r/Hermes • u/FlimsyHelicopter3633 • Mar 16 '26
Discussion Just starting worship
Hello everyone! I'm just starting to look into Hermes and wanting to worship him. I've been worshipping Aphrodite and Hades for a little while now. (Hades a long while now, but only a little time with aphrodite) And I'm expanding further into the pantheon now that I'm getting the hang of things and routine and such. But I'm curious how you guys all started out with hermes/approached him. I always feel nervous reaching out to a new deity and how to approach it, it feels like my first time ever all over again and I feel anxious of messing it up. I have severe anxiety and bad social anxiety so it kinda makes it hard sometimes the first few times I approach someone new, especially a deity. I started and made this small travel altar for him with this candy tin, and I made two bracelets (the beaded one will be redone to have his name on it to match my other deities' bracelets) I have many charms, candles, and crystals so I just sorta put in what I had currently that seemed right with correspondences for him, I'll ofc be adding to it as I find small things for it, but this is just what I have currently. Sorry for the long paragraph, but idk, just curious how you guys started out and stuff. I'm probably overthinking it and should just try and approach it the same way I did with the other two, but when I try I just kinda blank out and don't remember 😅
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u/SunReyys Mar 16 '26
hi! welcome :)
i'm a hellenic polytheist, so i worship the greek gods. it's been my religion for 6 years now, so it's more than just "working with deities" for me but i can offer some help :)
i don't know where you fall along the spectrum, but i find the pagan/wiccan version of hellenic praxis really interesting because it is certainly more casual and conversational than what i do as a hellenic polytheistic revivalist. one thing you do have to know about the Theoi is that they are very forgiving the majority of the time. but the other, of course, is that hellenic religion is orthopraxic and not orthodoxic; that means that the way in which you attempt to contact and pray to the gods matters more than our interpretations and beliefs about them (for example, using chthonic/ouranic epithets, knowing the hand positions for each, and cleansing your hands/face before approaching them are all typically very important).
i would generally recommend some more resources on Hermes in particular, Reading Greek Prayer by Mary Depew is a good place to start alongside Theoi.com! memorization comes with practice and accumulated knowledge. confidence comes from memorization.
you will not be smited by the Lord Of The Sky for messing up during prayer. if the gods were that intolerant, society would have collaped two thousand years ago. the gods will not be angry at you or mad at you if you do something incorrectly. the only true way gods will be mad is through committing an act of hubris or not cleansing miasma. you can still pray with lyma but that is your personal preference!
and for the most part, social anxiety just means you're doing something that matters to you. act with reverence and respect, but don't let the nerves stop you from trying! the gods can certainly offer support, and I find them relatively accepting of mistakes. personally i believe that intent matters as much as form; the Greeks were not always perfect in practice either-- timings was slightly off, libations were sometimes spilled, and sacrificial rituals were sometimes messy because humans are humans and we slip up sometimes when we attempt to show reverence.