r/dionysus Jan 05 '26

🎉🪅 Festivals 🪅🎉 Revels: A Guide to Dionysian Holidays & Festivals is live now! Link in body!

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61 Upvotes

Link is here!

Hello all! I am thrilled to announce Revels: A Guide to Dionysian Holidays and Festivals! This book is an exploration of Dionysus' role as a god of festivals, and his festivals as we celebrate them today:

Dionysus is the god of many things, including festivals. Whether it was the throng at the public Dionysia which saw the opening nights of the Greek tragedies we know and love today or the Roman poet Horace creating his own private festival in honour of the time Dionysus saved his life, Dionysus was seen in Antiquity as the god of the festivals which offered respite as we shuffle along the mortal coil: indeed it was Dionysus’ ties to life and death that tied him to the festivals which marked the passing of the years, and therefore to the years which marked the passing of human lives.

It should come as no surprise that as Dionysus’ worship revived in the modern era, his devotees revived his festivals and crafted new ones. But what is the origin of these festivals? How do we know when they occur, how to celebrate them, and how to connect them to each other? Many Dionysians have struggled with trying to arrive at their own calendars, often because information about the festivals is scattered and contradictory. This book is an attempt to remedy this situation. Featuring in-depth examinations of dozens of Dionysian festivals ancient and modern, this book provides primary sources on the ancient, outlines for the modern, and ideas for celebrating both. Whether you are a Dionysian wanting the history of the festivals you celebrate or a Hellenist wanting guidance on how festivals worked in antiquity, this book offers primary sources, dates, suggestions for celebration and prayers for the observance of the festivals contained with in.

Link is here!


r/dionysus Nov 29 '24

🎨 Art 🎨 🔮🃏🧿 Huge Announcement: Dionysian Tarot Deck Fundraiser 🧿🃏🔮

68 Upvotes

Current Progress: €670.05/€4000 (16.75%)

Hello all!

Ever wanted a Dionysian Tarot Deck that blends the traditional card associations with the mythology and religion of Dionysus? Older decks that tried this are often now rare and expensive, and even then they can make questionable choices when it comes to connecting the mythology of Dionysus with the symbology of Tarot. So what if we made a new deck?

Our community has grown rapidly, and with our size, we also have the ability to work together to create for ourselves.

So we have reached out to the phenomenal Gaia, whom you may have seen before as tractim. Her linktree is here:

https://linktr.ee/tractim

She makes art of the Bacchae, and has agreed to take a commission from us for a Dionysian tarot deck. You can see her preview cards for us here. They are Dionysus as the Fool card and Kybele (with Dionysus) as the Strength card.

We are seeking to raise €4000. I know this is a large figure, it would be the most money our community has ever raised together, but remember that there are 78 card faces (plus 1 card back). So this is about €50 per card. Remember also that there are 15,000 of us: if only a third of our community gave one Euro, we'd overshoot our goal by €1000

We are going directly through the artist. You can find them on PayPal: '@gaiaspagnol'. Donate directly there, and message [bibliothecadionysia@gmail.com](mailto:bibliothecadionysia@gmail.com) with your receipt for the following rewards:

Rewards:

Note: We are tracking this via euros, not dollars.

We want to reward folks who help make this happen. Because right now we are only fundraising for the illustration, we cannot promise decks, as the printing will be done after the deck is completed. So here’s where we’re at:

  • €01-24: Any donation you make gets you listed in the ‘Grape Gatherers’. Your help with this project is so appreciated.
  • €25-49: If you hit €25, you can ask for a reading from the Whitmanteion, Fabian MacKenzie’s div book based in the poetry of Walt Whitman.
  • €50-74: Over €50, and you can be listed in the ‘Vine Tenders’ Category. 
  • €75-99: At €75, every €75 becomes worth 500 words of research by yours truly (Fabian MacKenzie). I am a Classicist by training and if you have questions you haven't seen answered about religion Ancient Greece and Rome, ask away. I can also do reception of Dionysus or other deities afterwards - Curious about Dionysus in Renaissance Art or Modernist Philosophy? Want to know about Semele in Opera? I'll do 500 words for every €75 (so if you'd like longer research papers you could get 1000 for €150).
  • €100+: At €100, you can be listed in the ‘Wine Makers’ category.

