Aphrodisia

Aphrodisia

What is Aphrodisia?

Aphrodisia is a festival to honor Lady Aphrodite, specifically Her epithet Aphrodite Pandemos (Lady of All)

When is Aphrodisia?

We don’t know exactly when Aphrodisia is or was in ancient times. Some things that came up in my research were: the third week in July to the third week in August, the summer solstice, and July 13. Because I personally need a specific date to celebrate, I will be celebrating on July 13, which happens to be tomorrow.

Traditional Celebrations

Traditionally, to start the festival, a dove was sacrificed to purify Her temple, and a statue of Her would be brought to the sea and washed, followed by a procession. Feasts were very common during Aphrodisia.

Modern Celebration Ideas

So of course we probably can’t sacrifice doves and parade a statue of Her from a temple to the sea nowadays, but there are many ways we can still celebrate Aphrodisia. These are a few ideas, you don’t have to do all of them or any at all.

🐚 Purify Her Altar

🐚 Spend time with Her

🐚 Bake something

🐚 Offer a libation or some sort of food

🐚 Do whatever makes you feel close to Her

🐚 Offer incense and/or light a candle for Her

🐚 Have a self-care day

🐚 Spend some time researching Her

I will be wearing a color that reminds me of Her, lighting Her candle, enjoying the small things in life, spending time with my partner, painting my nails, listening to music that reminds me of Her, and I may watch a romance movie. I will try to bake something or offer her something if I can.

Remember that no matter what you do for Her, or even if you don’t do anything extra at all, She will be happy. You do not need to do any elaborate celebrations or offerings in order to please Her. Just do what you can, Lady Aphrodite understands ❤️

Khaire!

Trust your instincts ya'll

Should've listened to my instincts when I wanted to tell my girl cousin I'm pagan. Boy cousin respected it and told me to stay safe because he knows very well how our family is. Should've just told him. She already looked at me differently when I told her I wasn't Christian anymore, when I wasn't comfortable praying to the Christian God when our family would beg me just because I'm the eldest grandchild, I don't want to because I don't want to disrespect Him.

I know it's her opinion, I know she has the right to have an opinion.

But for me and many people it's not stupid like how she thinks it is. Such a big blow, ngl.

Aphrodite listened to me that night when I cried. She was there when no one else can hold me.

Hail Lady Aphrodite 🩷

APHRODITE

ROMAN NAME: Venus

🤍Goddess of Love, Beauty, Desire, & Fertility🤍

🎨COLOURS: Red, Pink, Seafoam green, Aqua

🌊ELEMENT: Water

🗓DAY OF THE WEEK: Friday

🌱PLANTS+ TREES: The rose, the myrtle (flower & tree), the honeysuckle, the apple tree, the lime tree

💎STONES & GEMS: Diamond, Rose Quartz, Pearl, Aquamarine, Sapphire, Garnet

💨INSENCE: Rose, Frankincense, Myrrh, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Cypress, Jasmine, Ginger

🐚SYMBOLS: Hearts, Seashells, Mirror, Girdles, Dolphins, Doves, Swans, Sparrows, Bees, Sea Foam, Pomegranates, Apples, Strawberries, Oranges, Pears

🕊OFFERINGS: Roses, Myrtles, Apples, Pomegranates, Honey, Wine, Chocolates, Cookies or cakes made to look like one of Her symbols (i.e. hearts), Strawberries, Oranges, Pears, Perfume, Bath Salts, Bath oils, Bubble bath soap, Scented lotions or fancy soaps

ART BY mioree-art on DeviantArt

ART BY MalkavianRockstar on DeviantArt

if you like this check out GREEK DEITIES P1

Welcome To The Undergrove

GREEK DEITIES PART 1

(Remastered) Roman name: Phoebus God of the Sun, Prophecy, Truth, Music & Poetry, Archery, Healing, & Light 🎨COLOURS: Gold/Yellow, Orange

I just got ✨lightly scolded✨ by my Patrons and Matron for not asking Them for more help with what I want or need. And that I give too much energy and time to Them.

