 125.

🌿Asūšunamir with Ereškigal🌿

In Ištar's Descent (not Inana's) Ea's plan to distract Ereškigal and get her to bring Inana back to life is to make a beautiful being. Ea makes an incredibly beautifully brilliant being that's mere aesthetic presence will make Ereškigal happy and let her defenses down. And Asūšunamir's beauty works..... and he is an eunuch, an effeminate male, potentially queer from the ancient's eyes. And yet he is so beautiful he distracts a Goddess.

— The Ancient Near East and Anyhology of Texts and Pictures, edited by Pritchard. Ishtar Descent translation by E.A Speiser. Page 80.

🌿Eštan / Ištanu🌿

The Anatolians (Hittite in particular) loved to both mix deities and keep them entirely dependent like 8 solar deities and 50 storm Gods. But sometimes Hittite, Hurrian, Hattic, Indo-European, Mesopotamian all meld together making the identification of gender ambiguous or even interchangeable.

Eštan is one example (who has numerous equatings):

—A Handbook of Gods and Goddesses of The Ancient Near East by Frayne & Stuckey. Page 105

You can also learn more about the Ištanu and the Sun Goddess of Arinna and her gender from @sisterofiris in a post here.

__

I'm sure there are more! But this was my quick round up and sources I could put together. To all the trans & non-binary polytheists out there, you aren't abnormal and the Gods see you for who you truly are.

Edit: Want some more? Learn about the feminine qualities of Apollo

Hey everyone! Know I don’t post that much, but I just wanted to share something real quick

The gods love you! And ofc you hear that everywhere, but it really is true. I’m gonna share my experience for all the people who struggle with their thoughts and mental health

So, I haven’t been doing the best for the past month or so, and me not doing well added onto to what I’m about tell you. So a couple days ago, I got into a stupid argument, and during the argument a lot of hurtful stuff was thrown at me. Now, I knew I wasn’t in the wrong in the argument and that the hurtful things weren’t true, but they still really got to me. I then fell down the hole of self hatred and it got to the point where I was trying to convince myself that even the gods hated me. Obviously this isn’t true and I knew that, but a part of me was like “what if?” For a couple days, I stayed like that and didn’t reach out to anyone, not even my deities I worship (dw they get on me for that all the time lol). A couple days later, I started feeling better, and I thought that it would never be brought up. But today actually, I decided to (finally) get a message from Lord Ares (just a regular devotee monthly message) and even though I never even mentioned how I was feeling, Lord Ares went out his way to comfort me and tell me that he doesn’t hate me and comfort me on some other things I was worried about. Again, I never told him that I was feeling that way.

All that to say, your gods truly love and care about you. This isn’t the first time this has happened either. When I’ve been down in the past, all my deities have gone out their way to reach out to me and let me know that they are there.

Your deities watch over you, even when you don’t know! I personally don’t believe that the gods are omnipotent, but I believe that they generally know what is going on with you, especially ones you are closer with/ have more Kharis with.

Your deities love you, care about you, and watch out for you! And don’t let anyone (including your thoughts) tell you different!

Prayers to the Gods for the Palestinian people.

Keep sharing, keeping protesting, keep b0ycotting, but your prayers also have power, not just for yourself, but for others too. The Gods weep as we do at this injustice. They are just as angry as we are. The Gods will always care about injustice. Remember Xenia.

Also ! Anyone can use these, feel free to change the prayers to fit any other gods!

—————————————————————

To Apollo and Artemis to protect the young in Palestine

To lovely Artemis and Apollo, protectors of children, please give your grace to the children of Palestine.

Please let them have as many joyful moments as possible— even if it's their last.

Watch over them and protect them all the way into to their final seconds

Avert evil and harm from them as much as possible

Grant them the peace of seeing their siblings and caretakers, even if it's the last time

Let them know the joys of being a child, even if it's fleeting Let them play, sing, dance

Grant them joy and grant them peace and then extend that joy, comfort, and beauty into their afterlives/ next lives, so that they won't know this fear and sorrow again.

