In Which Pagan Witnessing Is Requested....

Great Debates
1

You know, several times recently I’ve noticed reference to the Goddess in posts by pagans on questions relating to religious concepts. I’m vaguely aware of the pagan conceptualization of the overarching reality that either is or underlies nature as being representable by both the male and female principle, personified as the God and Goddess, and also I realize that people’s understanding of this is going to vary all over the lot. (Hey, I’m a Christian – ask ten of us about the Trinity and the nature of God, and you’ll get 22.5 different answers! ;))

But I was wondering if sincere pagans, Wiccans, and the like, could speak frankly about the intellectual and emotional investment they have in the God/Goddess concept. I mean, for me God is a quite real and meaningful Personal Entity Who makes His love for me and for all mankind known to me, and Who guides my actions (so far as I’ll let him; I can be quite deaf to Him sometimes!). Does this sort of personal-relationship sense come through for you pagans in your beliefs? Do you see Them as “real people”? Are they symbolic abstractions invested with mythopoeic meaning to you? Does the concept I’ve run into that they’re two different manifestations of an underlying reality have any validity for you?

I’ll appreciate the information, and promise to the extent possible not to turn it into a “My god’s bigger than your god” sort of debate. (I do reserve the right, in behalf of me and other monotheists who may participate, to explain something that we feel or believe, with the idea of doing a compare/contrast to what you do, not as an attempt to overtly witness.)

2

Sorry if it’s a hijack, but if anybody out there has an actual named God or Goddess, I’d like to hear about that. Not one of the big ones like the Christian deity or Allah or any of the Hindu pantheon, but one who’s pretty much ignored by the rest of the world. It’s struck me lately that pagans tend to be pretty vague, talk about “the female principle” and so forth when back in the day there was not much question about Odin or Zeus or Anansi or Whoever being a genuine entity with some pretty specific traits and opinions. Whenever I’ve asked about this it’s tended to turn out to be a sort of pantheism or else not something that the person I was asking had ever really considered.

3

Hah! there will be 23.72575 different answers.

4

Ok I won’t hijack this thread… it is very tempting though. Yessir, very tempting. But I will be interested in hearing any comments here, as well.

5

I’ll take a few moments from my crazy grad school schedule and drop in here.

**Polycarp wrote:

But I was wondering if sincere pagans, Wiccans, and the like, could speak frankly about the intellectual and emotional investment they have in the God/Goddess concept. I mean, for me God is a quite real and meaningful Personal Entity Who makes His love for me and for all mankind known to me, and Who guides my actions (so far as I’ll let him; I can be quite deaf to Him sometimes!). Does this sort of personal-relationship sense come through for you pagans in your beliefs? Do you see Them as “real people”? Are they symbolic abstractions invested with mythopoeic meaning to you? Does the concept I’ve run into that they’re two different manifestations of an underlying reality have any validity for you?

I’ll appreciate the information, and promise to the extent possible not to turn it into a “My god’s bigger than your god” sort of debate. (I do reserve the right, in behalf of me and other monotheists who may participate, to explain something that we feel or believe, with the idea of doing a compare/contrast to what you do, not as an attempt to overtly witness.)**

I can’t speak for all Pagans, but I’ll give you my own opinions.

One important point to remember; contemporary Paganism doesn’t have a revealed scripture like Judeaism, Christianity and Islam. Therefore, Pagan theology is rather free flowing, there’s no central establishment definiing what proper Pagan doctrine is.

My interactions with the Gods leave me to believe there are many of Them. I’ve had the good fortune to interact two directly in my life time, Jesus and Freyr. Whilst in the service, in late '79 (or perhaps early '80) I asked Jesus to enter my life and I certainly felt something. But for other reasons, that relationship ended. During Yule of '84, Freyr reached out and touched me. I didn’t ask for it, it just happened. My experience with Freyr was … overwhelming … like riding a wave of wonderful, glorious ecstatic emotion. I nearly lost consciousness. It was decidedly different from my previous experience. These two experiences provide the basis for my polytheism.