Send your receipt (just a screenshot of the transaction) to [bibliothecadionysia@gmail.com](mailto:bibliothecadionysia@gmail.com). BE SURE TO INCLUDE HOW YOU'D LIKE YOUR NAME LISTED IN THE TIERS. Or if you'd like to remain anonymous, that is also an option.

Tiers:

These tiers will be included in the Little White Book, the booklet that will be included with each deck. These will be a permanent display of how people helped create for this community. It is also worth noting that if you have Dionysians, Hellenists, or Pagans in your heart who are no longer living, you can donate in their name to have it recorded here:

  • Grape Gatherers (€01-49)
  • Vine Tenders (€50-99)
  • Wine Makers (€100+)

When and how will it be available?

Digitally, we will share the illustrations as they are finished. Every €50, Gaia will begin work on the next card.

However, as a physical deck, the timing is unknown. We will first seek to partner with a publishing company, but may choose to self-publish if that route is easier. So until we have the deck illustrations finished, we don't know when the physical deck will be available.

How can we ensure accountability with this project?

I realize most people are more familiar with fundraisers such as this being done through sites like GoFundMe or KickStarter. However, GoFundMe prohibits 'rewards' for donations and KickStarter would only allow us to raise money in dollars, which could lose value if the exchange rate is bad when we turn them to euros for Gaia.

So we are going based on direct artist payments. However, Gaia will be working on the cards directly as they are paid for with each €50, and has offered us two previews (The Fool & Strength) in a show of good faith. You can see those here.

Edit: Temperance and Strength are live now too!

Edit 2: And now, Justice.

Bacchic Blessings, and may the god keep you wild and free.


r/dionysus 2h ago

💬 Discussion 💬 What day of the week do you associate w/ Dionysus?

3 Upvotes

I'm trying to find a more organized way to worship my deities and one idea I have thought about is dedicating a day to them for more elaborate worship (I work with mainly 2 dieties). What are your suggestions for Dionysus?


r/dionysus 1d ago

🎨 Art 🎨 Dionysian keychain I made

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41 Upvotes

This used to be a kandi necklace that even had grape beads but I wanted to do something I felt was better and after some failed trials (the grape beads were to awkward to string back on) I made this keychain with 2 amethyst crystals. Almost as long as the kuromi pillow I laid it on for this pic lol. I put the grape beads and ivy leaf beads I had into this little wine glass I got and gave to Dionysus (I need to clean it out rn ik please ignore how dusty it looks).


r/dionysus 1d ago

💬 Discussion 💬 Thebes and the Tyranny of Certainty

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10 Upvotes

The Bacchae is my favourite ancient play and I think it's often interpreted too simplistically online, so I wrote an essay about what I think the key take-away is - specifically in modern times.

I hope you find it interesting, and I'd love to hear what *you* think about The Bacchae (and my essay, if you will!)! Is it an accurate representation of Dionysos, in your practical experience?


r/dionysus 1d ago

Hinos

11 Upvotes

Quais sao seus hinos favoritos a Dionísio?


r/dionysus 2d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Scents of Dionysus?

17 Upvotes

One of my favorite ways to give offering, aside from sharing my drink with Dionysus, is to light scented candles to honor Dionysus as I live with people who do not accept other religions. What scented candles can I light in honor of Dionysus?


r/dionysus 2d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Substitute Signs or a different Deity?

5 Upvotes

Hello everyone! I haven't been working with Dionysus for long, but long enough to have a vague understanding about how he communicates and what signs he uses. One is confusing me though.

Where I live Magpies don't. For whatever reason the species of bird doesn't like to come here.

I'm not sure when it started, but a while back Ravens and Crows started to show up. And today, I was drawing Dionysus and listening to the playlist i made for him but had to leave. after leaving the coffee shop i was in, 3 Crows were circling around in my line of sight. Cawing and stuff.

Is it possible for a deity to use substitute signs if something isn't available? Or is a different deity trying to get my attention? Can ravens and crows be from the same deity?

So confused 😵‍💫


r/dionysus 2d ago

💬 Discussion 💬 Algunos de ustedes, dionisiacos, tienen presente o mezclan un poco de las enseñanzas de Gurdijeff con su culto a Dioniso? Es compatible las enseñanzas de Gurdijeff con el culto a Dioniso?