It’s such an… Odd feeling. That I’m doing too much and not asking for more. Never thought I’d actually say that. Huh…

All that said, I’m so grateful for my divine team. They know me better than I’ll ever know myself. I love Them wholeheartedly. 🥹💘

Lord Hades deep dive

Herbs • cypress, mint, myrrh, patchouli, bay, pumpkin, yew, wormwood, cinnamon, lavender, willow, oak, marigold, dandelion, rose, lily, daisies, rowan, poppy, daffodils, calendulas, salt and spices, Cypress, white asphodel, mint, narcissus

Animals• Dogs (Cerberus, specifically), black lambs, serpents, screech owls, black sheep, black bulls, moths (reincarnation, cycle of life), 

Zodiac • Autumn (dry becoming cold) – Earth – Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn, Winter (cold becoming wet) – Water – Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces.

Colors • Black, grey, silver, gold

Crystal• hematite, onyx, obsidian, onyx, black tourmaline, jet

Symbols• precious jewels and money, drinking horn, Sceptre, Keys, Helm of darkness, night-time, autumn and winter, caves, mines, forests, crossroads, cemeteries, cornucopia, shovels (digging of graves, digging into dirt)

Jewelry you can wear in their honor• gold, silver, rubies, emeralds, anything metal and expensive due to his wealth and stone aspects. Any stones or metals. you can veil in muted colors in his honor.

Diety of• stones, metals, wealth, the underworld, 'winter; funeral rites.

Patron of• the underworld, stones, gems, crystals.

Offerings• honey, milk, shells or bones of animals, oolong and black tea, bread, and cake, apples, pomegranates, meat, especially lamb meat, he likes oils, like olive oil and such, a drinking horn, Black mirrors, Black cloth, dirt, dirt from commentaries, garlic, baked goods, sharp cheeses, money, family heirlooms, pomegranate mead/rum, black coffee, Statues or art of Cerberus, small fossils, art is drawn or for him, Shredded snakeskin, owl/vulture feathers., sheded dog fur (good origin hair, no stealing/shaving ur dog simply to give it to him), scales (balance scales), cornucopia, coins, 

Devotional•  saving money, spending responsibly, donating to charities for the dead, cleaning graveyards and gravestones (properly, respectfully, with permission for both the dead and the owners of the property), Offerings to the dead, as well as money to the spirits of the dead to let them pass on, collecting expensive jewels and crystals/stones, making an altar to tend dead spirits, Studying other cultures’ burial methods and cemetery rites, do a job for cementary, do mortuary or funeral services as a job (for the summer, or for how long u want in his honor), treat spirits kindly and help them move on, do ancestral worship, worship your land spirits in his honor, growing deathly plants (safely), writing poetry/stories for him, donate to those who can't afford a funeral, help with funerals, donate to suicide prevention organizations (that are trustworthy), donate to dog shelters, walk dogs in his honor, work at a dog shelter or babysitting dogs in his honor, visit caves that let you mine for stones/gems, make a playlist for him and hum/sing it in his honor, start a coin collection, 

Ephithets•  ‘Renowned’, ‘Good Counsellor’, ‘the Beautiful‐haired One’, ‘Of Good Repute’, ‘Leader of the People’, ‘Lord over All’, ‘Receiver of Many’, ‘Host to Many’ and Pluton (‘Wealth’). 

Equivalents (alike but not the same)• Pluto, Dis Pater, Orcus

They are reaching out• seeing dead animals or funeral symbols, seeing his symbols everywhere, smelling pomegranates, getting more job opportunities. He and his wife are usually a package deal.

Vows/omans• taking care of the underworld, marriage vows

Number• 6 (not seeing his wife for 6 months, then seeing her for 6 months), and commonly associated with death

Morals• lawfully neutral

Courting• Lady Persephone

Past lovers/crushes• Leuce, Minthe, Theophile

Personality• Like a working dad hanging up your macaroni on his desk, he is very formal and has a sweet spot.

Home• hades/hadestown (he lives in the underworld but is allowed up to Mount Olympus

Mortal or immortal • immortal

Fact• Due to being a Cathonic god you cannot eat after them, you dispose of offerings into water into the ground, and him and his wife Persephone are usually together.

Curses• being broke, losing money, being unable to pass on, losing your job.

