what draws you towards your chosen deities?

[adazakura]

Is it who they are? Where they come from? the ideals they represent? (ie strength or justice or magic) or is it the animals who are synonymous with them?(cats, ravens wolves etc) or the element (ie fire and pele)

I love pele for her fire
bast for the cats
diana for her ideals as a strong woman

tell me more about yours?

[KEishin]

Honestly, because they are the type of person I'd like to get to know better, perhaps even be friends with. Like attracts like after all.

[Theres]

She will have to answer that, as i had little to do with the decision.

[David19]

I like the gods i'm drawn to because of different things, like i'm attracted to Apollo because he seem likes a very cool guy (or god), since he keeps fit, works out, is gay (or bi, and loves guys :)), and other things.

Athene, because she seems strong and is a war goddess but approaches things with wisdom, and has a strategy.

Kemetic gods, i'm interested in the culture and they seem like some cool gods.

Norse gods, some of the myths and gods reach out to me.

Hebrew gods, again some of the gods and path reach out to me, same with Canaanite gods, Sumerian, etc.

The Aztec ones interest me, and i'd like to learn more about them, even if i don't follow their path, Native American deities and myths interest me but i don't think that i'd call on them unless i really wanted to be part of the path and culture (i've also heard that Native American's don't like their path being disrespected, so i wouldn't want to do that).

Russian and slavic mythology interest me and the deities also interest me, especially the vampire and werewolf myths.

[Brandon Bee]

Good question.

I actually feel like the Sumerian gods were calling me to worship them. I resisted. They persisted. So, I just gave up, and I'm glad I did. I feel much more comfortable and stable with my gods now.

[Snapdragon]

I answered this one in the poll before reading your clarifications; it's still okay, though.

Kali appeals to me as a woman of power, passion, and freedom, the sacred feminine embodied and personified as the ruler of death, liberator from karma, the drinker of blood. This is not for everyone! I only came to Kali after a long journey, and in mindfulness of that journey's culmination. Like many pagans, I lean towards my death rather than cringing away from the thought of ending. What I wish, is that my death be pleasing to Her, that She taste and savor my destruction.

In life, Kali is a constant reminder to me of the sacredness of women, the power of the feminine, and the urgency of containing our own destructiveness. Foolish people! If you continue ruining the earth, She will harvest enough of you to preserve Her body! Kali is not to be trifled with.

I know that Hindus (of which I am not one) also revere Her as a succoring mother, but it is Kali's fierce aspect, Her freedom and passion, that attract me. I am especially drawn to the black Kali: Her flashing eyes, red tongue, and dancing body are extraordinarily beautiful.

Jai Kali maa! May She be further embodied in the world as women--powerful, passionate, and free!

[Hangatyr 13]

Blood relation. That's how we heathens role.:)

[Morr]

The Irish Gods I work with and worship have found me and chose me. Why? I dont know. I guess because I'm a challenge :lol:

I also have several Dieties that I honor (ie. Not my Patrons, not of my Pantheon. I dont worship them, pray to them or work with them daily as I do with my Patrons and Irish Gods, but I do honor them and have worked with each on several ocassions).

One thing I have noticed is that almost all of them are associated with Death, War or Battle.

So I guess the darker aspects, the war aspects, the blood lust, the heroism, the determination, the leadership, the loyalty and protection of the land, hearth and people is something that seems to attract me/attract them.


ETA: Also, I have always always always have had a strong infatuation and love to Ireland and anything Irish and Celtic. I am totally not related in any way, in this lifetime, to Ireland or the Irish people. But I feel as part of them in my soul, I feel like an adopted daughter of the Tuatha De Danann. Its just part of me.

[semi]

I'm Irish! Woohoo!


But in regards to the thread topic, I don't know. I guess they're like the family that I always wanted. And they're a lot of fun. They're also not deities, but close enough for the purposes of this thread.

[brymble]

what draws you towards your chosen deities?

I'm Gaian, so I guess in the most literal sense, I'd say it's gravity.

[Toby Stimpson]

I was drawn to them mostly through images and feelings. It took me a little while to get used to or to find the group of gods and when i did it has had a powerful impact on my life. I worship primarily Kali although her consort Shiva has taken over a powerful spot. I think for me, and I do identify as Hindu, the draw is culture and also the heritage the rich tradition and also the link to the past. Hinduism is perhaps one of the most ancient of religions surviving and just the literiture and concepts, preserved and shown through the Devas it's an empowering draw for me. Before hand though I think I was just drawn to Celtic gods becasue of the trend...but when i actually read and learned (and I am still learning) I made my decision. That and the fact that at the time kali entered my life I was going through several cycles of transision between childhood and adulthood that casued negetive but ultimatly positive experiances to occur. That is the proof for me that my faith in her and Shiva was well worth it hehe.

Namaste

Tobias

[SilentDreams]

I chose "none".

It bugs me but I can't say why I'm drawn to my dieties. In the begining it felt like I "chose" them but I don't think I did. I think I've always been connected to them but it took me time to find out for myself. I acctually found Persephone and Eros when browsing a website about gods and goddesses. I found Persephone first. I read her story and *bam* I knew we were connected. The same happened for Eros.

