Getting closer to the gods

[David19]

I've noticed that on a lot of posts and sites and books, people say that they've been called by a god or group of gods, and i'm starting to feel a bit left out, and don't know what path to follow. Is there anything i can do to get closer to the gods or get a sign as to what path i should follow?

I do feel attracted to Athene, Apollo, Hecate, and Aprodite(sp), which makes me think i should be a Hellenic reconstructionist, but then i feel attracted to Kemetic deities, Sumerian, Canaanite, and recently Jewish paganism (worshipping the pre-monotheistic Hebrew deities) and a few Norse ones, as well as one tradition called the 1734 tradition (and Clan of Tubal Cain, from Robert Cochrane) which makes me a bit confused as to what path i should follow. Is anyone else like me or were you like me?

I thought about just choosing one and following that path, but i don't want to follow a path, and then a few months/years/whatever, etc later decide that i should be on another path.

What are your thoughts/advice? Have you got any tips for me?

Thanks.

oh, BTW, sorry if this sounds like i'm self-pitying or something :).

[Xirian]

I've noticed that on a lot of posts and sites and books, people say that they've been called by a god or group of gods, and i'm starting to feel a bit left out, and don't know what path to follow. Is there anything i can do to get closer to the gods or get a sign as to what path i should follow?

I do feel attracted to Athene, Apollo, Hecate, and Aprodite(sp), which makes me think i should be a Hellenic reconstructionist, but then i feel attracted to Kemetic deities, Sumerian, Canaanite, and recently Jewish paganism (worshipping the pre-monotheistic Hebrew deities) and a few Norse ones, as well as one tradition called the 1734 tradition (and Clan of Tubal Cain, from Robert Cochrane) which makes me a bit confused as to what path i should follow. Is anyone else like me or were you like me?

I thought about just choosing one and following that path, but i don't want to follow a path, and then a few months/years/whatever, etc later decide that i should be on another path.

What are your thoughts/advice? Have you got any tips for me?

Thanks.

oh, BTW, sorry if this sounds like i'm self-pitying or something :).
I personally think you should go with what your intuition is telling you. "I thought about just choosing one and following that path, but i don't want to follow a path, and then a few months/years/whatever, etc later decide that i should be on another path." You feel that way for a reason and I think maybe you should just continue to study until something definitively pulls or calls to you.

However, I didn't do it that way, and I probably should have because two years after starting on a path I knew it wasn't the one for me. But we live, learn, and grow. I personally feel that is why paganism is a part of my lifestyle now for those very reasons.

As far as your situation goes, don't feel left out. Just because people aren't talking about it openly, doesn't mean they aren't or haven't experienced a similar thing.

This isn't a race to see who can get to what path the fastest, that's why it's your path. I was 29 when I finally embarked on the path that suited me, and who knows, maybe in the future another one will call to me. I enjoy paganism because it is flexible enough to accommodate my changing interests. We all are continually growing and so are our interests. This is a religion where you can be mutable, IMHO.

Some people are much older than me and still don't have one path they follow. But that is why it's your spiritual path and not anyone else's. It can take as long as you need it too. I have a friend that just studies all sorts of things and takes what he needs or wants and moves on. In doing that, he is making his own path that will be unlike any other.

Just some thoughts!!! Good Luck!!!

[cartweel]

It's all a matter of wanting it, I think. You need to show the gods (however you conceive them) that you are worth their time. Show them that you are truly dedicated to finding a path and respecting them. Also, it's important to realize that your "path" doesn't have to be a "Path." I mean that you can have a deep spiritual relationship with divinity on your own, without having to pidgeon-hole yourself into a cookie-cutter label. Go with what you want, and don't be distraught when the big "Them" in the sky tell you that you're doing it wrong. There's no reason that you can't build (slowly and meticulously, of course) a relationship with deities from many pantheons, follow No One's pre-conceived "Path", and be perfectly happy.

And I've always spelled it APHRODITE, and I believe that's what most Greek texts say. I could be wrong, though.

[indigo rain]

a lot of people find a need to fit a particular label so as to be able to relate to other people. "you're a celtic reconstructionist? i'm a celtic reconstructionist too!" but the point here is not to be able to relate to other people, though that does have its own importance. what you need to do is be able to relate to the gods. and if you feel you need to work with deities from fifteen different pantheons to get the feeling of devotion and connection you need, then go for it. and if you need a label... there's always the good old "eclectic pagan." Besides, as you progress and continue to work, (i know that take so much patience, but it's worth it) you'll probably find that you narrow the list down a bit and do find more of a streamlined "path." sometimes it just takes time and experimentation.

