What if I don't want to worship some specific God/Goddess?

[Farore]

In the book 'Wicca a Guide for the Solitary practitioner' by Scott Cunningham it says deities didn't exist before our spiritual ancestor's acknowledgment of them. It says the energies behind them did. Okay you have a supreme divine power which created the universe. And from that power, Gods and Goddeses exist because they were acknowledged by humans... That makes no sense to me.

Also. I believe in the Goddess and the God. I believe the Goddess has three forms, Maiden, Mother, and Crone. But I believe the are all part of her, she is every aspect. Do Ihave to believe in more than them? What is the purpose in that? Why do so many 'beginning Wicca' pages say to find out which Gods and Goddesses you identifiy with? Why can't the God and Goddess be enough? I can Identify with them. I don't want to worship any other particular one, is that okay? Why do you worship others? Do they take the place of the God and Goddess? Or do you worship them all?

[Heartsong]

No, you don't have to believe in more than simply the God and Goddess if that's what feels right to you, and that is perfectly ok. I think Scott Cunningham's point in that portion of his book is that belief is a very powerful thing, and is, in some aspects, the root of magical practice.

There are some Pagans who are hard polytheists, which means that they truly do believe that in every pantheon, every deity is a powerful personality in their own right. Soft polytheists are those who believe that the multiple deities of the world's cultures are just different aspects of the God and Goddess. Many Pagans fall into these two categories, although certainly not all. Invoking the God and Goddess is part and parcel of Wiccan ritual and spellcraft, and I think they (Wiccans) encourage others to figure out what deities they want (or are called) to work with, because connecting with their energy is both an intense spiritual and magical experience. It puts you in a magical and spiritual mindset.

Personally, I work (and worship) almost exclusively with Odin and Freya, but that's because I believe that they chose to do so with me. I guess I fall into the hard polytheist camp, although I didn't at first (I was a Wiccan who started out as a soft polytheist). I didn't so much choose to be as I was kind of convinced after several encounters with Odin. Like me, I think some Pagans have personal experiences with specific deities that leads them in that direction. Others may have always believed in multiple deities. Still other Pagans may not believe in gods at all (See Xiao's excellent post on When There Aren't Any Gods ). It really depends on who you're talking to.

[Farore]

Thank you very much, that was very informative. I guess I consider myself a light polytheist. I also think that they had to of existed before we acknowleged them.. I don't discount other gods or goddesses by any means, I just don't feel a connection with any, and there are so many more I have never even heard of. If Odin communicated with you and others, obviously he is real. But I would trace his existence back to the Lord.. My personal opinion and I respect that other's views differ. Maybe over time one will call to me too and my view will change like yours has.

Thanks again.

[Heartsong]

You're welcome!

And I agree, I feel like the gods were there well before humanity gave them names, although I also think that belief in itself is powerful enough to bring entities or spiritual beings into existence (like thoughtforms, for example). Or can even alter how gods are perceived. Take how so many Loki worshippers have popped up since Marvel made those Thor films. I'm not sure that I can even picture Loki now without seeing Tom Hiddleston, haha!

And it isn't unusual to not feel a connection to specific deities. Some Pagans go their entire life without ever making one (and they're just fine with that). Some do. For others, giving the God and Goddess a particular name or personality is a way of establishing that connection.

As you said, everyone's got a different way of looking at things.

[Farore]

Lol I have noticed hearing of Loki more than anything lately. I can see from two perspectives on that subject. I could see the Supreme Divine power being interpretted by many different people, and with each person having varying beliefs a new Goddess or God would be formed. From the same power but just different personifications of that power. More personal to that person and like you said gives them a deep spiritual connection to their deity. And I could also see that perhaps they all already exist (also different facets of the same divine power, each with their own history, personality, things that they represent and traits), and the reason that they are discovered to begin with is not because people willed them to be, but because they chose that time to make themselves known to the people. Just like Odin came into your heart, the very first time those Gods and Goddesses were 'thought of' they presented themselves to the people.. Maybe in dreams or during a person's meditation. Well, we will never know any of this for certain in our lifetimes here on earth but it's very interesting. And I'm ever growing and changing, everytime I hear or read a new perspective it seems mine grows too. I can definitely understand how no two Wiccans might have the same beliefs. At the end of my life I will probably be the product of thousands of different people's perceptions met with my own.

Thanks for the conversation, it gets my brain ticking and I love that.

[Echo_of_shadows]

You can work with the divine as simply The God and The Goddess, or The Lord and The Lady if you want to. It does work. I mostly work with Them as the Lord and Lady. I have worked with Them in specific aspects in ritual, but I've never felt that I had to call Them by any particular names. I asked Them if there were certain names I should address Them by, and the Goddess answered with the name Athena, but I rarely use that name when I talk to Her. The Lord hasn't directly given me a name to call Him by, but I suspect that there is one He feels I am ready to use.
If Lord and Lady are the only names you wish to call Them by, go for it. They won't mind.

[Farore]

Thank you. Glad to hear it.

[loona wynd]

I'm an omnitheist I believe that all forms of the divine that we see and interact with are real. This also means I believe that individual named deities in cultures are individual beings, but that there may be archetypes of them in the God and Goddess of those who have a soft-polytheistic view. So for you if you believe in a Goddess and a God than that is for you. The divine is a mystery that we must all come to find and experience in our own ways. The nature of the Gods is one o the mysteries that the rituals and work of Wicca will help you understand through experiencing them in ritual work, meditation, and in daily life.

[Lainara]

I read a good quote
"The Lord and lady don't care what you call them, as long as you call on them."