Recently, I was asked to put together a series of resources on deity work and honor, so this article is the beginning of many resources to come.
What is Deity Work and Honoring Deities?
An overview of deities
In pagan and spiritual beliefs, deities are considered powerful, divine beings that embody different aspects of nature, the universe, and human experience. These deities are often revered for their wisdom, guidance, protection, and support on humans’ healing journeys. They have unique qualities and characteristics that influence various aspects of life, such as love, fertility, war, healing, wisdom, and creativity.
Deities can take many forms, including personified gods and goddesses, animals or symbols, frequencies or energies, and more. Many spiritual practitioners understand deities as interconnected forces that exist within and around us, guiding us on our spiritual journey and helping us connect with the divine energies of the universe.
To start off this article and topic, let's discuss what we mean at the Sacred Wisdom Society when we are talking about deity work or honoring deities.
Deity Work — This involves directly contacting, communicating with, building a relationship with, and tapping into the energy of a specific personified (persona = mask) god or goddess. Working with a deity can be a one-off, a short-term connection, or a long-term partnership.
For some, depending on their goals and intentions, they may invoke or evoke a deity for a single ritual, such as Aphrodite in a self-love working.
In other situations, a deity may be present for a finite window of time while someone is navigating a new chapter in their life, such as Brigid in seasons of creativity.
And in some instances, deities may be in someone's life for a longer duration, such as when someone is a daughter or son of a god or goddess, a devotee of a deity, or even a priest or priestess to the entity. These types of connections formed with the gods are not for the faint of heart, nor are they intended for everyone to pursue. They also are not required for any type of spiritual or occult path you're pursuing, so do not feel pressured to dive into deity work if you don't feel the pull of a god or goddess or have a natural draw to the field.
Honoring Deities — This involves the acknowledgment of the role or title of a particular deity. Anyone can honor any deity and not work with them, venerate them, or be devoted to them. This typically comes from a general place of respect for the being in question but doesn't have the same weight and expectations of actually working with them on a regular basis. Think of this as having admiration for a celebrity. You might have a poster or things that are symbolic of them in your home, but you wouldn't claim them to be a personal friend or family member of yours when you don't actually know them in that capacity.
Who typically dabbles in deity work and honor?
As briefly mentioned above, deity work is for spiritual practitioners who feel called by a particular god or goddess to actively build a relationship with them and potentially even devote themselves to the higher being. This isn't meant for everyone, but for those who are called to it, I have no doubt you will find a great deal of fulfillment through the process. On the other hand, honoring a deity is something that can be practiced by anyone regardless of their spiritual path much like how anyone can admire a celebrity and enjoy their energy, what they represent, etc.
How will I feel once I start dabbling in deity work or honoring specific deities?
Everyone is different, of course, but for me and many other spiritual practitioners, diving into deity work or even simply choosing to recognize or honor a particular being is incredibly fulfilling. For me, I often see and hear the being I'm working with, and nearly every time, I am in awe of their beauty and moved to tears by the love and comfort of their energy. Each god and goddess has their own "vibe" and brings different emotions and feelings to the surface, so that can play a big role in how you feel once you start dabbling in this practice as well.
Is Deity Work or Honoring Deities Dangerous or Evil?
Absolutely not. Can it be difficult and uncomfortable at times because it requires us to be spiritually open and learn to heal ourselves through these higher connections? Yes, of course. But it is not inherently dangerous or evil, though anytime we dabble in the spiritual realms, we can certainly become susceptible to malicious unseen forces, that is why the practice of grounding, cleansing, protection, banishing, and spiritual discernment is incredibly important.
Can deity work or honor be good/positive/helpful?
Most definitely. Though the intentions for how deity work is used is ultimately up to the spiritual practitioner, if your goals are to heal and grow personally and help others as well, then it can certainly be used for good. Alternatively, as with any spiritual practice, the knowledge and wisdom that comes with dabbling in deity work, or even the way their personified energies can be evoked and invoked, can certainly be used to bring about destruction and harm to both the living and the dead as well. This makes it all the more critical to be discerning, mature, and prudent in how you navigate these relationships, and how you're working with the energy. As with all things though, the choice is yours in how you practice and what you do with this power.
Should I be scared of deity work or honor?
