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    Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

    Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many? Have you worked with Ogma, Jesus, Lucifer, Thoth ect. How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them? What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?

    #2
    Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

    Originally posted by Alienist View Post
    Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many? Have you worked with Ogma, Jesus, Lucifer, Thoth ect.
    I work with Satan primarily. Secondarily, I work with Glasya-Labolas of the Goetia. After these entities, I work with a variety of different Spirits (referred to as Demons) depending upon the nature of the task at hand. Some of the forces which I work with are not "spirits" in the literal sense, but are more akin to "currents of Energy" - these are known as the Qliphoth to Kabbalists and Ceremonialists.

    Originally posted by Alienist View Post
    How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them?
    My initial connection with Satan was unexpected and sudden. My connections with the other Spirits with whom I work were more gradual - I am still developing relationships with others.

    It's difficult to describe what it's "like" working with Satan or with some of the Demons with whom I communicate. It's perhaps as "normal" as any other experience with a Spirit or deity. My primary "facetime" with these entities is during Shamanic journey, but I more regularly interact with Their Energies, so to speak, in everyday ritual.

    Each of the entities with whom I work are unique, and the experience of Their presence is also unique. Some encounters were initially startling - frightening perhaps - and some were more inviting and unexpected.

    Originally posted by Alienist View Post
    What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?
    Working with Them doesn't really make me "feel" any particular way. It's just what is done. I suppose that working with Them for so long has somewhat become quite the "norm", and so I don't necessarily find each and every encounter to be as profound as it once was. That being said, I remember my initial encounters - and they made me feel hopeful, full of wonder and sometimes dread - they gave me passion to learn and to strive to continually explore my understanding of both myself and the world (seen and unseen) around me.

    Again, each entity with whom I work is unique - and Their "personalities" can vary widely. Some are quiet and reserved, some are boisterous, some are aggressive. Some are formless and without manifestation other than an impression, thought or feeling.

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      #3
      Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

      Originally posted by Alienist View Post
      Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many?
      I work mainly with Bast, though in the near future I hope to at least provide monthly offerings for the other Netjeru on my shrine.

      How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them? What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?
      I feel like I connected with Bast quickly--a little too quickly. It got overwhelming fast, so I took a few giant steps back. Now I'm trying to retrace my way to where I was again at a slower pace.

      There's something wonderful about Bast that brings me back to Her feet time and again, no matter how far I wander. She combines the cheerful joy of Het-Heru with the destructive rage of Sekhmet. Bast is terrifying even when She's annoyed (I've been fortunate enough not to get full-on rage). Yet She's also a master healer.

      Thinking on it, I realize that, when I have a "right" relationship with Bast, I'm happy. Perhaps this is a side-effect of working with a goddess whose domain includes, among other things, joy and happiness.
      Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

      Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

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        #4
        Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

        I work with Athena and Arianrhod most closely, but I work with other Gods and Goddesses too. last night I did a spell with Mars, for example, and when me and my coven do stuff we work with all of each others Gods and make group offerings and stuff. when I first started to work with Arianrhod, I was worried there would be a clash between the two, but they seem to both be fine with it. they send me messages through symbols most of the time. words, letters, feelings. that kind of thing. it's very interesting, and rewarding

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          #5
          Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

          It's very interesting to know. Thanks! I hear deities do tend to have personalities and I always like to hear what they are like working with them. Some are stern, knowledgeable, attention-seeking, strict, jealous, kind, generous and so forth. I always like to hear what they are like before I work with them, but sometimes I wonder if they act that way almost all the time, or they act differently depending on the person.

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            #6
            Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

            Originally posted by Alienist View Post
            It's very interesting to know. Thanks! I hear deities do tend to have personalities and I always like to hear what they are like working with them. Some are stern, knowledgeable, attention-seeking, strict, jealous, kind, generous and so forth. I always like to hear what they are like before I work with them, but sometimes I wonder if they act that way almost all the time, or they act differently depending on the person.
            If you believe deities are separate entities with Their own personalities, then you have to understand They're going to act as They see fit depending on the situation. That said, if a normally stern deity approached me in a light-hearted, silly manner, I'd be suspicious this deity wasn't who He or She claimed to be. It's not impossible for a stern deity to act that way, it's just a bit of a red flag.

