{"id":28153,"date":"2023-03-20T01:10:44","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T05:10:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/?p=28153"},"modified":"2023-03-11T18:30:43","modified_gmt":"2023-03-11T22:30:43","slug":"good-god-4","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/2023\/03\/20\/good-god-4\/","title":{"rendered":"Good God!"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: x-large;\"><b><span lang=\"en-US\">Meet <\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">the Gods<\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">: Adonis<\/span><\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-28154 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"203\" height=\"406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god1.png 240w, https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god1-150x300.png 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">One of the gods associated with Beltane is Adonis, <\/span><\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">the Greek god of beauty, desire, <\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">fertility and renewal. <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">He was born a human, but Zeus later turned him into a god at the request of Aphrodite. Therefore Adonis became known as the god of rebirth, but he is also associated with fertility and vegetation. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">The most popular belief is that Adonis is the son of Theias, the king of Syria, and his daughter, Myrrha (or Smyrna). According to <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #333333;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">World History Encyclopedia, the king boasted his daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. When Aphrodite heard this, she became angry, and \u201cused her son, Eros, the god of desire and attraction, to make Myrrha fall in love with her father, and even deceived him into committing incest.\u201d <\/span><\/span><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">It was during their nine nights together in total darkness that Adonis was conceived. Learning of this, Theias was furious and tried to find and kill Myrrha. She pleaded with the gods to change her form and was made into a myrrh tree. In that form she gave birth to Adonis.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28155 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"385\" height=\"560\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god2.png 385w, https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god2-206x300.png 206w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 385px) 100vw, 385px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Aphrodite was charmed by his beauty, and to protect him from his angry father, gave Adonis to Persephone, queen of the underworld, to raise. He grew to become an astonishingly handsome man, and Persephone fell in love with him, refusing to give Adonis back to Aphrodite. The two fought over him until Zeus declared Adonis would spend four months with each goddess, and have four months to do as he chose. He chose to spend those months with Aphrodite. Together they had two children: Beroe and Golgos.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #222222;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">According to mythology, Artemis became jealous of Adonis\u2019 great hunting skills and sent a wild boar to kill him. Another tale has Aphrodite\u2019s lover, Ares, send the boar. Either way, Aphrodite held Adonis in her arms as he bled to death. Most sources agree with the legend it was Adonis\u2019 blood that created the short-lived crimson anemone, and that his blood turned the Adonis River red each spring.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When he died, Aphrodite pleaded with Zeus who granted Adonis immortality, making him a god. After his transition from mortal to god, Adonis was celebrated for his connection to death and rebirth, aligning him with Beltane. Festivals in his honor in Greece and beyond promoted rainfall and the growth of vegetation. Adonis represented the natural decay of beauty in winter and its return in spring. It is also said that <\/span><span style=\"color: #1a1a1a;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Aphrodite continued to mourn her fallen lover, celebrating his life every spring by holding large parties.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-28156 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"376\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god3.png 400w, https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/good-god3-300x282.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #1a1a1a;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Choosing to work with Adonis at Beltane could mean calling on him as the young god of beauty and desire, or to represent vegetation\u2019s return this time of year. Because Adonis passes easily between realms, he can deliver messages back and forth, he may be petitioned when attempting to contact the dead. According to \u201cEncyclopedia of Spirits\u201d by Judika Illes and cited by occult-world.com, \u201cHe is able to determine where to search for missing people: the realms of the living, dead or both.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span style=\"color: #1a1a1a;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">Honor him with scarlet wildflowers, myrrh incense, and items a hunter would appreciate. Sex toys and aphrodisiacs are appropriate offerings, as are Easter cakes and breads; pork is not. The article by Illes also recommended serving Adonis the ancient alcoholic beverage, arak, and to not venerate him alone because he likes company. \u201c<\/span><\/span><span lang=\"en-US\">Incorporate Aphrodite, Persephone, Astarte, Nymphs, or other spirits on his altar,\u201d the website states.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">If it\u2019s more comfortable for you to work with John the Baptist or Saint Anthony, know that both are said to be possible guises for Adonis when paganism was forced underground. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>**<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>About the Author:<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-20916 alignleft\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"206\" height=\"274\" \/><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><b>Lynn Woike<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\">All my life I have known magic was real. As a child, I played with the fae, established relationships with trees and \u201cjust knew things.\u201d In my maiden years I discovered witchcraft and dabbled in the black-candles-and-cemeteries-at-midnight-on-a-fullmoon magick just enough to realize I did not understand its power. I went on to explore many practices including Zen, astrology, color therapy, native traditions, tarot, herbs, candle magic, gems, and, as I moved into my mother years, Buddhism, the Kabbalah and Reiki. The first man I dated after my divorce was a witch who reintroduced me to the Craft, this time by way of the Goddess. For 11 years I was in a coven, but with retirement, I have returned to an eclectic solitary practice.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-20918 alignright\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike3.