what do you call the God and Goddess?

[Mairwen]

-- Posted by Rosabelle

hello everyone!
i would really like to know what you guys call the god and goddess (if you
believe in them)
i call them the lord and lady but i have found that hardly anyone else
does. is it ok to call them the Lord and Lady??? i think it sounds nicer
that god and goddess but that is just my view! but i would love to hear
yours!
Rosabelle


-- Posted by mol

Well, I am a posting machine tonight. Anyway...

I would say that you can call your deity whatever you choose to call
him/her. I choose God and Goddess. Some choose a name for Deity, some do
not. Some people I know don't even acknowledge a name for Deity.

I guess the point I am trying to make is that if you want to call Deity
Lord and Lady, then do it. Actually, I think I know some fellow Pagans
that do use those names. So, you are not alone.


-- Posted by Sunsong

I am actually Christian. So I just call Deity...God or Jesus, or you know.
Anwyay, like mol said...I would assume you can call God anything you want.


-- Posted by semele

I tend to agree with the others on this. A God by any name is a God.There
are lots of Gods/Goddesses to learn about...sort of like the saints of the
catholic church. Certain ones are associated with different uses or ideas.
Some people I have talked with favor certain ones for different purposes.

Personally i feel like there is a God/Goddess in all of us. I honestly
don't have a favorite that I study. But i am very comfortable with the
male/sun and female/moon roles that they play. Kind of balances it all out
don't ya think?
Semele


-- Posted by Mairwen

In the Trad I follow, Kerridwen is our All-Mother, and Kernunnos is our
All-Father. Kerridwen is known by many names, but mostly "The Nine-fold
One" or "She Who has Nine Faces". To be specific, we call her "Kerridwen
the Great", "Kerridwen the Bright", or "Kerridwen the Dark" ~ (each of
those has three "faces", thus nine). The branch of our Trad which is still
fam-trad calls her Cariadwen, or "The Belovèd".


-- Posted by mol

What is the story of the "nine fold one"? That is a very interesting name.


-- Posted by Mairwen

Kerridwen is made up of three Triple Goddesses, hence the name. Each of
her three Aspects (or faces) has three Aspects in turn. She is the Great,
the Bright and the Dark. Of the three Aspects who are Kerridwen the Dark
are: Vivian, Morgana and Gabba; and those of the Bright are, Nimué,
Bridget and D'Anna. Their physical features are that of daughter, mother
and grandmother.

Did that help?


-- Posted by semele

I have a book in which the couple who wrote it name these as thier dieties
as well. They spell both names with a C though.
By the way, welcome to the family.
Semele


-- Posted by Mairwen

What is the name of this book, if I might ask?


-- Posted by Polaris

MM,
sometimes i call them the lord and lady, but mostly the god and godess. i
dont think it really matters as long as you know who you mean and who you
are.
MP
Pol.


-- Posted by Zephyr

I agree Polaris.

Zephyr


-- Posted by semele

It is A Witch's Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar. It is full of info on
various rites and rituals. Good Book!
Semele


-- Posted by eaglewolf

Quote: from Mairwen on 1:38 am on Jan. 31, 2001
What is the name of this book, if I might ask?


Cerridwen is a Welsh name for the dark crone or goddess of dark prophetic
powers. I am sure, however, there are many variations of Kerridwen by any
spelling...

Try : Celtic Gods Celtic Goddesses By RJ Stewart (for one)


-- Posted by eaglewolf

Oh, and keeping on topic...

We refer to the Goddess and God as the Divine. In as much, we refer to the
universe, basically everything within (nature, the Divine, you, me) as the
All.

Live True
~ew


-- Posted by atlantis

well sed Polaris thats the best way to think about it


-- Posted by Mairwen

Beg pardon, Kerridwen is not JUST a "dark" Crone.


-- Posted by semele

See thats what we are here for! Tell us what you know please!!
Semele


-- Posted by eaglewolf on 7:00 pm on Dec. 31, 1969

You are right, I did not mean to include the "dark" at all... I was
getting ahead of myself, which happens often as you will all find out.

Thanks for the criticism, it IS ALWAYS very much appreciated!

