Roman Polytheism Resources

“This is Apollo, the soul’s darkness and the soul’s clarity. His essence is such that he can be darkness and clarity at the same time.”

— Karl Kerenyi, Apollo: The Wind, The Spirit, and the God

The Only Tarot Spreads You Will Ever Need in Your Life

Learn these, and forget everything else.

1. The Celtic Cross Tarot Spread

Gives you a comprehensive answer to any question

2. The Soulmate Conversation

Tells you everything about your soulmate

3. The Three Wishes Tarot Spread

Tells you which of your wishes will come true

4. The Two Paths Tarot Spread

Guides you towards making the right decision

5. The True God Shuffle

Reveals which higher power you are connected to

6. The What If Tarot Spread

Shows you alternate realities

7. The True Colors Tarot Spread

Shows you a person's true colors

8. The General Prediction Shuffle

Tells you about your life in general

9. The Life Purpose Draw

Reveals your life purpose in this incarnation

10. The Major Arcana Grand Tableau

Shows you the full year ahead

11. Your True Passion Tarot Spread

Reveals your true passion and how to live it

12. The Life Advice Shuffle

Gives you advice about life's many departments

13. The Sex Life Draw

Reveals your sex life with a current or future partner

14. The Past Life Tarot Spread

Reveals the truth about your past life

15. Allies & Enemies Tarot Spread

Reveals who your allies and enemies are

16. Your Future Children Shuffle

Tells you about any future children of yours

17. Sports Match Prediction Method

Lets you win meaningful bets

18. Age at Death Prediction Method

Tells you how long you will live

19. The High Priestess Tarot Spread

Answers any question about the future

20. The Time Prediction Method

Reveals the timing of any event

Peaky Blinders Season 3 | Episode 2

✨❤️ Attracting Love Spell ❤️✨

Creating a love spell can be a powerful way to manifest your desires and attract your ideal partner. 

Here are some steps to help you create your own love spell:

Ingredients:

🌹Rose petals 

🌹Cinnamon

🌹Rose quartz crystal

🌹Red candle

🌹 Incense (jasmine, rose, or sandalwood)

Steps:

❤️ Begin by cleansing your space and yourself. You can use smudging herbs or burn the incense for this.

❤️ Set your intention: Before you begin any spell, it’s important to know exactly what you want to manifest. Take some time to think about the kind of relationship you want to have and what qualities you’d like your ideal partner to possess.

❤️ Light the red candle and the incense.

❤️ Hold the rose quartz crystal in your hand and focus on your intention for love and passion.

❤️ Sprinkle the rose petals and cinnamon around the candle, forming a circle.

❤️ Visualize the energy of love and passion flowing into the circle and charging the ingredients.

❤️ Let the candle burn down completely, and let the incense continue to burn for as long as you like.

❤️ Thank the universe, your tools, and any deities or spirits you called upon for their assistance.

❤️ Close your circle or protective space.

Remember, love spells should always be created with pure intentions and respect for free will. It’s important to never try to manipulate or control someone else’s feelings. Focus on manifesting love and happiness for yourself, and trust that the universe will guide you to the right partner.

With these steps, you can create a powerful and effective love spell that aligns with your personal intentions and desires. Best of luck in your magical endeavors!

____

🌞 If you enjoy my posts, please consider donating to my energies 🌞

✨🔮 Request a Tarot Reading Here 🔮✨

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With love, from a Sappy Witch 🔮💕

Blessed be. 🕊✨

The Stele of Aphrodite : an Ancient Greek Love Charm ☆💗☆

Many love spells in the ancient world, particularly in the PGM are that of what are known as fetching charms, or binding spells: love spells targeting specific people. However, there are a number of more generalized love spells, ones with no particular target, such as the Stele of Aphrodite.

The Stele of Aphrodite is Greek Magical Papyri (PGM) spell number IV. 1265-74, and dates back to the late Hellenic period of ancient Greece. It was used primarily for love magic, specifically to invoke the favor and obsession of a desired individual, as well as for favor and success within friendship, popularity and beauty. The stele was believed to harness the power of Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, to sway the emotions and actions of whoever sees you in favor of the practitioner.

Step by step instructions on how to create your own below ☆

Read the full article for free here

Saturnalia is coming on soon, so I'd like to speak some more on this peculiar, interesting festive occasion.

It is an Ancient Roman holiday of abundance, feasting, and celebration of harvest, which was supposed to be over by the time the festivities began. After the farmers gathered the crops, they'd celebrate Saturn, God of seed and sowing, for His generosity and richness of the harvest.

The festival, known for its abundant feasts and the peculiar tradition of switching roles of masters and servants, has a complicated history. It laid basis for the modern-day celebration of Christmas with its fairs, markets, street festivities, and gift-giving.

The origins of Saturnalia are much of a mystery as the festival appears to be so Ancient that Roman sources mark it to be older than the city of Rome itself. Saturnalia existed in both Greek and Roman tradition, though it corresponded to the Greek Kronia, which was a similar, but not an identical festival.

