Did I Identify the Wrong God?

Post by **SirisDerp** » Thu Mar 10, 2016 7:15 pm

Hello!

A bit of background: I never work with Gods or Goddesses. At times I request assurance yet I actively try not to rely on them. I acknowledge them and accept their presence. I don't worship anyone. Never felt the need to despite being drawn to a few -- which I figured was through personal interest than an actual calling. It was my personal choice despite having moments of feeling left out when I came across other pagans who speak of the gods/goddesses they worship and their relationship with them.

That was until recently. I couldn't shake this innate NEED to acknowledge Loki into my life. I was skeptical because I am a Marvel fan of Loki and didn't want to dip into the worship area of him because of that. Mythology Loki is completely different from Marvel's Loki. So, I ignored it. This need just got stronger and stronger despite my attempts to avoid ANYTHING to do with Loki, both mythology and fictional. It just wouldn't go away. Finally, I gave in a few days ago and been researching as much as I could in the worship of gods/goddesses, Loki, what it means to be a Lokean, the practice of worship of Loki, personal experiences of Lokeans, etc. I'm a nut when it comes to research and seriously didn't want to jump into this thing blind.

It’s an odd feeling to make such a large adjustment in my life. It’s all new territory. I felt silly yet at the same time happy? I left an offering of tea I made a week ago. I would have left coffee yet I didn’t want something pumped with caffeine so late in the day. I kept it simple. A hello to Loki and introduced myself. Later in the day I did it again but added a banana (really I was sharing a snack with him lol) and talked about all the different things on my makeshift altar, shared some stories about some of the items there.

Did I feel anything? No. I just started and it’s my first time. I’d be pretty arrogant to assume I’d have his attention from the get go. I’ve been reading nonstop about Loki and researching the past couple of days. Still, I have this feeling of happiness, like meeting a new friend and sensing a great relationship in the future.

I came across a couple of tarot spreads during my research and decided to do it. One was identifying the deity in my life and the other was more about what our relationship would be like. Again, I didn't want my personal interests interfering with what was actually happening. And now I'm not only confused but doubting myself. Everyone tends to see what they want and I didn't want that to happen here. IS this Loki or someone else? I was hoping for a third party to take a look at my tarot spread and the reading itself for their unbiased opinions.

Deity Identification Tarot Reading:
http://path-of-stars.tumblr.com/post/140820511480/

Deity Relationship Expectations:
http://path-of-stars.tumblr.com/post/140822329630/

Post by **WiccanWitch** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 12:21 pm

My thoughts might be a little unusual for a witch but I believe in one pantheistic being and the gods and goddesses people identify with are pieces or aspects of that being compartmentalized to be easier for us to connect with and communicate with it. I call that being God only because I grew up in Christian household but my view of "God" is very different than a Christian view.

That being said I don't think there's a wrong god to identify with. Failure to feel anything may only be a lack of knowing what to look for. Sometimes it's profound but I think for many it's subtleties we learn to listen for. We were trained not to see or hear all the beings and energies around us as children and retraining ourselves to see and hear again takes awhile for many.

Keep doing it if it feels right to you.

Blessings to you as you explore your new path

Post by **SirisDerp** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 1:51 pm

WiccanWitch wrote:My thoughts might be a little unusual for a witch but I believe in one pantheistic being and the gods and goddesses people identify with are pieces or aspects of that being compartmentalized to be easier for us to connect with and communicate with it. I call that being God only because I grew up in Christian household but my view of "God" is very different than a Christian view.

That being said I don't think there's a wrong god to identify with. Failure to feel anything may only be a lack of knowing what to look for. Sometimes it's profound but I think for many it's subtleties we learn to listen for. We were trained not to see or hear all the beings and energies around us as children and retraining ourselves to see and hear again takes awhile for many.

Keep doing it if it feels right to you.

Blessings to you as you explore your new path

There's nothing wrong with your views. Not all forms of paganism will be the same thing. Your beliefs was more in line with what I used to believe while I was first walking my path. Thank you for your words! It's something to ponder.

Post by **Lord_of_Nightmares** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:00 pm

Well, Loki is not a god per se. He is Jotun, which are separate from Vanir and Aesir gods. Maybe this is why things seems off to you? Furthermore, he is a trickster and can shapeshift into just about anything. So he could turn into the fictionalized Loki from Marvel, it is in the realm of possibilities.

Post by **SirisDerp** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:18 pm

Lady_Lilith wrote:Well, Loki is not a god per se. He is Jotun, which are separate from Vanir and Aesir gods. Maybe this is why things seems off to you? Furthermore, he is a trickster and can shapeshift into just about anything. So he could turn into the fictionalized Loki from Marvel, it is in the realm of possibilities.

