Dear Friends,
There is an important issue that I want to address is today’s message. This is a result of being asked, by countless newbies to the faith and more experienced practitioners alike, about the deities. Most commonly when I am asked about the Gods and Goddesses the question takes something similar to the following:
Which God should I call upon for my job spell?
Is there a Goddess I should use to make this love spell work better?
Which Deity do I contact when I want to read tarot cards?
The list of questions like this goes on and on. I don’t mean to be harsh or rude. But I find it interesting and a little sad that the great Deities have been reduced to supplies for a spell that are just picked up like one would choose a candle or herb. The presence of correspondence charts for Deities online does make the situation any better. It allows newcomers and misinformed Pagans to use the Deities as a magickal automat for power.
Let me get something clear to begin with. The Deities are not spell supplies. They have incredible power and should be treated with the respect that that garners. Think about it this way, if someone you didn’t know at all came up to you and asked you for help, how would you respond? How would you feel if they are just talking to you because they heard you were good at helping out with certain problems? You’d probably be less that enthusiastic about granting their request.
The same goes for the Gods and Goddesses. You need to develop a relationship with the Deities that you will work with. Honor them with special rituals. Get to understand their complete natures, not just the specific aspects that you want to work with.
For example, Artemis is a powerful goddess associated with female power and wisdom. However, like all Deities, she has a bit of dark side. She can be quite cold and cruel to those who disrespect her. Calling upon the power of Artemis, without knowing her completely, can result in calling upon either one of her sides without knowing it.
There are a lot of Gods and Goddesses that can help you on your path. If you subscribe to a certain branch of Paganism, you will most likely have a patron God and Goddess. However, if you are taking an eclectic approach you have a few options.
First, before you make any choices for your Deities, you’ll need to get to know the mythologies of different Ancient cultures. There are many to choose from. The Greeks, the Romans, the Egyptians, the Celts, the Nordics, the Sumerians the Native Americans’the list goes on and on. If you are attracted to one mythology from the get go, start studying more about it and get to know what the stories and legends are. You may find yourself attaching your walk on this path to one specific pantheon of Deities. This means you will worship only the Deities from one culture.
Pick a pantheon that you fill comfortable with. If you can’t make a choice on an entire pantheon yet, then choose a God or Goddess to work with for an extended period of time, not just for the duration of one spell. Think about your life and what you want to achieve in the next six months to a year. If you are concerned with matters of the heart, you might choose to develop a relationship with Venus over this period of time. If you want to focus on making your mind stronger, choose Mercury or another “mental” God.
Start by getting to know the Deity. Read all that you can, and then perform a special ceremony introducing yourself to the God or Goddess. Invite them into your life and let them know you are ready to learn. Decorate your altar with their images and items that please your chosen Deity. Make him or her welcome.
From that point on, you can begin to perform rituals that specifically ask for that God or Goddesses help. Learn from the Deity and pay attention to messages that you receive. As you develop a relationship with one Deity, you can start to expand your worship to others. This pleases the Gods and Goddesses and will help you in your magickal workings.
Love And Light,
Rose Ariadne, Your Warm And Caring “Resident Witch In Charge”
This was very instructive and a point I have had trouble with my novices as well. You don’t just use who will get the job done but the deity that you have an affinitity to.
I have and always will called on Dagda. Mother of the universe. hope I spelled that right. She is who I was taught from a small child to honour and feel closest to. Weither she comes to you as maiden mother or crone or in the form of Calli or the Morigan I don’ t switch she is the deity I call on to all spells. She is all and everything so what ever form she takes is the one needed at that time. The God energy I have never named it is just her other half the mail energy of the universal energy. If I am wrong please tell me, As I was family trad and not wiccan in teaching.
I was always wondering why people do that. A friend of mine who was also a seeker (she found that the path didn’t suit her) told me that we have to choose someone to call on for a spell, and that it’s different every time. I rebutted, itsn’t that like playing “nicky nicky nine doors”. You take the time to knock, but when they come out, you run away. You don’t take the time to say, “Hi, My name is___________, I’m your new neighbour. I brought you a welcoming gift and I hope you like your stay in our neighbourhood. By the way, you’re welcome any time you like at my place, come over for tea sometime.”
She didn’t agree, but I’ve stuck to it and have developped great relationships with my deities.
I will be honest I’m a Christian doing a favor for a friend. Her ex-husband recently died and she put white and red carnations on his grave site. His wife pulled all the flowers off the arrangement. She now takes only the red carnations and pulls them off the stems whenever my friend or her children (his children too) put the flowers on the grave. I was wondering if there was something religious as she is a wiccan that prompts her to do this? My friend was still very close to her ex-husband and this whole affair has greatly hurt her and the children. Feel free to email the answer if thats easier for you. Thanks.
Dear Rose
What you have said is very important.I believe in the deities and they should be honored and respected.The right way to approach things is the best way and you explain it quite clearly.I would call on all the deity but you explain the importants of getting to know each one in a period of time.I didn,t know but im thankful for that is the answer that i seek.I will start with one.to get to know them with the respect that they deserved.Thank you for your wisdom all the time.
Sincerely Your loving friend Kenneth