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A guide to worship of Hades - cheat sheets

Hellenic cheat sheets

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Okay so Hades contacted me, and i have no idea where to start. i've been cruising the Hades tags and there is virtually nothing useful. I've read most (if not all) of his stories, and the ones that include him. Any tips? it came from left field to be ones, always thought it would have been Poseidon.

Omg, hello and welcome to the club!!! :D Personally this makes me very happy, because I know how rewarding a relationship with Hades can be! I will add, also, that you may have a relationship with both Hades and Poseidon if you wish. :)

If you’re interested in strengthening this relationship with Hades, here are some devotional acts you can do:

Money and stones are greatly symbolic of Hades, especially dark, jagged stones (think obsidian, smoky quartz and onyx)

As with all chthonic deities, offerings are usually poured down instead of rising up. This means incense is a less common offering, as you want to offer things that are poured down into the earth, where Hades symbolically resides. I usually offer oils and teas (you may offer wine and juice as well), and pour the physical remains into the earth after ritual.

Also, I know it’s common with heavenly deities to take a sip of the drink before offering it. With chthonic deities, DON’T DO THAT. Offer the entire drink to Them. (I got such a death glare from Hades when I didn’t do this correctly pun intended).

Cleaning up cemeteries and tending to old graves are GREAT versions of philanthropic worship!

If you believe in the Hellenistic underworld, you may want to offer money to the spirits of the dead to let them pass on

You may make an altar to Hades easily. Black/grey candles, stones, money, any bones (or representations of bones) you have, and items passed down in your family (a form of ancestral worship) work well on the altar!

You may create an altar to spirits of the dead or your ancestors too if you wish!

Mint and pomegranate are sacred to Hades :)

Remember that the element of earth is sacred to Hades as well. Using dirt, herbs and any other earth elemental magic works in devotion to Him.

If you communicate to spirits, treat them kindly and help them move on

And finally, but most importantly, talk to Him. Talk to Him silently, out loud in front of an altar, or write to Him in a journal (which I do all the time). Hades will respond to you again when He believes the time is right.

If you have any other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask! I’m so excited for you that I’m literally having trouble typing because my fingers are trembling. Have a blessed path, lovely!

Working In Graveyards & Graveyard Etiquette🕯

Why Incorporate Graveyards?

Graveyards have always been associated with the supernatural and metaphysical. In both ancient and modern cultures, funerary rights and the dead have always held great significance in society. When working in these spaces, the most important thing to remember is respect. The dead are not as mutable as the living and it may take longer to rectify a mistake and earn their trust again than it would have been to learn the proper etiquette from the start.

Which begs the question, why work in these spaces and with these spirits? Well lots of reasons, some people choose to only work in graveyards that they have a direct ancestral connection with (ie. family members or distant relative are buried there). Others, like myself, find it a good way to honour the local spirits. Even spirits of people you don't know and have no connection too are worth honouring. Some people believe that since all of humanity has a common ancestor, we are all related and so even cemeteries you have no direct connection to, are connected to you by our common ancestor (another reason I am quite fond of). Maybe you just think it's cool, which is valid. Whatever your reason, just make sure you have one and are not going there with insincere intentions.

What is Graveyard Etiquette?

Graveyard etiquette are the ways in which we should behave when entering and visiting a graveyard in order to be respectful to those resting there. Although there are general rules of thumb which many witches follow, as you develop a relationship with a particular graveyard, those customs can change. Here are some I like to follow:

Leaving an offering- I always bring an offering of coins or flowers. If I'm visiting a graveyard that I've never been to before, I will leave coins at the gate, for the guardian and at some of the older and unkept headstone (also graves of young children if I find any). During regular visits, I leave offerings with the guardian and at headstones of spirits I've developed a relationship with.

Walking the entire graveyard- this is not something I do every time but I like to walk around the entire site and introduce myself especially if I plan on having a working relationship with the spirits there (this may be more difficult for larger sites, I recommend picking an new area each time you visit if that is the case).

Entering and leaving through the same gate- this is not one I stick to every time if I know the spirits really well. If I've never visited before I will always leave through the same exit that I entered from.

