jamy-libations

[jamy-libations]

This may be a question someone has already asked, but what are your thoughts on the landscapes in Assassin's Creed Odyssey, if you have played it?

I have answered a similar question but not this one! I have actually not played the game but because of the previous ask and the aesthetics and the frequent greece representation discussions here, I am somewhat acquainted with it.

AC Odyssey is actually quite accurate, with some pros and cons. One thing we can all agree upon is that the developers worked their asses off to create a beautiful world, genuinely inspired by or representing Greece. While watching it, I can also tell they wanted to show some little known facts about Greek geomorphology. In order to achieve this, they overdid a bit in some aspects and they deviated from other, more known characteristics, which they perhaps incorrectly ditched as stereotypes . In short, some elements are accurate, some are idealised and some are overlooked or undersold:

+ By watching relevant videos on YouTube, navigating your character does feel like exploring the Greek landscape. Many of the locations , although digital and fantastical, feel very oddly familiar.

+ The developers emphasized most on a little known fact about the country; it is very rugged, mountainous and rocky. This thing where your character goes up, down, up, down, up, down, up and again down and then up an irregular hill, well that's the genuine painful but also very rewarding experience of walking in the Greek countryside.

+ They nailed it with the vegetation, if they took inspiration from South Greece. This combo of sparse forest with low vegetation, sometimes interrupted by rocky terrain was beautifully done.

+ Some criticise it a bit for adding architectural elements of different ancient eras but I actually like this. It is a game, it blends elements beautifully and they are still Greek, so what's the problem... Although it surely could do with less wood and more stone in its place.

+ The light is beautiful in this game. They knowingly played with it as Greece promotes this as one of its attractions: the whole Greek sun, Land of Light etc. But, yeah, the way light is used in this game often reminds me of beautiful sunlit or sunset views in the country.

+/- It is beautiful but of course idealised how in AC Odyssey apparently all seasons co-exist in Greece. It's an eternal spring with spots of vibrant autumn and there's always winter in the mountains. Summer ironically got the short end, you can perhaps see it in the occasional brownish low vegetation at best. It is however a nice change from everyone thinking Greece is a tropical country. It's a temperate country, it's just that it doesn't experience the seasons all at once lol And of course if someone wants to visit the Greek countryside in its most AC-like time, they have to come to Greece in spring, ideally April and May, and not in July and August like most tourists. Someone might say "thanks Captain Obvious" to this but I have received plenty comments under photos wondering why the grassland wasn't flowery like in the image when they went in August so I feel like I have to say this.

(-) It is wonderful when you're navigating your character but I watched a video with the game's map in the eagle's eye view and I realised that the AC Odyssey Greece is a tad repetitive and less diverse. Essentially it's a bunch of islands that are VERY rugged with a snowcapped mountain and a few bays. While, again, this is part of what Greece looks like, the country is actually way more diverse.

(-) Namely, the rugged emphasis was overdone after a while. If Greece is over 80% rugged and mountainous, which is the official estimation, AC Greece is like 101%. Greece has flatter islands, wider valleys and smoother hills as well. Again, what AC shows is very accurate but overexaggerated. I already talked about how good the vegetation is. However, it resembles the south mainland. Some islands have less vegetation. Northern and central mainland as well as many islands have actually quite denser vegetation than the one depicted in the game. Again, the game is accurate but way less diverse.

(-) The map is not accurate. There’s just Athens, right? And then islands after islands, which all have mainland characteristics. But they clearly weren’t going for accuracy there.

(-) The biggest foul IMO was surprisingly the beaches. AC Odyssey did the Greek beaches no justice at all. The most accurate thing about them is that AC coastline is very indented with bays and coves. That's accurate. However, I was disappointed by the repetition again as well as the sea colour which I found nice but much plainer than that of the actual Greek waters. It was always a little turqoise in the first couple meters and then a regular blue. Greek waters can be turqoise for much longer distances or have a striking azul or sapphire or darker blue colour, all of which were greatly missed in the game. I missed the famous - if stereotype-y - blue and white aesthetic of the country. Of course the houses are modern so they couldn't be in the game but the blue&white also feature in the sea / waves and sky / clouds so...

Ignore the town but this type of blue is greatly missed in a game about Greece IMO.

Also some beaches looked way too tropical. Greece has a few subtropical beaches but the AC ones didn't look very accurate. Sometimes I thought it was a small bay in a Caribbean island. This is quite odd coming from the guys who worked so hard on other less known facts about the country's geomorphology.