Sources speak on different possible origins of the holiday: some mention the temple of Saturn, the largest of the recorded by the pontiffs, being erected in Rome, and thus starting the tradition; whereas others speak on the festival being brought from Greece. Either way, this Ancient tradition is associated with the liberation of the God of harvest.

Saturnalia was officially celebrated on December 17 and, in Cicero's ties, lasted for a week (inclusively), until December 23. The length of the celebration varied depending on the time period as Augustus shortened it to three days only for the sake of letting the civil courts stay closed for less, while Caligula extended the celebration to five days. The original festival, according to Macrobius, appeared to have lasted for only a day; fourteen days before the Kalends of January. The Julian reform shifted the date to the 17th, thus making it into sixteen days before the Kalends. Some believe that the timing for Saturnalia was symbolic, as next followed Winter Solstice, or symbolic Death of the Sun and Birth of the new one.

Regardless, even after the limiting of the festival, Saturnalia seemed to still be celebrated for a full week with the last day being dedicated to Sigillaria, named so after sigillaria, the small earthenware figurines sold in the cities on that day. The original day of celebration was in turn given to Ops, the consort of Saturn and the Deity of abundance and the fruits of the Earth. The celebration in Her honor was called Opalia, and two festivals tended to mix together with Ops' worshippers sitting down during prayer to touch Earth, mother of all.

Saturnalia involved various activities akin to feasts, parties, gift-giving, and ritual rites. The party traditionally started with the guests exclaiming, i Saturnalia, believed to be a shortening from ego tibi optimis Saturnalia auspico, or 'i wish you a happy Saturnalia'. It is believed to be one of the most delightful periods of the year and one of the most beloved Roman festivals. People went into the streets celebrating, marching, setting up shows and street markets. People of all backgrounds could participate in it.

Among the general aspects of Saturnalia were activities such as gift giving, as people exchanged things such as candles, walnuts, dates, and honey. Masters served slaves, whereas slaves became free men as in memory of Saturn's reign when slavery did not exist. Servants walked the streets masked, in Frigio hats, or hats of liberation. The Saturnals were also celebrated in the army; the party was called the Saturnalicium castrense, when the low-rank soldiers sat next to the generals as equals and toasted together. Dice games and public gambling were allowed, but became prohibited again once Saturnalia ended. Mourning was abolished, while courts and schools were closed; starting war or enforce capital punishment was strictly prohibited. The festivities took such a great degree of chaos that some authors of the time report moving to remote suburban houses for the week of the Saturnalia to avoid the noise.

Saturn was one of the few celebrated Deities, as, in Roman times, Dis Pater and Proserpina were also believed to join the festive processions in winter time. They were to be appeased by gifts, festivities, and food; which was believed to make Them return to the Underworld where, as the Gods of subsoil, They would protect the crops and make them sprout in spring.

The official part of the feast consisted of a solemn sacrifice in the temple attended with bare head and during which the wool bandages that wrapped the feet of Saturn's simulacrum melted. A public banquet followed where all the guests exchanged toasts and wishes.

Further celebratory activities were split into days, and precise rites were done on each day of the festival.

At the beginning of Saturnalia, a rite of lectisternium was held. During the ritual, statues of Jupiter and 12 Olympians were seated in a dining position upon a special bed, or couch, and offered food, prayers, and gifts. They were spoken to with due respect and asked for protection of Rome and its people as well as for help with current affairs. After the first step, a procession was sent off to the Temple of Saturn and animal sacrifices were made at the site. A banquet with cheeses, focaccia, olives, and wine was held, to which everyone was invited - all provided by the state.

Starting day one, no-work days began, and gifts as well as greeting cards were exchanged between the citizens. Myrtle, laurel, and ivy - symbolic elements of the Saturna - were given; the trees were respectively sacred to Venus, Apollo, and Bacchus. The first day was signified by banquets, during which the Princeps of Saturnalia, the ruler of the festivities, Princeps Saturnalicius, was elected. During the first day of the festival, people changed from togas to synthesis and pileus; a casual home robe and a cap like headdress.

On the second day of the festival, Rome was still abundant with noise and feasts, to which everyone invited everyone. Stalls and juggles were in the streets alongside dancers and musicians. Celebrations were accompanied by the feast in honor of Epona, Celtic Goddess of horses, much adorned by the equites, whose importance during Saturnalia was due to Her connection to fertility and richness of feasts. The second day of Saturnalia, the 18th of December, marked the beginning of the triad of days of Mercatus, much similar to today's city fairs.

The third day of Saturnalia was the initial day of the celebration (before the reform of the calendar) and was devoted to the Goddess Ops, Deity of Sabine origin introduced to Rome under Titus Tatius. She was praised as the Deity of abundance, protector of rich harvest, giver of fruits of the Earth, and respected consort of the God Saturn. Her Temple at the Capitol hill was erected on that day, and thus received attention and became a center of worship of the Goddess as it was the anniversary of its establishment. Ops was prayed to and asked for blessings of harvest.

