Credit: @victorvonhorror

Frau Holle: Die Verbindung zwischen einem deutschen Märchen und der Nordischen Mythologie

Frau Holle ist ein bekanntes deutsches Märchen, das weltweit in verschiedenen Kulturen und Sprachen erzählt wird. Erstmals wurde es von den Brüdern Grimm im 19. Jahrhundert niedergeschrieben, aber es wurzelt tief in der vorchristlichen europäischen Folklore und insbesondere in der nordischen Mythologie. In dieser Analyse betrachten wir das Märchen von Frau Holle und untersuchen seine Beziehungen zur nordischen Mythologie.

Frau Holle, oder auch als Mutter Hulda bekannt, ist die Hauptfigur des Märchens, die in einem magischen Reich lebt, das durch einen Brunnen erreicht wird. In der Geschichte belohnt sie Fleiß und gute Arbeit, während sie Faulheit bestraft. Diese moralische Komponente ist ein zentrales Thema in vielen Märchen und Folklore-Geschichten.

Zur nordischen Mythologie: Dies ist ein komplexes System von Glaubensvorstellungen, Kultpraktiken und Erzählungen, die im vorchristlichen Skandinavien existierten. Es ist reich an Göttern, Göttinnen, Riesen, Zwerge, heroischen Figuren und magischen Kreaturen, die in einer komplexen kosmologischen Struktur leben.

Die Beziehung zwischen Frau Holle und der nordischen Mythologie könnte auf verschiedene Weisen interpretiert werden. Einerseits könnte Frau Holle eine Manifestation der Göttin Frigg oder Freyja sein, den beiden prominentesten weiblichen Figuren in der nordischen Mythologie.

Frigg, die Gemahlin des Hauptgottes Odin, ist eine Beschützerin von Ehe und Mutterschaft und beherrscht Aspekte des Haushalts. Ähnlich wie Frau Holle, belohnt Frigg Fleiß und bestraft Faulheit. Die Verbindung könnte also durch die gemeinsamen Charaktereigenschaften und Aspekte ihrer Herrschaft gezogen werden.

Freyja, andererseits, ist die Göttin der Liebe, Schönheit und Fruchtbarkeit, aber auch des Krieges und des Todes. Sie empfängt die Hälfte der in der Schlacht gefallenen Krieger in ihrem eigenen Bereich, genannt Fólkvangr. Dies erinnert an Frau Holles Rolle als Wächterin der Unterwelt, die die Seelen empfängt und sie entsprechend ihren Taten im Leben belohnt oder bestraft.

Ein weiterer Aspekt, der Frau Holle mit der nordischen Mythologie verbindet, ist die Landschaft, in der sie lebt. Sie lebt in einem anderen Reich, das durch einen Brunnen erreicht wird. In der nordischen Kosmologie existiert eine ähnliche Idee von verschiedenen Welten, die auf unterschiedlichen Ebenen des Yggdrasil, des Weltenbaums, liegen.

Es ist auch wichtig zu beachten, dass Frau Holle oft mit dem Winter und Schnee assoziiert wird. Sie lässt es schneien, indem sie ihre Betten schüttelt. In der nordischen Mythologie gibt es Skadi, die Göttin des Winters und der Berge, die eine ähnliche Rolle spielt.

Zusammenfassend lässt sich sagen, dass das Märchen Frau Holle tief in der nordischen Mythologie verwurzelt ist. Die Figur von Frau Holle verkörpert viele Aspekte der nordischen Gottheiten, insbesondere Frigg, Freyja und Skadi. Sie repräsentiert die Prinzipien von Belohnung und Strafe, die in vielen nordischen Mythen und Legenden zentral sind, und ihre Rolle als Wächterin des Jenseits spiegelt die nordische Vorstellung von Leben, Tod und dem Jenseits wider. Dabei repräsentiert sie auch die nordische Verbindung zur Natur und das Gleichgewicht zwischen den Jahreszeiten. Ihre Geschichte ist somit ein wertvolles Erbe der nordischen Kultur und der vorchristlichen europäischen Folklore.

by Jatukham Ramathep

Samhain

An Samhain sind die Tore zur Anderswelt weit offen und wir gedenken⁹ an die Verstorbenen, die uns mal sehr nahe waren. In der Nacht zum 1. November ist es darum leicht, mit den Geistern der Verstorbenen in Kontakt zu treten.

Diese Nacht ist auch gut für Weissagungen. Orakelt wurde mit der Schafgarbe, Hanf, und dem Bilsenkraut. Nach dem Glauben früherer Völker beschützen unsere Ahnen ihre Familien und so gedachte man ihnen zu Samhain.

Ein Verstorbener musste über ein Jahr tot sein, um das an ihn mit Gaben gedacht wurde, denn nach ihrem Glauben benötigt man ein Jahr um sich von seinen physischen Körper zu lösen.

Wenn die Lebenden in diesem Jahr nicht loslassen oder übermässige Trauer tragen, werden die Verstorbenen viel zu lange in dieser Welt festgehalten und haben keine Möglichkeit in Ruhe zugehen.

Dieses Fest ist auch der Totengöttin Holle gewidmet. Eine Erdgöttin des Totenreiches. Sie wacht über die Verstorbenen und heisst sie willkommen.

Lug der keltische Gott, begibt sich jetzt in die Erde zurück und ihm folgt die Göttin Morrigan. Sie steht im Glauben der Kelten für die Behütung der Seelen und Samen von Mensch, Tier und Pflanze.

- Celticgarten

Rübenlaternen (im Deutschen Rübenlichtle) mit eingeschnitzten Grimassen sollten den geliebten Verstorbenen den Weg weisen und gleichzeitig unleidliche Bewohner der jenseitigen Welt fernhalten. Diese Bräuche finden sich heute noch in Form von geschnitzten Kürbissen, Lampions und Laternen wieder. Verzierte Kürbisse (die Kelten selbst kannten keine Kürbisse) sollen ihren Ursprung in der schon christianisierten keltischen Tradition haben. Hier waren sie gedacht als Abschreckung gegenüber Elfen und Feen, die auf der Suche nach Kindern waren, die sie für würdig hielten, ihre Welt zu betreten. Besorgte Eltern höhlten die Gewächse aus und ritzten Zeichen und Fratzen hinein, die durch ihr schreckliches Aussehen alles Böse in die Flucht treiben sollten. In der Samhainnacht wurden Rüben (später Kürbisse) mit einer Kerze darin nun nicht mehr als Wegweiser ans Fenster oder vor die Tür gestellt, sondern dienten dazu, mißgünstige Naturgeister und unheilbringende Spukgestalten fernzuhalten. Es war zudem nicht ratsam, sich umzudrehen, wenn man Schritte hinter sich vernahm, denn die Verstorbenen konnten einen leicht versehentlich mit auf die andere Seite nehmen.

Wissenswert: Dabei muss man beachten, dass die vorchristliche jenseitige Welt oder keltische Anderswelt nicht gleichbedeutend mit der christlichen Hölle oder dem christlichen Himmel war, sondern ein Ort, an dem Götter, Ahnen und Feen wohnten und wo der ehrlich Suchende große Weisheit erfahren konnte. Die Anderswelt war ein Ort der Wunder, der aber auch große Gefahren barg, was die sichere Rückkehr betraf. Neugierige, die an Beltane oder Samhain in der Anderswelt verschwanden, waren nicht etwa Geistern und Dämonen zum Opfer gefallen, sondern einfach im Bruch des Zeitgefüges zur falschen Zeit am falschen Ort und landeten daher schon einmal auf der anderen Seite.

Aus: Das magische Jahr

Experten vermuten die Wurzeln des Festes weit in vorchristlicher Vergangenheit und geben einen Zeitraum von 3000 bis 5000 Jahren v.u.Z. an. Damit wäre Samhain / Samhuinn / Samhraidhreadh eines der ältesten Feste der Menschheit. Von den historischen Kelten hat sich das Fest Trix Samonis überliefert, welches Anfang November gegangen wurde und weitestgehend dem Samhainfest entsprechen soll. Die Festlichkeiten erstreckten sich über mehrere Tage. Vergleichbar mit der heutigen Karnevalszeit nimmt man inzwischen (mit regionalen Unterschieden) einen ganzen Festzyklus zwischen Oktober / November und Januar / Februar an — ähnlich der nordischen Julzeit.

©️Claudia Liath

Wissenswert: Vielen ist der Begriff Halloween geläufiger als Samhain, wobei Halloween nicht mit Samhain identisch ist, sondern eine nachfolgend in christlicher Zeit entstandene Abwandlung des Festes. Das Wort leitet sich ab von All Hallow’s Eve(ning), während das Fest selbst eine Verbindung aus Allerheiligen und Samhain darstellt - wenngleich eine Theorie existiert, die in Halloween oder Helloween Parallelen zur nordischen Unterweltsgöttin Hel entdeckt haben will.

