The Difference Between Baneful And Beneficial Magic Is Like The Difference Between Teal And Turquoise.

Daimones Part 2: Children of Nyx

In Greek mythology, there are various personified spirits called daimones. Eventually this word evolved into what we now know as “demon” (a word with negative connotations), but daimones weren’t necessarily “evil” spirits. Most of these daimones are the children of Nyx, Eris, or Zeus. In general, the daimon children of Zeus are personifications of morally good concepts, while the children of Nyx and Eris represent the malevolent forces which plague humans. Some daimones (like Hebe, the goddess of youth, or even Eris herself) were full fledged gods, while others were mere personifications with no mythology or cult.

According to Hesiod

Moros: the personification of doom (the force which drive humans toward inevitable death). Prometheus saved mankind from misery by taking away the foresight of our own doom (Moros) and replacing it with Elpis (hope).

Keres: female spirits of violent or cruel death. One of the Keres, Akhlys, was the goddess of deadly poisons and the death-mist which clouds the eyes of mortals before death.

Hypnos: god of sleep, husband of Pasithea (relaxation)

Thanatos: god of peaceful or non-violent death. As the twin brother of Hypnos, he represented the eternal slumber of death.

Oneroi: spirits of dreams, they were sometimes considered the children of Hypnos rather than Nyx. Their leader was said to be Morpheus, a man who appeared in the dreams of kings bringing messages from the gods.

Nemesis: goddess of righteous indignation and deserved retribution against those with too much good fortune. She represented the balance of good and bad fortune.

Hesperides: spirits of the evening sunset. They were sometimes called the daughters of Atlas.

Momos: mockery, blame, complaint, and harsh criticism. Zeus expelled him from heaven for criticizing the gods.

Oizys: female spirit of misery, woe, distress, and suffering

Apate: female spirit of deceit, guile, and fraud

Philotes: friendship and affection. She may have also been the spirit of sexual intercourse.

Geras: male spirit of old age

Eris: goddess of strife. She is the mother of a host of malevolent spirits of war.

Moirai: the fates were sometimes called daughters of Nyx, although more often they were the daughters of Zeus and Themis.

Likely Children of Nyx

Anaideia: ruthlessness and unforgiveness

Adikia: injustice and wrong-doing

Adephegia: gluttony

Aergia: idleness, laziness, and sloth

Alastor: counterpart of the Erinyes who punished the family of murderers

Aporia: powerlessness

Lyssa: mad rage, fury, rabies

Epiales: nightmares

Dolos: trickery, cunning deception, and craftiness

Koalemos: stupidity and foolishness

Kakia: vice and immorality

Epiphron: prudence, shrewdness, and careful consideration

Phyge: flight, escape, retreat, and exile

Phrice: horror, she is a more severe counterpart of Deimos and Phobos.

Phthisis: wasting away, perishing, and decay

Hubris: insolence, violence, reckless pride, arrogance, and outrage. Her son, Koros, represented insolence and disdain

Dyssebia: impiety, sometimes called the mother of Hubris.

Amekhania: helplessness and want, sister of Penia and Ptokheia

Ptokheia: beggary, sister of Amekhania and Penia

Penia: poverty and need, sister of Amekhania and Ptokheia

Eleos: mercy, pity, compassion

Sophia: wisdom

Elpis: hope. She was the last spirit that remained in Pandora’s box, representing humanity’s hold on hope in the face of all of these terrors. Her daughter, Pheme, was the personification of rumor, report, and gossip.

Sophrosyne: moderation, self-control, temperance, and restraint

Phthonos: jealousy and envy, especially in the context of love

Nosoi: male spirits of plague, sickness, and disease

Maniai: spirits of madness, insanity, and crazed frenzy

Arai: female spirits of curses (this is where I got my URL)

Poinai: spirits of vengeance and punishment

My Personal “Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism”

You may have seen or heard of the “7 Pillars of Hellenism”. The creator of these pillars, Timothy Jay Alexander, is known to be extremely homophobic and bigoted, and therefore these pillars aren’t seen in a positive light by many Hellenic Polytheists, including myself.

