Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Your Pantheon

Collapse
This topic is closed.
X
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Your Pantheon

    Hello, friends!

    I'm new to the path of Paganism, and I'm exploring myself spiritually as well as educating myself on different belief systems and the deities involved in them. However, the more I read and talk to people, the more confusing things become. I feel lost in a way, like I'm being pulled in and tugged in so many directions that I've just lost my way. I've kept my prayers and rituals vague and open as I've not dedicated myself to any pantheon or practice as of yet.

    I suppose I'm just new and looking for some wise words from those who have experienced more along their path than I have.

    So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

    Thanks guys! The forum is great and there's so many helpful people. I'm glad to have joined!

    #2
    Re: Your Pantheon

    Great question and welcome to the forums

    With me, and the Norse pantheon. I always have had an affinity for cold climates, and badass cultures. That was the original reason I dug my nose into some Norse lore books. Then, there was sort of a click with the god Odin. A very instant connection, and I knew this is what I would pursue. Since then I have had a lot of metaphysical experiences, and experienced different aspects of certain deities in different ways.

    You may not have a 'click', but don't worry. Most won't and that doesn't make them any less of a good pagan or any less worthy in any way, it's just random in some ways as far as I can tell. But that's the way it worked for me Good luck.
    White and Red 'till I'm cold and dead.
    sigpic
    In Days of yore,
    From Britain's shore
    Wolfe the dauntless hero came
    And planted firm Britannia's flag
    On Canada's fair domain.
    Here may it wave,
    Our boast, our pride
    And joined in love together,
    The thistle, shamrock, rose entwined,
    The Maple Leaf Forever.

    Comment


      #3
      Re: Your Pantheon

      Welcome to the forum Chris! I agree with Doc, great question. It took me a while to get where I am today. At first when I became a Wiccan I followed the Celtic Pantheon, then the Norse Pantheon, at last the Egyptian/Kemetic path finally called to me. Sometimes it takes a while to find the perfect path and pantheon for you. Anubis was the one who called to me and I knew after he did that he was the right god for me and the Egyptian path was the right one for me.
      Anubisa

      Dedicated and devoted to Lord Anubis and Lady Bast. A follower of the path of Egyptian Wicca.

      Comment


        #4
        Re: Your Pantheon

        Originally posted by chris_pagan View Post
        Hello, friends!

        I'm new to the path of Paganism, and I'm exploring myself spiritually as well as educating myself on different belief systems and the deities involved in them. However, the more I read and talk to people, the more confusing things become. I feel lost in a way, like I'm being pulled in and tugged in so many directions that I've just lost my way. I've kept my prayers and rituals vague and open as I've not dedicated myself to any pantheon or practice as of yet.

        I suppose I'm just new and looking for some wise words from those who have experienced more along their path than I have.

        So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

        Thanks guys! The forum is great and there's so many helpful people. I'm glad to have joined!
        I've been drawn to Norse cosmology for as long as I can remember. I've also been attracted to Viking age everything for as long as I can remember... even as a young child. I was always interested in mythology and deities and ancient history, but there was a much more intense interest in the Northern ones.

        When I first became pagan though, I actually moved away from the Norse deities because I was turned off by Asatru and Heathenry. I had this odd conflicting situation... I was intensely drawn to the Norse cosmology and mythology, yet repulsed by the modern pagan paths that worship them. So I walked away for a few years. It was a while before I realised that I didn't have to approach the Norse deities from Asatru or Heathenry. And not long after that I discovered that there were other people doing the same thing... the Northern Tradition folk. Then it all just went 'click'.

        Comment


          #5
          Originally posted by chris_pagan View Post
          Hello, friends!

          I'm new to the path of Paganism, and I'm exploring myself spiritually as well as educating myself on different belief systems and the deities involved in them. However, the more I read and talk to people, the more confusing things become. I feel lost in a way, like I'm being pulled in and tugged in so many directions that I've just lost my way. I've kept my prayers and rituals vague and open as I've not dedicated myself to any pantheon or practice as of yet.

          I suppose I'm just new and looking for some wise words from those who have experienced more along their path than I have.

          So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

          Thanks guys! The forum is great and there's so many helpful people. I'm glad to have joined!
          I was drawn to Egypt as a child, loved it, the mythology, everything. I've fallen out of it, but still have ties, such as my name etc.