(-) Elysium might be stunning but it is not Greek looking. Unfortunately, the Niagara falls are in Canada. The rock formations however, as well as several others in the game, seem to be inspired by Meteora.

So below I did some comparisons between AC Odyssey and real Greece. Keep in mind that these are just similar-looking images I managed to find on google. I do not know where the developers actually based their inspiration.

South Pindus

Ancient Olympia

Meteora

Mt Pelion

Cape Sounion

Dimitsana

Lake Plastira

Kerkyra (Corfu) island

Vikos gorge

Kalavryta

I found many other familiar looking locations but they were too generic i.e a small stream, a hill, a farm, and I got a little lost with all this searching because there are many places that could look like that. Lol I just realised I didn't use even one AC beach - AC beaches get rekt

Anyway, in short, I believe AC Odyssey does a very solid and hard work in its Greece portrayal - all my complaints are basically nitpicking that doesn't bother me (save for the beaches). Of course there is also the gamification and colour filters that create all these otherwordly vibes but those are to be expected from a game of course.

#ac odyssey #interesting text and loved the pictures at the bottom

[jamy-libations]

thank you, oh lovely Aphrodite

the pure beauty Herself

for giving me a friend

how i prayed for that

please take this post as an offering for you, oh Kind one

#this is really beautiful #aphrodite #thank you aphrodite for your gifts

[jamy-libations]

my much improved travel altar for Hestia set up at work last week

#hestia

[jamy-libations]

Between Scylla and Charybdis (Odyssey) 2024

[jamy-libations]

The City of Troy from the Sea by François-Louis Schmied

[jamy-libations]

Y'all are amazing. Reblog to hug the person you’re reblogging from.

#thank you :) #yes it helped a lot!!

[jamy-libations]

𝒯𝒽ℯ 𝓋𝒾ℯ𝓌 ℯ𝒶𝓇𝓁𝓎 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝓂ℴ𝓇𝓃𝒾𝓃ℊ… || Leonídio, Arcadia, Greece by alltears83 on Instagram.

[jamy-libations]

A modern interpretation and UPG of the hearth fire: the oven light or stove/vent light. 💡

In my house there is no fireplace or hearth. I don't cook on a fire except for an occasional weenie roast at a friend's place. I use an electric stove and always having it on isn't practical or safe. But seeing the hearth as the heart of a home, where food is prepared and the feeling of home/family/belonging is "kept" has me equating it with my stove. We're a cooking family. It works perfectly for us.

Nothing quite feels like family to me than watching cookies bake with the oven light on. Or getting up before the sun and being able to find my way around the kitchen by the stove's vent light - making tea or working on an overnight rise loaf of bread. I'm not sure if it's how dim it is or if it has to do with something from my childhood but the stove being lit up, even without baking, just feels like home.

Those lights I'm privileged to be able to have on all the time if I wish it. Those lights are my hearth fire, my signal that I'm home. Anything those lights touch can be a part of my hearth altar or shrine. As I take care of that space, I take care of my family.

#hestia

[jamy-libations]

Temple of Poseidon, Cape Sounion.  Photo: catrin_pl (IG)

#poseidon #sounion

[jamy-libations]

Cool list!

#small spoiler #argos is 1!

[jamy-libations]

I feel like Poseidon doesn't get talked about a lot on here, so boom. Here we go. Poseidon loving hours.

Even though I am low-key terrified of the ocean because I can't swim, there is still so much beauty within it, from vibrant coral reefs to schools of silvery fish reflecting light like mirrors to the relaxing sound of the waves gently splashing against the shore. The ocean is a very beautiful place.

Poseidon reflects his own domain. The ocean can be scary and unpredictable, for sure, and I feel that is what most people are used to when mentioning Poseidon the Earth-shaker, but on top of being a turbulent place, it is also a peaceful place. It is a place that brings tranquility and joy. It is a place that brings thought and self-reflection. It is a place that brings discovery and intrigue.

Poseidon, too, brings these things with him wherever he goes. He can teach you to go with the flow of the unpredictable waters, he can show you how to relax and have fun, he can encourage you to search within your own depths, he can reveal to you another perspective that you hadn't thought of before.

I think that maybe, especially if you're landlocked, it's easy to forget the relevancy Poseidon can and does have within our lives, but when you start to look a little closer at him, there is so much he can reveal to you. 🩵🌊🔱

#poseidon

[jamy-libations]

Hephaestus and Aglaia’s marriage 🔨🌺

Everyone knows about the failed marriage between Hephaestus and Aphrodite but not enough people know about his later marriage with the goddess Aglaia

This painting from 1st A.D Pompeii is the only artwork that we have where Aglaia and Hephaestus are depicted together.