Love and protect the children of Palestine as they are as precious as any other

—————————————————————

To Ares, most unbreakable

To Ares, most unbreakable, whose courage and strength are as unlimited as he is

Please extend that same fortitude and strength to the Palestinians

Οβριμος (strong, mighty) make it so that their strength and courage never runs out

Αδάμαστος (unconquerable, indestructible) make it so they wont die without a fight, that as much as the oppressors think they have complete power of them, they never will

Τειχεσιπλητης (stormer of cities, walls) make it so they break out of the hell they've been forced it

Λαοσσοος (he who rallies people), make it so the people unconditionally come to their support

Beloved Ares, you are as kind as you are destructive Save your grace for the Palestinians, for you weep as much as we do for them.

But unleash your wrath on the oppressors and murderers

Make it so they never have another day of peace

That the blood on their hands stains everything they touch, polluting their lives, and so it may never wash off

Δεινος (terrible, fearsome), show them no mercy.

Ares, saviour and protector of people, protect and love the Palestinians as you do.

—————————————————————

To Athena defender and savior of people

To Athene, defender of cities

She with the most wisdom, hold them with you under your unbreakable shield

Σωτειρα (savior) please save them from the unyielding bombs and rubble that many are buried in

Αλαλκομενηις (protector) protect them always, for they are as precious as any other. Protect them while alive and after they're gone, protect their legacy, their story

Παιωνια (healer), help them use their limited medical supplies to save as many as they can. Protect the doctors and any healthcare workers, so that they may help as many as they can

Protector, Saviour, defender, please save the Palestinian people, their home, and their legacy.

—————————————————————

To Zeus, savior and most merciful

To Zeus, most high, extend your endless kindness and grace to the Palestinian people.

Σωτηρ (savior) please save the Palestinian people, for their lives are as precious as any other.

For they have a culture, story and history as rich as any other.

Λαοιτης (of the people) make it so they are never forgotten and while some deem them unworthy of living, make that known to the people that that is untrue

Ελευθεριος (of freedom) make it so they will know freedom and will not be under siege any longer

Τροπαιος (turns to flight, defeats), instill in them the fighting spirit they need, and the spirit to live, so they can expel the oppressors from their land.

Παλαμναιος (punisher of murderers), make it so the oppressors can’t get away with their crime, that they never can escape from their own actions

Επιδωτης (giver of good), make it so they can find as many moments of peace and slight escape as they can, no matter how fleeting it is. Whether it be sitting with a loved one or getting a sip of fresh water, give it to them.

Θεος Αγαθος, (the good god) you as much as the other Gods teach us Xenia (hospitality, friendliness basically), to hold it close to our hearts, to hold people close to our hearts. We know you are as just as angry as we are, and we know you mourn with us. And just like you, we will let no injustice pass

No one should stay silent about this or any other injustices. Speak up, protest, share, and pray

(Also please excuse any spelling, grammar, and other errors,, I did read over it but yknow)

There’s a reason why gender nonconforming people in history have always held high positions; both spirituality and in general 😼

The Gods are not trans allies.

The Gods are not trans-friendly.

The Gods do not ‘support’ queer people.

The Gods ARE trans. The Gods ARE queer.

The Gods are transgender, They are transsexual. ‘Trans’ means ‘beyond, across’.

The Gods are beyond gender. Beyond sex. Beyond flesh. Beyond normality and norms— thus, They are queer. They are trans. They are on the other side of gender, of sex— on the side we cannot even begin to understand.

The Gods are transsexual and transgender and queer not (only) within our human understanding of transness— They are not trans in the way we humans are trans.

But They are still trans. They are the original transness. The ultimate transsexuality.

Transness as a transition from a state to another state, from a form to another form— from Their divine form to one we humans can behold without being consumed by Their inherent queerness. From Their divinity to words we humans can attempt to understand and think of without being utterly lost in the enormity and infinity of the divine.

Transness as a journey, a constant state of evolution within the world— evolution of the world itself, for the Gods are the world, are beyond time, beyond space, yet constantly changing.

The Gods do not love trans worshippers despite their transness, despite their queerness. The Gods love trans worshippers for their transness. They love us because we are trans. Because we are queer.

As we defy norms, we become closer to Them— trans people are humans, mortals, but I firmly believe that there is something inherently holy in transition. To change yourself, to think the limits of the body and to alter your own flesh is to create, is to destroy. To understand how limitless the world is— how flesh and sex and gender are human things, social things, that are made by us and can be expended and transgressed— is to take a step towards the Gods.

The Gods love you. You are made in Their image. Or maybe— you make yourself in Their image. And that is beautiful.