Actually, Loki is a god in the sense that his mother, Laufey, is a goddess, married a goddess, Sigyn, and has made a blood oath with the All-Father, Odin (this is a huge deal). Loki is counted within the pantheon of Norse mythology yet not widely worshipped back in the day for various reasons.

The reason I mention Marvel Loki is because I didn't want it to be the sole basis of why I would worship him. It'd feel too much like I'm trying to worship the character but not the actual god. I hope I explained that correctly. Lol Yet you are right that he is a shapeshifter. He could easily take on physical traits of the fictional character.

Thank you for your reply. I could be having a hard time reading my tarot spread because I keep trying to reason everything away and that's not how it works. Lol I'm very knowledge based and mix psychology and science with my practice. That won't work as well with Loki because his very basis is chaos.

Post by **WiccanWitch** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 2:52 pm

I'm very scientific and analytical too. I find it is difficult to accept things at face value I want to know the whys. And paganism is very outside the realm of reason sometimes. So I still struggle with that

Post by **Lord_of_Nightmares** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 3:33 pm

SirisDerp wrote:
Lady_Lilith wrote:Well, Loki is not a god per se. He is Jotun, which are separate from Vanir and Aesir gods. Maybe this is why things seems off to you? Furthermore, he is a trickster and can shapeshift into just about anything. So he could turn into the fictionalized Loki from Marvel, it is in the realm of possibilities.
Actually, Loki is a god in the sense that his mother, Laufey, is a goddess, married a goddess, Sigyn, and has made a blood oath with the All-Father, Odin (this is a huge deal). Loki is counted within the pantheon of Norse mythology yet not widely worshipped back in the day for various reasons.

The reason I mention Marvel Loki is because I didn't want it to be the sole basis of why I would worship him. It'd feel too much like I'm trying to worship the character but not the actual god. I hope I explained that correctly. Lol Yet you are right that he is a shapeshifter. He could easily take on physical traits of the fictional character.

Thank you for your reply. I could be having a hard time reading my tarot spread because I keep trying to reason everything away and that's not how it works. Lol I'm very knowledge based and mix psychology and science with my practice. That won't work as well with Loki because his very basis is chaos.

It depends on how you look at it. Going further he is a recent addition.

My experiences with Loki in dreams had him transform into all sorts of strange things, even a copulating couple. Don't really know why unless he is just being funny.

I remember a quote from an anime called Future diary where the main character kept talking to a god he thought was inaginary. When it revealed itself to him as a real, true and blue god and not just a figment, it told him something like " If I am God, isn't it possible for me to live in your imagination?" While Loki may not be a "pure blooded god" in the sense of Odin, he definitely has some power.

Post by **SnowCat** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 4:13 pm

I find Loki to be more of a guide and mentor, than a god in the usually accepted sense. He is a powerful force in my life, which took a long time for me to realize and accept.

Snow

Post by **SirisDerp** » Sat Mar 12, 2016 9:33 pm

I believe lokavinr over on Tumblr phrases this better than I ever could:

lokavinr wrote:While it is true that some scholars have characterized Loki in the past as a fire, water, or air “spirit” or as a culture hero rather than a full-fledged God, there are at least as many who insist on his God status. Even the Snorri Edda, which, as we’ve seen, expresses by far the most negative attitude towards Loki, lists Loki as a God twice: once in Gylfagininng 33 where he is “numbered among the Aesir”^ and in Skáldskaparmál 1 where he is listed as one of the twelve Aesir “judges” who command high seats in Asgarðr. If Snorri’s account, which hinges on Loki’s “bad” character still counts him among the Gods, and because we see him occurring several times in poems before Snorri as well as in votive figures, scattered place names, and post-conversion folketro or folk practices, I see no reason to think of him as anything but a God.

Source: http://lokavinr.tumblr.com/post/47398060690/

Really, it's all a matter of perspective. Loki is the most debated about figure from the Norse pantheon. And in the end it comes down to what you choose to believe and take away from what you've heard and read.

To myself, he's a god. He appears to be more of a mentor than anything yet he's still a deity to me despite his more personable approach. From what I've read and heard, it's a mixed bag of both good and bad. It's not like there's a lot to fall back on other than to reach out to the community for opinions.

My tarot reading was confusing yet after listening to everyone I've concluded that it is Loki. It's still overwhelming to think about considering having any deity poking at me is intimidating. Thank you to everyone who dropped me a comment. I appreciate the feedback!

I want to avoid this thread turning into a deep discussion about Loki when I created it to get an opinion about a tarot reading. If you'd like to continue -- which I would love -- a new forum thread would be preferable. =3

Everything Under the Moon