Aglaia is the goddess of beauty, splendour, glory and adornment and the youngest of the three Charites. She married Hephaestus after his divorce from Aphrodite and bore him four divine daughters:

1. Eukleia, goddess or personified spirit (daimona) of good repute and glory

2. Euthenia, goddess or personified spirit (daimona) of prosperity and abundance

3. Eupheme, personified spirit (daimona) of praise, acclamation, and shouts of triumph

4. Philophrosyne, personified spirit (daimona) of friendliness and welcome

Their marriage is mentioned in the Theogony and the Iliad. In the Iliad Thetis comes to Hephaestus’ home to ask for a new armor for Achilles and Aglaia greets her kindly, after some time the couple present the new armor to Thetis (see the picture above).

I find it so sad that Aphrodite and Hephaestus’ unhappy marriage is so popular but his loving relationship with Aglaia is mostly unknown. I love this couple and I hope that they’re happy and thriving in Olympus 💓

#hephaistos #aglaia

[jamy-libations]

What do you find most beautiful about your faith or practice- or, alternatively, what do you wish people knew about it (or you can answer both)?

You know rose coloured glasses? I feel like I have theoi coloured glasses.

They are in everything and are everywhere. A thought followed by a breeze, the stunning colours of nature, the fierce wind that blew through and tore down tree limbs near me. Someone’s smile at just the right time, or the scent of incense as it burns in offering.

I lean heavily into the animist aspect of this religion and it makes the world shine.

[jamy-libations]

Hestia Devotional Activities

I was cleaning my room last night and found this list on a random piece of paper. I've been worshipping/working with Lady Hestia for roughly 2 years now so I have no idea when these ideas are from but I hope you enjoy!

Pick up rubbish in communal areas

Offer the first or last bites/portions of food your to her

Cooking/baking for yourself or others

Having a candle lit whenever possible (electric or real)

Alternatively, playing a video of a fire place. (This is my favourite)

Volunteering at or donating to homeless or DV shelters

Setting healthy boundaries with friends and family

Tea/Coffee magick is always a great devotional opportunity

Get involved with your local community in anyway possible.

Additionally, getting involved in politics! Advocating for policies you believe will better the community is absolutely in alignment with Hestia and her role in ancient Greece.

Allow yourself to rest (this is UPG but i've always found that she just wants you to take care of yourself more than anything).

Do a chore you've been putting off for a long time and dedicate it to her

Organise to hang out with some friends and/or family

Be kind to other AND YOURSELF!!

Veil or bind your hair!

Wear something red or orange (I normally opt for a red hair tie and bind my hair with it. 2 birds, 1 stone)

Make a devotional playlist for her

While we're on the topic of digital witchcraft, make a pinterest board or a mood board for her

Learn about kitchen witchery

#hestia

[jamy-libations]

THEBAID READALONG / #THEBAIDRAL STARTING IN JANUARY 2024.

the thebaid is a latin epic by statius that derives from the greek tradition and follows the story of an exiled polynices who gathers together seven greek princes to wage war on his brother, eteocles.

it's an incredible work and one i am really, really fond of! i've been wanting to re-read it for a while and so starting in january 2024 and crossing into february 2024, i'm hosting a chill, low-key readalong of the thebaid! i plan on opening a discord and using the hashtag above and stuff to talk about it and you're more than welcome to join in, but if you just wanna' use these dates to keep you on track for your own private reading of the text - that's cool too!

the discord will open late december/early january (just before we start reading) and if you want to be a part of that let me know and i'll be sure to invite you when it opens, but again, no obligation!

i have a copy of the text on pdf if anybody needs it, but any version/translation/language works! i just love this epic so much! 🧡

#interested!

[jamy-libations]

mint

Stepping softly into the warm greenhouse

as the grass outside freezes over with fallen twigs,

I stare at all the seedlings, sprouts, and sprigs

as the Queen returns to her throne with her spouse.

I devoted a mint plant to Demeter today.

  I gently place the small seeds in this wet soil,

I pray they work out; for if these seeds grow

then I shall too, I know. Even through winter,

and the freezing of trees and cinquefoil,

I devoted a mint plant to Demeter today.

#demeter

[jamy-libations]

I Do Not Know How To Sing

I do not know how to sing not really not well Nor give the the praises you deserve from us from me It all feels so hard and frustrating and overwhelming Yet I drink wine so sweet so intoxicating And I try my best for me for you And give the praises I know with joy with ecstasy And you love me the same as before as always So I proudly sing Praise Dionysus Praise Dionysus

#dionysus