Halloween vereint zahlreiche Traditionen, von alten germanischen, keltischen, römischen und griechischen Bräuchen, über christliche Sitten bis hin zu neuzeitlichen Jahreskreisfeiern und kann daher auf reichhaltiges Brauchtum zurückblicken. Es ist eine Mischung aus Herbst- und Erntebräuchen, Verkleidungsbrauchtum sowie Heischebräuchen (Bitten um Gaben, oft verbunden mit dem Versprechen, für die Toten zu beten). Einen großen Teil davon nimmt die Ahnenverehrung ein, die sich in ganz Nordeuropa in der Zeit vom Erntedankfest bis zur Fasnacht findet.

Die Thematik Todesfurcht, Geister und Grusel bringen die christlichen Feste Allerheiligen und Allerseelen ein. Möglich sind auch Parallelen zu den römischen Lemuralia, sowie zu den griechischen Anthesterien, deren dritter Tag von ausgeprägter Geisterfurcht bestimmt war. Das Umherziehen von Tür zu Tür, das klassische Trick or Treat, gehört zu den alten Heischebräuchen. Zusammen mit den Rauhnächten oder der Walpurgisnacht zählt man Halloween zu den Unruhenächten, in denen Streiche gespielt wurden und man sich allerhand Schabernack einfallen ließ.

Aus: Das magische Jahr

Im Vergleich zu den Germanen wird Samhain dem Vetrnøttablót (Winternacht) und dem Mittwinterfest gleichgesetzt. Bei den Germanen wurden Herbst- und Totenfeuer entzündet, in denen Strohpuppen und geflochtene Körbe verbrannten. Den Verstorbenen legte man als Wegzehrung verschiedene Opfergaben auf die Gräber. Ein Brauch, der sich im Seelengebäck (Seelenbrot, Seelenzopf, Seelenwecken) zu Allerseelen erhalten hat. In diversen Ritualen hielt man Zwiesprache mit den Verstorbenen, riskierte einen Blick in die Zukunft oder versuchte, die destruktiven Wesenheiten gnädig zu stimmen.

Obgleich auch im Glauben der Germanen der Tod neues Leben barg, verbreitete er zugleich Schrecken. Ehe also der Winter anbrach, eine Zeit des Mangels, der Kälte und Dunkelheit wurde ein letztes Mal mit Verkleidungen und viel Lärm ausgelassen gefeiert. Maskierte verkörperten die Wilde Jagd, das Ahnen- und Geisterheer, das nun in Form der herbstlichen Stürme auszog um alles mitzureißen, was müde, krank, alt und morsch war und keinen Fortbestand mehr hatte. Auch stellte man den Kampf der Götter gegen die Winter- oder Eisriesen nach.

©️ Claudia Liath

S A M H A I N / Ahnenfest

Wenn die Welten sich berühren,

Öffnet still die Ewigkeit

Ihre Tore und wir spüren

Es beginnt die dunkle Zeit.

All die ruhelosen Seelen

Strömen aus der Anderswelt,

Mit Gesang aus toten Kehlen,

Zu dem Licht, das sie erhellt.

Lausche, höre, wie sie singen,

Hörst du diesen Andersklang?

Stimmen, die voll Wehmut klingen,

Ein betörender Gesang.

Niemals darfst du sie verfluchen,

Niemals wirst du sonst erkennen,

Wonach ihre Seelen suchen.

Darum lass das Feuer brennen.

Samhain Fest der Jahreswende,

Fürchte nicht die Dunkelheit.

Nur das Gute siegt am Ende,

Beltane ist nicht mehr weit.

Stimme milde ihre Herzen,

Zeige ihnen dein Gesicht.

Säume ihren Weg mit Kerzen,

Führe sie zu deinem Licht.

©  Simone Wiedenhoefer 

Einst galt der Beifuß als die Mutter aller Heilpflanzen, ein Geschenk der Großen Mutter an die Welt. Hieraus leitet sich auch der Name ab: Artemisio = Artemis. Als Frauenkraut war er den Göttinnen der Geburt und der Weiblichkeit geweiht. Er gilt als wehenfördernd und soll die Geburt fördern. Zusammen mit Labkraut, Kamille und Johanniskraut gehörte der Beifuß zu den Bettstrohkräutern. In der germanischen Mythologie ist das Kraut den Donnergott Donar / Thor geweiht, der einen von Zwergen geflochtenen Zaubergürtel aus Beifuß trägt, Meginjard. Dieser Gürtel stand in dem Ruf, die körperliche und sexuelle Kraft zu vervielfachen. Wer ähnliche Kräfte haben wollte, knüpfte sich kurzerhand eine Nachbildung. Das Flechten beruht auf einer uralten magischen Tradition, dem Nestelknüpfen, mit dem Bindungen und Zauber gestärkt oder, öffnete man die Knoten, gelöst werden sollten. Noch heute werden in der Sonnwendnacht am 21. Juni Gürtel geflochten, denen man besondere Stärke nachsagt. Ins Wendefeuer geworfen, sollen sie ihren Eigentümer von allem Negativen befreien. Die Kelten nannten ihn Bricumum (Briga / Brigo = Macht, Kraft) und verwendeten ihn, um den „Mut des Kriegers“ zu wecken.

🔥Während der zwölf Rauh- und Mittsommernächte wurde zum Schutz von Haus und Hof Beifuß verräuchert. Diese Nächte stellten magische Zeiten dar, Grauzonen, in denen die Welt der Menschen mit der Anderswelt verschmolz. Ebenso wurde bei anderen Schwellenereignissen wie Geburt und Tod mit Beifuß geräuchert um Unheil abzuwehren. Darüber hinaus fördert Beifuß die Hellsichtigkeit, erleichtert Astralreisen und bringt prophetische Träume. Sein Rauch wird zur Reinigung von magischen Spiegeln und Kristallkugeln verwendet. Am Körper getragen zieht er die Liebe an und fördert die Fruchtbarkeit. Er schützt den Reisenden und wehrt Unglück, negative Energien und Wesenheiten ab. In die Schuhe gelegt soll er vor Müdigkeit bewahren. Im Mittelalter verabreichte man Extrakte aus der Pflanze gegen Gift, böse Geister, Dämonen oder gar den Teufel selbst. Dazu wurden die Wurzeln ans Haus genagelt. Als Mugwurz (Machtwurz) nutzte man den Beifuß zur Suche nach dem Haselwurm um sich die sagenhaften Fähigkeiten anzueignen.

✍️ Der grüne Hain

📱 t.me/HueterderIrminsul

🌿Magical Herbs,Incense, And Oils🌿

🌿 Use herbs in a pouch, or while cooking, and stir the mix or infusions to empower the spell to protect the home, any possessions, your workplace, and property. Use incense in sticks, cones, or as a powder incense and burn it on heated charcoal blocks and use a lighted incense stick like a smoke pen to write empowerments or symbols. 🌿

Allspice- for money,passion,swift-moving,or urgent matters.

Basil- for fidelity,prosperity,protection,and fear of flying.

Chamomile(Roman) and Chamomile(German)- for healing,babies,children, animals,and reversing bad luck. It also helps to attract money and is helpful in family matters.

Cedar/Cedar Wood- for healing,cleansing bad influences,negative thoughts,and harmony.

Cinnamon- for passion,regaining money after loss, urgently needing money and psychic awareness.

Dragon’s Blood- for fierce protection,anti-curse,any major enterprise, and male potency.

Fennel- for travel,house sales,and moves. It helps to banish and  keep harm away from people,animals, and places.

Frankincense- For wealth,courage,joy,career,success,and travel. Also used in formal rituals.

Hyssop- For making a love commitment;healing;spirituality;all forms of protection, especially from psychic attack;and as an infusion to cleanse artifacts.

Juniper- purifies homes; protects against accidents,thieves,and illness;and male potency.

Lemongrass/Lemon- repels spite,malice,and gossip. It also helps with psychic awareness and travel.

Lemon Verbena- For breaking a run of bad luck,protection against negativity, the Evil Eye, and ill-wishing.

Mint and Peppermint drives negativity from objects and places,and brings money, health,love, and success.

Myrtle- For a lasting marriage,mature love, domestic happiness,property, and security.

Myrrh- For healing,peace,purification,overcoming grief, and protection against evil.Can be used in formal rituals and in moon magic.

Pine- Drives away harm from the home and family, especially newborn infants, cleansing negativity and malice, guarding property, and premises.

