Hephaestus And Aglaia

One thing I noticed with the honkai star rail fandom is the switch up on whether or not Ruan Mei can feel romantic feelings. The reason I'm even bringing this up is because I was around during the 1.6 patch and ratiomei (I ship it personally) but people back then were claiming Ruan can't feel love. She can, she doesn't understand it.

Ratiomei received not only a lot of hate for apparently getting in the way of aventio (ratiomei was first) but again for Ruan not being able to feel love. Ship whatever you want but can we not hate on one ship and say that "They can't feel love" and yet when The Herta gets released it's suddenly okay??? It's okay to not like the ship but to put down a ship and lie about something that's not canon is just down right irritating but also childish. Again ship whatever you want but don't lie and then ship another ship.

Queenly Deo, the sender of splendid gifts 🌾

To Demeter Eleusinia. O universal mother, Deo famed, august, the source of wealth, and various named: great nurse, all-bounteous, blessed and divine, who joyest in peace; to nourish corn is thine. Goddess of seed, of fruits abundant, fair, harvest, and threshing are thy constant care. Lovely delightful queen, by all desired, who dwellest in Eleusis' holy vales retired. Nurse of all mortals, who benignant mind first ploughing oxen to the yoke confined; and gave to men what nature's wants require, with plenteous means of bliss, which all desire. In verdure flourishing, in glory bright, assessor of great Bromios bearing light: rejoicing in the reapers' sickles, kind, whose nature lucid, earthly, pure, we find. Prolific, venerable, nurse divine, thy daughter loving, holy Kore . A car with Drakones yoked 'tis thine to guide, and, orgies singing, round thy throne to ride. Only-begotten, much-producing queen, all flowers are thine, and fruits of lovely green. Bright Goddess, come, with summer's rich increase swelling and pregnant, leading smiling peace; come with fair concord and imperial health, and join with these a needful store of wealth. --- The Orphic hymn to Demeter

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Portrait of Demeter, I was mainly practicing working with colors and drew from a lot of artistic references for this. Overall, I'm happy with the piece (despite how rough and messy she still looks) , and I had a lot of fun working on this for her

🌾I hope that everyone is doing well, and may Demeter keep your plate full and your cup overflowing 🌾

HelPol Discourse & Ableism

A more nuanced addition to this post - which I made on a low spoons day (if you're just interested in the ableism part then scroll to the bottom).

The Dunning-Kruger Effect

“The Dunning–Kruger effect is a cognitive bias in which people with limited competence in a particular domain overestimate their abilities”

- Wikipedia

The Duning-Kruger Effect was first pointed out to me by another pagan practitioner - and in that context it was used to describe those who claim to know what is “right” or “wrong” for all practitioners within a given tradition.

This fellow practitioner (I can’t remember their name - this was at least 2 years ago) pointed out that those who are incredibly knowledgeable about a given tradition don’t tend to go around policing others practices.

Why?

Because being knowledgeable about any religious or spiritual tradition means recognizing how incredibly human made traditions are. They are loose - flexible - ever changing and ever evolving within both individual and community practice.

Now - that doesn’t mean “anything goes” within a tradition or religion, quite the opposite.

It instead means that the best way to create a cohesive tradition (or revive a cohesive tradition) is through working together as a community to discuss what is and isn’t valid praxis.

One individual (or a small group of individuals) speaking on behalf of an entire community is very rarely a good idea.

Bold “unpopular opinion” posts - telling others what is and isn’t valid praxis - is not only incredibly hubristic, but is also only going to lead to anger and infighting.

It is through conversation that we can get to the root of an issue and try to find consensus as a community.

As an example: I could make a post explaining my interpretation of, and feelings around, people worshipping Medusa. I could explain that I have negative feelings because this type of worship was not seen in antiquity. But then I could also make it clear that this is just my opinion - and that I’d be interested in hearing others points of view*

*some of those caught up in this controversy have done this, and have wrongly been demonized for it - while others have done the exact opposite, stating their opinion as law.

If someone makes a post similar to the example and you’re still going to be antagonistic or cruel - then just block that person. You’re going to save both them and yourself a lot of needless stress.

If someone makes a post that is actively inflammatory - you can do one of two things:

1. If you have the energy and bandwidth, you can engage with them in a discussion or civil debate.

2. If you don’t have the energy or bandwidth, or if OP is unwillingly to engage you in such talks, then just block them. Again - it will save you a lot of needless stress.

Lastly - we as Hellenic Polytheists need to be better about our ableism.

If there is something in our faith that is ableist (example: you must always stand with arms outstretched during ritual) then it shouldn’t be part of our faith.

Just because some people do not have any limitations on their physical mobility or mental energy - does not mean that the able-bodied way of doing things gets to be the default or “correct” way of practicing our faith.

I want to make a longer post on the ableism that is rampant in both the HelPol and wider Pagan communities - but for now I think that will suffice.

Askbox is open, as are DMs - The Temple is always open to community building, community discussion, and (civil) community debate.

Eirene - peace and farewell,

- Temple Hyacinthus

Please take a look at my story.🇵🇸💔

!! My children and I are in great danger!! Dear, I know you are receiving a lot of messages, but I really need your help 😭😭😭

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Hi there 🌿

We recently shared our story about escaping Gaza and trying to reunite as a family 🕊️

It's been an overwhelming journey, and we're doing everything we can but we could really use help getting our story seen 💔

If you feel like reblogging or sharing our story, it would mean the world to us 🌍

Thank you so much for your time 🙏

And sorry if this message feels out of place.

