What do the gods do for you?

[AlisonLeighLilly]

Maybe a bit of an irreverent question! But I've noticed a few threads asking, more or less, "What do you do for your gods, what gifts do you offer them?" So I thought I'd turn it on its head.

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

[Nitz]

Maybe a bit of an irreverent question! But I've noticed a few threads asking, more or less, "What do you do for your gods, what gifts do you offer them?" So I thought I'd turn it on its head.

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

 
That's a good question, I'm an animist, at least for now, because I haven't had any experiences with any gods.

[Castus]

Maybe a bit of an irreverent question! But I've noticed a few threads asking, more or less, "What do you do for your gods, what gifts do you offer them?" So I thought I'd turn it on its head.

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

 
Caesar gives me luck:D You know how gods can be classified as "war gods", "sea gods" etc? I primarily think of Caesar as a god of luck. I've noted that ever since I began to pray\tell mantras to him, I've become significantly luckier; with things consistently turning in my favor. What I do most often is say "Caesar's Luck" which I use as a supplicant prayer in and of itself. Repeating it has become an automatic reaction.

But Caesar, perceiving this, disclosed himself, took the master of the boat by the hand, who was terrified at sight of him, and said: "Come, good man, be bold and fear naught; thou carryest Caesar and Caesar's fortune in thy boat."

~The Parallel Lives, by Plutarch; The Life of Julius Caesar

[monsnoleedra]

.. What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )? --Ali

That's a difficult thing to answer.  The difficulty arising in how do you recognize a gift or blessing.

Perhaps it was a gift and blessing when my youngest son was thrown from the car as it broke apart and received nothing but a few minor scrapes and cuts while his wife trapped in the car received the same.

Perhaps it was my two grandson's born 3.5 months early with almost no chance of survival.  Yet today they approach thier 2nd birthday and are healthy and doing things the doctor's were sure they would never live to do.

Perhaps it was the lawyer that represented me for my disability hearing.  A lawyer who just happened to have a Celtic Tree tatoo upon her wrist that showed that day.  A day when I felt confident about it and my lawyer couldn't understand why everything she wore rode up to reveal it.

Perhaps it was the day I was some what depressed and asked Artemis for a sign.  Then looking upon a cloud free sky a lone cloud shaped like a woman with outstreached arms slowly walked over the mountain line until she floated there in the sky.  A figure that followed my car for 50 miles as I drove through the mountains with my son telling me she's still there dad.

Perhaps its the sense of calm and peace that settles over me when I speak to Hekate and the sound of baying hounds breaks the night air.  Hounds that were not baying until I finished my talk.  A snake that was not there until I turnt around as I followed the baying hounds as their call passed down through the valley.

So how do I answer your question?  Those things and more mark the passage of my life and my commitment and dedication to those I honor and worship.  Those who are part and parcel of my life every minute of the day, who I speak to all the time and find comfort and serenity with them.  Those who are the cool kiss of a breeze upon my neck on a hot day.  The tingle of a light rain upon my skin or the full blown fury of the tempest.

Sometimes it's nothing more than the warmth that fills me as I am filled with there presence and see some sign that tells me which god or goddess it was that looked in upon me at that moment.

[dragonfaerie]

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

Because Brigit wouldn't leave me the eff alone if I tried to run?

My insight and intuition have really boosted themselves since I started working with Brigit lo those many years ago. My only really direct boon, though...

When we went to Ireland in September, we visited a blessed well one day. I asked Brigit for a safe trip home. Well, all our flights were early, and our bags were the FIRST ones on the luggage conveyor at BWI. And I mean first as in "only bags on the conveyor". We almost beat my Dad to the airport to come pick us up, and he's perpetually early!

Karen

[Sage]

Maybe a bit of an irreverent question! But I've noticed a few threads asking, more or less, "What do you do for your gods, what gifts do you offer them?" So I thought I'd turn it on its head.

 
Hope and patience, both on their end and mine. Treating me like I'm worth something, even if I can't feel them more often than not. Giving me something to search for after I left Christianity and lost everything. Healing, I hope.

[Monica Mc]

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

Give me patience and serenity, both of which I badly need.

[Firaza]

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

 
Comfort, most of all. It's a huge relief to know that Someone is actually with me. I never felt connected with the Abrahamic God, so I thought I was all alone in this vast, wide, frightening universe. But now I have a Patron whose presence I can actually feel, and that alone is enough.

[veggiewolf]

...
What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

They give me the strength to kick and scream and the fortitude to follow-through.

[cwummel]

Maybe a bit of an irreverent question! But I've noticed a few threads asking, more or less, "What do you do for your gods, what gifts do you offer them?" So I thought I'd turn it on its head.

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

 
Honestly, I hope nothing.  I generally perceive that if the gods have taken notice of me it will usually bode badly for me. The opposite can be true, but generally they are trying to teach me a lesson that I NEED to learn by making parts of life harder for me.

[Catherine]

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

Juno gives me the strength, energy and patience I need to take care of my family. Not just in my own house. Because I'm unemployed, I'm the go to girl for most of my immediate family whenever they need help with something. I don't mind, it can just be overwhelming at times. She keeps me from getting burned out.

Recently though, I've been given a more tangible blessing. My sister had a baby last week, and she had some very frightening complications. I'm going on the assumption that Juno stepped in a took care of her. She was in a great hospital, I'm sure that helped too, but even her doctor was scared. I've never seen him get shaken over anything, it's just not his style.

When I finally got home the first thing I did was give thanks and make offerings.

[Finn]

Hope and patience, both on their end and mine. Treating me like I'm worth something, even if I can't feel them more often than not.

This.

They give (gave) me a reason to live.

[Nehet]

This.

They give (gave) me a reason to live.

Ausir gave me strength, nurturing, patience and the closest thing I've found to "unconditional" love.

He accepted me in all my brokenness and helped me pick myself up again.

He's got tons of empathy for brokenness.  

Ausir:  Patron of Survivors since Zep Tepi.

(Motivational poster, anyone?)

[Juniperberry]

Honestly, I hope nothing.  I generally perceive that if the gods have taken notice of me it will usually bode badly for me. The opposite can be true, but generally they are trying to teach me a lesson that I NEED to learn by making parts of life harder for me.

I'm with you. I was telling Mr. Berry about this thread (he isn't heathen) and saying what a weird question it was- for me. The way I was explaining it to him is that there just isn't an aspect to it like that, and how it's all summed up in the concept of heathen salvation: plenty of fish, good harvest and peace. There isn't a desire and a need to improve one's self spiritually, or transcend, or anything...this is life and you live it the best way possible.

Since I have a grocery store I don't ask much for fertility, and since I'm not personally fighting a war I'm not petitioning for victory. So mainly I just show them the appropriate honor due and figure since their not doing anything to me then I must be doing something right.

It's a bit like being in your parent's house, knowing everything in it is their's and that they're around somewhere...but the fact that they aren't nagging at you to help with something is a good thing.

[DashesAgainst]

What do the gods do for you? What gifts or blessings have you received from them or from your work with them? What keeps you coming back (instead of throwing up your hands and just becoming an animist )?

--Ali

The ones I'm closest to: Love, guidance & support.