Rain Gnosis
August 31st, 2003, 02:05 PM
Lesson 4 - the Divine
There are many ways within Paganism to view the Divine. Within Wicca, for instance, the Divine as seen as transcendent but manifesting immanently as God and Goddess and within nature. In Kemeticism (Ancient Egyptian reconstructionism) Netjer is seen both as an abstract Divine energy and either manifesting in faces or facets or in unique individual deities (depending on the temple you go to).
Since experiencing the Divine is so personal I feel it would be useful here for me to share some terms that might be of use to you when you meditate upon and study the Gods.
Types of the Divine
Transcendent Divine
That which lies beyond normal experience or comprehension. The transcendent Divine is that which exists outside what we can relate to - abstract formless energy that existed before creation and is beyond the Gods we know. Also thought of as "The All" or "One", and from which some people believe deities manifest as faces or facets.
Immanent Divine
Immanent (not to be confused with imminent - which means impending, about to occur) means "existing within" and refers to the Divine which exists within our experience. This is the Divine that we can touch and work with, and that exists around us in nature and within us. The immanent Divine is found in the sunset, or in ritual - when we gaze up at the moon or when we speak to the Gods within our own circle. This is the type of Divine we are most familiar with - the kind that we can seek to understand and experience in our own circle or outside.
Theisms
Polytheism
This is the idea that deities are unique individuals who can interact with eachother much like we do.
Duotheism
The idea that there is a God and Goddess, and that all deities are names or faces of them.
Pantheism
The idea that the Divine is immanent in nature - existing entirely in the universe around us, as the earth, moon, stars, etc.
Panentheism
The idea that the Divine is both immanent and transcendent - within nature and beyond the universe, part of creation and existing before it.
Monotheism
The worship of one God and belief that it is the only God, coming from the Greek "monos" meaning one and "theos" meaning God.
Henotheism
Belief in one God without denying the existence of others, coined by F. Max MŸller and coming from the Greek roots "henos" meaning one and "theos" meaning God. Similar to monolatry, first used by Julius Wellhausen, coming from Greek "monos" meaning one and "latreia" meaning service or religious worship. While henotheism refers to belief in one God while recognizing others may be worthy of worship, monolatry refers to a belief wherein other Gods are recognized but not worshipped. For this reason the terms are sometimes used somewhat interchangeably, or together (for example saying someone's religion is henotheism but their worship is monolatry).
Atheism
The belief that there is no God.
Paradigms
Often people work with models of the Divine that help them relate to the Gods. Understanding oneself as within such a model helps one recognize themself as Divine and helps them relate to the Gods. Many people feel the Divine can manifest in different ways for different people or at different times as needed - for example that the Divine can be both immanent and transcendent, or that deities can be both unique individuals with personalities *and* parts of the Divine as a whole. Therefore, the Goddess could be both the moon or earth, a maiden, mother, and crone, water and earth, all at once and you will see her as any of them at any time depending on how you need to work with her at the time.
God and Goddess
The God and Goddess are seen as complementary necessary parts of the Divine - the God being all that is male, and the Goddess all that is female. Together they may create the universe.
Maiden, Mother, Crone
The MMC paradigm is well-known. It relates to the moon as it waxes, is full, and wanes, and to the Goddess as a young, virginal maiden, a creative, powerful mother, and a wise, dark crone. Sometimes people apply it to some of the deities from a pantheon, or to a nameless Goddess archetype. This model is also related to cycles and the turn of the wheel as the Goddess grows. A fourth, lesser known, face of this Goddess that is sometimes referred to is the Warrior.
Youth, Father, Sage
This is a paradigmn that matches the one above but of course relates to the God.
Oak King and Holly King
The Oak King is the young king who rules the warm half of the year, the Holly King, as the Lord of Death, rolls the dark half until Yule when the Oak King returns.
Summer Queen and Winter King
The Goddess rules the warm half of the year, the God the cold half.
The Sun God
The infant Sun God is born at Yule, grows to manhood at Beltane and impregnates the Goddess with his son, pours his energy to the crops at Litha, and becomes a willing sacrifice at Lughnassah. The Goddess is a pregnant mother at Yule, the God's lover at Beltane, and a crone by Lughnassah.
Pantheons
Kemetic - Aset, Asar, Heru, Sutekh, Nephthys, Djehuti, Yinepu, etc.
Norse - Odin, Frigga, Freya, Loki, Thor, Tyr, Heimdall, Skadi, etc.
Hellenic - Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Athena, Demeter, Artemis, Poseidon, etc.
Celtic - Cernunnos, Epona, Lugh, Anu, Arianrhod, Blodeuwedd, Brigit, Cerridwen, Scathach, etc.
Etruscan - Agenoria, Astrea, Charun, Fana, Faunus, Felicitas, Furina, Horta, Janus, etc.
Sources : Philosophy of Wicca, Amber Laine Fisher, CovenCraft, Amber K, The Elements of Ritual, Deborah Lipp, House of Netjer's Names of Netjer (kemet.org/glossary/), Dictionary of Norse Gods (http://www.wildwoodforeststudios.com/rob/dict.htm), Celtic Gods and Goddesses (http://www.crosswinds.net/~daire/names/deities.html), Fabrisia's Boschetto ([url=http://www.fabrisia.com/), What are Henotheism and Monolatry? (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_theism_heno.htm)
There are many ways within Paganism to view the Divine. Within Wicca, for instance, the Divine as seen as transcendent but manifesting immanently as God and Goddess and within nature. In Kemeticism (Ancient Egyptian reconstructionism) Netjer is seen both as an abstract Divine energy and either manifesting in faces or facets or in unique individual deities (depending on the temple you go to).
