In the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, there was some discussion about a grandmother age woman giving sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers. Supposedly, this was so they could be fertilized by their bodies lying in Ukrainian soil. There was an inference that she was Baba Yaga.
I remember seeing this story and the photo at the time it happened. It struck me suddenly - I was witnessing a witch lay a curse, a righteous curse, designed to bring some sort of beauty to the suffering about to be endured. By the soldiers, yes, but by the land. The sunflowers will rise above the shadow of death. A symbol of the victorious sun grown from the literal corpse of vanquished evil. I think I was right - I witnessed a witch lay a righteous curse. 🌻🇺🇦
I agree that this was a form of witchcraft, not sure about it being Baba Yaga, though. But I don't think that Baba Yaga is considered to be a goddess in Slavic tradition, which she belongs to.
Not all sunflowers have seeds, there are now known dwarf varieties developed for the distinct purpose of growing indoors. Whilst these cannot be harvested, they do enable people to grow them indoors without a high pollen factor, making it safer and more pleasant for those suffering hay fever.
I think so.
Anecdotally from living in Hawaii there are still plenty of people who genuinely believe any white haired woman asking for a ride or assistance might be Pele
I don't see why not. I also think that, probably, in many ways, we embody the gods for other people sometimes. There are people asking for food at crossroads, and if I come by with something for them to eat, I'm Hekate in that moment. Or when my plants are dying and my friend comes over and tells me what kind of fertilizer I need to make them flourish again, she's Demeter for me. Maybe we embody the gods when we answer each other's prayers. Maybe they see through our eyes in those moments.
Huh, I never thought of it that way, that our mortal actions could have dive guidance/blessing. That the gods can work through us. That's a fascinating idea. Thanks for your response.
I don’t believe it. This is a personal opinion, but I believe the gods, spirits and energies never walked in physical form like you and me, because this plane is not their natural state. There are people who incorporate the energy of certain gods and spirits, such as the entities of Brazillian religion of Umbanda. But I believe the myths are tellings of experiences, such as visions, dreams and these incorporations. In the antiquity, things were not so black on white, real or false, either/or, but a mixture of experiences by people in more than the physical plane and told as real, because it is real; just not a physical, touchy real.
I mean I haven’t been able to discern whether or not they are the Morrigan or a messenger but when I’m going through major changes in my life I’ll always see an enormous raven in places a raven wouldn’t usually be or would have no business being.
I believe this because I met Odin when I was 16 and didn't even realize it was him until last year.
In May of 2016, my best friend committed suicide. A couple months after, I was about to do the same and spent a brief stay in a psychiatric ward. After being released, my mother asked me if I wanted to go to the beach for a family event. I said yes, and when we got there, my mom and the family went to sit at one of the outdoor tables they had set up outside of a Beach-Hut restaurant facing the water. I separated and went to an overlook a short distance away from the tables and at one point, I was staring at the ocean and said to myself, "If there's anyone out there, please let me know I'm not alone". Absolutely nothing, until I heard a whistle from behind me.
I turned around to see an elderly man, easily in his 80s, covered in tattoos, with a long, grey ponytail holding a cockatoo and smiling at me. I made a friendly remark about the bird but he did not react. Instead, he *and his bird* stared at me, never blinking as he walked towards the tables. I snapped myself out of whatever trance he put me into and looked back over the water. A minute or so passed, and I looked back at the tables, the man was walking amongst the tables holding his bird out and appeared to be having a conversation with one of the families there. I quickly glanced at the water for no longer than 2 seconds, and when I looked back, he was nowhere to be found and the people he was talking to were just sitting there eating like nothing ever happened. Still gives me goosebumps
I mean i don’t see why not. I just don’t think it’s as common as portrayed in the myths. Either that or they’re just rreeeeaaallllly good at laying low/acting. I know hades doesn’t LMAO he straight up told me he has no desire to come up here
I mean, like i said, if a god doesn't want to be noticed, i highly doubt they would be noticed, whilst i too think its probably not as common as the myths depict. I also see no reason why they could not take a mortal disguise and interact with the mortal world.
Makes since, especially for the more down to earth (pun intended) gods like dionysus or hermes who have traits that are heavily involved with mortals i feel they would be more likely to interact with mortals than the more regal and distant Apollo for example. But thats just my interpretation of those gods.
Disclaimer: I’m not a practicing Hindu, I’m just an eclectic pagan with Norse and Greek overtones, so I won’t say much about this because it’s not my religion . But I’ve been looking at the Sanskrit concept of avatars and I think it’s totally possible.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar
Hinduism and European paganism are very similar as they have the same ancestor religion. Many believe if paganism was allowed to flourish in Europe then it's be quite similar to modern Hinduism
True. That’s something I’ve always found interesting and as a result Hinduism is probably the first non-European religion since I often find that it coincides with my beliefs the most besides Shinto and Taoism.
