Topic: Worshippers of the Greek Pantheon?

[GlassUnicorn]

Are any of the members of this community (other than myself, of course) followers of the Greek Gods? If so, are they simply incorporated into Wicca, for instance, or do you strictly follow the reconstructionist religion, Hellenismos/Olympianismos? I'm sort of in between. I solely worship the Greek Gods, and don't consider myself Wiccan, but I only lightly practice Hellenismos. I used to devote time every morning, and every night to say a prayer to the Gods, Heroes, and Nature Spirits, but that's a bit of a hassle sometimes!

Anyway, it would be nice to know I'm not alone here when it comes to my religious beliefs!

[Jennifer RachaelAnn]

I'm 6 or 7 months late on this post, but I still need to reply. In my mind at least.

You're not alone. I have followed the Greek Gods and Goddesses since I was a teenager. I personally serve Aphrodite directly. One of the bedrooms in my house is strictly altar space dedicated to Her. I don't allow anyone in there, unless they are very close to me, my wife for instance. Or if I'm in there with them, and I'm not needing time dedicated to Her for a very serious reason. When it comes to Aphrodite, I both love and fear Her. I have screwed up severely in the past, and suffered Her wrath. But there have been many times She has showed Her kindness and smiled upon me. For example, the first 2 Detroit Red Wings games I went to. I asked Her to let the wings win since it was my first ever game. They won. The second game I asked Her to let them win because it was on my birthday. The Wings won. So She is emotional the same as a mortal.

The Gods and Goddesses are mostly forgotten in today's world, but there are those of us that still believe in Them. I don't remember if following Them would be considered Pagan as I haven't studied Paganism in years, but I'm sure that there are people that would consider following the old religions Pagan. Whether it's the Greeks, Egyptians, Babylonians, or Aztecs is rather irrelevant as they are all ancient. If someone is trying to find religion, I have always said for them to sit down and think about what they naturally and truly believe. Then if they are still interested to sit down and look thru religions until they find something that co insides what they naturally believe. Don't believe in something because it is the only accepted religion in your area. If you do, you won't be very happy.

To put it simply, It's all what's in your heart and head.

[cawdor]

I'm new here and I realize this topic is dated now, but I thought I'd post because I sort of freshly stumbled into the Greek pantheon.

I'm an eclectic Pagan, always have been, always will be, and am a faithful worshiper of Bastet and an amalgamation of various mythic sea serpents and oceanic spirits I've come to deify and call Leviathan -- he's kind of the big boss, as it were. Not because Leviathan is a jealous god and demands it, but because I feel drawn to him the most.

But after I let a lot more joy and hedonism into my life, I began to realize more and more that Dionysus had carved out a chunk of my heart while I wasn't paying attention. Ironically, I don't like the taste of wine (though I love grapes, so I replace wine with grapes for rituals), but I like getting tipsy enough to lose inhibitions and worries (I don't get drunk -- not as an insult to Dionysus, but because when I'm drunk I get lethargic, ill, and miserable, the opposite of what he would want me to be). Only at age 30something did I go from someone who would wave away club invitations with "I don't dance" until I realized that while I do dance incredibly poorly, I love to dance. And I love the dramatic arts, and the wildness in my heart, and the way drink and dance and performance let that wildness take over my senses. No fears, no inhibitions, just the raw present and pleasure. That sort of spiritual revel that gets associated with him is no lie. It's beautiful. I know it's not for everyone, but it's helped me live more joyfully and fearlessly. It's unshackled every part of me.

Leviathan taught me to be powerful and how to be in touch with my animal nature, how to be confident in my own nature and understand my own strength and power. How to survive. How to buck and ruin those who would try to bind me. And that's very crucial, of course. But Dionysus taught me how to celebrate, how to dance while the sky is falling, how to forget everything and reshape the world around me in frenzies of creativity and unthinking celebration. They're both two parts of a beautiful whole.

I've been thinking about Poseidon a lot lately, too. I feel a certain kinship with horses - his sacred animals - and I'm obsessed with the ocean, with lakes, seas, water in all its forms. I think there might be something there. I tend to open my heart and see how the gods react. Just as Leviathan took me under his coils and Dionysus snuck up on me, if it's meant to be, Poseidon will make his claim. If it's not, he won't. I will not impose on the gods.

[cawdor]

To add: Being Pagan and not Wiccan, I'm not sure how precisely Wiccans worship their gods - that's for me to learn and not to judge. To me, all gods, all mythical creatures, all spirits, are fundamentally real and fundamentally exist; I just don't worship all of them. I don't think of them as "just a part of me" or some kind of archetype. I believe in them as literally real and separate from us. I believe they find their worshipers where they do.

I don't practise reconstructionist or ceremonial traditions in the slightest. All of my offerings, prayers, meditations, and so on and so forth, come from my heart of hearts and what feels appropriate and respectful in the moment. I know reconstructionism and ceremonial methods give other Pagans (and Wiccans) a strength of purpose and a framework under which they can connect with their gods more easily, and I don't judge them until they start judging me. I personally believe gods move on with the times and it's the emotion and heart behind the prayers, offerings, and dedications that matter, not the specific attention to how it might've been done a long time ago (but are just as grateful for old-fashioned worship as they are for my kind). Of course, I try to cater to some things -- say, Dionysus was associated with wine and pinecones, so I burn pine incense and make offerings of wine and/or grapes to him, just as I burn cinnamon incense for Bastet, who is said to have been given cinnamon offerings in the olden days. It's the feeling and the thought that counts, at least that's how I see / believe it.