Some people argue that there’s only one God (and often argue that it’s specifically the J/C/I God, too). My personal experience contradicts that.

What’s my relationship with them? I feel the Gods are more like elder brothers and sisters, to whom we turn for advice, guidance and help when we need it. Otherwise, we use our own native intelligence to shape our own lives. The Gods do help us, but we’re also to use our brains and do our best. I also feel the Gods are ideal forms for us to emulate and try and live up to. We are guided in this by personal meditation and revealed experience.

So why follow on God in particular? Each God or Goddess has a particular message or lesson to learn; a message about what makes a good life and how to live it. We learn that message thru revealed experience and personal meditation with a particular God or Goddess. How do you choose which one to follow? Decide what’s important in your life and why and then choose a god or goddess that enobles that message or lesson. While Freyr picked me, I also choose Lady Athena as my Matron. I also chose Her for personal reasons dealing with my own family’s background.

Is there only one God or two or many? I’ve gone over this many times in my mind and from various readings, I’m still not sure. The best I can come up with is an analogy; imagine a bright point source of white light. From that light, a prism will split that light into a variety of colors. That bright source of light is Diety or the Numen to quote Rudolph Otto. Our human senses and limited understanding are the prism. We cannot comprehend the white light so we split it into comprehensible parts. Those parts, or colors, are the Gods we’re familiar with; Zeus, Athena, Odin, Astarte, Shiva, Durga, Freyr and even Jesus and Allah and YHWH. That point source is so beyond our human understanding and comprehension it’s useless to try to understand it. It’s easier to interact with and understand the colors that come thru the prism of our human understanding.

6

If you don’t mind a teensy nitpick, Polycarp, pagans pretty much don’t “witness,” in that we don’t preach the word of the gods/goddesses in an attempt to convert others to our way of worship.

I refer to myself as a “pagan polytheist.” This is because I personally believe that there are many deities. I do believe that the God you worship exists. However, I do not believe that He exists alone. And when I worship, I do not direct my thoughts/requests to Him. I focus on Goddess.

I myself do not worship a specific Goddess, though. But that’s just my way. I’m what’s called a “solitary,” in that I do not belong to any organized group, and prefer to practice my religion by myself. Again, that’s just my way. I was like that when I identified as Christian, too. I’ve never been baptized, and although I did actually become a member of a Christian church as an adult (Congregationalist), I chose not to be baptized in that church because at the time, I simply had too many questions about stuff. I thought I was ready to make a committment to the other church members, to attend services and learn as much as I could, but I myself felt that baptism was a committment to God, and I just wasn’t ready for that. Some thought I was wussing out, but I personally believed that it simply wasn’t fair to God to make a committment like that, when I still had so many questions.

I myself do not believe that Goddess “guides” my actions. However, I believe that She keeps an eye on things. I believe that She provides mental and emotional support when I really need Her. I also believe that she “intervenes,” if you will. For instance–if I’ve got a friend that needs help, but I know said friend is Christian, I’ll ask Her to keep an eye on my friend, and put in a good word with my friend’s Deity (as I did quite recently for you, dear Polycarp. Hope you don’t mind. :wink: )

Something that you may hear a lot from other pagans/Wiccans is “I don’t know.” Why? Because a lot of us simply do not presume to know that our way is the “right” or “true” way, like you’ll hear from so many others. My way is simply the right way for me. I do not know what will happen once I die. I could be wrong. YOU could be wrong. For all I know, the Krishnas are right. At this point in my life, I really don’t think they are, of course, but I won’t know for certain until I die.

Please do! You might not be aware of this, but I myself find Christianity and it’s history utterly captivating. I study it in my spare time, and come the day I am able to go back to college, I fully intend to study as much religion as I possibly can, perhaps as a major. I myself am more interested in the history, but any insight you can provide would be MOST appreciated.

7

The thread title was just a mite tongue-in-cheek, in that I wanted to learn more about the actual piety of pagans and how it relates to the theology – which I do realize is a tad free-form! I do appreciate the answers so far, and they have not yet triggered a bunch of questions for me – though we’re two-for-two on polytheism, something I hadn’t grasped (though I knew more than a little about Freyr’s beliefs from past discussions, and just hadn’t put two and two together to realize that makes more-than-two-deities! ;)) (And, Persephone, I appreciate the prayers – and my personal opinion is that God was touched to hear in my behalf from somebody who’s kind of put Him, at least as He’s understood by Christians, on the back burner in favor of the Goddess conceptualization.) Sometime I want to start a thread on whether or not the “syncretic concept” – that everyone believes in the same God under different guises, including the Hindu concept of many gods being expressions of one Godhead – has any validity. But not here and now – this one’s intended to give those of us who aren’t pagan a better grasp of what pagans really believe and feel.

8

**Persephone wrote:

Something that you may hear a lot from other pagans/Wiccans is “I don’t know.” Why? Because a lot of us simply do not presume to know that our way is the “right” or “true” way, like you’ll hear from so many others. My way is simply the right way for me. I do not know what will happen once I die. I could be wrong. YOU could be wrong. For all I know, the Krishnas are right. At this point in my life, I really don’t think they are, of course, but I won’t know for certain until I die.**

I think many Pagans would agree with this. Most Pagans I’ve spoken with believe that there’s no one, right, true religious path. What’s important is following the religion that feels right to the person. All religions have an element of truth to them, I believe. It’s only the Big Three Monotheisms that hold that they’re the Only Right Way. And out of those, Christianity and Islam (well, some sects at least) believe that non-believers or non-followers will incur Divine wrath for choosing the wrong faith.

9

Like Christians discussing the Trinity, you’re going to get a LOT of different answers. We’re not terribly organized. :wink:

Wiccans do have a “Golden Rule,” though. “Do what thou wilt, an’ it harm none.” On first reading, it may seem like what this says is to just do wahtever you feel like doing. But that’s not the case. The “harm none” is very important. My personal interpretation is 'live your life as you see fit, but do your best to avoid intentionally hurting anyone." Of course, we as humans are not perfect, and we do hurt each other from time to time. But most average people, regardless of their religious beliefs, do try pretty hard to keep from hurting each other.

10

I have no real idea who or what I’ve had the pleasure of meeting recently. I know that she once told me that her name is Amanda, though she later clarified it as “Aman dha” (the dh being pronounced as the “th” sound in “this”.) That is probably not her real name.

I have a mental picture of her, which I won’t share. I’ll say that she’s female and she appears human. That is probably not her true form.

Some time after having a similar experience to that related by Freyr, I heard the song Just a Woman on the radio-- I had to laugh out loud when I saw, in my minds eye, the guy in the song trying that shit with Amanda…

She exudes such power and strength that I am at times literally in awe of her.

She hasn’t dropped an envelope of cash in the mail for me, neither has she straightened out several of my more personal troubles, but since I met her, she has been a source of strength, companionship, and even humor.

There are others like her. She brings them to visit sometimes. They have all, so far, had a distinct feminine quality about them. And they know things. Things they normally-- but not always-- refuse to share.
As for their message, I’d like to relate a story that you, Poly, have witnessed, but perhaps not quite understood.

For quite some time now, I have been less than satisfied with the Christian God. I believe that He exists, but I have serious doubts as to whether He is either loving or good.

A friend of mine is involved in Asatru, and we often discuss the various aspects of “the gods.” Long story short, in yet another fit of disgust, I decided to find another god.

I didn’t have much luck finding one for a couple of months.

Then one night, on one of the other boards I frequent, I got into a bit of a tussle with a Moderator. This Mod had gotten up to some rather unmoderator-like shenanigans, and I was more than a little livid about it.

Feelings were hurt on many sides. Respect and trust were likewise lost all around.

During the night, I met Amanda, and she impressed upon me that I was feeling upset, angry, hurt, and betrayed because I was not right within myself.

“Perfect love and perfect trust” she told me. “Be strong and keep your eyes open, but try always to act with perfect love and with perfect trust.”

That has been her only long-term message so far. And, since that night, I have tried (and often failed) to live up to it.

-David
The Magickal Christian Agnostic

11

Tied yourself up in knots, as I recall! :wink:

I appreciate your sharing that, David, and from my slightly heterodox Christian perspective, that’s good advice, no matter where it comes from – “Act with perfect love and perfect trust.” Hold to that! :slight_smile:

12

A lot of pagans of my acquaintance came to paganism in part because they were seeking a personal relationship with the divine that they felt they could not get through (generally) Christianity; I suspect that many of them experienced the faiths of their childhood as someone-in-vestments explaining God’s point of view to them and then sending them home to act accordingly, without any direct communion. I don’t know how many had the experience I did – which was of time spent in church and aware of the presence of the divine, but also aware that that force was not speaking to me. When I left Christianity as a child, it was in search of someone who wanted to talk to me.

I should note that I am not readily categorisable, religiously; I’m formerly a member of a lot of different traditions and practices. It’s probably most accurate for reference to think of me as an eclectic pagan; however, it’s also worth noting that for the past several years I have had someone in my life through whose influence the divine force that was present in the church of my childhood is enabled to speak to me. (It is perhaps illuminating about the nature of my beliefs that I find it entirely appropriate that I have returned in some ways to the denomination of my childhood; it suggests to me that the hands that have influenced me in my varied directions know what they’re doing, and that I can continue to place my trust in Their guidance.)

As to a personal relationship – yes, I have one. I have also had . . . passing encounters, I suppose, with forces to whom I am not personally bound, as well as closer encounters with those to whom I consider myself friendly or aligned, but who I do not follow directly. The goddess who interacts with me most directly is . . . catankerous, headstrong, a creature of profound passions and joys, one with very few inhibitions; I find that I often debate with Her about courses of proper action, because she is often shaky on matters of human morality unless reminded. I have, in times of need, reached to her and felt Her strength through me; it is an exhilerating feeling, but one that leaves me completely wrung-out afterwards – as such I tend to only do so in times of great need, and when I have a safe space to recuperate afterwards.

I also experience Her as an aspect, a facet of a greater universe that I consider divine in its nature; however, I believe that I am not capable of experiencing that greater reality without mediation through other forms: the gods and spirits, other living things, the visible parts of the world around me. So while I would consider my goddess to be a representation or abstraction of some part of the divine world, that does not mean that she is any less a real person than you, Polycarp, for I would also see you as a representation or abstraction of some part of the divine world. Just the Polycarp-shaped bits thereof, rather than the Baubo-shaped bits. (Baubo is one of the names that ‘my’ goddess accepts; that particular name belongs originally to the Greek goddess of . . . among other things, call it pornographic humor.)

I believe the pagan conceptualisation of God/Goddess to which you refer is more accurately described as a Wiccan conceptualisation; if you’re interested in how it happened to evolve that way, I’d commend to your attention the book titled The Triumph of the Moon: A History of Modern Pagan Witchcraft by Ronald Hutton, which covers among other things the evolution of the Goddess and God images common to Wicca and related neopagan faiths.

Even if one were to limit the range of faiths considered to neopagan ones (thus not considering Hinduism, the various practices of indigenous peoples across the world, and other faiths with continuous history into antiquity), there are reconstructionist movements (such as Asatru and Kemeticism (which I may have spelt utterly wrong)) and religions or religious movements deriving from modern works (the Church of All Worlds, from Heinlein’s Stranger in a Strange Land, and Discordianism, from The Principia Discordia: How I Found Goddess And What I Did To Her When I Found Her).

And that is much, much more than I ever intended to say directly about my beliefs here. Heh. :wink:

13

Good advice, indeed!

I am not really a Pagan. Truth be told, I don’t much know what I am. But I’d like a shot at answering some of the questions posed in the OP.

For myself, and according to most actual Pagans I know, their personal relationship with their god or goddess or guide or friend is the whole reason for their beliefs.

Very much so.

Ever simply been in a room with someone else? You can sense the other person’s presence, their mood, their desires.

This is much the same thing. You know that they are there. You know whether they’re happy or pissed off or excited or sad. You (sometimes) know what they want from you and you know what they’d like to give you.

You can sense that they care.

You can even talk to them. And they can talk to you.

To some, yes. To me, no. Amanda is as real to me as this keyboard I’m typing on. She’s just like any other person, except that I can’t physically see or hear her.

And that last part’s a shame, too, because I’d really like to give her a hug…

I don’t know.

I find some things more or less likely than others, but since I don’t know and probably have no way to ever really know, I like to keep the option open.

Last night’s discussion with my Asatru friend touched on this. The only conclusion we could reach is a resounding “maybe.”

-David

14

>that everyone believes in the same God under different guises, including the Hindu concept of many gods being expressions of one Godhead<

I’m a Witch (not Wiccan) and that works for me. I don’t believe in Gods or Goddesses so much as experience them the way we experience breathing. I could debate with myself as to the nature of breathing, and whether we can ever really know that we breathe, but such pursuits hold no interest. My experience of the divine is closest to the Gnostic Christian Union with God. At this level, names are irrelevant, divisions and distinctions vanish even between the self and God. It is in coming back down from this state of Union that divinity may seem to seperate into distinct Gods and Goddesses; but they are simply different facets of the same diamond. Typically, those humans who experience Union go insane, die, or survive and Evolve. This happens even for humans who merely experience being in the presence of the Divine. When Zeus revealed himself to Semele in his True Divine Form, her physical body was incinerated. This represents what happens to the “seperate” ego mind when it confronts the infinite expanse of the Divine. The sense of the self as seperate from God is incinerated. The person that survives and emerges from that experience is changed forever.

One more thing about “Pagan Witnessing.” A lot of people try to get into Magik for all of the wrong reasons; power, sex, fashion etc. Many Witches will turn away seekers who they feel need to find another more appropriate path. So not only do Pagans not “witness,” they are rather particular about who they teach.

My own personal “relationship” with the Goddess might best be compared to Mother and Son, with the caveat that I am not the ONLY one. This is a more vivid, loving, “personal” relationship than I have ever had with a living human.

As far as names, my family includes Cernunnos, Pan, Diana, Hecate, Demeter, Bast, Persephoene, Isis…

15

I’ll go ahead and reply, although based on your post I think your questions would more accurately be aimed at Wiccans, not Pagans in general. Paganism is a wide umbrella, wider in many ways than the Judeo-Christian-Islamic umbrella your religious beliefs fall beneath.

The brand of Paganism I practice is called Asatru, and we actually prefer to head it beneath the term “Heathenism” to distinguish ourselves from wiccan and other neo-pagan practitioners. The reason why we do this is pretty obvious, it’s because most folks if they even know about Paganism think Paganism=Wicca, so rather than fight this misconception we’re just trying to use a more appropriate term. Asatru BTW is the modern recreation of the old Norse/Germanic religions.

Most Asatruar are hard polytheists, myself included. My Gods and Goddesses are as real to me as my own family. I speak with them daily, and in my religious observances pay them the respect and devotion that they deserve. I certainly don’t see them as mytho–poetic metaphors nor do I see them as manifestations of “nature” anymore than I am a manifestation of nature. Everything is natural to some extent. Asatruar aren’t by nature nature or earth worshipers in other words, while many of us hold strong conservationist philosophies it’s not really the underpining of Asatru spirituality. Also, as a hard polytheist I don’t think of my Gods and Goddesses as some kind of facet or manifestation of a greater universal spirit, I would think that a bit insulting. My Gods and Goddesses are strongly independent and have vibrant and unique personalities. To suggest they’re merely masks of a greater monotheistic or animistic power would be akin to sort of metaphysical communism, pretty insulting to me. Asatruar as a rule don’t “witness” we try to live our lives as an example of our way of life and spirituality, and most of us if questioned will explain our beliefs and encourage any interest that may be there. We just don’t actively seek converts I guess, we like to say we believe in quality over quantity. ;> Hope that answers any questions you had.

