Polytheism

Ra is not simply the Sun, and the Sun is not merely a celestial body. The Sun is the most prominent manifestation of Ra in the encosmic world, but Ra Himself — like all the Gods — transcends the physical sphere and belongs to a metaphysical level of reality far beyond the material cosmos.

Ancient Egyptian religion is not a mere divinization of nature, but a metaphysical system in which visible reality reflects higher, intelligible principles. The same holds true for all traditional religions, including Hinduism. The Gods reveal Themselves in manifold forms across every level of Reality — including, but not limited to, the material world. As Thales said: “Everything is full of Gods.”

This metaphysical understanding was fiercely defended by the Egyptian priesthood and society, especially in reaction to the heretic "pharaoh" who, through his cult of the physical Sun disk, the Aten, and his impious disdain for the Gods, attempted to reduce Egyptian religion to a materialistic worship of nature, stripped of its symbolic and metaphysical depth.

In the photo,
the God Ra-Harakhty, falcon-headed, wearing the Solar disk encircled by the Uraeus.
Detail from the "House of Eternity" of Queen Nefertari, Valley of the Queens, QV66, west 'Uaset'-Thebes

"Polytheism in Greek Philosophy challenges the perception of philosophy as a march of reason distancing itself from religion and spirituality, and most of all from polytheism. The ancient Greek philosophers were polytheists who worshiped the many Gods of their heritage, not as a concession to popular sentiment, nor as a transition to a more ‘enlightened’ monotheism or atheism, but with sincere piety, seeking to understand the blessedness of the Gods and how humans can share in it. They sought to illuminate the myths and rituals of their tradition with knowledge about the nature of Gods and the role of worship, beyond the tangible things we pray for, striving to understand what it means to be with the Gods. This book takes you on a journey through myths, instilling an appreciation for their wisdom, and the ideas by which philosophers conceptualized the Gods, such as unity and multiplicity, immortality, beauty, and cosmic order. It studies poets inspired by the Muses, tragedians writing for Dionysos, and thinkers who saw theoretical speculation as the highest form of devotion. It spans the Archaic, Classical, Hellenistic, and Late Antique periods, including the Platonists who confronted Christian hegemony and formulated a theological framework unsurpassed in its sophistication. "

https://henadology.wordpress.com/2025/04/28/new-book-polytheism-in-greek-philosophy/?fbclid=IwY2xjawJ8oxZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBicmlkETFYS1VMNkZSRENSbndkWU1qAR5-4P1A8xyuy-l83F8VeuhRqIdxxWglvGzHLX6Bn1mOoh5XrbDrGo6rWKlNPA_aem_ZcieSYtdsc3K0C9qfFQ8Cg

New Book: Polytheism in Greek Philosophy (Amazon Affiliate Link) My new book, Polytheism in Greek Philosophy, is now available from Amazon in ebook and paperback, and will be available from other retailers in time. This book contains the …

https://archaeologymag.com/2024/03/sanctuary-of-persian-water-goddess-anahita-found-in-iraqi-kurdistan/?fbclid=IwAR2BHSTF-WRseC_kzttJZxUBtq42XpDAC7xblIIsUd95ERwsOC66HdolrA8

Sanctuary of Persian water goddess Anahita found in fortress of Rabana-Merquly in Iraqi Kurdistan Archaeologists excavating the fortress of Rabana-Merquly in Iraq have uncovered evidence of a sanctuary for the ancient water goddess Anahita.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/johnbeckett/2023/12/an-epistemology-of-the-many-gods.html

An Epistemology of the Many Gods Epistemology is the branch of philosophy that deals with the question of how we know what we know. How do we know what we know – what we think we know – about the many Gods? We will never know with certainty, but certainty isn’t required.

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https://m.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-761884?fbclid=IwAR19p2ZkPJ-CykqvvU746ekIy2G2bzK_GMlO6MUsaLNTpoKbG7O19Ik6xX0

US tourist destroys 'blasphemous' Roman statues at the Israel Museum An American citizen was detained by security forces in the museum after being observed shattering the statues, which he claimed were "in violation of the Torah."

Legal suppression of polytheist beliefs still going on today. Disgusting.

Osun monarch bars traditional worshippers from appeasing deities The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has warned that any form of sacrifice to appease deities is forbidden in Iwo town.

The City of the Gods : A Platonic Polytheist’s Thoughts on the Republic The City of the Gods : A Platonic Polytheist’s Thoughts on the Republic

"Reading these short stories feels like an act of devotion in itself, even an act of prayer. The narratives blend fiction and myth (and – one suspects – quite a bit of personal religious experience), and yet the feelings they bring forth, feelings towards the divine, are every bit as real and powerful as those elicited by ritual and worship. Gain new appreciation of deities you may never have connected with before, and fall in love all over again with the complex light and dark sides of your most beloved and familiar gods.

Artemis, Demeter, Hekate, Dionysos, Persephone, Poseidon, Athena, Hera, heroines and nymphs, legendary queens. The depths of the sea and the far side of death. Festivals celebrated two thousand years ago and two weeks ago. Transformations, epiphanies, tragedies, sacred rites and mysteries. Difficult truths and unexpected blessings. All infused with a nuanced understanding of divine nature encompassing the breathtakingly cosmic down to the most everyday associations.

These are not just stories, they are jumping off points for deep contemplation and spiritual engagement. But they are also wonderfully told tales that will entertain and captivate, and can be returned to again and again with pleasure."

A Pile of Stones: Tales from a Devotional Polytheist Reading these short stories feels like an act of devotion in itself, even an act of prayer. The narratives blend fiction and myth (and – one suspects – quite a bit of personal religious experience), and yet the feelings they bring forth, feelings towards the divine, are every bit as real and pow...