Benevolent deities

[Geroth]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

[Redfaery]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

I'm not really comfortable with the word "benevolent" as it implies there are conversely "malevolent" deities, and that seems...well, kind of black and white to me. It's just a personal squick, so pay me no mind.

But the deity who's been the best to me, and who's consistently in a pretty good mood when I ask things of her, has been my patroness Sarasvati. As well I should note, she also seems pretty friendly to people who approach her.

That said, she's also recorded as not being hesitant to punish those who need to be put in their places. In my experience, protocol and hierarchy are very important to her. She won't smite you for making mistakes, but it you treat her like a vending machine, she will LET YOU KNOW she doesn't appreciate it!

[PrincessKLS]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

 
For me, since I'm still working with just Judeo-Christian gods, I've stuck to Jesus and Mary. I have sort of separated myself from Yahweh because I see him as the opposite of benevolent. Honestly I could look into other gods, but I do find it somewhat troubling for me to attempt to speak to other deities. In my youth, I tried Venus and Athena but I have connecting to separate faucets of the universal god I have thought up in my head.

[Lana288]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

Saule, absolutely. She's incredibly gentle, and incredibly kind. Honestly, I kind of want to say she has a meaner side, but that only seems to (possibly) show up once or twice in her mythology, and I've never experienced it myself. I'm honestly grateful- I feel like at this point, I'd collapse if I couldn't lean on her just a little bit.

One thing I have noticed, though, is that she doesn't have any qualms about pushing me into uncomfortable, deeply painful positions if the need calls for it. In my experience, this is another expression of her kindness- she doesn't leave things broken if they can be fixed, even if she has to break them more in order to fix them properly. She's quite practical about such things.

So. Yeah. Deeply kind, deeply caring goddess. Highly recommend, if you're looking for  a kind deity to speak to. Just, y'know, Redfaery above said about Sarasvati, I don't recommend treating her like a vending machine. I don't think that she'd punish anyone who did, but I do think that that person would be blatantly ignored.

[Louisvillian]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

Hermes, easily. Has helped me and the missus out of a pickle or two. Very helpful and genial, to me anyway, if not entirely clear. Still a prankster and tricky, but overall quite nice to treat with.

Zeus also, which may surprise some modern folks. I've never gone wrong with petitioning him, and so far I've always done my best to fulfil vows made during supplication. As such, he's always delivered--so far as I can tell--on what I've humbly asked. He has a place of the highest honour in my household worship; he is, after all, the King.

Hekate has been a very present goddess in our home. Very protective and stern, from what I've seen.

Though, like Redfaery, I'm not entirely comfortable with making a hard definition of a god as benevolent. I think that the gods are, on the whole, equally capable to benevolence and malevolence towards humans. It's all a matter of respecting them and their power.

[journeyintoinsanity]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

I have close relationships with Loki, Fenrir, and Thor. Also, Freyja and Freyr, and Mani.
I cannot say one cross word about any of Them, except Loki can be a snarky stinker sometimes. And if you're close to Him, it may get the attention of some of His malevolent enemies. And that got very messy. Fenrir, despite how some view Him, can be incredibly gentle and fiercely protective. Thor is just awesome and I haven't experienced anything but good things with Him. Freyja and Freyr are wonderful, and are quite approachable. Mani is gentle and calm, but is "of few words." He's also very approachable.

[Izzie414]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

 
I would say the most "benevolent" encounters I've had came from Jesus and Buddha. Neither hold back from whipping you into shape though, but they're always there when you need them.

[Bast]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

 
Bast has always been mostly gentle with me. She comforts me in a way no other god(dess) has ever done and I love Her greatly. She will let you know if something needs to be done but mostly She is like a mother to me.

[Pteranotropi]

Zeus also, which may surprise some modern folks. I've never gone wrong with petitioning him, and so far I've always done my best to fulfil vows made during supplication. As such, he's always delivered--so far as I can tell--on what I've humbly asked. He has a place of the highest honour in my household worship; he is, after all, the King.

 
Doesn't surprise me at all, since the debauchery and rape myths were already dismissed as barbarities even by Plato's time. Considering how much at odds that is with his actual function in religion...

[veggiewolf]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

 
I'm not sure benevolent is the right word, but Taweret is one of the most approachable deities I've come across, and I have no idea why more people don't worship her.

Disclosure: the link above is to a blog post I wrote about Taweret in 2013.

[Louisvillian]

Doesn't surprise me at all, since the debauchery and rape myths were already dismissed as barbarities even by Plato's time. Considering how much at odds that is with his actual function in religion...

The depictions of sexual conquest has its context in ancient Greek culture. I don't believe in taking myths literally; they reflect the culture just as much as they reflect the gods. For that instance, it was a way for the Greeks to convey the absorption of foreign gods and practices into their own, while depicting it as their pantheon being dominant.*

I thought it might surprise some people, because the general pop-culture portrayal of Zeus is simply the boisterous sky-father. Or a buffoonish philanderer. But in ancient Greece, he was first and foremost the protector of the country, the house, and the family.

*and, might I add, in certain myths, many of Zeus' mistresses were his earlier wives before Hera demanded he take her and only her as his Queen.

[Riothamus12]

Who would you say is the most benevolent deity you work with or have encountered on your path? What were your experiences?

 
I have not worked with one that was not benevolent whether they were wrathful or peaceful, patrons of life or death, frightful in appearance or soothing to behold. Humans have more difficulty recognizing benevolence when they see it than we realize. I've found grim Wotan to be a firm father figure. I have found Hecate to be tender. I have found Kali to be filled only with righteous indignation. They only seem cruel to those who lack the understanding. That is what I have come to find.