16

Poly,

I look at things this way. Most life on earth, that is, life signifigantly high enough on the food chain, evolves and reproduces through a male-female relationship. So then, why could the whole of creation not be cast in that same mold? My tendencies are to believe in a duotheistic concept, a God and Goddess, and from them stem minor Gods and Goddesses, as spoken of in legend and story, and from those Gods and Goddesses, spring all of life, and indeed all of humanity.

I was called to the pagan path as a youth, mainly for the shock value, and found later in life that I was on the right path all along, just for the wrong reasons. I have studied, with other practitioners, and on my own, and have completed now three years ago, my year and a day study of the path.

I consider myself for the sake of terminology, a Witch. If I need a sub-label at all, Eclectic Pagan would be it, but this path is mine, and mine alone, ergo, I not only refuse to ‘witness’ but rebuke those who witness to me, about any religion, I prefer to find information, rather than have it thrust upon me.

I have studied many religions, and learn more with each passing day, and condemn no religion, for there can, IMHO, be no condemnation of faith, and religion, again IMHO, is a functionary component of faith.

As a pagan, I consider myself and those like me stewards of the Earth, as the earth is our home, to which we shall return.

Perhaps this statement answered your some of your question(s), perhaps it didn’t, if not, let me know, and I’ll be back.

17

When I was a child, I attended church regularly. The First Church of the Nazarene, a vanilla Christian church.

I accepted Jesus at a young age, while away at Church Camp. I tried to live a good life, by the rules as I understood them. But my life wasn’t going to let me.

Sent to live with my junkie uncle while my mom was in jail for a crime she did to feed my brother and I. It was only a week, but a week with a junkie is bad…

My grandmother dying a long, slow, painful death.

My own mothers gradually deteriorating health.

I stopped going to church when I found out that I was more a source of jokes for most of the parishoners, with my dirty clothes and ravenous desire for donuts…

When I was in 9th grade, a friend of mine asked me about Wicca. I told her I had no idea, and she was surprised. She had assumed that I was one of the club, as was she.

She (and her mother) guided me for about 2 years. I learned about Wicca, and paganism in general. I looked into Magick, and spellworking.

It worked, but not quite the way I was hoping. I still felt as if I were missing something. I read a lot of books. I started reading up on Celtic mythology, knowing while I was reading that a lot of it was speculation. But something inside me recognized the fundamental truth of the Celtic way of life… live with beauty, fight with honor, die a glorious death, and help all you can on the way to it.

While I do not openly revere any Gods or Goddesses, I have respect for the forces of nature that are shaped by those forces. I feel that many Dieties exist, and that all religions, at base, are right.

I feel the guiding hand of the Gods in the things I do. An omen from them told me to marry my ex-wife, even though I was pretty sure it would not be good for me. We have two wonderful children, and my daughter is gifted in ways I am just begining to understand… my children are the result of my bowing to the will of the Gods.

When I am in a position to fight, whether it’s physical, or emotional, I seek out guidance by looking around me, trying to find the signs of what I am to do. When I find those signs, I know, and my way becomes as clear as crystal.

I hope to teach my children this way. Introducing them to nature, and explaining to them the unseen forces that help guide our fates.
So, yes, I have a relationship with the Gods. And it affects me, though not in a way that most would see.

18

I also am a Witch (not a Wiccan). My spirituality and relationship with my gods is so intertwined with who I am and my everyday life I don’t consider diety “separate.” (I hope that makes sense.)
It’s the “realest” part of my life, and I just let it “be” , I don’t try to over-analyse it like I did when I was younger.