Rosemary- For learning,love,fidelity,prosperity,and banishing malevolence.

Sage- For longevity,good health,examinations,interviews,tests,protection of home and family,slow-growing prosperity, and wisdom.

Sandalwood- For spiritual awareness and healing,leadership,justice, compensation,and sexuality. Can be used in formal rituals.

Tarragon- The dragon herb,courage,and anti-bullying,and the shedding of old burdens,guilt,fears,and destructive relationships.

Thyme- Psychically cleanses the home,possessions,vehicles and land,health, memory of past worlds,and drives away nightmares and phantoms of the night.

Vertivert- For love, breaks a run of bad luck, protects against theft and negativity.

Shadow Work Skills to Develop

Shadow work can feel very…vague to talk about. There’s a bad habit of just kind of handwaving things and hoping people figure it out on their own. Part of that is that it’s so intensely personal. It’s so hard to come up with things that will work for everyone. The other part is that I want people to experiment and add to what we know about shadow work so I don’t want to be too prescriptive in how I teach others to do it.

So, for this post I wanted to dig into some of the most basic skills I use in shadow work in the hopes it’ll help people no matter which methods or paths they take.

Describing Events Neutrally

I put this one first because I think it’s the most important and the more difficult. Our emotions cloud how describe events to ourselves and others. For us to look critically at actions or words, we really need to be able to describe them without intent or emotion. Now, I’m not saying to leave that out entirely, I’ll get to that next. But you have to be able to get a clear view of what was done. This is so important when working with anything that might be triggering. We are too used to describing events with the goal of justifying thoughts, feelings, and actions and in shadow work it helps to break that instinct where you can.

When you can describe events neutrally to start with, it’s easier to see whether the feelings where in line or out of line with what happened. Were you way over reactive? Maybe under reactive? It’s easier to judge that when you have a neutral account to work with.

To practice, try listing out some events as they happen neutrally. An example might be after a tense interaction with someone, listing out what was said and done. If you can, get someone who was there to look at it and someone who wasn’t there to look at it and see what they say as far as how factual and neutral the account is.

Naming Feelings

Many many people cannot tell you what they’re feeling. There’s a myriad of reasons for this but no matter where it comes from it hurts shadow work. Your mood is like an internal weather system, you need to be able to do shadow work that’s appropriate for the weather. How you dig into things if gonna be different if your reaction to feeling trapped is to give up and binge movies or to lash out in anger. Gotta know what you’re working with.

It’s absolutely vital that you practice naming your emotions in day to day life. I did a week where I had an alarm go off five times a day and I wrote down what I was feeling in a note on my phone. A lot of my entries were “I’m not sure”. The practice showed me how often I have no connection to my feelings at all and prompted me to get to know them better.

Try using a feelings wheel or a feelings chart at least once a day to get used to checking in with yourself and putting a name on it.

Defining What You Want

We live in a society that has a very complicated relationship with wants. People often say we live in a consumerist society but we don’t often talk about what that’s done to us psychologically, to be so consumptive. There’s a lot of morality around them too that we internalize. We identify strongly with what we want. We define ourselves through our ambitions and our goals. But it means what we really want gets lost in the pursuit of shaping our desires to be acceptable or admirable. We ignore our desires that don’t fit with our narratives which is such a block to shadow work. How can you work on what you won’t let yourself be conscious of?

You have to understand that you and your desires are not one in the same. Just because you really want to enact violence on someone for what they’ve done doesn’t make you a bad person or a mean person or what have you. It’s a natural human desire. That doesn’t mean that’s it’s justified just that you are not bad for having those thought or desires. This extends to other things people don’t like admitting they want – finding other people more appealing than their partner, wanting someone who’s wronged them to suffer, wanting more for yourself even if it means someone else goes without – they’re all desires we have from time to time.

Practice writing what you want out on paper. Remind yourself you don’t have to act on it and that it’s better to be aware of it so doesn’t sneak into the driver’s seat. It’s important to break the idea that we’re owed what we want or that we have to act on what we want. Desires, much like feelings, come and go. But they’re important to be aware of while they’re here.

Taking Responsibility

I still am unsure of how to describe how to do this. It’s really distress tolerance at it’s core; learning to be okay with not being okay. Because where I see people going wrong with responsibility in shadow work is that they either explain everything away with context or they go it’s all my fault and it’s so terrible I can’t do anything about it.

Part of taking responsibility is being able to answer the question “What do I owe in this situation?” If your answer is always nothing, you’re wrong. We are social creatures, we’re only here because we evolved the intelligence to work closely and creatively with other members of our species. We do owe each other things in any interaction. It’s important to practice thinking about what those things are. Equally important is thinking through what you don’t owe as well.

Practice sitting with your mistakes when they happen and trying to think what’s owed in this situation. Shadow work depends on our ability to take responsibility for the roles we play in what keeps us stuck.

Pattern Recognition

I don’t know that I have much explicit advice for this category other than it’s incredibly helpful. Seeing your patterns is really key to zeroing in on automatic behaviors or thoughts. Pattern recognition is kind of like playing Minesweeper. It gets you a little closer to what you’re trying to uncover without having to step right in it and maintain yourself to be reflective.

Journaling can be really great for this. If you see yourself writing about the same actions or feelings or thoughts again and again and again. Going back through old conversations where you’re venting might give you some clues.

Whenever you find yourself frustrated you keep doing something, take note. When are you doing these things? What does it offer you? What does it protect you from?

We don’t do things repeatedly if they don’t serve us in some way which can be hard for us to admit.

Compassionate Problem Solving

So you’ve dug up these unpleasant truths about yourself, what’s a shadow worker to do? The only way forward is compassionate problem solving. Which is best summed of for me as working with yourself, not against yourself. I’m reminded of permaculture – the problem is the solution.

An example of this in my own life was ADHD. Once I finally realized what I was dealing with was ADHD, I spent several months ignoring it completely and being shocked when I couldn’t will myself to be “normal”. I felt a lot of shame. It was only when I started accepting where I was at and then going okay what can I do that things started to shift. “Okay, if I know I’m gonna forget my keys what can I do?” I put spare house keys and car keys in my car so when I inevitably forgot them somewhere I could call AAA and I’d be able to drive home. “Okay if I’m gonna forget my papers what can I do?” I made digital backup galore so I could access them and print them off at the last minute on campus. My life got so much better with the approach.

Wherever you’re at there are things you can do to make it better going forward and it’s important to get creative and stay reasonable. Getting triggered frequently? Make sure you have a cool down list of some kind on your phone. Too scared to grab groceries by yourself? Grab a buddy or order them and pick them up. Spending too much time in bed because you’re depressed as shit? Set a 5 minute timer and do one thing to make your life better. Literally all of these are personal examples.

There’s always something you can do. Small wins are still wins. Count them. There’s no need to be cruel to yourself while doing shadow work. Practice coming up with at least three different ways to respond to issues that you face. Even if you know a solution isn’t the one you’re gonna take, get used to putting out more than one “right” answer. In shadow work, there’s always more than one path.

Conclusion

I hope this is helpful. A bit rambling, but I think I could have used a post like this when I was starting out. Shadow work gets very individualized, very quickly, but I’ve yet to talk to anyone who wasn’t using at least a few of these in their personal shadow work journey. Hope these skills and how to practice them help!

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Spirits & Working with them

We are souls temporarily in bodies on earth. Our natural home is in the spirit world, often known as the “Other side”. Whether you realize it or not, We are constantly surrounded by spirits. They may be in human bodies (like ourselves) or “in spirit” form. Just like we have family and friends in this life, We have had other lives with relationships we have deeply cherished and nurtured. Certainly, there are other spirits we have known and loved in other lives that are “in spirit” here on earth. A spirit is nothing more or less than another person, They just don’t have a body. They really aren’t as mysterious or strange as they’re made out to be, I feel like spirits are really misunderstood. 

PROTECTION Ok guys, when i say they’re misunderstood i don’t mean every spirit out there is fluffy and sweet. Protection is absolutely the MOST IMPORTANT PART of working with spirits. Like i said, they’re nothing more or less than another person. They are beings, they have their own personalities. Just like with people, Don’t give out your information or be too trusting. Spirits can lie, Spirits can have malicious motives, Spirits can be tricksters and just yank your chain (ever gotten on a Ouija and seen ZOZO or MAMA or freaked bc it was doing something you thought was demonic or enabling the spirit to escape the board? Yeah, you were part of a big joke buddy. Spirits cannot escape the board, they aren’t in the board in the first place.). 

