Working with Goddesses as a Witch
Developing and working with goddesses as a witch is a very personal practice. Just like with any religion, there really is no wrong way to work with a goddess, or other deities so long as you do it with honor reverence and respect. In this post im going to discuss how you can work with a deity, how I work with a deity, and as a bonus, the 5 goddess that my coven, The Witches Cottage, in Valley Center, San Diego, California.
First of all, do your research when working with any deity, whether it's working with a pagan Goddess, or other type of deity. Many of them within the pagan tradition have their shadow selves, as this religion and practice is very much in tuned with the balance of light and dark. Generally, these deities aren't bad, but it's important to fully understand what you're working with, as these deities aren't necessarily all love and light.
Once you've done your research, you may find a deity you connect to. Great, now what?
You may want to start with putting an offering at your altar. Many goddesses have specific items that they may be associated with their request. You should probably have an idea with what a goddess is associated with based on your research. Even putting a glass of wine on your altar for a moon cycle to honor your deity will do. If a goddess such as is associated with the divine feminine, for example, you may want to put some rose quartz or moonstone on your altar to honor them. If you're working with the goddess Aradia, you may want to put some tarot cards, or amethyst or anything purple on your altar resembling divination, or since she's associated with divination. If you're working with Hecate, you may want to put some keys on your altar, or a photo of dogs on your altar as she's associated with them.
You can also grab a small statue and dedicate it to your goddess. There are also some beautiful photos of goddesses that you can find on google: Print them out and put them in a frame.
Okay, that's great and all, but now what?
Well this is definitely the part where it gets personal. How do you want your practice to look like? For me, I like to observe my patron deities Feast Day, which is a day to honor your deity, generally feasting among other witches and sharing their story.
Some witches like to initiate as a witch of whichever goddess of their choosing, which generally means that they strive to live in the ideals and principals of their story, their lore. They step into their path, and build a very special bond with this deity. A great way to initiate is by doing so on their feast night, lighting some incense, grounding yourself, and inviting their energy in. There is so much to this that I could go on but I will share in a later post. Keep in mind this is not goddess worship, but a relationship you cultivate with divinity.
Finally, my way connecting with a deity is by honoring their story and essentially giving them a "nod" to their magick and what they're about. I will honor their feast day, and revisit their lore, as their lore generally shares a story of wisdom to be gained and applied to my personal life. Also, if I'm so privileged to get near a bonfire with my coven, I'll share their lore with other witches on their feast day.. My practice is my practice, and I consider my practice working with deities as a nod to their story, and I move on with them. I generally don't "call onto" my goddesses when practicing magick, but that's just me. You do you!
Do you have a goddess and deity that you like to work with? How do you like to connect with your deities? Let me know!
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