do you

[thok_ragnarok]

do you regonize and honor your deity/deities regularly or just in a time of need or when you want something?

if you do, do you not see that as selfish?

and last, if someone were to only call to you when they wanted something, how likely would you be to help them in their times of need?

[Ahautenites]

You should have made this thread in the first place.

There's an expression that goes: "God helps those who help themselves." And there's the quote (from Ever After: A Cinderella Story") that says, "You cannot leave everything to Fate, boy. She's got a lot to DO. Sometimes, we must give Her a HAND."

So, no. I don't see it as disrespectful at all to only ask divine help when you need it and not speak to the Divine at any other time. How helpful I'd be if it were me, I don't know. Depends on whether I thought the person needing the help would truly be helped down the line by my action or inaction.

[Shanti]

You should have made this thread in the first place. Ditto and I personally dont have any deities so I call on me when I have a prob.

As for others, its between them and their deity/ies.

[Faeawyn]

No...I say thank you more often than I ask for help. And I call at least once a day :D I'm a good kid :lol:

[Xentor]

I don't even ask, as I don't recognise deities as powers to ask from...

[Aelfoak]

I have a statue of Cernunnos on my table at home and call on him whenever i need some spiritual guidance, so i don't think its selfish in anyway and i do say thank you to him afterwards which i think he would appreciate.

[WinterTree]

Honestly, there have been times when I have asked my deities for help more than I have thanked them....and I regret that deeply. After all, they have given me my life, my family, my friends....saved me more times than I can count. I honor them on holidays, such as Beltaine and Yule, I create art of them in their honor, I say good night and good morning to them..... I'm really glad this thread was created, because it reminds me that I need to honor my deities on a more day to day basis....

If someone came running to me for help, I'd try to aid them as best I could. Though often times that someone may be dealing with a problem that only he/she can find a solution to.

[Fideal]

I pray all the time. About everything. I see my faith as something Im always participating in. If I'm doing something, I might ask for help. When I succeed, I say thank you. When I see beautiful things I say thank you, when I have good luck, I say thank you.

I don't really see it as disrespectful to ask for something if you know the deity, and if you don't, you can always offer suplication. Burn a incense, leave an offering, or write a hymn dedicated to that deity, and make sure to tell them thank you.

[Morr]

I honor The Morrigan & The Dagda as well as Brigid on a regular basis.. I pray to them every night.. to ask for guidance (not favors) but i always thank them. My altar is dedicated to them, as well as Mary because she inspires me.

[luna rising]

I have a "thanks to the Goddess" prayer that I try to say at least once a day. It's just something simple that I wrote myself. And seeing as how I just discovered my patron, I will let you know the answer to the other part of your question as our relationship grows. :)

[Sleet]

I speak to my Lady on a fairly regular basis. I'm not entirely certain she listens to my general ramblings, when I don't do a formal ritual, but I figure what the hell.

[Mab]

do you regonize and honor your deity/deities regularly or just in a time of need or when you want something?

if you do, do you not see that as selfish?

and last, if someone were to only call to you when they wanted something, how likely would you be to help them in their times of need?
I try to honor my dieties daily--if only to "check in". I don't pray necessarily, so much as just sorta talk. I ask for protection & strength, and I thank them for all they give me & do for me. Sometimes I rant about problems I'm having, and sometimes & gush over the good things.

I think you're right to look at it as similar to a friend who calls only in times of need. So I try to "call" my dieties to "just talk".....to thank them & to open up to their messages to me.

[PAGANFILES]

The archives, the work I do with them, and the time I spend sending them out is a constant connection.

Terry

[Tea Leaf]

I honor my Goddess and God everyday through thanks/offerings.
I do ask for protection for my family, pets and myself every night.

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

For myself I pray to Them on a regular basis. When I awake in the morning, I thank Them for the new day and the dawning sun, as well as for helping me through the night and out of the dreamworld. At night before I sleep I thank Them for both the blessings and stress of the day, for we learn from both. I ask Them to protect my family and myself. I thank Them also for my loved ones and the roof over my head, for the food on my plate, for my job. It is at this time that if I feel the need of visions or knowledge to come to me, I will ask for them to show me that which I need to know. I also try to pray to Them throughout the day, thanking them for my food at meals, and randomly for that which I have in my life, for the beauty all around that inspires me, and for the love that surrounds me.

I strive to keep my relationship with Them highly personal. Our relationship isn't just about my wants. Yes They are my strength and saviour in times of need, but They are also my inspiration and the beauty of life.

[Isa]

do you regonize and honor your deity/deities regularly or just in a time of need or when you want something?

if you do, do you not see that as selfish?

and last, if someone were to only call to you when they wanted something, how likely would you be to help them in their times of need?

Sure it's disrespectful and annoying when someone only calls when they want something ... However in my opinion they resentment we feel about that has more to do with our social dependency will feel as humans, and since deities are not human I don't believe they care XD

[ObsidianShenKa]

My prayers are usually more along the lines of seeking counsel than petitioning for intervention.

I tend to only consult them when I need them or I want to be graced by their presence.

They call me when they want me to. It's a working relationship. A close one, but a working relationship nonetheless.