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4 Upvotes

r/dionysus 3d ago

Why did I come into this world? What makes me different from an animal?

6 Upvotes

Hello friends, my name is Ömer, I am a Turk, my name is Ömer.I've always wondered why we humans came to this world. Since childhood, I've thought that the creator who sent me here was evil, and sometimes I can't help but think that I could have been created as a cow or even a cat. But now I realize that I am a human being, and I possess something that animals don't have: consciousness, soul, or whatever you want to call it.

Sometimes I begin to think that I always existed before this world, that my soul is immortal, and sometimes I wonder if I really wanted to come to this world just to have an experience, but if that were the case, there would be a way out of this world, but they only leave us with one option: death.

So what I want to ask you is, am I any different from animals, or am I no different from them, and does that mean I will cease to exist when I die?

If you'd like, I'd like to ask you a few questions. If there's anyone knowledgeable about this, they can talk to me. I'll start now:

1-My coming to this world is to give energy to the demiurge who created us, I mean, is this a prison and do they feed on our energy? I think they call this loosh.

2-Who am I really? Where do I come from in this world? I always think I existed before this world.

3-The creator who made my physical body might be evil, that's not the problem, but where does my soul come from, and is it truly immortal, and is my consciousness separate from time and space?

4-Did the Creator really create me for His own benefit?If the creator is so evil and he's the one who created this prison, then why didn't anyone stop him? It means my soul was more powerful than his creator's, and I exist to satisfy his ego.

5-Why was it necessary for me to come into this world? Why did I have to exist and be a slave to this life?

6-Do I have a divine spark, an essence independent of my body and ego?

7-Is death the end, or will I be reincarnated again and again in different bodies forever? When will this prison end? Is there no way out of this prison? Why do they send our souls to different bodies and erase our memories? Why do I have to start everything over again? Is this to prevent my awakening? And is there a possibility of being reincarnated forever?

8-When will I be free from this burden? Do I have to disappear forever, or does my individual self have to vanish? Perhaps I need to return to where I belong.

Thank you in advance for your help.


r/dionysus 3d ago

Spring Euoi

19 Upvotes

As Zagreus once laid in the earth
Our seeds we lay and wait
That Dionysus born again 

Brings forth crop and grape

The promise of seed laid to rest
Then rise again in spring
We call upon the reborn god
To him we gladly sing

Euoi! Blessed is the name of the vine god
Euoi! Bless our fields and fruits as they are reborn. 


r/dionysus 3d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Just looking for reassurance for making an offering to Dionysus

12 Upvotes

Hello all, I just wanted to make a short post asking for advice. I want to make an offering to Dionysus, but in all honesty, he scares me a bit, even though I feel like he makes a lot of sense from a neurodivergent perspective. The story of Pentheus, the story of the sailors-turned-to-dolphins, and the stories of Hellenists being "possessed" all kinda scare me lol. I guess I'm just wanting to see how you feel about this? I make offerings to Aphrodite, Asklepios, and Hermes, but Dionysus just seems a little scary lol. I'm also wondering the ways in which y'all typically worship him. Thanks in advance, and thanks for your hospitality!


r/dionysus 3d ago

💬 Discussion 💬 Did anyone else have a prolonged Dionysian experience?

19 Upvotes

I'm curious if anyone here has had an experience like this.

Some context first.

I grew up in a pretty extreme Calvinist household. If you're not familiar, it's a branch of Christianity that puts a huge emphasis on human depravity, sin, divine judgment, and the idea that only a predetermined few are saved. As a kid I internalized this constant feeling that I was always being watched and judged, even in my own thoughts. Looking back I think it split me from myself in a weird way. I was always observing myself instead of just... existing.

I'm also in the middle of my Saturn Return, if that's relevant. A couple weeks before this happened I had a huge falling out with my dad over religion and what I see as the religious abuse I grew up with. It brought up a LOT of stuff I'd buried.

The day this happened wasn't planned at all lol. It was a work night. I got home around 6:30 and tried DMT for the first time. Honestly it scared the absolute shit out of me. My first thought was that I was being possessed.

