I was burning an incense cone, and the smoke was so pretty, I decided to try my hand at scrying with it. (Mistake; now I’m coughing a bunch!)

Anyway, I asked Hermes if he had any messages for me. After a certain amount of time, I saw an image of a caduceus, which formed so perfectly and practically shined gold in the light, I straightened up and was like, “well, I sure saw THAT one!”

Which is cool, considering I had a hard time seeing anything in the smoke at all. Soooo, I guess that was a pretty clear “hey, hi, hello” for me lmao. He’s so funny!

Hello community!

I've been thinking on this for quite awhile now and have had others share their UPG and say that he feels like this or has a good association with the Fey in their experience.

Hermes is the defined son of Zeus but we don't know as much about his mother, Maia, at least historically.

However IMO I believe we can draw a few conclusions.

Maia was a Pleaidian nymph, an oread, who were mountain nymphs. Let's look at nymphs.

Most scholars agree that the nymphs are nature spirits of a more human-like nature. In the Celtic world the elementals and nature spirits were called the Fey and had rankings to show the difference between the more "civilized" humanoid ones and the more wild feral types. In the Arabic world they are called Djinn and can come in all shapes, sizes and intelligence levels like the Celtic Fey. So we can draw a fair conclusion that the nymphs were the Fey of the Greek and Roman world along with Satyrs and Centaurs. So I feel it's safe to assume Maia was Fey, a mountain Fey to be exact. But there is the Pleaidian aspect. I don't know what to do with that besides bring in some ancient extraterrestrial ideas and some esoteric knowledge. The Greeks never said why they call them that! If anyone has an idea why they were called that LMK!

Here it goes. Some extraterrestrial researchers have said that beings from the Pleaides visited Earth long long ago and were very much like the High Elves we see in lore and stories like the ones written by JRR Tolkien. They had extremely long lives, a similar look, and had the ability to manipulate natural forces and the elements. They also worked in closed conjunction with a younger Earth to bring about a stability to the climate so that humans and all Earth's children could not just survive but thrive. They had nature magic, so to say. An early human might look at a being like this and call them a nature spirit. Once they had been here long enough would one be able to tell the difference? No. Do I believe there were native Earth spirits? Yes, of course.

These beings taught early humans many things to survive. OK, so, maybe Maia was related to these beings somehow? Is that why Maia was called "Pleaidian"? Because she was possibly from there or her family was? Was she born here or there? IDK, but she was a part of nymph lore, that we know for sure. She was a Pleaidian Fey. She also had an important role of being the eldest and wisest of the seven sisters, the seven main stars we see in the Pleiades. She was considered supremely lovely as many High Elves are. But she had dark hair and eyes so obviously they were't all blonde! XD

Maia was the daughter of Atlas, a Titan. We're not sure "who" the Titans are exactly but many (and me) assume they are elemental type beings or more raw forces of nature, most primal than the "civilized" Olympians. To me, this keeps tracking. Her father was a mighty force of nature. Possibly a powerful Fey having a large family including the Hyades, The Hyas and the Pleaidians.

Her mother was either Pleione or Aethra.

Pleione was an Oceanid, a water nymph, so another Fey, this time a Fey related to the water or maybe not! The scholars can't decide on this one. However! Her name means "to increase in number" mainly related to flocks of animals! So we see the "increasing flock" power of Hermes through his grandmother! Cool!

We don't know much about Aethra since many individuals had that name and she seems to be conflated with Pleione to a certain extent.

So we have Hermes' mom Maia, a nature spirit mountain Fey, along with his grandmother and grandfather both elemental/Fey beings.

SO, Does that mean Hermes is half Fey? I believe so.

