Back to Blog
![]() ![]() ![]() That’s because deity relationships work the same way as human relationships-they can take on any dynamic, be healthy or unhealthy, and begin and end.Ī big part of this has to do with how a religion views divinity. When it comes to paganism, not all devotees or even deities want a Lord/Servant dynamic with each other. It’s especially not the approach for animistic religions like Norse Paganism. This is not the universal approach to divinity, not even in other organized religions. Those with a Catholic background may have also learned that God doesn’t bother with everyday human lives. If you’re a Westerner, it’s likely your understanding of a God/Devotee relationship is that of a Lord/Servant dynamic. In the Western world, our approach to divinity is heavily Christianized and heavily colonized, and Westerners typically have a Christian impression of divinity even if they didn’t grow up practicing the faith. Starting relationships with deities and spirits means knowing what these relationships can look like. Be prepared for that language as you work through this guide. I experience gods, spirits, and entities as autonomous even if I don’t experience them as literal. My slant in this guide comes from a hard polytheistic and animist perspective. That’s because spiritual practices can be tailored to your spiritual needs and worldview. However, not all pagans are polytheists, nor does someone need to be a polytheist (or even theistic at all) in order to be pagan. Many polytheists identify as “pagans” or those who follow earth-focused practices. Some polytheists are even what’s known as polyaffiliated, meaning they work with multiple gods from different pantheons. Some polytheists may work with one god even while acknowledging others, while others work with many different gods. Polytheism can be approached in many different ways, from a soft polytheistic standpoint (the belief that gods are archetypes) to a hard polytheistic one (the belief that gods are, in some way, fully autonomous beings). Polytheism, at its core, is the belief in multiple gods. These are terms often (but not exclusively) used in pagan and polytheistic communities. ![]() ![]() Here is a sampling of the best oracle decks for beginners-and of all time.“Spirit work” and “Deity work” are terms that describe the act of forming relationships with spirits and deities. Ask questions like: What do I need from a specific situation? What information do I need to get through the day? "Pull one card, and it will give you the overall energy of the day," Stardust says. Whether you're using the deck for divination, shadow work, questions of love, or daily guidance, Stardust recommends you approach the oracle deck the same way. "It will make you want to pull from that deck more," he says. Are you drawn to the colorful illustrations of the Wild Unknown Animal Spirit deck? Or, perhaps you prefer the spirituality of an angel deck (a popular subset of an oracle deck)? D'Andre recommends looking at the art and choosing imagery you're drawn to. "These are the things you need to remind yourself so you can keep going on the path you want to, or the affirmations you should be keeping in the back of your mind."īut when it comes to purchasing an oracle card deck, where should you start? The exciting, and daunting, fact of oracle decks is that the possibilities are endless. "The cards provide a sense of guidance," he says. For D'Andre, who pulls an oracle card on his Instagram page daily, these decks have become his way of preparing to face the future. Healer Gary D'Andre, host of the Mystic Moments Podcast, felt the positive effect of oracle decks intimately. "Oracle cards get right to the the point," she explains. You don't have to interpret what the cards mean together." As a result, psychic medium and tarot reader Sarah Potter says, readings can be more concrete than with tarot. "They're meant to be simple tools for positive change." As astrologer Lisa Stardust says, "They have fewer rules than tarot cards. They're approachable for everyone and anyone," mystic Blue June tells. "There is no skillset needed to read oracle cards. Each card, no matter the deck's theme, will contain a clearly worded message. And while effective tarot readings entail memorizing cards' meanings (and reversals), oracle decks don't require previous knowledge. Whereas tarot decks are typically variations of the same 78 cards, oracle decks have myriad possibilities, from goddess-themed art to moon imagery. Like tarot decks, these collections of cards are beautifully illustrated, come with a guidebook, and are meant to be pulled with a sense of intuition. Think of oracle decks as a close relative to tarot. ![]()
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |