Deities

[Myrddin]

I am a Witch (Wiccan). I practice a form of Wicca that honors its traditional roots but is progressive in its outlook. There are discussions about other deities here, and I just wished to briefly describe my personal views. I believe that there is a universal life force, prime mover, divine energy, or "God" if you will, but it is not something that easily interacts with us on a personal level. In some traditional forms of Wicca this was referred to as Dryghten (an Anglo-Saxon term meaning "lord"). Since I am working in a Welsh based setting I refer to this impersonal force as Arglwydd (Welsh for "lord"). Arglwydd is "the All;" masculine and feminine, active and passive, and light and dark. The Wiccan God represents the masculine/active polarity of Arglwydd, and the Wiccan Goddess represents the feminine/passive polarity of Arglwydd. I stray from some traditional forms of Wicca because I am more polytheistic and do not believe all gods are one God, and all goddesses are one Goddess. I believe there are numerous deities who act as intermediaries between the impersonal universal force and mankind. My personal God is Lludd/Nuada (a Celtic Mars type) who I see as "a" representative of the masculine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other gods. My Goddess is Rhiannon/Macha (a Celtic Minerva type) who I see as "a" representative of the feminine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other goddesses. I am willing to accept that others have relationships with their own respective gods, and that their gods may also be aspects or representatives of the universal force.

 

Bendithion,

 

Myrddin

Edited September 10, 2016 by Myrddin

[Cornelius]

Thank you for sharing. I have some questions but not the time atm. I will make a follower up post. 

[emalpaiz]

Thank you!  Very interesting; I hope to read more about your believes.

Hermano Luis

[scottedward]

I appreciate being able to hear from you.  I Hope you find being here as rewarding as possible.

[Myrddin]

Thank you all, nice to meet you 

Bendithion,

Myrddin

[Gnostic Bishop]

On ‎09‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 8:56 PM, Myrddin said:

I am a Witch (Wiccan). I practice a form of Wicca that honors its traditional roots but is progressive in its outlook. There are discussions about other deities here, and I just wished to briefly describe my personal views. I believe that there is a universal life force, prime mover, divine energy, or "God" if you will, but it is not something that easily interacts with us on a personal level. In some traditional forms of Wicca this was referred to as Dryghten (an Anglo-Saxon term meaning "lord"). Since I am working in a Welsh based setting I refer to this impersonal force as Arglwydd (Welsh for "lord"). Arglwydd is "the All;" masculine and feminine, active and passive, and light and dark. The Wiccan God represents the masculine/active polarity of Arglwydd, and the Wiccan Goddess represents the feminine/passive polarity of Arglwydd. I stray from some traditional forms of Wicca because I am more polytheistic and do not believe all gods are one God, and all goddesses are one Goddess. I believe there are numerous deities who act as intermediaries between the impersonal universal force and mankind. My personal God is Lludd/Nuada (a Celtic Mars type) who I see as "a" representative of the masculine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other gods. My Goddess is Rhiannon/Macha (a Celtic Minerva type) who I see as "a" representative of the feminine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other goddesses. I am willing to accept that others have relationships with their own respective gods, and that their gods may also be aspects or representatives of the universal force.

 

Bendithion,

 

Myrddin

Can I take it that your belief stems from faith alone and not any personal experience between you and your Gods and Goddesses?

If you see your deity as (Lord), do you live by what it tells or commands of you, or are you more like Jews and Gnostic Christians who themselves create the laws to live by and in that sense put themselves above God?

Regards

DL

 

[Myrddin]

20 hours ago, Gnostic Bishop said:

Can I take it that your belief stems from faith alone and not any personal experience between you and your Gods and Goddesses?

If you see your deity as (Lord), do you live by what it tells or commands of you, or are you more like Jews and Gnostic Christians who themselves create the laws to live by and in that sense put themselves above God?

Regards

DL

 

Hello Gnostic Bishop,

Faith is the major component, but I have had some personal experiences. No fire from the sky or earthquakes, just some things that have personal meaning. (Finding an extra quarter in my pocket so that I have enough change to buy a Coke ) I communicate with my deities through meditation, dreams, and divinatory methods such as the Tarot. The deity I refer to as Arglwydd (Lord) is not a personal god, but a force or energy. The deities with whom I interact on a personal level are guides and mentors not autocrats. They are assisting me in my spiritual path, not attempting to hinder me from living my life. They may make suggestions, but ultimately I am responsible for my own decisions. I revere my deities, but I am also divine myself. (We are all imbued with the energy of Arglwydd.) There is only one law for myself and most Wiccans, the Wiccan Rede: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." It is not a license to act indiscriminately but a reminder to consider the possible effects of your actions before doing them. Hope this has answered your questions  

BTW, I am speaking of my own practices, and other Wiccans may view things differently. I do not claim to speak for anyone other than myself. Despite occasional claims to the contrary, there are no Witch Kings  or Wiccan Popes   