          Found Wicca as a teen, had a generic lord and lady for a bit, went a bit celtic-y, as newbie wiccans tend to do. The only real interest I have there now is Brigid. I was never interested in Greco-Roman anything much.

          I just called myself a pagan, defined as 'earth based spirituality' for a long time, and still do.

          I've always been into the Norse, I have Scandinavian/Alemanic heritage and runes have always just 'worked' for me. I didnt know much about the Heathen type paths though till I got here and Rae'ya introduced me to the title of Northern Tradition. Thats kinda stuck.

          Thals business with bioregionalism strikes a chord with me too.

          But its really a big learning journey. Things will come in time, and people will introduce uou to new terms that seem to fit nicely, and systems / pantheons which make sense to you.

          Happy journeying!
          ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

          RIP

          I have never been across the way
          Seen the desert and the birds
          You cut your hair short
          Like a shush to an insult
          The world had been yelling
          Since the day you were born
          Revolting with anger
          While it smiled like it was cute
          That everything was shit.

          - J. Wylder

          Comment


            #6
            Re: Your Pantheon

            I also didn't follow a specific pantheon for a long time, and I struggled a lot with questions such as "is it okay to mix and match", "can I worship a god from X pantheon and a goddess from Y?", "am I approaching the deities as literal beings or metaphors", "is deity of so-and-so from pantheon X the same as deity so-and-so from Y", etc.
            After a long time I have come to realise that my path is one of reverence for my heritage and ancestry. I am of Scandinavian descent and have also always felt a special affinity for the Norse pantheon. So now I am dedicating myself to honouring the gods of my ancestors, and it feels right just about now.
            sigpic

            Comment


              #7
              Re: Your Pantheon

              I personally am having a bit of a conflict- I am drawn very much to the region of Norway, have experience working with runes, love the symbols, and love Norse cosmology. In fact, I'm actually in Norway as I write this, and I absolutely love it. But something about the deities just doesn't... "Click" so to speak. Something just seems off. I love it here, I love the land and the people. Some of my ancestors were from here, though I also have Irish and Native American in me, my still living great-grandmother is a full blooded Cherokee, so I'm basically Celtic-Norse-Cherokee in heritage.

              Part of me says that using elements from both Celtic and Norse cultures isn't a problem, as my heritage is based in both of those areas. However, another part says that it isn't right to mix the two because of the cultural differences. Would anyone have thoughts on this perhaps?

              I still feel torn, but I'm going to keep going. The only way to know where a road leads is to keep following it, even when it gets difficult. If you never move past the difficulties, you'll be stuck in them forever, and that kinda sucks. Thank you all for your words of encouragement and your stories, I definitely have a lot to think about now.

              Comment


                #8
                Re: Your Pantheon

                When it comes to mixing Norse and Celtic pantheons it wouldn't necessarily be a problem.

                I should start by saying though that I know little about the Celtic practice except what I have learned on here, but as far as I understand there isn't really any Celtic pantheon since what we today know as "the Celts" were a very heterogeneous group both ethnically, socially, geographically and religiously.
                I'm much better versed in the Norse bit, "my pantheon" so to speak. It is a fairly loosely knit mythology to begin with and so much has been lost that there are huge gaps that is left for us to fill out one way or another. Also I think that the Norse pantheon was probably as manifold as the "Celtic" to begin with. It was probably only at the end of the Viking era that the practice started to get more centralised and less diverse.
                Add to this that the Norse and the "Celts" (some of them anyway), raided, married and traded with each other over decades or centuries (depending on how you count and define eras and people) they probably had a large amount of cultural and religious adoption from each other going on too.

                So as using deities from the two pantheos together, I can't see that it shouldn't work. The following here is UPG so don't take it for something that it's not, but in my experience the Norse gods aren't jealous ones. They don't mind mixing with others as long as you remember them too. (I won't speak for Odin on this though, imo he's a complete nutter and best avoided. That opinion might make me unpopular, but that is my experience with him. Don't take it as gospel.)

                For my own experience with pantheons I've done "The Great Tour" over the years, I honestly think there's not a single pantheon I haven't read about but I've always been drawn to the Norse gods. What got in the way for me for many years was both the reputation that Heathens have as White Supremacist Neo-Nazis and the fundamentalist Recon Heathens. Once I got my head around that not every one who follow/worship the old Norse gods are Nazis or anywhere near it and that I should just ignore the Recons if I didn't agree I've fairly much found my place. At least for now. One thing being pagan has taught me is that there is no final destination, only a never ending journey.
                Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

                An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

                "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

                Comment


                  #9
                  Re: Your Pantheon

                  Thank you so much, MoonRaven! That was an enlightening post for sure.

