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Aine Llewellyn - Dalliances with Deities

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Basics: Four Gods (Redux)

Basics: Four Gods (Redux)

Last updated on: February 7, 2014 at 1:51 pm by Aine Llewellyn

Basics: Four Gods (Redux) 2014-02-07T13:51:13-07:00 Aine Llewellyn

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[This post was meant to go up yesterday, but life and school got in the way.]

I’m restarting my posts on the Otherfaith, and each Wednesday I’ll be posting basic information about the gods, spirits, daily practices, and other important bits of the faith. Every Friday (maybe this Saturday, if my word processor is still down) I’ll post more freeform musings on various topics concerning the Otherfaith.

Other days are open for other rants, though I’m hoping to produce less rant and more content this year. 2013 was a rough rollercoaster, and I learned a lot. It’s time to implement those lessons.

For our first post in the 2014 basics series, we’re going to review the Four Gods of the Otherfaith. There’s been some big revelations and deepening understandings about these gods, and I want to share part of them before going further. This post is also meant to re-familiarize yourself with the gods of the faith, giving you the most basics concepts of them. We will revisit them later on in the series – after we have explored what it means to be a god in the faith and have learned about other spirits we worship. This post will be added to a page for easy access later on, and I will update as needed.

Overview

Roses are one of the most prevalent symbols in the ‘faith.

The Four Gods of the Otherfaith are the Clarene, Dierne, Laetha, and Ophelia. They are called the ‘Four Gods’ because there were four gods originally that revealed themselves. Their names are often (not always) preceded with ‘the’, implying that the name is also a title or that they are the supreme possessor of that name. Each of these gods can be loosely tied to the four elements (earth, air, fire, and water, respectively), but if we conceive or perceive them strictly in those terms we are missing huge parts of their reality.

the Clarene is the founder of the West – the sacred landscape which we journey to and upon which myth occur – and the only god of the Four that is not created but born as a god. Her lover the Ophelia is deified first of the other three, followed by the Laetha. the Dierne is the last god to be crowned with divinity. Each god interacts with each other in specific ways, as would be expected from such distinct personalities, and this influences how we pray to and approach them at times. There are familial connections, conflicts, and emotional ties to consider.

One of the biggest changes since 2013 is, though still called the Four Gods, the Otherfaith technically has six gods we give worship to. These other two gods are the Ophelene and Laethelia.

Now, we’ll delve into the ‘main roles’, correspondences, and important information for each of the gods. The section ‘related spirits’ will be addressed with separate posts about those spirits and their stories.

the Clarene

Main Role: Protector of the West/Other People
the Clarene creates the sacred otherworld we interact with and, in doing so, takes responsibility for the land and its People. She does this by cultivating the land – farms and fields, urban spaces, wild spaces, parks, etc. – and by acting as a gatekeeper. Her connections to weaponry (guns, swords, spears) are tied to her protective role.

Related Spirits:

technically all West spirits
Dallas
Black Lion
Dragongirl
Desiree
Merryweather
Adilene
Asier
Othani
Baryl
Zs
Dahlia
Mary Anne

Any hot, comforting drink or food is tied to the Clarene. (photo by BoyWonder)

Symbols/Correspondences:

black
medical equipment
lions
gold
graveyards
Space Needle, Empire State Building, and Sears Tower
guns/gunpowder
crowns
cows
extinct mega fauna
griffins
hounds
foxes
tea
coffee
Black Death
Kingship/sovereignty
compass
tall trees (sequoias, Douglas fir, Redwoods, etc.)
skyscrapers
black mirrors

Epithets:

Orchard-King
King
Girl-King
Singer
Unfeathered One
Lion Maker
Hand Holder
Mother Slaughter
Tea Brewer
Star-Spearer
Beloved of Women
Gunpowder Mother
Fire Catcher

the Dierne

Main Role: Queen of Consent and Pleasure
the Dierne is the last of the Four Gods to be deified – opposite of the Clarene, born a god. The two share some symbols and roles – both preside over the holiness of love and consent – and come into conflict often because of this. the Dierne presides over pleasure – sexual, sensual, emotional, and mental. He ensures the comfort of the People and that such comfort does not come on the backs of others.