A few reason besides his parentage:

Fey are knows pranksters and tricksters and appreciate wit and humor, so does he. Fey are known to grow quickly and be very precocious, He certainly did a lot of deeds for a baby and spoke eloquently and humorously from the crib! Hermes is a liminal being, so are Fey, the move in and about our dimension and theirs. Fey have special underworld paths around the world, Hermes is a god of the path, of the Way and knows how to get in and out of situations easily and quickly. Is it because his mom taught him? Fey are associated with certain elements. Hermes is a god of air, wind and fertile rain. Fey are know thieves and seem to believe anything is theirs they can lay a hand on. As a god of thieves, Hermes teaches that nothing is really ours and helps the thief be successful. Hermes is close to humans which may be because Fey are closer to humans than deities. They live amongst us and can relate and sympathize with us. Hermes is a god of boundaries and Fey seem to exist on the boundaries of our world. Hermes seems to prefer the company of nymphs as opposed to gods. We often find him lazing about the mountains and having lots of affairs with them. Hermes is a god of oaths and Fey are notoriously concerned with oaths and their proper wording. Hermes is a god of stories and Fey are know to value a good story above most else. Hermes is a god of wealth and Fey are know to horde wealth. Hermes can be considered androgynous and a shapeshifter. Fey are know to change gender and form as easily as we put on and off clothes. Hermes likes wild windswept places and Fey seem to prefer isolated natural areas. Fey love their magical items and Hermes has many! I'm sure there's more but I feel like I said enough for now! :D

Anyways if you made it this far Thank you! Please feel free to contribute or share you ideas or opinions on this subject! It's my conjecture but I feel pretty good about it! When I talk to this about Hermes he seems to say I'm onto something. He certainly has presented himself as Fey to me at times.

TLDR: IMO and UPG Hermes is Half Fey!

Lots of adrenaline this morning. I realized that I may have been being targeted by scammers via email - but luckily I figured this out early in the game. HOWEVER this morning I found that my bank account was inaccessible, and I freaked out - drove to the branch and found out that their system is down worldwide. I've never been so relieved! Praying to Big H the whole time lol. I came home and locked my credit down and now I get to call the company the scammers may have been posing as and figure out what in the eff is actually going on here. But Imma put my frankincense essential oil on my wrists and wade into the fray. Thanks Big H, I know you got my back on this one! God of thieves and liars, protect us from them!

Long story short, on Wednesday evening, just before going to bed, I prayed to Hermes, asking for a bit of luck.

On Thursday, I got an e-mail that I won a book in an online contest. The book was delivered the very next day (by Hermes, maybe, since it was so fast? :-).

It doesn't end there. The next day, on Friday, I got an e-mail that I won in yet another online contest! This time, in a quiz I did. Also, the e-mail was delivered at 2.40 PM - so, 14.40 in another format. Two 4s, hmm, I wonder who it reminds me of...

Also, two wins in two days - I don't think I'm crazy for thinking Hermes had something to do with it. Or am I? :-)

EDIT: I forgot to add that the quiz was a language quiz and I somehow scored it even though I don't speak a single word of that language. And languages are right up Hermes' speed! :-)

Hi!! I’m new here, and I wanted to learn all I can about Hermes. Are there any pointers you recommend for me to do or check out? I don’t have a space for an alter for him, do you have another idea for me to create something for him?

And, as a nice little ice breaker and another way for us to gush about him, how did you realize he was calling for you?

For me it was today while at work. I was talking with a coworker and she told me of a few deities to look into, with Hermes being one of them. While she was writing with a dying pen the ink suddenly completely came back when she wrote his name and suddenly died again when she was done. About a second later her detachable lanyard suddenly came undone when she was bending over and didn’t come apart again even when pulling it hard, and later on while washing my hands after doing some light research on Hermes and his story, some little indents appeared on my hand (that did not hurt, I promise!) that I know for a fact were not there before. Figured at that point it’s definitely a sign seeing as all of that happened within 2-3 hours!

