Everything is possible, even the impossible. - Mary Poppins Returns (2018)
These are personal lessons I have learned while interacting with individual gods that I thought could be helpful lessons to others as well
Zeus- One’s past mistakes should not influence their present chances, within reason.
Hera- It is alright to not be a perfect mother and you shouldn’t try hiding any postpartum. It is better to admit the fear, pain, and bad thoughts and get help than to let them fester.
Hephaestus- Beauty belongs to those who stand tall despite what others say… Focus on what you can do and not what you can’t. Please yourself not others
Apollon- There’s a “beast” in each of us that we must face daily and you won’t always win, but you should keep fighting anyways.
Artemis- “Roles” are just loose guidelines that one should not take seriously. Do you. Always do you
Persephone- Your story will change with each new mouth that speaks it. Don’t let it bother you. You know the truth and those who matter will know the truth. That is what is important
Hermes- You can be extremely childish and act dumb all you want and still be extremely smart, cunning, and mature when the situation calls for it
Nyx- Elegance and grace does not come naturally to everyone and if it doesn’t for you but you still wish to cultivate it do not give it up.
Hestia- Spoiling others for no real reason makes you feel so much happier.
Aphrodite- Whatever makes you feel beautiful is alright. If you feel beautiful covered in makeup wonderful. If you feel beautiful all natural, wonderful. If you feel beautiful with mud on your face.. Guess what? That’s wonderful. Real beauty shines through when you feel happy in your skins, no matter what covers it.
Hades- Doom and gloom is fun. Doom and gloom does not spell evil. Take pride in your personal doom and gloom. ((I like watching creepy stuff in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep without a good ghost video playing and that’s awesome))
Athena- there is always more to learn and asking questions, no matter how “silly” or “stupid” they feel, is not something to apologize for.
Thanatos- Being death positive is a good thing. We shouldn’t fear the most natural of things. Yes it is hard to imagine being gone from this world, but it is better to embrace it now and have things planned then to leave your loved ones with nothing to go on. Own your mortality and make it amazing while you can
Morpheus- Dreams don’t have to end when you open your eyes, you just have to keep working for them.
Small devotional acts.
- Leave flowers at empty graves
- Wear that lacy/flowery dress and the leather jacket
- Wear a flower crown or flower hair pin
- POMEGRANATES
- Find nature and gentleness in the harshest of places
- Practice your “don’t mess with me” look and posture. Use it while walking through crowds
- Paint your nails dark red or wear red lipstick
- When you find a small animal that has died, honor its life and death. If you can, bury it or leave it someplace for the other creatures of the forest
- Go barefoot more often
- Buy yourself a houseplant/s
- Build your night vision, know your way in the dark
- Take time to enjoy the sun whenever it is out
- Drink coffee sweetened with honey
- Demand respect and a listening ear from all – especially men
- Decorate your home with dried flowers in the winter
- When people do the unforgivable, hold them to their actions – do not forgive easily
- Grow a rosebush or buy yourself some roses
- Visit an arboretum or large gardens
- Burn a candle for those who died unjustly
- Volunteer with organizations that clean and restore forgotten places – graveyards, empty plots of land, etc.
- Go swimming in natural bodies of water at night (be safe)
- Offer a few coins/dollars to those who need it
- Wear floral or fruity scents
- Spend time outside in the winter too
- Stand up for the abused
- Go dance in or enjoy the next rainstorm
- Don’t be afraid to defy stereotypes - if she can be the Spring Maiden and the Iron Queen, you can be anything
- Add more flowers to your garden
- Take a candlelit bath
- Know how to win a fight in case you need to
- Don’t let anyone tell you who you can and can’t love
- PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF
- Many, many, many other things not said here
Small devotional acts.
- Contact a friend
- Go on a spontaneous adventure
- Try to find the humor in every situation
- Play card games
- Try a new restaurant
- Take the scenic route on your drive home
- Push a new edge
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
- Pick up the loose change
- Go to a thrift store the next time you’re looking for something
- Make small bets
- Do something (big or small) to change your look
- Learn slight of hand
- Be patient with pizza delivery drivers
- Send a letter to someone
- Go for a walk/hike
- Listen to music that reminds you of him
- Flip a coin to aid in decision making
- Leave money to any homeless or street performers you pass
- Do more things at night
- Go on a long drive/bus ride with no destination in mind
- Finally get that fancy drink you’ve been wanting
- Give someone a ride or a couple dollars when they need it
- Go to comedy events
- Question the biases in your mind
- Initiate spending time with people you care about
- Have the courage to tell that joke/say something sarcastic
- Tip extra to underappreciated employees/workers
- Spend more time in the city
- Leave flowers and coins in random places
- Be sure to compliment those who look like they’re having a rough day
- PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF
- Many, many, many other things not said here
Small devotional acts.
- Donate to organizations that support suicidal individuals
- Wear more metal
- Eat/drink fermented things
- Stay up late – enjoy the night
- Help clean up cemeteries – weeding, picking up garbage, leaving fresh flowers, etc.
- Get jewelry/crystals like obsidian, smoky quartz, garnet, etc.
- Burn a candle, remember those who died unjustly
- Use more vinegar – get red wine vinaigrette the next time you have a salad
- Go searching for animal bones or fossils
- Drink some mint tea
- Offer coins/a few dollars to those who need it
- Sit on the edge and observe
- Bring flowers or a nice card for the people who work in hospice care
- Start saving your spare change
- Do your assigned tasks to the fullest of your ability (even if they suck)
- Wear deep reds and blacks
- Learn to keep your emotions in check and stay collected, when needed
- Drink black coffee
- Spend more time in the shade
- Make responsible choices, even if they seem boring
- Pay for someone’s meal
- Volunteer at a nursing home
- Learn CPR and the Heimlich maneuver
- Plant a poplar tree
- Support someone who needs to put a pet down, in whatever form that takes
- Eat more chocolate
- Practice your poker face
- Host a dinner/visit with friends
- Grow some roses
- Go for a nighttime drive
- PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF
- Many, many, many other things not said here
Small devotional acts.
