✨A Little Introduction to Deities✨ (Patreon)

Many witches worship at least one deity and sometimes even multiple. It’s also important to remember that you do not have to worship a deity to be a witch. Here is the personal experience from the author who wrote the article on Medium.com.

"I worship the Greek goddess Gaia. I know other witches that worship other deities like the Norse god Thor, the Egyptian goddess Isis, and the Greek god Hades. I also know of some witches that worship the Christian God and Jesus Christ. Still, others worship no deities."

There is no set rule regarding deity worship in witchcraft. Anyone that worships one deity, multiple deities, or no deities is 100% valid. It is all based on personal choice and experience. Sometimes you choose a deity, and sometimes they choose you.

Witchcraft is one of the spiritual practices that conceive the divine in both feminine and masculine forms. Witches are not monotheistic: they do not believe that there is only one God. For us witches, the divine is multiple.

The God and the Goddess, the God of the sky and the Goddess of running waters, the God in the deer of the forests, and the Goddess in the birds of the air. A witch sees the divine everywhere.

When she creates rituals, magick formulas, and prayers, a witch draws on that immense reservoir of humanity’s wisdom which is called mythology. For generations, humanity has created mythical figures and stories to represent the many ways of perceiving the Goddess.

And so we have countless Goddesses, so numerous that it is impossible to list them all. Goddesses of the sky and the sun, of the moon and stars, of rivers and seas, of birth and death, of love and war, of the home, of the harvest, and of the spindle to spin.

Each god or goddess is associated with various aspects of existence, from war to love, from time to space. In addition to worshiping these gods as superior beings, it is possible to invoke their help while performing a ritual related to their field of influence. There are thousands of deities to choose from, born from numerous cultures.

What is a deity in witchcraft?

A deity in witchcraft is a superior help, guidance, or a spiritual presence that can help you do your magic while letting their lessons and blessings forge your life.

Wiccan deities

Wicca does not see divinity as something far from oneself: the Goddess and God are both within us and manifest in all of nature. But who is the Goddess? And who is the God? A small hint of the spiritual identity of the God and the Goddess in the Wicca religion is certainly not enough to understand their essence, so let’s explore the main deities.

The typical spirituality of this religion, along with many other religions and cults, recognizes Divinity in a dualistic form. Both the Goddess and God are the same, they are not distant and unreachable, they do not reside in places inaccessible to the human being, but they are omnipresent throughout the universe.

The God and the Goddess are very ancient, primordial deities, cosmic energies that have always existed and will always continue to exist. They have been known, over the millennia, with many names that, whoever knows the history of paganism, will recognize immediately: Hecate, Eros, Diana, Pan, Freya, Loki, Aphrodite and many more.

Which deity should I choose?

• Although some witches adopt an eclectic attitude (that is, they invoke all the deities in favor of their spells regardless of the culture to which they belong), others are devoted to a single deity.
• Depending on your origins and affinities, you may decide to resort to little-known gods, such as Maya or Aztec. The possibilities are endless.
• It is not necessary to choose the deities some of the time because they themselves may reveal themselves in front of a witch, making her understand that they have been their protection since her birth. Some from an early age seem to have a strange “Imaginary Friend” that only they can see or hear.

With time and experience, you may realize that you feel connected to a particular God or Goddess; they are your patron deities who will guide you and offer you help and advice in the most difficult moments of your life. You can get to know them or build a deeper bond through meditation, magical practice, or prayers.

I don’t feel like I need a deity. What can I do?

Nothing! Maybe you are not ready to take your spirituality to that level or feel like you don't need to and that’s completely fine. Respect that instead of forcing yourself into something you don’t identify with! Over time, practicing and connecting with yourself and your soul you are going to explore all nuances and angles of your true essence, and if a connection with a deity it’s definitely going to pop up.

Wait until then and when the time comes you will know you will be ready to open yourself to deity, spirituality and to work on the connection with that part of your craft.

Let’s discuss deities.

Below is a list of some popular deities in witchcraft like Freya (Norse Pantheon) or Dionysus (Greek Pantheon). I’ll make sure to list what Pantheon — or cultural birthplace — each god or goddess is from, what sort of offerings each prefers, as well as their basic information. I added some extra fun facts too just for fun!

The Triple Goddess

The Triple Goddess or simply, The Goddess, is a deity with three physical forms but no assigned face. She is known throughout the Wiccan religion and she is normally paired with The Horned God.

