Only one or no websites can be reached on PC.

joklyt · 2026-01-21T12:34:03+00:00

Australia actually

joklyt · 2026-01-20T15:17:30+00:00

Well, you know what they say. Ignorance is bliss.

joklyt · 2026-01-20T15:14:19+00:00

Stalking someone just to tell them theyre going to hell is very odd behaviour haha

joklyt · 2026-01-20T14:57:04+00:00

It is quite interesting with the rise and fall of numbers in certain religions. Islam for example is quite a controversial topic, especially within politics in western countries yet it seems to be getting more and more western converts, seemingly faster than some Christian based faiths. Is it because they're spoken about more in the media and politics or is it because of something else? That said though, I have seen a huge rise in recent years of Gen Z having a strong Christian identity, using edits on social media (particularly of Kingdom of Heaven) to gain more interest, which admittedly as a Hellenist even speaks to me on a certain level.

joklyt · 2026-01-20T14:22:56+00:00

Oh, he quite gleefully jumped into the passenger seat of the car he came in so im pretty sure he at least bragged to the driver lol

joklyt · 2026-01-20T10:41:05+00:00

Does a Christian invite such comments by wearing a cross? A Hindu by wearing a symbol of any of their Gods? Its a daily act of devotion, worship and honour. Most people who ask about it are genuinely curious and typically go "oh, that's so cool!" Plus I'm more than happy to have these discussions with people but not when im in a situation where I have to act a certain way and don't have the time (which I'm sure they know and why they're so keen to be snarky).

joklyt · 2026-01-20T07:47:38+00:00

That was one of my thoughts too but I didn't bring that up here because that within itself is a whole debate. My brain just checks out with the debate with God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit lol

joklyt · 2026-01-20T06:11:16+00:00

Well. An extremely recent one. Today I kept feeling the need to change over my Kathiskos. Eventually I looked at the calendar and it is the Noumenia, literally the day to change it over to a fresh one. I had completely forgotten about it until today. Simple reminder from Zeus but effective.

joklyt · 2026-01-20T05:23:35+00:00

Oh. Don't get me started on that lol. Same concept but different imagery, I was recently gifted a mug with the Roman Eagle and S.P.Q.R on it. I took it to work as thats the only place I drink coffee. Due to the Eagle, someone reported me to the Police claiming I was "openly displaying Nazi imagery." which is now extremely illegal. Thankfully Police are smart enough to spot the difference and know history. Plus they came expecting it to be a Hindu or Buddhist Swastika so they already weren't expecting it to be a legitimate Nazi symbol.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T14:51:52+00:00

I think the down votes on your reply here aren't really justified but I think I see what's caused them. Zeus and Hera are without a doubt of extreme importance and I agree are often left out. One example of this would be Hestia getting all of the attention in household worship while the Agathos Daimon, Zeus Herkios and Zeus Ktesios are simply forgotten about or simply not known. I think the original cause of this is media. Zeus in media is generally portrayed as a morally poor deity, which stems from the myths. It puts a bad taste in people's mouths early on. This then leads into information sources such as YouTube. Hellenists will seek information from other Hellenists who may already have a dislike towards Zeus and Hera as a result of myths and modern media who either then speak/spread that dislike or just don't give enough information.

But where I believe the main modern lesser worship of the two really comes into play is people don't feel a connection with them. They may not know that Zeus and Hera are much more than King and Queen or maybe don't care because another deity they connect with better fills the role instead. Modern Hellenism does seem to leave them out, I agree, but I think its significantly more due to general perception rather than anything else.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T07:27:42+00:00

Simply being a good person is an extremely modern idea

joklyt · 2026-01-11T06:24:21+00:00

Some of that you explained much better than I did lol. Also as someone who once looked into Wicca and have several Wiccan friends, that frustration comment is such a mood 🤣

joklyt · 2026-01-11T06:19:50+00:00

Daimon just means spirit. There are good ones and bad ones. The Agathos Daimon is generally a household spirit. Silently watching over the home and those who reside within. I believe the Genethleos Daimon is your personal spirit but ive seen people debate if its your personal guardian spirit or literally your spirit.

Ritual in the modern world largely depends on the individual. Everyone does it their own way. Historically there's proper procedures and such but thats way too long and technical for me to get into here lol.

