this is your reminder that you are allowed to have an abnormal religious practice or craft. i've seen so many blogs worry about being palatable and accepted and i'm here to say what happens between you, your deities, and (if you practice) your witchcraft is your business alone.
you do not have to share everything with the internet, you are allowed to do things away from the public eye without talking about it. it does not make you alone. it does not strip you of the community you have.
additionally, you are so so SO allowed to practice differently from others. you are allowed to have a nonconforming practice in anything you do, not just for witchcraft or spirituality.
it's okay to make shit strange from time to time. let people question you and make incorrect assumptions about who you are. let them be wrong about you. nobody holds more value to what you do than you, and how you see your own practice.
make things weird. don't be afraid of not being accepted. it's good for you to do things your own way, however that is.
| Just a reminder to people : You do not need an altar for deity work. You do not need to spend a lot of money on offerings or rituals. You do not need to hold yourself to the standard of other people's practice. This is your journey and your relationship with the gods. They understand what you have and they understand whats available or any circumstance you are in. I am a strong believer that, if an offering or devotional work is with good intentions and done so from the heart, it's more than good enough and your deities will be more than happy and accepting. Even if it's not a historical offering or even if it's something simple like saying good morning in your mind, they take notice and they love you for you. Having an altar or performing rituals is great, I have an altar myself! However, it's not a necessity, especially if you cannot make one/have one.
One thing (among many) that I love about the Gods is that everyone’s relationship with them is different. Like for me, my relationship with Apollon is quite formal and he’s pretty firm and strict with me. But I know for others he’s more gentle and light-hearted. I know someone who works with Dionysus and with them he’s quite imposing and harsh whereas with others he’s fun and casual. Sometimes I’ve wondered why I scarcely get a jovial Apollon and for a brief period I thought I was doing something wrong.
But I like to think that the Gods know what it is we need them to be. For whatever reason, Apollon thinks that I need a strict mentor who will tell me how it is. For other people, they need a friend. And to be honest, I think it’s rather beautiful that the Gods care enough about us that they see what it is we need from them and then they take that mantle. I just think that’s pretty neat.
Let's be honest, religion and consistent practice can be HARD, especially when you're chronically ill, disabled, mentally ill or neurodivergent. This is a list of lower energy practices you can do to connect with your Gods when you're having a rough day.
Pray. You don't have to say the prayer. You don't have to do the full cleansing and offering. Just think about the prayer. It could be as simple as "'Deity Name', thank you. I'm thinking of you and appreciate you."
Dedicate any self care you do to the Gods. You've got to take meds? awesome. it's now a devotional activity.
If you can, light a tea light candle. You can think about who you're dedicating it to as you're lighting it.
Tell them about your day. Have a simple conversation with them (again, this can be in your head if needed).
Offer some water! Water is a great offering if you don’t have the energy to cook, collect or buy something.
Incense is also a great offering because you can light it then forget about it and your house won’t burn down (if you follow regular safety measures).
Resting. Your deities want you to be okay. Dedicating your rest to your deities is especially great if you feel guilty for allowing yourself time to heal.
Turn on a video of someone reading mythos!
Put on a deity playlist. There are plenty of pre-made ones on Spotify.
Veil or bind your hair! Whenever I’m low energy I’ll throw my hair in a ponytail and bind it that way. It doesn’t have to be extravagant.
Make a Pinterest board for them!
Post on a digital altar! There are plenty of discord servers that have digital altars and temples. You could also make a devotional Tumblr blog.
Change your phone lock/home screen to something that reminds you of your Deity.
I hope this is helpful to anyone who needs it! Take care of yourself first and foremost. If you don't think you can manage something on this list then thats perfectly fine too! you're not a bad person for not being able to do something spiritual or religious. Ultimately, these things are not a necessity. Don't stress :)
🪄 Subtle Hekate Worship🕯️
Donate clothes, food, hygiene products, and the like to homeless shelters
Support food banks and homeless or animal shelters
Visit cemeteries; if allowed (please ask permission first), leave flowers on graves
Have a candle that reminds you of her (no altar needed)
Wear jewelry that reminds you of her
Keep a picture of her in your wallet
Have a stuffed animal polecat, dog, or toad
Have imagery of torches, crossroads, or magic around
Honor your ancestors; honor any spirits in your life
Volunteer at an animal or homeless shelter
Cook a warm meal for someone in need
Take care of yourself physically
Take a self-care bath/shower, especially those with herbs or candles
Visit a crossroads; walk/hike on paths that have a crossroads and pick the direction that calls to you
Take a walk during the new, half, or full moon (only if it is safe to do so in your area)
Take time to notice the phases of the moon; meditate under each one, and learn their meanings
Start a garden; tend to plants, especially herbs
Study herbalism; study the history of witchcraft
Ground yourself regularly
Include her within spell work, if you do any; practice discreet methods of spell-casting
Learn non-obvious divination methods; cartomancy, pyromancy, carromancy, etc.
