Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is Hellenic Polytheism?

Hellenic Polytheism is one of a few modern terms for the reconstruction and/or revival of the ancient Greek religion and worship of the many ancient Greek gods (which at times may include Egyptian or Roman gods). A Hellenist or Hellenic Polytheist practices in a way that is informed by or emulative of ancient practice. The Ancients embraced many different schools of belief, so it is more important to embrace community and a few generalized ritual norms than to all believe the same things. This means we can easily leave outdated beliefs in the past while preserving the rites for the gods. In practice Hellenic Polytheism is simply giving offerings to your household gods, celebrating the festivals and sacred days when able (there is no expectation to celebrate all of them, there are too many), honoring your dead, and trying to be a good citizen and family member. Nothing else is required, though don't let that stop you from getting into the history, mythology, or philosophy. 

2. Who can worship the gods?

Good news, anyone! In the spirit of Xenia you can be of any ethnicity, race, age, background, locale, gender identity, disability, mental or physical condition, etc. All LGBTQIA+ are welcome. You don't need to be Greek. And anyone may worship any god regardless of any of these things. You do not need to be a virgin or a woman to worship Artemis, for example. 

3. Which god(s) should I worship?

You may worship any and all gods, they all deserve worship. You don't need to be called or have a special connection to the god(s) to worship. You can't make a wrong choice here. If you have a preference or interest in anyone or their domains already then that is as good a place to start as any. If you really don't know who to start with, might I suggest Hestia, Aphrodite, Hermes, or Apollo. If you want a little more structure, you could try giving the Sacred Days a shot. You aren't making any commitments either way, so feel free to drop and/or reach out to different gods in the beginning and just have fun exploring and getting to know them. Be as consistent or inconsistent as your nature requires. The gods have a way of networking with each other so, trust that eventually you'll find the god(s) you're meant to find. 

4. How do I get started?

Worship is free. No books, dishes, candles, statues, etc required. An altar is just the clean surface you leave offerings on. Everything else is extra. It can be nice to indulge in some research on the god(s), myths, religion, philosophy, etc, but there are no prerequisites for reaching out to them, nothing about the religion so important you need to know it now before you get started. No dire missteps to be made. Often the best way to start, is just to start, and you can do that with a simple libation (glass of) whatever you enjoy and have on hand, water is more than fine, and saying hello to the god(s) of your choice. 

5. How do I worship/pray?

Prepare by cleaning off a surface to serve as an altar, even temporarily, and get your offering supplies (see below). When everything is good to go, rinse or wash your hands in clean water (faucet is fine). Call out to the god(s) and add whichever epithets you like, throw in a hymn and/or prayer or offer your gratitude, then you can leave your offering on the altar. At this point you can end the ritual with a thank you to Hestia or make a request. Don't ever expect your request to be fulfilled, but when they are be sure to give thanks with an offering. If it is the first time you are ever praying, make sure to take a moment to say hello and introduce yourself and your hopes and dreams for the relationship. You can be casual or formal, and pray aloud or silently. Do whatever is most comfortable. I don't think the first meeting is too early to start making requests, so long as you remain respectful, realistic, and genuine. What is important above all else when first starting out is building a relationship with the gods, not fussing over if you're doing things right. There is nothing you can do at this beginning stage that will offend the gods. 

6. How do I make and dispose of an offering?

Any offering given with good intention (except blood) is an acceptable offering. Traditionally wine, honey, water, olive oil, and incense were common, as were hymns, athletics, and other devotional acts. Ideally remove offerings from the altar before they spoil and dispose of in the trash, down the drain, or if eco-friendly and wildlife-safe, burned or buried. A devotional potted plant for libations or a compost bin for food offerings can also be a nice modern option.

7. What is miasma?

Miasma is the term used to refer to a shareable ritual pollution that comes from, essentially, daily mortal life. To keep it simple, miasma is present in instances of birth, death, sickness, and bodily fluids. This miasma can then be shared with anyone who comes into the home or strangers they come in contact with on the street. Since miasma is contagious and could disrupt the connection to gods during ritual it was general practice to rinse your hands in clean water before approaching the gods. In short, don't worry about the specifics of miasma, just wash your hands before ritual and bathe after any births, funerals, illness, or day-time sex. Typical modern hygiene (including during menstruation), mundane cleaning, or in the most extreme cases of pollution, time away from the altar to heal, rest, or mourn, will cleanse all instances of miasma.

8. Why are the gods so awful in the myths?

The myths are not like the Bible nor are they literal truth. The gods don't have beef with each other and there is not an overarching canon. The myths were written by mortals for mortals, and the myths were expected to be fluid and adapt and change to emphasize different beliefs or traits depending on the city and time in history, and they were frequently embellished for competitions. Read them like literature: The gods play characters or archetypes (sometimes even of themselves or domains) and the myths can be metaphorical, allegorical, aitiological, philosophical, political, satirical, cultural, cosmological, theological, and/or pseudo-historical, but there are always deeper spiritual truths to be found within.

9. Will I offend the gods, are they mad, is it disrespectful if I...?

Your good intentions won't offend the gods in any way that matters. The gods are not wrathful or vengeful. They will not punish you for making a mistake, just be open to learning better when you do error. This religion doesn't have a concept akin to sin. So long as you are not a murderer (soldiers are exempt), cannibal, stealing from temples, or neglecting an (intentional) oath, you have nothing to worry about.

10. Is this a sign?

The world is full of gods, therefore the world is full of signs. The gods are not going around harming and punishing people. Be logical, consider mundane reasons and practice your discernment. Ask yourself if you are being superstitious, or if there is harm in believing it to be a sign. If the answer is no, then there is no harm in believing it to be a sign. If the answer is yes, then use extreme caution before proceeding, or simply wait and see if more signs compound. I'd recommend reading Plutarch's short essay 'On Superstition' if you feel you need a little more guidance here, but ultimately you must trust your gut, not someone else's.

11. What is a patron god?

Historically speaking your patron god was the protector-god of your city and the god(s) related to your trade/livelihood. Athena was the patron god of Athens, Helios the patron god of Rhodes. Hephaistos was the patron god of craftsmen, Hermes of messengers, Artemis of hunters, and so on. Many of the gods are a patron of something, somewhere.

Do you need a patron god? No, not at all, and yet historically speaking you probably already have some! If you're in hurricane country, maybe your city patron is Poseidon. If it is a particularly commercial city, maybe Hermes. Maybe both if you have an active port! If you're working in a modern field, like say something with coding, maybe Athena is your patron since coding is quite literally digitized weaving. Maybe you're an engineer and look to Hephaistos or a doctor patroned by Asklepios. 

Colloquially when people refer to patron gods, they might instead mean their primary gods, or ones they are particularly devoted to, or some other special connection, but usually a deeper and more profound relationship than they have with the other gods they might also worship. While this is not historically how the term was used, the spirit behind it does have backing which can be seen in myth (Odysseus & Athena) and in the heavy association of certain gods with their phratries and priestly families. In this sense a patron god is deeply personal and not something a beginner needs to worry about. The relationship will become clear over time.

12. How do I convert?

You don't, really. There aren't any rules or requirements. Strictly speaking, you're a Hellenic Polytheist if you believe in the ancient Greek gods, follow some pretty generalized ritual norms, and choose to identify as such. It doesn't matter if you take one day or two years to identify as such, and the label may be discarded or re-adopted as needed. If you want something a little more special, you are free to make a ritual around it (might I suggest walking around the hearth and declaring yourself), but this is unnecessary.