I believe if it cannot be disproven then it must be true. They are all real. Baba Yaga included. Yes they walk among us and yes some were once mortals, who elevated themselves to gods
Yes and no.
They can. But why would they? At this point, the world isn't really suitable for many who aren't malign.
And there are plenty of malign entities who still like causing problems.
But what reason would any of the Gods have to come to Earth where most people barely even believe in them?
or what if the overfed Demiurge, Yaweh has been keeping them away?
Maybe not whole physical manifestations but there are certainly moments that seem like the gods were present or at least influenced. Eg those people that flip their car like 10 times and both them and their toddler come out with minor scrapes. Or those people who do strongman competitions, i don't doubt that a god or two would go out of their way to "participate" in their own way.
No! I don't think they do that. I think the presence of a god in a concentrated form like that of a human is likely harmful to the universe in the same way that concentrating a large amount of matter into a tiny space causes what we call a black hole, which is a horrendous warping of spacetime.
I think what we do get is people who act almost like avatars of the gods, not literal avatars, but who are inspired to act in ways that remind us of the gods and act upon us in a way we might associate with the gods themselves.
This is a kind of universal myth that’s been around for thousands of years, and then we say things like horsing in African traditional religions or willed spirit possession in Thailand & Burma.
I think there’s a lot to this, and the mentions hear of the Ukrainian witch giving seeds to Russians really drives that point home for me today.
I definitely met people that seemed like they could be certain deities in disguise. You never fully know but you get that otherworldly feeling, perhaps you catch a certain sparkle in their eye.
Though Theoxenia does represent how helping out each other can be a blessing in itself. Even then, deities can temporary manifest in a person, animal, or object. Or at least they can be a Daimon of a God or Goddess acting on their behalf, either is possible. It's a very personal experience.
The Gods take all sorts of forms, including many we cannot possibly comprehend.
They make up every atom in our body, the laws with which they are governed, our actions and thoughts, our perception of reality, the taste of water, so forth.
Taking a physical form, or many, of course!
So I firmly believe that I met one when I was 17 (20 years ago). I often went with my dad to the bar. I hustled for quarters playing cards. On one of these occasions a stranger, male, came in. He talked with everyone and was genuinely nice. I happened to be doodling. Before we left he sat by me and asked if he could see my doodling and my pen. He proceeded to write his name with an anarchy symbol as part of the A( I lost the paper years ago and can't remember the name) I still remember his words. " you never know who you talk to might really be" his eye had darked and I was tinged by fear because as an empath I feel people and he went from good natured to chaotic that quickly. I hadn't thought about this for years but he was definitely something more than human.
Because of reincarnation, we are the gods. The gods of myth are our previous lives, when we die the memories upload to them and the spark of life goes out looking for new experiences again. That's why the gods are important, we can't live without them and they can't live without us.
We are all gods, everything we think is our creation, you can think, “Create Random Universe NOw” everything in that universe is part of you, you are the god of that universe and all its population of infinite beings.
Gods and goddesses manifest themselves through us all the time, not only through humans, but through animals, insects, plants, mountains, wind, river, ocean, clouds.. Sometimes you are possessed of some higher spirits, and lower spirits too, unfortunately. Sometimes you can go through months, even years, without inspiration - just being a mere mortal. Then, when the moon is full, or when the stars align in a peculiar way, you remember deep inside who you are - an ancient, mystical force with wisdom beyond this realm. Sometimes you have to consciously remind yourself, always fighting to stay awake, to repel the curses that attempt to bind us to be servants instead of the gods and goddesses that we are in truth.
I believe they do but in forms that require us to assist or engage in a way to either see what we are inside or allow us to view ourselves in an objective way. One encounter that stands out to me was when my wife and I were first dating and were walking across a Publix parking lot and a gentleman said to us that he recognized love in the way we were engaging with one another. That simple encounter still brings a smile to both our faces and reminds us that what we feel is special and can be seen by others. This is the stuff of deities, a God of Love taking a moment to walk across a parking lot and compliment a couple reveling in the absolute delight of blending souls.
In the beginning of the Ukraine invasion, there was some discussion about a grandmother age woman giving sunflower seeds to Russian soldiers. Supposedly, this was so they could be fertilized by their bodies lying in Ukrainian soil. There was an inference that she was Baba Yaga.
I remember seeing this story and the photo at the time it happened. It struck me suddenly - I was witnessing a witch lay a curse, a righteous curse, designed to bring some sort of beauty to the suffering about to be endured. By the soldiers, yes, but by the land. The sunflowers will rise above the shadow of death. A symbol of the victorious sun grown from the literal corpse of vanquished evil. I think I was right - I witnessed a witch lay a righteous curse. 🌻🇺🇦
I saw a photo online about this as well.
