RealPaganRealPagan- Paganism for the Real World
How did your patron deity/spirit guide find you?
It's a very interesting idea, at least for me. Growing up in a Roman Catholic household, I never really found myself really connected to God. I was raised basically in fear and believed God maybe because I didn't know I couldn't. I've always felt very spiritual, though, especially around nature.
As I find myself reading about casting circles, daily devotionals, and Pagan philosophy and ethics, I wonder how it is for those of you whose patrons have made themselves known to you. Have you always had signs, or did one just out of the blue surprise you? Was it someone you knew all along, or was it the last deity you ever expected? I find it interesting, too that the deities that one finds as patrons are actually deeply connected on a personality and world-view level; if you tell me about your deity, you are simultaneously telling me about you.
So how did you find out? And when?
stagsforest
Thank you all so much for your replies! How fascinating and fulfilling!
I hope that I can one day connect with gods and goddesses... I have a very deep love for the forest. I love horses, dogs, stags, otters, deer... And all forest animals are beloved to me. When I was younger I was absolutely obsessed with whales and dolphins. Knew everything about them. Even know now, actually! Animals in general are all fascinating to me, but the forest creatures and horses lie close to my heart. I am also very close with dogs; they've always been calmed around me and liked me quite a bit, and I've always understood animal psychology as if it were part of my nature.
I've always wanted to call on Cernunnos or Epona, but I haven't felt ready yet. I want to do more research, dive deeper. Besides, I have a very anxious nature, and I don't think Cernunnos would like it. haha
Anyways, thank you to everyone again!!
May 1, 2014
Sirius
For me it started with picking a new name to enter into Wicca this lead me on a research path of what my numerology was and then searching list of Wiccan names all of the ones I liked on the list did not match my life number of 5. I was kinda stuck and it was like something it me so hard it could not have been more obvious I read tarot cards a bit and for whatever reason the card that always represents me is the High Priestess this left me thinking I wonder if she had a name and craziness it the representation of Isis this however also did not match my numerology by sirius did the star that represents her. Anyways doing research with this I feel very strongly that she has been kinda with me for a while now. For instance i have been told my aura is purple which is where she falls on the spectrum of Charakas or my zodiac sign is Aquarius and in the deck that sign is the star with isis carrying the water. I will have to keep my third eye open to see if i sense her or another goddess but as of right now I feel very strongly it is her energy around me.
May 20, 2014
L
When I was 16 I was kind of starting to learn more about paganism. It started to help things make sense from things I have experienced. One day I walked into a book store to get a book about paganism. As soon as I walked in a kind slender brunette said "I know what you are looking for it's in the back." So I went over and started looking and she suggested a certain book which I no longer have :( but it taught me a lot.
Anyway I went to pay for it, I remember she had a little bird with her. She was talking to me about covens, to be careful who are in a coven with and also to be careful what you send out and things you mess with. She said there were numerous times where kids had messed around and released some bad spirits and she had to fix it.
She gave me a lot of advice and as the conversation was ending she looked at me and said invoke Diana she's really nice and she smiled at me. She told me her name and that she would be in every other Sunday at a specific time.
I went to go talk to her and when I went in she wasn't there. I looked over at the cage that was her bird's cage and instead it was a cage with chinchillas in it. I asked the people at the bookstore if she was in (I can't remember her name now because it has been so long.) But they told me no one works there by that name or had worked there by that name.
To this day I am unsure what I experienced but I think I was being reached out to. Ever since then I have learned more about Diana (also known as Artemis) I never did invoke her but have felt more connected to her. Just even knowing about who she is and what she stands for, she is someone I look up to and through a really hard time I had. It's hard to understand what exactly happened without me explaining what I went through but am too scared to talk about. But I remember crying in the bathtub saying over and over again "please don't let this happen, don't let it make this all worse. Please help me, help me." I sat in that tub for hours crying and repeating.
It didn't happen which was a miracle, I walked away unharmed physically from the whole situation and it made me feel like I had a second chance in life. I feel like I was heard and at a time that I wasn't really believing in anything. Since then I don't feel so alone.
May 25, 2014