                  Everyone here is very kind and helpful, I appreciate it very much!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Warning: The above post may contain traces of sarcasm.

                    An apostrophe is the difference between a business that knows its shit, and a business that knows it's shit.

                    "Why is every object we don't understand always called a thing?" (McCoy. Star Trek: The Moive Picture)

                    Comment


                      #11
                      Re: Your Pantheon

                      I'm going to go in a slightly different direction here.

                      On the surface I am called to the Olympian and kemetic pantheons. Yet that is also a misnomer in that what we identify those same pantheons as today is not always correct nor how the people themselves would have identified a given god / goddess set.

                      Lets look at Artemis for instance. As a goddess she probably has more persona's and sacred places than most will ever get to know. The majority will look into the Olympian Pantheon and see the pre-pubescent females goddess of the hunt and such. That is the face most often revealed within the Olympian Pantheon. Yet it ignores her Anatolain face at Ephesus, her Taurian face in the Black Sea region, Her Spartan face at Orytgia, her Arcadian face in Arkadia, etc. All aspects of her Hellenic persona's but seldom remarked upon in her Olympian face. That not even touching upon her influence upon Diana lore, especially at Aricia (Lake Nemi) or probable influence upon a Southern Etruscan goddess called Artumes. Then one has to further look to her influence upon Hellenic Egyptian period with Bastet and Pahket who become conflated with her through local Hellenic mercenaries / settlements.

                      So that is just on the surface not even considering how Artemis was seen by each polis and period. Consider for instance, you'd think Athens would make great ceremonies and sacrifice to Athena for saving them yet it is to Artemis they were made and remembered for the battle of Marathon. A perspective that seems far more aligned to battle, determination and combat skills which seems more appropriate to say Artemis under the Spartans at Ortygia than Athens. Especially when you consider her Taurian persona which becomes associated with her Bear Maidens and such and Athenian connections.

                      So to say I follow the Olympian pantheon and how they view Artemis, or any of the gods / goddesses would be incorrect. For it is only under later assumption of what the Olympian Pantheon is as an observer not as the cosmos would have been seen within ancient Hellas (Greece) and by each segment of that society.

                      Sadly that scenario is probably proper for all the pantheons people select and seem to draw their divine and semi-divine figures from. I see lots claim some Celtic goddess and properly they are Irish Celtic not Celtic as a totality of the people who spoke that language. In some ways almost being lazy in that they say "Celtic" yet denying everything that was Celtic as to individual peoples, places, languages, etc.

                      So I'd say be careful when trying to lay claim or identification with or to a given pantheon of gods / goddesses. What modern society and history say of a pantheon is sanitized and watered down to make the whole fit into it. Perhaps even pause for a moment and consider there is something like 500 various denominations of Christianity in the world yet all lay claim to a Jesus figure for the most part. All identified as Christianity yet you'd be wrong to assume each is the same or equally reflective of each grouping. The same would apply to how one views each Pantheon of gods / goddess and the semi-divine that make it up.
                      I'm Only Responsible For What I Say Not For What Or How You Understand!

                      Comment


                        #12
                        Re: Your Pantheon

                        I AM THE GREAT AND MIGHTY LORD OF DARKNESS

                        Not :c

                        In all seriousness, I started my path when I was 14. I saw, and talked to Azazel in a dream. Before this, I knew nothing about Pagan religions, modern Satanism, the Occult, Witchcraft, or anything of the likes. In fact, I was an Atheist!

                        After the dream I started researching on the internet in great secretiveness, fearful of my families and friend's reaction to my new interest. I found plenty of sites, some I liked, some I didn't. I did a lot of meditation until I was finally able to get in contact with different entities or 'demons'. I found my beliefs and my philosophy around the modern Theistic Satanism idea, similar philosophy, but with my own beliefs that came from my personal experiences.

                        I believe in 4 main deities, as well as many other entities which all make part of an Astral Plane, somewhat comparable to our society, but that I have just begun to get the grasp of.