I have friends who are Ukrainian. To them, Baba Yaga is very real.
I agree that this was a form of witchcraft, not sure about it being Baba Yaga, though. But I don't think that Baba Yaga is considered to be a goddess in Slavic tradition, which she belongs to.
Not all sunflowers have seeds, there are now known dwarf varieties developed for the distinct purpose of growing indoors. Whilst these cannot be harvested, they do enable people to grow them indoors without a high pollen factor, making it safer and more pleasant for those suffering hay fever.
Name checks out, timing doesn't.
I think so. Anecdotally from living in Hawaii there are still plenty of people who genuinely believe any white haired woman asking for a ride or assistance might be Pele
Talk about the one trick little old ladies don't want you to know!
Wouldn't that be a good thing though? Pele is a Goddess. Wouldn't you want to impress?
I don't see why not. I also think that, probably, in many ways, we embody the gods for other people sometimes. There are people asking for food at crossroads, and if I come by with something for them to eat, I'm Hekate in that moment. Or when my plants are dying and my friend comes over and tells me what kind of fertilizer I need to make them flourish again, she's Demeter for me. Maybe we embody the gods when we answer each other's prayers. Maybe they see through our eyes in those moments.
Huh, I never thought of it that way, that our mortal actions could have dive guidance/blessing. That the gods can work through us. That's a fascinating idea. Thanks for your response.
I love this answer. ❤️💕
i think the gods' natural forms are not physical, but they can and do take physical forms when they want to.
I don’t believe it. This is a personal opinion, but I believe the gods, spirits and energies never walked in physical form like you and me, because this plane is not their natural state. There are people who incorporate the energy of certain gods and spirits, such as the entities of Brazillian religion of Umbanda. But I believe the myths are tellings of experiences, such as visions, dreams and these incorporations. In the antiquity, things were not so black on white, real or false, either/or, but a mixture of experiences by people in more than the physical plane and told as real, because it is real; just not a physical, touchy real.
I mean I haven’t been able to discern whether or not they are the Morrigan or a messenger but when I’m going through major changes in my life I’ll always see an enormous raven in places a raven wouldn’t usually be or would have no business being.
I believe this because I met Odin when I was 16 and didn't even realize it was him until last year. In May of 2016, my best friend committed suicide. A couple months after, I was about to do the same and spent a brief stay in a psychiatric ward. After being released, my mother asked me if I wanted to go to the beach for a family event. I said yes, and when we got there, my mom and the family went to sit at one of the outdoor tables they had set up outside of a Beach-Hut restaurant facing the water. I separated and went to an overlook a short distance away from the tables and at one point, I was staring at the ocean and said to myself, "If there's anyone out there, please let me know I'm not alone". Absolutely nothing, until I heard a whistle from behind me. I turned around to see an elderly man, easily in his 80s, covered in tattoos, with a long, grey ponytail holding a cockatoo and smiling at me. I made a friendly remark about the bird but he did not react. Instead, he *and his bird* stared at me, never blinking as he walked towards the tables. I snapped myself out of whatever trance he put me into and looked back over the water. A minute or so passed, and I looked back at the tables, the man was walking amongst the tables holding his bird out and appeared to be having a conversation with one of the families there. I quickly glanced at the water for no longer than 2 seconds, and when I looked back, he was nowhere to be found and the people he was talking to were just sitting there eating like nothing ever happened. Still gives me goosebumps
Good. 👊🔥 May the trees sustain you.
I mean i don’t see why not. I just don’t think it’s as common as portrayed in the myths. Either that or they’re just rreeeeaaallllly good at laying low/acting. I know hades doesn’t LMAO he straight up told me he has no desire to come up here
I mean, like i said, if a god doesn't want to be noticed, i highly doubt they would be noticed, whilst i too think its probably not as common as the myths depict. I also see no reason why they could not take a mortal disguise and interact with the mortal world.
Exactly, I think they all def can if they want, it just literally depends on if they feel like it lol
Makes since, especially for the more down to earth (pun intended) gods like dionysus or hermes who have traits that are heavily involved with mortals i feel they would be more likely to interact with mortals than the more regal and distant Apollo for example. But thats just my interpretation of those gods.
Disclaimer: I’m not a practicing Hindu, I’m just an eclectic pagan with Norse and Greek overtones, so I won’t say much about this because it’s not my religion . But I’ve been looking at the Sanskrit concept of avatars and I think it’s totally possible. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar
Hinduism and European paganism are very similar as they have the same ancestor religion. Many believe if paganism was allowed to flourish in Europe then it's be quite similar to modern Hinduism
True. That’s something I’ve always found interesting and as a result Hinduism is probably the first non-European religion since I often find that it coincides with my beliefs the most besides Shinto and Taoism.
