The Simply Witchery Podcast - Episode 2 - Deity 101

Hello witches, diviners and cosmic beings I’m your host Laurel and welcome to the Simply Witchery Podcast. Where we discuss witchery ritual the divine and magic of all sorts.

This week we’re discussing deities and the divine. I’ll discuss my own patron deities, upg, how to figure out what deity is yours, and what to do when you find them. Then we’ll move on to tarot corner where I answer a listener question and do a reading for the collective. Stay tuned!

Hey everyone welcome back to the Simply Witchery Podcast. My name is Laurel and I’m your host. I am so excited for this week one because I get to gush about my patrons and tell you about how I worship them but also because I love helping people along their pagan path whenever I can. Before I get into all that though I want to talk a little bit about UPG. UPG or Unverified Personal Gnosis (noses), is a really important concept that I think every pagan and everyone thinking about entering any kind of pagan religion should understand.

So let’s break it down word by word. Unverified is defined as something that cannot or has not been proven or shown to be accurate, personal is something that belongs to a singular person as apposed to someone else, and gnosis is a knowledge of spiritual mysteries. So all together a UPG is a spiritual belief that is held by an individual that cannot be proven as fact. So if I say that Ares loves beef jerky then that is a UPG. It might be true and it might not be true and we’ll never know. The vast majority of the things that you hear or read about deities is UPG and if it doesn’t resonate you it is totally acceptable to say that’s not my truth and do whatever you feel called to in that instance. Pretty much everything I’m going to talk about today is UPG so just keep that in mind as you listen.

Another thing I’d like to talk about really quick is that later in this episode I’m going to talk about feasts and blots. These are just ritual offerings that I give to my deities. A feast if a ceremony for the Greek pantheon and a blot is a ceremony for the Norse deities

Let’s talk about meeting a deity and what to do when you find a deity to worship. If you’re searching for a deity I recommend that you do a lot of research and then worship deities based on who you’re attracted to. I came to paganism knowing I wanted to worship either Hellenic or Norse deities, I had no idea that I could be an eclectic pagan at the time. So I did my research, felt pulled to start with the hellenic pantheon and started by introducing myself to Persephone.  

The process of introducing myself to a deity if a fairly simple one. I prepare a food offering of some kind, write a hymn, choose a tarot deck and prepare a candle. First, I light the candle and I place the food on my altar and read the hymn over it. I will then pray to the deity and give my thanks to them and invite them into my space. I’ll ask them to signify themselves and draw a tarot card and then ask them questions about how they would like to be worshiped. This is also a great way to be sure you’re speaking to the deity you are calling to and not so some other spirit. Though most spirits don’t have the guts to impersonate a deity you’ve called by name in my experience. Once we’re done chatting I thank the deity for their time and as for their guidance so that I may please them best. I then consume the food offering and let the candle burn out or blow it out myself. I use a similar process for the Norse pantheon the hymn is just called a hail and has a different configuration.

Persephone was and is lovely but we didn’t connect in any huge way and I kept introducing myself to others and really connected with Ares and Hephaestus. Ares immediately made it clear that he wanted to be my patron and I of course accepted. He gave me personal work to do and our relationship has taken off ever since. Hephaestus is an all together different matter for me. He allows me to worship Him of course but I chose Him as much as He has chosen me. He supports me when I ask Him to but he’s very much a passive partner where Ares is projective and action oriented. This also make sense with their personalities as I know them.

Every deity is different and will want different things from a devotee and any specific deity may want something different from one devotee than they want from another. No one can tell you what’s right except the deity and your own intuition.

Ok so you’ve introduced yourself to a deity, asked questions, and have done enough research to have some idea of what they want and how to give it to them. Now what? You ask. Now you figure out what your worship looks like for you. Do you honor your deities every day, on pagan holidays, once a week, once a month, or any combination of these things? For me I honor my deities daily, when they have given me guidance or help in some way, and when I feel called to do a blot or feast to them. Recently I’ve also added holidays to my practice as well but I’m still celebrating them individually until I’m comfortable enough with them to worship confidently and in the right way for me.

