What draws you

[Yei]

What draws you to the primary gods (or other types of beings) that you honor or interact with?

Good question. I think it is because I relate to the precepts of the religion, and find its metaphysical principles an effective way of interpreting the material world, which to me is proof of their validity. I'd like to explain it in some detail, but I'm not really sure where to begin. It might be useful to use a central topic to explain it, but that is really getting away from the scope of your question.

I will think on this a little and get back to you with a more detailed answer.

[Yei]

Good question. I think it is because I relate to the precepts of the religion, and find its metaphysical principles an effective way of interpreting the material world, which to me is proof of their validity. I'd like to explain it in some detail, but I'm not really sure where to begin. It might be useful to use a central topic to explain it, but that is really getting away from the scope of your question.

I will think on this a little and get back to you with a more detailed answer.

This has taken even longer than I expected.

I find this question difficult to answer because I’m not sure I can explain my attachment to the gods without putting them into the broader theological/metaphysical context of the religion as a whole.

I think Quetzalcoatl is one of the more reachable Nahua gods (he has a high profile compared to the others), so it would make sense to start with him. Quetzalcoatl was the first god I reach out to, and thus serves as my introduction to the religion, and even today I still consider Quetzalcoatl among my primary gods. So, obviously we have a bit of history. As I have noted before in another post, Quetzalcoatl’s associations are complex, but I primarily identify with his associations with learning, art, and knowledge. I am also attracted to Quetzalcoatl due to his role as a bringer of order to the cosmos. Quetzalcoatl was the patron of schools and the priesthood, and I like institutions.

However, it is not simply that I identify with these traits in Quetzalcoatl. They are broadly connected to deeper themes in Nahua religion. Take the Calendar for example. By Calendar, I mean the Tonalpohualli, which documents the spiritual forces that influences a person’s experiences and talents. By giving humanity the Tonalpohualli, Quetzalcoatl allows us to maintain our balance within a shifting cosmos. Then there is Quetzalcoatl’s role as a creator god. Creation was a fundamental element of many Nahua creation myths, and there are other creator gods, even though Quetzalcoatl is the most prominent among them. My last example is Quetzalcoatl’s role as a bringer of rain and fertility. But this was an essential trait of many other gods, including Xipe Totec, Tlaloc, Chicomecoatl, Coatlicue, and more.

I think this conflation is actually a part of Nahua religious theology. Gods rarely acted alone. They almost always operate in pairs or in small groups. This is why most rituals were dedicated to several gods. This is also evident in the Tonalpohualli (to return to that idea again). Each day had multiple divine forces influencing it. The end result is a highly integrated, but also very complex, belief system. The end result however, is that I cannot tell if I am a Mexica Reconstructionist because I identify with Quetzalcoatl, or if my belief in these basic Nahua ideas led me to worship Quetzalcoatl.

[PerditaPickle]

The end result is a highly integrated, but also very complex, belief system. The end result however, is that I cannot tell if I am a Mexica Reconstructionist because I identify with Quetzalcoatl, or if my belief in these basic Nahua ideas led me to worship Quetzalcoatl.

Really interesting perspective (I'm not at all surprised it took you longer than expected).  Thank you for sharing it.

[Pendle Girl]

What draws you to the primary gods (or other types of beings) that you honor or interact with?

The first figure/deity I was ever drawn to was Herne the Hunter around the age of ten or eleven. Every time I watched an episode of Robin of Sherwood I would wait with baited breath to see him appear out of the mist with his lovely antlers and listen attentively as he imparted some piece of wisdom to Robin. He didn't always appear so it was special when he did. I held him in my heart until I was able to set up an altar to him five years ago.

The next deity was Anubis. My mother had a book about the treasures of Tutankhamun's tomb and there was a full colour picture of Anubis laying on top of a casket. I had never seen anything so beautiful. Again, I held him in my heart until I could have a dedicated space for him.

With those two deities, it was like falling in love. Simple as that.

For my other deities, it was more a case of them calling me, rather persistently, until I could no longer ignore them. Then I would do research on them and take it from there.

