Gender and deity

[cheddarsox]

How does your sense of gender affect your relationship with deity?

Do you feel drawn to deities of your gender, the opposite gender, genderless deity?

Can you identify experiences in your life, or influences that affect how gender relates to your path and practice?

cheddar


I had some way bad experiences with women, mother, sister as a kid, and I tend to favor male deity, though as a pantheist, my belief is that ultimately the divine is without gender. But when I do seek to work with a deity, it is always male. I just don't trust female energy.
I definitely need some healing in this area.

[Raven Reed]

I relate to female deities better, but I have no problems working with male deities. I was raised by women, no males in the picture, so I think that influences how I relate to deity.

[Aidron]

I very much have an affinity for women as opposed to men, which would not be strange I suppose being that I am a guy if I were not gay.

However, I do not think it plays heavily (but I will admit it plays some role in this as it does with all things, for it not to my guy issues would simply have to not exist) significant role in my divine relationships. Athene, for example, while a goddess is a very masculine one. She hurls herself into the proposed domain of man many times and takes the side of men more times than one can count, particularly her father Zeus. She most assuredly does favor men to women in looking to the myths, but is still a goddess. I find her gender balance complemented by own (which is precisely the opposite of her's) to create a very harmonious relationship.

There are male deities I am drawn to though. Apollon for example, although it may have something to do with the fact that I feel him near me quite a bit (despite him not being a patron deity of mine) and that he was the first recorded (to the best of my knowledge) of the Hellenic pantheon to indulge in homosexual love as a male. Tsuki-Yumi is another example of this (Shinto moon god), as well as Aiolus (Hellenic god of wind), Zeus (who needs no introduction of any kind) and Poseidon (Hellenic ocean god, brother to Zeus) are a few other examples.

My other two patrons happen to be female, but as I said I do not think gender (mine, theirs or my issues with it) plays a heavily significant role in the matter. With the exception of Zeus and Apollon I could probably get away with Dianic Wicca... if I had any interest in Wicca, wasn't male (which some specific Dianic groups frown on) and so forth in a gender to worship sense only, not because I include Apollon or Zeus, but because I accredit them to far larger greatness than most Dianics might. [shrugs]

[alessandra m]

the godeses and gods are just words. all the same genedr.

[Khuinaset]

I don't feel it really affects my relationships much. Out of the four Netjer I honor/have had contact with, two are female and two are male:

-Nebt-Het; who has texts that refer to her as an "imitation woman", but I actually get a fairly feminine feel from her...
-Aset; who is definitely a woman, and is feminine, but in a strong way rather than the...giggly girly way. Not a pushover.
-Nefertem...he's male, but isn't a big "macho man" male...can be tough and protective and strong, but prefers to be gentle and sweet
-Set is male and seems pretty masculine to me(not in the asinine stereotypical way, as with Aset and feminine, but still)...I think he's regarded as bisexual in some texts and by some people, can't provide sources atm though, so don't quote me :p

So, as far as I can tell, no gender barriers or issues either way.

[Mercedes]

Gender doesn't affect me too much. I myself try to balance it, and I've been told I even look androgynous. My patron Gods/esses are Athena and Apollo, two deities whom I believe are also pretty well-balanced, so I think everything compliments each other; there are no real complications.

[RubyRose]

I feel more comfortable working with female deities, though on occasion I do work with male deities.

[AmbivalentMirage]

I am called to the service of the Goddess, not the God. It is that simple. :)

...sort of. :lol:

[Rosana]

I like to work with male deities. Somehow I don't trust women. The only goddess which I've been drawn to was Frigga, and several others from Norse pantheon.