My daily offerings consist of five components, one the represents each of the five elements. The elements are important in every single area of my practice and so I have incorporated them into all of my rituals in some way. I offer moon water to represent water and a lit candle to represent fire. Those ones are really simple and straight forward. I diffuse the moon water offering from the day before in an essential oil diffuser to represent air. I don’t use incense, which is a traditional symbol for air,  in my practice because I have a baby and a person with a sever case of asthma in the house and I don’t want to put them at risk. Sometimes I will add Essential oils to the water it depends on if my candles have a scent to them or not. I represent earth by keeping a windowsill garden and tending to it for at least a few moments in the morning during my offering time. Lastly, I am the representation of spirit. My focus and my devotion are part of my offering as well.

Many deities have given me personal work to do on a daily basis as well and so I spend time working on those things for them as a part of my daily offerings as well. Some examples are Ares has asked me to do shadow work which has evolved into working with the Qabalah, Hephaestus enjoys it when I work on creative projects and practice self care, Athena has asked me to read mystery novels, Persephone is honored when I work on expanding my intuitive powers, and Apollo receives an offering of my favorite songs of the moment every morning.

Some of these things are simple pleasures that I share with them and some are deep, difficult soul work. If a deity asks you to do something that will be difficult for you know that they will support you in it. If you are struggling ask them for help and they’ll be there.

Devotion is a relationship, one in which we must be respectful and humble, but it is a give and take like any relationship. Deities, and any spirit or entity, are not concordances or blessing vending machines that you can just take and take from as long as you light a candle for them once in a while. But if you respect them, truly respect them and love them well they will be there for you when you need them.

When I feast or blot on holidays or when I’m called to. my ritual is much the same as when I introduce myself to a deity except I invite the whole pantheon to partake in my offerings and often do some meditation in case a deity I am not on the lookout for wishes to speak to me. I will sometimes read poetry to the Greek Pantheon and dance for the Norse Deities. It all depends on what I’m called to do and who comes to visit me.

The process is also very similar if I’m thanking one particular deity for their help. I just tailor the feast or blot to the deity’s taste. Ares loves it when I offer beef jerky to him. Fenrir loves meat, especially my sweet and spicy chicken. Hephaestus is partial to potatoes especially baked ones. It’s all about asking them what they want that you are capable of giving them.

Whenever I give food offerings its always going to end up being my dinner for the night because I can’t afford to buy food I don’t eat. I buy them more expensive foods when I can but the price or the contents of the offering isn’t what matters. What matters to deities is that you give to them what you can when you can. If you’re doing your best for them then they will accept your offering. If the only thing you can offer is a single thought of them when you wake up in the morning then that’s enough.

To close I want to make a few more points that I think are really important for you to consider

 One, is that you can worship a deity without ever receiving any messages from them. I am fortunate to have the gift of clairaudience and so it’s natural for me to hear messages. This may not be true for you and you may struggle throughout your practice to receive messages. That doesn’t make you a bad pagan, a bad worshiper, or a bad devotee. You will hear what you are meant to hear when you are meant to hear it. Just open yourself to your deity and trust them to do the rest. They’re powerful cosmic beings if they want you to know something you’ll know it.

Two is that you don’t have to be a devotee to be a worshiper. Devoting yourself to a deity is a serious commitment that you shouldn’t take lightly. Start with just worshiping a deity and when you’re ready commit yourself to them.

Also don’t stress out too much about whether its ok for you to worship a deity. Be aware of closed religions and don’t overstep boundaries there but when it comes to deities in open religions I find that they want to be worshiped. They may have specific preferences but they are deities and they love to be loved and honored. If you want to worship a deity do it! They’ll let you know if you’re doing something wrong.

On that note if you do feel like you’ve done something wrong or something to offend a deity don’t freak out. Apologize, maybe give an offering and do better next time. As I’ve said deities love worship and they know and understand that you are human and that humans make mistakes. As long as you are respectful and apologetic and take steps to change they will forgive you.

Wow that was a whole lot to unpack. I hope that my expediences has helped you. Remember that this is all upg and take with you what resonates. Stay tuned next for the tarot corner.