19

With no offense, but for my edification, may I ask the distinction between “Witch” and “Wiccan”? I’d assumed, from my limited contacts with the subject, that Wicca was the handy term equivalent to Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, for all who practice the Craft and consider themselves Witches. (Hey, at least I don’t think that witch = female Wiccan! ;)) I was a bit surprised to see two of you carefully make the distinction.

I do understand that. Since I was asking for personal experiences and feelings about their faith from pagans in the broad sense, I used the term with a bit of irony, since GD is the appropriate site for us Christians when we decide to wander in and say something like, “Jesus is the answer for me and He can be for you too!” and start spraying the forum with Bible verses – and that’s what’s usually meant by “witness” in this forum. :slight_smile:

But especially with regard to your last sentence, may I say that I do recognize that taciturnity about beliefs among pagans, and understand the reasons behind it, and I do feel honored that so many of you have felt willing to share your beliefs here at my request.

Lokij, I know very little about Asatru as a belief system, but some years ago I did have a close friend, a cartographer, who was deeply involved in Heathenism, under the byname of Garman Lord, with Tiw as his tutelary deity (and his understanding was that Tiw was the Great God to whom Odin owed worth-ship). I get the impression that school background about “Norse mythology” is about as accurate a description of Asatru beliefs as Jack Chick’s oeuvre is of mine! :slight_smile:

Actually, I think vanilla is a member of the Assembly of God! :wink:

But I do get what you’re saying by this.

Tristan, I too felt a strong sense of that “calling” in several things in my life, including my move here to North Carolina, and before that in the decision to take in the boys – and in the consequent birth of my “honorary grandchildren” I can grasp exactly how you feel about the gift of your daughter.

My impression is that it’s fairly common among pagans to have been Christians who had a very negative experience, a sense of not being nourished, by their “birth faith” and to have found fulfillment in a pagan belief system.

Yes, it does make sense, and I believe I understand exactly where you’re coming from here. There’s a strong sense of that in my Christian beliefs as well, and I’m not prepared to analyze it now (or maybe ever).

20

I do not believe that there are plural Entities, whether in the form of One Horned God with a penis and One Goddess with girly parts or a pantheon with a huge cast of characters like the Norse or Greek myths.

I believe instead that God is not singular. God is, in fact, “superplural”, constituting a sense of Entity to which you or I can have a relationship and yet also and simultaneously constituting a sense of SELF, a correct answer that you or I could logically provide to the question “who are you”.

God’s own “I am that I am” as described in the Bible is probably kin. “God art that which is”.

The important role of female imagery can be understood (maybe even “necessarily understood”) from the standpoint of a perspective that sees certain principles and priorities as

a) evil;

b) conventionally associated with “being a man” and incorporated into many cultural definitions of “masculinity”;

c) more specifically and accurately associated with hegemony and oppression, domination and coercion and power over other people
You might not get 100% agreement among pagan/wiccan followers and believers that patriarchy is a factually existent and morally evil social system, and that conventional religions that revolve around a specifically MALE God are often reifications of patriarchal moral values and virtues, but you’d get very few blank stares. Certainly for some of us, wicca/paganist spirituality is the religion and radical feminism is the secular and political manifestation of the same. It is so for me at any rate, although I don’t anthropomorphize (gynomorphize?) God as a female although I do often conceptualize myself as a male member of the Race of Woman. (There are reasons and advantages to deliberately inverting the structures by which we are originally taught to think, especially if you have come to think them morally bankrupt and wrong).

God as self and entity is a personal experience for me. Prayer is a focusing on, taking up one’s strongest feelings and concerns and linking them to the feeling of connection and asking, with all of that intensity behind it, for understanding. For a way. To see and comprehend how to proceed.

I know that many of you who answer to “Christian” (and other brand names) have had the same experience and therefore know the same God because I recognize it in your descriptions of prayer, even if we outline the theologies differently.