Pantheon?

[Kaylara]

Do you follow a specific pantheon? What is it? What is the cultural background for this pantheon? If you follow more than one pantheon, which ones do you like the most and why? If you have no particular pantheon, what called you to the type of worship that you follow?

Kaylara

[Amethyst Rose]

I tend to work more with the greek/roman pantheons. I suppose I use them because they were the first gods I ever learned about...way back in elementary school :), and I know the most about them... I find them mysterious and romantic, I guess.
I also use one or two Sumerian dieties, when I'm feeling exotic... I don't know.... for some reason I all see them as coming from the same place, so I tend to mix and match.

[Mairwen]

Great Question!

Of course, as a Gwyddon, I follow the Welsh Pantheon, but we readily recognize all Gods and Goddesses, particularly those of an Indo-European bent.

[Kaylara]

Well, To answer my own question, I am eclectic and work with many different pantheons. The majority of my knowledge though, is with greek, roman, and celtic pantheons.

Kaylara

[Shatav]

Wow, I've worked with specific pantheons before...specifically the Egyptian one. Currently, however I do not as my view of deity is a bit different and really doesn't include pantheistic worship.

[PaganBoyNC]

I work with the Hellenic (Greek) pantheon almost exclusively. From my earliest school days I learned quite a bit about the Hellenic pantheon and as I began to practice Paganism I felt more and more called by the Hellenic gods.

My first Pagan experiences were Wiccan and were Celtic and Greek, gradually the Greek calling got stronger and the Celtic weaker--although I will always be close to the first goddess who called to me, Brigid, and will always admire Celtic artwork. I eventually became a Hellenic Pagan (a religion that seeks to revive the ancient Greek religion).

Last but not least there is simply so much literature and artwork that has survived from ancient Greece into the present day. From the Illiad and the Odyssey to the Homeric and Orphic Hymns, Works and Days, Theogony and more there is a plethora of information readily available allowing the modern practitioner to almost tap right into the source to explore for themself.

[mol]

I view as the many in One. The Gods and Goddesses are actually different aspects of One God and One Goddess who are in turn the the two halves of the All.

I hope that makes sense...little tired right now. :p

[Mairwen]

Makes perfect sense, Mol. :D

[Dextra]

I agree wholeheartedly with Mol. While I stick to a Celtic Pantheon and consider Cerridwen and Cernunnos to be my God and Goddess, I think that all Gods and Goddesses are just the many faces of the God and Goddess that we all worship. It's kind of funny really, when I look back on my upbringing. I was raised Catholic and it seems that we worshiped Mary as much (sometimes more so) than God. But then again, I always felt Catholicism was just as Pagan as anything else that I've ever seen. In the words of my hero, Dennis Miller, "Of course, that just my opinion, I could be wrong....."

[PaganBoyNC]

Having described the pantheon I work with I will describe the way I see the gods and the universe briefly. My perspective is from a Hellenic Pagan point of view, inspired by my own meditations on Hesiod's Theogony and other writings, both ancient and modern. My view is both Pantheistic, in that it sees all things as the manifestation of the divine and Polytheistic in that it involves many gods.

I see the Cosmos (the One or All, pick your term) as the origin and nature of everything (everything is a manifestation of the Cosmos). The Cosmos is eternal, self-regulating, self-motivated and constantly evolving. All things--matter, conscience, etc.. and their products--planets, stars, gods, humans, etc.. are a result of the evolution of the Cosmos, which occurs in a great cycle. The Cosmos itself is nameless and formless yet is the source of all form and things for which we have a name.

The gods are a product of the same evolution that produced us, they are simply a higher product (the highest, in fact). They are certainly stronger, wiser and better than we are and are worthy of our love and respect. They do not demand worship, although our lives may be greatly enriched by worshipping and having relationships with them. They are not necessarily all good, all powerful or entirely just, and they too are subject to the laws and whim of the Cosmos. They did not create the Cosmos, they are products of (and ultimately a part of) the Cosmos just like us.

By living lives that are in harmony with the rhythm and laws of the Cosmos we can evolve and actualize our own divine potential. Living lives of moderation and self-examination are two ways that we as humans can further our personal evolution. Through many incarnations we can rejoin with the Cosmos and become that which we already are--divine beings. All of the religions and philosophies in the world offer clues from different perspectives as to how to do this and it may take many lifetimes for our consciousness to evolve to its ultimate height. To further understand the nature of the Cosmos, its manifestation and evolution, one can begin by examining the name that the ancient Greeks gave it--Chaos, and by examining its glorious manifestation--the Universe.

[Shatav]

Originally posted by PaganBoyNC
...snip...


Holy cats you sound like me! Oh wait, that's probably because a lot of Hermetic traditions and thoughts spurned from Hellenic traditions. Silly me. ;)