Her three forms are known (in order) as the Maiden, the Mother, and the Crone. They’re also assigned to the three moon phases: the Waxing Crescent (The Maiden), the Full Moon (The Mother), and the Waning Crescent (The Crone). They are meant to represent three phases of a woman’s life.

As for offerings, this can vary because different witches will see a different goddess for each aspect of the Triple Goddess. This is because each witch chooses the face for their Goddess.

For example, a lot of witches will have Hecate (Greek Pantheon) represent the Triple Goddess. The Goddess will appear younger or older to a witch throughout the three phases of Her life as it coincides with the different stages in the witch’s life.

Common offerings for Hecate would be:

Eggs

Garlic

Honey (especially lavender honey)

Croissants and crescent-shaped bread/pastries

Candles

Incense

Images of dogs (especially black dogs)

Actions on behalf of dogs

Dionysus

This Greek god is the deity of wine, winemaking, grape cultivation, fertility, ritual madness, theater, and religious ecstasy. He was the last of the twelve gods to arrive on Mount Olympus.

In earlier depictions of the god, He was seen as an older male with a full beard and robed holding a fennel staff tipped with a pine-cone. Nowadays, He is now shown as a beardless, luscious, and naked or semi-naked androgynous young person. Sometimes in literature, Dionysus is described as womanly or “man-womanish.” His Roman equivalent is Bacchus.

Some common offerings for Dionysus include:

Wine/Mead (or any alcohol really)

Honeyed milk

Apples

Honey in general

Sweetmeats or fruits

Olive oil

Dedicated sexual activities (if you are comfortable)

Grapes

Pine

Figs

Frankincense

Musk

Intoxicants of most varieties

Ivy

Snake/Leopard/Bull shaped items such as figurines

Wheat/Barley (things used to make alcoholic beverages)

Roses of any color

Anubis

Anubis is most commonly known for being the Egyptian god of the Underworld but He is also the ruler of death, mummification, embalming, the afterlife, cemeteries, and tombs. He sometimes goes by the name Inpu or Anpu. He is always depicted as either an African golden wolf or a man with the head of a canine.

Anubis is a personal favorite of mine because of how he appears as a combination of human and animal. I enjoy the depictions of most Egyptian deities because of how creative and interesting they look. Their animalistic nature is unique.

Anubis married the lovely Anput and the two had a daughter together named Kebechet. If you find Egyptian deities as interesting as I do, I highly recommend looking up some details on this family. Their appearances alone are fascinating.

Various offerings for Anubis are:

Beer

Wine

Death-themed toys and figurines

Cypress oil

Strong incense (especially myrrh, cedarwood, and frankincense)

Spicy food

Dark and bitter chocolate

Freya

Freya — also spelled Freja or Freyja — is a Norse goddess of love, beauty, fertility, sex, war, gold, and seiðr (a type of sorcery in the Late Scandinavian Iron Age). She is a kickass goddess who rules over the heavenly plane known as Fólkvangr and she receives half of the soldiers that die in battle (the other half sent to Odin).

Freya is the owner of Brísingamen, a necklace with a legend all its own that was made by four dwarves. Its power and importance are equal to that of Thor’s hammer.

Often donning a cloak of falcon feathers, this Norse goddess of love as well as war, is commonly seen in Her chariot pulled by two felines. She’s also known to have a boar companion named Hildisvíni who She considers one of Her closest friends.

Some offerings for Freya include:

Honey

Mead

Flowers

Love songs

Poetry

Jewelry

Perfume

Ale

Apples

Barley

Pork

Feeding stray or feral cats

Adopting cats (and treating them well)

These are just some of the many deities out there for worshipping. I tried to include different gods and goddesses from different pantheons. There are hundreds if not thousands of different deities so do your own research to find a good match for yourself.

Sometimes deities will come to you when wanting to work with you, but you can also seek out certain gods and goddesses as well. I reached out to Gaia because I saw her in a vision while meditating.

You may or may not work with a deity your entire journey. Some may come and go while others do in fact stay with you for the rest of your journey. Whatever your relationship is with your deities, always remember to thank them when working with them, and always offer them something in return for their help and guidance.

Sources:

https://www.pexels.com/photo/light-fashion-man-people-9367708/

https://magickalspot.com/deity-in-witchcraft/

https://medium.com/human-witch/deities-for-the-baby-witch-55efc563b166