Was thinking of getting a house plant to honour him but I’m still relatively new to his domains so I’m not sure what would make a thoughtful offering. Was going to get a strawberry plant but I found out the plant he was nursed under was a koumara and those are relatively hard (and a tad expensive) to keep indoors

I always give a little prayer and offering before a test for a little extra luck. Today, I took my test (it is a proctored test at a testing center) and not 30 seconds after I 'submit' the test. The power (which has been shacky since the storm) completely went out. I could hear several people shout "No!"

All I could think was, "thank you for that little bit of luck Lord Hermes !"

So this question was probably asked a LOT, but I'm kinda too lazy to search for it... So I'm like a BABY to all the Hellenism stuff and I want to start by worshipping Hermes, but I don't really know how to start start if that makes sense... (⁠•⁠ ⁠▽⁠ ⁠•⁠;⁠) Also, something that might be helpful or may not, I kinda want to have a more laid-back relationships with gods n stuff after being raised to be a Christian. Just thought I might throw that in. Any kind of info would help me <3

I was just looking through this Reddit page and this ad pops up about TRAVELING. I love Hermes so much this is so funny to me lolol.

my boyfriend's brother passed away earlier this year and today would've been his 37th birthday and i'd like to do something to honor his memory, posting this in the hermes subreddit since im not very knowledgeable with greek customs but i have started working with hermes and i was hoping there's something hermes-specific i could do. im not sure what all is relevant but i think it's worth noting i never knew the person in question and i have no altar for hermes

Mostly, the offerings that Hermes seems to enjoy from me are gas station candy and teeny tiny plushies.

What kind of modern day offerings seem to be a hit for y'all?

Hi There! So, you are interested in Hermes?

Hey, we get it! He’s an awesome god, the friendliest and the easiest for beginners to start with so you’ve already chosen well! Even if you’re not a beginner you’ve come to the right place! Hermes can take your practice to another level and help you in ways you could not imagine!

This document aims to provide you with all the information you need to get started and then some. Take it slow and don’t feel like you need to do it all or know it all at once. Most of the time once you start you’ll find a path that works for you. He will help.

Firstly, there is no One Right Way or Wrong Way to practice your relationship with Hermes. He was easily assimilated across the ancient world because as a god of migrants, immigrants, those without homes, travelers, and traders, and boundaries no border was closed to him. These populations moved around the ancient world and took him everywhere they went.

Hermes is a border crossing, an incursion into almost everything we do on the daily, a lock who holds the key just slightly out of reach, a pathway to more knowledge, more understanding, and more wisdom. No one belief system can lay claim to ultimate truth, knowledge, or wisdom. Hermes, like water, is here to share his blessings with everyone. He does not discriminate he only wants to see you achieve.

We have included sources for formal traditional ways and not-so-traditional ways to develop a relationship with him.

We do not care if you want to Worship, Work with, Venerate, or just say ‘Hey’ once in a while cause you could use some Hermes love in your life. Hermes as a herald and realm traveler knows we all have different ways and means to connect with the gods and what you do is completely your business. In fact, he can help protect that boundary for you if you ask him. NO ONE can tell you how to have a relationship with a god. Faith and spiritual practices are 100% personal. Dogma and judgment are the death of freedom and joy that true spiritual connection brings. However, saying all that, regular practice will build a reciprocal relationship of respect, devotion, and trust. Your devotion will show him how serious or non-serious you are about what you seek and what level of commitment you will put into helping yourself. He doesn’t need your worship or love or shout-outs. He wants you to honor and love yourself foremost. That way you can grow and evolve to be the best version of yourself. This is what the knowledge bringer delivers, enlightenment, knowledge of one's true self.

So how do I start?

You start by researching. Period. Take the time to get to know him and his many facets, or at least a few to start. Then start to develop a relationship. Developing a relationship with a god is the same as developing a relationship in real life.

How would you treat someone you wish to be friends with? How do you treat new friendships and old friendships? Give him the same respect and consideration. Some say to treat the gods like respected elders. Some have very casual relationships with their gods and that works for them.

How do I connect with him?

