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Many Godds, Many Relationships, Always Learning

Many Godds, Many Relationships, Always Learning

Last updated on: March 3, 2023 at 7:17 pm by Irisanya Moon

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Many Godds, Many Relationships, Always Learning 2023-03-03T19:17:06-07:00 Irisanya Moon

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After being a Catholic for much of my life, finding witchcraft was a breath of fresh air.

The idea that I could choose the godds I worked with was exciting, scary, and confusing. When I read my first books on magick and craft, there was talk about a goddess and god, but no talk about more than that.

Or there were movies that talked about one goddess-like figure. (“The Craft.”)

But I wanted something else, even if I practiced what I read. It didn’t feel quite right, but I didn’t see signs I could do anything else.

Until Reclaiming.

Now, this isn’t a blog about my tradition. It’s actually a blog about why it might still be hard for some to know how to work with multiple godds — if they want to.

I mean, of course, it would be hard if that’s not what you learned about from the start, or if you weren’t exposed to it along the way.

Just like the formation of attachment injuries if you don’t have a consistent relationship with parents or caregivers when you’re growing up, things get wonky. You don’t know how to relate because it wasn’t modeled.

But you can learn, repair, and grow in the relationships you have now.

Even with many godds.

Image by Gioele Fazzeri from Pixabay

Getting to Know the Divine

Just because there are books on godds doesn’t mean you can know everything about them from those witchcraft books. Sure, they are a good starting point, a place to build interest, but they’re not the end-all, be-all of forming a relationship.

Just as you can’t get to know someone on one date, things take time. Good things likely take even longer than you think they should.

Make room – The best way to learn from godds is to make room for them to be in your life. This means making time in your schedule for consistent connection and even setting a place for them on an altar. Invite them into your life as you might a human being who also needs your time and attention. Place them in your calendar for different days of the week. If you miss a meeting, make it up. Learn what might work better.
Ask questions and listen – Instead of waiting for the godd to tell you everything you need and want to know, sit with them regularly. You might ask questions of them, but the most important thing to do is listen. And if you don’t hear anything, drop into your body to see how it feels when you ask certain questions.

Start small with the godds. This will build a strong foundation for a long-term relationship.

It’s Not (All) About You

But the most important, the MOST important thing to remember in ANY relationship is this: it is not just about you. The godds are not machines that you can put small bits of attention in to receive a prize. You need to build a relationship based on reciprocation, otherwise, it’s just taking and expecting to receive.

It’s the way the world often works, or we want it to work. It’s easier, right? But witchcraft is not easy. It never has been. It doesn’t have to be hard, but it does require work.

Think about how you can give back to a godd. And think about how you treat each of the godds you work with. Make time for each of them so they feel special and you can grow the relationship over time.

More Godds, More Problems?

I work with Aphrodite, Iris, Hecate, and the Norns. Each of them gets different levels of attention at different times. Some get more because our relationship requires that, or it’s what I’ve agreed to from the start. And some godds get less attention because that’s what we’ve agreed to.

And I have been through periods when I have not done my part of the deal. I have been neglectful and have noticed I want more than I give. While it’s never a perfect balance, it’s a dance I need to anticipate. These are relationships that are important to me. I make the repairs I need to make.

Remember there is always something to learn from these relationships. There are lessons to learn and mistakes to make.

And when you’re working with multiple godds, there might be many more lessons and mistakes. It’s okay.

Again, it’s work. But it’s well worth it.

About Irisanya Moon

Irisanya Moon (she/they) is an author, witch, international teacher, poet, and Reclaiming initiate who has practiced magick for 20+ years. She has written Pagan Portals (Reclaiming Witchcraft - 2020, Aphrodite - 2020, Iris - 2021, Norns - 2023), Earth Spirit (Honoring the Wild - 2023, Gaia - 2023), and Practically Pagan: An Alternative Guide to Health & Well-being - 2020. Irisanya cultivates spaces of self-care/devotion, divine relationship (whatever that means to you), and community service as part of her heart magick and activism. You can read more about the author here.

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