[Ashmire]

What draws you to the primary gods (or other types of beings) that you honor or interact with?

Hm, apparently I didn't answer this thread first time around.  And, I think maybe the reason why I didn't answer is there's a bit of an odd disconnect that I couldn't quite verbalize until something someone said in a chat recently brought it to mind.  See, in theory I've always loved the idea of very small household gods, who preside over very limited and humble things, and I actually often wonder why people would even want to interact with massive impersonal cosmic forces at all.  ( Seriously, what's the point?)  In practice what I find I usually end up having the closest relationships with can mostly all be described as "Something Big and Toothy & Protective!"  Sekhmet, Wepwawet, deified Bruce Lee often appearing as a literal Dragon.  Even the explicitly stated Household Gods in my thing---Taweret is a hybrid of the three most terrifying animals known to the Egyptians, and Bes, though often seen as an ugly-cute dwarf whom I do tend to syncretize personally with Hotei( one of the few more gentle deities in my pantheon), is actually part lion and wields a big knife to drive away evil.

[KitteeKae]

What draws you to the primary gods (or other types of beings) that you honor or interact with?

I think for me there are a lot of different reasons. There are certain qualities or fields that I know I have always had an interest in and suspect I will eventually find a deity that's related, but as I'm quite early in my journey I don't have all of those yet. And I'm sure some will change over time too.

However, for my current "primary" deity, Bast, She's closely connected to something I've literally had an interest in for the entirety of my natural memory: cats. I have a very close connection to cats and feel like I understand them better than humans, same goes for anything or anyone closely related to cats; additionally, ever since an Egyptology phase in my childhood, I've been drawn to Bast on some level.

I ended up being gifted a Bast statue and a Bast stuffed animal by a good friend, I've frequently found Her intriguing and relatable, and I greatly appreciate Her attitude and the sense of protection without sheltering that I get from Her. She doesn't over-protect me and She knows what my capabilities are, I feel able to ask for guidance and if She thinks I need it I'll get something I can figure out without it being too simple or too esoteric (most of the time. Sometimes She's a bit over it when She thinks I'm being obtuse, but that really helps me confront my blind spots by making me think about what I just said).

The only other being I'm currently connected to, Taygete (one of the Pleiades, and a follower of Artemis), is very different and I might actually make a post specifically about her as well, I only quite recently recognized the connection and I'm still figuring out how it works. She's much less widely known and I'm definitely drawn to that fringe nature or the sense that she's been kind of ignored by a lot of people, it feels relatable to me since I am also often on the edges of things.

The thing it seems (so far) that she's mostly trying to help me with is with understanding and dealing with my emotions in a way Bast is definitely not interested in; not that Bast doesn't care, but it's just not Her area and I think She struggles to understand why I have so much trouble expressing them; while Taygete I think has closer to a human sense of emotions since she's technically a nymph, not a goddess per se. That sense of being closer to my level, so to speak, ends up helping it seem easier to learn from her about these things.

I've definitely been drawn to the moon for a while, and it seems like she has taken it on herself to act kind of a guide for me, since I'm definitely not in a place where I'm actually able to interact with the moon/Artemis the way I want to.

[Edited to add more white space - SP]

[Stranger Things]

However, for my current "primary" deity, Bast, She's closely connected to something I've literally had an interest in for the entirety of my natural memory: cats.

Same here, She is the only one with a statue in this house other than my Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. Eventually She will have Her own altar when my own living room is finally set up.

[SunflowerP]

A Reminder:

Hi, KitteeKae, We don't mind long posts here, but to avoid having a hard-to-read wall-o'-text, hitting "enter" twice every few lines adds some white space and makes it easier to follow - I've edited yours to add those breaks, but it's a really good habit to get into yourself. They don't have to be the "proper" place for paragraph breaks (we're interested in readability more than technicalities), or a complete change of thought - some thoughts take a lot of lines and need to be broken up into sub-thoughts - as long as they're there. This isn't a formal warning, just a reminder. No reply is necessary, but if you have questions or need clarification,  please feel free to contact a member of staff privately. Thanks! Sunflower TC Forum Staff