Live True

~ew


-- Posted by Mairwen

What do you mean? You didn't mean to include "Dark"? Now I'm lost! :-(

To our tradition, Kerridwen is ALL Things ~ she's Maiden, Mother, Crone.
She is She Who is All ... and ... Nothing. She is the Faceless One, yet
also She Who has Nine Faces.

How ... Can anyone say that she is "only" Light? or "only" Dark? ... I
wonder this quite a bit ~ as in books and all over the net and in
conversations I see and hear her described as The Crone of the Welsh. She
is so much more! She is Mother, and doesn't that describe everything to
you?


-- Posted by semele

As a mother I can definately say that I understand exactly what you mean!
Semele


-- Posted by eaglewolf

Okay everyone, before you all get the wrong idea...

I thought there was question about the spelling with a "C". I was not
necessarily offering an explanation of the Crone in any way, just what
book the information came from... you did ask for the name of a book that
refered to Karridwen with a "C" didn't you?

Perhaps I am lost, and not you... sorry for any confusion, but I was
offering information on a book and not spiritual belief.

I hope this helps...

~ew


-- Posted by Jazzmine

I call them the Lord and the Lady and also Mother Earth and Father Sky. I
have been learning by different books and these names I feel most
comfortable with. I would be putting little smiley faces and such with my
posts, but haven't quite figured that one out yet. So please don't think
me cold.


-- Posted by eaglewolf

When you are posting, there is a link to the left of the text box
"Emoticons are enabled"

Click on that link and a box will come up with the code for each of the
little faces...

Hope this helps :biggrin:

~ew


-- Posted by Sunsong

One of the things i do like about my faith is that there is only one God.
no one else to remember. :)


-- Posted by mol

Heh. That wouldnt work for me...I like a little variety in my Deity
:biggrin: !!


-- Posted by Mairwen



Perhaps I am lost, and not you... sorry for any confusion, but I was
offering information on a book and not spiritual belief.


K. That works. Maybe I wasn't awake or was tired when I read your post,
and maybe I am the one who is confused. BUT ~ that's one of my biggest pet
peeves: People who ONLY see Kerridwen's "Crone" aspect ~ and no other part
of her. :o(

But, now you and I are Cool, right? :cool:


-- Posted by mol

Think I could talk you into starting a topic about Kerridwen in this
forum...and maybe explaining the aspects of Her and let us ask some
questions? :wink:


-- Posted by Mairwen
Sure! ;-)


-- Posted by eaglewolf

He' he' he'

You were always cool with me... I understood what you were trying to say,
and am sorry things became so confusing.

It is my fault because I did not quote your post about the book when I
replied.

Please keep in mind, I am not here to critique your beliefs in any way. If
I say something that offends you, let me know and allow me to explain.

Most of my posts are as factual as possible, or are meant that way. I am
here to offer as much information as I can, and yes, some of it will be
diverse, even conflicting. Having an open mind is what makes us stand out
from many other religions. It is how we learn.

I have much to learn, but I do have much to share as well. Do not take
what I say personally... I will never attack your beliefs.

May You Live True

~ew


-- Posted by Keelz

How do you know who is your god and goddess? I am so new to all this I
need help!


-- Posted by eaglewolf

When you know...

Keep learning, reading, chatting, searching for what is right for you.

When your name for the Divine comes, you'll know it.

Make up a name if you have to, YOUR connection is what's important. What
do you think came first, the name or the Divine? Someone had to come up
with the name in the first place, why not you?

Remember, above all, you do not have to recognize any name just because
someone else does... find what is right for you, and Love what you have
found.

May You Live True

~ew


-- Posted by mol

i agree with eaglewolf and I will add...

Did you know that some never really come up with a name..some of the
Community here calls Deity..the All, God and Goddess, and Lord and Lady.
The only thing that really matters is the relationship between you and
your God/Goddess. Nothing else.

Welcome to the Community! I am sure you will find yourself learning quite
a bit around here. I know I have.

Love and Light.

[Lynnaea]

_________________
It is A Witch's Bible by Janet and Stewart Farrar. It is full of info on various rites and rituals. Good Book!
Semele
__________________
I use the Farrar's material also, the Witch's Bible is good for understanding Gardnerian material if you can get past the silly naked pictures.