Look for him in everything and everywhere. Find his connections in your life. Then to connect to him just start praying/talking to him. You can use the Homeric or Orphic hymns listed for him and use the epithets that fit your situation or ones that resonate to make sure the right being hears you. For instance, I always say Hermes son of Zeus and Maia before I start a prayer or ritual. Then I’ll follow with a list of epithets that resonate with me. You can find these below on theoi.com. There is a section below with rituals you can use or build upon. There is also a section for deepening your practice and relationship. He is a god of communication so he can hear you when you start talking to him. And as a god of air, he’s always just a breath away. He has his ear and eyes on every online space as well as a god of communication and technology.

Altars?

After you’ve gotten to know him you might want to put together an altar for him. This can be elaborate or simple, big or small, fancy or humble. He does not care. This is a place for you to connect with him and a place for him to concentrate his energy around when you get to the point where you want his energy in your space.

Your altar should contain things that remind you of him and an image/s and/or animal/s that represents him. Altars usually have a candle (or two), dishes or bowls for offering, a cup for libations, incense, and, as mentioned, objects or images of the gods. You can offer flowers too and they make your altar look pretty and most gods appreciate them. Offerings are many and varied. You can do a Google search for many ideas. Handmade things and creative pursuits are greatly appreciated by him. So don’t be scared to create things on your own and offer them. You can include traditional items and not-so-traditional items. I have a mix of both on my altar. If you can’t burn anything use electric candles and essential oil diffusers or oils or perfumes. Do what you can!

Altar or Shrine?

An altar is a working space where you offer libations and food. It can be permanent or not. The idea is that it is a place to connect to your god/s to worship or venerate them.

A shrine is like a real life Pintrest board for your deity/ies. You can use it as a to gather votive offerings (statues, crystals, images, figurines, coins, plane tix, etc). It is typically as a place to focus on or to remind yourself of your god/s. A Shrine can become a home of sorts for your god/s.

Oftentimes a shrine and alter function as the same thing especially in modern life.

Try and keep both of these things as clean and orderly as possible. I clean my altar at least twice a year for New Years Day and again in mid-June. We should be striving for excellence and presenting our best to our gods so keep their sacred spaces as clean as possible. Think of it as cleaning for any house guest or friends who might be coming over. Try and keep the room your altar is in clean as well. Our gods vibrate at a higher frequency than us and the cleaner a space is the higher the frequency, hence, the easier it is for them to be present with us.

If you're so inclined you can ask your house spirits to help keep the space clean. I do this every time I clean it and I swear the dust accumulates less slowly. It's kinda awesome and magical.

What if I can’t have an altar?

Then you can’t! It'll be ok. Altars are tools to help you focus and provide a place to offer libation and offerings but are not necessary.

But I want an Altar!

Here are a few good ways to have an altar that is non-traditional.

Travel altars: Travel altars are set up in small containers that you can put away or out of sight if needed. There are lots of great ideas on Pinterest and this sub as well as other polytheistic subs. You can open them up, set everything up, and pray away!

Digital altars: These aren’t exactly altars they're more of a shrine but a great idea nonetheless. These are created online through Minecraft, Sims, and other sites.

Nature altars: Find a spot out in nature that speaks to you. Ask the local nature entities/deities if it’s ok to set up an altar there. Wait and feel for a positive or negative feeling. You will know whether they agree to it or not. Keep in mind this will never be a private altar unless you own a property you can hike out on. So do not expect things to be where you left them last time or to have complete privacy. People do take things, even pennies. Be responsible, you should leave nothing that is not made of natural material in nature. Please do not take plastic and leave it to litter these spots. I assure you, the citizens of the forest (the nature spirits) will not take kindly to your litter. They do not care if it’s because you’re worshipping a god.

Don’t be stupid or careless about fire! If you decide to use candles or incense. It is no joke to tree spirits and you can seriously destroy a lot of lives and properties by one careless forgetting. If you want to burn incense then break it in half or snuff it out once you are done. The small Japanese stick incense is good for burning in nature because they are short, they do not create a big ember, and typically does not have hot ash. Shoyeido is the best.

