switching pantheons?

Question

i'm a wiccan and have been working with the egyptian pantheon for about a week now but i have recently come acrose the celtic pantheon and i feel a better conection to it and "Arianrhod" then i do the egyptian pantheon and "Isis" is it OK to switch my pantheon since i'm still in 1 year and 1 day? since i'm still learning and trying new things trying to find what works best for me?

Answer 1

IMO switching around is fine. Particularly if you are not making a connection.

That being said it does take a while to develop a deep relationship with anyone, even gods and goddesses. So flip flopping around can short circuit that process.

Answer 2

There is nothing wrong with switching pantheons; however Wicca follow their own specific pantheon, so just as a Christian would follow their deity Yahweh someone who was Wicca would follow their deities the Great Mother Goddess and Horned God [placeholder names – real names taught to you when you are initiated into Wicca].

When you say that you are still in your year and a day I can only assume then you are in fact training to become Wicca, not Wicca yet, in which case this is something you need to talk to your coven about as they are the ones training you so should be able to advise you far better than anyone on Yahoo! Answers. The coven should be able to explain to you that although Wicca is henotheistic, meaning it does not deny the existence of other gods, it still follows it's own gods as part of it's beliefs.

Answer 3

Hmmmmm. The Celtic pantheon? It doesn't exist. The ancient Celts were not a united people. They were tribal peoples who each honored their own deities. There are Gaulish deities, Irish deities, Brythonic deities, etc. but there wasn't a singular "Celtic" pantheon that all tribes recognized. This is one of the problems with the misinformation that is widely distributed on the internet and by unethical authors.
For accurate information about the deities that some of the Celtic peoples worshiped, I recommend "The Gods of the Celts" by Miranda Green. Other good authors on Celtic studies are Barry Cunliffe, Patrick Ford, Jeffrey Gantz, and Ann Ross.

I don't know if the ancient Brythonic peoples worshiped a deity they called Arianrhod, but I recognize a deity with some of the traits that she was shown with. The myth of Arianhrod can be found in the Mabinogion in the book of Math Ap Mathonwy. I have translations by Charlotte Guest, Jones and Jones, Jeffrey Gantz and Patrick Ford. For a description of the Mabinogion and a review of each of these translations:
http://www.digitalmedievalist.com/faqs/mabinogi.html
For a good on-line translation of the Mabinogion:
http://www.mabinogi.net/translations.htm
Just click on the Fourth Branch for the tale that involves Arianrhod.

Most covens encourage their seekers to explore the deities of various cultures. It is a good thing. But be sure to research deeper than just surface stuff. Try to find out who worshiped the deity, exactly where and when they were worshiped, look for any archaeological evidence of their followers, and actually take the time to read any of the translated texts regarding them (re-tellings are okay, but for a first reading it is better to read what was really written before reading someone else's interpretations of what was written).

For example, I have read many times of people considering Arianrhod to be a wonderful mother goddess. But in the only tale about her, she lies about being a virgin, accidentally gives birth to twins whom she immediately disowns, then goes on to lay three curses on one of her sons. She never took care of either of her children and refused to give Lleu Llaw Gyffes simple things like a name or armor--and then cursed him to never know the love of a mortal woman. I like Arianrhod, but definitely not for her mothering qualities. If you read the story you will understand. Study, study, study. Dig deeper and be careful of what sources you are trusting.

If you are interested in any other information on the Celtic peoples, please don't hesitate to ask.

Answer 4

I think it is ok no matter how long you have practiced. We learn and grow over time, and so do our beliefs. I am new myself and haven't selected any pantheon yet, and I might not. I might simply incorporate them all.

BB