Blessings• more money, getting more job opportunities, getting more money.

Roots• "the unseen" which An extensive section of Plato's dialogue 'Cratylus' is devoted to the etymology of the god's name, the 'unseen one', in which Socrates is arguing for a folk etymology not from "unseen" but from "his knowledge (eidenai) of all noble things", you can see he originated from the greek region.

Friends• Persephone, Zeus, Poseidon, Hestia, hermes, Artemis, Apollo, Athena, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, all the Olympians

Parentage• Cronos, Rhea

Siblings• Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia.

Pet• Cerberus, in his chariot four black steeds Orphnaeus (savage and fleet), Aethon (swifter than an arrow), great Nyctaeus (proud glory of Hell's steeds), and Alastor (branded with the mark of Dis).

Children • Macaria, and in some cases Zagreus, Dionysus, and the Erinyes

Appearance in astral or gen• black hair, crown, kings coat, with a beard and with his scepter

Festivals • Halloween, The Chthonia Fertility Rites

Season • fall, winter 

Day •  Saturday, Tuesday, or Monday would be good, but he doesn't have an official day.

Status• King of the underworld, an olympion.

What angers them• disrespect to their family (wife, kids, etc), insulting the dead, messing with graveyards

The music they like• he likes old-timey, death music, I was listening to a playlist and there was a lot of goth music!

Planet• pluto

Tarot cards• death, the devil (and personally the chariot and the emperor)

Reminds me of• hot coca, death, dirt, bones, dead animals on the road, and goths.

Scents/Inscene • Cypress, amber, pomegranate, and winter scents

Prayers• 

1.

Great Hades, master of the dark afterworld, honored host of our beloved dead, husband of fair-haired Persephone, holder of the riches of the deep earth, eldest son of full-hearted Rhea and Cronus of the shining sickle, I praise you. Hades, kind one, unyielding one, gracious granter of respite to the suffering, of welcome to those who have passed from our world, I thank you for your gift of shelter and hospitality.

2.

Noble Hades, lord of the afterworld, upon your head the shining helm that veils the one it crowns in darkness, within your grasp the fearful staff with which you split the world asunder. Hades, I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Hades, holder of all the wealth within the world, yours are all the priceless treasures buried in the earth’s deep bones, the silver and the gold, the copper and the iron, the many-colored gems. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Within your realm, O Hades, are treasures too of life and abundance. The precious seeds of fruit and grain, the soft black soil that clings to root and leaf, without these gifts would mankind fail to flourish. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Kindly host of the dead, receiver of all who pass from the earth into your deep, abyssal realm, granter of rest for the weary, sweet reunion for those too long parted by your well-wrought gates. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings. Fair-minded Hades, even-handed one who holds in hand the lot of all whose earthly lives have ended. The greatest of kings, the lowest of beggars, all receive reward or sanction by your will. I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

3.

Great Hades, master of the darkened deep, master of the realm beneath our feet who hears the echoes of our steps, who takes the echoes of our lives. Hades, you know the need for an end to life, you know the worth of a well-deserved rest, you know the thanks of men and women weary from long lives of worry and toil, you know the joy of sweet reunion as friends long parted join together once again within your storied land. The dim and misty underworld is yours, O Hades; yours are the Fields of Asphodel, yours the endless pits of Tartarus in which are cast the wicked and the vile. Yours too are the Fortunate Isles, the land of fair Elysium where dwell the righteous and the good. Hades, the receiver of burnt offerings, receiver of the blood of beasts, well-honored god: in the end, all come to you. Hades, I praise you.

4.

Great-hearted Hades, lord of the afterworld, noble husband of gracious Persephone, daughter of the earth who shares your golden throne; advocate of the dead whose wrath falls on those who deny them due burial, or whose dishonor endures beyond the grave. Relentless Hades, agent of vengeance, friend of the Furies, long is your arm, long your memory. Lord of riches, lord of wealth, yours is the abundance of the depths, the cold, unyielding treasure of metal and stone; yours is the black dirt turned by the plow each spring, the sun-warmed soil that hides the seed. Hades, dark-haired son of Kronos, ruler of the world beyond us, inevitable host of men and women and all, I thank you for your care of those who have passed; I praise you, I honor you, I revere your name.