Since experiencing the Divine is so personal I feel it would be useful here for me to share some terms that might be of use to you when you meditate upon and study the Gods.
Types of the Divine
Transcendent Divine
That which lies beyond normal experience or comprehension. The transcendent Divine is that which exists outside what we can relate to - abstract formless energy that existed before creation and is beyond the Gods we know. Also thought of as "The All" or "One", and from which some people believe deities manifest as faces or facets.
Immanent Divine
Immanent (not to be confused with imminent - which means impending, about to occur) means "existing within" and refers to the Divine which exists within our experience. This is the Divine that we can touch and work with, and that exists around us in nature and within us. The immanent Divine is found in the sunset, or in ritual - when we gaze up at the moon or when we speak to the Gods within our own circle. This is the type of Divine we are most familiar with - the kind that we can seek to understand and experience in our own circle or outside.
Theisms
Polytheism
This is the idea that deities are unique individuals who can interact with eachother much like we do.
Duotheism
The idea that there is a God and Goddess, and that all deities are names or faces of them.
Pantheism
The idea that the Divine is immanent in nature - existing entirely in the universe around us, as the earth, moon, stars, etc.
Panentheism
The idea that the Divine is both immanent and transcendent - within nature and beyond the universe, part of creation and existing before it.
Monotheism
The worship of one God and belief that it is the only God, coming from the Greek "monos" meaning one and "theos" meaning God.
Henotheism
Belief in one God without denying the existence of others, coined by F. Max MŸller and coming from the Greek roots "henos" meaning one and "theos" meaning God. Similar to monolatry, first used by Julius Wellhausen, coming from Greek "monos" meaning one and "latreia" meaning service or religious worship. While henotheism refers to belief in one God while recognizing others may be worthy of worship, monolatry refers to a belief wherein other Gods are recognized but not worshipped. For this reason the terms are sometimes used somewhat interchangeably, or together (for example saying someone's religion is henotheism but their worship is monolatry).
Atheism
The belief that there is no God.
Paradigms
Often people work with models of the Divine that help them relate to the Gods. Understanding oneself as within such a model helps one recognize themself as Divine and helps them relate to the Gods. Many people feel the Divine can manifest in different ways for different people or at different times as needed - for example that the Divine can be both immanent and transcendent, or that deities can be both unique individuals with personalities *and* parts of the Divine as a whole. Therefore, the Goddess could be both the moon or earth, a maiden, mother, and crone, water and earth, all at once and you will see her as any of them at any time depending on how you need to work with her at the time.
God and Goddess
The God and Goddess are seen as complementary necessary parts of the Divine - the God being all that is male, and the Goddess all that is female. Together they may create the universe.
Maiden, Mother, Crone
The MMC paradigm is well-known. It relates to the moon as it waxes, is full, and wanes, and to the Goddess as a young, virginal maiden, a creative, powerful mother, and a wise, dark crone. Sometimes people apply it to some of the deities from a pantheon, or to a nameless Goddess archetype. This model is also related to cycles and the turn of the wheel as the Goddess grows. A fourth, lesser known, face of this Goddess that is sometimes referred to is the Warrior.
Youth, Father, Sage
This is a paradigmn that matches the one above but of course relates to the God.
Oak King and Holly King
The Oak King is the young king who rules the warm half of the year, the Holly King, as the Lord of Death, rolls the dark half until Yule when the Oak King returns.
Summer Queen and Winter King
The Goddess rules the warm half of the year, the God the cold half.
The Sun God
The infant Sun God is born at Yule, grows to manhood at Beltane and impregnates the Goddess with his son, pours his energy to the crops at Litha, and becomes a willing sacrifice at Lughnassah. The Goddess is a pregnant mother at Yule, the God's lover at Beltane, and a crone by Lughnassah.
Pantheons
Kemetic - Aset, Asar, Heru, Sutekh, Nephthys, Djehuti, Yinepu, etc.
Norse - Odin, Frigga, Freya, Loki, Thor, Tyr, Heimdall, Skadi, etc.
Hellenic - Zeus, Hera, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Athena, Demeter, Artemis, Poseidon, etc.
Celtic - Cernunnos, Epona, Lugh, Anu, Arianrhod, Blodeuwedd, Brigit, Cerridwen, Scathach, etc.
Etruscan - Agenoria, Astrea, Charun, Fana, Faunus, Felicitas, Furina, Horta, Janus, etc.
Sources : Philosophy of Wicca, Amber Laine Fisher, CovenCraft, Amber K, The Elements of Ritual, Deborah Lipp, House of Netjer's Names of Netjer (kemet.org/glossary/), Dictionary of Norse Gods (http://www.wildwoodforeststudios.com/rob/dict.htm), Celtic Gods and Goddesses (http://www.crosswinds.net/~daire/names/deities.html), Fabrisia's Boschetto ([url=http://www.fabrisia.com/), What are Henotheism and Monolatry? (http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_theism_heno.htm)