Hades Devotion 101- Part 2

Hades devotion 101- part 2

Part 1

Read the Wikipedia page, the theoi.com page, or even the hellenicgods.org page, what we know about Hades from ancient writings is quite limited.

Much of what we know about Hades, is collected from various sources, in them, he is actually almost never mentioned as a deity, but as a place- the personification of the underworld. The most famous myth around him is the abduction of Persephone, his wife, and the Goddess of spring- which is part of the Hymn for Demeter and is told to explain the changing of seasons. After marrying Persephone, she receives the status of a queen and does most of the management of souls in the underworld (as can be seen in the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice). Hades is always in the background, wearing an invisibility helm that he got as a gift from his uncles, the cyclops (hence his epithet: the unseen).

Biographic details give us some valuable context- Hades is the oldest son of Rhea and Chronos, followed by his 5 siblings- Hestia, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and baby Zeus- all but the last consumed by their father right after their birth, in fear of a prophecy that one of his offsprings might rebel him. When Zeus freed them all and defeated their father, the war between the Gods and the predecessors- the titans, began. Once the war was over, the world was under the Olympians rein, and each of them received a realm to rule on- Zeus is the king of Gods and ruler the sky, Poseidon got the seas and oceans, and Hades got the underworld- the land of the dead.

The underworld itself is believed to have 3 different sections: Elysium- islands of the blessed, Asphodel plains, and Tartarus- the pit of the cursed. Around the underworld circled 5 different rivers: Styx separating it from the land of the living, Lethe is the river of oblivion or forgetfulness, The Acheron is the River of Misery, Phlegethon the river of fire that leads to Tartarus, and the Cocytus the River of Wailing, for the souls that Charon refused to ferry over because they had not received a proper burial. On the gates, stands Kerberos, a hellhound with 3 heads. This is the kingdom ruled by Hades.

Back in ancient times, Hades had only a few cults of his own. Usually, he was partnered with his wife and her mom to form a chthonic agricultural cult. 'Chthonic' means 'earthly', all agricultural and underworld Gods are chthonic in a sense. He was venerated both as an agricultural deity- his absences allow for abundance, and as the lord of the dead in any ritual that involved necromancy.

Now, modern interpretations keep a steady narrative about Hades as evil, devilish, cunning, deceptive, and most of all- as aspiring to leave the gloomy underworld, fight Zeus over the throne and become the king. Those views, obviously inspired by Christian belief, are not representing the ancient world view. It's not to say people in the past did not fear death or were afraid to speak Hades' name aloud so he won't pay his attention to them, but the God himself was one of the most just and level-headed in the pantheon. For example, he judges the souls that enter his realm with attentiveness and does not punish anyone just for the fun of it.

Regardless of what you knew of him before starting your practice- you are reading these lines. So you, just like me, must find him fascinating and admirable.

On the next post: what is this devotion thing all the kids or talking about- anout Hades in Hellenic polytheism context

Devotion for Crackheads

Some fun and totally harmless ways to worship some of the gods!

Zeus:

Climb a tree and screech like an eagle

Throw a stick at someone you hate

Drink milk from the gallon you coward

Hera:

Point out how your life is going better than that nosy aunt's marriage

Wear ridiculously vibrant dresses and thick eyeliner and only speak in peacock

Make fun of the neighborhood Karen

Poseidon:

Make someone step in water with socks on

Step in water with socks on

There are many benefits to being a marine biologist

Æügh

Hades:

It's time you went through an emo phase

Train your local dogs to bark at the neighborhood Karen

Lose your 50/50 to Qiqi

Hestia:

Cosplay as Guoba

Arson

Eat your teacher's apple, it's probably plastic but eat it anyway

Demeter:

Stalk the vegan teacher

Stalk vegan booty

Learn about the chemical properties of green onions

Athena:

Make Kokomi crit

Arson (2)

Spend money on Ovid's book. Then burn it.

Ares:

Arson (3)

Learn about the properties and history of battle axes

Make Kokomi crit (2)

Artemis:

Buy a shirt saying "MILF, Man I Love Fishing"

Cosplay the Lorax

Become the Lorax

Apollo:

Learn how to use a shotgun, though you probably already know that if you're a white American

Make friends with crows

Become a crow

Hephaestus:

Socialise

Learn how to build a tank

Build a tank

Aphrodite:

Shove sea water down Karen's throat

Be gay do crime

Arson (4)

Dionysus:

Be gay do crime (2)

Get drunk on vodka

Blast Cult of Dionysus on four big speakers at the middle of the night

Hermes:

Commit tax fraud

Commit theft

Be gay do crime (3)

Helios:

Chug a questionable amount of monster down

Stare directly into the sun

Arson (5)

Selene:

Be gay do crime (4)

Sing Bohemian Rhapsody at the top of your lungs every full moon at the middle of the night

So the fandango

Hecate:

Arson (6)

Adopt a dog despite your parents saying no

Adopt a weasel

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Witchcraft: Fruits

Apple:

Protection, immortality, romance, longevity, adoration, endurance, warding, happiness, and love.

Apricot:

Admiration, compassion, cheerfulness, devotion, bliss, love, happiness, romance, and optimism.

