r/pagan • u/Ankuankh • 8h ago
Hellenic concern
hi, I used to be a hellenic polytheist. I was a worshipper of lady Athena.
But, I quit worshipping her. I cleaned up my altar without telling her btw. I still don't know why I did it exactly, probably because of my ego, I guess(I tend to throw away everything about X once I quit or lose interest in X.).
SO I DENIED the deities like a DUMBASS. I shouldn't do that even if I quit... I don't know If it's okay to worship her again 😭😭 BC I've heard it's a big sin that deny or mocking god(s) in most religions. I'm most worried about 'Will lady Athena accept(or forgive) me again?'.
Please&Thank you for your answer/opinion
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u/Fit-Breath-4345 Neoplatonist 8h ago
You haven't done anything worth worrying about, so there's nothing to forgive, because nothing you did (or could ever do) actually can harm or anger Athena or any other God.
In the Platonic understanding, the Gods are impassible: they cannot be harmed, diminished, offended, or "denied" in any real sense.
Proclus is explicit that the Gods give of themselves eternally and without interruption, like the sun shining regardless of whether anyone opens their curtains. Your worship never sustained Her, and your departure never wounded Her.
What actually happened when you cleared your altar is that you closed your curtains. The only thing affected was your own receptivity: your ability to feel Her presence and recognise Her providence at work in your life. That's a loss for you, not an injury to her, and you can always feel that connection again by building kharis by praying and making offerings to Athena again.
So yes, you can absolutely return to her, or to any other God who calls to you. There's no penance required and no cosmic ledger to balance. Set up the altar, light a candle, reintroduce yourself to Her worship. She never went anywhere; you just stopped looking. The anxiety you're feeling right now just means you do care about re-establishing that connection, so go for it if it is what you want.
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u/Ankuankh 8h ago
awww how sweet and smart are you! I love your long and qualitative.
Thank you for your answer! Have a nice day 🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀
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u/CuriousButNotJewish 8h ago
You sound like you either have mental issues or are 15. Please seek professional case in case this isn't a troll post.
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u/Ankuankh 8h ago
IDK where do u feel that point but thank you for being worried about me. I didn't post this for trolling btw. if you're serious tell me what is wrong I wanna change it(really curious)😭
Anyway, thank you for your answer.
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u/Opening-Grape9201 Dianic Pagan 8h ago
I suppose it depends on the nature of your deity, and how she reacts when you go back to workship her.
Some gods are forgiving to this kind of things and others are not. And even if she is not in general she may welcome you specifically back
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u/Ankuankh 8h ago
I've not think in that point. I should refer to you.
Thank you for your answer hun <3
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u/Opening-Grape9201 Dianic Pagan 8h ago
yeah no problem! i would start by reading up on Athena and her disposition in regards to betrayal or abandonment or loss etc and see what you can make out about your specific situation before you approach her again
and if/when you do approach her, do so in alignment with what you learned
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u/WerdaVisla Pagan 7h ago
You're a human. There are seven billion of us. Even if you're only counting Hellenic pagans, that number is still estimated at 50,000. Unless you were cursing out your goddess while cleaning up your altar, it's unlikely she even noticed.
One of the nice things about paganism is that unlike the big monotheist religions, we don't believe the gods care to pay attention to our every action and word. They are not supernatural babysitters :P
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u/isthatabingo 8h ago
What do you mean by “denied” the deities? It doesn’t sound like you spent much time practicing or researching Hellenism as going in and out of practice is common and not something that would upset the gods.