How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

[Vicariousparabol]

I don't believe in GOD. I don't believe in Christianity, and I don't pray to Jesus. I've been this way all my life. It still confuses me when I hear people talk about polytheism in Wicca, though. Do I NEED a God or Goddess? If I do, how do I know who's the right one(s)? It's a hard concept for me to grasp considering I was raised a Christian. Is Wicca even the right religion for me? I know there's a ton of Pagan religions... Damn, I'm so confused! I've always believed theirs SOMETHING out there. I believe everything happens for some sort of reason. Right now, I'm just trying to learn as much about all this as possible. I've watched a bunch of youtube videos explaining a lot about magick, alters, and books, and whatnot. I love the ideas I just don't know where to start. I'm saving up to buy some books and learn from those, but alas, it's gonna be a while before I can afford anything worth reading. Thus why I joined this forum! If anybody could kindly give me some suggestions on where to start, it would be greatly appreciated.
This is my first thread, and I'm sorry if I posted it in the wrong place!

[Inucirrus]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

Try reading about pantheons and meditating on any Names that pop out to you. For instance, I was VERY attracted to the Egyptian pantheon from a VERY young age, regardless of what pantheon or tradition I was reading about at the time. I felt myself pulled back to Egyptian gods every single time. Also, I had never had an interest in any Semitic gods (at all. ever.), but out of the blue, Anat stopped by and said, "HEY!" So, now, I have a statue of Her in my shrine. When a god wants your attention, you will KNOW. It may take practice or time to figure out Who it is at first, but the more you develop your craft, the easier it becomes.
A good way to start, I've found, is to honor the Divine Power as a broad aspect. You could further break this down into the Feminine and Masculine aspects. Or, you could honor the Elements and/or Sun, Moon, and Stars, etc, etc.
I personally looked through pantheons on Wikipedia and in books at the library. Just sat in a quiet place and pondered each deity for a while, weighing how much (or little) this deity influences my life, whether I was comfortable with that aspect or not, etc. Get a feel for Them before you dive head-first into it all. One wouldn't ask "The Mighty Set/Sutekh/Seth" for help in woo-ing a woman.
Ask yourself what you feel most comfortable with. That's what paganism is all about. If you don't believe in individualized deities, then you don't have to. If you recognize a High Power, but one without a name, then so be it. Paganism is about carving your own path, and connecting with the universe in whatever way you feel necessary or right. NO TWO PEOPLE PRACTICE EXACTLY THE SAME IN ALL ASPECTS OF THEIR PATHS. ....As far as I've ever heard, at least...

Also... I would suggest you learn the basics of grounding, centering, shielding, visualizing, and meditating first. These techniques are used frequently.

If you feel drawn to wicca, I would highly recommend Scott Cunningham's books. They are very easy to read, and full of information. I would not PURCHASE any books without recommendations of fellow pagans, because I have seen people fall for Silver Ravenwolf's crap before, and no one should take their first steps into paganism with her books. See what you can find at your local library, and what resources you can dig up on the internet. Always cross-reference, and don't EVER be afraid to ask questions.
If you find a path that appeals to you, go for it! Find a local group or a forum that can teach you more about that path, specifically. Many blessings to you on your journey. Don't hesitate to message me if there's anything I could help you with.

[jcaternolo]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

Sorry for hijacking this thread but I figured it was better than making an exact same type of thread. I find myself in a similar situation. I've been brought up Christian most of my life, but turned Agnostic, and finally, Pagan (although I still don't know where to start).

For my whole life, I've found myself drawn to Ireland, so I'm thinking maybe I can find my patron god/goddess from one of the Celtic faiths. I've found myself fascinated by Morrighan (although it's due to the MMORPG Mabinogi, not sure if it gives an accurate representation of Morrighan) but I've also had many dreams involving cats (sometimes as frequently as every other day, or at least it feels like it) and I'm usually not even thinking about cats, although the cat dreams have gotten lesser in number. I'm thinking my patron diety is either Morrighan or a cat goddess or some Celtic god/goddess.

I've never been very spiritually aware, so my journey is pretty hard. I feel when I find my god and/or goddess then things will get a bit easier.

[Corvus]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

Deity chooses you as much as you choose it/him/her. Look into myths and legends that interest you. Many pagans are polytheists and loosly worship a number of gods while having a few that they are closer to. You need not limit yourself to a singular pantheon either. Research deities that you identify with, that are like you or that you get along with, and open yourself to communication with them. This dosen't need to be a fast process and many people worship a deity and eventually move away from it as their beliefs, ideology and spirituality change. Looking for a deity is a matter of self discovery and listening to who's looking for you.

[Morrigan]

[iflewoverthecuckoosnest]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

I say search around. If you're meant to find a connection with a deity, it will happen, and it may very well come to you in time Until then, just relax, keep learning, and enjoy exploring.

My main deities came to me about a year ago, but I didn't realize it until I figured out who they were, which only happened fairly recently.

[jcaternolo]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

I see, I haven't gotten any signs from her so maybe she won't be a matron goddess for me in the future (or at least until I feel I'm strong enough), but you never know. And about my cat dreams, I think maybe they're a result of a faerie or spirit playing tricks on me, or a result of something I need to address, because it seems like the dreams got more and more violent and didn't really seem to have a message. Although in every single cat dream there was at least 1-2 cats that were friendly and the others were vicious.

[Morrigan]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

I see, I haven't gotten any signs from her so maybe she won't be a matron goddess for me in the future (or at least until I feel I'm strong enough), but you never know. And about my cat dreams, I think maybe they're a result of a faerie or spirit playing tricks on me, or a result of something I need to address, because it seems like the dreams got more and more violent and didn't really seem to have a message. Although in every single cat dream there was at least 1-2 cats that were friendly and the others were vicious.

Maybe there are signs and you can't see them now or maybe there aren't. If you feel drawn to this goddess at the moment, it may be because you need her help now, in any situation or even need her help in order for you to evolve, as we are always evolving. There are other pantheons just not the Celtic one. For example, in the Nordic pantheon , Freyja is related to magic and her chariot is drawn by two cats. These animals have also a long history related to magic, so I think its really a matter of you to explore and know the pantheons, gods and goddesses and follow what your instinct tells you. This is my opinion, for what is worth

[sotero]

Re: How do I know what God or Goddess, if any, is right for me?

I'm in the same boat! Don't worry. .