The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

I honor several different deities, but there really are no statues to represent these Gods. I was wondering if certain object, or other deity statues would be okay to use in the place of. I just feel it would help me focus more during ritual to have sort of representation of my Gods. Any feedback would be great on this topic, and also if you have ideas and or objects and other things you use to represent you Gods.

 
I don't see why not. Some people use stones (sunstone for Gods and moonstone for Goddesses, rose quartz for Gods and Goddesses of love, and so forth).

Do you mean that there are no statues available, or that the deities do not have forms that could be represented by a statue?

FWIW, I'm fairly artsy and I made all my own shrine images, variously out of watercolor, acrylic paints, wood and salt dough. I think we had a thread recently about repurposing figures from one deity to another ... *searches* here.

Yes, there are no statues available. I'm not a very artsy guy, so I don't know how it would turn out, lol. Thanks for the link. I just really would like some representation of my deities that i can focus on. Be that a statue or an image or object.

... also if you have ideas and or objects and other things you use to represent you Gods.

 
Hey, Cryfder!  I'll second what Aster has mentioned.  As long as those you honor are in agreement, you can use whatever object works for the both of you.  It's all about the relationship between you.  How you characterize their qualities and the symbology that fits those characterizations in your mind is what matters.

I work with Epona.  Most people think horses, specifically white mares, or possibly roses when Epona is mentioned.  Me, I think keys.  Specifically, old skeleton styled keys.  I have a specific key earring that I wear to honor Epona.  Among other aspects, Epona is a psychopomp and uses the key to open the way to the afterlife for the souls she guides across.  That's not how I see the key, though.

Epona is also a goddess of sovereignty.  For me, the key is a emblematic of the "keys to the kingdom" as well as a symbol for knowledge.  In my mind, a good ruler is a knowledgeable and wise ruler.  So, there you go.  That's as much as I am aware of why I associate keys with Epona.  I'm sure I'll uncover more meaning further down the road

It may seem odd but if you are focused on finding a figurine or piece of artwork to represent the deities you honor I have a couple of suggestions.  Have you considered either the lead figures that tabel top gamers use for their games such as D&D and Pathfinder?  There are an astonishing array of fantasy figures that have been produced and it could be that you'll find something close to what you're looking for.  There's nothing saying you can't modify one of those figures, either.

Another possibility would be the collectible trading card games such as Magic: The Gathering or  Legend of the Cryptids, etc.  As weird as it sounds, the artists creating cards for these games produce some amazing artwork.  A fair number of them are over on DeviantArt.  I've never been attracted to these types of games but I have to admit that the artwork, in many cases, is quite well done.  It's not the expected use for the art, and I'm sure some would scoff, but if you're drawn to a particular image who's to say it's less valid than a framed print you saw in a new age shop?

Can only imagine how awkward that would be when working with sun goddesses and lunar gods.

 
I gave you rep for that line alone. The most badass solar deity I know is Amaterasu Omikami. She is definitely FEMALE. And yeah, her pitiful brother got the moon...

I honor several different deities, but there really are no statues to represent these Gods. I was wondering if certain object, or other deity statues would be okay to use in the place of. I just feel it would help me focus more during ritual to have sort of representation of my Gods. Any feedback would be great on this topic, and also if you have ideas and or objects and other things you use to represent you Gods.

 
Absolutely!  

I was instructed to use an aardvark to represent Neb.y, and I spent a long time (as some people at TC can attest!) looking for something that worked.  Finally, I found a gentleman on Etsy that does glass blowing, and he had an aardvark out of blown glass with gold paint accents.  

It's now in my shrine cabinet, and it represents Big Red perfectly.

I honor several different deities, but there really are no statues to represent these Gods. I was wondering if certain object, or other deity statues would be okay to use in the place of. I just feel it would help me focus more during ritual to have sort of representation of my Gods. Any feedback would be great on this topic, and also if you have ideas and or objects and other things you use to represent you Gods.

 
Depending on your living situation, have you considered candles or incense? Aster mentioned them briefly, but I've had a lot of success with candles: I bought a candleholder as a gift for my patron, and the act of lighting the candle is as much an invitation for Him to enter my space as it is an offering and a focus.

The same thing could work with lighting some incense, filling a bowl with water, or anything else that involves deliberate action. I just make sure that's the only thing I use that particular candleholder for, since it's built the cue that "Okay, time to focus on X now."