(I know Janet is Alexandrian but the book quotes Gardner throughout; and if you want to practice sky-clad that is fine, but I don't see why they needed to publish the pictures)

One thing that does puzzle me about Gardner is the selection of gods, he calls God Cernunnos which is Celtic, I thought, but calls the Goddess Aradia which I thought was Northern Italian. The trads I am acquainted with use the gods and goddesses from the same culture, not to say mixing and matching is wrong. Modern covens mix and match all the time, but Gardner was supposedly initiated into an old fam-trad. The Farrars do say, though, that Cernunnos is another form of the name Herne.

I found the last part of the book is very good for explaning astral travel, reincarnation, spells and much more.

[BrightStar]

Hi all!
I really liked The Witches' Bible too.I also have 2 other books by the Farrars,The Witches' God and The Witches' Goddess.They have a section at the back of each book that's a dictionary of a LOT of Gods and Goddess names from many different cultures.
Peace and Love
Rain BrightStar

[Lynnaea]

Cool, I'll have to get those too.

[mol]

I didnt like the Witches Bible that much...it seemed like everything had a Golden Dawn stint to it...

[Mairwen]

I've never cared for the Witches' Bible, either ~ but I don't consider myself a Witch, either; no Gwyddon I've ever met does, that I know of.

It's funny ... I was always taught that the Gwyddon Path pre-dates Wicca ~ and it does. Unfortunately, I found out by doing some research last Fall, when our Lore was translated from the Welsh into current English back in the 60s, the woman who did it chose to mix in Gardnerian Wicca, so as to make our Path more appealing to the "masses". And, she tossed away the original materials ~ either that or we can't find them/don't know where they are. So, now some of my Students and I are working very hard with some famial Gwyddons in Wales to purge the Gardnerian from our materials. It's been an interesting trip. What we've been able to find out, though, is that it's mostly "icing" that was added ~ like some of the tools and the degrees; the teachings (and this is going with Gwyddon Law, so she didn't "hurt" anything here) and so forth weren't tampered with.

Just thought I'd share.

[BrightStar]

Hi all!
Mairwen,that's gotta be fun,getting to go over all the old Welsh tradition.Have you read The Mabinogion?I'm reading it at the moment.It's really interesting,to me anyway.I love reading mythology.
Peace and Love
Rain BrightStar

[Mairwen]

Often, actually. We consider it part of Gwyddon myth. Now, how accurate that is, I've not figured/found out yet, but ... It works, sooooo. :D

[falia]

First I would like to say and thank you for inviting me to join. To answer your ? I call God and Goddess, Lord and Lady but it depends on what I am doing or saying to them.

[PaganBoyNC]

I generally call deity by the name of a specific god or goddess (Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Apollon, etc..) that is relevent to my intentions. If I want to refer to the whole of deity I generally say "the gods." As a Hellene I tend to be more polytheistic than some Pagans and this is probably part of the reason for why these terms work for me.

I am also a pantheist, however, since I see all of the gods (and everything else) as manifestations of the One (traditionally called Chaos or the [ineffable] One in Hellenism, although in modern times other names such as the Universe and the Cosmos are also popular). Furthermore I do have a sense that the whole of things is polaric, but tend to call on the masculine or feminine forces using the name of a god or goddess that I work closely with (or that fits the purpose of the ritual.. if it's a quick and spontaneous prayer or plea for help I generally consider the name of the god that flies out of my mouth first to be appropriate hehe).

[Lady Tana]

M'Lord
M'Lady

pretty basic stuff going on here :D

[mol]

Originally posted by Lady Tana
M'Lord
M'Lady

pretty basic stuff going on here :D

Now, if you are going to blanket the board...how about some meaningful posts!

:D

[Lady Tana]

Originally posted by mol


Now, if you are going to blanket the board...how about some meaningful posts!

:D
hey ... that was meaningful..


i never answered this one and thats what i call them :P

~LT (who DID have the board blanketed at around 5 something pm pacific time :) )

[Aventurine]

Not to revive a dead thread or anything, but ... ;)

Inside and outside of rituals my favorite names for the God and Goddess are Apollo and Sirona. I do use other names occasionally, but those are what feels most comfortable.

- Aventurine

[Mairwen]

Wouldn't that be a mixing of Pantheons, though? However, I can see Apollo and Sirona getting along; after all, Borvo is considered the "Celtic" Apollo. :D

[mol]

I have often heard of people mixing Pantheons and it works quite well for them..

[Aventurine]

(This is my second try at posting this, it might come out twice ... my apologies if it does!)


Originally posted by Mairwen
Wouldn't that be a mixing of Pantheons, though?

I thought about that myself, but ultimately it didn't seem to matter. ;)

- Aventurine

[MoonWolf]

IT all depends really. In the tradition I am practicing generally they are called Tana and Tanus, or Diana and Dianus.. the the first set seems to be used the most. there is also usage of lord and lady. and for specific situations i use specific names.

As for mixing pantheons. Usually it is suggested that you familiarize yourself with one pantheon before mixing different ones so that you know how well certain gods will work together. Like it has been said mixing gods together that are far from agreeable will tend to cause problems. I would say if it feels right and works for you go for it.

MoonWolf

[Mairwen]

Originally posted by mol
I have often heard of people mixing Pantheons and it works quite well for them..

It works as long as the gods you're working with get along or tolerate each other or are similar in demeanor.

[PaganBoyNC]

For my own personal practices I avoid mixing pantheons. I find it easier to understand the relationships between the gods and their manifestations, as well as to plan a coordinated and tradition-minded ritual if you work with one pantheon, or at least one at a time. There are certain forms of prayer, symbols, offerings, and other forms of devotion that have traditionally been used to honor and work with each pantheon and I feel that in order to tap into both the god and the thought forms (banks of energy associated with the image and name of the god from repeated worship) it is best to emulate these at least in spirit. Each culture knows its own gods best and their ritual format is designed to tune into and commune with those gods, modern innovation is necessary and appropriate sometimes (provided there is a scholarly distinction between a modern innovation and a historical ritual) though modern innovation must keep the spirit of the historical rites in mind. Of course the occassional "foreign" god might creep in (different cultures did share gods on occassion after all) but for the most part I like to keep to one tradition and work within it, while honoring the other traditions as valid and good in their own rite.

If you wish to mix pantheons I think that can work, but it will definitely get more complicated and chaotic (which I suppose could be part of the fun!)... there is the question of whether or not the gods will conflict and what type of ceremony each might respond to the best and symbols, offerings, etc. Furthermore if you really wanted to work at it you could create an entirely new pantheon based on those gods whom are most special to you, giving them names and forms that reflect modern life--you would lose the ability to learn as much from the ancient teachings and connect through their thought forms, and depending on your mindset it may not work out so well, but it's a possibility. Basically you have the task of picking out gods who get along and desiging a ceremony that incorporates the ritual needs of both pantheons, a tall but not impossible task.

[Mairwen]

PaganBoy ~ Great answer!! :D I only wish more folks would put as much thought into what they're doing.


in order to tap into both the god and the thought forms (banks of energy associated with the image and name of the god from repeated worship) it is best to emulate these at least in spirit.

Yup. For example, I was so happy to learn that the Order of Bridget had been brought back to life, and that people are tending her sacred flame yet again. To me, that's a beautiful thing.

I taught a class at the Pagan Center last night about "local energies". In order to observe, worship, work with, etc and so forth, something or someone, you really need to do your homework in order to not just "get a feel for" but to truly understand the "thing" or "person". Never just go into something blindly just because it's on paper somewhere or because "somebody said so". You have to learn to understand and feel for yourself. Each place, each person, each body of water, each deity ~ everything in this universe has its "own kind" of energy.


Furthermore if you really wanted to work at it you could create an entirely new pantheon based on those gods whom are most special to you, giving them names and forms that reflect modern life--

That's interesting. We were talking about Modern Myths last night and how they relate to "today". If we want our Traditions and Paths to grow, then they need to be living things; stagnation and repetition isn't the way of the Universe. However, if you're going to "repeat" something, please get to the core ~ find out why you're repeating something, the purpose of the repetition. For example: In the Gwyddoniad, we have a set of Seasonal and Moon rituals we use over and over; some people don't like that, but we do this in order to bring ourselves into alignment with the Seasonal Cycle. If you study the patterns, this becomes clear. :D To take it a step further, once you understand a thing, you can grow from that and take the knowledge forward, keeping the spirit of a Path alive and growing.