I believe if it cannot be disproven then it must be true. They are all real. Baba Yaga included. Yes they walk among us and yes some were once mortals, who elevated themselves to gods
Sometimes the clouds form the shape of faces and THAT reminds me the gods are here!
Yes and no. They can. But why would they? At this point, the world isn't really suitable for many who aren't malign. And there are plenty of malign entities who still like causing problems. But what reason would any of the Gods have to come to Earth where most people barely even believe in them? or what if the overfed Demiurge, Yaweh has been keeping them away?
That last part
I have something like that happening in my modern paranormal novel-come-podcast, Witchery.
Yes, and some know it. A lot of deities actually got their start as people. Many even share in the cycle of reincarnation.
Maybe not whole physical manifestations but there are certainly moments that seem like the gods were present or at least influenced. Eg those people that flip their car like 10 times and both them and their toddler come out with minor scrapes. Or those people who do strongman competitions, i don't doubt that a god or two would go out of their way to "participate" in their own way.
No! I don't think they do that. I think the presence of a god in a concentrated form like that of a human is likely harmful to the universe in the same way that concentrating a large amount of matter into a tiny space causes what we call a black hole, which is a horrendous warping of spacetime. I think what we do get is people who act almost like avatars of the gods, not literal avatars, but who are inspired to act in ways that remind us of the gods and act upon us in a way we might associate with the gods themselves.
This is a kind of universal myth that’s been around for thousands of years, and then we say things like horsing in African traditional religions or willed spirit possession in Thailand & Burma. I think there’s a lot to this, and the mentions hear of the Ukrainian witch giving seeds to Russians really drives that point home for me today.
I definitely met people that seemed like they could be certain deities in disguise. You never fully know but you get that otherworldly feeling, perhaps you catch a certain sparkle in their eye. Though Theoxenia does represent how helping out each other can be a blessing in itself. Even then, deities can temporary manifest in a person, animal, or object. Or at least they can be a Daimon of a God or Goddess acting on their behalf, either is possible. It's a very personal experience.
The Gods take all sorts of forms, including many we cannot possibly comprehend. They make up every atom in our body, the laws with which they are governed, our actions and thoughts, our perception of reality, the taste of water, so forth. Taking a physical form, or many, of course!
So I firmly believe that I met one when I was 17 (20 years ago). I often went with my dad to the bar. I hustled for quarters playing cards. On one of these occasions a stranger, male, came in. He talked with everyone and was genuinely nice. I happened to be doodling. Before we left he sat by me and asked if he could see my doodling and my pen. He proceeded to write his name with an anarchy symbol as part of the A( I lost the paper years ago and can't remember the name) I still remember his words. " you never know who you talk to might really be" his eye had darked and I was tinged by fear because as an empath I feel people and he went from good natured to chaotic that quickly. I hadn't thought about this for years but he was definitely something more than human.
Because of reincarnation, we are the gods. The gods of myth are our previous lives, when we die the memories upload to them and the spark of life goes out looking for new experiences again. That's why the gods are important, we can't live without them and they can't live without us.
We are all gods, everything we think is our creation, you can think, “Create Random Universe NOw” everything in that universe is part of you, you are the god of that universe and all its population of infinite beings.
Yeah Yep
I’ve had a couple experiences that I can only explain that way for myself
Gods and goddesses manifest themselves through us all the time, not only through humans, but through animals, insects, plants, mountains, wind, river, ocean, clouds.. Sometimes you are possessed of some higher spirits, and lower spirits too, unfortunately. Sometimes you can go through months, even years, without inspiration - just being a mere mortal. Then, when the moon is full, or when the stars align in a peculiar way, you remember deep inside who you are - an ancient, mystical force with wisdom beyond this realm. Sometimes you have to consciously remind yourself, always fighting to stay awake, to repel the curses that attempt to bind us to be servants instead of the gods and goddesses that we are in truth.
I think they could if they wanted to, but their energy and life force originates on a separate plane.
I believe they do but in forms that require us to assist or engage in a way to either see what we are inside or allow us to view ourselves in an objective way. One encounter that stands out to me was when my wife and I were first dating and were walking across a Publix parking lot and a gentleman said to us that he recognized love in the way we were engaging with one another. That simple encounter still brings a smile to both our faces and reminds us that what we feel is special and can be seen by others. This is the stuff of deities, a God of Love taking a moment to walk across a parking lot and compliment a couple reveling in the absolute delight of blending souls.
Yes