- Drink some sparkling cider*
- Take an improv class
- Read/write more poetry
- Watch an old musical
- Stay up late enough that reality shifts a little
- Attend Pride and support LGBT groups
- Wear fruity scents
- Take a writing class or continue your writing
- Eat grapes or drink grape juice*
- Be the light in the chaos
- Find ways to add more ivy into your life
- Get in the habit of asking for someone’s pronouns before assuming
- Go to a party
- Unapologetically blast your music
- Stay hydrated
- Use more vinegar in cooking
- Work on your balance between chaos and organization (both are very important)
- Make crafts using wine bottles/corks
- Dance!
- Go to protests that are important to you
- Witness the break of dawn - however you get there
- Drink a sugary drink*
- Play games that involve a bit of chance
- Wear wine-colored things
- Watch a drama show - it’s okay to get sucked into it!
- Learn to say “No”
- Attend a late-night movie showing
- Support those who are overcoming/recovering from addiction
- Explore in the woods
- Embrace the liminal spaces in your life (there’s more than you think)
- PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF
- Many, many, many other things not said here
*This post doesn’t include alcohol because it’s a given, and many of you are minors.
Small acts of devotion.
- Go hiking
- Learn self defense
- Spend time in the forest
- Go barefoot
- Carry menstrual products in case someone needs one
- Learn archery or how to use throwing knives
- Go stargazing
- Understand feminism
- Always help an animal in need
- Keep an eye on anyone who seems to be uncomfortable with the person they’re with - discreetly offer support if needed
- Make fashion choices that make you feel quietly confident
- Cook over a campfire - or a wood burning stove
- When drinking your morning cup of tea/coffee, step outside and enjoy the fresh air for a few moments
- Dance
- Wear oils and perfumes that smell of the forest
- Be kind to kids - inspire them to follow their passions regardless of gender, ethnicity, etc.
- Learn more about constellations
- Boldly be whoever you are
- Give money to any homeless people you pass
- Plant native plants near your home
- Work with the moon, follow it’s phases (use an app if needed)
- Support aro/ace individuals
- Sleep under the stars
- Buy more houseplants
- Learn about the geography of the moon (Maria, Lunar highlands, etc.)
- Watch wildlife/nature documentaries
- Wake up at dawn
- Go to pride
- Learn bird language
- Listen to instrumental music that inspires you
- Keep basic first aid supplies with you
- Donate to charities that help endangered species
- Spend time in the mountains
- PRACTICE LOVING YOURSELF
- Many, many, many other things not said here
Zeus
- Oak
- Carnations
- Olive branches
- Styrax incense
- Eagle, bull, swan images
Hera
- Lilies
- Peacock feathers or images
- Pomegranate
- Incenses
- Cuckoo images
Athena
- Olive branch/oil/fruit
- Weavings
- Myrrh incense
- Perfume
- Owl images
Apollon
- Laurel
- Red roses, sunflowers
- Frankincense (manna) incense
- Palm tree
- Raven, swan, wolf, mouse, dolphin images
Artemis
- Cedar, palm and cypress trees
- Tokens of deer
- Jasmine
- Myrtle, white flowers
- Frankincense (manna) incense
- Amaranthus
- Peanut
- Wormwood
- Deer, dog, bear, partidge, quail images
Hestia
- Incenses
- Chaste-tree
- Pig images
Poseidon
- Sea anemone
- Myrrh incense
- Pine
- Bull, dolphin, horse images
Dionysos
- Ivy
- Grape vine
- Pine
- Styrax incense
- Leopard, panther, donkey, bull images
Hermes
- Tongue-shaped tokens
- Rosemary, saffron
- Almond tree and pine tree
- Frankincense and styrax incense
- Mint (for Kthonios epithet)
- Cow, ram, hawk, turtle, hare images
- Wild strawberry (purslane)
Ares
- Bronze weapons
- Frankincense (manna) incense
- Swan, vulture, dragon/poisonous snake, owl images
Aphrodite
- Roses, myrtle, anemone (poppy)
- Quince
- Apple, pomegranate
- Perfumes and fragrances as incense
- Dove, goose, sparrow, turtle images
Hephaistos
- Daisies
- Frankincense (manna) incense
- Donkey, dog, crane images
Asklepios
- Frankincense (manna) incense
- Bread
- Serpent, dog, goose, rooster images
Pan
- Pine, beech trees
- Fern
- Wild flowers
Herbs burnt as incense and the smell of perfumes
- Reeds
- Goat, turtle images
Demeter
- Poppy
- Tokens of pigs
- Styrax incense
- Mint (for Kthonia epithet)
- Wheat
- Dove, bee, pig images
Persephone
- Asphodel
- Wheat
Hades
- Pitchfork
- Pomegranate
- Daffodil
- Styrax incense
- Dried laurel leaves
- Poplar, cypress trees
- Mint
- Daffodil
Hekate
- Saffron
- Rosemary
- Garlic
- Red Mullet
- Amphiphon (candy)
- Styrax incense
- Dry laurel leaves
- Oak
- Ferret, dog, bull, lioness images
Source: LABRYS’ Hellenic Polytheism: Household Worship and Theoi.com
“I told Hearth he needed a splash of colour. The black clothes. The platinum-blond hair. The red-striped scarf makes a bold statement, don’t you think?’”
