“A Young Outcast Will Often Feel That There Is Something Wrong With Himself, But As He Gets Older,

Taiju and Yuzuriha have loved each other for 3,705 years and Tajiu's desire to tell Yuzuriha kept him conscious for the entire time he was petrified

Senku trusted without a doubt that Taiju was still alive and that he would be conscious enough to break through the stone without Revival Fluid, with no evidence to back it up

Yuzuriha used to pay attention to all of Senku's science lectures and he turned the science flag she made him into the symbol for the Kingdom of Science

Chrome literally spent his entire life rediscovering science and beat the second strongest warrior in the village to try and heal Ruri

Even while leading opposite sides of a war and trying to kill each other, Tsukasa and Senku considered each other best friends and they know each other so well they can predict the other's behavior

Gen, even before he'd met or decided to side with him, had already grown an incredible fondness for Senku and went so far as to condemn his soul to hell (his own words) to further his goals

Kohaku had complete trust in Senku immediately, despite never having heard of half of the things he talked about past the negative association with sorcery and is one of the only people to notice how much he actually misses his dad

You were terrified when you were sentenced to be thrown into the labyrinth with the Minotaur. That is until the Minotaur charged around the corner and you discovered, to your surprise, that the Minotaur was a calf. You’re not a victim. You’re a babysitter.

Hey guys I wrote a water park cc!Sally rpf fic

Nikki was in highs schoool??? Djsbsh did i completely blank that out i thought she was older

obsessed with this

Run from my family

Akuji was so young when it started

He had to have been around.. 7?8? When his dad took him to a 'friends' house for the first time

When he talked to the man, the man Akuji barely recognized from the balls and dinners he and his family attended oh so much, when his father nodded then turned to Akuji

"Be good, and listen to him, I'll pick you up in a few hours"

Then he just left, before Akuji was even able to mutter a question, he was so confused as he stood in the middle of this strangers living room, slowly turning to look at the man

Who was staring at him like he was a piece of meat, like he was gonna eat him alive.. then he unbuckled his pants..

That night, when his father returned, Akuji was a mess, his clothes hastily back on, his hair a mess, and his eyes puffy from crying, his throat hurt so much because of the screaming

They got home late, when everyone in the house was asleep, as soon as they stepped in Akuji's room, he started to sob again, trying to tell his father of the horrible things that happened

But his father just looked to the side "Don't tell anyone else" was all he said before walking out

It continued, for years.. each time he begged his father to not let them touch him, to stop this from happening, but his father always told him the same

So he did, keep this to himself, he honestly didn't think anyone would believe him either, so he never mentioned it, even when he would run into these same men at balls and events,he would hastily run out of the room and hide to break down

His mom once found his bruises on his back, and the deep scratches on his back.. after all the Areani had such sensitive skin, he was able to play off most of it

"Oh i got in a spar with a few fencing students.. I ended up falling on some metal" excuses excuses

After so many years of the same thing over and over

Once a week.. usually Saturday night, he ended up in some older mans bedroom

He was 16, his eyes never looked up, he was numb as he started to feel the man touch his skin

He just wanted it over, just for everything to be over, he was tired of it, of being used like this, he couldn't handle it, he was so afraid

Before the man is even able to take off Akuji's pants, he noticed a whiskey bottle on the nightstand, his instinct kicks in and he quickly grabs it and slams it against the man's head

He felt the man go limp over his body

After a few seconds that felt like hours to Akuji, he drops the bottle, realizing what he had done, he had blood splayed out on his chest, he was starting to feel his breathing quickened, and his heart felt tight

He looked at the motionless body that layed on top of him, and quickly scrambled away, falling off of the bed and onto the glass that had fallen on the ground, yelling out in pain when the glass carved into his back

He scrambles to sit in the corner of the room, holding his chest while he stares at the body, tears filling his eyes as he realized what he has done

No no no no no no

He couldn't have killed him right? Fuck fuck fuck

He didn't know how long he was sitting there staring, he noticed the body's lips went from pink to blue, and his eyes glossed over, Akuji must have been there for hours before he heard the lock click and his father's steps