            Personality is a continuum and how an entity acts according to its personality depends on a crapton of factors.

            People definitely do get different "sides" of the same deity. It's like any other relationship. There are a lot of factors.
            Blog: http://thestarsafire.tumblr.com

            Kuchi wa wazawai no moto (the mouth is the origin of disasters)

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

              Originally posted by Alienist View Post
              Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many?
              I've worked with three deities in the past: Dionysus, Loki and Odin. Right now I'm kind of working with Lucifer.

              How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them?
              It depended. For Dionysus, it didn't take long to really connect with him. He came around and was like "Hey look at me." The relationship was pretty intoxicating, and working with him was the same way. With Loki, it took a while because of what others had said about him, but once I did... it was healing and rejuvenating. With Odin, he popped around after I worked with Loki for a while. I freaked out, tried to run away from him as far away as possible and then a friend kinda started to ask me stuff on Paganism because they were drawn to Odin and Hela and I ended up making an altar for Odin because I didn't feel right giving advice or talking about him without something... and then I was like "You planned this didn't you." I don't know if he really did though or I was just being overdramatic, haha. Either way, he was very much like a father-figure to me and taught me stuff relating to journeying and magic.

              And as for Lucifer, truth be told, I've been drawn to him for eight years now. I've faced him and ran away because I was scared of what others would think if I gave in and listened to what I was feeling, and when things begun to stabilize a little, I started to become less scared of what others would think and a little closer to working with him. Though I can't exactly answer what it's like working with him right now, since I'm a little ol' newbie right now.

              What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?
              Personalities... oh boy. Well, Dionysus was pretty joyful but also intimidating. I could always feel his madness just right underneath that joyful god facade he presented. Loki... he acts like your best friend a lot of the time. At least for me. He can also be pushy, grabby and a little possessive. He can try to kick a lot of unneeded attitudes out of you. Odin, in contrast, was a little... calmer. He was always like a father-figure to me but I could faintly feel a darker side to him, which reminded me so much of what I had felt from Dionysus.

              Lucifer, uh, he feels kind of like a calm guy right now. He's kind of like a guide/teacher to me (though he's always been kind of like that so...) and he's... got a certain charm about him that draws me in.

              As for how it made me feel working with them... Uh, a lot of the work the first three did kinda brought me out of a place where I was disconnected with who I was. Dionysus taught me to enjoy life, Loki reinforced that and through him, I begun to really enjoy life more and enjoy living. Odin... I think he was more like a guiding figure more or less, but he did seem to like showing me that I had power than I realize through what he would teach me. So it kind of feels like the three were healing me, repairing me and rebuilding me for something big. D: (Or alternately: Dionysus and Loki were doing the healing, repairing and rebuilding while Odin was just... guiding and keeping an eye on me for whatever reason.)
              Wild Witchy Dusk | TwitterMy Art Blog | My Deviantart

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                #8
                Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many? Have you worked with Ogma, Jesus, Lucifer, Thoth ect. How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them? What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?
                For me terminology is a stumbling block to answering this question. In essence I do not work with the gods / goddess I am sworn to and bound to.

                At times they are like the boss in the business that highers me to work for them. They do not work with you they set standards or goals to be achieved and you as the worker do so or find you are no longer employed in that organization. As such there is no working with, there is working for and your terms of employment are either accepted or denied and you go elsewhere. Other times it is like you are the middle management and you speak their service to others and the terms and conditions of working for that employer but again it is not working with them but more so working for them.

                There is no doubt in my mind that the day Artemis spoke to me on that mountain trail and told me I am hers that it was a relationship that would be controller and controlee. Yes periods of intense presence and other periods where she might seem to be absent. But always the knowledge she had claimed me and all that it would entail.

                I am sworn and bound to Hekate and Artemis, which as a male many find contrary at times. At times it is very specific in that I am told to do certain things in a certain way. Other times it's more a situation where I am given some leeway in that I can choose what I intend to do or how to do it, yet the final return is based against what they desire of me. Yet like any employer there are rewards and punishments to how I do my job and act in my place of employment. Lets face it honestly, in many ways it is an employer to employee relationship between the god / goddess and their adapt / acolyte / priest / priestess / etc.