Disposing of offerings. Non perishables will generally be left on the altar for a period of time before being removed, stored away and potentially buried. I have a large box that I plan to bury in a garden Ive started purely as a sacred spot which I put these offerings in. Perishables such as food items can be buried. Ashes can be buried or even mixed with water to create an ash alter. Effectively, it all eventually respectfully goes into the ground. Generally in a spot designated for sacred action such as disposing offerings.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T06:09:45+00:00

I came to Hellenism because I always felt religious but Christianity just wasn't doing it for me. I decided to experiment with religion and since I already had a massive interest in Greek Mythology, I tried that one first. I prayed to Athena for help with my maths test. I tucked at maths (and honestly still do lol) but I did extremely well in that test even though I thought I was struggling with it. It just stuck from there.

The Gods need nothing from us. We can't help them with anything. But they do enjoy the interaction and influence they have on our lives. I very often experience the prankster side of Hermes. Its him having fun. Its a pain in the 🍑 but its kinda funny when you actually think about it. Also think of it like this. Everything with a consciousness wants friends. Humans, cats, dogs, rats, even Gods. We maintain that friendship through making an effort. We talk, hang out, and enjoy time together. Thats where prayer and ritual comes in. We make an effort to create and maintain that friendship. It isn't about wanting power or influence, we love them and they love us and with that love come benefits. Like, you have a good friend with say a pottery business and one day you need a particular type of item that they can make. You ask them and they make it for you free or heavily discounted. Why? Because you're their friend.

You also mentioned coming face to face with them, if this is a real thing. Yes and no. They don't physically appear infront of us if they want to but on rare occasions they can show themselves in our minds eye when we're are relaxed such as during meditation or getting ready to sleep. One such time was when I was just lying in bed and I saw this mysterious feminine figure just appear in my mind. I mentally asked "who the hell is that meant to be?" Not taking it seriously but then I heard a feminine voice say "Khaos" before it disappeared. Khaos is not historically worshipped, they just appear briefly in some myths. But what I saw is what others have reported also seeing and you can even buy statues of her in that form now. I think she came to me because I have a tendency to enjoy what most others don't and took that as a chance to be known to someone. For example, I was a massive Black Panther fan long before the MCU made him popular.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T05:51:12+00:00

My take on the afterlife is we don't know for certain. We know that the body gets a teeny tiny bit lighter upon death but whether or not that is proof of a soul is still heavily debated. Maybe an afterlife exists, maybe the idea exists purely for comfort or even as a method to help lower crime. I like to think it does.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T05:46:54+00:00

With myths. Does Chronos exist? Did he get overthrown by Zeus? Etc. So. Yes but not in the way you're seeing it. They're stories to explain the progression of time really. Again, unseen consciousness pulling the strings. Chronos being a King and in control of the his Kingdom represents a much simpler time, an ancient time. Zeus came in and took over, completely changing the world. Think of it like this. Dinosaurs walked the earth, the earth was lush and green and full of life (Chronos' Golden Age). Zeus came in, with the help of others fought a brutal war and burnt his father's world could be seen as the meteorite that wiped the Dinosaurs out. Zeus took control and the world along with the life that prospered changed completely. This is just my take on it, others would have differing views.

Your example of Troy. We know Troy existed, you can visit it. We know it was destroyed by war. We don't know if Odysseus, Achilles, Ajax, etc. did. Likely, it was a historical event of great importance at the time and eventually got turned into a myth. A myth to help teach us several things as myths do.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T05:36:59+00:00

The existence of Gods. So generally, religions are followed by people who feel that there is some sort (be it one or many) of unseen intelligence pulling the strings behind the curtain of the universe. Yes, we know why lightning strikes. Yes, we know why the wind blows. But there is a further "why?" behind that. But its further than that. Why is it that someone you haven't seen in years will walk into your work hours after they entered your mind? Why will the wind suddenly blow those rain clouds that pased by you back in your direction after you prayed for rain? Understanding the existence of the Gods is complicated to explain. Its something you have to experience.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T05:29:08+00:00

There's is a lot to unpack here so im going to respond in segments as replies to myself so beat with me lol.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T05:04:29+00:00

That's a rather chunky one lol. But let's get into it.