He heard his father pause and drop something, Barek couldn't even look over, his eyes were stuck on the body

The father didn't really react, he quickly grabbed ahold of his son, roughly picking him up from his arm "Get your clothes on. Now" he said to him before turning to the body again

Akuji quickly put on his shirt and coat, sliding his boots on before turning back to the scene

His father had wrapped up the man in two blankets, and grabbing a cigar from his own coat, and lighting it with a candle that had been burning nearby "Go outside"

Akuji didn't have to be told twice, he was outside by the blink of an eye

After a few moments he heard crashing and weird noises from inside, he had flinches and turned to look at the door, to see his father walking out, meanwhile it was noticeable that a certain room in the house began to burst into flames

Fuck- that house is gonna burn quick

Akuji didn't have enough time to pause and freak out, because as he was watching the smoke house come out of the house, and the flames engulf everything in the house, he felt his arm being dragged away by his father

Once they're quite a ways away from the burning house, and well the town in general, his father finally spoke

"Get out of the city.. get off the island if you need to fuck"

"Wha-.."

"Get the fuck out of here, okay? Tonight.. now, your not Akulji anymore, I don't care who you say you are, but you not him anymore, from this night forward Akulji is dead, died in his sleep"

Akulji didn't even know what to say he didn't even know what to do

As his father turned to leave he turned one last time toward him "Never tell anyone who you were.. your not Akulji anymore" and with that he left

Akulji began to tear up, but he couldn't scream or cry, he just stood there and let tears run down his face

Eventually he did make it out of town, he was able to get to another town a few hours away, walking distance though of course,

He spent a week living on the street, begging for money, and stealing when he needed to, he never really spoke to anyone

Up until the newly formed Watery Skies docked into town

Akulji tried to steal from someone he assumed was part of the crew, a tall lady with short hair and Abit of muscle, some of the others called her Lydia, it didn't matter to him

He just needed a few more coins for some food

He was caught, and Lydia was going to just get her money and leave but she noticed how.. hurt and uncared for he look

He definitely had been sleeping on the streets.. and when she found out how young he was, she couldn't just leave him there, so eventually she offers him a spot in the crew

She was the captainz and offering him a place to stay

He said yes, without hesitation

When she was taking him to the crew, she had a supportive arm around his shoulder, and she introduced him to the crew

"Everyone welcome.. uh- what's your name?"

"..Barek"

My reaction when i first read abt jack being alive, what the fuckkk nolon

I’m sorry Iron Flame… WHY THE FUCK IS JACK BARLOWE ALIVE?! Give me Liam… give me ANYONE ELSE… WHAT. THE. !!!

REBLOG IF ITS OKAY TO TALK TO YOU.

Please.

Beginner’s Guide to Hellenic Polytheism

I KNOW this is a really long post but my intention was to just note down everything that I think is important for beginners and that’s A LOT. It took me forever to learn some of these things but they’re so important, so buckle in. I hope this helps some people.

If I’ve missed anything, please feel free to let me know what you’d like me to add. I’ve been working on this for two days, so if there are typos, I’m so sorry.

The sections I cover here are key terms, mythic literalism, deity work vs deity worship, FAQs and General Advice.

Some Key Terms

Hellenic Polytheism: Hellenic means Greek, and Polytheism means worshipping multiple gods. So, Hellenic Polytheism is the worship of the Greek Pantheon which is also referred to as the Theoi. The people who practice could be referred to as Hellenic Polytheists. Some also call themselves Hellenic Pagans, but not all people who practice Hellenic Polytheism consider themselves pagan.

Hellenistic: you may see the term ‘Hellenistic Polytheism’, but this is my PSA to ask people not to use that, as it’s incorrect. Hellenistic refers to a specific period of Andient Greece, from 323-32 BC, and your worship is almost definitely not specifically focused on that period. Additionally, here is a post by a Greek person on why ‘Hellenism’ and ‘hellenismos’ are disrespectful.

