Goddesses, Gods & Sacred Others

Some areas of Paganism are more personal and unique than others -- and this seems to be area where each Pagan has an individual perspective.  Some Pagans are just not interested in this aspect of the religion, some would rather not intermingle an image of a particular Goddess or God with their view of the Great Spirit of Life, while other Pagans enjoy it, and still others find it essential.

As for me, I came to Wicca through an interest in ecology and the four elements, so Deity was not catching my interest early on. Through my studies I first developed a sense of connection to an abstract numinous Universe, and then to Goddesses and Gods of old.  Recently I have worked with Hekate and Hestia.  

Gary Cantrell expressed his view this way, "The Wicca I identify with is the practice of the Old Religion that recognizes the old gods and goddesses who have been with us for literally hundreds of thousands of years, only the names have changed. ... True, it may not be exactly the same Wicca as practiced by the traditionalists, but it is what calls to me. It is how I understand and worship the Old Ones, by embracing the divinity we call Nature in all her glorious manifestations." (page 12)

Vivianne Crowley summarizes three beliefs which many, but not all, pagans would share regarding the Divine. 

• The Gods are many (polytheism).  No one Deity can express the totally of the Divine.  

• The Divine is everywhere (pantheism).  The Divine is present in Nature and all living things.  

• Although the Divine is beyond the limitation of gender, It is represented as both female (Goddess) and male (God).  (page 12, Principles of Paganism)

What do you think about those belief statements?  I would encourage you to do a lot of reading and thinking about these ideas.   As you use the Research Tools to explore these topics, try to focus on these questions:

• Are the Goddesses and Gods aspects of one central life energy?  

• Are the Goddesses and Gods separate personalities?

• Is it okay to focus only on the Goddess aspect or only on the God aspect?  

• Is it better to focus on the Goddess (feminine) aspect and the God (masculine) aspect as a balanced blend of energy?

• What items are symbolic of the Goddess(es)?

• What items are symbolic of the God(s)?

• Who/What are the Elements and how do they relate to the Goddess/God energy?

Of course you will find conflicting points of view as you try to find answers to the questions above, but you will learn a lot about Pagan attitudes and beliefs, and your own perspective, as you work through this.

Female, Male, Duality, Polarity, & Debate

I have heard many discussions regarding perspectives on the Divine Feminine and Divine Masculine.  Some see these two as opposite ends of a continuum, others as just different, and still other see masculine and feminine as two views of the same wholeness.  Others question why we see on female and male?  Why only two genders or two poles?  As a professor who teaches a course in Psychology of Gender I can say that there are so many variations among women and men that "feminine" and "masculine" are terms that are only useful as stereotypes.  This is truly as area of personal preference -- but I would encourage you to avoid stereotyping, sexism, boxed-in, and strict, fundamental thinking.

Along these same lines, please don't get caught in that trap females should be drawn to a Goddess and males should be drawn to a God.  Regardless of your sex or gender, feel free to explore the personality of any deity.

This item may be obvious too, but please don't get caught in the trap that Paganism by definition promotes heterosexual lifestyles because of the male-female polarity.  Pagans are very open to diverse lifestyles.

Goddess(es)

The Goddess is often portrayed in a triple form: Maiden, Mother, Crone.  She is also seen as the universal mother, Mother Nature and the Earth itself (Gaia).  Some Pagans prefer to focus on the Feminine Energy of the Goddess in an all encompassing way, while other Pagans prefer to focus on a particular Goddess personality.  I've also heard women who are choosing not to be a parent using the terms "Maiden, Woman, and Crone."

In your research you will find many Goddesses from various traditions, including Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Celtic, and Norse mythology.   In your exploration you will also find that there are many different name spellings for many Goddesses.  One of my favorite resources for this area is The New Book of Goddesses & Heroines by Patricia Monaghan.  

Here is a short list of Goddesses you might want to learn more about.  This list comes from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca & Witchcraft, by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason.

• Buddhist: Quan Yin

• Egyptian: Bastet, Hathor, Isis, Nephthys, Nut

• Greek: Aphrodite, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Gaia, Hecate, Hera, Persephone

• Roman: Ceres, Diana, Fortuna, Juno, Luna, Venus

• Hindu: Durga, Kali, Lakshmi, Sarasvati

• Celtic: Brigid, Cerridwen, Morrigan

• Other: Aradia, Astarte, Freya

If this aspect seems tedious or boring right now, then leave it for later.  If you find this interesting, then I would challenge you to find a Goddess whose personality and attributes seem important to you.  Perhaps meditating on that Goddess will bring you some enlightenment.

God(s)

The God is often portrayed as the Sky Father, the Green Man, and the Horned God.  As the Horned God he is the tender of wild animals and represents our shared animal instincts.  As the Green Man, a face made of leaves, he represents the fertility of the land and plant-life.  Just as with the Goddesses, you will find Gods from various mythologies in your research.  Keep in mind that you will also run across various spellings of Gods' names.  One resource I found helpful was Reclaiming the Gods: Magic, Sex, Death and Football, by Nicholas Mann.

Here is a short list of Gods you might want to learn more about.  This list comes from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Wicca & Witchcraft, by Denise Zimmerman and Katherine Gleason.

• Buddhist: Buddha, Maitreya

• Egyptian: Amun, Anubis, Geb, Horus, Osiris, Ptah, Ra

• Hindu: Agri, Brahma, Ganesha, Hanuman, Indra, Krishna, Vishnu

• Greek: Apollo, Dionysus, Eros, Hades, Hermes, Pan, Poseidon, Zeus

• Roman: Janus, Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, Pluto

• Celtic: Cernunnon, Herne, Ogma

• Other: Thor, Odin

Again, if this seems tedious or boring, then save it for later.  If a particular God stands out to you as an interesting character, then might enjoy reading more about that particular figure and meditating on that image.

The Elements

In Paganism the four Elements are given personalities and attributes, similar to the Goddesses and Gods.  I have always been drawn to the Elements -- in fact, it was in researching the elements that I "discovered" Paganism as a spiritual path.  In my view it is good for you to know something about the elements to understand some of what you read in Pagan literature.  If you are fascinated and want to know more, then dive in!  If this doesn't do much for you now, then get a basic understand and move on to something more interesting.

You will find when exploring the elements in the Research Tools that many groups over the centuries have given attributes to the elements.  There are variations to this scheme, but these are popular correspondences.

In some traditions, particularly when using a pentacle or pentagram (a 5 pointed star), the element of water is given fully to relationships and Spirit becomes its own element.

Two of my favorite resources on the elements, both with many exercises as well as information, are Elemental Power, by Amber Wolfe, and Wisdom of the Elements, by Margie McArthur.

Sacred Others

As you move beyond introductory Paganism and further into advanced studies you will find that some people have a long list of Sacred Others they work with.  These might include:

• Ancestors

• Allies

• Watchtowers

• Familiars

• Spirit Guides

If these aspects are calling to you then by all means it is time for research and spiritual activity.  If these are not of interest to you right now then leave them alone -- there are plenty of things to learn and practice as a Pagan.