                Figure both Artemis and Hekate have given me periods of intense influence. Periods where I am so compelled and driven to things that it is almost psychotic in the intenseness that is to be found in the discovery of some goal. Try learning parts of archaic social and cultural aspects to understand the rhyme or reason for things. Periods where you are literly a zombie as your feet walk to some destination and you can not resist until you've arrived and discovered what ever thing that lay waiting your arrival. Compulsive not even close to describing the intensity of the pull and call that fills every aspect of your being.

                Other points where you have to seek elsewhere to discover what they are trying to tell you. Yet the seeking many times is more a test of dedication and commitment than the rewards you'll get on the surface. Yet once you do you discover a whole new depth to the one or group that directed you on the search. I sat off the coast of Africa and was driven to seek things about Bastet and Pahket, yet didn't fully understand the why of it. Yet when you dig you see the face of Artemis but discover the confusion of do you seek for the Hellenic Kemetic goddesses or the true Kemetic goddesses and that. So you dig deeper only to discover the answer is yes to both but also no which simply leads you to yet other places to fill in the picture. In this instance the pursuit of Diana of Nemorensis in Italy who legend wise is Artemis carried there in that form by Orestes the sister of Igphenia which ties back to Orthia and Athens and further back to Taurian and potentially Bendis and Thracia.

                Are there rewards? Yes, most definitely. Are there restrictions and punishments? Yes that to though each may take many forms. Try being told you can not do something and if you do it will result in pain and punishment. So you face the test of restraint, conviction, perception and analysis, and a thousand other lessons or enlightenments. For instance I asked about something and was told no, yet I was guided to speak to my wife and tell her what would be needed. She did as I advised and was informed and the result was almost immediate in fulfillment. Figure we went from having no credit score to having everything in place for us to close on our home and move in. So yes there are rewards when you do as told and punishments of sorts when you don't. Yet that is no different than any other employer if you really think about it.

                Many seem to relate to their chosen gods / goddesses as a mother / father figure, a close friend or companion, an adviser or guide thus that perspective reflects in how they feel with working with them. Some will see them as aspects of the god / goddess within them and thus act accordingly to that. Some will see their relationship based upon whether they are priest / priestess to their divine caller and how they view the word Pries / Priestess itself, to include capitalized or not.

                Now there are some entities I do work with but those are not my gods / goddesses but local land spirits or other beings / entities that I know are doing or interacting with me for some cost or some furthering of their agenda of things. That cost taking any number of forms of payment for any number of forms their aide shall take in assisting me. They work or aide you because of profit, offering or a furtherment of their purposes. What form it takes may depend upon the strength of the entity or being you work with and what forces they possess the ability to influence, reward, change or restrict as the case may need.

                So as I said it is difficult to answer your questions for I do not work with my gods /goddesses. Not sure you could say I work for them except to the extent I do what I think is right and proper in acknowledging, speaking about and enlightening and doing for them.
                I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                  #9
                  Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                  Very interesting to know. Has anyone had very realistic dreams and visions of them? What was that like?

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                    #10
                    Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                    Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                    Very interesting to know. Has anyone had very realistic dreams and visions of them? What was that like?
                    Been sitting here for a bit tossing this about my mind trying to find a way to answer it. One of the first things I'd have to say is how does one define dream? Granted there is definition of how it is defined but for me I look at it as a condition where the active aspect of the mind is overshadowed by a secondary influences. A secondary influence can be something like the imagery that appears upon the minds eye as silhouettes while the active mind processes the input form the eyes, ears, etc.

                    So in dream time one thing I've noticed is that such an encounter is always a first person experience. There is no question of are you yourself or looking through another's eyes. The dream itself is very vivid yet not lucid in the aspect you can change or control things. The other thing is the dream is always multi-dimensional in that it has color, smell, sound, etc. Yet it also has the ability to occur in dream time yet manifest in the physical. Consider I've had my wrist held tightly then when I awaken I have a red mark upon or around my wrists. The lingering smell of whatever it was that connected to the divinity I had been in dream time with. I do have to say such dreams are few and far between for me, as such the clarity and depth of them is always an indicator of something more than a normal dream sequence.