(reminder that this is my vision of divinity, not a definite fact, even if i think there are a lot of things (in multiple cultures/religions) that point to the divine being beyond gender)

Isn't it actually so beautiful that deities take the time to try and guide and teach us? How wonderful is it that they care for us so deeply that they'd share their wisdom, knowledge, and insight so freely? I think a deity's love is something to be cherished, and I cherish this. 🧡✨

As I’ve seen other replies say, ofc it’s different for everyone, but here’s what mine looks like! For the best example, it would by my relationship with Ares! I’m devoted to him and have been for over a year now (and I’ve been worshiping him for 2 years). I guess the best way to describe it is that he’s definitely closer to a father figure for me, but I also call him my best friend and also call him “God closest to my heart.” Ofc that doesn’t mean I pick favorites over my other Gods, but yknow. As I saw another person saying, it’s overall very mundane, kinda how you incorporate commitment with your friends, family, etc. Except ofc it’s with a god lmao. Since I’ve become devoted to him, we’ve gotten very close and actually, before I was devoted to him I was really worried that I was paying enough attention to him and not building enough relationships. He proved me wrong with that when he asked me to be his devotee. That kinda help summarizes our relationship. He’s someone that I can rely on and he’s always there for me. Ofc there’s more, but I don’t want to ramble too much. Lastly, I want to say some stuff on me and Aphrodite’s relationship. While I’m not devoted to her, I would say I’m equally close to her as I am ares. I basically started worshiping them at the same time, with Aphrodite coming in first. I would say our relationship is kinda similar to how me and Ares’ is, but also very different ofc. She is also always very supportive and always there for me.

Ok final point fr. I just want to say, commitment and closeness with a God is something that kinda sneaks up to you and feel like, it’s not something that you really need to worry about too much (ofc still put in effort, but don’t be freaking out about it like I was with Ares lmao). I really never thought I would be as close as I am now with Ares (and I definitely never thought I would be his devotee). So it kinda sneaks up on you and it’s not something that you “expect.” If that makes sense lol. I hope this helped!! Also sorry for any errors lmao 💀💀

I'm struggling with conceptualizing what a committed relationship with a deity is supposed to look like. (It doesn't have to be godspousery.) Would anyone mind sharing what that looks like to them?

(Ranting about a comment I saw on TikTok.)

I genuinely need people to stop blaming ancient Greek religion/the gods for ancient Greek societal conventions like infanticide, slavery, and misogyny.

Exposed infants were protected by Kourotrophos gods!

Versions of the gods exist who were liberators of enslaved persons!

Women undeniably found the most freedom in the religious sphere!

For all of ancient Greece's sociocultural conservatism, the gods virtually demanded that worshippers subvert customs. In the words of my professor, "The Greek gods are a lot more progressive than you'd expect from the conservative ancient Greeks."

Hymns/prayers for the Dead

I’ve never really considered reading/ writing hymns for the dead because I guess I never “needed” them, but with the tragic events going on the world right now, multiple gen-c-des and atrocities, I’ve felt moved to write these. Like I said in my last prayer post, keep speaking up, b0yc0tting, and keep praying! You can technically apply these prayers with any dead, but I had the m@rtyrs of Su-dan, Con- go, Ethiopia, and Pale - stine (breaking them up on purpose) in mind, as well as anyone else who have lost their lives due to the terrible events going on in this world and from their oppression. Also, sorry for any spelling or grammar errors.

—————————————————————————————————————

We call to Hermes Kαταιβάτης (he who leads souls down to the underworld), guider of souls. Immortal guide, lover of humankind, you take special care of us when we leave this earth, and your involvement shows the Gods’ love of humankind, as there is a God with us every step of the way, even after our deaths. Gracious God, during these times we ask for your grace, and for you to take extra care of the souls that find their way past the river Styx. Everyday now, thousands of people die from acts of cruelty from oppressors emboldened by hubris. We ask you to treat these souls with added care, especially those of children, taken from life too early, while you escort them to the dread queen's home or wherever their final resting place may lie. Charm them with your wand and bless their heavy eyelids, bringing them a peaceful end for their final rest. Oh Lord, guider of mortals, grant a sacred end to those who lived the best they could.

