The God in Paganism

In many branches of Paganism, there are many Gods worshiped in a pantheon. This does not mean that all the deities are worshiped or called upon equally. Deities are often assigned specific tasks or jobs within a pantheon. For example, one or more deities will rule over smithing, or death, or the sun. As a result, most faiths with multiple deities tend to focus on only a few of them, often the most generalized.

In some cases, this surfeit of deity leads to massive simplification. There is an increasing belief that "All Gods are one". In Wicca, these collected deities are described as The God and The Goddess. They are the main focus of worship in Wicca, embodying the Male and Female energies of the universe. In the Wolf and Raven Path, these are aspects of the Universal Essence. They represent the dynamic opposites of masculine and feminine energy.

The God

The God is associated with masculine energy. He is sometimes represented by the Sun (opposite the Moon), sometimes as the Sky (opposite the Earth) and sometimes as the Green Man, child and consort to the Earth Mother.

He has many faces, and is the driving force behind aggression, assertiveness, and direct action. Rising to meet a direct challenge is an example of masculine energy. This is not to say that feminine energy is weak; rather that masculine energy meets resistance head-on, while feminine energy deflects and redirects this energy. Further, male energy focuses more on victory, while female energy focuses on the safety of all concerned. In archetypal terms, fathers will send their sons to fight, while mothers will protect them from fighting.

Some branches of Paganism (like Dianic Wicca) have a tendency to marginalize the male deity. This is partly in response to their need for female empowerment, partly in response to the Christian Church marginalizing female power. Much like Christians believe that Mary existed only to give birth to their earthly deity, these extreme thinkers see the male deity only as consort and child of the female, without any real power of his own. Both of these thoughts lack balance. Masculine power is an essential part of the natural order. Most organisms, for example, require both male and female to survive as a species. As Above, So Below.

Accessing Masculine Energy

Everyone has both masculine and feminine energy within them. Those who are able to comfortably access and use both types of energy tend to be the most successful and fulfilled people. It is the dynamic balance of opposing forces that drives the world. Light and dark, summer and winter, male and female - it is the shifting balances of these forces that drives creation in all its forms. The Yin-Yang symbol is often used to point out this bipolarity.

Accessing masculine energy can be helpful when you need to confront a difficult situation. Any time you need to directly overcome a challenge, you should try accessing this energy. You can do this through magic and/or prayer.

Summoning masculine energy can be as simple as visualizing yourself filled with gold or green light that gives you the strength to overcome your challenges. Many stones and crystals resonate to this masculine energy. These include Tiger Eye, Obsidian, and Pyrite. You can carry or wear these stones to increase this energy.

You can also ask the deities for direct assistance. You can do this by praying directly to the deity you are most comfortable with; male or female, they all contain both masculine and feminine energies. Or you can pray to a deity that rules over the type of situation you are in (for example, Tyr or Hecate for justice). On many altars, male deities are represented by a candle or figurine in either green or gold. You can also use an image of the specific deity you are praying to.

Remember that it is male and female energies together that drive creation. To neglect either is to have an unbalanced view of the world. We are as much a part of nature as every other living being in the world, and it is time we began to understand how we should live in it.

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