The fourth day of the Saturnian festivals, December 20, was dedicated to gift-giving and worship of the Lares, house guardian Deities of Ancient Rome. Terracotta figurines, sigillaria, were made out of paste, wax, or terracotta. Bronze statues were a rarity as bronze was expensive, while sigillaria made out of sweet dough were meant for the children. These statuettes were exchanged as gifts between the citizens as well as given to Saturn as offerings. He was seen as the God of time, and, thus, Death, and the figurines were to be given to Him as ways to redirect Death from coming for the giver, instead letting the figurine take it.

On the fifth day, Rome was filled with visitors from all across the Empire who came to see the city at its peak, blooming with festivals and street activities such as shops, shows, and a multitude of banquet spots. Fod, souvenirs, sigillaria (sigillaria<sigillum<signum+illum), clothes, ornaments and jewels were sold on the street. Artisans from all over the Empire offered goods made of leather, wood, terracotta, bronze, brass, silver and a special alloy of gold and silver, electrum.

On day six of the festivities Rome welcomed dancers, singers, and other performers from across the Empire who came to join the celebration as the entirety of the Empire was involved in it. Gift-exchanging with the guests, also known as xenia, was performed. Marcus Valerius Martialis wrote Xenia and Apophoreta for the Saturnalia, both of which were published in December and intended to accompany the "guest gifts" that were given at that time of year.

On the seventh - and last - day of the celebrations the Gods were thanked for everything given. The streets were full of torches and braziers, and the day passed between banquets and the baths decorated with ribbons and garlands for the occasion. Aulus Gellius relates that he and his Roman compatriots would gather at the baths in Athens, where they were studying, and pose difficult questions to one another on the ancient poets, a crown of laurel being dedicated to Saturn if no-one could answer them.

Saturnalia ended at sunset.

Sources in pinned.

hellenic polytheism and ethnic greeks

it has to be said and i dont really care about your feelings soooo

as a greek, some of you hellenic polytheists vex me SO MUCH. i'm NOT here to tell you that only ethnic greeks can worship the gods so do NOT get it twisted but, i AM here to say that some of you are getting too confident with talking absolute smack about the deities of my ancestors and portraying them in ways that are inaccurate to align with the political agendas of today and make you feel better about whatever religious trauma the catholic church gave you. respectfully, history doesn't care about you.

i'm sorry but what the actual FUCK are some of you on??? why am i logging onto tumblr and seeing drawings of Athena and Aphrodite kissing with comments about how everyone ships them?? are you okay?? aren't you aware of how disrespectful that is?

these are not some book characters. these are not just two actors from a film. these are DEITIES. they are not jokes. they demand your respect.

again, i'm not saying you can't worship them. they are gods, after all, and they get their power from people believing in them. but they come along with a culture and history and superstitions and traditional recipes and clothes and a language and literature and music and ideas. these gods originated in GREECE, so i dont know why everybody is discounting the opinions of modern day greeks and having the audacity to call us gatekeepers as if this isnt literally OUR history and the people before US. btw, the greeks had an empire so there are a few other countries where the gods were honoured in antiquity (select areas of italy, south albania, parts of turkey, parts of egypt, north macedonia as well as others) so i do acknowledge our shared heritage in those cases.

but, the vast majority of hellenic polytheists online are literally american teenagers. and no offence but most of you have no idea what you're talking about lmfaoo. i know it's not coming from a place of malice but it honestly angers me when i see these hugely powerful beings being portrayed as cartoon characters.

i also think that some of you have the idea that ancient greece was perfect and accepting of everything and that the stories that literal HOMER wrote are inaccurate. the one that gets on my nerves the most is the whole Hades and Persephone story. no, she did NOT go willingly. sorry that this doesn't fit into your idealised version of things, and you can interpret the stories however you want to but do not debate the literature with me and do not dismiss these details online. women were NOT respected in ancient greece. they did not have the right to vote, own land or inherit. ancient greece was not the gay utopia everyone seems to think it was. sexual violence was commonplace. so was slavery. and paedophilia. people look at these times with rose tinted glasses, forgetting to actually read and learn about the reality.

so don't tell me what Zeus and Hera stand for or against. and dont drag politics into it. because if you use the concrete evidence the ancients THEMSELVES created, it doesn't really help your arguments. it all contradicts itself anyway if we're being real here.

and dont debate terms with me. greek is my mother tongue. i dont need people to 'educate me' by what the differences between hellenic, hellenism, hellenismos and hellenes means. i dont think ive ever actually seen a post thats 100% correct on that front lol

and for the last time, i want to reiterate that im NOT saying you can't worship them because i know how people like to twist things and call me a gatekeeper. but. be respectful. and remember these are the gods of a nation.

Zeus and his Queen

Lee Weeks

Carmen <3

Zeus is a wonderful God! (Aka he and his worshippers don't deserve hate, ever) I mostly worship him as Ktesios and Astrapaios but he's many things:

Zeus is a god of fate, of law and justice.

Zeus is a protecter, he is a king, he is a god of hospitality who protects fugitives, strangers and all who need it.

He is a just and fair God (even if we can't see it), he is the lightning, the thunder and the rain.

He is, many things but he is: The Good God