Hello everyone and welcome to the tarot corner. Let’s jump right into the collective reading and then I’ll answer this week’s listener question.

This week for the collective I was called to pull two cards from the Welcome to Nightvale tarot, the Five of Pentacles and the Four of Wands.

The Five of pentacles depicts a small brown building that houses an ice cream shop. An ice cream cone with a cherry on top of it sits on the roof of the building. Fairy lights glow on the trim of the roof, twinkling in the fading light of the sun. Shadows can be seen within the shop huddled together.

The Four of Wands depicts a dark hooded figure with the full moon behind them. Red smoke curls around the moon apparently released from the figure’s hands. The figure wears a snapback on their head with two glowing blue arrows that point down to the two graduation stoles that the figure has around their neck. One glows read as the smoke and the other glows blue white like the moon.

These cards speak to a transition that the collective needs to make this week. The Five o Pentacles is our current moment, we sit in a poverty of conscientiousness feeling powerless and broken as if we have no power. The Four of Wands tells us otherwise. We are strong and powerful, more so than the failings and manipulations of society would have us believe. We must stand in solidarity with each other and support one another in order for the highest good of the collective to come to fruition. May these words help to guide you to your highest good where peace and blessings flow.

Now it’s time for our listener question, 'Hi there, I'm a little curious. I really want to meet my deity. I hope she comes around soon. I wanted to now what the cards had in store for me to meet her/him! If I need to change something or how to go about it.'

I pulled four cards for you, the Nine of Cups, Ace of Cups, Page of Swords, and Nine of Pentacles form the Ostara Tarot. Each card speaks to a place on an experience where your deity will meet you.

In the Nine of Cups, brings us a picture of a woman resting. She sleep in a comfortable with four very, very large cats, two of witch are covered with a blanket. Behind the figures in prayerful rest is a hearth with a softly glowing fire withing. On the mantel are cups and two regular sized house cats as well as two taper candles. Cups are also scattered on the floor around the woman and some even rest on her companions. The Divine meets you at home in moments of rest where you are safe and surrounded by the comforts of your life. Here you deity whisper to you so listen closely to hear them.

In the Ace of Cups, a pair of revelers four wine into a cup that over flows. Bubbles surround them and they are both dressed for celebration and wear mouse masks on the upper halves of their faces. They both smile broadly as if laughing loudly or shouting for joy.  The Divine is with you in your joy and celebration. They wish to see you prosper and feel joy for you when you do. In these moments celebrate them in return and thank them for their help.

On the Page of Swords, we see a person dressed in blue robes, only their eyes are uncovered. In their hand is a sword and at their side is a desert fox. The pair seem to be moving quickly and with purpose. In the background of this picture we see the rolling dunes of a desert and a sand storm in the sky.  The Divine is with you when you take time to return to your intellectual pursuits. They love to see yo grow stronger and want you to gain more confidence in your own life and power and in the world around you.

In the Nine of Pentacles, a lady is reclined on a couch beside a river, fruit trees and a bridge can be seen in the background. A wooden archway frames the couch and grape vines spiral along it bearing bounteous fruit. Pentacles are scattered in the grass below her and in the air above her head. She is attended by a large lynx who lays in the grass in front of her couch and keeps a close eye on its surroundings.  The Divine is with you when you turn within and seek knowledge that is already within you. You know and understand more than you think you do. Trust your intuitive knowledge it will lead you down the path that leads to the touch of the divine that you seek.

Thank you so much for sending in your question. It was my pleasure to read for you.

Here we are at the end of this weeks episode. Thank you so much for listening. Please subscribe where ever you get your podcasts and rantings and review would be greatly appreciated. If you would like a transcript of the episode please visit our blog at simplywitchery.wixsight.com/home. You can find daily oracle readings, magical tips, and spiritual musings at Simply Witchery on Instagram and Twitter. Feel free to come on over and ask me any questions you may have about the episode as well. If you’d like to receive a reading for yourself on a future episode send your question to simplywitchery@gmail.com. The music in this episode is THINGAMAJIG by AUDIONAUTIX. Love and light to each and everyone of you and I’ll see you next time. Bye.