We ask great things of deity; keep my children safe, make me healthy, grant me prosperity…
Have any of us ever considered what these requests entail? Is it as easy as a finger snap for them?
Somehow I think not.
There may be strands of karma that have to be unraveled, perhaps other deities, spirits, and elementals are petitioned for aid. Our karma follows us through lifetimes, while we make choices everyday on what path we follow, we often make poor choices that screw’s up our path and takes us down roads we really did not want to travel nor are we equipped to handle. Getting back on track is not always an easy feat and I am sure it takes some work to get us there. Both on our part, our spirit guides and deity.
And above all, why help us? What makes our request more important then someone else’s? Are we more deserving then others? Why should they spend time getting us out of a mess we very well may have put ourselves in, in the 1st place.
I think a big part is how we approach deity and petition them for help.
Entice them, show them your respect, let them know you are grateful for any and all help they choose to bestow. However, do not grovel, do not beg! Speak with confidence, not cockiness, show them respect, and make sure you pronounce their names correctly!
There are many options when asking for help from the Gods.
Do we call on someone who we have a long established relationship with? Will we have better luck calling on a God or Goddess who is known to aid with a certain issue we are having?
My answer to that is both. I have a long standing relationship with my patron Goddess and God; to them I always give thanks, their candles hold a place of honor on my altar at all times. I also realize that there may be times when I may need to ask another Goddess for help. That does not take away from my patron Goddess in anyway. When choosing another Goddess to work with, I keep the feelings of my patron Goddess in mind. I will not call on a Goddess whom she is known to have a long standing feud with, that would just be silly on my part. Why would I expect good results from that?
You want all the energy running through your sacred space to be cohesive, flowing nicely with all concentration on your intended outcome, not age old feuds and power battles. None of us wants to be caught in the middle of that!
How do we show gratitude because gratitude should indeed be shown.
For one, any deity I choose to work with always has a candle on my altar dedicated to them alone. Candles are not shared or re-used for another deity. I am all about recycling however this is not the place for that. I decorate the candle with images and symbols associated with that deity, spirit or elemental. Take your time, if you are not a crafter there are many online shops you can purchase lovely pagan candles from and of course you can always contact me at The Organic Brew for a custom created candle.
Our gifts and offerings should also be thoughtful. Research the deity whom you are calling on. What animal, herb, crystal or planet are they associated with?
For example if I was going to petition Rhiannon who is a Welsh Goddess known for her powers over dreams, fertility, overcoming enemies, and moon magick, I would decorate my altar with images of horses, moonstones, jasmine flowers and wear a piece of silver jewelry with a moonstone. I would choose an altar cloth that was white and add traces of Celtic knots or other Irish/Welsh artistry. I personally would write my own invocation to Rhiannon making sure to add parts of her known journey into my writing. I do realize that writing an invocation is not for everyone so I am sure you would not have any trouble finding one online or in a pagan book.
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When leaving an offering for deity, don’t just throw a cake on a plate with a “Here you go” type attitude. Present your offering like you are presenting it to a Goddess.
Put an offering of food on a special plate. If you have made something hold it up and show it with reverence, tell them how hard you worked on it and how you hope they like it.
Another area I want to touch upon is sacred space. When calling on the Gods, spirits, elementals or anyone from the spirit world, make sure your sacred space is clean. It should look like you are expecting company. You do not want a cluttered mess. Clean up the dust, vacuum, sweep, air out your home; don’t leave dirty dishes lying around. Act like someone special is coming because someone special is! Make sure your home is Goddess worthy. And by this I do not mean that you need a rich house for the Goddess to show up, by no means should you go out and spend $200.00 on an altar because you do not think the old trunk from that garage sale is good enough. WRONG, that old trunk is perfect, as long as it is clean. That’s all. Clean out the clutter, light some appropriate incense, clean yourself up and you are ready.
Finally, make clear what you are willing to do on your end if they choose to help you. This is a two way street, do not expect deity to go out of their way for you and receive nothing in return.
Think long and hard about what you feel would be an acceptable offering and make sure you keep your word! Don’t you dare promise to do something that you have no intention on doing. Be clear on what your promise is, when you will make good on it and do it. Do it exactly when and how you said you would, the last thing you want to do is piss off a Goddess or God. They do not owe you anything and they do not have to help you. Do not make them regret coming to your aid. They tend to take our words very literally so be careful what promises you make.
If you pay attention to your actions then you should have positive results. I believe it goes back to the age old “treat others how you yourself wish to be treated”.
Katherine Cotoia
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