Avocado:

Compassion, adoration, contentment, optimism, pleasure, romance, happiness, lasting love, and positivity.

Banana:

Fruitfulness, affluence, sexuality, lustfulness, fertility, prosperity, passion, bounty, sensuality, and desire.

Cherry:

Resurgence, reawakening, prosperity, revival, rebirth, sensuality, romance, rejuvenation, and fortune.

Coconut:

Purifying, revolution, rejuvenating, reawakening, exclusion, cleansing, transformation, and banishment.

Dragon Fruit:

Conquest, opulence, strengthening, excellent luck, victory, energizing, achievement, and success.

Grapes:

Extravagance, lushness, prosperity, fruitfulness, magnificence, regard, bountifulness, fertility, and luxury.

Lemon:

Cleansing, invigorating, cunning, purification, dexterity, refreshing, intelligence, and banishing.

Lime:

Regeneration, cleansing, stimulating, sustenance, reformation, revitalization, purification, energizing, and transformation.

Lychee:

Good fortune, sophistication, love, attraction, wealth, excellent treasure, elegance, romance, splendor, and abundance.

Mango:

Cheerfulness, success, happiness, delightfulness, prosperity, pleasure, abundance, and blissfulness.

Orange:

Cleansing, creativity, energizing, positivity, purification, refreshing, regeneration, Solar Energy, successfulness, and transformation.

Olives:

Camaraderie, coherence, cleansing, harmonization, restoration, purification, cooperation, synchronization, and healing.

Papaya:

Escalation, inspiration, contemplation, love, prosperity, and compassion, attraction, introspection, and romance.

Peach:

Vitality, perseverance, rejuvenation, wellbeing, spiritual rebirth, vigor, fertility, longevity, vitality, and fecundity.

Pear:

Synchronization, intelligence, wellbeing, affluence, endurance, harmonization, healthiness, prosperity, and longevity.

Pineapple:

Decadence, magnificence, affluence, knowledge, abundance, understanding, good luck, and opulence.

Pomegranate:

Fruitfulness, attraction, majesty, magnetism, lushness, fruitfulness, splendor, magnificence, and fecundity.

Tomato:

Relationships, accomplishment, dignity, reward, triumph, desire, connections, success, honor, bounty, victory, and lustfulness.

Watermelon:

Great fortune, fecundity, profusion, fertility, abundance, bounty, lushness, opulence, potency, multitude, and good luck.

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Hades: Babe, babe, do the thing!

Persephone: *smiles*

Hades, breathless: oh my god.

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ninivspace

2 years ago

🌻 Persephone 🌻

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Tarot Inspired Journal Prompts

Fool: what is something new you are doing or want to do?

Magician: what is a magical way to enhance my day? Or, how can I be more like the magician?

High Priestess: what are my thoughts on divination? What about intuition?

Empress: what part of myself do I want to grow/nurture?

Emperor: what part of my life needs me to take authority? How can I?

High Priest: what are my personal traditions? How is my spirituality unique to me?

Lovers: what relationships mean the most to me?

Chariot: what part of my life needs me to be more combative/ warrior-like?

Strength: what part of my life should I face with courage?

Hermit: what do I need to do alone more often? What do I need to do with others more often?

Wheel of Fortune: what do I think about luck, fate, and/or fortune?

Justice: when do I need to focus on legality vs fairness? Or, What may cause me to seek justice/retribution?

Hanged Man: what have/will I sacrifice for -x-? What am I never willing to sacrifice? What will I easily give up?

Death: what is something personal I want to end or change? What is something that will end or change no matter how I feel? How can I accept it?

Temperence: what part of my life needs more patience? What part needs more balance? How can I achieve both?

Devil: what is a primal desire I have? Should I grant it to myself? Why or why not? How can I get what I want?

Tower: what can I learn from the current or recent chaos/disaster in my life?

Star: what do I hope for? How can I get it?

Moon: what part of my life is best kept private? Why?

Sun: what makes me happy?

Jusgement: what part of me needs reflection? What is a fair assessment of that part?

World: what parts of my life have been fulfilled? What parts are still lacking?

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Unpopular Opinion: The Gods would never let a trickster spirit claim to be them. Most religious people are not scared of malicious entities masquerading as their God(s). Have more faith that your Gods will take care of you.