Due to him being a Chthonic deity here are tips for worship• You can do water in the ground, I'd personally light incense in his honor, over dirt, and let the ashes fall into the water in his honor. You can throw offerings into water into a pit in the dirt for him, in front of statues offerings were left at his feet. if you have no backyard, or any place to dispose of dirt, I'd get a bag of dirt and place offerings in it then throw it out (make him aware of it, with respect.), Offerings are often buried, poured down the drain, or into the trash (This is done to ‘complete’ the offering.), please NEVER eat after him or anything associated with him other than Kore (Persephone's overworld name, ONLY her overworld aspect),

I know he was offered blood, but please don't unless you're a devotee of Mimmum of 5 years!! that is offering your source of life and it has to be sterile and everything and is VERY VERY sacred, you're offering your life to him, so please make sure to do research and have someone help you if you do decide to.

Links/websites/sources • https://www.tumblr.com/h-x-d-e-s/190189758200/on-worshipping-hades# https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Astrology_and_the_classical_elements#:~:text=Spring%20(wet%20becoming%20hot)%20%E2%80%93,Water%20%E2%80%93%20Cancer%2C%20Scorpio%2C%20Pisces https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hades-Greek-mythology https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/ https://www.worldhistory.org/Hades/ https://www.oxfordreference.com/display/10.1093/oi/authority.20111010143853768#:~:text=Epithets%20which%20euphemistically%20address%20his,Pluton%20('Wealth'). https://www.reddit.com/r/Hades/comments/17yhisn/offerings_to_hades/?rdt=60435 https://www.tumblr.com/twelfthremedy/625927031204577280/hades-offerings https://asklepiad-apollon.tumblr.com/post/182810115143/historically-accurate-offerings-to-the-theoi-buthttps://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/khc513/it_makes_me_sad_that_hades_doesnt_have_a_festival/ https://greekpagan.com/tag/hades/

I use resources, I do not own the info, and most deep dives have UPG (that I use in my work.) And I only take some information from sources. I am 14, this is my hobby, I am learning but I spent many hours and days on this, and I am always open to criticism. I have been doing worship for 5 years. Please know you can use the info, I do not sue, but I will take action if this work is used without permission and not put as a resource if used in any work. without permisson and not put as a resource if used in any work, for the public.

Lady Aphrodite Devotional Post

Offerings

Doves/Swans/Sparrows

Roses

Chocolate

Myrrh

Apples/golden apples

Seashells

Mermaids

Pearls

Jewelry

Gold/Silver/Diamond

Cherries

Dolphins

Perfumes

Cologne

Makeup

Combs

Mirrors

Affirmations/Affirmation Cards

Beach Sand

Sea imagery

Water

Love poems

Oyster shells

Pink Salt

Driftwood

Sea glass

Rose quartz

Amenome/Roses/Carnations

Other flowers

Valentine's Day gifts

Teddy bears

Rose water

Wine

Eros/Cupid imagery

Cakes

(Dress up) Dolls

Chapstick/lipstick

Fishnets

Honey cakes

Undergarments

Hearts

Handheld fans

Pictures of loved ones

Devotional Acts

Dress up and selfies

Keep menstrual products on you, even if you don't bleed

Advocate for pro-choice

Give/accept compliments

Advocate for SA victims

Implement a self-care routine

Go on a date

Take yourself on a date

Do something nice for your partner

Manicure/pedicure

Flirt

Affirmations in the mirror

Drink wine

Advocate for proper sex ed. (Including queer sex ed)

Love yourself/Become more confident

Experiment with your style

Mirror scrying

Listen to sleep affirmations

Love letter to self/her/partner

Take a bath/shower

Go to the ocean/water

This part is about sexual stuff so fair warning

Offerings

Condoms/lube

Lingerie

Undergarments

Sex toys

NSFW magazines/books/movie

Devotional Acts

Finally give into that one kink. You know the one.

Masturbation

Practice safe sex

Educate yourself on the porn industry

Support sex workers (tip them y'all)

Have sex

Get educated on consent/safe sex

Take nude/lewds