Protection: Part 5.2 - Worship

As a continuation of the Protection Series, I thought I'd spend some more time talking about the first type of relationship one can have with a spirit or set thereof: Worship.

Herein, I'll discuss worship and how to begin a dedicant practice.

Worship can take a great many forms and works as a segue into forming a pact with a spirit.  Later, when you have a decent understanding of the mechanics of worship and pacting, one can move into creating an informal relationship with a spirit that's based on mutual respect.  We all have to start somewhere though, and so this is where we begin.

With this in mind, most of us are born into this world with some sort of accepted form of worship that our family has engaged in for at least a generation or two.  In effect, we inherit our parents' preconceptions and faith because that's what we grow up around.  When that works for you, great! You can keep doing what you're doing and integrate what I talk about if it works for you. If it doesn't work for you, that's acceptable as well...the trick, from the point of this realization is finding your way.

If you, like so many others, find yourself in a situation where the beliefs your family members have held, its difficult to know where to start.  I recommend, heartily, going to your local library and checking out books on world mythology.  Depending on your level of education and your prior knowledge, you may or may not already have a pantheon in mind.  If you do, follow your heart and access as many books as you can on the subject of that set of spirits. 

If you lack the ability to go to a local library, your library is lacking insofar as available materials are concerned, or you are more comfortable researching online, I recommend sitting down at your computer, lighting a candle for inspiration, and getting down to it.  Here's a short list of sites you can use:

• GodChecker: A basic reference point useful when attempting to learn more specifics about common and obscure deities from a variety of places.
• Hindunet: A basic resource for one researching Hindu deities
• Sanatan Society: a basic resource for information on Hindu deities
• Theoi: a wonderful reference for information regarding Greek mythos
• Wikipedia: everyone knows about Wikipedia, but to recap, its a good place to go if you require inspiration.  One can spend hours link-hopping, and if you pay attention, you can take note of useful books and other sources to read.

Chances are you will find one or two that speak to you and get your heart pumping. 

To be clear, the above sites are reference points, not absolutely factual stories about various deities.  They are mentioned with the singular purpose of assisting seekers with finding inspiration. I would not take all you read as fact, as I prefer to let the spirits tell me.  The point of this exercise is to get you to a place where you can contact and learn from your choice of spirit.

When you do find a spirit whose stories speak to you and cause a stirring within, the next step is to make contact. I suggest a simple ritual to get you started.  How you proceed from there is all a matter of developing your skills.

The ritual is as follows:

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Obtain a small candle in a color appropriate to the God or Goddess you wish to contact.  Do the same with an oil.  Ask that the spirit bless and consecrate the materia magica such that you may use it successfully.

Find yourself a quiet room and light said candle after anointing it with the appropriate oil (use common sense and don't risk a fire).  Offer up a small, inspired prayer to the deity and indicate that you wish to make contact.

After you've done so, meditate on the spirit and the rite.  Record anything that comes up in a journal, then blow out the candle.  Be sure to thank the entity for their time.

Generally, if you make contact, you'll know.  Even those lacking psychic abilities generally feel something.  If you don't, or the feeling is one of rejection, I'd recommend either providing offerings to the spirit and then trying again later or moving on.  They do have the ability to reject you, as they live, feel, and think just like you or I do. They have the right to ask you to prove your worth too, as few are very dedicated, these days.

This brings me to a perhaps all-important point: Worship is about dedication, focus, and diligence.  If you are not able to keep to a schedule and provide the spirits you seek out with supplication and/or frequent attention, yet expect this from them, you'll get nowhere.  Rather, you'll sign yourself up for many small frustrations and, potentially, larger issues.  Be sure before you move forward, and start small. The last thing you want to do is get overwhelmed by trying to do too much too quickly. Maintaining relationships with spirits can feel like a full-time job, so be sure that you focus on a mutually beneficial arrangement.

In parting, I offer a final word with regard to caution.  Do be careful, as when you set out searching, you generally find something, even if its not actually what you were looking for.  Trickster spirits love to try to screw with folks and get worshipers doing their bidding, so be smart about it.  When in doubt, have someone else verify.

Happy hunting folks!

SE