Ways to protect yourself:

-Wards, Physically or in the Astral Plane, where spirits typically reside or come from. Astral Projection is not something for beginners to attempt, You really need to know how to deal with and protect yourself from the beings in that plane. 

-Protection spells, amulets or talismans

-Sigils

-I have a special tea i brew for myself before spirit workings that is my blend of herbs to protect me and get me in the mindset for spirit work. I also suggest cleansing your energy, Maybe a cleansing bath and a smudge session and some meditation, Clean your energy so no spirits leech off of your negative energy or sense any mental weakness to attack.

-If you are scared, don’t do it. Spirits can smell it from 30 miles away, and will use it against you. Be mentally prepared, protect yourself. (I want to add i have never had any run ins with malicious spirits, But they DO EXIST. Most spirits are kind in my experience.)

COMMUNICATION

You are probably not gonna just be able to sit down and speak to spirits. (They can hear you, But thats listening and not communication.) I suggest picking up a form of divination, like pendulum, dice, or a ouija board to start. Do not Ouija alone if it is your first time and you are unexperienced. You will receive fragmented bits of conversation likely, and this is normal. Start out with simple yes and no questions, and eventually you will work your way up to normal conversation with spirits. It takes time to grow these skills. When i first started i was pulling out my Ouija nonstop!!! Spirits mostly communicate in tattered words, pictures and emotions. Its good to practice energy work, Sensing the kind of energy spirits are bringing in. This way you’ll eventually be able to tell the difference between a malicious spirit and a kind spirit just by the energy its giving off. PRACTICE, Keep growing your skills. 

INTERACTING WITH SPIRITS

Communicating and meeting with local spirits is the easiest way to start off. 

A lot of people start off with nature spirits, they are much more patient than other beings. I suggest sitting in a forest or by a creek and seeing who wants to talk, but sitting on your back porch with your plants can be equally as successful. I didn’t start with nature spirits specifically, but they likely were the ones who came thru. Very patient and kind, even noting that my dog (who was wanting to come outside with me, but my patios very small and she’s very big) was being loud. 

I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TALK ABOUT!!

Don’t worry, Here are all the ideas. Its nice to let the spirit share experiences with you, Keep in mind spirits have been around for a very long time, some since the beginning of time, and have experienced many things. I’ve heard some very cool stories.

Let me hear a love story

Show me a song from your people

Tell me something you’ve done that you are proud of

Tell me a little about your culture

Tell me your story

Do you have any jokes you can share with me?

What is your advice for me?

Who is the your peoples leader?(this can help you distinguish a timeline on when they were alive/where as well)

Is there anything about Human Culture you have questions about?

Do you speak more than one language?

SPIRIT WORK TIPS

Don’t give out the name that is the most important to you.

The ‘color’ of an energy doesn’t mean it will align with your own color meanings.

Don’t share how you’re protecting yourself, It is not wise and can help malicious spirits find points of weakness.

Don’t expect to hear voices or see spirits clear as day. The stories told on tumblr may be embellished to add understanding, or might receive messages in a less clear way than presented

If you ever feel threatened by a spirits energy or sense a negative spirit, Tell it to leave loudly and clearly. Do not show fear, Do not back down. Repeat and increase your intensity if it doesn’t stop.

This post is all based on my opinion of spirit work, and is not fact. I love spirits and spirit work so much, and i hope you do as well. Enjoy the spirits, Make some new friends! Love & Light, @lapiscat

We love to worship and revere our beautiful and magnificent Gods, but did you know historically, on a day to day basis there were other entities more routinely worshipped?

Meet the Landvættir (nature spirits),

the Landvættir (nature spirits),

the Disir (female spirits),

the light elves (ancestral spirits),

the Fylgja (spirit animal),

Trolls (spirits that assist with magic),

húsvættir (house spirits)

fjallvættir (mountain spirits), 

sjóvættir (sea spirits), 

skogvættir (forest spirits),

vatnavættir (guardians of the specific waters),

and the Dwarves (underground spirits that are experts in crafting).

So what can this tell us?

Via Telegram

🌱 grow ur psychic gifts! 🌱

✨ Hi everyone! By popular request, I’m going to be covering the topic of psychic/spiritual gifts and how to fully utilize them. Before I get into it, I want to clarify that EVERYONE has these abilities but not everyone is aware of them. Some people have easier access to their gifts, much like how some people struggle at math while others naturally excel (lmao not me). Like any skill, psychic abilities can be strengthen and exercised through dedication, consistency, and patience. You won’t instantly wake up as fucking Jesus. Another note, being ‘psychic’ isn’t as wild and whimsical as it sounds. It can be at times  but don’t expect to start seeing ghosts popping up on every corner or fairies chilling out in your bedroom. It doesn’t work like that! The energy is much more subtle and takes time to understand, much like learning anew language. Anyways, lemme shut up and get into this shit….🔮🔮

1.  Be conscious of you health & drink tons of water! Your body is  a vessel for your spirit and, if it’s not functioning at it’s fullest capacity, it will limit your connection to your higher-self. Water is also a cleansing/charging tool for the body, mind, and spirit. When you’re doing readings or energy readings for other people it can be extremely draining for your soul. It’s important to replenish through water, high-vibrational foods, and keeping the energy circulating with exercise. For those of you with chronic illness or physical limitations, it’s okay if you can’t do intense exercise everyday. Do as much as you can within your given situation! Respect your body, it takes good care of your soul and is the vehicle for all of your spiritual work!

2. Meditation + meditation + meditation.  I feel like this is the dreaded tip because so many people convince themselves that meditating is hard!  My suggestion is to sit or lie down for five minutes after you take a shower in the morning/night. Be still and take a few breaths. It’s completely normal for thoughts to pop into your head. Don’t try to push them away! Instead, acknowledge them & then set them aside. Keep focusing on the stillness. Move your attention into your body. Is your breathing natural and rhythmic? Are your shoulders tense? Is there any discomfort? Keep breathing deeply until all of the tension evaporates. Next, try to extend your awareness to the energy around you. What does the energy of the room feel like? What are you hearing? Are you smelling anything new or unusual? Can you physically feel energy? Keep expanding your energy during meditation until you feel connected to the space that you’re in. You should finish feeling a buzzing energy flowing through your body. This is called a receptive or psychic state. Learn how to reach and hold this state because it will increase the clarity of your intuition x100! 

3. Be present. Realize that these gifts are with you 24/7 and you can practice them whenever, all you have to do is live calmly in the moment. If you’re not actively listening then how are you ever going to receive messages? Psychic energy usually comes in gentle, subtle waves which means we have to be attentive if we wan’t to feel it. Focus is also necessary. You can’t fully receive info from your intuition while also thinking about a million other things!

4. Listen to high-vibrational music!  I’m a hoe for rap music and alternative-pop artists with lyrics that are either depressing af or kind of trashy haha. While music is awesome, it also carries a vibration that can influence our own state of being. The majority o music being made now produces a lower vibration which blocks some of our receptivity. In order to boost your vibration again, listen to about 5 minutes of 528hz or 432hz beats at the end of the day! 528hz & 432hz are described as restorative, healing frequencies that help us get our energetic shit together. I always feel 100x better after five minutes of listening! I’ll link some of my faves!

1 //  2 //  3 

5. Journal & then journal some fucking more! Write down predictions so you can check them later, record any spiritual experiences, and possibly try some automatic writing. To tap into my intuition, I like to just as a question and write down the first things that come to mind. Don’t worry about rather or not they make sense, literally DO NOT THINK ABOUT IT. When you feel like you’ve written everything you need, read over what you wrote and see if any of it connects. Look for an answer within the random shit that came to mind. 9/10 you’ll find what you need! This teaches you to trust that little voice in your head or the visions that come to your minds eye. 

6. Practice, duh. Ask your friends if they’re okay with you trying to read their aura or pull some cards for them! Think of your psychic abilities as a muscle, in order to strengthen them you have to actually put in the work. One of my favorite exercises is a guessing game involving cards. You can use playing cards, tarot cards, UNO cards, whatever! Place the deck face down and, before you pull from the top of the deck, try to guess what card you’re going to flip over. Then do it again and again until you’re damn near 100% accurate. Or until you’re wrist is exhausted form flipping over cards all night. Whichever one comes first! Another wonderful exercise is psychometry which is the act of reading an object. It’s easier to start off with an object with tons of energy such as a wedding ring, anything metal, a beloved stuffed animal, or a crystal. Try to find the story behind the object and really feel the energy behind it!

7.  Get yo self some crystal babies! I’m obsessed with crystals. I seriously can not live without my children! Crystals hold energetic properties that can help us align with out psychic nature and enhance our gifts. There are tons of options but some of my personal favorites for intuitive + psychics are amethyst, clear quartz, black tourmaline, labradorite, rose quartz, and fluorite.