                    I should note here that as a Shamanic practitioner many encounters with my guides and such follow many of the same conditions. Yet the feel of the dream is different. I can't really explain it beyond that as it has to be experienced to understand I think.

                    The waking dream state or vision upon the third eye is another method of dreaming. The thing there for me is that sometimes it is a black and white silhouette that plays upon the mind screen. A lot like sitting in a theatre and watching a black and white film as it plays out before your minds eye. It can be an active state where you mind is aware of the physical world about you and interacts with it or it can be a waking dream state in that the subliminal mind has taken over and the active mind is pushed out. Other times it can be a colored sequence and you almost feel as if you can interact with the events taking place upon the screen. These get me at times for I tend to hear "Voices" at times when the thing plays and if I am deep enough the physical world will blend into like a regular dream sequence. For me one critical aspect of these is that I see the negative image upon the minds eye yet I see the physical imagery as a background that continues to be processed. I've never had a physical manifestation of anything that occurred while in such a state. yet I find that I can scrye and do divination a lot better upon the third eye than I can with most other methods.

                    If one considers a dream to be the subliminal dominating the active brain then a "Vision" is a form of dream as well. For me the vision is a point where I literally phase out in regards to my physical surroundings and become aware of a scene that unfolds before my eyes. When I have been contacted via this method there is usually a precusor type event that comes first. Often for Artemis I start to see a lot of deer for instance, with Hekate I frequently heard the baying of hounds rolling down the valley as they came closer to me. Many times the vision is a revelation that I can watch but can not change or interact with. Yet in many ways it's like the dream state in that I have been touched in a vision and have carried indicators of that back into the physical surroundings.

                    Though to be honest the ones that trip me up is when the god / goddess decides to ride me. In such a condition one may be possessed fully or influenced. IF fully then I do not have a recollection of what has occurred or been said. Have only had that happen twice that I can say for certain. The other form is having them take over and you watch yourself saying, writing or creating something but you know you are not doing it nor the source of it. It's still a dream like state in that the active mind's control is surrendered for the duration of the event but its more others who tell you what happened than you have the ability to say yourself.

                    Riding can be spontaneous, induced or something similar. Though I suppose that would be another thread of discussion.
                    I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

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                      #11
                      Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                      Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                      Very interesting to know. Has anyone had very realistic dreams and visions of them? What was that like?
                      I had posted this in another thread a while back, but it's quite relevant here, so I'll copy/paste here.

                      To this day I am only partially convinced that this was just a dream. I remember the day had been nothing out of the ordinary, and I had gone to bed as usual, falling asleep quickly, only to open my eyes to find myself standing just inside the door of a large wooden hall. Lit with torches, and a large central fire pit, numerous long tables filled the area, though the place was oddly empty, save for a single figure sitting hunched on an elaborately carved wooden seat, though I would hesitate to call it a throne. I slowly made my way toward the person who sat there, wrapped in a sort of nondescript grey blanket, and I was thinking to myself how small he seemed in comparison to his seat, and that I sort of felt like I was part of a scene from The Two Towers (where they approach the wretched form of Theodan). The closer I came, the more nervous I felt, though it was a familiar sort of nervousness, the kind you feel when you know you have to go see the principal in school, or to face a parent.

                      As I neared, he stood from where he sat, pushing back the cloth that had shrouded his head, revealing his true self. He was a giant of a man, standing at least twice my height, and I could not believe how I had ever thought of him to be frail. A large cloak rested upon his shoulders, and beneath that a glimmering hauberk of mail. His face was bearded and aged, but with a look of strength and wisdom, his right eye a mass of scar tissue as his left regarded me with a stready, piercing stare. It was then I also noticed that there lay two large wolves on either side of the throne, and as he looked at me, they lifted their heads to do the same. We regarded each other in silence for a time, simply taking each other in.