Now what? When you are ready start a regular devotional practice. I suggest once a week. Wednesday is the weekday associated with him and so has resonance already. If you can’t do it once a week just find a somewhat regular schedule for devotion. Try to stick with the same time and day. This builds energy on those days at those times and is like a big neon sign letting him, your other guides and the universe know you are committed in some way. More importantly, this will also help you stay committed. If you are not able to practice regularly then do your best when you can. The gods are always understanding of our human lives.

From there it’s up to you!

How far do you go with him? It’s up to you and him! For some he’s their main god, for others he’s an occasional helper and guide through different journeys in life. You might call on him for help in one area of your life. That’s ok! Sometimes you might feel inspired to build a relationship with another deity and he will help you with that.

Why would I *worship Hermes?

There are many reasons. Most people do it because they love him and want him to know it. Some would also like his blessings in their life. Some do it because it is part of a reconstructionist Hellenic faith. Some do it because worship brings them peace and fulfillment. Some do it because they feel that is the proper way to have a relationship with a god. Some believe it is because he is a god and so higher than us deserving of our praise and worship.

Why would I *work with Hermes?

There are many reasons. Some people do it to embody his qualities and aspects. Some do it to improve their personalities or evolve. Some do it because they admire him and want to be like him. Some do it because they believe he is an archetype and want to embody his qualities. Some do it as part of a psychological exercise. Some work with him because they are Hermetics or magicians and would like his guidance and tutelage in these areas. He is a god of many things and so his domains are many. The below examples are just some of the ways he could be a fit for you. You could also worship him because of the reasons listed below!

Are you a teacher? Are you searching for community, to make new friends, or to re-establish old connections? Are you searching for a new job or ways to make money? Are you a cowboy? Are you a farm animal vet? Are you into working out and looking your best? Do you help people experiencing homelessness? Do you run/help a charity? Do you need help during a transition in life? Do you need guidance in making decisions or figuring out your path in life? Do you need to have better personal boundaries? Did you get robbed? Do you need to rob something? (JK, we do not condone robbing people) Are you an immigrant? Are you a merchant? Do you run a store/shop/online business? Are you a mail carrier? Are you an author, writer, or storyteller? Are you into communication technology? The list could go on! He is the most versatile god and if you can’t figure out what you need help with ask him and he will help!

*The difference between ‘worship’ and ‘work with’ can be such a fine and mysterious definition that a lot of people do both. If you believe in reciprocity, maintaining relationships, and having friends who can help you when you need it then you’ll probably be drawn to do a little of both. Traditionally the relationships built between the ancient peoples and the Greek gods worked on reciprocity, called kharis. It describes a beautiful giving and receiving cycle in which people gave to the gods and the gods gave back and vice versa. It was never a tit-for-tat situation but a relationship built on respect, understanding, and love. These ancients knew that the gods would not always answer them or give them what they wanted but they still honored and loved them. Your friends, family, and life partners don’t always give you what you want or ask for but ideally, they can still offer you their love and support. Same with the gods.

Who is Hermes?

He is a god of many things with more domains than any other god (I could be using hyperbole but I don’t think so). I could spend days writing about all his aspects, features, myths, feats, domains, achievements, and abilities. There’s a lot and then if you add in his syncretic associations, it’s daunting!

As the guide, he guides people in this life and to the afterlife. As the herald and messenger, he delivers messages in between realms from gods and to gods. As the shepherd, he protects and watches over his people and those who tend animals. As the boundary keeper, he helps maintain boundaries. As the thief, he helps thieves steal but one could also pray to him to protect your goods. As the merchant, he helps those who run businesses and trades. As the orator, he helps those who speak or write for groups of people. As the god of communication, he helps us communicate. As a god of nature and fertility, he helps us and animals be fertile and abundant. As the magician, he teaches us how to use the tools we have to manifest our desires in our lives. As the trickster, he shakes things up (including our lives) and turns morality and reality on their head.

