Zeus! The First and Last and Lord Of bright-tipped lighting, Zeus the Head and Center, all things Come to be from Zeus' mind. Jupiter. Odin. Freya. What did ancient pagan peoples really see when they looked to these Gods in worship? Were they really only personifications of the wind and rain and other natural phenomena, or is there something deeper being called upon? Our ancestors left behind a rich tapestry of mythology and religious imagery. By approaching it with reverence and curiosity, and by applying the analytical techniques of Platonic and Vedantic philosophy, we can once again gain a clear picture of what the cosmos really is and who we really are. Hymns for the Gods Includes: A detailed introduction to the structure, logic, and goals of Polytheism and Platonism - Descriptions and analyses of the mythology and symbolism of 33 of the most important Gods and Goddesses of the Greek, Roman, and Norse/Germanic religions. Aphrodite, Thor, Neptune, and more are all explained, including explorations of their connections to the signs and planets of Astrology and the futhark runes used by the ancient Germanic peoples in divination. - Over 120 devotional poems and prayers to these deities - New poetic adaptations of several of the Orphic Hymns used in worship by the cult of Dionysus established by Orpheus in antiquity - Blank lined paper at the end of each chapter to give the reader space to reflect on and participate in the content by composing personal prayers to each deity