Bendithion,

Myrddin

Edited September 26, 2016 by Myrddin

[Key]

On 9/26/2016 at 5:02 AM, Myrddin said:

Hello Gnostic Bishop,

Faith is the major component, but I have had some personal experiences. No fire from the sky or earthquakes, just some things that have personal meaning. (Finding an extra quarter in my pocket so that I have enough change to buy a Coke ) I communicate with my deities through meditation, dreams, and divinatory methods such as the Tarot. The deity I refer to as Arglwydd (Lord) is not a personal god, but a force or energy. The deities with whom I interact on a personal level are guides and mentors not autocrats. They are assisting me in my spiritual path, not attempting to hinder me from living my life. They may make suggestions, but ultimately I am responsible for my own decisions. I revere my deities, but I am also divine myself. (We are all imbued with the energy of Arglwydd.) There is only one law for myself and most Wiccans, the Wiccan Rede: "An ye harm none, do what ye will." It is not a license to act indiscriminately but a reminder to consider the possible effects of your actions before doing them. Hope this has answered your questions  

BTW, I am speaking of my own practices, and other Wiccans may view things differently. I do not claim to speak for anyone other than myself. Despite occasional claims to the contrary, there are no Witch Kings  or Wiccan Popes   

Bendithion,

Myrddin

Sorry, but I seem to stumble over this part. As I am not Wiccan, I really wouldn't know, but as there are different branches or forms of Wicca in practice, can you really say there are no Witch Kings or Wiccan Popes? Especially after you state you can only speak for yourself? Or did you mean in your own practice only?

It may just be semantics, but I am curious.

[Myrddin]

2 hours ago, Key said:

Sorry, but I seem to stumble over this part. As I am not Wiccan, I really wouldn't know, but as there are different branches or forms of Wicca in practice, can you really say there are no Witch Kings or Wiccan Popes? Especially after you state you can only speak for yourself? Or did you mean in your own practice only?

It may just be semantics, but I am curious.

Hello Key,

I was using the terms king and pope as metaphors in an attempt to convey that there is no central authority for the Wiccan religion who is recognised by all of Its adherents. There are certainly leaders among various Wiccan groups or factions. And of course people may call themselves whatever they wish. But just because I dub myself Emperor of the Witches and buy a nifty box of business cards doesn't make it so

BTW, I do realize that the Pope no longer speaks for all Christians and monarchs no longer have absolute authority over their subjects. As stated, I was speaking metaphorically and not literally. Sorry for the confusion. I hope this clears things up. But feel free to ask more questions if it doesn't

Bendithion,

Myrddin

 

Edited September 27, 2016 by Myrddin

[Gnostic Bishop]

On ‎26‎/‎09‎/‎2016 at 8:02 AM, Myrddin said:

 The deity I refer to as Arglwydd (Lord) is not a personal god, but a force or energy.

Why would you call energy Lord?

Further, energy cannot communicate with us.

I have no problem with meditation etc. but you might recognize just who you are communicating with while meditating.

Google Freud and Jung's Father Complex and you might recognize that you are chatting with your own instincts that are pushing you to be the fittest human you can be.

Regards

DL

[Songster]

On ‎9‎/‎9‎/‎2016 at 8:56 PM, Myrddin said:

I am a Witch (Wiccan). I practice a form of Wicca that honors its traditional roots but is progressive in its outlook. There are discussions about other deities here, and I just wished to briefly describe my personal views. I believe that there is a universal life force, prime mover, divine energy, or "God" if you will, but it is not something that easily interacts with us on a personal level. In some traditional forms of Wicca this was referred to as Dryghten (an Anglo-Saxon term meaning "lord"). Since I am working in a Welsh based setting I refer to this impersonal force as Arglwydd (Welsh for "lord"). Arglwydd is "the All;" masculine and feminine, active and passive, and light and dark. The Wiccan God represents the masculine/active polarity of Arglwydd, and the Wiccan Goddess represents the feminine/passive polarity of Arglwydd. I stray from some traditional forms of Wicca because I am more polytheistic and do not believe all gods are one God, and all goddesses are one Goddess. I believe there are numerous deities who act as intermediaries between the impersonal universal force and mankind. My personal God is Lludd/Nuada (a Celtic Mars type) who I see as "a" representative of the masculine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other gods. My Goddess is Rhiannon/Macha (a Celtic Minerva type) who I see as "a" representative of the feminine energy of the universal force, but distinct from other goddesses. I am willing to accept that others have relationships with their own respective gods, and that their gods may also be aspects or representatives of the universal force.

 

Bendithion,

 

Myrddin

Very interesting.... I am a "Karmic Christian", and am in full agreement with the concept of a universal energy force. I have assigned that force a name also... I call it GOD. Being an all-pervasive force, all physical and spiritual emanations share a mutual connection with The Creator. I also agree that the bond between an individual and this Creator can be strengthened through the practice of meditation and prayer. There is one attribute of your particular faith in which I have a differing opinion... I do not recognize, or assign, particular forces of nature as gods. (As all things and beings originate from the same Source, none may be either superior or inferior to any other, but are all equal parts of the Whole.)

