I'm a polytheist - AMA

[SorcererGaheris]

Since my recent AMA has ended, I thought I'd create another about another aspect of who/what I am. So if anyone is curious...

Are you affiliated to a particular religion or culture?

Are you practicing in any way?

Religion-wise, paganism. Theistically, the deities that I'm drawn to most are Celtic (primarily Irish and Welsh) although the deity that I'm currently focusing on at the moment is the Greek Goddess Hekate.

Yes.

How do you learn about the practice? Old mythology? Are there some organised cults offering guidance? Pure intuition?

In what way are you drawn to deities? Do you focus on their attributes and try to imbue them? Do you follow any rituals? I'm guessing you're solitary in practice.

There are various ways to learn. Reading how-to books on paganism and occultism, becoming involved in pagan and occult communities and learning from peers (either online or in person), reading what history there is of pagan polytheist practice, etc.

There are some organised pagan groups that teach about how they practice. The Irish Pagan School is one such, which of course focuses on Irish pagan and polytheist practice.

In the past, it's sometimes been a case of choosing a deity whose attributes/interests/skills align with something that I desire/need/require help with. So for example, a deity associated with friendship, love, romance, etc, would be useful if one wanted to petition them for help in making new friends, getting a love interest, etc.

In recent years, I've become interested in certain Celtic forms of paganism and polytheism (Irish and Welsh) so intend to explore some of the deities from the Irish and Welsh pantheons. There are particular Gods and Goddesses that I feel more of an interest in than others; sometimes I'm not sure exactly why. There are deities who are more compatible with who I am and my interests than others, so sometimes that plays a part. Some are reported to have personalities that are more appealing to me than others.

Do you believe the deity actually exists or is it the concept of them that you follow?

I believe that all deities from all pantheons/faiths (including the God that Christians, Jews and Muslims honour) exist as individual, conscious beings.