In his syncretic forms, he’s credited with teaching humans to speak and to have invented the alphabet and letters, astrology, and math. As Thoth, he is credited as one of the creators of our universe! Once you start really digging into him you’ll find that he is so much more than just how he is portrayed in the Greek myths.

We are here to celebrate Hermes and gather together in community so that we can share our joy, excitement, and love for him. No matter why you’re here, we are happy you are!

Below you’ll find some sources to help you on your journey of discovery!

So any more questions? Feel free to DM one of the mods for more info!

This list will be occasionally updated! If you have a great resource not listed please let one of the mods know! We’ll add it if it fits!

Resource post link

https://www.reddit.com/r/Hermes/comments/11wlysx/here_are_some_links_to_resources_for_learning/

Today I would like to give thanks to my private god Hermes for the inner and outer enrichment he boundlessly provides.

Thank you for the day, γένοιτο🙏

I feel like Hermes is guiding me toward worshiping him. A bit of background: I was raised Christian, and though I still carry a lot of the trauma, most of my family still believes. I left the faith in 2014. I remember it clearly because that year, I heard "Christians" telling immigrant children to go back to their countries, claiming Jesus didn’t want them here. That moment shattered my faith as I listened to a woman scream those words. After that, I became agnostic. I couldn’t reconcile the idea that every other religion was wrong, and I also felt the world was too improbable to exist without some divine influence. Life went on, and I eventually married a pagan who worships Hekate.

For about ten years, during times of struggle, I would pray to any deity that might listen, but that changed last Wednesday. I was running late for work, and in a spare moment, I asked Hermes to help me arrive on time. I promised him a sacrifice if I made it. Sure enough, I arrived with one minute to spare. It could have been a coincidence, but I kept my promise. That evening, I asked my wife what Hermes liked, and she said coins, so I placed a dollar in coins on her altar.

The next day, I witnessed two criminal acts—not huge ones, but still notable. First, a supposed nurse tried to get HIPAA information from me, which I didn’t give. Then, 30 minutes later, I saw someone steal a sandwich from the office kitchen. I stayed quiet about both incidents, but it made me wonder if Hermes was reaching out to me.

On my way home, I was "praying"—more like talking to Hermes—while driving 60 mph down the highway. I asked for a sign that I was on the right path. Suddenly, I almost crashed into a stopped car with broken brake lights. The only reason I didn’t was because a voice in my head told me to stop.

When I got home, I steeped my last bag of imported tea with honey, set it on my little altar, and began to come to terms with this new spiritual journeys.

Any words of wisdom I'm mostly okay with it so far. I realized I can't talk to my family about it. It will just start a round of we need to get you back in church. So instead I ask like minded strangers on the Internet for advice. Any that you have would be appreciated.

Okay, this is super random but I wanted to share it because the timing was just too perfect.

So today I was meeting up with a friend because I had this Apollo themed ornament I had made that I was going to give her (she works with Apollo) and me, her, and two of our other friends all ended up hanging out together for a little bit afterwards. Well at one point my other friend was showing me their altar to Athena and while we were talking I mentioned that I had been wanting to made a pocket altar for Hermes. I have a home altar for him but because Hermes is one of my favourites I’ve been wanting to have a pocket altar so I can carry it with me when I go out, but I haven’t been able to find a container that felt right to use. I had mentioned that in passing and about fifteen minutes later or so, while I was walking to my car what do I find laying in the grass?

An empty mint tin! Right there in my path, was a completely empty mint tin! Normally I try not to see every little thing as a sign, however, the timing and location just seemed too fitting lol. The tin will now be used for my pocket altar once I clean it up a bit. There’s a dent in the bottom that I want to try and hammer out a little just so everything fits nicely inside.