Wiccans and Pagans please...?

Question

I've been wiccan for about a month and am having trouble understanding the different pantheons. Are all the deities completely different? Or are the pantheons the same just with different names (ex. Zeus is Odin in Norse and vice versa, Aphrodite is Freya, etc. etc.)? Are are there just two, the God and Goddess and they just have a bunch of different names(ex. Zeus is Odin, Posiedon, etc.)?
I hope this doesn't confuse anyone.
Please no comments about the Christian God, I used to be Christian and don't believe in him anymore, respect my beliefs and I'll respect yours.
Thanks all.

I'm Ecclectic Wiccan.

Answer 1

Depends on who you ask. And, I recommend wearing the flame-proof undies before asking, some folks get a bit adamant about their answers.

Some folks will say, yes, all deities are one. At the other end of the spectrum, there's other folks who insist that all deities are individuals.

Add in that a number of folks allow for "regional" differences (Lugh is Llew is Lugos, etc.) and that there's similarities between pantheons (Greek and Roman seems to be the most common, but some folks have drawn parallels between most of the Indo-European religions).

So, no easy, consistant answer from the community, I'm afraid.

Answer 2

Well, its my belief that Gods and Goddesses are just personifications. We can't hope to fully understand Deity, but if we divide it into separate deities we can understand each better and thus the whole. There are as many ways of doing this as there are people.

Some simply divide deity into male and female, some go further and use pantheons. Some are based on the classical pantheons of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Norse, etc. Others consist of the Gods and/or Goddesses which speak to you most, though they may be of different cultural origins. Some people follow a single God/Goddess, though I think that would be feel a bit lop-sided, much like modern Christianity.

Also being from a Christian background, I find pantheons interesting, but I don't think they're for me. I prefer the God and the Goddess, it feels balanced and keeps things simple.

As for the deities you mentioned, Zeus is different from Odin, but they're both faces of the God. Aphrodite is different from Freya, but they are both faces of the Goddess. It just depends on how much complexity you're comfortable with.

Follow your heart.

Answer 3

The answer completely depends on the Tradition you are a part of.

Most traditional Wiccans do not think that Odin=Zeus* or believe in archetypes/aspects, although it can appear that way if you have a dabbling understanding, not an indepth one. Most Wiccans think the gods are real, not imagined.

I strongly suggest, if you are not part of a tradition already, joining one, as they can be very helpful in answering these kinds of questions.

(Jupiter does=Zeus, but that's not the same.)

If you have no idea what traditions might interest you, try this page:
http://www.witchvox.com/_x.html?c=trads
It has over 60 profiles of traditions of Wicca and other paths of Paganism. Use common sense, avoiding those groups that ask for money or claim to be ancient, however.

By the way, some Wiccans have been sold a bill of goods where they think joining a tradition means blindly following a leader or giving up something in themselves. If you've been told this, and buy it, I'd contend you're already blindly following a leader, and you've already given up something of yourself.

Answer 4

The way I've always viewed it is (and this will more than likely vary between Pagans) there's an unnameable source, the Void, Chaos, if you will. From there comes feminine and masculine energies (God and Goddess). Breaking them down into further human aspects are where I envision the gods and goddesses of the pantheons (Apollo for masculine insight, etc.). I think a lot of the pantheons are just how the people saw the divine in their culture, so while they have different faces, they all lead to the same place.

Answer 5

It's more a matter of personal belief. Many Pagans think that all gods and goddesses are parts of a universal whole, to which we are all connected. "Thou art God(ess)."

Some believe that the gods are manifestations of the subconscious, and are internal.

Some believe that the gods of each pantheon are seperate dieties, who are exactly as once worshipped.

Some say that all the dieties are all one, and the individual personas are just parts of that one diety.

Answer 6

it incredibly is problematic to come across books to describe paganism, simply by variety of ideals. I certainly have discovered some books on the Theosophical society. in case you have a sort of on your city, you're turning out to be some luck. Amazon has fairly a inventory too. so a good distance, the only e book i've got been happy with replaced right into a library e book referred to as "What do Pagans have faith?" it incredibly is portion of a sequence of maximum religions. it incredibly is probable slightly previous to your babies, yet they could be ok in case you study it to them.

Answer 7

From what I have been taught they are the same. Isis is an ASPECT of the goddess just like Diana, Astarte, ect. Its just whatever feels comfortable for you.
Your tradition comes to you. Its something you slid into and just feels right. Good luck!
Blessed Be

Answer 8

The answer to both questions could be yes, and yes, as I see it.

You could see that each of these are a similar way to view the same god.

Or you could see them as overlapping gods, that have some similarities but are not exactly the same.

The choice is up to you.

Answer 9

you should just go back to playing dungeons and dragons and quit bothering people