Hopelessly Devoted to You
Are you dedicated to serve a particular god and/or goddess? What does it mean to be on the path of that deity? Do think this is necessary to being on the Pagan path?
I'm curious about this because it's one of those things that comes up pretty often in Pagan conversation. I know one woman who is a priestess of Aphrodite. Not surprisingly, the demands of being on that path include sexual work, which she finds exciting, exhausting, healing, and sometimes devastating. Another woman I know works very closely with Hecate although I'm not sure if she's dedicated to her and we've not discussed her thoughts about what it means to be a priestess of Hecate.
I have relationships with many deities and have not been called to serve any one in particular. Different goddesses have been strongly present at different times in my life. As a child, I felt Artemis very strongly, not surprisingly since she is associated with virginity, independence, and girlhood. In college, Artemis's presence faded and I began to feel Athena very strongly. It was a time when I was coming into my own, in an academic environment, and becoming very politically active particularly with feminist issues. Athena was with me for some years until she too faded away and a new goddess entered the picture. It was a foreign goddess from a culture I knew next to nothing about. It was Kali. She came into my life in my post-college years when I began working and carving out a niche for myself. In other words, during a time of great personal transformation. She is still with me, but her presence waxes and wanes and I wonder how much longer she will remain. Just to clarify, it's not that Artemis and Athena disappeared from my life altogether, but they are no longer the great guiding forces they once were.
There are other deities that have made themselves known to me. Two years ago I put out a call for creative expression and Brigid answered it. She is still with me and our relationship is very good, but not especially profound or demanding, which is fine with both of us. Hecate lingers also and although I do not worship her with any regularity, we seem to have some kind of understanding. Jupiter has been a strong presence for many years despite that I don't worship him either. I sometimes get the sense that he is patiently waiting for me. And then there are two gods that knock at my door, but I try not to answer: Aphrodite and Dionysus.
At Samhain, my friend Quaaa, who's a very talented reader, read my cards. He advised me to work with Venus, saying that I can tap into that energy with incredible ease (I can) and that I've been fighting it for a long time (I have). There's history there, as there is with Dionysus, and these two don't let go so easily.
Perhaps down the road I may be called to a specific path, but for now I am dedicated to serve my community and the Old Gods in general. What about you?
About the photo: This is a Roman statue from the 2nd century CE of a priestess of Isis.
6 comments:
I, too, have felt strong ties to various gods/goddesses without devoting myself to a rigid, specific path. My affinity for the Greco-Roman pantheons is strongest, along with my burgeoning interest in the Celtic deities. They don't seem to need me to make regular devotionals or prayers, they seem to want me to study their ways and listen to their call when they offer guidance. Lovely post.
I myself am devoted to the goddess Freyja. Walking the path with her means living a life full of passion, sharing that passion with others, and hopefully inspiring them to discover and live out their own passions. Part of it means discovering and demonstrating what it truly means to consider sexuality and sensuality sacred and divine.
It means a lot more, but I'm still unravelling and coming to understand it myself. So I can't hope to explain it to others right now.
To a lesser degree, I also have a relationship with Odin (though I think it may be fading). My relationship there was one of learning. He had lessons to teach me. He has also most often served as the harbringer of change in my life. I've most often felt his presence around the time when important transitions in my life were about to start.
Do I think this is necessary for being on the Pagan path? Not necessarily. But then again, I don't believe in a singular Pagan path. I can't imagine taking the journey I'm personally on without these powerful relationships. But I'm perfectly willing to accept that others' journeys are different enough that their needs are different from my own.
I love your blog. You ask such thought-provoking questions.
Interesting. I see the different goddesses as just being archetypes of the Goddess. Sometimes we need her warrior energy. Sometimes we need her compassion. These are all female powers from female divinity. But for me, they all lead to one source...the Goddess. Does that make sense? :)
Livia, I understand what you mean. Sometimes that's the extent of my relationship with certain deities...learn and listen.
Jarred, I think it's very cool that you are a priest of Freyja. And I completely agree with you that there is no singular Pagan path (although sometimes I use that language because I find something poetic and unifying about it).
Suzie, that makes a lot of sense to me. Many Pagans are polytheistic and many are not. I see both perspectives as deserving of attention and respect. (And thanks for dropping by; now I can go read your blog.)
Thank you all for your comments.
I started out very early on dedicating myself to Hecate for a year. Had no idea what would happen during that year, and no idea that once you are hers....well, she will call you back whenever she has need of you.
In the interim, I have worked with many Godesses , mostly Maat, Isis and Briget, but I know, at any moment, I can get wake up with henna'd hands and feet and Im back on Her payroll.
And always thanking her for it in the end.
Good post.
I wouldn't say that dedicating to a God or Goddess is a requirement to walking a Pagan Path, but I see it as highly beneficial.
I am dedicated to serve a few deities, including Hermes, Eros, Hestia and a few others. Previously to dedicating to serve deities, I dedicated to worship and learn from them.
The main benefit of dedicating to either worship or serve a deity is that you develop a much closer relationship with Him or Her. If you dedicate to worship and learn from a deity, They will speak to you much more often and in greater detail. In return, you give them honor and worship and you put what They teach into practice.
If you dedicate to serve (which is a much higher level of dedication and not something I recommend until you are ready), you grow very close to that deity, where They affect your life on a more continuous basis. In return, you act in your everyday life in accordance with Them. Through that service, the relationship becomes more intimate.
I have found that dedicating to worship specific deities has added a lot of depth to my spirituality. I don't just read about the Gods or talk to Them in ritual, but I hear Them frequently in everyday life.
Post a Comment