                      It seemed as though we stood there for a while, not saying a word, when he nodded to me and sat back down, the wolves also losing interest and closing their eyes. He has just about settled back into his seat when there was a breeze and a pair of ravens flew into the room, circled me, then lighted upon his shoulders. They cawed to him for a time, and he rose quickly, pointed to me, and then the entire room spun, and I found myself awake in bed, feeling as though I hadn't slept at all.

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                        #12
                        Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                        I have encountered the Christian Trinitarian God ( The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost) first in my life. At the time in my life it was scary, sorrowful and complex. It wasn't an easy time in my life, and I found myself kneeling by the foot of the cross. Sad, dark and hopeless thoughts ran through my head, it was then I felt the very essence of my soul shake. I felt the Christ writhing with pain on his cross, I felt the sorrow of the light of God in the world being extinquished, lastly I felt a last breath, I trembled but a moment later the world felt brighter, warmer, and new.

                        Later in life Ive tried to tap in to the spiritual energies of certain places, or things. In these things Ive found the same hope, and renewal I felt that day. Though sometimes I feel the sorrow.

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                          #13
                          Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                          Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                          Does anyone have any gods or goddesses that you work with, whether it's just one deity or many?
                          I work primarily with Apollo, although I also work with Hermes, Artemis, Thor, Loki, and a few others on and off.

                          - - - Updated - - -

                          Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                          How long was it before you connected with your deity and what was it like working with them? What were there personalities and how did it make you feel working with them?
                          I was raised Protestant by my parents. I knew about the gods from my mythology books, but it took me awhile to realize the extent of the connection we had (and that the connection was okay to have). It wasn't until high school that I first connected with Apollo and Artemis in a religious way. Since then, I switched back to Christianity for a year or so, and I finally switched back to paganism my freshman year of college (this is a story in itself, which I've told on another thread somewhere around here.) Once I started working with Apollo and Artemis more often, I realized that they had actually always been in my life, it just took me awhile to recognize and welcome their presence.

                          Apollo and Artemis have always been very kind to me. They're benevolent guardians of a sort. I can feel them watching out for me, and I have felt their presence aiding me in difficult situations more than a few times. I see Apollo as a father figure, and Artemis as a protectress. I recognize that they are greater than me, but at the same time, they are beings I feel I can talk to as friends. Working with them always makes me feel content and safe. To use this rather over-used metaphor, they provide light in the darkest of times.

                          Thor is a bit different. I see him as more of a brother or a really close friend than a father figure. He is friendly and helpful too, albeit more outgoing than Apollo and Artemis. His helping hand feels more like a pillar of strength than a beam of light. Loki is a brother to me as well, and noticeably different than Thor. He's similar to Hermes in that they are both tricksters. They'll help, but you have to be careful how you phrase requests. Loki has played several tricks on me in the past which I did not appreciate at the time, although now I see that they were harmless and all in good fun. That's how he is.

                          The others I have worked with have also been helpful in their own ways. They all have their own personalities, and their assistance manifests itself according to those personalities.

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                            #14
                            Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                            On one particular instance I tried to commune with Cernunnos. I certainly noticed a presence whether it was him or not I am unsure, it was parculiar and the forest was rather perculiar that day.

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                              #15
                              Re: Your Gods/ Godesses What's it like working with them?

                              Originally posted by Alienist View Post
                              Very interesting to know. Has anyone had very realistic dreams and visions of them? What was that like?
                              I have, yes. I have seen Apollo in many dreams and visions over the years now, although I'm not sure if I can accurately explain what it was like...

                              He's radiant, as you might expect. He appears with the sun behind him, which fills the whole scene with this golden-red light and makes me feel warm and welcomed. Instead of making him just a silhouette however, the sun behind him lights up his entire being: everything in the room glows gold, and it's easy to see the light is actually coming from him. He is triumphant and glorious. He has golden hair the same color as the sun's rays, a handsome face, and a friendly smile. Although his figure looks human, it's very easy to see he is a god. There is also always music that accompanies his appearances. It's always orchestral, but not always the same piece. Sometimes I recognize it and sometimes I don't.

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