Should I Consider?

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Hi.

For quite a while I haven't thought very much about working with Gods/Goddesses.

That is to say I do not work with specific Gods or Goddesses as of yet. I offer devotions, but they have been sort of offered up to the universe in general if you will.

For a while I have been considering choosing a deity or two. However I hold a few reservations of this- I feel once it is done, it is done. Can not be so easily undone so to speak. I suppose I am simply nervous about it.

A few questions to you all- How did you choose your deities or pantheons, or did they choose you?

What does it feel like when you work with your deities?

Suppose that is all for now.

I am here merely sitting the fence. Faced with a decision.

Thank you.

[corvidus]

The idea that a Wiccan needs to pick one God and one Goddess and stick with them the rest of their life (or for a long time) is ridiculous, in my opinion.

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Yes. I am not so concerned with picking a couple deities and then being stuck for life or anything, I do not believe that either.

I am more concerned about what happens during communication with deities, that is why I asked what it feels like for others when they do work with deities, so I could gain somewhat of an understanding what is possible to expect, if I do so choose to work with a deity.

Thank you for your response.

[Tutmosis]

With my deities they speak with emotional intent. As for hearing them speak words, it's not rare but it happens. Complete sentences, only in dreams or when I'm astral projecting.

It has something to do with clairaudience. Develop that, and you'll be able to communicate with your gods and goddesses.

[SpiritTalker]

I think what you experience depends on your perceptions, and which faculties you use to communicate. Dreams are pretty normal means of being contacted. When i meditate and enter a receptive state, i might have anything from mental impressions to full conversation replies heard in my head, that are almost dream like. I experience an increase in sychronicity...my personal favorite...and see repetitions of significant patterns or reoccurring sequences or images that have meaning to me.

When I've channeled, the physical body ceases to be of any interest except for the voice. I just feel spacey, and not there. Im basically in a holding pattern with no physical sensations, only consciousness. It's similar to being between awake and asleep, and staying that way. Another "character personality" uses the voice & I am aware of what is said only as it is said, not fore-thought responses.

Like Tutmosis said, clairaudience.

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Hello.

Thank you for your responses.

It seems, and please do correct me if I am wrong here, that communicating with deities seems much like how people communicate with their spirit guides. Via dream, symbolism, signs, synchronization, etc. And the combination of psychic or spiritual ability such as Clairaudience, Clairvoyance, Clairsentience etc. Am I correct in this, or still off the mark? I feel this is so.

The thing with Clairaudience, is it isn't quite my forte. I actually have heard voices, and some of them have had information, while others seem more fear provoking. So as much as able I do not rely on clairaudience for guide communication or any spirit communication, I am better able to handle clairvoyant images, and intuitive feelings.

I am assuming here you all are not saying clairaudience, is a must, or the only prerequisite, other clairs and methods could be used as well could they not?

Thank you all for taking the time to respond, I think I have a better idea of communication methods.

Now to decide if I resonate with a deity or not, other than my personal deity, which is more so universal (as in pertaining more to energy).

[planewalker]

Astaroth,

Communication with deities can use any of the six senses. It can be very sacred and mysterious feeling or seem very colloquial and mundane. Human beings communicate with each other in these manners. Why would a deity use an exotic form of communication that needed a radically different set of physical or mental constructs?
It is very similar to AmerInd shamanistic practices and communication with a spirit guide. You could also think of it as the communication one becomes used to with the Earth Mother, Sky Father or The Great Spirit if one is immersed in AmerInd spiritual practices, either as a Shaman or Medicine man. And { here comes the shameless promotion}.(sshhh !!! It's for a good cause!) yes, there is a difference. Go and read {shameless plug} "Hello Palefaces" in the sub-heading shamanism. And please feel free to add a question or experience of your own. We {or at least I} am trying to make it a chapter with the ability as a separate heading to have topics of its own. There have been many readers, not many contributors. Off your duffs. At least leave a question like this one. Oh Yeah! D@mn ! Sorry! I digressed.
You don't have to worry about having a guiding deity or deities if one becomes a follower of The Light. We reverence all deities. Good and bad. You may say that doesn't sound right. Your an Adept of The Light - correct? Yup. The Light is the opposite of The Dark. That's true isn't it? Uh-Huh. Yet you reverence Dark entities? That's doesn't sound right! It is though. Drop me a PM or better go to Hello Palefaces and ask questions.

[SnowCat]

I started out with a very general Goddess, and Lord and Lady idea. Over the years, specific deities have entered my life and made themselves known. It's usually a sense of a presence, that identifies itself. Bast is the only one who ever actually manifested so far. As far as I know, I was the only one who could see her. I'm not sure what the staff at Alameda East would have thought of a bipedal cat in Egyptian garb.

Snow

[barker]

All I get is the christian god and the angels. That means, you will attract some not others, to obey you. They are all telling the truth except, what is personality? Light or dark, mean or fearful... little doubt in this i think you deserve to know "everyone except Satan," in the end.

[EveningWithAstaroth]

Alright.

Thank you all for your responses and the time you have all taken to read and to answer. Thank you all very much.

Snow, you've brought up an interesting point for me, where you have said you have had Bast manifest for you. I too have had something similar. It is very personal for me however. It did not involve Bast for me, it involved a Babylonian Goddess, my username kind of says it all.

However it did not appear as female for me it appeared as male for myself, and female for the friend whom was with me. My intuition had told me to refer to it as Astaroth. This was long indeed before I had read anything about Astaroth or much of anything else like that.

It felt natural to refer to it as such.

This is an experience, that I have tried to interpret, figure out, learn anything about, and I still come up with blank answers.

This is a main reason why I hold reservations for working with deities. I do not ask because I have had no personal experience already, rather that I have, and deity work leaves me now leaning towards not working with them. But I have considered it. I feel in the end it is my decision to make.

Barker- Are you Christian, Wiccan? Or a combination of both? I lean more towards Shamanic Beliefs. But there is room in my faith for others.

[barker]

I am neither christian nor wicca, but quite familiar with both. I am familar with shamanism too and practice that, and I also understand the reluctance to choose spirits/voices because the whole thing can FEEL ugly. My personal suggestion is just to be a little more open with the spirits and wait and see if they come to you. Or, research a bit and maybe one or two will stand out. Being an introvert I find it extremely hard to talk to my voices. It feels fake to take them seriously; we basically just joke about it the whole time how we got into this stupid situation. Still, my magic is meaningful to me so they do have a place in my life somewhere. Just not where the pain happens.