Your Pantheon

[owlsandtigers]

Re: Your Pantheon

my pantheon is the Greek pantheon, although I do work with other members of other pantheons as well. I believe as long as you're doing things respectfully you can work with who you want to. just be sure to do research before you work with a Diety.
I chose to mainly work with the Greek Gods and Goddesses because I've always been drawn to them. they interested me most out of all of the pantheons I've heard about in my life. I'm not sure why. they just call to me, I guess.

if you don't know who to work with, maybe do some research in different Dieties that interest you or concern a theme that is important to you. for example if you want guidance look for a Diety who is wise or known to give good aid to their followers. things like that

[Cerdivae Song]

Re: Your Pantheon

Hello Chris. This feeling of being pushed and pulled is all too familiar to me. When I first felt a pull to be Pagan, I researched for days. I learned a lot, but I also was very confused. So one day, I sat and leveled with myself. What do I personally value? What am I drawn to? All these other things are nice, but what is true??
It takes self reflection. At least that's what it did for me. c: I found I was drawn to some Gods and Goddesses more than others, and some values over others. So my path reflects what is inside of me. I hope that makes sense.

[spiritsofsolace]

Re: Your Pantheon

I. How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? II. Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? III. Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

I.II. While I worship two distinct pantheons, I don't blend them together into a single religious practice. Hinduism is very different from Germanic religions in terms of culture and practice. I worship heathen Gods in a way appropriate for the Gods of my ancestors, and I worship Hindu Gods in a way culturally appropriate for them.

III. There is nothing wrong with worshiping two or more different pantheons, as long as you take the time to educate yourself properly and understand the cultural ramifications of your practice. This cannot happen over night, and if it isn't for even a few months, I sincerely doubt it's long enough. Sincerity is great, but it does not mean your practice is ethical. A lot of modern pagans adopt Hindu Gods into their markedly non-Hindu practice, which they call "Indopaganism," "Shakti Wicca," or some derivative thereof. I personally find this immensely disrespectful as the Gods are removed from their cultural roots in India. While some "Indopagans" worship them according to their original culture, others often worship them with distortions of the original pujas or entirely unrelated rituals. In worst-case scenarios, I've seen some whiteface the pantheon, describing UPG of some of the Gods and Goddesses as white and blonde. I just cannot accept that kind of disrespect for the original cultures these Gods come from. This is why I choose to call myself a "polytheistic Hindu" instead of an "Indopagan." Neither I nor anyone else have the right to remove the Gods from their original cultural context. If I am going to approach them, I have a responsibility to do it respectfully and within the boundaries of their original culture. If I felt called to worshiped the Aztec Gods, I would not call myself a Mexipagan, but an Aztec polytheist. If I felt called to the Egyptian Gods, I would not call myself an Egyptopagan, but a Kemetic polytheist. Why, then, should I (or anyone else) presume to have the right to remove the Hindu Gods from their Hindu context and call myself an "Indopagan"? It is to this extent that I believe that one must be very careful when approaching Gods from another culture. The only reason I am comfortable dressing in traditional Indian clothing for ritual and worshiping Shiva or Kali with pujas is because I studied and practiced Hinduism in some form for more than three years before becoming a heathen. Under no circumstances would I, nor should anyone, blend these Gods into a syncretic, culturally indistinct practice.

[LunarHarvest]

Re: Your Pantheon

So my questions for you are: How did you discover what Gods/Goddesses or particular path was calling to you? Or was it multiple paths that you blended yourself? Do you believe it's just to blend traditions as long as you are doing it through educating yourself and being sincere and respectful, or should traditions be kept separate from each other?

For me personally, with my spirituality, I found that the way to find the Kami which we connect best with is to find those objects and features, within the natural world, that draw the greatest awe from us. The Kami that we connect best with, and which we see in the world, are those things that cause us to have a deep sense of amazement and beauty. Even man-made things like cities are made up of the same basic components as would make up an untouched and wild forest, and therefore share the same spiritual nature and the ability to have Kami.

From that point it is a matter of finding the relevant Kami that fits that object or feature. Some examples would be Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, the kami of the Moon and of the Night, Tenjin, the kami of scholarship, and Ōyamatsumi-no-Kami, the kami of mountains.

I see no reasons why it would be offensive or improper to blend traditions. The important aspect of reverence and worship towards the divine is not what names or attributes, or what culture(s) they come from and which are used, but that you are sincere in your prayers, rituals and general spirituality. Blending traditions is not something that I am personally comfortable with, but that is merely my preferred method of spirituality.