Lykeia’s shrine to Apollon Lykeios

Apollon Lykeios
Apollon Lykeios

This is my shrine of Apollon Lykeios that I pray at in my private room upon rising and before bed.

The sculpture I crafted to represent the wolfish Apollon as Lykeios refers both to light and to wolf. This work I intentionally created anthromorphic, which is atypical of Hellenic representation of the gods but I felt appropriate for the nature of Apollon Lykeios. As such this statue represents the destructive/creative nature of Apollon via the bow and the torch, and the serpent entwined around his foot. Around his feet are five candles, as five represents his solar connections as the light-bearing king.

At either side is a goat, this representative of Apollon Karneios, the pastoral Apollon and rearer of the living even as much as he is their destroyer. At the base of one of the goats is a worn and weathered piece of root to represent the depths to which Apollon’s light reaches, from the heaven-reaching branches to the roots. I have both an incense burner that is capable of burning both stick and cone incense (though usually I use stick incense on it) and an oil warmer. My preferred blend at this shrine is sandalwood incense burned in conjunction with warming rose oil.

Unseen at either side is a jasmine plant that flowers white blossoms, a flower I consider sacred based on my own doxa (belief) in its form and color as white is the sacred color of Apollon as the color of light. At the other side is a plate featuring the Pythia with an inquirer as this shelf shrine is at my desk where I also do whatever divination I wish to do for the day. Below this shelf is a wooden flute and singing bowl, my personal divination tools etc. My desk is 10% computer space, and 90% worship space. Other shelves on the desk holds other tools for worship (such oils and incense), pertinent books etc.

Lykeios is the first form of Apollon I became acquainted with, and is the form of Apollon that I think is the most connected with my homeland, Alaska. It is for these reasons that he has a shrine under this epithet specifically in addition to his household altar.

Hail Apollon, cultivator of life, rearer of the ram, you whose light penetrates to the deepest root; hail to you destroyer, that even with the end of the day you bestow your blessings that the restful night will bring rejuvenation for the next dawn. Hail to you oh golden king.