Do you feel a closer connection with the God or Goddess?

[TheGirlOfSecrets]

And if you have, what deities do you choose to pray to/do spells or magick with? I know it's good to be in balance but as a former Christian I feel I have got a better connection with the Goddess, but I think I'll find my balance soon. Also, I sometimes do spell work and pray to Hecate

[Firebird]

I originally sought out a Goddess religion because that was of main importance to these groups, It was incredibly refreshing to see the feminine aspect be regarded in such high esteem. So "She" has empowered me greatly and I have many female deities I call upon, however, the male within me loves to connect with the God, Crenunnos (in particular) I have an incredible closeness with him, yet it is the Goddess who guides my daily life. So I really can't say one way or the other.
BB, Firebird

[Klia]

As of now I have a closeness to the God rather than the goddess. I am female but I feel as if the male deity I chose offers more. Plus that God is more common so there's more rituals and things to focus on. That's just me. I do love, however, that wicca is focused on female empowerment too but I'm not a feminist about it. Sometimes people focus too much on the goddess and not equally on the two. The creation even mentions the leaving out of one or the other its effects.

[Echo_of_shadows]

When I first started out in the Craft, I did work with the God and the Goddess using specific names, depending on what season/Sabbat it was, such as Hecate, Cerridwen, Cernunnos, and Anubis at Samhain. That was when I was working with a coven. During the time that I've been on my own, I usually work with the God and Goddess in their basic aspects of The Lord and The lady. I do sometimes work with the Goddess as Athena specifically.

[TheGirlOfSecrets]

That's a good idea actually, using the specific names for particular sabbats and seasons

[Alura Noel]

My parents never raised me with any particular religion as I was growing up. But the first religious experience I had was with Christianity. Christians believe that there is only one god, thats male. Its hard to get out of that mindset...

There are multiple dieties and more than just males. I feel more of a connection with male dieties. Maybe because its not as far as what i first learned... Generally, I feel more comfortable with guys in general anyways. I know there has to be a female counterpart but it's harder for me to feel like theres a connection. Almost to the point where it almost doesn't feel like shes real
. I think if anything, I'm in the process of trying to become familiar with the goddesses and just get comfortable in their "presecence" and take it from there.

[Heartsong]

Right now, I feel much closer to the male half of the Divine, but then, He's the one whose really been communicating with me. I pay respects to the Goddess, but there hasn't been one facet of Her in particular that I've really connected with. I'm also a former Christian, but I wasn't raised in a church. My mom had my siblings and I read from the bible every Sunday. I even taught Sunday School for a little over a year before I just admitted to myself that my heart wasn't in it.

Out of all the deities, Odin is probably who I feel the most strongly drawn towards (and He's sending me signs of his presence absolutely everywhere! I swear, every time I go to work there are two ravens sitting in the road looking at me almost like reminders that He's taken an interest in me. <.<;).

It's an interesting journey. ^_^

[Klia]

Alura, that's a good way to put it. It is hard to get the idea of worshiping a God out of your head, especially if raised Christian. It's almost like a habit.

[TheGirlOfSecrets]

Lol, I'm th complete opposite of you guys

[Vervain]

When I first came to Wicca I was really pleased with the idea of having both a Goddess and a God, so it's always kind of surprised me (and displeased me) that I can sometimes have trouble feeling in touch with the God. It shouldn't surprise me, because I come from (and rejected) a Christian background, I am a woman, et cetera. When I was younger I thought maybe once I had been in a relationship with a person of the male persuasion I would feel closer to the God, but I'm in my third one now and that is hardly more true. I've always been particularly in touch with my masculine characteristics (as well as, of course, my feminine) and find a very happy balance of both in myself, but for the longest time that only made me feel more connected with strong female goddesses (goddesses with masculine characteristics), for example Athena, and not more connected with the God.

To fix this, I tried a number of things--I built a god and goddess candle and burned them together whenever I did homework or read or wrote or was otherwise still and at home (you can see the god candle here: http://everythingunderthemoon.net/forum ... 23911.html). This worked a little bit, but not enough.

I recently adopted an actual patron god and patroness goddess (Odin and Hel), and I have to say, this more than anything else I've tried so far, has worked for me. Perhaps because Odin as a god was so famously immune to gender stereotypes (he had no shame learning crafts and methods of divination that were traditionally "women's work," as long as it was a path to more knowledge and wisdom... which it was). I've always felt very connected to the runes (since I discovered them in elementary school, I have used them for most of my journaling, and that was even before I was a Witch!), so Odin should have been an obvious choice, but for the longest time I thought I preferred working with a more generic Lord and Lady. Sometimes I do still speak to the more generic Lord and Lady, but I feel more connected to them (to the God/Lord especially) when I have real names and personalities and histories for them, and they are ones I can relate to in many, many ways.

By the way, I am in no way stating that if someone wants to become closer to one or the other they have to adopt my deities or any specific deities--I am merely stating what seems to have worked/be working for me.

[MOTHERofDRAGONS]

I have craved a connection for a feminine deity for so long... Now, so many speak to me.. I hate the label of only wanting a female deity... Because male deities are needed to make me balanced.. They just sometimes aren't gone to for advice as much..
I have some issues with men.. Issues that are very difficult to explain. And trying to work through the things I've done in my past, doing. Doing my best with that.

[Vervain]

Generally, I feel more comfortable with guys in general anyways.

This struck me as odd because I am the same way, but I guess I connected more to the goddess because, having fewer women to connect to in real life I needed a woman I could actually look up to, and the goddess fit that? My mom can be pretty crazy and not very understanding (even though she can also be really awesome), and there was a point where I basically found out that all my close girl friends had eating disorders and I was just like, gosh, WOMEN! So maybe Goddess was fulfilling the role in my life of a woman I could look up to... Whereas I have a fantastic little brother, and a fantastic father, and my male friends have always been pretty reasonable and relatable, so I never needed to turn to the God...

It's some interesting psychology, and I don't really get it.

[Alura Noel]

vervain wrote:
This struck me as odd because I am the same way, but I guess I connected more to the goddess because, having fewer women to connect to in real life I needed a woman I could actually look up to, and the goddess fit that? My mom can be pretty crazy and not very understanding (even though she can also be really awesome), and there was a point where I basically found out that all my close girl friends had eating disorders and I was just like, gosh, WOMEN! So maybe Goddess was fulfilling the role in my life of a woman I could look up to... Whereas I have a fantastic little brother, and a fantastic father, and my male friends have always been pretty reasonable and relatable, so I never needed to turn to the God...

It's some interesting psychology, and I don't really get it.

Reading what you wrote has helped me to think about it a bit more. I could see why you would want to seek out that connection with the goddess because you need/want that woman connection. For me, I have always had a great connection with my mother and grandma (and oddly enough, generally mostly bad experiences with men who were the most important to me). But beyond that I have avoided contact with women for certain reasons (like you said eating disorders and it makes ya get frustrated with ladies, I feel that same frustration but over other reasons) so sometimes it feels like men are simple and easier to be around. Less complicated. Easier to understand their reasons for doing things.

And I have done this for so long so now I find myself in this boat of not being sure how to relate to other women. Like, I'm not sure what to talk about with them.

Go figure. :/