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"150\" height=\"199\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike3.png 464w, https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike3-225x300.png 225w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">When accepting the mantle of crone, I pledged to serve and teach. This is what I do from my skoolie \u2013 a 30-year-old school bus converted into a tiny house on wheels that I am driving around the country, following 72-degree weather, emerging myself into nature, and sharing magic with those I meet. Find me at <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/thewitchonwheels.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #0000ff;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">thewitchonwheels.com<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\">, Facebook and Instagram.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><a href=\"https:\/\/thewitchonwheels.com\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone  wp-image-20917\" src=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"295\" height=\"236\" srcset=\"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike2.png 488w, https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/10\/lynn-woike2-300x240.png 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 295px) 100vw, 295px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p class=\"western\"><span style=\"font-family: Liberation Serif, serif;\"><span style=\"font-size: large;\"><span lang=\"en-US\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewitchonwheels.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">thewitchonwheels.com<\/a> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Meet the Gods: Adonis One of the gods associated with Beltane is Adonis, the Greek god of beauty, desire, fertility and renewal. He was born a human, but Zeus later turned him into a god at the request of Aphrodite. Therefore Adonis became known as the god of rebirth, but he is also associated with fertility and vegetation. The most popular belief is that Adonis is the son of Theias, the king of Syria, and his daughter, Myrrha (or Smyrna). According to World History Encyclopedia, the king boasted his daughter was more beautiful than Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty and love. When Aphrodite heard this, she became angry, and \u201cused her son, Eros, the god of desire and attraction, to make Myrrha fall in love with her father, and even deceived him into committing incest.\u201d It was during their nine nights together in total darkness that Adonis was conceived. Learning of this, Theias was furious and tried to find and kill Myrrha. She pleaded with the gods to change her form and was made into a myrrh tree. In that form she gave birth to Adonis. &nbsp; Aphrodite was charmed by his beauty, and to protect him from his angry father, gave Adonis to Persephone, queen of the underworld, to raise. He grew to become an astonishingly handsome man, and Persephone fell in love with him, refusing to give Adonis back to Aphrodite. The two fought over him until Zeus declared Adonis would spend four months with each goddess, and have four months to do as he chose. He chose to spend those months with Aphrodite. Together they had two children: Beroe and Golgos. &nbsp; According to mythology, Artemis became jealous of Adonis\u2019 great hunting skills and sent a wild boar to kill him. Another tale has Aphrodite\u2019s lover, Ares, send the boar. Either way, Aphrodite held Adonis in her arms as he bled to death. Most sources agree with the legend it was Adonis\u2019 blood that created the short-lived crimson anemone, and that his blood turned the Adonis River red each spring. When he died, Aphrodite pleaded with Zeus who granted Adonis immortality, making him a god. After his transition from mortal to god, Adonis was celebrated for his connection to death and rebirth, aligning him with Beltane. Festivals in his honor in Greece and beyond promoted rainfall and the growth of vegetation. Adonis represented the natural decay of beauty in winter and its return in spring. It is also said that Aphrodite continued to mourn her fallen lover, celebrating his life every spring by holding large parties. Choosing to work with Adonis at Beltane could mean calling on him as the young god of beauty and desire, or to represent vegetation\u2019s return this time of year. Because Adonis passes easily between realms, he can deliver messages back and forth, he may be petitioned when attempting to contact the dead. According to \u201cEncyclopedia of Spirits\u201d by Judika Illes and cited by occult-world.com, \u201cHe is able to determine where to search for missing people: the realms of the living, dead or both.\u201d Honor him with scarlet wildflowers, myrrh incense, and items a hunter would appreciate. Sex toys and aphrodisiacs are appropriate offerings, as are Easter cakes and breads; pork is not. The article by Illes also recommended serving Adonis the ancient alcoholic beverage, arak, and to not venerate him alone because he likes company. \u201cIncorporate Aphrodite, Persephone, Astarte, Nymphs, or other spirits on his altar,\u201d the website states. If it\u2019s more comfortable for you to work with John the Baptist or Saint Anthony, know that both are said to be possible guises for Adonis when paganism was forced underground. &nbsp; ** About the Author: Lynn Woike All my life I have known magic was real. As a child, I played with the fae, established relationships with trees and \u201cjust knew things.\u201d In my maiden years I discovered witchcraft and dabbled in the black-candles-and-cemeteries-at-midnight-on-a-fullmoon magick just enough to realize I did not understand its power. I went on to explore many practices including Zen, astrology, color therapy, native traditions, tarot, herbs, candle magic, gems, and, as I moved into my mother years, Buddhism, the Kabbalah and Reiki. The first man I dated after my divorce was a witch who reintroduced me to the Craft, this time by way of the Goddess. For 11 years I was in a coven, but with retirement, I have returned to an eclectic solitary practice. &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; When accepting the mantle of crone, I pledged to serve and teach. This is what I do from my skoolie \u2013 a 30-year-old school bus converted into a tiny house on wheels that I am driving around the country, following 72-degree weather, emerging myself into nature, and sharing magic with those I meet. Find me at thewitchonwheels.com, Facebook and Instagram. thewitchonwheels.com &nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":210,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"iawp_total_views":1,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10004],"tags":[14431,14432,11365,10534,11872,14433,10642,13376,10640,10112,11029,12683],"class_list":["post-28153","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-monthly-columns","tag-adonis","tag-aphrodite","tag-beauty","tag-blog","tag-desire","tag-fertility-and-renewal","tag-greek","tag-meet-the-gods","tag-myth","tag-mythology","tag-persephone","tag-zeus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28153","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/210"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=28153"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28153\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":28161,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/28153\/revisions\/28161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=28153"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=28153"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/paganpages.org\/emagazine\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=28153"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}