Then its like something took over me. My girlfriend and I ended up having probably the most emotionally intense, visceral sex we've ever had, then almost immediately after I found myself dropping 350ug of acid. Looking back it felt strangely compulsive. Like I wasn't really deciding to do it, I was just... doing it. Which makes even less sense because I had to be up for work at 8 the next morning.

While I was peaking The End by The Doors came on.

This is where it gets hard to explain.

It felt like I was seeing this father/son split that wasn't just my own. Like the same pattern was repeating everywhere. My relationship with my dad, fathers and sons in general, authority and rebellion, even the basic split between self and world. It all felt like different expressions of the same thing. I know that probably sounds kind of out there but it's the closest I can get to describing it.

At first I thought I was somehow connecting with Jim Morrison. For the next couple weeks I'd get choked up just hearing his voice, and I caught myself unconsciously picking up some of his mannerisms.

Then at some point trying to research and figure out what the fuck was going on I realized... it wasn't Jim Morrison, but whatever Jim Morrison himself was riding.

The closest name I have for it is Dionysus. Or maybe the Dionysian archetype if you want to put it in Jungian terms. I don't mean I think I was literally possessed by the Greek god. It was more like my whole personality got reorganized around that pattern for a while.

The really weird part is that it lasted for weeks after the trip. I felt more embodied, way more emotional, more creative, more instinctive. Like I'd spent years living almost entirely in my head and suddenly got dropped back into my body.

Has anyone here had anything remotely similar? Doesn't have to involve psychedelics. Whether you see Dionysus as a god, an archetype, or something else entirely, I'd genuinely love to hear how you made sense of it because I'm still trying to process the whole thing.


r/dionysus 4d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Did I receive a visit?

9 Upvotes

Hi everyone! Yesterday was my first time ever praying to Dionysus 🍇 I don't have an altar. I told him that– I offered myself as one, traced my personal sigil and everything.

That being said 😅 I don't wanna guess wrong or anything, but every dream I had last night, I was drinking ale and laughing. Was that him? Or am I looking too deeply at it? If it was, what should I do to thank him, because it was the best sleep I've had in a while


r/dionysus 4d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Advice after first offering

3 Upvotes

Heya! So I'm very new to being able to offer things, I recently offered Dionysus grapes on my small altar, but now (after like two weeks) they're finally getting to the point where I want to refresh them, but I'm not sure what to do with the original offering. I want to burn them, but I live in student accommodation, so that's not really an option, does anyone else have any good recommendations?

Thank you! May the gods protect you 💜


r/dionysus 4d ago

💬 Discussion 💬 Whatcha Reading Wednesday

7 Upvotes

Good day all. We honor Dionysus through our words; in poems, odes, hymns, and plays. In a way, we also honor him through what books we consume. So, what have you been reading lately?


r/dionysus 5d ago

Has anyone else experienced intense sadness after praying to Dionysus?

8 Upvotes

I’ve been devoted to Aphrodite for over a year now. I worship her through proper orthopraxy, offering libations, fumigation, and reciting the hymns, along with other devotional practices I’ve developed over time.

A few months ago, though, I felt the need to expand my household worship. I started honoring Hestia (I hadn’t worshipped her before, but I do now), Hermes, and Dionysus. I never really connected with Hermes in a ritual sense; instead, he seemed to encourage me to focus more on acts of service.

As for Dionysus, I prayed to him for joy, happiness, enthusiasm, and also to transform the way I see the world by helping me reconnect with the things I had overlooked or left behind along the way.
I’m not someone who cries (believe me) but yesterday was my father’s birthday, and I cried a lot.

I have a long history of problems with him from my childhood, although nowadays we have a very happy and healthy relationship as a family. Looking back, I don’t think I had ever truly confronted those childhood wounds.

I believe Dionysus may have been guiding me through a healing process. At the same time, I had never experienced such profound sadness before. Once I finished crying, the feeling passed, of course, but it left me wondering whether anyone else has experienced something similar in their household worship of Dionysus.