[Nitefalle]

I think you're looking at this all wrong. As I percieve it, you think that to commit to one god from one pantheon is to align yourself with an entire preset spirituality that also is committed to that same god. I love the Northern gods, it's a huge part of my heritage, but I could never be Asatru. At the same time, I really identify with the continental Celtic gods, but I'm quite far from reconstructionist. Perhaps if you just concentrate on building a relationship with those deities, the rest will fall behind. Maybe after working with the Greeks, you'll find that it's not such a great relationship. Maybe after researching and practicing Cochrane's path, you'll find it's not such a great fit. Not to mention the fact that everyone's spiritual needs change over time. Even if you found a path tomorrow that fits you to a tee and you completely identified with and found fullfilling beyond all others, there's nothing to say that that won't change a year from now, ten years from now, twenty years from now. As our lives change, so do we, and so do our needs. Your spiritual path is not a career; it's not as if changing it puts you back at square one.

A couple of years ago, I was exactly where you are. I was feeling a bit demoralized because I didn't have that one special deity who made me feel like I had found the missing piece of my life. I didn't have that one path that made me feel complete; I still felt lost, searching. So I went searching. I thought that maybe, those past seven years, they had just been waiting for ME to take the first step! So I went knocking....and knocking....and knocking on several gods' doors. I became even more demoralized because I wasn't getting a response, not one that I really felt in my heart. All the signs that I thought were leading me one way were really going nowhere. Then I got the scare of a lifetime from a god of the Otherworld that made me realize that perhaps I shouldn't go sticking my nose where it didn't belong, lol. So I thought "Hm, okay....maybe I just need to be okay with the fact that I DON'T have a single defined labeled path or a single deity to serve....maybe that's my lesson here". After that, things started falling into place. I found a group that I really like practicing with and, six months after that, I had a personal experience with a deity that really renewed my faith. It was so heartening. I'm still defining my own path, I'm still not committed to one deity over all others, but once I really became okay with myself and where I was on my path (and stopped comparing myself to everyone else), that's when I really found my faith.

So that was a long pointless story.....but I just wanted to let you know that it's okay to still be searching. It's okay if you haven't been "claimed", neither has everyone else. I think that's just what we see because we want it so badly. You'll find your niche in your own time, when the gods deem it best for you.

[Garm]

In philosophy and practice I am closer to the chaos school of modalities than anything else but if I was to define my path by Whoever has deigned to grace me with something I can define as contact I would be obliged to either the Asatru or Thelemic faiths.

I find the patronage of deities to be slightly overrated.

[Theres]

I thought about just choosing one and following that path, but i don't want to follow a path, and then a few months/years/whatever, etc later decide that i should be on another path.

why not?

most 'paths' meander, some more than others. and many have forks and crossroads too.
the chances are you probably won't be the same person in 20 years that you are now, and you might find yourself following one of those branch paths to... who knows where? but that won't mean that the path that lead you to that junction was wrong.

a healthy journey may progress in untold directions. don't be afraid to change.

[Little Billy]

I've noticed that on a lot of posts and sites and books, people say that they've been called by a god or group of gods, and i'm starting to feel a bit left out,

Has it occurred to you that being called by a God probably isn't a good thing?

[Fire's Shadow]

If there is one thing I've learned from Discordians and Subgenii is that they have a point about trusting gods.

So, no, I wouldn't try to get too close to the gods... they might bite. http://forum.rscnet.org/images/smilies/bitehard3d.gif

[Little Billy]

If there is one thing I've learned from Discordians and Subgenii is that they have a point about trusting gods.

So, no, I wouldn't try to get too close to the gods... they might bite. http://forum.rscnet.org/images/smilies/bitehard3d.gif

Well, if you think about it, why do Gods demand worship?

Because they eat it.

And when you die, it's like the main course.

[Xirian]

Has it occurred to you that being called by a God probably isn't a good thing?
Well, if you think about it, why do Gods demand worship?

Because they eat it.

And when you die, it's like the main course.
I don't feel that just because a deity calls to you that they are necessarily demanding worship. I feel it all depends on the particular deity that is calling to you. My deities don't demand that I worship them. They simply wanted me to commune with them and that is what I do. Very much like someone that wants to befriend you. Some you pass on and some you don't depending on what you will gain from the relationship. I see my deities as friends. We have been developing a relationship with each other and we both gain from it.

[Little Billy]

I don't feel that just because a deity calls to you that they are necessarily demanding worship. I feel it all depends on the particular deity that is calling to you. My deities don't demand that I worship them. They simply wanted me to commune with them and that is what I do. Very much like someone that wants to befriend you. Some you pass on and some you don't depending on what you will gain from the relationship. I see my deities as friends. We have been developing a relationship with each other and we both gain from it.


1. Well, sure. They know the old days of cowing frightened peasants is over (we have the media for that, now).

2. Well, that's what they SAY, isn't it? They want to be your pal. But how do you know? They're Gods, after all...they could just be projecting that warm, loving feeling into your head, couldn't they? Meanwhile, they are planning to snort us all up like cheap cocaine as we die.

[Infinite Grey]

If you want to closer to God, I could give you my adress... but I really do not like to be bothered and may smite you

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/bur2.gif

[Little Billy]

If you want to closer to God, I could give you my adress... but I really do not like to be bothered and may smite you

http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/spezial/Fool/bur2.gif


Trifle not with wizards, for it makes them soggy, and hard to light.