@mohamedandhisfamily

please, please help them. they need your help more than anything 💛

I lost everything... but I still hold on to hope ✨

My name is Mo'men, and I’m a young Palestinian who dreamed of a bright future after high school.

Instead of celebrating, I found myself running for my life, escaping bombs, destruction, and fear.😥

Our home was crushed into dust 🏚️. My brother lost his job. My school and my sister’s university turned into shelters for displaced families.

We fought for survival for six long months under bombs and siege, until we finally reached Egypt, carrying nothing but a few plastic bags... and a lot of broken dreams.💔

Today, we have no home, no income, no safe place to call our own.

My father is suffering with severe back pain and can’t work. Medical bills, daily expenses, even the hope of renting a small home—we simply can’t afford it anymore.🥺

But despite everything, I refuse to give up. I still dream of going to university, of rebuilding my life, of standing on my own feet and helping my family.

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Even a small donation—£10—could be the light we desperately need right now.🙏🏻🥺

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Be one of the first to stand with us.

Be the reason hope lives on.

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Please donate or share our story:

gofund.me/5cdd060e ❤️

🇵🇸🍉🇵🇸🍉🇵🇸🇵🇸🍉🇵🇸🍉🇵🇸

I saw a post yesterday saying that someone was surprised people read straight fanfic and it actually had me tweaking out. I ship mainly lesbian ships as I find them the most relatable and most comforting although winners do NOT love winning. I ship straight ships too and I feel like that's how fandom spaces started is the fact that you ship something that wasn't canon. You found two characters that made sense together. Idk just let people ship what they want as long as it's safe sound and consensual. That's my yap session for today.

A few common misconceptions and hurtful myths about the gods I worship:

• Demeter is not careless or selfish for reacting the way she did to the loss of her daughter. Grief, even amongst the gods, is an emotion so powerful that it causes us to loose control, and surrender to our own emotions. You would not blame a woman in grief over the loss of her child for having a mental breakdown. Also, I don’t personally believe that the plagues that befell Greece after these myths were written were caused inherently by Demeter, as agricultural disasters happened often, especially back before modern farming and cultivation knowledge, and it was if anything, a coincidence of timing which frustrated and worried men used as justification to attack and blame Demeter as a target of their angst, and a scapegoat to direct their suffering at.

• Poseidon wasn’t a rapist, nor was he inherently malicious or “evil”. Although he is most certainly impulsive and often aggressive, it is rarely in a malicious way, as many of the myths paint him as. You have to remember as the embodiment of the sea, sailors and others who knew the dangerous and unforgiving nature of the ocean often cast these traits onto Poseidon by association, and not all of the things they believed of him were necessarily true. The idea that he is a rapist is also a myth, or many myths, cultivated I’m sure by the high ranking and extremely misogynistic patriarchal men of Greece, who saw powerful male gods like Poseidon and Zeus as equals to themselves (foolish) and therefore believed that if they liked taking advantage of women and other unconsenting individuals, than surely they did too. (I imagine many found themselves smitten as a result of this.) if anything, Poseidon was more of a dominant father figure, like Zeus. He saw the women of the Parthenon as his daughters and sisters, as well as his followers, hence the reason many modern devotees such as myself refer to him as “father”.

• conversely, Artemis was not a misandrist, she didn’t hate sex, and she was not some uncontrollable psychopath. Many of Artemis’s myths heavily exaggerate her animalistic tendencies, which do exist, but are certainly not psychopathic or evil in nature, as nature itself is inherently incapable of being so. She also did not “hate” men, non-virgins, or sex. In fact, as the patron goddess of pregnant women and babies, these things are inherently connected to her domain. One of the reasons these beliefs have emerged, besides the myths, is that people have exaggerated the fact that as a virgin goddess who remains chaste as a virtue, Artemis tends to avoid men and people who aren’t women in her myths, not out of misandry, or other ideas that are honestly quite terf-y, and have been used to push transphobic narratives, but because she hopes to protect these virtues. She does not hate her male, trans, or otherwise non-cis woman followers, she values them just as much, and this is an unfortunatley common, and hurtful, misconception. Like Poseidon, she is often aggressive, and can be impulsive, but she’s MUCH more of a stern mother of nature, than a ruthless animal.

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Please don’t fall for these common misconceptions, read Hellenic texts and stories yourself, and try not to spread misconceptions yourself! There are many reliable resources to avoid this, such as Wikipedia, theoi.com, and more! Have a blessed day 💙🏛️

Georgios Margaritis (Greek,1814-1884) - Sappho Praying to Aphrodite

☽☾ The Huntress ☽☾

This is a devotional piece I drew for my beloved goddess Lady Artemis ! I'm really happy with the outcome even though I wish I could've done more with the background :/ but also this is the first fully colored piece I've done in a while and I'm glad I could do a more complicated one for my lady ! I hope she likes it , and you do too I hope <3

ALSO please cut me some slack on the rendering of the dog , I never draw animals and fully color them even less so , but I tried my best .

The little "print" on her clothing is supposed to be cypress branches & the white spots on her shoulders & cheeks are referencing the white spots of fawns ! The fur around her shoulders is from a bear and the bandages are stained with Ichor , the golden blood of the gods ( hunting isn't an easy job after all )

This piece was heavily inspired by one of my favorite paintings called " Diana the Huntress " by Gaston Casimir Saint-Pierre which I used as a reference :3

( the divider was made by me ♡ )