Edited October 10, 2016 by Songster

[Myrddin]

On 10/10/2016 at 0:36 PM, Gnostic Bishop said:

Why would you call energy Lord?

Further, energy cannot communicate with us.

I have no problem with meditation etc. but you might recognize just who you are communicating with while meditating.

Google Freud and Jung's Father Complex and you might recognize that you are chatting with your own instincts that are pushing you to be the fittest human you can be.

Regards

DL

Because "Fred" or "Bob" doesn't seem as awe inspiring Why do we name cars and cell phones? It is just a convenient label. I was a psych. major in college, and I understand your reference. But I don't generally interact with my male deity as a patriarchal archetype. I usually interact with him as a brother/lover/friend archetype

Bendithion (blessings),

Myrddin

[Myrddin]

On 10/10/2016 at 5:02 PM, Songster said:

Very interesting.... I am a "Karmic Christian", and am in full agreement with the concept of a universal energy force. I have assigned that force a name also... I call it GOD. Being an all-pervasive force, all physical and spiritual emanations share a mutual connection with The Creator. I also agree that the bond between an individual and this Creator can be strengthened through the practice of meditation and prayer. There is one attribute of your particular faith in which I have a differing opinion... I do not recognize, or assign, particular forces of nature as gods. (As all things and beings originate from the same Source, none may be either superior or inferior to any other, but are all equal parts of the Whole.)

I use the term "god" to refer to a spiritual entity (or Collective Unconscious archtype, thoughtform, egregore, or whatever other labels particular belief systems would employ) who functions as a guide rather than a commanding authority figure. My gods are not sitting enthroned on a summit threatening me with thunderbolts for displeasing them. I also possess an innate divinty myself (as do others). However I would disagree that all things are equal parts of the whole. I believe there are spiritual hierarchies, eg., the divine energy of a saint or bodhisattva contrasted with the divine energy of a murderer. While the murderer is imbued with a measure of divinity himself and could eventually become a saint, he does not possess the same measure of divinity while still a murderer. I believe there is a spiritual progression or path and not everyone is at the same point on the journey. I also believe the journey is not the same for everybody. I do believe that all things are imbued with divine energy, and they have the potential to make their respective journeys 

Bendithion,

Myrddin

 

 

Edited October 11, 2016 by Myrddin

[Myrddin]

I also wished to add that (in addition to being archetypes and the the embodiment of natural forces) I also believe that the gods are ancestors who are further along the path. Being further along the path, they may have a better vantage point. That is why they can serve as intermediaries between us and Arglwydd. In some ways, they are closer to the source than we are (currently). I do not mean to be confusing. I have a complex view of divinity with many layers of interpretation. It may seem as if I am contradicting myself at times but this is usually due to overlapping concepts being woven into a scheme that has it's own internal logic (at least it seems so to me). Also, my beliefs are subject to change based on new information and experiences. I will be happy to explain any specific questions as they arise

Bendithion,

Myrddin

Edited October 12, 2016 by Myrddin

[Myrddin]

By way of an update, I just wanted to say that I have begun to work closely with two other Welsh deities. I am a polytheist, and there are many deities with whom I have worked. I remain amicable with Lludd and Rhiannon but have now taken Mabon and Modron as my primary deities. Mabon represents the God as the Divine Youth archetype and is a Celtic Apollo. Modron represents the Goddess as the Great Mother archetype, and I consider her a Celtic Demeter (among other roles). My changing is not mere capriciousness; I have my own reasons that I feel are significant  

Bendithion,

Myrddin

Edited December 5, 2016 by Myrddin

[Jared obere]

Greetings and Merry Meet Myrddin,

 

I love the post and your view point on how you precieve and recongnize Deity and the Divine. how wonderful, As a Witch my self and a member of the Wica. i do agree with what you have said here. From my Training and Tradition. we do have the universal All, in General refered too as you said Dryghten. or also called Baphomet. and several others that are or atleast secret names within Tradition. 

like wise i do have my own set of Deity name's from Family as well those i have come to find in relation to my practice. but those Deity i work with Within Tradition we keep secret as known only once one has become a 3rd degree as they are only for those whom have saught the mysteries in full. but  there are many other names used as most tend to known of Aradia and Cernnonos to which is fine for those whom use these names. as long as one understands and really builds a relationship with them. Within Tradition i use my elemental god's of the Four winds and Castles of the elemental way's as well to those whom are the Beloved dead and ancestors like wise Lesser god's and Familial too. we also have our personal/patron but they are tend to be for personal use usually. 

 

I also agree that no there are no popes or kings/queens. as we do have those are high regard and Witch Queens are only a title for those high priestesses that have atleast 3 other covens in full that have come from her own line. and never a King of the Witches. despite some grandiose claims.

 

Flax,Flagg,Fodder

 

Obere.