The Gods/Godbothered

I’ve been coming across this term on a few blogs lately, it’s ‘godbothered’. My understanding is it relates to a person being chosen by a God or Goddess to work for them/with them performing tasks and whatnot. Others I find seem to be ‘married’ to a God and others find themselves yanked out of their bodies because their God feels like a one on one. By definition, as much as I can gather, when one devotes themselves to a Deity, devotion is expected and required, your life is not your own and from now on you belong to whatever God claims you. Frightening isn’t it?

Empowering too I imagine, if this is what one wants. I don’t worship/work with Deity, never have because my practice is God-less (not to be confused with Atheist although strictly speaking it is how I mostly identify, it simply means I have no Gods in my work), I am an Animist so I do believe that there is sentience and spirit in all things, but this kind of partnership or relationship is not something I would personally seek out with a God. That being said, I do know how it feels to have a powerful God knock around in your head asking you to write something down for them. Ignoring them makes it worse, I am prone to migraines and ignoring Morrigan when she had something to share was not wise. Her voice, her words were in my head for three days, there only came peace and painlessness when I wrote what she required. What was it that I wrote? It is here.

Although I prefer to keep Deity out of my practice, I don’t subscribe to the seemingly popular idea that all the Gods and Goddesses across the different pantheons are just facets of the Masculine and Feminine, aspects if you will. I fully and firmly believe that the Gods are real; I think they are powerfully sentient beings who will not hesitate to smack you six ways from Sunday if you disrespect them. It’s like people in the Craft who run around as ‘priestesses’ of the Morrigan or Hecate in their capacity as ‘Queens of the Witches’ and that is all they see. I shake my head because I think one day those Goddesses are going to show you who they really are, what lies beneath the happy exterior you put on them and you won’t like it because they aren’t referred to ask ‘Dark Goddesses’ for nothing.

I know what lies beneath because the Morrigan has been in my mind. Just like I know to kill a Crow is bad luck, don’t ask me how because its not something I read, it is something I know and I think this has been left over from the Morrigan, strangely after she had left my mind, my tarot skills improved. Her gift of prophecy was most appreciated and I’ve only recently realized this. To that end I have purchased a Crow skull (sooo hoping it clears customs) one – because Crows have always fascinated me, I love them and two – because I feel that this gift has come from her and to a degree is, in my own way without Deity, honouring her. I’ve also spoken with the Cailleach, she’s very wise and very powerful.

People seem to be of two minds when it comes to ‘godbothered’ (which in of itself is a severely unflattering term), there are those who are happy to serve, those who find it a bother and those who are jealous of those who can. There seems to be a mindset of ‘if you can I should be able to’ which is not so. I read a post on House of Vines about how sometimes the Gods will ignore you no matter what devotionals or rituals you perform. Why? They just may not like you. It makes sense to me, like any being – for lack of a better example – like humans, we like some people, we do not like others. Sometimes we just do not resonate with people and find them to be not what we want in our lives. I mean if you are a Witch, you aren’t exactly going to take up best friend status with some one who thinks negatively about witches – it wouldn’t work. So too will the Gods not favour you if your thinking and actions do not resonate with them. It would be like calling on the Morrigan to learn about the art of the Wild Hunt, she would not answer because for that you would call on Diana, not the Morrigan.

It’s a funny thing, Deity worship/devotion, I really believe you can perform all the tasks you wish, but the Gods are not going to visit you simply for that. You would have to show them you are worthy. I know no God would request me, I’m lazy, I don’t hesitate to admit I am. I sleep in late and often lack true motivation to really get up and go. I do what I please as it suits me, although to be fair I am studying and with a fairly heavy load so I’m not like slacker-lazy just sometimes-can’t-be- bothered-lazy. I’m not an exciting prospect for a God and I wouldn’t expect to wake up one morning and have one lavish untold amounts of adoration on me. It would seem counterproductive to any goal they may have. Even if I did put in the hard yards to get their attention I still may not. Just like people, one can never truly know what motivates the Gods to reach out to certain people and ignore others. Screaming at the sky won’t get you anywhere. If you approach them with an entitled ‘I’m special’ attitude or the ever popular ‘You owe me’ attitude, you also won’t get anywhere. Respect and reverence is the name of the game, and maybe, just maybe, like me, one day a message may come through right when you need to hear it.

You never know.

Here are some interesting posts on the topic to check out:

This Crooked Crown
Ask Secular Witch
Patheos
Finding the Owl
House of Vines

Comments

  1. This is such a great post. I agree with so much of what you write. I, too am an animist and at times I am on my own, but other times there are gods around me. When they call, I let them in and work with them. But sometimes it's just for a while and then I won't hear from them again or for a long time. This of course I've learned over time and accepted as the way it is. Sometimes you have to accept that you won't know why.

    I do not have a "patron" god/goddess but do have some who come around frequently. (from different pantheons.) I'm on the fence about whether some gods are the same entity with a different name. It's possible, simply because in different cultures and in different places they could be perceived and named differently - but I don't believe in them being aspects of one energy - I don't believe in the One God theory no matter how one tries to present it.

    PS: Love the part about Hecate and The Morrigan. So true!!

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  2. What a great read, thanks for sharing your thoughts on the God/Goddess
    I have never worked with them - or heard them call me...
    Coming from a strict Christian (cult) background I find I can not relate to any God or Goddess...to even think about it causes me to hyperventilate (through all the bad experiences I have had)...... but I do believe in a spirit force through nature, so I'm also an Animist!!
    I guess no God or Goddess would ever call on me either as I am lazy (couldn't be bothered with a lot of things) and lack motivation to do most things, unless I instigate them then I complete them....
    But I do find it hard to relate to witches who instruct me to pray to this Goddess or that God and ask for this that and the other....I just can't bring myself to do it and I think it would be hypocritical of me to do so anyway...
    I feel more spiritual and at peace when I am surrounded by nature, I can feel the spirit through the plants and elements - and that's enough for me...
    But in the future - you never know!!

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