8. Leave your house and go out in nature. You don’t have to live near an abundant forest or breathtaking mountain to reap the spiritual benefits of fresh air! Mindfully spending time in nature is a refreshing form of meditation and brings us closest to our own intuition!

9. Sage + Incense! Clear space = clear mind. Spoke cleansing and burning incense allows us to remove any blockages in our surroundings. Before reading for a client, I always burn some sage or light up the incense. For those of you in dorms or are hush hush about your spirituality, use Florida Water! It’s a liquid household cleansing and spiritual cleansing tool that I adore. You can buy it as a spray or in a bottle. 

10. Visualize. Practicing visualization stimulates your third eye, allowing you to receive vivid and powerful clairvoyant messages. There are a hundred different ways to practice visualization but I recommend visualizing your third eye/pineal gland, located between your eyebrows, opening up. As you imagine it opening and glowing, you may even feel a slight tingle on your forehead. This is a sign that you’ve actually opened your ‘third eye’ chakra. From there, simply have fun visualizing whatever you want. Imagine a tiny pink dinosaur flying over your wall or something lmao. This just warms up the psychic muscle!

Once again, these gifts require effort and consistency. Your psychic intuition is not an accessory to play around with. It should be taken care of with hella respect and gratitude! At the same time, don’t stress too much of none of this comes easily to you.  I’ve worked incredibly hard to get where I am, incorporating every single one of these tasks + more & I still have way more to grow! If I can make sense of this weird psychic shit, you can too haha. Start applying a few of these tips and you should see improvement within weeks. Now go out there are slay the spiritual game of life bby! ⭐️⭐️

✨My pages on casting runes in my book of shadows/grimoire✨

List of Greek Gods & Goddesses Version 2.0 - (3/1/22)

Okay, so I’ve updated the original list about a hundred times since I first posted it and now there are a  hundred different versions re-blogged all  over Tumblr  😅

So I  just decided to rewrite and update it and post it as a new list. I’m confident that this version has enough detail and is organized enough to help the novice, enthusiast, polytheist and whoever else get a basic understanding of the Greek gods.

THE TWELVE OLYMPIANS + DIONYSUS & HADES

THE GODS & GODDESSES WHO RESIDE ON OLYMPUS

Zeus ( ΖΕΥΣ ) Pronounced: zĕfs; the diphthong εύ is pronounced like the ef in ‘left’.

Zeus is the supreme god of the Greeks. It is said even fate is subservient to him. He is the great olympian, whom even the gods obey; he is the king and father of gods and men. His sister Hera sits at his side and is his equal. He oversees and manages the whole cosmos, he hears everything; therefore it would have to be assumed that he possesses some sort of omnipresence. Zeus is the source of all prophecy and Apollo speaks his oracles. He rules the sky, lightning and thunder and tempest (winds), which he produces by shaking his mighty Aegis. He cares for all the affairs and sufferings of man and punishes those who commit injustice. He presides over the entire state and every family and person. The dominion of Zeus is that of justice, law and order. Zeus is god of hosts and god of guests who protects travelers and strangers and presides over hospitality and the rights and sanctity of suppliants. He presides over oaths, which are sworn to his name. The lion and the eagle are associated with him, as well as the oak.

Hera ( ΗΡΑ ) Pronounced: EE-rah.

Hera is often depicted in the mythology as an angry wife, defending her marriage against what is portrayed as Zeus’ infidelity. She pursues and torments the recipients of her husband’s advances, including the resulting offspring, most famously Herakles. While the mythology fabricates a negative impression of the goddess, her majesty and greatness of soul are ineffably prodigious. Hera is the queen of the heavens, the matriarch, she looks over women and their families, and protects the institution of marriage and the fidelity which should accompany it. She is on equal footing with Zeus and possess the same amount of power and authority over the cosmos. Similar to Artemis and other goddesses, she watches over childbirth.

Poseidon ( Ποσειδῶν ) Pronounced: poh-see-DOHN, accent on the last syllable

According to the mythology, he was determined by lot to have dominion over the seas and oceans. Therefore, he has the ability to grant safe voyage over the sea and save seafarers from marine calamity. Poseidon is said to have a similar power as Zeus, the ability to cause storms, but at sea. He has a particular interest in horses, according to Homer, he created the horse, and taught man how to ride with the bridal. He is said to have instituted the racing of horses. Poseidon is described as holding the earth, because his dominion, the sea, is thought to surround the earth, and, therefore, he has the ability to shake the earth, i.e. to produce earthquakes.

Demeter ( Δημήτηρ ) Pronounced : dee-MEE-teer, the d (delta) is pronounced like the soft th in ‘this’.

Demeter is the great Goddess of fertility and of the fruitful earth. She has given us agriculture and, particularly, the cultivation of fruits, vegetables and grains, and by doing so she has given us the ability to rise above the level of the beasts of the world. She is the goddess of abundance, breathing life into the seed, allowing all plant, animal and human life to grow and multiply. Demeter is the mother and the giver of food and nourishment. Because she is in control of the life and death cycle of nature she is also worshipped as the goddess of seasons. Demeter gives us awesome mysteries which sweeten our lot in this life and bestow hope for good things after death. She is one of several goddesses who protects marriage and bestows peace and the laws which enable peace to flourish.

Hestia ( ΕΣΤΙΑ ) Pronounced: ĕs-TEE-ah.

Hestia is a virgin goddess. According to the homeric hymn to Aphrodite, Apollo and Poseidon asked her hand in marriage, but she swore an oath to Zeus to remain a maiden. In ancient times the temple of delphi was the home of an eternal flame or hearth representing the fire of the goddess. In like manner, every city had a sacred hearth which ordinarily procured its fire from delphí. The fire of Hestia dwells in the hearth of the home. Since the hearth, symbolically, is the center of the home, and the goddess is its fire, Hestia is the source of all the blessings of domestic life, the very founder and support of the family. Hestia is, therefore, the tutelary goddess of the home and, by extension, she is the protector of the safety and concord of the state. She is the recipient of the first portion of all sacrifices. In every ritual, she is honored first, always, with the recitation of her orphic hymn. In addition, it is traditional to offer a libation before and after meals to her.

Hephaestus ( ΗΦΑΙΣΤΟΣ ) Pronounced: EE-fĕs-tohs, with the accent on the first syllable.

The most important characteristic of Hephaestus is his fire. In the theogony, he, along with his sister Athena, were taught skills by the cyclopes. They taught him how to make beautiful works of bronze. He is depicted in the mythology as dwelling in a glorious palace in Olympus, in which he crafts beautiful things such as the armor of Achilles, the palaces of the gods, their jewelry, and many other things. Therefore, Hephaestus is associated with workers, smiths, sculptors, skill, and craftsmen. Both Hephaestus and Athena bestow skills to artists and craftsmen and teach the arts to civilize and beautify life. He is the son of Hera and Zeus, this according to Apollodorus, although some sources say that he is a “wind-child” of Hera alone, that is, conceived without the help of Zeus, this according to Hesiod.

Athena ( ΑΘΗΝΑ ) Pronounced: ah-thee-NAH, the accent falling on the final syllable, or not accenting any syllable.

Athena is the daughter of Zeus and Metis. Zeus swallowed Metis while she was pregnant with Athena for fear that Metis would give birth to a son who would overthrow him. Hephaestus, split the head of Zeus with an axe and Athena emerged in full battle-gear. Athena is prudently warlike in that she protects the state from external enemies. She is the protector and companion of heroes such as Odysseus and Perseus, who are distinguished for their valor and strength of character. Athena is a great goddess of wisdom, knowledge, and the arts: those things and institutions which civilize man and distribute wise counsel. She maintains and protects law and justice and has an interest in everything which creates stability, strength and abundance in the state. She is the patroness of invention, weaving, various crafts, and martial metalwork and martial craft. She invented all sorts of womanly arts. She invented numbers, the trumpet, the chariot, and navigation. Athena taught mankind to yoke oxen, having invented the plow and rake. She taught the breeding and taming of horses. Like Artemis and Hestia, Athena is a virgin Goddess.

Hermes ( ΕΡΜΗΣ ) Pronounced : ĕr-MEES, accent on the second syllable and rolling the r very slightly.

