Module Eleven
One of the most prevalent forms of spiritual allies in practices that date all the way back to ancient civilizations is working with deities.
As with working with elemental energies, the ways in which you work with deities can vary depending on your own personal belief system. Many who work with gods and goddesses view the deities themselves as real and tangible entities who assist us in our workings when we develop a relationship with them through prayer, supplication, and the presentation of offerings in ritual work. Others view the deities as allegorical representations of some part of their own psyche, sometimes lying dormant in the realm of their subconscious until called upon. For those whose belief system aligns with the latter school of thought, calling on the deities through prayer, supplication, and the presentation of offerings can simply be a ritualistic act which invokes the part of your psyche that you are wanting to amplify and embody in the process of manifesting your goals. Much like those who believe that the deities represent a facet of their own psyche, there are some people who believe in one God which has many different facets to Their existence and, by calling on individual deities in spiritual work, it is like asking God to wear a specific ‘hat’ to assist you in a specific way.
Ones’ own belief systems can influence the way in which they engage with deities, and indeed which deities they feel drawn to working with in the first place.
You may feel called to work with Diana, the Greek goddess of the hunt because you can relate to a bad-ass woman who excels in archery, or because your Grandmother is Greek. You may feel compelled to work with Celtic gods and goddesses (though much of the lore around Celtic mythology was handed down orally and the written history and tradition, which we have access to, pales in comparison to those of other cultures like Greek, Roman, Hindu, or Norse traditions which are much more documented) because your Grandfather is Scottish. Your history and ancestry can guide you to a sect of mythology and to deities that resonate with you, or you can get to know the stories and personalities of deities across the board, from ancient Egypt, to the gods of the Vikings, and the most commonly known Greek and Roman deities.
Over the next two weeks we will break down a list of deities from different cultures and traditions, including a brief description of their domain.
GREEK DEITIES
Achelous: Patron of the Achelous River.
Aeolus: God of air and wind
Aether: Primordial god of the upper air, light, the atmosphere, space and heaven.
Alastor: God of family feuds and avenger of evil deeds.
Apollo: Olympian god of music, poetry, art, oracles, archery, plague, medicine, sun, light and knowledge.
Ares: God of war. Represented the physical, violent and untamed aspect of war.
Aristaeus: Patron of animal husbandry, bee-keeping, and fruit trees.
Asclepius: God of medicine, health, healing, rejuvenation and physicians.
Atlas: Titan of Astronomy. Condemned to carry the world on his back after the Titans lost the war.
Attis: A minor god of vegetation, fruits of the earth and rebirth.
Boreas: God of the north wind, bringer of winter.
Caerus: God of opportunity, luck and favorable moments.
Castor: Twin to Pollux. Zeus transformed them into the constellation Gemini
Cerus: The bull tamed by Persephone and turned into the constellation Taurus.
Chaos: Creator of the first beings Gaia, Tartarus, Uranus, Nyx and Erebos.
Charon: Ferryman of the rivers Acheron and Styx, transporting the recent dead into Hades.
Cronos: God of time.
Crios: Titan god of the constellations and the measure of the year.
Cronus: God of agriculture.
Dinlas: God of the ancient city Lamark.
Dionysus: God of the grapes, wine, ecstatic ritual, and theatre.
Erebus: Primordial god of darkness.
Eros: God of sex, desire, and attraction.
Eurus: God of the East Wind.
Glaucus: God of the sea.
Hades: God of death and wealth, Lord of the Underworld.
Helios: God of the Sun, aka Sol.
Hephaestus: God of fire, metalworking, masonry, sculpture, and weaponry.
Hercules: God of heroes, athletes, health, and fertility.
Hermes: God of trade, thieves, and travelers. Messenger to the gods.
Hesperus: The Planet Venus, known as the Eastern Star.
Hymenaios: God of marriage ceremonies and other parties.
Hypnos: God of sleep.
Kratos: God of strength and power.
Momus: God of satire, and poets.
Morpheus: God of sleep and dreams.
Nereus: God of the sea.
Notus: God of the South Wind.
Oceanus: God of the ocean.
Pallas: God of war and strategy.
Pan: God of nature, shepherds. A Satyr who inspires sexual apetite.