Wow! You really woke my mind up! I'm going to have to save this. Thanks!

[Trevi]

I call the goddess the Goddess and the God is Her Horned Consort. Or I call her the Mother and he The Father. I seem to have a problem with my keyboard, so I'll keep this short.

[cydira]

If this seems disjointed it's due to insomnia. :D

I call the goddess, Lady or by one of her *many* names. If I'm in a really upset state or just in a very difficult position, I usually call her Mother. The god, I usally call him Lord or often the Horned one. Aside from that, I'll only use one of his *many* names if I feel a deep need to. I'm still trying to get comfortable with working with him. <blushes> Let's just say I'm a little shy, even though I get scolded for it. Often, if I'm doing work with plants or I'm hiking, I call the god Greenman. :)

Let me think... what else can I add here... Again, if I'm in a really upset state or in a very difficult position, I usually call him All Father. You can't see the strong germanic roots can you? <grins>

Well, y'all have a good night. :)

[Lady Raven]

I use Lord and Lady, or Goddess and God. Sister, Mother, Wise Grandmother. Um, for God, I use the Horned One, Her Beloved Consort. Being raised Christain, I still mainly say things like "My God!", "Jesus!" or "Thank God!" out of habit, saying "Thank Goddess." seems foreign, and it's funny because who do I commune with more? Goddess, but I see Them as equals.
I'm more with the Greek Pantheon, it just seems more real to me. I'm interested in Pele and the pantheon She belongs to, but right now, I'm just focusing on Goddess and God.
Hey, what are your opinons on the different Gods and Goddesses? Are they individual or just an aspect of the one God and one Goddess?~raven

[Rævyn Cigány]

Originally posted by Lady Raven
I use Lord and Lady, or Goddess and God. Sister, Mother, Wise Grandmother. Um, for God, I use the Horned One, Her Beloved Consort. Being raised Christain, I still mainly say things like "My God!", "Jesus!" or "Thank God!" out of habit, saying "Thank Goddess." seems foreign, and it's funny because who do I commune with more? Goddess, but I see Them as equals.
I'm more with the Greek Pantheon, it just seems more real to me. I'm interested in Pele and the pantheon She belongs to, but right now, I'm just focusing on Goddess and God.
Hey, what are your opinons on the different Gods and Goddesses? Are they individual or just an aspect of the one God and one Goddess?~raven

Greetings from another Raevyn! (Different spelling notwithstanding ;))

I personally believe, in answer to your question, that all Gods and Goddesses are facets of ONE...each culture gave this ONE a different name (yes, even Christianity has different names for their God, depending on the denomination). I look to different aspects of this ONE, but no matter the name, I know He/She hears me.

Brightest of blessings

Rae )0(

[Revelation]

It works as long as the gods you're working with get along or tolerate each other or are similar in demeanor.

Erm, it also works if you don't actually believe they are separate entities, merely facets of one entity with a mythology and history that happens to speak to you, personally.

[Sarata]

I was reading up on Meso-American beliefs and practices after being hit with a couple of very intense visions involving two of the more prominant Mayan/Toltec Deities. (One of whom I had never even heard of beforehand) They believe that there was one central creator Deity who is both masculine and feminine, yet neither, and who created/gave birth to all the other Deities.
Their name for this Deity is Omehteotl. (Oh-may-tee-oh-tl) That struck a cord for me. It sounds very lyrical. So I use that name when adressing the primal Cause. Not because I think that is THE name for Her/Him, but because it is the one that resonates with me.

[charmedkisses1]

I'm a Christian, but I see the Divine as ambiguous: God is both my Mother, my Father, my Creator, and my Protector. There are at least 30 names for God in the Bible (kind of like using nicknames.) Calling the Divine "Him'' is just for convenience- I usually use God/dess. Like God said when asked His name, "I am who I am." :seehearsp

Do you think I'm retarded? :lol:

[Thren]

Alright. I have been pondering this lately. I have some christian views and some stuff I guess you could say "believe" in. But hard core Pagan based. I have some christian friends who say that it doesnt matter how you worship but most importantly not what you have faith in as long as you have faith. I refer to the diety as Goddess and some times God, but I dont see either as male or female or for that matter that seperate. so I guess what Im trying to ask is am I way off here or what?