Hermes is the great herald. He is the angel or messenger of Zeus. He also performs this task for others of the high gods in all the three realms. Thus he is a great god of speech; he is the deity who bestows skill, cleverness, and eloquence in language and communication, as well as gracefulness in social interactions and persuasion. Hermes is the messenger who delivers to man the dreams sent by Zeus in sleep. He is the psycho pomp, the great escort, who guides the souls of the dead as they embark on their journey between lives. He is the great friend of mankind and the protector of slaves as well as their liberator. The interests of Hermes include commerce and measures and weights, and thus he bestows wealth, especially unexpected good fortune. He watches over roads and protects travelers. Thus, statues of the god were erected at forks in roads and doors and gates. Hermes is associated with gymnastic games and is the patron of the gymnasium. Hermes invented the military arts, numbers and the alphabet, and the science of astronomy. A pastoral god, he protects the flocks and bestows fertility to sheep and protection to shepherds and pastures.

Apollon ( ΑΠΟΛΛΩΝ ) Pronounced ah-POH-lohn.

Apollon speaks out the unfailing testament of his father Zeus, at whose right hand he sits. He is the god of truth for he never tells a lie. He is the patron of the divine, prophets and oracles. Zeus speaks through Apollon and Apollon speaks through his oracles. He is the god of light, who has dominion over the sun (Helios) itself. He is not the personification of the sun, despite what some ancient literature would have us believe; he simply has dominion over it, especially it’s light. The actual sun god is Helios. He is the great god of enlightenment, fostering everything which brings about understanding: reason, education, logic, knowledge, and every kind of expansive thinking. Like his sister Artemis, Apollon possesses the bow and arrow. He rules over the realms of archery. He is believed to use his arrows to both bring disease upon men and boys and relieve them of it. He is a skilled musician who plays the cithara, a type of lyre. Apollon is involved with all which is splendid, music, song, poetry, theatre, dance, science, astronomy, history, and literature.

Artemis (ΑΡΤΕΜΙΣ) Pronounced: AHR-tæ-mees

Like Athena and Hestia, Artemis is a virgin goddess. She is unblemished and overflowing with wholesomeness, energy, and health, all of which she bestows on mortals. She is the patron of the wilderness and the animals that call it their home. She prefers to run through the countryside, forests and mountains with her entourage of maidens and hunting dogs. Artemis protects children generally, young girls before they marry, and the sucklings and young of wildlife. She assists in childbirth and protects the flocks of herdsmen. Artemis has dominion over the moon (Selene) itself. She is not the personification of the moon, despite what some ancient literature would have us believe; she simply has dominion over it, especially it’s light and the effect it has on nature. The actual moon goddess is Selene. She is the huntress who pursues game and like her brother, she possesses the bow and arrow. She is believed to use her arrows to both bring disease upon women and girls and relieve them of it. She can be seen in the iconography hunting and is, therefore, the goddess of the chase.

Aphrodite ( ΑΦΡΟΔΙΤΗ ) Pronounced ah-froh-DEE-tee, roll the ‘r’ slightly; the d (δέλτα) is pronounced like the soft th in ‘this’

Aphrodite is the great goddess of sexuality and beauty. She is said to be the most beautiful and desirable of all the goddesses and no one, except Athena, Hestia and Artemis, can ignore her powers. She is often associated with the sea because of the mythology that she was born from the foam which arose from the severed genitals of Ouranos which fell into the ocean, and, thus, the scallop-shell is associated with her. Aphrodite is the personification of nature’s generative ability. Thus, she is popularly believed to be the goddess of love and procreation, and thought of as the most beautiful and graceful of the gods. Like the Goddess Hera, Aphrodite governs and blesses marriage. She possesses a girdle or belt which has the ability to attract the object of one’s desire to the one who wears it. The poppy flower as well as the rose, myrtle, and the apple are sacred to her. The dove and the swan are birds which are sacred to the goddess, as well as swallows and sparrows.

Ares ( ΑΡΗΣ ) Pronounced: AH-rees.

Ares is the deity who presides over courage and war. According to the mythology, Eris or strife, the sister of Ares, calls forth war supported by her many children, and that Zeus, who has dominion over fate, directs its course. Ares is accompanied by his sons Deimos (Fear) and Phobus (Strife) and his other sister Enyo, the goddess of battle. It is said that Ares loves war. He is known to relish in the confusion and roar of battle, and thus he confronts these struggles with great force and pleasure. And because he has dominion over war, over battles, over struggles, he loves and understands it. The greeks were ambivalent toward him. He embodies the physical valor necessary for success in war but can also personify sheer brutality and blood-lust. An association with Ares endows places, objects and other deities with a savage, dangerous, or militarized quality.

The Question of Dionysus and Hades (Plouton)

Many sources include Dionysus as one of the Olympians. Those who promote this belief say that Hestia stepped down from her seat and gave it to Dionysus. This silly idea was concocted by English poet and novelist Robert Graves. There is no evidence of this idea from antiquity and it is not even viewed as worthy of discussion by teachers and scholars. For many reasons, the idea does not make any sense at all. The tradition held by many is strictly Orphic. While Dionysus is not an Olympian, he is incredibly important. He is the great son of Zeus but he is not an Olympian God!

Although Hades is a major Greek god and was the brother of the first generation of Olympians (Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Demeter, and Hestia), his realm is the underworld, far from Olympus, and thus he was not usually considered to be one of the Olympians.

Dionysus ( ΔΙΟΝΥΣΟΣ ) Pronounced: The D in Dionysus is pronounced like the soft th in thee, not like the hard th in thesis. The accent is on the second syllable: thee-OH-nee-sohs.) Dionysus is commonly called by the name Vákkhos (Βάκχος) or Anglicized as Bacchus.

Dionysus is the god of wine, vegetation, pleasure, festivity, madness and wild frenzy. He is depicted as either an older, bearded god or an effeminate, long-haired youth. His attributes include the thyrsos (a pine-cone tipped staff), a drinking cup and a crown of ivy. He is usually accompanied by a troop of Satyrs and Mainades (wild female devotees). The origins of theater in the west have their roots in ancient Greece, with their source the festivals of Dionysus called the Rural Dionýsia. It is said that the plays began as performances of religious hymns by groups of men in goat-masks, the goat being sacred to the god. Dionysus is described as the god of drunkenness and irrationality. He is often contrasted with his brother Apollon who exemplifies moderation and reason. According to the orphic theology, Zeus conceived his son, Dionysus, who came to mankind with his mysteries to free them from the sorrowful cycle of births. Dionysus is the action of Zeus working on earth in a plan to save us from our suffering.

Hades ( Ἅιδης ) Pronounced: HAY deez and / or Plouton ( Πλούτων ) Pronounced: PLOO-tohn

Hades is the king of the underworld and god of the dead. Not only does he have patronage over the souls of the dead but is a terrestrial (chthonic) deity as well. He presides over funeral rites and defends the right of the dead to due burial. Hades is also the god of the hidden wealth of the earth, from the fertile soil which nourishes the seed-grain, to the mined wealth of gold, silver and other metals. Hades is depicted as a dark-bearded, regal god. He is depicted as either Aidoneus, enthroned in the underworld, holding a bird-tipped scepter, or as Plouton (Pluton), the giver of wealth, pouring fertility from a cornucopia. The Romans named him Dis, or Pluto, the Latin form of his Greek title Plouton, “the Lord of Riches”.

THE PRIMORDIAL GODS

THE FIRST GENERATION OF GODS

Achlys- The goddess and personification of the death-mist–the clouding of the eyes preceding death, goddess of poisons. The personification of misery and sadness. Said to have existed before Chaos itself.

Aether - The god and personification of light and the upper atmosphere.

Aion- The god and personification of eternity, personifying cyclical and unbounded time.

Ananke- The goddess and personification of inevitability, compulsion, and necessity.

Chaos- The goddess and personification of nothingness from which all of existence sprang. Depicted as a void. Initially genderless, later on described as female.

Chronus- The god and personification of empirical time, sometimes equated with Aion. Not to be confused with the Titan Cronos (Kronos), the father of Zeus.

Erebus- The personification of darkness and shadow.

Gaia – The goddess and personification of the earth. The ancestral mother of all life. Mother of the titans and wife of Ouranos.

Hemera- The goddess and personification of the day.

Hypnos – The god and personification of sleep. Brother of Thanatos.

Nemesis- The goddess and personification of retribution. Also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia

Nesoi - The goddesses and personifications of the islands and seas. They were thought to have been ‘Ourea’ who were cast under the sea during one of Poseidon’s rages.

Nyx - The goddess and personification of the night.

Ourea- The gods and personifications of the mountains. the deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.

Phanes- A first-born god of light who was said to emerge from a void or a watery abyss and gave birth to the universe. Orphic tradition states that Phanes passed the sceptre to Nyx; she later gave the sceptre to her son Ouranos; Cronus seized the sceptre from his father Ouranos; and finally the sceptre held by Cronus was seized by Zeus, who holds it at present.

