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Sunday, January 18, 2015

Deity and the Divine? Not here!

Unlike many pagans, I do not personally believe in any deities. I am what is called a pagan atheist which is a foreign concept to many other pagans. When I first turned away from Christianity to pursue a path in witchcraft, I turned to Wicca. I tried desperately to believe in the God and Goddess, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't connect with them or force myself to recognize their existence. After moving away from Wicca I tried to connect with other deities, especially those of the Celtic and Norse variety. My ancestors are Irish and Swedish so I thought maybe by connecting to my heritage I could connect with a deity as well. No luck, although I have to say I do love the idea of almost all of the gods and goddesses in these systems, especially Loki (but maybe that is because Tom Hiddleston is so fantastic?)

So as it stands I still have no god or goddess I believe in or turn to in my magical workings. I do however believe that every living and nonliving thing radiates with its own energy, not not necessarily in a divine way. I feel the power of the earth and the moon just as strongly as many people feel their god or goddess. I find the universe, in its infinite vastness, to be awe-inspiring and humbling. When in doubt, I find the world around me, especially plants, to be more than enough for me and my magical workings.

I know many people will say something along the lines of feeling their energy is feeling the god or goddess within them. Gods and goddess are divine in being; I don't find the earth, moon, universe, plants, or any other thing to be divine. That being said, it doesn't make these things any less amazing in my eyes. I have a science background, specifically evolutionary biology, and the ways in which everything comes together gives me goosebumps. I don't mind not having something divine in my work.

Maybe one day I will find one, but I am content not working with them at all. Hecate has always peeked my interest, but I have yet to attempt to make a connection. Maybe one day, eh?


8 comments :

  1. Not everyone needs to work with the Gods, perhaps the way in which you work already pleases the universe, or at least your local area. I'm sure the environment you live in and all the creatures in it appreciate the awe you find in them :)

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    1. Thank you! I was worried I would be met with criticism regarding this post. Most people find it odd and even "wrong" that I don't share my spirituality with a deity.

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  2. I have known several very strong and experienced witches who are also atheist, or agnostic. And several others who view Deity more along the lines as Jungian archetypes than actual beings.

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    1. Its nice to know there are others out there that have the same views. More often than not I am met with criticism. People don't understand how you can be a witch without some deity involved in your craft. I've just never made that connection.

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  3. Have you encountered these sites? They're by/for atheist and humanist Pagans of all stripes so if you haven't, I hope you find them at least interesting!

    - Humanistic Paganism
    - Atheopaganism

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    1. Thank you! I have not heard of either. I'll be sure to add them to my list.

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  4. I found your lovely blog via pinterest and I am so pleased to have found a like-minded witch! All the books, other witches believe in deities but this approach has never resonated with me. I work with the magic and energy of the natural world and following/ celebrating the seasons. I thought I was the only one who felt like this, I'm so glad there are others who feel the same way too. I wish you all the best on your path.

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    1. Thank you so much! I wish you the best on yours as well. You are not alone. In fact, there are many witches out there who celebrate the seasons and practice the craft without deities. In fact, Marietta over at Witchy Words is one such witch. She doesn't talk about that aspect very much, but her blog is delightful. I apologize for the lack of posts recently. We switched internet companies and there has been quite a gap between service.

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