Ouranic: this is the term for the heavenly gods. Be aware that there is some overlap between Ouranic and Chthonic deities. Whether a deity is Ouranic or Chthonic will effect things like prayer position (palms up for Ouranic) and whether offerings can be eaten or drank (yes for Ouranic)

Chthonic: this is the term for the underworld gods. Be aware that there is some overlap between Ouranic and Chthonic deities. Whether a deity is Ouranic or Chthonic will effect things like prayer position (palms down for Chthonic) and whether offerings can be eaten or drank (no for Chthonic) side note - when it comes to hero worship, I personally treat them as if they’re chthonic.

Kharis: this means reciprocity, and also refers to the relationship formed between us and the gods. Arguably the most important aspect of Hellenic Polytheism is that when you ask something of a deity, you must give an offering in return. Size of what you’re asking for should correspond to size of the offering, or if you’ve given many little offerings without asking for anything you can use that as why you should be given the Big Thing.

Xenia: guest-friendship, hospitality. The idea that any stranger could be a God in disguise, so treat everyone respectfully. It’s an Ancient Greek social custom that a lot of Hellenic Polytheists see as important today. Simply put, in modern times this most often just means being kind to strangers. There’s a lot more to it than that though, so look here. Know that Xenia is a two-way thing, so you have to be generous to your guests but they must also respect your home.

Eusebeia: basically, piety. Respecting the Gods. This is really the only ‘rule’ of Hellenic polytheism. There’ll be different ideas of what is considered respectful, but as long as you have good intentions and don’t do anything you KNOW would be offensive, you’re okay. Don’t insult the gods (any of them), don’t ask for anything without offering something else, and don’t treat yourself as equal to or higher than the theoi.

Hubris: excessive pride or dangerous overconfidence, often the fatal flaw of a lot of Greek heroes in mythology. Specifically, this is when you act better than or equal to the gods. You are not.

Libations: a type of offering, in the form of a liquid. Usually poured on the ground but can be drank (unless it’s to a chthonic deity) if you’re a closeted Hellenic polytheist who can’t just pour some liquid on the floor every time you want to offer it. My advice for food offerings/libations to chthonic deities if you’re not openly a hellenist is to offer leftovers, rotting food, or something you otherwise know will go to waste.

Altar: traditionally a place used to put physical offerings and food offerings for deities. Some people have an altar to each deity, some people have one altar for all their deities. These can be as big or as small as you want. People may use shelves, drawers, boxes, windowsills, etc, and I don’t even use mine for food offerings, only for physical ones because I usually eat the food offering (I don’t like the idea of wasting food). My altars also just serve as a dedicated space for that deity in my life.

Hero worship: this is the worship of ‘heroes’ in Greek mythology, which includes literally any mortal. For example, I worship Odysseus of Ithaca, Penelope of Ithaca, Helen of Sparta, and Tiresias of Thebes. I’ve been asked a lot about how hero worship differs from deity worship, and you can find that answer here.

Devotee: there is a lot of disagreement on what the difference between a devotee and worshipper is, but for me, I’m devoted to Athena as I feel I have the closest bond with Her of all my deities and I honour Her the most. This partly comes from my feeling that She has been with me for much longer than I’ve been aware of Her presence, and that also so much of who I am and what I value comes under Her domains.

Patron: this basically means that if part of your identity comes under the domain of a deity, then that deity is your patron. There can be occupational patrons (like Hermes is the patron of merchants) or to do with things like gender (Hera is a patron for women. Yes this includes trans women, transphobes are not welcome here.) You can have more than one patron, and you don’t need to worship all of the deities who would be considered your patron.

Epithets: these are titles given to deities. There are two types - cult epithets, which describe the aspect of a deity you’re focusing on (like Athena Ageleia, meaning ‘Protector of the People’) since they have a lot of domains and it’s important in prayers to specify what you want. Then there’s poetic epithets, which are adjectives, often used to compliment a deity. I like using these to make my prayers seem more sophisticated to be honest (example: white-armed Hera)

Unverified Personal Gnosis: gnosis is spiritual knowledge. If it’s unverified, that means that it has no basis in historical sources as far as the person is aware, and they don’t know anybody else who has the same experience. You will often see this abbreviated as UPG. Personally, I think UPG is really valid, considering a lot of things are unknown to us due to the loss of sources overtime.