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Full moons correspondences

Wolf moon (January) also known as cold moon, air

Inner power, insight, assess your journey, protection, personal developement

Ianna, Freyja, Skadi, the Morrigan, Hecate

Wolves, foxes, coyotes, blue jay, pheasants

Hematite, ruby, selenite, moonstone, opal, garnet, jet, onyx, obsidian

Black, white, silver, violet

Snow moon (February) also known as storm moon or hunger moon, air and water

New starts, ambition, change, creativity, reflection

Brighid, Diana, Juno

Otter, eagle, chickadee, unicorn

Amethyst, jasper, moonstone

Purple, light blue, yellow

Worm moon (March) also known as seed moon, water and fire

New growth, set intentions, renewal, balance, prospering

Mars, Tyr, Athena, Isis

Cougar, bear, hedgehog, sea crow, sea eagle

Aquamarine, bloodstone, jade

Pale green, red, violet

Pink moon (April) also known as hare moon, fire and earth

Rebirth, discovery, fertility, goals, openings, opportunities

Aphrodite, Venus, Hathor, Kali, Rhiannon

Bear, wolf, hawk, magpie

Diamond, quartz, emerald

Pale yellow, pink, gold

Flower moon (May) also known as fairy moon, earth and air

Abundance, gratitude, romance, maturity, intuition

Bast, Artemins, Pan, Cernunnos

Cats, lynx, leopard, swallow, dove, swan

Emerald, sapphire, agate

Pink, green, brown

Strawberry moon (June) also known as rose moon, air and water

Harvest, manifesting, dreams, love, good health, clarity, communication

Juno, Hera, Isis, Neith, Cerridwen

Monkey, butterfly, frog, toad, wren, peacock

Pearl, moonstone, citrine, blue lace agate

Yellow/green and orange

Buck moon (July) also known as hay moon, water and fire

Inner fire, long term goals, leadership, divination

Hel, Athena, Lugh, Khepri

Crab, turtle, dolphin, whale, starling, swallow

Ruby, carnelian, green calcite, peacock ore

Blue, gray, silver

Sturgeon moon (August) also known as barley moon, earth and air

Freedom, perseverance, cleansing, reaping, gratitude, peace, harmony

Demeter, Ceres, Hathor, Nemesis, Ganesha, Vulcan, Vesta

Lion, phoenix, sphinx, dragon, crane, falcon, eagle

Periodot, onyx, bronzite, green sapphire

Gold, yellow, green

Harvest moon (September) also known as corn moon, earth and air

Harvest, gratitude, balance, reflection, psychic work, home and hearth

Demeter, Ceres, Thor, Thoth, Persephone, Freyja, Isis

Snake, jackal, ibis, sparrow

Peridot, sapphire, bloodstone, chrysolite

Brown, yellow, amber

Hunters moon (October) also known as blood moon, air and water

Strength, protection, endurance, rebirth, ambition, ancestral work

Cernunnos, Hecate, the Morrigan, Osiris, Astarte, Ishtar, Lakshmi

Stag, jackal, elephant, ram, scorpion, wolf, heron, crow, robin, owl, raven

Opal, tourmaline, citrine, rose sapphire

Red, orange, deep blue, black, dark green, brown, gold

Beaver moon (November) also known as snow moon, water and fire

Preparation, security, grounding, fidelity, new beginnings, release

Cailleach, Circe, Sybele, Hel, Holda, Kali, Bast, Osiris

Unicorn, scorpion, crocodile, jackal, owl, goose, sparrow

Topaz, obsidian, onyx, apache tear

White, purple, gray, sage green, black

Cold moon (December) also known as oak moon, fire and water

Completion, renewal, reflection, shadow work, transitions, peace

Dionysus, Athena, Attis, Ixchel, Neith, Wodan, Osiris, Frey

Deer, mouse, horse, bear, snowy owl, robin, rook

Blue zircon, turquoise, serpentine, lazulite, smoky quartz

Blood red, green, white, black

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ninivspace

2 years ago

Hades devotion 101

Lately, there has been a surge of newcomers to Hellenic polytheism circles, and there is definitely a vibrant discourse about Hades. It’s hard to tell whether it’s Rachel Smythe’s Lore Olympus webcomics or the SuperGiant Hades game, there are so many new practitioners making their first steps towards Hades nowadays.

Which is amazing.

Surprisingly, I couldn’t find a lot of guides, not on tumblr, not on reddit, tiktok is a dumpster-fire of misinformation, and youtube is a weird rabbit hole you'll easily get lost in.

This series of posts will hopefully help those who are making the first steps in getting to know Hades. We'll cover who he is, a bit about the context of Hellenic polytheism (because some of you might not be coming from that direction, or just starting out with this path as well), and some info about rituals, offerings, and devotional activities. I plan to end this series with a list of sources (not necessarily academic).

So just a few points to remember when reading this series:

There is no one true experience or one way of doing things. If you’re a revivalist Hellenic polytheist your practice will look different than a non Hellenic witch’s practice. You make your own choices, you claim your own titles.

There is a context though. Whether it be a historical context or a modern context, it’s important to know those. Myths are stories connected to actual cultures, what people say on social platforms is heavily affected by modern-day ideas.

Think critically but have faith. I know it sounds contradictory but it isn’t. Think critically about your experiences, what others say, what you read even if it’s academic material, and on what you believe in. But at the same time, allow your logic to rest sometimes. Not everything has to make sense, not everything is evidence-based. That’s the nature of faith. just make sure you walk between those two states and not stay stuck on one side.

It is what you make of it. there are no rulebooks or perfect recipes. Each of us is an individual, a tiny world of its own. One of my UPG’s (unverified personal gnosis) is that Hades appreciates individuality, meaning what you make yourself will probably be more special to him than what you take from someone else’s. It’s also not about elaborate rituals and extra formal prayers. but we’ll get to this.

On the next post: who is Hades

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ninivspace

2 years ago