06/21/2026

Prayer Beads

Howdy, I thought I'd talk about my prayer beads today. I'm a devout Hellenic Polytheist, meaning I worship the Greek gods. First off, I don't take the myths literally because that would make me a fundamentalist. From left to right, the prayer beads are dedicated to Hera, Artemis, Aphrodite, Melpomene, Kirke, Hekate, and Sappho. Hera is who I pray to for help preparing to foster and adopt teens and be the most badass mom I can be. Artemis is the protector of women and girls and an avenger who has protected me. Aphrodite is not only the goddess of love but self-love, so I pray to her to help me to love my body and to grow as a pole dancer. Melpomene is the muse of tragedy and I believe she is the muse who helps me write. Kirke is the goddess of transformation and chemistry that turned men into pigs. I see her as the patron of my profession, a helper of transgender people, and someone who didn't insomuch turn the men in the Odyssey into animals as reveal their true nature. Hekate is a liminal goddess and a patron of travelers. I love her and I see her as someone who watches over trans people. Sappho is often considered the "tenth muse" and I include her as hero/ancestor worship because being a lesbian is important to me.

We're going to a queer writing meetup today where I will get to meet several independent press owners as well as other authors. It's hitting me that like, this is for real. I am a writer who is growing and trying to start a writing career. That is both scary and liberating. To be a writer would be amazing but I'm not expecting this to be an easy or straightforward path. That said, it's worth it. I have a voice. I have something important to say and I'm not going to give up without trying. If queer art and literature wasn't important, the fascists wouldn't be trying to destroy it.