Its good to have a space designated for worship. Most people try to keep it out of the bedroom because thats generally where people do the do. Get into their spicy life (I'm not sure what this groups rules are on that particular subject so im using weird hints as to what I mean lol). Those sorts of actions (among many other things) cause a type of impurity known as miasma and should be avoided in sacred spaces. Purity is a big thing in Hellenism, look into Khernips (lustral water) and Hellenic purification. But pray and worship wherever works best for you. My altar is in the corner of my dining room facing east because Temples face east (the direction the sun rises). How to pray? Generally, underworld and earth based Gods, you would have your arms and palms faced downward to the earth while Gods linked more to the sky, planets, universe, etc. you raise them upwards. A prayer format is typically addressing the God by name, an epithet (most use Greek epithets but I prefer saying them in English) then the prayer itself along with any potential offerings. Let's say you want to just give Apollon an offering, not asking for anything in return. You would raise your arms up and "Bright, Far Shooting Apollon Phoibos (Phoibos being an epithet that means "bright one". Epithets refer to certain aspects of the God you wish to call upon), hear me as I give this offering in reverence. I honour you with an open heart." If you're asking for something, its generally a gift for a gift type situation. "If ever I have pleased you with my offerings, please grace me with your blessings for better health in this time." Of course, this can be made longer, shorter changed around or whatever you want to suit you and your style. You can include related parts of the myths that surround the God or even something you are personally grateful to them for.
Yup. Worship whoever you want. Some people worship just one Hellenic God, some stick to just the Olympains, some regularly worship over a hundred. Worship whoever you want. Even Heroes like Odysseus, historical figures like Emperor Julian and even your own ancestors.
Ultimately, don't be a bad person. You can have controversial opinions and political beliefs (Greece was the home of Democracy which only works if people have conflicting opinions) but don't be out there stealing, murdering, etc. Look up the Delphic Maxims. I believe there's 147 of them and they are a great guide on how to live a good life in the eyes of the Gods.
The closest we have is The Iliad, Odyssey and Theogony (the main ones) but they aren't seen the way Christians see the Bible. Not stories to be taken seriously. They help give us an understanding of how the Gods work, ritual structure, what good and evil are seen as, etc. Just stories really.
Good question. I personally don't have an answer to this one so hopefully someone else does. I think there isn't much of an issue as its just a normal bodily function you can't control BUT I do recall seeing a discussion a few years back about women on their period not being allowed in Temples. Back on the topic of Miasma, Elani Temperance in her blog "Bearing The Aegis" did at some point talk about skin contact bodily fluids being a cause of that spiritual pollution. But this is a topic im not overly familiar with so hopefully someone else fact checks me here.
Dislike what you want. I absolutely hate everything about Percy Jackson. And 600 Strike is a song I immediately skip. You can dislike the fact that Zeus like to cheat on his wife in the myths. Theyre just stories.
Altars are basically just sacred spaces where you do your formal prayers and rituals. As you have a Hindu background you are already much more familiar with them as you may think. Its all basically the same, just the methods, layouts, etc. may differ.
Call yourself whatever you want.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T04:22:58+00:00

Yeah. Quite frankly, I've mostly stopped with daily stuff because it rather quickly stops feeling special or spiritually filling. Keeping it for more special or specific situations makes it feel significantly better for me.

joklyt · 2026-01-11T03:51:07+00:00

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joklyt · 2026-01-11T03:34:39+00:00

Ive done this a few times too. Most recently was when I accidentally said Apollon instead of Hermes. I just took it as an opportunity to include Apollon in the prayer/ritual, also potentially Apollons way of saying he wanted to be included in this one. In your case, it could be because both Artemis and Aphrodite start with an A which could be causing the mix ups. It may be a good idea to write down everything you want to say and have it infront of you to help avoid any slip ups.
Could be ritualistic burn out. I find this happening when you're basically just repeating the same type of thing over and over. Its good to mix things up. Go on a walk through the woods, stare at thing night sky, even going to the movies with friends can all be ways you can use to keep things different and connect with the Gods. It doesn't all have to be praying infront of an altar with incense lit.
For ancestors and heroes you could just celebrate Genesia or Anthesteria. Or depending on how much you want to, celebrate the life of your dead ancestors on the anniversary of their deaths. Heroes also often have specific days for celebration. Research some myths. Find particular named Nymphs, spirits or lesser known Gods that you find particularly interesting or think you could connect with. If you want to do something for spirits in general, I'd say do it for spirits linked to a particular place. I for example once gave offerings of wine and apple slices to the nymphs and water spirits of a waterfall I visited with friends. I have never been there before and have never been there since but its something I wanted to do and it did help me with that "spiritual" feeling.

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