Pontus- The first sea god, father of the fish and other sea creatures. Husband of Thalassa.

Tartarus- Both a deity and a place in the underworld. The deep abyss that is used as a dungeon of torment and suffering for the wicked and as the prison for the Titans.

Thalassa- The goddess and personification of the sea and consort of Pontus.

Thanatos - God and personification of death. Brother to Hypnos (Sleep) and in some cases Moros (Doom).

Ouranus (Uranus) - The god and personification of the sky and one of the Greek primordial deities. According to Hesiod, Uranus was the son and husband of Gaia (Earth), with whom he fathered the first generation of Titans.

THE TITANS

THE SECOND GENERATION OF GODS

Anchiale-  Titan goddess who perhaps represented the warmth of fire.

Anytus- One of the younger titans or curetes. Anytus was said to be an attendant of the goddess Demeter who fostered her arcadian daughter Despoine.

Asteria- Titan goddess who presided over the night, stars and nocturnal prophecy. She was the mother of the goddess Hecate. After the fall of the titans, Asteria was pursued by Zeus and but leapt into the sea to escape him where she was transformed into the island of delos.

Astraeus- Titan god of the dusk, he married Eos, goddess of the dawn. Together as nightfall and daybreak they produced many children who are associated with what occurs in the sky during twilight. He was originally a titan god of the stars, the winds, and the art of astrology. He is the father of the four directional winds and the five wandering stars (the planets).

Atlas- Originally a titan god of astronomy and the revolution of the heavenly constellations. After the titan war he was arrested by Zeus and condemned to bear the heavens upon his shoulders.

Aura- Titan goddess of the breeze and the fresh, cool air of early morning.

Clymene- Titan goddess of fame and renown. She was the wife of Iapetos and mother of Prometheus.

Coeus- Titan god who presided over the axis of heaven in the north around which the constellations revolve. At the end of the titan war, he was confined by Zeus into tartarus.

Crius- Titan god of the heavenly constellations and the measure of the year. Associated with the constellation Aries. He was later cast into tartarus by Zeus. Crius was sometimes named as a leader of the Gigantes who rebelled against the rule of Zeus.

Cronos - The youngest of the titans, the son of Οuranos (Uranus) and Gaia. He was married to Rhea, by whom he became the father of Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon and Zeus, who are known collectively as the Cronidae. Cronos should not be confused with Chronus.

Curetes- A group of shield clashing daimones who came to the aid of Rhea to act as guardians of her infant son Zeus. The child was hidden in a cave on Mount Ida in crete. They drowned out his cries with a frenzied dance of clashing spears and shields.

Dione- Titan goddess who presides over the oracle at Dodona alongside Zeus. Sometimes named the mother of Aphrodite in some sources.

Eos- Titan goddesses who is the personification of the dawn. She is the mother of the wandering stars (the planets) and the four directional winds by the titan Astraeus who represents the dusk.

Epimetheus- Titan god who was appointed with the task of creating the beasts of the earth. His wife was Pandora, the first woman, as a means to deliver evil into the house of man. Despite the warnings of his brother Prometheus, Epimetheus happily received her as his bride, but as soon as she arrived she lifted the lid of a jar entrusted to her by the gods, releasing a plague of harmful daimones (spirits) to trouble mankind.

Eurybia- Titan goddess who represented the power of the sea and rising of the constellations.

Eurynome- Titan goddess who was believed to rule over earth’s flowery meadows and pastures. Her true identity isn’t fully known. Some sources say she was the first titan queen who ruled beside the titan Ophion who were both eventually replaced by Cronos and Rhea. She is also said to be the mother of the three lovely graces by Zeus.

Hecate / Hekate- Titan goddess of boundaries, crossroads, witchcraft, ghosts and necromancy. She supported the olympians in the titan war and ended up retained all of her privileges. Revered as a goddess of great honor, she was given domain over the sky, earth, and sea. Hecate is associated with the mythology of the eleusian mysteries. She and Helios, the sun, were the only witnesses to the abduction of Persephone. Feeling bad for Demeter, Hecate assisted her in her search for her daughter with flaming torches.

Helios - Titan god and personification of the sun. He is said to ride across the sky in a chariot drawn by four fiery, winged horses. He is brother to the goddess Selene (moon). He supported the Olympians in the titan war and retained all of his privileges as a solar deity. He is a guardian of oaths and also the god of sight.

Hyperion- Titan god of light, and of the cycles of time measured by the lights of heaven – the sun, the moon and the dawn. Hyperion was one of the four brother titans who held Ouranos fast while Cronus castrated him with the sickle. At the end of the titan war he was cast into the pit of tartarus by Zeus.

Iapetos- Titan god of mortality and the allotment of the mortal life-span. He was cast into tartarus by Zeus at the end of the titan war.

Lelantos- Titan god of the breezes of the air.

Leto- Titan goddess of motherhood, womanly demure and the night. She is the mother of the twin gods Apollo and Artemis by Zeus.

Menoitios- Titan god of violent anger and rash action. Zeus blasted him into Erebus with a thunderbolt, where he became a bondsman of Hades.

Metis- Titan goddess of memory and good counsel who was swallowed by Zeus. The Mother of Athena.

Mnemosyne- Titan goddess of memory, words and language. She was the mother of the nine muses by Zeus.

Oizys - Goddess of misery, anxiety, grief, and depression.

Okeanos- Titan god of the oceans. Husband of Tethys and father of the rivers and lakes. According to Hesiod, Oceanus sent his daughter Styx, with her children Zelus Envy), Nike (Victory), Cratos (Power), and Bia (Force), to fight on Zeus’ side against the titans. During the war Hera was sent to Oceanus and Tethys for safekeeping.

Perses- Titan god of destruction. Father of Hecate.

Phoebe- Titan goddess of bright intellect and was the original prophet of the oracle of delphi. She was the grandmother of the gods Apollo and Artemis.

Prometheus- Titan god of forethought. He is best known for defying the gods by stealing fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technology, knowledge, and more generally, civilization. In some versions of the myth he is also credited with the creation of humanity from clay.

Rhea – Titan goddess who was the mother of the gods, and goddess of female fertility, motherhood, and generation. Rhea was the wife of the titan Cronos and queen of heaven. She had six children with Cronos: Hestia, Demeter, Hera, Hades, Poseidon, and Zeus in that order.

Selene -Titan goddess and personification of the moon. She rode across the sky in a silver chariot drawn by two white horses. Her brother is the god Helios (sun). She supported the Olympians in the Titan war and retained all of her privileges as a lunar deity. Selene is best known for her affair with the beautiful mortal Endymion.

Styx- Titan goddess and river that forms the boundary between the earth and the underworld. The rivers acheron, cocytus, lethe, phlegethon, and styx all converge at the center of the underworld on a great marsh, which sometimes is also called the Styx. According to Herodotus, the river Styx originates near Pheneus. Styx is also a goddess with prehistoric roots in Greek mythology as a daughter of Tethys, after whom the river is named and because of whom it had miraculous powers.

Tethys- Titan goddess of the sources of fresh-water. She was known as the great nurse of life and spawned the rivers, clouds and springs. She was the wife of the titan Oceanus, and the mother of the river gods and the Oceanids.

Theia- Titan goddess of sight and by extension the goddess who endowed gold, silver and gems with their brilliance and intrinsic value. She was the mother of Helios, Selene and Eos.

Themis- Titan goddess of the natural order, divine law and tradition. By Zeus she was the mother of the Fates and of the seasons, and has a seat by his side on Olympus as adviser.

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THE EROTES

A group of winged gods associated with love and sexual intercourse. They are part of Aphrodite’s retinue.

Anteros - The god of requited love. He punishes those who scorned love and the advances of others, and is the avenger of unrequited love.

Eros - The winged god of love, lust and sex. In the earliest account, he is a primordial god, while in later accounts he is described as one of the children of Aphrodite and Ares.

Hedylogos - The god of sweet-talk and flattery. He is not mentioned in any existing literature, but is depicted on ancient Greek vase paintings.

Hermaphroditus - The god of hermaphrodites, effeminacy and androgyny. He is the son of Hermes and Aphrodite.

Himeros - The god of desire and unrequited love.

Hymenaeus / Hymen - The god of weddings and marriage.

Pothos - The god of longing or yearning.

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THE NINE MUSES

The inspirational goddesses of literature, science, and the arts. They are considered the source of the knowledge embodied in the poetry, lyric songs, and myths that are related orally for centuries in ancient Greek culture.