Throwing salt or spinning- I heard this one from ChaoticWitchAunt (on TikTok) and it's something that I've just always done. They recommended spinning around three times before leaving to prevent spirits from following you home. I've also thrown a bit of salt over my left shoulder outside the entrance for the same purpose (beware: salt is not good for the earth). This is definitely something that just resonated with me after a bad experience and that's why I continue to do it.

A Note on Necromancy & Death work:

Necromancy is often a term used in many scary movies and cult fiction. It is actually a form of divination which utilizes the dead. Anyone can learn necromancy however it is an integral part of death work. Death worker (practitioners who practice death work) are involved with crossing spirits over. The job requires some level of mediumship abilities and can be very taxing on your mental health. Some death workers take on the lingering emotions of the deceased (pain, fear, anger, etc.) in order to help that spirit. Death work is much more than the small bit that I've described but it is important to note that the path is not for everyone. You can still work in cemeteries and utilize necromancy without doing death work (& a big thank you to the death workers who continue on their path despite the toll it takes, we love you!).

*All images are from Pinterest*

plants 🍃

x - x / x - x / x - x

King Hades, 

Lord of the dead, protector and saviour of the lost, the broken and those who are hurting,

Great King, Great Protector, 

Wrap you smokey love around me, help me through my struggles and hurts, hold me close. 

I sing your praise and hold you with me 

I worship you, and give you my heart. 

Hear my praise 💗

"In the reciprocal system of such charis relations, favor implies favor; any divine charis must be linked with the favors offered by the mortal. The favors mortals offer are limited by their limited power to give, but a mortal must always offer something to the deity, even if it is only words of praise. The more elaborately crafted the hymn, the more beautiful the poetry, the more exhaustive the praises of the deity, the more of a favor it provides for the god."

Drawing Down the Moon, Radcliffe G. Edmonds III, p. 162. Emphasis mine.

A hymn I wrote to a few goddesses I view as playing a part in one of my major hobbies, Herbalism! I consider Hekate to be my patron in this area.

Archive moodboard for lovely @happyheidi ❀ུ۪

Energy Work: Energy Types and Sources

Independent Energy

Independent energy is a type of energy that never loses it’s charge or can recharge on its own with little to no help from outside sources.

Personal energy is the energy that your body makes by itself. It is most commonly recharged by sleeping and calorie consumption and can be easily used as a source in most aspects of witchcraft.

Organic energy is derived from life. This includes humans, plants, animals, and some entities. These can be used as sources. Personal energy falls under this category but is distinguished for crafting purposes.

Rooted energy is the most common source to recharge from and it has a substantial or near unlimited amount of energy. This includes planetary bodies, the elements, and the weather.

Artistic energy is a non-sentient type of energy created by an artist. Despite being able to affect the emotions of those who view or listen to it, the energy itself is trapped within the original product. This energy can be duplicated and used as a source for other creations and magical purposes. This includes things like music, paintings, movies, or stories.

Dependent Energy

Dependent energy is energy that depends on other sources of energy to prevent becoming stagnant with usage over time.

Natural energy is stored in objects not created by humans. It is limited as a source and has to be recharged to keep its individual characteristics. This includes things like crystals, stones, and dead matter.

Manufactured energy is stored in objects created by humans. This includes things like paper, clothing, and machines.

Spiritual energy is created from organic energy sources or nature itself. They heavily depend on other sources of energy in order to maintain themselves. This includes once-living spirits, thoughtforms, and nature spirits.

Programmed energy is a non-sentient energy that is created for a purpose. It can be crafted from any energy source and needs to be recharged in order to continue doing its duty. It can be a free-flowing energy or it can be stored in a vessel. This includes things like spells, curses, and enchantments.

Emotional energy is a non-sentient type of energy created by emotions, thoughts, and words. If fed into, it can turn into an energy parasite. If not fed into, it will neutralize. It can permeate into the world around it or stick to its creator.

Parasitic energy is a non-sentient type of energy and is generally an outcome of sustained emotional energy. It feeds on and encourages the original emotions it stems from and is stuck to a host.

Consumable energy is a non-sentient energy source that is stored in food products. This includes things like harvestable food and crafted food.

Hades devotion series masterpost

Hades 101- part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5

Hades 102- part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5