While it can sound scary to dabble with something so weighty, we do not need to fear deity work itself, as long as we are educated on what it is, know how to properly ground, cleanse, and protect ourselves before practicing, and are clear on our intentions, there is so much healing, growth, and transformation simply waiting to burst forth.
Practicing Deity Work or Honoring Deities
What to know before getting started
As with any spiritual practice that aims to connect with the other side, spirits, or the deceased, it is important to understand that there are beings in existence that are malicious or malevolent in nature. If at any point you find yourself dealing with an entity that is parasitic, know that this is NOT the spirit of a god or goddess, but rather an entity whose only intention is to feed off the life force of whatever host it can latch onto. If you are unfamiliar with these types of entities, I would strongly caution you against dabbling in deity work until you are well-educated on them, as you can put an unnecessary target on yourself. You can learn more about parasitic entities here.
If you're already familiar with the fundamentals of grounding, cleansing, protection, banishing, and parasitic entities, you'll have a good basis for everything that we'll dive into relating to deity work and honor. However, if your only goal is to honor a deity and not necessarily communicate or work with them, don't stress yourself out about these other topics, though they are helpful to know regardless of your path.
Deities and Pantheons
Within paganism and deity work, many deities are grouped into "pantheons" which are lumped together often based on region, culture, or religion that recognized a certain set of gods and goddesses. At the Sacred Wisdom Society, we understand that this division is important for people to categorize different beings while still recognizing the synchronicities between them, but with that being said, we don't particularly like to view divine beings in man-made constructs like pantheons if we don't have to—for the sake of simplicity though, and aiding you on your research, we've highlighted below a small handful of pantheons and popular gods and goddesses that people work with or honor. Generally speaking though, we typically steer away from the pantheon "boxes" that gods and goddesses are put into, especially when thinking about the 117 epithets of Spirit, or Lady Wisdom, that are fundamental to our beliefs at the Sacred Wisdom Society.
Greek Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Greek Pantheon: Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hermes, Demeter, Dionysus
Mesopotamian Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Mesopotamian Pantheon: Anu, Enlil, Ea, Marduk, Ishtar, Shamash, Nanna
Egyptian Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Egyptian Pantheon: Ra, Osiris, Isis, Anubis, Horus, Thoth, Bastet
Canaanite Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Canaanite Pantheon: El, Ba'el, Asherah, Astarte, Anat, Mot
Norse Pantheon:
Popular deities people petition from the Norse Pantheon: Odin, Thor, Freya, Frigg, Loki, Baldr, Heimdallr
Always Start with Grounding, Cleansing, and Protecting Yourself and Your Space
How to Ground Yourself
Grounding before any form of deity work is incredibly important as it ensures that you are connected to your body, the material realm, and very much present for everything that is to follow. You can ground your energy in several ways including, spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagining roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, and more. Remember that grounding is a personal practice, so feel free to explore different techniques and find what works best for you.
How to Cleanse Your Space
To cleanse the energy of your space before performing any type of deity work, you can smoke cleanse with sacred dried herbs, sound cleanse with bells or singing bowls, or utilize energy-clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends. Each method has its unique way of clearing negative energy and creating a positive environment for your deity energy work, so use whatever method is easily doable and works best for you. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing the space you’ll be working in of any negative or stagnant energy so that you have a neutral starting point.
How to Protect Your Space
After cleansing the space to bring it to a neutral state energetically speaking, you’ll then want to protect yourself and the space from any additional unwanted energies from entering. This is a critical step as it helps minimize the risk of parasitic entities or malevolent beings from sneaking their way into your space while spiritual doorways or portals are "open" — do not ever skip protective steps when performing any type of deity working, even if it's a seemingly simple or straightforward practice. Protection can be implemented by setting an energetic boundary, such as casting a circle, if this aligns with your spiritual path and beliefs, wearing protective crystals, such as black obsidian, black tourmaline, or hematite, or casting a protection spell, or utilizing a protective ward.
You can protect your space and create a protective circle with the support of the elements using the steps below.
Facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!"
Turning right and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aim to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Hail and welcome!"
How to Practice Deity Work or Honor
After effectively grounding yourself and cleansing and protecting the space you’ll be working in, here are a few different methods that I have personally used to practice deity work as taught to me by my spirit guides. Remember, after the deity working is performed, you will want to close out the ritual in reverse order by re-protecting yourself and your space, re-cleansing yourself and your space from any lingering negative or stagnant energy, and re-grounding yourself to diffuse built-up energy from the working itself.