Related Spirits:

Lilibell
Flower Maidens
Grace
Alynah Blake
Alice
Desiree
Aletheia
Danny
Malice
Thunderhorse

Pink is another color associated with the Dierne. (photo by ;dreamer)

Symbols/Correspondences:

stars
masks
pianos
violins
alcohol
wolves
darkness
mirrors
peacocks (white peacocks)
anatomical hearts
tiaras
the number 10
black swans
blood
guns
wind
roses
black
aspen trees

Epithets:

Fear* (asterisk represents the entirety of fear – not just horror)
Pallis
Star-God
Boy-God
Boy-King
Queen of Stars
Meteor
Star-Striker
Revolutionary Boy
Divine Whore
Many Mirrors
Dark Brother
Orgasm-Maker
Starbird
Bloodied Hands

the Laetha

Main Role: Challenger of the People
the Laetha is once human then fae then god. His entrance into the West causes upset – because the land rejects him. So he dies and lets the land have him, lets the West strip from him what it rejects – until he is born anew as one of the People. His role toward us in the faith is to challenge who we are, who we can be, and how we fit in the world.

Related Spirits:

Althea Altair
Anne Marie
Mary Anne
Othani
Adilene
Thunderhorse
White Mare
Danny
Aria
Baryl
Sabia

Gold – the color and metal – is heavily tied to the Laetha.

Symbols/Correspondences:

fire
firebirds
poppies
rubies
red birds
mechanical hearts
gears
clocks
matches
bombs
nuclear reactors
androids/robots
Artificial Intelligence
bugs, especially beetles and butterflies
lanterns
utility monsters
wildfire
song
gold
the number 7
white bark trees

Epithets:

Firebird
the Lantern
Sundered Self
Many-Armed
Gold-teared
Hollow One
Mortal
White Tree
Many Souled
Devourer
Hundred-bodied
Lost Boy
Flower-King
Gold-King
Forgetful One
Singer
Gold Mother

the Ophelia

Main Role: Queen of the Waters/Life
the Ophelia is the divine lover to the Clarene, deified by drowning in her own river. She is heavily tied to water and all that means – flow, subtle power, health, time. She sustains the People and washes our shame from us. She is also tied to memory, because of her connections to time.

Related Spirits:

Mallory
Malice
Corliss
Dahlia
Ceur
Belle
Wynter
Lyra
Beryl
Lilibell

Hourglasses are also tied to the Ophelia. (photo by Eirenn)

Symbols/Correspondences:

lakes
rivers
clocks
algae
river stones
river weeds
simplistic masks
blue
sickly/mossy green
ocean monsters
skulls
black and blue colored birds
blue fire
swamps
rain
unicorns
peacocks
decay
snow/winter/ice
death
unpleasant bodily functions
ponds
wells
shapeshifting

Epithets:

Bluebird
Death
Dead Women
River Women
Lady of the waters
Lady of the Veil
Vile Queen
Lady Death
Keeper
Soundless
Sorrowful
Wounded One
Without Fate

the Laethelia (Laetha + Ophelia)

Main Role: Mediator and Stabilizer
the Laethelia is both the combined/shared power of the Laetha and another god unto herself. She keeps the West – and us- balanced just on the edge of comfort and discomfort, acceptance and rejection. She also stabilizes the powers of the Laetha and Ophelia, both volatile gods that fight with each other often.

Related Spirits:

none known

Symbols/Correspondences:

ponds
pools
mermaids
fish
gold
green

Epithets:

none given

the Ophelene (Ophelia + Clarene)

Main Role: Holy Retribution/Justice
the Ophelene is, as the Laethelia, the combined powers of the Ophelia and Clarene and also a separate god. She is the force of holy retribution in the Otherfaith. She protects the weak and stands in the way of oppression. She is most connected to defending women (all women).

Related Spirits:

none known

Symbols/Correspondences:

armor
swords
halo
light

Epithets:

Cruelty Killer
Wise One
Slayer
Guardian of Women
Protectress of Strength

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