That being said, personally, I like to have sort of guidelines to follow, and Alexander isn’t the only one to have created “moral pillars”. So I took inspiration from multiple sources, including @/hyakinthou-naos in one of their recent posts, to make my own pillars. These are things that are important to me, personally, and they may differ from yours if you have some. I chose to have 5 pillars as it is a number associated with Lady Aphrodite, and the pillars will be listed in alphabetical order.

Hekousios- Ε´κουσίος

ἑκούσιος translates to “free will” or “voluntary”. To me, this means to do things at your own pace, and to always have worship be a personal choice, not something put on someone.

Kharis - Χάρις

Kharis can be translated to “grace, kindness, goodwill, elegance, favour, joy, charity, beauty”, “reciprocity”, “grace, favor, goodwill”, or a reciprocal relationship with the Gods. To me, this means to not ask for things without offering something in return, to not take advantage of gifts from the Gods.

Periergia - Περιέργεια

Periergia translates to curiosity and is often associated with devotion to researching something. For me, this means to always be curious, open to new ideas, and never stop learning new things. It also means to never claim that I know everything, and be willing to research things I don’t know much about.

Symmakhia - Σύμμαχία

Symmakhia translates to “allyship”. It also happens to be an epithet of Lady Aphrodite! It is usually used in the context of military and war, but here, I am using this word in the context of allyship and support towards marginalized groups. Allyship is active, and so to me, this pillar means to show active support to those that are a part of marginalized or minority communities.

Xenia - Ξενία

Xenia is the concept of guest-friendship or hospitality. For me, this means kindness and hospitality towards those from all walks of life and lived experiences, as long as it is safe to do so.

I haven't seen dancing pumpkin guy ONCE this year, are you guys okay?

Todays witchcraft is realizing that my body is a temple so taking care of it is actually sacred work✨

When I brush my teeth it’s like intention setting and cleansing of my mouth and all the bad things I’ve said about me

have these been done yet

being a witch and feeling the pain of a dying earth is terrifying

Spoopy Season Safety

small things you can add to your worship/work with lady hestia

try to look through your wardrobe pretty often, take out the pieces you don't love, free up the space for things that actually make you feel good, cozy & comfortable

protect your hair when outside, i know when talking about lady hestia it's usually about veiling and covering, but veiling is also a protection for you hair, from wind & sun damage, if not veiling, protective hairstyles,

don't do your hair in a bad mood, doing your hair can be stressful even without additional factors, taking care of yourself is a necessity, but it can be a pleasant necessity

if you find yourself being bored, instead of being on your phone, try to find a comfortable position, with you back & neck supported, and simply relax, let yourself be bored, cause most of the time it's not boredom, you're just overwhelmed,

keep a journal dedicated for her, digital or physical, make moodboards, write prayers and poetry, write your questions and write about your day

think of your space as yours, don't think of the future tenants. decorate, furnish, put this painting on the wall, both you and lady hestia want this place to be yours

have more dimmed, warm lights around you, they are far more relaxing. at night they ease you for sleep, and in the morning they help you ease in the day, also they feel far more cozy than overhead lights

dedicate some space on your desk to her, even if it's going to be just a candle, she is here to remind you about rest and ease your work

find a special nook in your space that will be dedicated to your time with lady hestia, somewhere you can sit and have a nice warm cup of tea, where you can have a snack while watching a cozy movie, where you can comfortably lounge

hey if you're running low on your meds and you've been putting off booking a Dr's appointment or calling your pharmacy, you should go do that right now.

When deciding what the properties of a crystal are, please do yourself a favor and look up why. WHY is obsidian associated with cutting ties with things or reflection? Ohhhhh it’s because the Aztecs used it as sacrificial knives and reflective mirrors. WHY is rose quartz associated with love? Ohhhhhhhh because the goddess of Love (Aphrodite) had a lover who bled out onto the stone. WHY is amethyst- ok you get the point. Context is EVERYTHING. Otherwise it’s just meaningless regurgitation of concepts missing their original relevance. Then, after you figure out why they are associated with certain attributes, decide for yourself if you subscribe to this. If YOU feel a difference in energy then obviously use it differently.