Calliope - Epic poetry

Clio - History

Euterpe - Flutes and music

Thalia - Comedy and pastoral poetry

Melpomene - Tragedy

Terpsichore - Dance

Erato -  Love, poetry and lyric poetry

Polyhymnia - Sacred poetry

Urania - Astronomy

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THE ONEIROI

The Oneiroi are the dark-winged spirits of dreams which emerge each night like a flock of bats from their cavernous home in Erebos. The Oneiroi passed through one of two gates (pylai). The first of these, made of horn, was the source of the prophetic god-sent dreams, while the other, constructed of ivory, was the source of dreams which were false and without meaning.

Epiales - The god and personified spirit of nightmares. He was also known as the melas oneiros “black dream”

Ikelos - The god and personification of people seen in prophetic dreams;

Morpheus - God of dreams. The name signifies the fashioner or moulder, because he shaped or formed the dreams which appeared to the sleeper.

Phantasos- God of strange and surreal dreams. They are said to be symbolic and of a deep meaningful nature.

Phobetor- God of nightmares.

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THE FOUR SEASONS:

They are the daughters of the titans Helios and Selene, and are described as the four handmaidens of Hera:

Eiar (Spring)

Theros (Summer)

Phthinoporon (Autumn)

Cheimon (Winter)

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THE TWELVE HOURS:

Auge, first light (initially not part of the set),

Anatolê or Anatolia, sunrise,

Mousikê or Musica, the morning hour of music and study,

Gymnastikê, Gymnastica or Gymnasia, the morning hour of education, training, gymnastics/exercise,

Nymphê or Nympha, the morning hour of ablutions (bathing, washing),

Mesembria, noon,

Sponde, libations poured after lunch,

Elete, prayer, the first of the afternoon work hours,

Aktê, Acte or Cypris, eating and pleasure, the second of the afternoon work hours,

Hesperis, end of the afternoon work hours, start of evening,

Dysis, sunset,

Arktos or Arctus, night sky, constellation (initially not part of the set).

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THE NYMPHS:

Female spirits who represent different elements of nature.

Oceanids (Nymphs of the ocean),

Nereids (Sea nymphs),

Dryads and Hamad Dryads ( Nymphs of ash trees)

Oreads (Mountain Nymphs),

Epipotamides (River nymphs),

Naiads (Nymphs of brooks, lakes and springs),

Crenids (Nymphs of springs),

Limnades (Nymphs of lakes, marshes and swamps),

Nyseides ( Bacchant Nymphs),

Potameides ( Nymphs of fountains, lakes rivers, and springs),

Limoniades ( Nymphs of meadows of flowers) ,

Napaeae ( Nymphs of glens).

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THE CHARITIES (The Graces)

Goddesses of charm, beauty and nature.

Aglaea- Splendor

Euphrosyne- Mirth

Thalia - Good Cheer

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THE MORAI / THREE FATES

The three goddesses who control the thread of life of every mortal from birth to death.

Clotho (Nona) Spins the “thread” of human fate.

Lachesis(Decuma) Dispenses it.

Atropos (Morta) Cuts the thread (thus determining the individual’s moment of death).

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MINOR GODS AND GODDESSES

Achelous - Oldest of the river gods. Son of Oceanus and Tethys.

Acheron- A river god. Son of Oceanus and Tethys.

Adrestia- Goddess of the revolt and equilibrium between good and evil.

Aeolus- God and ruler of the winds.

Afer- the south-west wind.

Agathodaemon- A spirit of vineyards and fields, providing luck, happiness and health.

Aidos - Goddess of modesty, shame, reverence and respect. A companion of Nemesis.

Alethia - Goddess of truth.

Alpheius- River god of Elis. He pursued Arethusa until she was changed into a spring by Artemis.

Amphitrite - Goddess and queen of the seas. The wife of Poseidon. Mother of Triton.

Angelos- Daughter of Zeus and Hera. Possibly an early form of Hecate. Connected with the underworld.

Arte - Goddess of virtue.

Aristaeus - Protector of beekeepers.

Asclepius- God of healing and medicine. Son of Apollo. He was struck down and killed by Zeus for bringing the dead back to life. He became the constellation Ophiuchus.

Asopus- A river god.

Asterion- A river god. Judged the contest between Hera and Poseidon for the patronage of Argos.

Astraea- Goddess of justice.

Ate - Goddess of evil, mischief and moral blindness.

Boreas - God of the north wind.

Caerus- God of opportunities and favorable moments.

Cephisus- A river god. Father of Narcissus.

Cer - Goddess of violent death.

Charis - Goddess of delight.

Chione – Goddess of snow. Daughter of Boreas.

Chloris - Goddess of flowers. Wife of Zephyrus.

Corus - God of the north-western wind.

Crimisus - A river god. Son of Oceanus and Tethys.

Cybele - Anatonian mother goddess who was closely associated with Rhea and Gaia.

Deimos- God of terror. Son of Ares and Aphrodite.

Dike - Goddess of justice and the spirit of moral order and fair judgement

Doris - A sea goddess. Daughter of Oceanus and Tethys.

Dysnomia - The spirit of lawlessness.

Eirene - Goddess of peace.

Eleithyia - Goddess of childbirth. Daughter of Hera and Zeus.

Elpis - Personification of hope.

Enyo - Goddess of battle, destruction, conquest, and blood lust who accompanies Ares on the battlefield. Daughter of Zeus and Hera.

Eosphorus - God of the morning star.

Eris - Goddess of discord and strife. Daughter of Zeus and Hera. Started the Trojan war by creating the apple of discord.

Eunomia - Goddess of lawfulness and good order.

Euphrosyne - Goddess of joy and festivities.

Eurus - God of the east wind / south-east wind.

Granicus- A river god. Granicus was a river of Ida near Troy.

Harmonia - Goddess of harmony and concord. Daughter of Ares and Aphrodite.

Hebe - Goddess of youth. Cup-bearer to the gods and daughter of Zeus and Hera. Wife of Herakles.

Hesperus - God of the evening star.

Horcus - The personification of the curse that would befall upon any person that broke an oath they had taken.

Hygieia - Goddess of good health.

Iaso- Goddess of healing.

Limos - Goddess of starvation and famine.

Iris - Goddess of rainbows and the messenger of Hera.

Kakia - Goddess of vice.

Ktesios - Spirit who guarded storerooms.

Melicertes - God of ports and harbours.

Moros- Personification of doom.

Nereus - The old man of the sea. Son of Pontus.

Nike - Goddess of victory. A constant companion of Athena.

Nile- The River-God of Aigyptos (Egypt) in North Africa.

Notus - God of the south wind.

Pan - God of nature, the wild, shepherds, flocks, beekeepers, goats, of mountain wilds, and is often associated with sexuality.

Peitho - Goddess of persuasion

Persephone - Queen of the underworld. Goddess of the dead. Wife of Hades and daughter of Demeter. She is the embodiment of spring and the personification of vegetation and crops.

Pheme - Goddess of rumour and report.

Phobos - God of fear and terror. Son of Ares and Aphrodite.

Phyllis - God of escape.

Ponos - God of hard labour and toil.

Praxidice- Goddess of enterprises, evil deeds and their punishment.

Priapus - God of fertility, vegetables, nature, livestock, fruit, beekeeping, sex, genitals, masculinity and gardens.

Psyche - Goddess of the soul.

Satyrs - Half-human woodland spirits, with the legs and feet of goats. Followers of Pan and Dionysus. They have hairy bodies with short horns on their foreheads. Older Satyrs were called Sileni.

Telesphorus- God of convalescence.

Thaumas - God of the awe-striking wonder of the sea. Embodiment of the sea’s dangerous aspects

Triptolemus - One of the original priests of Demeter, one of the first men to learn the secret rites and mysteries of Eleusinian Mysteries. When he died he was deified as the god who presided over the sowing of grain-seed and the milling of wheat.

Triton - The messenger of the sea. Son of Poseidon and Amphitrite.

Tyche - Goddess of fortune and luck.

Zephyrus - God of the west wind. Husband of Chloris.

FOR A LIST OF ROMAN GODS CLICK HERE

FOR A LIST OF NORSE GODS CLICK HERE

SOURCES: Mythology (75th Anniversary Illustrated Edition): Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes by Edith Hamilton and Jim Tierney /  The Greeks: A Global History by Roderick Beaton / The Library of Greek Mythology by Robin Hard /  Mythology: Who’s Who in Greek and Roman Mythology by E.M. Berens /  Apollodorus’ Library and Hyginus’ Fabulae: Two Handbooks of Greek Mythology by R. Scott Smith and Stephen M. Trzaskoma /  The Iliad by Homer, Adam Nicholson, et al. /  The Odyssey by Homer and Emily Wilson /