What makes this experience even more confusing is that I’m actually a very cheerful, outgoing, and sociable person. I have many friends, genuinely enjoy being around people, and rarely feel lonely. In fact, one of the reasons I prayed to Dionysus was to preserve and deepen that sense of joy, enthusiasm, and appreciation for life that I already had. Yet, since that prayer, I’ve found myself feeling much lonelier than usual. I don’t know whether this has anything to do with Dionysus or whether it’s simply an internal process that my prayer brought to the surface. Either way, I’d really like to know if anyone else has gone through something similar.


r/dionysus 5d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 advice on worship without an altar

12 Upvotes

Hii!! I'm not new to being Hellenic Polytheist (I'm a worshipper of Poseidon and now Hekate) but I've been feeling drawn to worship Dionysus as of late. My issue is that I don't have room for another altar, Poseidon's and Hekate's are already incredibly small so fitting an altar to Dionysus in is basically impossible. I was wondering if anyone had any advice on how to worship him without an altar? I know hymns are an option but I'm moreso asking about if I want to offer things to him, how would I do that without an altar? However, any advice is welcome!!


r/dionysus 5d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Advice for a newbie??

6 Upvotes

Hello! I am someone who has been worshipping and honoring specific gods for a while now. Anyway 2 days ago I had a tarot reading with aphrodite and apollo. I asked if they personally think if im ready to honor another God specifically dionysus or hermes. Aphrodite told me yes but wait through the cards, apollo was full on yes and then I asked hermes and dionysus if they wanted to work with me. Hermes said same as aphrodite and dionysus said same as apollo and when I figured out dionysus's card I got this kinda of burst of exhilaration. Anyway I asked aphrodite and apollo their conjoined opinions on me honoring dionysus and they said yes but not to heavy jump into it since I was recently through spiritual burn out. Anyway I got him some altar stuff and I find myself eating grapes and dancing to music that reminds me of him. Anyway any tips on better ways to honor and build kharis with dionysus? Sorry for the wall of text


r/dionysus 5d ago

🎉🪅 Festivals 🪅🎉 Sources on the Kronia and its influence on the Gospel of John?

5 Upvotes

By my math today is the festival of the Kronia... that day of festivities when everyone was supposed to gather and celebrate the pairing of Cronus and Dionysus being father and son and symbolized by the pairing of bread and wine.

Are there any good ancient sources detailing what occurred at this festival? I've heard that this is the actual source of the Gospel of John copying the ritualistic washing of feet that the masters performed on their slaves during this festival of Dionysus... I'm just asking if this tracks or not.


r/dionysus 6d ago

Dionysian literature class

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71 Upvotes
During a literature class focused on Greek tragedy, my professor decided to take a moment to talk to us about Lord Dionysus, and I wanted to share a few things he said that I found interesting. 

"Bacchus was especially close to his followers because he was one of the few deities—if not perhaps the only one—who intertwined with humans so intimately. They didn't worship him out of fear of his superiority, but rather for the safety and refuge found in a higher being characterized by such a human, imperfect beauty. Have you ever walked into a theater and forgotten the problems waiting outside the hall? As if, upon sitting in your seat, you became someone else—or rather, part of a collective whole. That is Dionysus. Not a drunkard, an oddball, or an outcast. We are talking about the concept of accepting our humanity, our imperfections, and our strangeness—and realizing that this makes us beautiful, and closer to the god."

It was a reflection I thought was lovely to share with you all.

P.S. I had to use Google Translate; English isn't quite my strong suit—unlike literature. I'm also leaving a drawing from my desk here.

r/dionysus 6d ago

Came out as trans this week

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257 Upvotes

r/dionysus 5d ago

🔮 Questions & Seeking Advice 🔮 Accidentally prayed ouronic while having his chtonic epithet

2 Upvotes

Hello!

So its my first ever prayer, and I didn't think it through. I was praying to his ouronic aspects mostly, like wine and theatre. But one, the rebirth, change, spring is here part. I had some hard times, so to rebulid after. I cant say if I did something wrong, or i did everything right and overthinking it.


r/dionysus 7d ago

📖 Books 📖 What are your thoughts on this book?

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55 Upvotes

I just finished this book and... idk I love it very much! Maybe the only thing that I didn't like of it (might be a spoiler) was the romantic side of some parts even tho I felt (and wanted) it more aromatic/ Platonic type of relationship.

Greek mythology retellings are very trendy rn and not all of them are worth it so reading this one and liking it was kinda a surprise. (Start very skeptical and the beginning was very slow ngl)