                        My four main deities have more than one name, their old and modern names. They have told me that all these names are man made, and that in their world, their identity was defined simply by their energy. Each living being has a different energy, which can be recognized by these deities.
                        These deities are (names I use and other names in parenthesis):

                        Satan/Lucifer (Enki)

                        Beelzebub (Baal/Bael)

                        Ashtaroth/Ishtar (Astarte)

                        Azazel/Shamash

                        They are awesome. And I am awesome too.

                        Check out my blog! The Daily Satanist

                        Comment


                          #13
                          Re: Your Pantheon

                          Discovering this side of the Norse helped it make more sense for me. I've never had a real relationship with deity, but I do love the land. It allows me to pull in the 'earth based spirituality' the Norse, and Thal's bioregionalism into one big happy mix.
                          ThorSon's milkshake brings all the PF girls to the yard - Volcaniclastic

                          RIP

                          I have never been across the way
                          Seen the desert and the birds
                          You cut your hair short
                          Like a shush to an insult
                          The world had been yelling
                          Since the day you were born
                          Revolting with anger
                          While it smiled like it was cute
                          That everything was shit.

                          - J. Wylder

                          Comment


                            #14
                            Re: Your Pantheon

                            Originally posted by chris_pagan View Post
                            Hello, friends!

                            I'm new to the path of Paganism, and I'm exploring myself spiritually as well as educating myself on different belief systems and the deities involved in them. However, the more I read and talk to people, the more confusing things become. I feel lost in a way, like I'm being pulled in and tugged in so many directions that I've just lost my way. I've kept my prayers and rituals vague and open as I've not dedicated myself to any pantheon or practice as of yet.

                            I suppose I'm just new and looking for some wise words from those who have experienced more along their path than I have.

                            So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

                            Thanks guys! The forum is great and there's so many helpful people. I'm glad to have joined!




                            When I was 10 or so ( long time past), I had determined that I wished to be a cloistered nun. My mother was Catholic, although I was raised "open (long story), so I worked through her to start my journey down that road. Around age 13, though, I read a book with strong elements of Wicca and Goddess worship. And WHAM I got hit in the head. I was a pagan. Yes! Or, that is what I wished for. I read what I could, though there wasn't much in those days that I could get my hands on. So I bumbled down my own road, grabbing what pieces I could here and there, fully solitary the entire time. I have always been drawn the Egyptian and Celtic pantheons, (and occasionally the Norse adn Greco-Roman, too, though not always) though not necessarily equally. I have full respect for all the pantheons. I feel drawn more towards Goddesses, but I couldn't honestly say that I have a Patroness ... nor do I necessarily think I *need* one. When I pray, I pray to Her, My Goddess, My Lady. Sometimes I will use a name, most often, not.

                            Increasingly these days, I find myself desiring a less solitary, and more structured Path. There is certainly a lot more out there now than when I initially started looking omg-years-ago! But, like you, there is so much that it can get confusing at times. And thus, just like you, I am here ...

                            Edited to add: And yes, I still sometimes yearn to be a cloistered nun, though not necessarily a Christian one.

                            Comment


                              #15
                              Re: Your Pantheon

                              Originally posted by chris_pagan View Post
                              Hello, friends!

                              I'm new to the path of Paganism, and I'm exploring myself spiritually as well as educating myself on different belief systems and the deities involved in them. However, the more I read and talk to people, the more confusing things become. I feel lost in a way, like I'm being pulled in and tugged in so many directions that I've just lost my way. I've kept my prayers and rituals vague and open as I've not dedicated myself to any pantheon or practice as of yet.

                              I suppose I'm just new and looking for some wise words from those who have experienced more along their path than I have.

                              So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

                              Thanks guys! The forum is great and there's so many helpful people. I'm glad to have joined!
                              With me it's the Kemetic pantheon. When I was looking in Paganism, this pantheon was the one which talked to me the most. From the perspective of personality - it fits me greatly. I try to educate myself as much as possible and find more and more information about Kemetism.

                              Well, mostly Paganism doesn't require one absolute path. It allows mixing different pantheons and deities. But I prefer to stick to one pantheon. It takes some time to determine your own path and reach the position you look for.
                              "Fair means that everybody gets what they need. And the only way to get that is to make it happen yourself."



                              Since I adore cats, I might write something strange or unusual in my comment.Cats are awesome!!! ^_^

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X