Shared Personal Gnosis: gnosis is spiritual knowledge. Like UPG, Shared Personal Gnosis (often abbreviated as SPG) doesn’t have any historical backing as far as the people who believe it are aware, but it is shared by multiple different people and therefore seen by some as more valid than UPG (though I’d argue that all SPG is UPG before you know that other people agree)

Verified Personal Gnosis: gnosis is spiritual knowledge. It being verified means that there are historical sources to back up the belief, and this is commonly abbreviated to VPG. You are more likely to come across the terms UPG than SPG or VPG, and most of what Helpol people on tumblr discuss is UPG, even if they don’t state that directly.

Reconstructionist: these are people who try to ‘reconstruct’ the ancient religion, recreating ancient rituals as best they can and doing things as close as they can get to how the ancient Greeks did based on our historical sources. An important note here is that we will never be able to do this perfectly and that’s okay. When it comes to things like animal sacrifices, most of us outside of agricultural areas almost definitely don’t have the means to be doing that properly, but you can use symbolism in place of a real animal, an example an anon gave me is cutting bread into animal shapes

Revivalist: these are people who try to recreate the ‘spirit’ of the religion, though not with the exact practices that the Ancient Greeks used. Revivalists are more concerned with the values and beliefs of the ancient religion than they necessarily are with how it was practiced. I personally feel like I fall somewhere between the two, but I also think both are really valid!

Mythic Literalism

Mythic Literalism is the debate in modern Hellenic Polytheism about whether or not the myths should be taken literally — and it’s common in Helpol spades online to say that the answer is ‘no, they’re metaphorical’. But I’d actually argue that they are.

Think of the Epics like the Iliad and the Odyssey — these begin with invoking the muses, goddess of inspiration said to have perfect memory. These goddesses know every event that has ever happened and are believed to guide and speak through the poets as they recite the myths, which means that they would be reciting history. That suggests the myths happened.

This isn’t ignoring the fact there are cultural reasons behind the myths and that parts of exist to them fulfil specific functions of that god or have parts of the world that they’re trying to explain.

For example, the myth of Hades kidnapping Persephone fulfils an aspect of Hades and has a cultural aspect about marriage in Ancient Greek society. First, it’s one of the myths we have of a youth being taken too soon by death (think Apollo and Hyacinthus, Zeus and Ganymedes, Thetis and Achilles, maybe even Castor and Pollux) and the grief that causes, Hades role being of the underworld. But also in terms of Greek society it was reflective of mothers losing their daughters to marriage, too. Both these things coexist in the ‘meaning’ of the myth; but just because it has metaphors, doesn’t mean it wasn’t believed to have happened. The Greeks did view their myths as having happened.

Zeus has so many children and so many affairs and rape myths, not because it’s just a metaphor and he didn’t actually do any of that, but because he’s a male fertility god, and he’s the god of kinds, and kings do abuse their power.

The Greek gods exist as how the world is, not how we want it to be or how it should be. Take Hera, for example — she doesn’t align with the passive and idealised wives described in things like Xenophon’s Economics, but is instead how women are. Real women get angry when their husbands are awful to them, so Hera, Goddess of Women, can be angry.

It’s good to learn the ways in which these deities were understood and what their domains can represent. Myths also help us to feel more familiar with our deities. Additionally the myths tell us not to be hubristic, and things like the Iliad tell us about Oaths and Offerings and Xenia. These are important parts of helpol.

I understand the want to disregard some of the more distasteful myths that depict things not only distasteful now but that would’ve even been viewed as wrong IN antiquity. But the Greek gods are not supposed to be perfect by human standards of morals. They have good and bad aspects based on their domains.

Deity Work vs Deity Worship

I’m going to preface this section by saying that I worship deities, I don’t work with them, so even though I’m doing research on this please take everything I say about deity work with a grain of salt and note that the rest of this post might apply more to worship, because that’s what I’m familiar with. Lastly, my intention here is not to place a value judgement on either type, I just want to try and make a full explanation for anyone out there looking for one, since I’ve found it to be kind of difficult to find.

