New to Paganism and all this deity stuff got you confused?
Working with deities is by no means necessary to be pagan or a witch or walk an Earth Centered path.
They can factor in as much or as little as you feel called to include them. I didn’t dive head first into working with them when I first started and it’s only because of direct experiences that I currently connect with specific Gods and Goddesses at all. Hopefully my experience can give you some inspiration so you can explore this aspect of paganism in your own way.
My Early Years
My spiritual education first began at St Bridget's Catholic Church (note the name for later). I was super Catholic growing up, as in member of the youth choir and youth ministry leadership council Catholic. I wasn't there cause “Grandma wanted me to get confirmed”, I truly wanted to be a part of a community of people seeking to know God and Jesus. And I did have a couple deeply profound experiences in that space, but as I went to college, I started questioning my faith and took a big step back from the church, even though I was at a Catholic college at the time.
I started reading things that got my mind wondering about Biblical history, like Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. I was focused on my biology training and was very science minded. I dated an atheist (interestingly from that same Catholic college) and soon I was convinced there was nothing beyond physical reality. The idea of chasing an afterlife felt weird to me and there being an all-knowing God that controls everything a little sick if we looked at all the suffering in the world.
Meeting Pagans and All Their Gods
Throughout my life, I always had a connection to nature, so when I began meeting Pagans and seeing their reverence for the natural world, I was intrigued. But goodness, Pagans had so many Gods and Goddesses! That was a hard sell for me. I have enough trouble with the singular God, now you want me to believe there are hundreds? It wasn't easy, but I decided I was going to roll with it and feel out the spiritual path regardless of all this crazy Deity stuff.
I figured that at the very least, these were archetypes that our ancestors connected to and maybe their stories have a lesson in them. Or maybe they can be a focus for meditation to bring out qualities I want in myself. Or heck, maybe they really do exist in some way and I can develop a connection to them. So I cautiously began exploring these different Deities with an open mind and discerning eye.
The Goddess
The easiest one for me to wrap my head around and start exploring was the Goddess, not a specific deity, just “The Goddess”. It felt refreshing and rebellious to have a feminine Deity after growing up with Yahweh, the Judeo-Christian God. I saw her as Mother Earth and overlaid the actual physical changes of the seasons onto this ubiquitous Deity that was continually referenced. We do literally come from Her on an atomic level and go back to Her at our death. Then I started hearing the songs to her and realized, this is exactly what most people were doing, with a bit of personification added in.
Art Credit: Abby Nguyen
“We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return,
like a drop of rain,
flowing to the ocean.”
- Z. Budapest
“I walk with the Goddess,
The Goddess, she walks with me,
She is the clouds up in the clear blue sky,
She is the ground beneath my feet,
She is the oceans and the falling rain,
She is the Spark that Lights my Way”
-Kellianna
“The Earth is our Mother, we must take care of Her,
The Earth is our Mother, She will take care of us.
Her sacred ground we walk upon with every step we take.”
-Native American (Hupa or Hopi)
I began to deeply resonate with this interpretation and I wasn't just “rolling with it” anymore. I became exposed to different Deities as I continued on this path and used this same process of being both discerning and open-minded as I came upon them. Some I didn't take to and others are now part of my daily practice. My two main Deities now are Brigid and Green Man and my connection came from direct experience, not a dictated faith like I was used to in Catholicism.
Green Man
My Green Man
I'm not sure what my first encounter with Green Man was, but it had to be after I became pagan. One memory is of being drawn to a metal relief of his leafy face that a friend owned. He ended up gifting it to me and it lives under my pillow in my van now. When I hike alone, I often feel (and crazy as it sounds, sometimes see) another presence in the woods with me, but not in a scary way. It’s comforting and friendly. I started leaving dead flowers from my alter at a specific tree in the woods behind my house and there was a gratitude and connection that we formed. That tree gifted me an amazing limb to use as a Maypole one Beltane. I started practicing with my fire dancing props to a song about him and I would feel a playful energy around me.
Currently, I connect to him in my prayers every morning and he always has strong, comforting, loving, playful presence. Now, if he's an actual entity or not, I can't be sure, but I know that when I connect to him, I feel supported and safe. Whether that's an aspect of me being highlighted, or truly his essence, it doesn't matter to me. I think the results are worth it either way.
Brigid
Art Credit: Temiel
I like to think that Brigid was always with me since I grew up at St. Bridget's Church. There's a lot of evidence that St. Brigid was probably the Goddess Brigid, just Christianized to make it easier for the Irish to convert. With my Irish roots, I had a natural affinity to this Goddess, and the first Imbolc I celebrated was memorable. I didn't really know how to celebrate Imbolc yet, so I simply meditated with the intention of connecting to Brigid, since she was the only thing I really knew about Imbolc. It was an interesting combination of both feeling like I was meeting her and at the same time embodying her. I had a beautiful prophetic vision having to do with future children (still yet to be seen) and as I was telling the friend I was meditating with about my experience, he said I had this new energy about me and that to him it felt like Brigid.
Since then, I've always felt a special connection with her. Even though Green Man was my first consistent relationship, she's come through in the past year to become my patron Goddess. Each morning in my prayers I ask her to bless and protect my space and to keep my hands and heart inspired. She has a strong energy, like a mentor that knows your greatness and won't let you make excuses to shy away from it.
So what do I believe now?
I'm not entirely sure. I still have my discerning yet open mind. I'm open to experiences. I frequently connect to Brigid and Green Man in prayer and meditation and I get good feedback. If it's me talking to myself in the guise of this Deity, I like how I choose to talk to myself in that form. I give myself good advice as Brigid and I'm very playful and loving as Green Man. Having this practice has done nothing but enhance my life.
Do you want to begin connecting to a specific Deity? I recommend learning about them, both other people’s experiences and their traditional history. Focus on them during meditation, lighting a candle for them or putting out an offering (incense, food, a stone, etc). And think of this as a budding friendship. Ask questions, be giving, share your thoughts and feelings. Don’t ask them for some big help right off the bat. You don’t usually meet someone and then ask them to help you move next weekend, right? Be mindful of that and let your connection unfold organically. I hope this helps you get a feeling for how you want to explore this aspect of Paganism if it calls to you. Message me if you have any questions.
Blessed Be.