Burn incense, if able; frankincense is great
Drink herbal teas; cook with herbs
Practice mindfulness and emotional regulation
Honor your home/space; keep it clean, and make it feel like your own
At the end of each month, cook a good meal and make drinks with added honey
Baking raisin and currant cakes
Practice patience and understanding
Work on your decision-making skills; what do YOU want? What do YOU need? What are YOUR goals/passions?
Making a bonfire; gathering around it, alone or with loved ones
Learning to have more confidence in your decisions and actions; you know what's best for you more than anyone else
-
I hope this helps someone! I may add to it later on. For now, this is my list of discreet ways to worship Hekate. Take care, y'all, and have a good day/night. 💜
Link to Subtle Worship Master list
Yuletide
Khaire and Good Yule Saturnalia to all syncretic Hellenic polytheists! Wassail!
🔥 Praise be to Hestia the First and Last at the Feast who protects our homes and keeps them warm in the coming winter months.
🐍 Praise be to Zeus Ktesios the Good Spirit and protector, who blesses us with his favor and protection in the new year.
🗝️ Praise be to Hecate Trivia who watches over all crossroads, including the change of seasons. May her magic and blessings be felt throughout the new year.
☀️ Praise be to Apollo Apolysis who brings the light of the returning sun to redeem the earth from these short dark days.
🌌 Praise be to Aphrodite Melaenis of the night, who watches over us and protects us on these long cold nights and always reminds us of the warmth of love.
🌞 Praise be to Helios Isodaetes Invincible Sun, who divides all seasons into equal portions and blesses the southern hemisphere on this first day of their summer season.
❄️ Praise be to Lady Khione who blankets the earth in snow, driving away all pests and protecting our gardens as they rest through winter.
⚡️Praise be to Zeus Charidotes increaser of joy and abundance, who joins us as our families gather, protects our beloved family, and brings us Yuletide cheer.
🍷Praise be to Dionysus Hestius Lord of the Feast and giver of plentiful bounty, who joins us in our Yuletide feasting, and who we graciously honor with our jolly wassail.
🎄Praise be to Dionysus Endendros who dwells within trees and blesses our Yule tree, keeping our homes joyful in these days of bare trees and whose baubles hold years of joyful memories.
💸 Praise be to Hermes Empolaios of commerce and travel who we honor with our purchase of gifts for our loved ones, and who protects those who are traveling this holiday season.
🐐 Praise be to The Yule Goat whose generosity and whimsy have blessed my family for many years, a very hearty “Oh Hell Yeah, Witches!” to him and his beautiful wife this Yule!
🎶 Praise be to Apollo Mousigetis Leader of the Muses who bless us with the joy of music, as we honor them with our Yuletide carols.
✨ Praise be to our household Tomte Ed spirit of the previous owner of our home, who protects our home, animals, and child and whose influence as a teacher in life are still felt in the world.
🌲 Praise be to the ancestors whose spirits protect this land as it slumbers in winter. Our gratitude to you always for your stewardship.
🔥 Praise be to Hestia the First and Last at the Feast we dedicate these days of feasting to all of the gods and to you, in honor of you!
You ever just get consumed by your love for a deity?
Like one minute you’re fine and the next you are burning for them, your every thought taken by them, their name resounding in every cell of your body, rattling you to the bone?
I think that’s wonderful
Somedays I gotta really love my dyslexia cause last night I was trying to write something along the lines of “she was engaged to him” but I instead wrote “she was endangered to him”
Introduction Post
Hello! I’m displaced. You can just call me by my username. I’m 22. I lean more HelPol. I’m a devotee of Hades. Don’t mind me if you see me popping in every so often. I’m just an entity in a body that feels most at home with the gods. 🖤
Here are photos of my cats as a thank you for taking the time to pop in.
Their names are Patches, Hermes and Nightmind.
I’ve seen numerous of people saying that there are beginner deities and hard deities. Here’s the thing: do not allow people to stop you from working with deities. You are allowed to work with any deities you wish, and there is no such thing as certain level deities.