From my understanding, deity work is common among witches, and usually involves asking a deity to help with your spells or other forms of magick. When you work with a deity, you are asking them to mentor you in a sense, and there’s often a specific goal in mind that they’re hoping to achieve with help of the deity. Additionally, because of that goal-oriented relationship, deity work has deadlines(?). Like, once you’ve achieved the goal you had, the deity will stop working with you

There are similarities, as both seem to involve reciprocity and offerings, and both involve cultivating a relationship with deities, even if the nature of that relationship and the reason for offering is different.

Deity worship doesn’t have a set end-goal. You CAN stop actively worshipping a deity, but this doesn’t usually come after a specific goal is achieved because there isn’t a goal in mind. Worship is more about honouring the deity. Khakis is built out of admiration, respect and love for the deity. This is why we pray, make offerings, etc. it’s all to honour the gods. We do ask for things in deity worship, but that’s not the entire point like it is for deity work.

FAQs

Do I need to be called to worship/work with a deity?

Nope! You are 100% allowed to reach out first. You can do that by praying or making an offering. Remember to research the deity first, so you know what epithets to use, know what symbols they’re associated with, have ideas for offerings, etc. Also, if a deity calls to you, you are not obligated to worship them. Acknowledge them and move on if you don’t have time, energy, or interest in worshipping them at that time.

Where can I find information on deities?

The main site that I think everyone uses is theoi.com, which has really in-depth pages on a lot of deities, with their myths, lists of epithets, family trees, etc. it’s a really useful resource!

Do I need an altar?

No. They’re nice to have but you don’t need one straight away. It took me two years of worshipping to get any altars, and even now I don’t really use them how you’re ‘supposed’ to.

Are there any sins in Hellenic Polytheism?

No, just don’t disrespect a god (don’t disrespect any of them, even the ones you don’t worship should be respected). Also don’t show hubris.

Deity X and Deity Y don’t get along, but I want to worship both, what do I do?

Disregard mythic literalism and remember this is a polytheistic religion. The gods know they are not the only god you will be worshipping, and they are chill with that. If you really want, you can separate their altars if you have an altar per deity, but it’s up to you completely.

Other General Advices

This post is a starting point, nothing here is very in-depth. Do more research if anything on here is still confusing to you. Feel free to ask people here on tumblr, I’m sure most of us would be happy to help.

Don’t believe everything you see on tiktok/tumblr. We’re all still learning, a lot of us are wrong about stuff. Do other research and let yourself form your own beliefs. As I’ve said, even parts of this post should be taken with a grain of salt. I’m no expert, I just want to try to help.

If you’re going to make your own posts about helpol stuff, advice I’ve seen before that really stuck with me is ‘keep some things scared’. You don’t have to post everything. I, at the moment, don’t post my prayers or photos of my altars. Those things are what I keep scared, you should have your own things. They don’t have to be the same as mine.

You have nothing to be afraid of. The gods can be intimidating when you’re starting out, but they know we don’t have as much readily available information about this stuff as the ancient greeks did. They also know you’re new, and they will be patient with you. Don’t be scared.

You can offer anything. Digital offerings are as valid as physical offerings. Devotional acts are valid too.

Know that you will never be done learning. Accept this and commit to trying to learn anyway.

Know how to tell signs from the gods apart from just General Happenings of the world. Here is a good post on that. I have a series on my blog tagged #signs from deities, to show the kinds of things I personally recognise to be signs and to show how frequently/infrequently those can occur. I would suggest keeping your own record of those, whether or not you share it is up to you. The reason is to reflect on your journey and, if you ever doubt your gods, you can look at those lists to remind yourself of how they’ve been there for you previously.

Doubt is healthy, it’s okay to doubt things. Don’t feel bad for this, the gods understand. Let yourself question everything you feel the need to question.

Similarly, anger is healthy. It’s okay to be angry at the gods, but don’t disrespect them because you’re upset. Handle your anger well. You won’t get punished for being upset.

The Hellenic Gods aren’t generally believed to be all-knowing, however it is believed that they can hear us when we call their names, which is why prayers start with invocation of a deity’s name and an epithet.

I mean im not the best at conversations- but- HI

i would like to have someone to talk to every day and every night