Introduction to Deity Work

Q&A
#1

Merry meet! :purple_heart:
I have 2 main questions about this topic.

  1. I wanted to ask you about working with deities. I know that there is a variety of opinions on this, especially if you’re a beginner.

But in my opinion, if someone wants to do it they should be able to know where to start learning.
I personally would really love to work with Lady Aphrodite in the future and I was wondering if you can help me with what exactly to study to work with deities in general.

I already know to look up about their background, offerings ,correspondences etc.
But I don’t know how to actually start working with them, and what to NOT do/say to offend them, since I heard about someone who worked with lady Aphrodite and they offended her, and now they can’t cast love spells anymore and no one can fall in love with them ever again. I don’t want that to be the case for me as well.:sweat_smile:

  1. Since I know that working with a deity is hard work I was wondering if only worshiping them would be enough if you need their help in a spell/ ritual.

Thank you!

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:dragon_face: Weekly Witchy CHALLENGE - Dragon Magick
Rituals or evoking
#2

Great questions!

I work with Brigid and invoke her during any spells or rituals, but I found her by reading about Celtic deities and I could resonate with her. Then I remember a couple of signs while I was beginning to work with her. Now I make her crosses & dolls for my home & have a silver necklace with her cross on it for protection.

Learn about what you can find about deities and one will resonate with you. Meditation is a great way to get to know your deities too. I journal and sometimes write about her or what I want help with. It’s up to you how you work them and what feels right for you.

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#3

It looks like you’ve been doing your homework, @diavoline! Great job! You mentioned an important distinction, which is the difference between deity worship (giving offerings, devotion, prayer) and deity work (inviting your deity to a specific ritual/spell).

To invite a deity to join a ritual, you may follow this pattern:

  1. Greeting / Address: Use the deity’s epithets or their name and description (e.g. their beauty, abilities, realms).

  2. Make a sincere request. You can write it down, use an affirmation, spell or prayer. Clearly state your intention.

  3. If you like, promise a gift or a duty for their help.

  4. Give thanks and set offerings on the altar.

  5. Meditate. Like Krissie said, this is very important because you’ll be able to receive guidance, inspiration and answers. Also try to write down any feelings or impressions you receive.

Personally, I don’t believe that deities get offended. As a general rule, try to be respectful and polite, but not out of fear, simply out of common respect (like you respect your friends and family).

Sometimes, things happen and in those cases it’s not because the deity is angry at you. They are the result of other factors like human flaws. Your actions or thoughts may separate you from their goodness but that separation comes from you, not from them.

If you are hearing a call, you should answer it. It will most likely be very rewarding.

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#4

@diavoline, these are wonderful questions.

When I first started in Wicca, I worked with The Triple Moon Goddess. I didn’t worship her. I had just left Christianity :latin_cross: and the idea of worshipping anything seemed like something I should avoid. I read books, articles online, listened to podcasts, and practiced my magic all with the intent on inviting the deity to work with me but not to worship her.

Over time, that changed. :upside_down_face: Now I worship her.

The thing about worshipping, or working with, a deity is our deities are whatever we believe they are. They like whatever we believe they like. They dislike whatever we believe they dislike.

The reason this is true is any real deity would be outside of our complete comprehension because we are not also deities. A poor analogy would be to look at ants :ant: and humans. They see what we are capable of and the evidence of our existence. If they could reason like us, they still wouldn’t be able to fully comprehend us and they would look for patterns to define their beliefs. That’s what we do.

I am not saying deities don’t exist. I worship one. :grin: I am merely saying what I believe about my moon goddess :waxing_crescent_moon: :full_moon: :waning_crescent_moon: is totally different from the next person. There may be commonalities between people that make worship of, or work with, a deity identifiable to others but we won’t all agree on what rituals or words are important.

If Lady Aphrodite intrigues you, I believe @Jeannie1 and @Gambit work with her. Spells8 has devotionals including the Greek Deities. @MeganB recommends Theoi from time to time as a resource to learn more, too.

Edit: I know you’ve said in the past how hard it is to meditate. Maybe that is too strong of a word. Think deeply on what you discover, discuss it with others, and trust your instinct. Gods and Goddesses won’t always speak to us. Meditation and prayer and spells sometimes feels silly or is physically impossible. But if this is something you love, you will find what works - it will come naturally to you over time. Be patient with yourself and the process.

