To Which? To whom?

[Chad]

I was on another Pagan site today, a young man, who is trying to figure out his place in the Pagan world, and what path within it he wished to follow. He raised a couple questions that I felt merit repeat.

He inquired: When doing ritual or prayer, when you honour a particular group of gods, how do you address the gods altogether? He also asked: When or if one feels drawn to a particular god, or small handful within a group of gods, is there a sense of jealousy from other gods?

My answer to the first query was that I refer to the gods as such, the gods, or "The Gods of the Brythons", substitutable for whatever group of gods one honours.

My reply to his second query was that it is doubtful, in my opinion, as I cannot speak for the gods, that they are overly concerned with whether we particularly feel close to one god or goddess, or a couple or few.

What is YOUR take on the matter?

[potia]

I've never felt jealousy as such from other deities but if I forget someone I do sometimes get a reminder. It's a bit like a mental nudge.

I don't really have a group term for the gods I honour. If I'm calling on them all I call them each by name but usually I'll be reaching out to one or two in particular at any one time.

[Chad]

I personally have been more on honours to Taranis. However, I would never exclude the other gods. I give acknowledgement to other gods, Taranis, I admit, holds a particularly special place.

[redraven]

Jul 19, 2013 15:39:22 GMT -1 Chad said:

I was on another Pagan site today, a young man, who is trying to figure out his place in the Pagan world, and what path within it he wished to follow. He raised a couple questions that I felt merit repeat.

He inquired: When doing ritual or prayer, when you honour a particular group of gods, how do you address the gods altogether?

I've never had Gods names given to me when at a ritual or such, (leastways not from them, sometimes the organizer of the ritual may have written it to honour a certain deity), so I tend to just acknowledge those who have decided to be there with me at that time.

Jul 19, 2013 15:39:22 GMT -1 Chad said:

He also asked: When or if one feels drawn to a particular god, or small handful within a group of gods, is there a sense of jealousy from other gods?

Nope, again leastways not in my experience.

[lorna]

'When doing ritual or prayer, when you honour a particular group of gods, how do you address the gods altogether?'

- It's not often I do ritual to more than god or goddess at once. The first times I tried it was when I started out and realised nobody was turning up.

The time this has succeeded when my local pagan society ran a ritual to Bel and Belisama at Beltane. This was something I came up with when as I was walking along the Ribble the song came into my head 'Bel and Belisama / Join together / Fire and Water / Sun on the River.' I asked for consent and guidance from both (I'd never met Bel before, and am not certain whether I was speaking with Belinus or Belicatradus and not sure if the latter is spelt right!),the ritual went well and we've had a bright summer with plenty of splashes of rain...

Because Gwyn's my personal deity and goddesses such as Belisama and Brigantia are deities of my local land on occasion I'll connect both with on a personal level and with Belisama or Brigantia and the spirits and ancestors of place.

'When or if one feels drawn to a particular god, or small handful within a group of gods, is there a sense of jealousy from other gods?'

- I've only met properly with as many named gods as I can count on one hand: Brigantia, Belisama, Nodens (Brythonic) Maponus / Mabon, Gwyn (Brythonic / Welsh)

I've never encountered them as a group although I can see connections between Brigantia as goddess of the Pennines and Belisama as the goddess of the Ribble and its valley. When I sold my car and couldn't get to the hills anymore to honour Brigantia I became closer to Belisama as the Ribble's only a mile from my house. I underwent alot of internal conflict about this shift in favour but Brigantia didn't seem bothered.

When I met Gwyn last year and realised his influence on my life since my first magical experience at Glastonbury thirteen years ago I was worried Belisama would be resentful, particularly as a poem I wrote in her voice won the Preston Guild Poetry competition and aided me to becoming a Bard. But when I spoke to her about it I felt that she already kind of knew, and this was why although she'd gifted me the poem she hadn't announced herself as my patron.

So in my experience the Brythonic deities are not jealous gods / goddesses.

Although, similar to Potia, I have experienced 'the nudge'...

[Chad]

For some reason, my connection is more to sky gods. I did honors to Belyn on Beltaine, which I call Gwyl Belyn, I enjoyed it. I set aside July 7th for Taran, the god to whom I'm most drawn.

Another member on here suggested that it is Taran who is the father of Mabon. A suggestion I find very agreeable. This has given way to what is becoming a family of deities that I can in particular honour. A trinity of Taran, Modron, and Mabon. This works perfectly for me. Taran for the sky, Modron for the earth and waters, Mabon as a god of youth, creativity, and a tie to forests as well, as forests can be very inspiring places. As far as the Welsh Plants of Don and Llyr, which are well attested to, maybe, with proof, if it is ever found, they will add Plant Taran (or Plant Modron) as well. Regardless, I find this family very fulfilling to honour.