[Infinite Grey]

Trifle not with wizards, for it makes them soggy, and hard to light.


The problem with wizards is, you eat one and half an hour later your could use another.

[Little Billy]

The problem with wizards is, you eat one and half an hour later your could use another.

True.

And don't throw your cigarette butts in the urinal, for they are wrathful, and quick to anger.

[dragoncrone]

I agree that not having been called by some deity isn't a big problem. It's not like choosing players for dodgeball, y'know...
Also - going down a particular path and later finding out it wasn't quite the one you needed, is called Real Life. Welcome to it! :hahugh:

Here's a thought about 'gods' -- take a look at the things you are most drawn to, including work - sports - pets etc. There may be gods waiting for you to notice them.

:wave:

[Little Billy]

There may be gods waiting for you to notice them.



"Lurking".

[Xirian]

1. Well, sure. They know the old days of cowing frightened peasants is over (we have the media for that, now).

2. Well, that's what they SAY, isn't it? They want to be your pal. But how do you know? They're Gods, after all...they could just be projecting that warm, loving feeling into your head, couldn't they? Meanwhile, they are planning to snort us all up like cheap cocaine as we die.

Anything you want to be possible is. IF that is what you are concerned about with your deities, then that is probably what you will get when you decide to commune with them.

I think you have more of a choice than you are appearing to think you have. Enjoy!!! :D

[Arion]

I've noticed that on a lot of posts and sites and books, people say that they've been called by a god or group of gods, and i'm starting to feel a bit left out, and don't know what path to follow. Is there anything i can do to get closer to the gods or get a sign as to what path i should follow?


Aww, don't feel left out, you'll feel them when the time is right:) My advice would be to go to a peaceful place, preferably outside in nature, and invoke one of the gods/goddesses that you are attracted to. Feel that god/dess enter you and sense how you feel. Have a mental conversation with him/her. Don't invoke them all at once, get a sense of each one at different times seperately. Concentrate on feeling their presence rather than rationalizing what they are and where they come from.

I've had amazing experiences just sitting in my backyard and calling my deities. Experiencing them within me. Try it, nothing to worry about:) You might learn something valueable and things might become clearer.

[Little Billy]

Anything you want to be possible is. IF that is what you are concerned about with your deities, then that is probably what you will get when you decide to commune with them.

I think you have more of a choice than you are appearing to think you have. Enjoy!!! :D


I don't think the Gods tailor themselves to mortals.

[Toriach]

I've noticed that on a lot of posts and sites and books, people say that they've been called by a god or group of gods, and i'm starting to feel a bit left out, and don't know what path to follow. Is there anything i can do to get closer to the gods or get a sign as to what path i should follow?

I do feel attracted to Athene, Apollo, Hecate, and Aprodite(sp), which makes me think i should be a Hellenic reconstructionist, but then i feel attracted to Kemetic deities, Sumerian, Canaanite, and recently Jewish paganism (worshipping the pre-monotheistic Hebrew deities) and a few Norse ones, as well as one tradition called the 1734 tradition (and Clan of Tubal Cain, from Robert Cochrane) which makes me a bit confused as to what path i should follow. Is anyone else like me or were you like me?

I thought about just choosing one and following that path, but i don't want to follow a path, and then a few months/years/whatever, etc later decide that i should be on another path.

What are your thoughts/advice? Have you got any tips for me?

Thanks.

oh, BTW, sorry if this sounds like i'm self-pitying or something :).
I would like to offer an alternate view point. Why bother with deities at all? Personally I believe that all deities are either archetypes made manifest because of being fed the power of our beliefs or they are entities who have chosen to cloak themselves in the cloth of our beliefs for reasons that may be benign, malign, or indifferent.

For myself I believe that I have within me the ability to tap into the power of the all and use it to make my will manifest. No intercession from deity required.

Peace
And
Long
Life

Toriach

[Xirian]

I don't think the Gods tailor themselves to mortals.
I don't think they do either, but you have the choice to commune with the ones that you feel you have a connection with. Yes, there are some deities that have a reputation for being aggressive, self-involved, closed-minded and vindictive, but for every deity that is that way, there are those that are caring, understanding, and open to new ways of thinking.

However, I feel that if those are the things you think about...
1. Well, sure. They know the old days of cowing frightened peasants is over (we have the media for that, now).

2. Well, that's what they SAY, isn't it? They want to be your pal. But how do you know? They're Gods, after all...they could just be projecting that warm, loving feeling into your head, couldn't they? Meanwhile, they are planning to snort us all up like cheap cocaine as we die.

...then those are probably the results you will get. Those that say they aren't attracted to chaos, pettiness and gossip, are usually the very same people you find in situations exactly like that.

So, I'm saying, if you think those things about all the deities (you actually tailoring them to your type of thinking (which is what it appears that you are doing whilst accusing me of the same thing)), and are concerned that they all have ulterior motives to wanting communication with you, you are in a sense tailoring them to what you feel they are like, right?