I’ll just start out with a blanket statement. Deity is important to most witches. Most of us start out with some sort of Wicca 101 type book that talks about polarity in deity, a god and a goddess. And then, we often read of rituals where a god and goddess are asked to come forward in circle for the ritual, and then are summarily dismissed afterward.

I don’t know about you, but if I was a god who was invited to help and then dismissed afterward, I’d probably be a little disenchanted with humans. In ritual, many witches and Wiccans (especially new ones) tend to call on whatever god/dess they feel can help them, and then “dismiss” them at the end. And why wouldn’t they? Many of the Wicca 101-type books don’t really focus on the deity part of the religion or spiritual practice. But this surface type of deity veneration, the type where we ask Them to be present, but don’t create a relationship, doesn’t allow for the deep connection that is possible.

So, what is deity devotion? Basically it’s the act of being devoted to a deity. Choosing devotion to a deity (or being chosen by a deity) can be an amazing experience. It allows for a close relationship and creating that relationship allows us to have deeper experiences. It helps us honor who is bringing us love, devotion, and abundance into or lives. And the one on one communion allows us to ask for personal guidance.

Connecting with a goddess invites us to experience Her in ways that we can’t reach by simply reading about her. We allow ourselves to learn about her history, her songs, her offerings, her modern celebrations and more, and that energy allows us to help keep the Goddess alive.

Creating a devotional practice also allows us to learn more about ourselves through developing and creating our devotional actions. Experiencing divine inspiration is unlike any other experience. And it can be very fulfilling. Sometimes we feel as though we are fulfilling a calling or purpose, or we feel a sense of rightness, like something is clicking inside of us. When we honor and acknowledge the divine feminine we also honor the divine within ourselves.

This is only the first post in a multi-layered share about deity devotion. In the second post, we’ll talk about connecting with deity, and later, we’ll talk about creating your devotional practice.

Want to get to know a little bit about several goddesses? These Goddess Oracle cards can help you explore many goddesses – I love them!