(Greek pronunciation: Kah-teh-vah-tiis(ees))

—————————————————————————————————————

To the Savior of the dead and the noble queen herself, we call to you! Dread Persephone and shadowy Hades, though you may not take every soul into your wide walls, you watch over the dead nonetheless, those who wander your fields of flowers. We thank you for your mercy towards our souls, notably of the most restless ones. We ask that they can find joy in the afterlife, especially those who were robbed of it. Not only do you take in these souls, Lovely Persephone, you exact justice on their behalf, with your kindly attendants, or daughters in some ways, the Erinyes, especially during these harrowing times. All we ask is for justice and a peaceful afterlife for the many martyred people of all the atrocities going on. We thank you, Hades and fair-tressed Persephone!

—————————————————————————————————————

“Fear the prayers of the oppressed.” I heard that today and I thought it fit. The Gods are with us and the oppressed during these times 🤲 They hear every prayer and they are outraged as we are. Keep up every action and don’t forget about our fellow humans suffering and don’t stop fighting!! No act of oppression goes past them and they hear everything. It’s been almost a year for Su-Dan, almost 6 months, 160+ days for Pale - stine, and years for Con-go. The Gods count each day and count each person who say and do nothing. I just want add some of my favorite excerpts that get me through these hard times and reminds me that the Gods care (which we already knew, but yknow).

“The gods are not blind to men with blood upon their hands. In the end the black (kelainai) Erinyes bring to obscurity that one who has prospered in unrighteousness and wear down his fortunes by reverse.” - Aeschylus, “Agamemnon”

“Hear, Tisiphone, Allekte, noble Megaira, revered goddesses whose Bacchic cries resound. Nocturnal and clandestine, you live deep down in the dank cave by the sacred water of the Styx. Men's unholy designs do incur your anger; rabid and arrogant, you howl over Necessity's dictates, clothed in animal skins, you cause the deep pains of retribution.” - (First part of) Orphic hymn 69

“Hear me and be gracious, 0 renowned Eumenides, O pure daughters of the great Chthonic Zeus and of lovely Persephone, fair-tressed maiden. Over the lives of impious mortals you keep a careful eye, in charge of Necessity, you punish the unjust.”

(First part of) Orphic hymn 70

“For whoever knows the right and is ready to speak it, far-seeing Zeus gives him prosperity…” - Hesiod “Work and days”

“You princes, mark well this punishment you also; for the deathless gods are near among men and mark all those who oppress their fellows with crooked judgements, and reck not the anger of the gods. For upon the bounteous earth Zeus has thrice ten thousand spirits, watchers of mortal men, and these keep watch on judgements and deeds of wrong as they roam, clothed in mist, all over the earth. And there is virgin Justice, the daughter of Zeus, who is honoured and reverenced among the gods who dwell on Olympus, and whenever anyone hurts her with lying slander, she sits beside her father, Zeus the son of Cronos, and tells him of men's wicked heart, until the people pay for the mad folly of their princes who, evilly minded, pervert judgement and give sentence crookedly.” - Hesiod “Works and Days”

Pre-transition hellenic polytheists: the gods love and will accept you

A question I have received multiple times was pre-transition and usually closested trans hellenic polytheists asking me if the gods will accept them. This question is most commonly asking about Artemis in particular, as modern media likes to portray her in a very ahistorical light.

Let us address Artemis first. She will absolutely accept you. Artemis rules over transitions, especially those from childhood to adulthood and such — these liminal spots in life are ruled over by her. Artumes (Artemis, Artumes being one of many translations of Artemis’ name into Etruscan) in Etruria could actually be a man himself. Yes, himself. Artumes in Etruscan religion displays a lack of determinative gender, much akin to the Etruscan gods themselves. While this may be confined to Etruria and therefore Artumes — this is still a part of Artemis.

Secondly, the gods can definitely help you with transitioning. Many relate to different gods for their transition in different ways (which is honestly beautiful and lovely), let us focus on the transitioning goddess of par excellence: Leto. I bring up Leto due to her favour of Leukkipos. Unfortunately the translation is rather insensitive, but here it is:

Antoninus Liberalis, Metamorphoses 17 (trans. Celoria) (Greek mythographer C2nd A.D.) :

“When Galateia [of Phaistos (Phaestus) in Krete (Crete)] became pregnant, Lampros (Lamprus) [her husband] prayed to have a son and said plainly to wife that she was to expose her child if it was a daughter. When Lampros had gone off to tend his flocks, Galateia gave birth to a daughter.