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#5

Thanks praecog I really like the triple moon Goddess I really think I resonate with me too it’s just hard to pick one when I love them all! She can be worked with during the waxing, Full and dark. I am glad you mentioned it this really helps thanks for your post! Keeps me still diving in the craft. Keeps me on my toes!
I think I am in the mother stage right know! What about you?
When I think about it, I ask myself how she would be with me her dark side and her light side.
Jeannie

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#6

@Siofra , @Francisco thank you so much for the info! :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

@praecog29 thank you for sharing your experience and your tips. They are very helpful!:smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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#7

You’ve got some great questions and it looks like you’re on the right track here because you’re…

:sunflower: recognizing that you have things to learn
:sunflower: being respectful
:sunflower: asking questions to understand better

There are so many wonderful answers here and I agree with just about everyone. @praecog29 makes a great distinction between us and the Gods.

deity would be outside of our complete comprehension because we are not also deities

There are certain things we can understand and certain things we can’t. They were also right when saying I recommend Theoi for information on Greek mythology, deities, and other beings. They cite all of their sources and use historical documentation without including UPG.

I’d also just like to drop a few links of my own here that might give you more food for though in terms of beginning to work with or worship deity.

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#8

A wonderful discussion to open up, @diavoline! And you’ve got some fantastic responses as well :blush:

Adding to the helpful words of others, a personal tip of mine is to find the balance between your outside research and inner senses. Learning about the deity you are interested in is the best place to get feel for them- but just like Praecgo29 mentioned, keep in mind that the interpretations and experiences of others may be different than your own. The goal is to establish your own unique connection with your deity :dove:

Francisco shared a wonderful step-by-step approach to meeting your deity- take the time to get to know them and build your own unique relationship with your Goddess. And don’t be afraid to meet multiple deities- you may choose to work with and/or worship many over the course of your magickal journey! :sparkles::pray:

Wishing you all the best of luck on your quest- please let us know how your deity worship progresses! We are all cheering you on :raised_hands::two_hearts:

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#9

Behind the scenes, I totally spammed TheTravelWitch and diavoline because I thought this would be the perfect chance for us to get the Deific Witch badge. I’m so sorry, you two. :flushed:

Thankfully, I got the okay so I’m adding this to the Weekly Witchy Challenge Catch-up. :grin:

I’m also thankful that MeganB responded in this thread. She, like so many on Spells8, is a wonderful resource on witchcraft. Good luck on your journey, diavoline, and keep asking these wonderful questions.

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#10

Wow, I really like your ideas. Your words are helpful and reassuring.

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#11

This all wonderful information and wonderfully organized. I like the references from @MeganB they are a great bit of information also. Thank you so much!

I have also spammed @TheTravelWitch in the past, but I get excited when I have ideas or questions and then get overly chatty about them.

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#12

No worries at all! :grin: You both had some wonderful thoughts and input about deities- so paired with the expressed desire to join the challenge and the link to the post all together equals success! Congrats on the badge @praecog29 and @diavoline- well done! :heart:

It’s absolutely okay- I know sometimes things come up that don’t quite fit into a current thread or are better suited to a PM. I’m always open to hearing new ideas and am happy to answer questions, so private messages are always welcome! :email::grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:

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#13

Thank you! Sometimes I like the PMs too. I use Messenger like an flurry of commotion. But it’s the way I socialize where I am couch or bed bound so many times.

My excitement can be overwhelming sometimes I’ve been told. :rofl:

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#14

Online communication really took off over the past year- it’s good to be able to express your enthusiasm and share joy with those far away! :smiling_face_with_three_hearts:

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#15

It really does help me feel connected.

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#16

I also work with Brigid. I recently found instructions to make corn dollies and crosses. My heritage aligns with the Celtic way and that is how I believe I was led to Brigid.

She feels right and perfect to me.

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#17

I always felt a connection to Celtic culture even though I didn’t know much about it. Even after doing a DNA test I didn’t see any connection. :dna: But very recently I found out that the city in Spain where my grandfather and most of my ancestors are from, Galicia, is historically a Celtic nation (My ignorance was getting in the way!)

I’ll have to visit one day. Here’s a video someone made about the shock of discovering that Galicia is not really “Spain” :es: :

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#18

That’s amazing- your connection to Celtic culture was hiding from you, but you were able to find it nonetheless :blush::+1: That’s so interesting about Galicia! :world_map: :star_struck:

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