[Incendia]

My "patron" chose me! Apparently, he feels that he can help me improve/develop as a person... and he has. Sometimes I wonder if he knew what he was getting himself into ;), as I am a handful or shall we say divine pain in the arse!!! Meantime, said deity is watching Incendia as she types this and is shaking his head. :goodgrief

[Kendrah]

My offical answer is "none above". To go in further, I'd've picked the answer "because they didn't leave me alone" if you had it.

[Whitewolf]

My deities chose me. I have no idea what draws me towards them. I just feel a strong connection to them.



-Jessica [aka Whitewolf]

[Malcolm]

They're family, that explains most of them. As for Loki, well, I'm really not sure.

[wintermagick]

Demeter for her fierce love for her daughter.

[argento_occhi]

I'm not entirely sure. I was drawn to Djehuty because of His association with writing. Being a writer myself mad eme feel like He was someine I should get to know. I'm not sure what drew me to Aset. I don't even think I could tell you what it is I find draws me to Her now since I don't feel I have the same sort of relationship with Her than I have with Sebek. Sebek I can cuddle and be affectionate with and have fun with. Aset's... much more distant. I don't mean that in a bad way, but yeah. And I wasn't actually drawn to Sebek, I just loved crocodiles and one day it just jumped out at me and there He was smirking at me. But, He's cool. I don't know how many other Gods would let you get away with calling them 'baby' and 'darling' in a respectfully affectionate manner. *sighs* I have a sneaking suspicion He thinks it's cute.

And then there's the other Gods I'm drawn to but haven't 'chosen'/been 'chosen,' like Set, Kali Ma, Bast, etc. Not sure why I like Them either. I just find Them intriguing. So yeah.

[_Banbha_]

Is it who they are? Where they come from? the ideals they represent? (ie strength or justice or magic) or is it the animals who are synonymous with them?(cats, ravens wolves etc) or the element (ie fire and pele)

I love pele for her fire
bast for the cats
diana for her ideals as a strong woman

tell me more about yours?I'm Irish and they were just always there. Obviously, I didn't have to 'be' Irish though:)

[Faelon_Moon_Hawk]

Is it who they are? Where they come from? the ideals they represent? (ie strength or justice or magic) or is it the animals who are synonymous with them?(cats, ravens wolves etc) or the element (ie fire and pele)

I love pele for her fire
bast for the cats
diana for her ideals as a strong woman

tell me more about yours?

they draw me to them. they (bast & ullr) have always been with me...it just took me about 20 years to finally put everything together and get their hints. Looking back now, its easy to see the influences they've had in my life, especially when it comes to things i enjoy or am naturally drawn to.

[Morrigan_Wolfwind]

I've always liked Ireland even though I'm full Filipino. Plus, I saw a documentary on ravens once and they mentioned the Morrigan, so I just started looking for information about her and the other Celtic gods.

[Mab]

I think........she is the part of me that is missing, or that I frequently lose track of. And I think she sees me & knows how to give me what I need when I need it. I just feel........part of her & her part of me.

[WitchCraftWeaver]

Actually, for the longest time I wasn't drawn to any particular diety. It was only recently that I was chosen. I hadn't given it any thought in a long time, until I started seeing signs everywhere.

So, I guess I didn't chose, so much as I was chosen by them. :hahugh:

[Arion]

It's weird, I can't really remember when I first discovered Aphrodite. I had seen her character on Xena, but I didn't really put much thought into it. Then I started reading up on Greek deities, and I guess I just really related to the image that She portrays. Whenever I was outside, I could feel her, if that makes any sense. Especially around bodies of water (or when it rained), as well as under the night sky, and in my backyard by my garden. I just felt Her presence in Nature. Dionysus was like too, I could just feel Him, and out of the blue I was drawn to research Him, and it clicked.

Another similar story: Last summer I was up north at my aunt and uncles cottage, and there is a nice little shop that sells all sorts of Pagan things in a town up there. One day I bought a necklace with a Hecate pendant, just because I liked it and was attracted to it for no apparent reason. That night there was a violent thunderstorm, with thunder, lightning, heavy rain, the works. As I stood on the front porch of the cottage watching the storm, I could feel the power of Hecate, terrifying, destructive and beautiful. It was an interesting experience.

[Xirian]

I feel that my deities were attracted to me. They kept making themselves known to me, so much so that I couldn't ignore them. They allowed me to form a relationship with them and I have done that and couldn't be more pleased.

[rainmaker]

I'm Gaian, so I guess in the most literal sense, I'd say it's gravity.
That's hilarious. 8O

As far as I go, I've been searching for a long long time, and right now the Hindu faith has my undivided atttention, especially Kali. It's kinda strange, considering that I'm a mostly Irish guy living in the Northwest USA. She's always been in the background of my mind, but in the past few months she's really come out and said "Learn, now." To an ignorant Westerner like me, she was of course frightening, but after getting to know her I've found that there's nothing to be afraid of. Hopefully getting to know the rest of the Hindu pantheon turns out to be as fulfilling. I look forward to it.