Feeling pity for her babe, she counted on the remoteness of their house and–backed by dreams and seers telling her to bring up the girl as a boy–deceived Lampros by saying she had given birth to a son and brought the child up as a boy, giving him the name Leukippos (Leucippus). As the girl grew up she became unutterably beautiful. Because it was no longer possible to hide this, Galateia, fearing Lampros, fled to the temple of Leto and many a prayer to her that the child might become a boy instead of a girl …

Leto took pity on Galateia because of her unremitting and distressing prayers and changed the sex of the child into a boy’s. In memory of this change the citizens of Phaistos still sacrifice to Leto Phytie (Phytia, the Grafter) because she had grafted organs on the girl and they give her festival the name of Ekdysia (Ecdysia, Stripping) because the girl had stripped off her maidenly peplos. It is now an observance in marriages to lie down beforehand beside the statue of Leukippos.”

Leto has an entire epithet can be used for transitioning — Phytie. Leto is the transitioning god of par excellence and is the mother of Artemis and Apollon. If your parents are transphobic, Leto is your mum now.

One of Leto’s sacred animals is also noted for the gender duality that the animal possesses:

Aelian, On Animals 10. 47 :

“The Ichneumon (mongoose) is both male and female in the same individual, partaking of both sexes, and nature has enabled each single same animal both to procreate and to give birth … Ichneumons are said to be sacred to Leto and the Eileithyiai (Goddesses of Birth), and the people of Heraklepolis (Heracleopolis) worship them, so they say.”

Leto and the rest of the theoi will absolutely accept you. Feel free to come out to them — they are accepting. Your identity deserves respect. You are loved and if you need Leto, she’s just one prayer away.

The gods will accept you and will adjust to your pronouns. I’ve seen it happen many times, where a transguy for example comes out to Apollon and Apollon protects him. Apollon is the protector of young boys/men, after all. I’ve seen transwomen come out to Hera and Hera immediately protects and supports her as her own.

If you’re wondering if they will accept you, they will. They may even help you through the process. Especially Leto, but what matters is who you feel comfortable with. Many seek out Hermes, Artemis, Ares, Apollon, Aphrodite, etc. The gods will not reject you — they’ll take you as one of their own.

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tldr; The gods will absolutely accept you. Especially Leto, the transitioning goddess of par excellence.

Isn’t it great to wake up and know that our deities see us, love us and care about us, just the way we are?

Isn’t it great that they help us become better people? and i’m sure majority of the time we don’t even notice it

Isn’t it great how out of all the people alive in this space rock we call earth, our deities chose us?

Isn’t it great to have a parental/friendly/warm/partner-in-chaotic-crime figure that will always understand you?

Isn’t it great how these ancient deities that have been existed for yonks, are pleased with trinkets and items that remind us of them?

There is nothing greater than the love between a deity and their devotees and i think that’s fucking gorgeous.

My fav obscure Hypnos myth is when he helped bring the downfall of the men of Lemnos, who were killed by their wives/girlfriends when they tried to replace them with female captives.

It was also said there was a temple to him IN Lemnos and he has a lot of ties there. So I imagine he sees these shitty men try to replace their wives with literal kidnapped women and Hypnos is like “on MY land? I think the fuck not. Get ‘em girls” and just ‘accidentally’ makes them all sleepy so the girls can get their revenge and free the captives.

I’m most proud of having a consistent prayer schedule, especially since I think this is the biggest things that brought me closer to my deities. My prayer schedule used to be so inconsistent and for some months I used to go months at a time without talking to them 💀 now we talk everyday unless I’m like sick or smth like that

Secondly, being less strict with talking with my deities and being more “silly” ig?? After reading “supplicant women” (not the one by Euripides, the other one) and seeing how “freely” they prayed (well granted they were in quite the pickle) and I was like “I want to call out to my Gods casually like that” and I kinda started doing that, and my deities (ofc) reacted favorably to me doing this so :> But yeah praying consistently and being more casual with them!

Pagans and polytheists, what are you most proud of in your practice? Lessons you've learned, new methods of worship you've implemented, offerings you've given - that sort of thing. 🧡

Ares when I convince myself that he hates me again:

Context: my brain does get a bit silly sometimes and this only happens with Ares because I’m devoted to him and I hear from him the most 💀

Anyways, sorry bestie but you agreed to this when I devoted myself to you (jk)