Phosphorus: The planet Venus, the Morning Star.
Plutus: God of wealth.
Pollux: Twin brother of Castor.
Pontus: God of the ocean.
Poseidon: God of the sea, earthquakes, and storms.
Priapus: God of fertility, known for his large penis.
Pricus: The constellation Capricorn.
Prometheus: Molded man from clay. God intellect and strategy.
Proteus: God of rivers and oceans.
Tartarus: God of the underworld.
Thanatos: God of death.
Triton: Messenger between the being on land and in the ocean.
Typhon: God of monsters, and volcanoes.
Uranus: God of the sky.
Zelus: God of dedication, emulation, eager rivalry, envy, jealousy, and zeal.
Zephyrus: God of the West Wind.
Zeus: God of heaven, thunder and lightning, and order.
NORSE DEITIES
Baldur - God of beauty, innocence, peace, and rebirth. Consort: Nanna. Dead, Killed by his blind brother, Höðr, who was tricked by Loki into killing him with a spear of mistletoe.
Borr - Father of Óðinn, Vili and Ve. Consort: Bestla
Bragi - God of poetry, music and the harp. Consort: Iðunn.
Búri - Ruler of Prehistory, the first god and father of Borr.
Dagur - God of the daytime, son of Delling and Nótt.
Delling - God of the dawn.
Eir - Goddess of healing.
Ēostre - Goddess of spring.
Elli - Goddess of old age.
Forseti - God of justice, peace and truth. Son of Baldr and Nanna.
Freyja - Goddess of love, fertility, and battle. Consort: Óður.[1]
Freyr - God of fertility. Consort: Gerð.
Frigg - Goddess of marriage and motherhood. Consort: Óðinn. Can also be pronounced "Frigga".
Fulla - Frigg´s handmaid.
Gefjun - Goddess of fertility and plough.
Hel - Queen of Helheim, the Norse underworld. Daughter of Loki
Heimdallur - One of the Æsir and guardian of Ásgarð, their realm.
Hermóður - The heroic son of Odin.Tried to rescue Baldur.
Hlín - Goddess of consolation and protection.
Höðr - God of winter. Killed by Vali.
Hœnir - The silent god.
Iðunn - Goddess of youth. Consort: Bragi.
Jörð - Goddess of the Earth. Mother of Þórr by Óðinn.
Kvasir - God of inspiration. Killed by Dwarves.
Lofn - Goddess of forbidden loves.
Loki - Trickster and god of mischief . Consort: Sigyn (also called Saeter).
Magni - god of strength. Son of Thor.
Máni - God of Moon.
Mímir - Óðinn´s uncle. Decapitated by Vanir.
Nanna - Goddess of joy and peace, an Ásynja married with Baldr and mother to Forseti. Died because of Baldur's death.
Nerþus - A goddess mentioned by Tacitus. Her name is connected to that of Njörðr.
Njörður - God of sea, wind, fish, and wealth. Killed in Ragnarok.
Nótt - Goddess of night, daughter of Narvi and mother of Auð, Jörð and Dagur by Naglfari, Annar and Delling, respectively.
Óðinn - The "All Father" God of war, associated to wisdom, poetry, and magic (The Ruler of the gods).
Sága - Goddess of wisdom. Possibly another name for Frigg.
Rán - Goddess of the sea. Wife of Ægir.
Sif - Goddess of harvest. Wife of Thor.
Sigyn - Goddess of fidelity. Wife of Loki.
Sjöfn - Goddess of love.
Skaði - Goddess of winter; Njörðr's wife.
Snotra - Goddess of prudence.
Sol (Sunna) - Goddess of Sun. Swallowed by Skoll.
Thor - son of Óðinn God of thunder and battle. Consort: Sif.
Thruer - daughter of Thor and Sif.
Týr - God of war. Also the god of the skies.
Ullr - God of ski/winter, hunt, and duel. Son of Sif.
Váli - God of revenge.
Vár - Goddess of contract.
Vé - One of the three gods of creation. Brother of Óðinn and Vili.
Víðarr - God of the forest, revenge and silence.
Vör - Goddess of wisdom.
Yggdrasil - Goddess of life. Tree of life. Connects the 9 worlds.