[argento_occhi]

I sometimes ask the Gods for healing or other favours, but i understand and accept that it will happen when they want it to, not when i want it. I think about them a lot, even if i'm not doing rituals or stuff like that. sometimes, sitting in lectures, i'm write prayers on the side of my notebooks. i've scribbled heaps of pictures of Djehuti in my molecular biol lab book, and i also drew an image of him on my lab coat (there's a picture of Nekhbet wings spread on the back). Djehuti i feel likes a lot of the units i do, especially the ones with decent labs. I got the impression he really enjoyed the two units i did in molecular biology and chemistry (four units: two for molec , two for chem). He has a sense of humour that most people don't realise he has. Maybe it's cos we're two science nuts, but i think we both laugh at the same things. I'm certain he finds my chemistry lecturer amusing, i find her amusing. I get that sense from him sometimes that he's amused by something. Anyway, enough about my interesting (though kinda irrelevant) course of study.

the most common time for me to pray is when i'm faling asleep. i'll lie there in the dark, rambling on in my mind, and some of it makes sense, and other times it's completely off course. my mind wanders a lot. I find it calming, i suppose. Sometimes i talk to Aset, Djehuti and Sobek-Re, other times maybe just one or two. i try to perform a daily rite, but at the moment, while it's winter, the only thing i can thknk of doing first thing in the morning is lying under my nice warm doona listening to the CD my alarm clock radio thingy is playing for half an hour.

I think i've rambled on long enough.

bright blessings,
argent.

p.s. i hope that some of that made sense. I'm in a weird mood tonight. Anticipation of a football (AFL)match i suppose. That giddy excitement you get as you wait and hope for the match to start so you can see them completely flatten their opposition (even though they're playing away......) *Sigh* some teams just don't travel well.

[Raivynne]

My altar is dedicated to the Morrigan and I often light the candles and sit and talk to her about my day, how things are going, just normal stuff. If I see a particularly pretty rose then I'll pick it an set it on her altar, or I'll put some red wine there too. I ask her for strength when I need it, but rarely for anything else.

[RubyRose]

I call on deities, only when I need to. Like with my rat Del. The reaons behind this are simple. I don't see the point in calling upon them, for more mundane purposes. Ofcourse, I honor deities at the Sabbats. Brigit, I will thank again (if my message didn't get thru last night) in a few days at Imbolc. Another reason I only call upon Gods/Goddesses when in dire need, is because I've never understood the idea of prayer, maybe because I never had a religious upbringing, and coming into Wicca, was somewhat of a shift for me, even though it feels right, the act of magic and spellworking is still new, and largely untouched territory to me. I do what I deem to be true and right. And I'm sure if any deities don't like it, I will be told soon enough.

Those deities who I have honored, with or without asking for spellworking assistance have been:

Lugh
The Morrigan
Brigit
Cerridwen & Cernnunos

As a side note, just been going thru my book of shadows, and most of the spellworking I have done, I have not called upon any God or Goddess to help me.

[tangerine_smile]

do you regonize and honor your deity/deities regularly or just in a time of need or when you want something?

...uh, just when i need something. :whistle:

if you do, do you not see that as selfish?

Very much so. but i just dont know how to go about repaying my deity for her help.
leaving food cant be done, and i'd love to do a good deed to repay, but never know what to do.

and last, if someone were to only call to you when they wanted something, how likely would you be to help them in their times of need?
i would help them, but in all honesty they wouldnt get the full of my help, as i might feel a little used.

this thread has brought up a question i've had in my mind for a while. how do you repay the deity you've just been helped by? (aside from food and speaking to her, as i wouldnt want to wake her up from her beauty sleep at all hours of the day or night to chat )

[RubyRose]

this thread has brought up a question i've had in my mind for a while. how do you repay the deity you've just been helped by? (aside from food and speaking to her, as i wouldnt want to wake her up from her beauty sleep at all hours of the day or night to chat )

Well, I can't really speak from experience, as I've only dealt with deities twice in ritual or spellwork.

Basically, I'd suggest, maybe doing a separate ritual, once you know the spell has worked, and thank them during it. Go thru the normal process of a ritual, and then at the appropriate time, thank the deity who helped you.

I'm hoping this is making sense, let me know if your not following.

RubyRose

[Mòrag Elasaid Ní Dhòmhnaill]

Honestly I think one of the most important ways you can honor Them is by just living and loving every minute of your life to the fullest. Take your time to "stop and smell the roses." They gave us life to live it, so go out and experience the world. Enjoy yourself, don't dwell on the day to day problems, petty slights, yours or others insecurities. Focus on the little joys and beauty that surrounds you. Love your family, treasure your friends. Know that just as the world is strong and beautiful, you are too.

As for offerings, if you can't leave gifts of food or the kind of sacrifices we are told They require (for example, though it was common at Lúnasdal to sacrifice a bull to Lugh, I don't have the ability or the means to do so), there are other types of offerings you can make besides food stuffs. For Brighide you could write/dedicate a poem to/for her, as one of the realms she ruled over was that of divine inspiration. One of Lugh's epithets was Samildánach, or Many Skilled. There are a number of things you could do for him, learn a martial art or how to play chess. Do you see my point? If you consider who the deity is you should be able to quickly figure out some alternative offering.

[RubyRose]

Honestly I think one of the most important ways you can honor Them is by just living and loving every minute of your life to the fullest. Take your time to "stop and smell the roses." They gave us life to live it, so go out and experience the world. Enjoy yourself, don't dwell on the day to day problems, petty slights, yours or others insecurities. Focus on the little joys and beauty that surrounds you. Love your family, treasure your friends. Know that just as the world is strong and beautiful, you are too.

As for offerings, if you can't leave gifts of food or the kind of sacrifices we are told They require (for example, though it was common at Lúnasdal to sacrifice a bull to Lugh, I don't have the ability or the means to do so), there are other types of offerings you can make besides food stuffs. For Brighide you could write dedicate a poem to/for her, as one of the realms she ruled over was that of divine inspiration. One of Lugh's epithets was Samildánach, or Many Skilled. There are a number of things you could do for him, learn a martial art or how to play chess. Do you see my point?

Yep, thanks for the alternative ideas for offerings.