Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Pagan
A Foundation of Many Gods

A Foundation of Many Gods

Last updated on: November 19, 2023 at 3:00 am by John Beckett

0 Comments

A Foundation of Many Gods 2023-11-18T17:39:28-06:00 John Beckett

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

If you were born a medieval peasant, odds were good you were going to die a medieval peasant. For most of history (and before) things like social mobility and career choice were in very short supply.

It’s different today. While it’s not exactly true that every little kid can grow up to be anything they want to be, we have more and better options and opportunities now than at any time in the history of humanity. And those options and opportunities don’t end when we declare a major, begin a career, and choose a spouse. Some close and some shrink as we get older, but others are still there – often far more than we think.

Sometimes more options is a good thing. Other times it just makes things complicated. Regardless, we have to choose or someone will choose for us.

I’m still working my day job as an engineer, and I’ll be doing that for at least a few more years. How many more depends on the economy, on my health, and on how things go with my employer. I like my odds to get out on my own terms, but I’ve seen too many bad things happen to people my age to assume it can’t happen to me. Still, at some point in the not-too-distant future, I will no longer be spending 40+ hours a week in a corporate environment.

Then what?

I’ve always said “then I become a full time Druid.” And that’s still my plan, but what exactly does that mean for where I live, how I live, and how I spend my days? Honestly, I’m not sure.

One of the advantages of getting older is that you have a much better idea of what you do and don’t want. There are paths I investigated in my 20s and 30s that I don’t have to investigate now – I know I don’t want them. There are mistakes I made in my 20s and 30s that I learned from and won’t make again. There are choices and commitments I’ve made over the years that limit my options in the future.

Any time we say “yes” to one thing we say “no” to all the other things we could have done with those resources – especially the resource of time. I’ve said “yes” to a lot of things – and to a lot of persons – over the years. You could say that those choices are limiting my future options.

I prefer to say that those choices have built a foundation for what I’m going to do with the rest of this life.

A foundation of many Gods

Even at the worst of my childhood in a fundamentalist church, even when I was old enough to actively reject what I had been taught, I never seriously considered being an atheist. There was always something that whispered “there’s more.” It took years of searching (some years more actively than others) to find the path that speaks to me, that calls to me, that’s right for me. But when I found it, things took off in a hurry. I’m now convinced I have a natural orientation toward Paganism and polytheism.

My experiences of the Gods and with the Gods have persuaded me that They are real and that They are individuals. They’re not “many faces of one God” or psychological archetypes or anything of the sort. They’re persons – spiritual persons who exist on the same spectrum as all other living beings, only the Gods are the most.

The Gods don’t seem to be terribly concerned with who we love, what we eat, and how we dress (unlike the God of some people, whose preferences look to be perfectly aligned with their own). They do seem to be concerned about how we live, and especially about our relations with other persons, in this world and beyond.

What does it mean to live in a world with many Gods? I’m still working through that, and likely will be for the rest of this life – and maybe beyond. But what has been seen cannot be unseen. Whatever I choose to do with my life, it will include Them. Their existence, Their virtues, and Their values are the first foundation of how I live my life.

A foundation of oaths

I swore an oath of priesthood to Cernunnos. I swore an oath of priesthood to Danu. I swore an oath to serve the Morrigan as Her Druid. That’s not priesthood, but I’m not sure the difference is important to anyone but me.

Why would anyone take an oath to a deity? For the same reason I married my wife: because the relationship was a good thing and I wanted to make it permanent. In each case, time and experience have shown that was a good decision.

I promised daily prayers and meditations, weekly offerings, and seasonal celebrations. Mainly, I promised to be available and responsive when They send work my way. That work has been some of the most meaningful things in my life.

I couldn’t back out of that now if I wanted to – and I don’t want to.

Things have been relatively quiet over the past few years. I can speculate as to why, but ultimately speculating is all I can do. But things are starting to pick up, and I suspect They’ll be back to keeping me quite busy before too much longer.

Whatever I do in my post-corporate years, I will still be saying prayers, listening in meditation, and making offerings. And, I suspect, doing other work to further the virtues and values of Cernunnos, Danu, and the Morrigan.

A foundation of practice and precedents

Not every human-divine relationship requires an oath.

For all that I argue against approaching the Gods in a transactional manner, the fact is that people have done that since ancient times. I’ve done it myself, sometimes successfully and other times not (“who are you and why should I do anything to help you get what you want?”). Mainly, if you work for and with some Gods, you will inevitably come in contact with other Gods – Gods who occasionally want something from you. Gods who may occasionally be willing to help you out. Gods whose virtues would be helpful in your life.

That’s how relationships get started.

I have statues of Brighid, Lugh, Cerridwen, Isis, and Thoth. I have no formal commitments with Them, but I speak to Them every night. I make offerings to Them on occasion. On other occasions They ask me to do something for Them. And I do.

My years of practice with Them have created a precedent, and the assumption that such practices will continue. Would there be Serious Consequences if I walked away from any or all of Them? Perhaps, but probably not. Would there be some consequences? Absolutely. I can’t just walk away. I don’t want to walk away.

Whatever I do going forward, these and other deities will be part of my life.

So what does all this mean?

The experiences I’ve had and the choices I’ve made create a boundary between what is possible for me and what isn’t possible. In doing so, they provide a solid foundation for whatever options and opportunities I choose to pursue, now and in the future.

I don’t know what it means to be a full time Druid. I’m pretty sure it doesn’t mean “the same, just more.” I’m positive it doesn’t mean “what I was doing in the Before Time.” In the words of J.R.R. Tolkien, “the road goes ever on and on.”

But this much I do know: the many Gods, my oaths, and my practices have built a foundation for what I will do in the future, and what I am doing in these present years of winding down and starting up.

Foundations and Context

Previous Post

November 16, 2023

Holiday Traditions and Toxic Families: Take Care of Yourself

Next Post

November 26, 2023 Witchcraft IS Freedom!

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"A great post! Point 3 has always held interest for me, as it makes a ..."

FCVan

Why Halloween Is So Popular – ..."

"Absolutely marvelous John!"

Panmankey

The Pillar of the Boatmen: the ..."

"Glad you got to see it. Hail Cernunnos!"

MadGastronomer

The Pillar of the Boatmen: the ..."

"Concern about the attitude of Islam toward Pagans is not limited to the Trump Administration. ..."

Maureen Richmond

The Fear of Witchcraft

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Books Community CUUPS Druidry Foundations and Context Gods and Goddesses Magic Myth Nature Ritual Spiritual Practice Theology Travel Uncategorized Videos

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What is the Christian view about material possessions?

Select your answer to see how you score.

They are temporary Riches guarantee happiness Seek them after righteousness They are the most important thing