[indigo rain]

i voted none and all of the above, because honestly i don't know what drew me to my deities. i just took one look at them and knew. beats me.

[Little Billy]

Slack.

[Ladylepgirl]

I didn't chose my Patron Goddess, she chose me from a very young age she guided me. I am a follower of Hecate. I think that most of us were chosen by a particuliar God or Goddess honestly.

[arianrhods_daughter]

They chose me, so in a sense, their ideals don't matter in the "chosing" process, because they took care of that end. It's developing the relationship from then onwards, with all the trials and tribulations, that are important :)

[Little Billy]

They chose me, so in a sense, their ideals don't matter in the "chosing" process, because they took care of that end. It's developing the relationship from then onwards, with all the trials and tribulations, that are important :)


You got drafted?

[Ninjakitten]

I put "the ideals they represent", but it kind of goes beyond that for me. I've had many Christian religious experiences not instigated by some church thing (wasn't even raised a Christian), and knew an awful lot of things that happen to be found in the Bible (past life knowledge or spiritual knowledge?). When I was drawn by my experiences to explore Christianity, it all came together, yet it's coming together further now that I'm not letting the "Christian Church" define my Christian walk to me anymore, and I see it more as a walk to seek truth (which has always been in my nature) than as merely Christian anymore.

[Morrigan_Wolfwind]

Oh yes, and I'm starting to think the Morrigan sends crows after me on occasion, particularly when I'm out on the track. They tend to pause a moment, then fly off. (The record was five in about fifteen minutes. That should count for something.)

Also, whenever I hear or read her name, there's a sudden little jolt in the back of my head. Like she's using mild shock therapy to alert me to any mention of her. :hahugh:

[Kalika]

Kali just kind of... found me. :) I needed her. But her personality, who/what she is... would have appealed to me anyways.

Strong female archetypes appeal to me.

When I first started, I was drawn towards Athena - for exactly that reason. Her strength and wisdom.

[seekerofknwoledge]

Thanatos got to me through his brother (Hypnos, think of it as arranging a blind date), and I'm not sure what exactly it was that drew me to Him other than the undeniably attraction. I'm like a goofy teenager with a crush when I talk about Him/when He's around.

As for Artemis, well, I think She was always there since I was young. She's been my favorite for ages, and She was what first drew me to this path (it had to do with a school project and whatnot). I lover Her ideals, Her persona, Her abilities, Her animals, everything about Her.

Being Her brother, Apollo is like an older brother to me, not to mention His love of music and fortune telling.

Zeus is my daddy, 'nuff said.

I could keep going on and on, but another main factor was/is that I am ethnically Greek, so it feels right to worship as my ancestors (and even I at one point if you believe in reicarnation) did.

[IsauraStrider]

I'm drawn to Lugh and Brigid which is a bit odd because I'm very much a night person and they both deal with the sun. I like them because they're from the Celtic lands and my heritage is Irish, Scottish and British. They deal with multipul things namely poetry and insperation which is great cause I love writing poetry. I like Lugh because he's honorable, his stories tell of a god who stands up for his people and will help them when they need it.

[-Sky-]

This is a very interesting question!It is nice to see what attracted the fellow MW members to their deities or what attarcted the deities to them.

I think that for me it is not one reason but many.I feel connected to the deities i worship in many ways,in every way!It is first of all about the relationship we have,the love we share.Also i admire these deities for their ideals and their qualities.Then,i am happy that with time they also give me these good qualities and teach me.Some examples:

Brigid is like a mother to me.And although i am drawn to dark things and the night,i feel drawn to her too.I love the fact that she is related to Healing and Poetry.I am a poetess so i believe that she gives me inspiration.Also,Brigid has been there for me even in difficult times,even when i felt disconnected.She's like a protective mother.

When i first begun my path i considered Artemis my matron deity but then we drifted apart.I considered her a sister and a true friend.I love deers.I like that she is called the Huntress and that she dwells in the forest.And i also admire her independent personality.

Cernunnos is the God i feel more close to.I believe that he has many faces.Hunter,Father,Brother,Lover etc I completely love the Earth and the forests so when i am in nature i strongly feel his presence.Also,stag is one of my totem animals and it reminds me of him.For me,Cernunnos represents the ultimate man.And he has been a stable presence in my life.


ETA: Also, I have always always always have had a strong infatuation and love to Ireland and anything Irish and Celtic. I am totally not related in any way, in this lifetime, to Ireland or the Irish people. But I feel as part of them in my soul, I feel like an adopted daughter of the Tuatha De Danann. Its just part of me
I couldn't have agreed more.I also feel deeply connected to everything Irish and Celtic.It is like my soul has a bond with that land.I have not direct blood origins from Britain but this doesn't stop me from believing that the Celts were my ancestors as i also spent many lifetimes there.haha i really liked the phrase "adopted daughter of the Tuatha De Danann".:)