How do you talk to deities/see signs from them? I really want to worship a deity but I don’t know who to pick or signs or anything. My already recommended Hecate, but I don’t know how to talk to them or anything. Also, how do I know if a deity is right for me?
(You don’t have to answer all of these, I love you’re posts and take yourself seriously, you’re really important!!)
Why thank you! I appreciate your kind words.
These questions are very difficult to give simple answers, and honestly I don’t know if I can.
I can definitely tell you my experience and theories on deity worship, but speaking for what is the “right” way to anything is very subjective depending upon what your personal practice will look like.
Here’s my personal take on beginner Deity worship.
Firstly, a disclaimer, this applies to OPEN practices / deities. Working with closed practices is not only disrespectful to the community, culture, and tradition of that practice but incredibly disrespectful to the deities and spirits.
Okay now to break it down!
Finding a Deity
The biggest thing to ask yourself when starting deity work is “why?”.
What are you looking for?
Why is a deity necessary?
Once you can address these there’s definitely a direction for a specific deity as a result. Is there a particular open practice you’ve been drawn to? If so, definitely try to grow friendly with it. You don’t need to be an expert, but you should be able to answer the following questions.
Can you guarantee that it is an open practice?
Country of origin and timeframe.
Monotheistic or Polytheistic religion?
Do you have at least three reliable sources to reference if you need to find more information? (Avoid sources of those who are racist, antisemitic, etc. It’s sadly common.)
When beginning remember you have a team already that may have deities but more likely there are guardians, ancestors, and guides. Always ask for protection and approval when beginning to work with a deity so you are aimed in the right direction.
A portion of everything you do with deities is faith, trusting in something that is unproven.
Ultimately though “choosing” a deity is intuitive. What feels right?
How to “speak” to Deities
This is done using divination. Basically there are tools like tarot, bones, dice, and several other ways to communicate with deities but it’s a learning process that can take a bit. Can’t afford a tarot deck? Labyrinthos is a free app that teaches you tarot, lets you pull cards that have their meanings shown with the cards, and save readings. (Yes it pulls reversals.)
I personally don’t think anyone needs any “special abilities” in order to do divination, mainly because we all have intuition, but you definitely need to learn how to use the tools.
Always protect yourself when you’re divining. Only invite beings with good intentions for you within your space (“circle”) and dismiss their energy when you’re done.
Signs
Signs from deities can be things associated with them but several deities can have similar signs. For example Athena and Loki can use spiders as signs. You can ask for specific signs when you pray once you have your suspicions.
The best way to know it’s a sign is reoccurrence. Once is an instance, twice is a coincidence, three times is a sign. Use your divination to confirm the signs and who they’re from. There’s nothing wrong with getting a confirmation from someone who has open readings to confirm if you’re not confident enough to do it. Please pay them accordingly for their time and effort.
Once you’ve either chosen a deity or have one you suspect is interested, pray.
It sounds incredibly simple but that’s the best way to start. Remember it’s faith, putting your trust in something unproven.
You don’t NEED an altar, it was a false belief I had that really prevented me from starting. You ultimately don’t need anything besides yourself and a divination tool. I highly recommend a journal to keep track of your relationship, and a special location that you associate with prayer so it becomes easier to get into the proper headspace. Other recommendations include showering before divining, spraying perfume, playing non distracting music, or anything that helps you feel connected to yourself.
Some might ask about trickster spirits impersonating a deity. I personally don’t think that happens. If anything I think sometimes people think a deity is one when really it was another. We’re human, we mess up, they understand. If anything deities have a sense of humor and might impersonate each other but that’s very uncommon when you are just starting.
Otherwise be patient with yourself. If it is meant to be, it will happen. All relationships with deities are different per person, you may share some experiences and you might have unique experiences. Some don’t end up working with deities, some do for a time then change their mind, both are just as valid.
Thank you for trusting me with your questions but I am definitely not an “expert” and everything I told you should be treated as just one take on a very subjective topic.
My biggest advice? Respect them, but don’t fear them. They’re gods, yes, but they enjoy being worshiped with love. Not because you have to but because you want to. They’re patient, understanding, caring, and loving.
Good luck!