- Research the Deity — Finding reliable, accurate, and sound information on a deity is a great first place to start. There are many misinformed resources available on the internet today, with lots of content generated by AI, inexperienced practitioners, or people who are solely regurgitating information they've found in other places that hasn't been vetted or lacks first-hand experience. If possible, look for some resources based on the history and mythos of the deity (stories, mythology, ancient traditions, etc.), some resources based on personal experience in working with the deity (books, blogs, groups, etc.), and some resources based on magickal insights in working with the deity (grimoires, sacred texts, etc.). This can give a well-rounded insight from multiple different perspectives.
- Honor the Deity — Start with something small. Light a tea light or something very simple to simply acknowledge the presence of the deity in the universe and your recognition of them. This doesn't have to be anything major, truly. If you are ready to do more than this, you could dress a candle with ritual oils and herbs, or something that entails putting more intentions and energy into the way you want to honor them.
- Petition the Deity — This involves carefully researching the deity's attributes, symbols, and preferred methods of veneration. Crafting a thoughtful ritual, using appropriate offerings, and maintaining a focused, meditative state can help facilitate a meaningful connection. The goal is to humbly request the deity's aid or blessing, while acknowledging their power and authority. A successful petition requires sincere faith and alignment with the deity's principles and domains. For example, you might petition Nemesis to help bring a greater sense of justice and balance into your life, or Asmodel or Medusa to help you process and heal from sexual trauma.
- Connect with the Deity — The goal is to tap into the deity's energy, wisdom, and protection, and to receive guidance and blessings from this higher power. This connection is highly individualized and can take time to cultivate, but the rewards can be profound, leading to a deeper sense of purpose, meaning, and spiritual fulfillment. You might practice connecting with a deity through divination, such as tarot, or through a ritual crafted to evoke their spirit in your space.
- Meditate with the Deity — Meditating with a deity in the magickal sense involves focusing one's attention on a specific divine being during the practice. This can help practitioners feel a deeper connection to the energy and qualities associated with that deity. The meditation may involve visualization techniques, mantra recitation, or simply holding the deity in one's mind and heart. For example, you might try listening to a guided meditation with the intention of meeting with the deity you're focused on to receive any messages they may have for you.
- Venerate with the Deity — This process typically includes rituals, offerings, and devotional acts aimed at honoring the deity's attributes, seeking their guidance, and aligning oneself with their energy and principles. Veneration serves to cultivate a reciprocal relationship between the human and the divine for a specific purpose. For example, you might choose to venerate a deity by leaving an offering of wine or something you believe would honor them in hopes of them being more present in your life.
How to Re-Protect Yourself
After the deity working, you’ll want to re-protect your energetic field to repair any places where vulnerabilities may have arisen following connecting with liminal space. Take a moment to visualize your energy being slowly mended and strengthened before closing out the protective circle that was created with the support of the elements. These steps will be done in reverse order from how they were first performed.
Stand up and facing North, speak: "Thank you to the North and the element of Earth for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing West, speak: "Thank you to the West and the element of Water for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing South, speak: "Thank you to the South and the element of Fire for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell."
Turning left and facing East, speak: "Thank you to the East and the element of Air for protecting and assisting me through this deity working, allowing only the divine being I aimed to connect with to be present, and preventing any energies that aren't aligned with my highest good from entering this sacred space. Thank you and farewell."
Be intentional going forward to protect your energy. Find what works best for you, whether it be veiling (wearing a head covering), wearing protective crystals, wearing a protective talisman or amulet, shielding through glamour magick, or whatever your preferred method is.
How to Re-Cleanse Yourself
To cleanse your energy (and space if you feel it’s necessary) after performing this deity working, you can utilize the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as smoke cleansing with sacred dried herbs, using sound cleansing with bells or singing bowls, or utilizing energy clearing sprays like Florida water or other cleansing blends.
Alternatively, you also might opt for something that’s more personal to cleanse yourself, such as a ritual cleansing shower or bath. Remember to be intentional through the process, so if you are going to cleanse with burning dried herbs again, for example, do not simply wave the burning herbs and smoke around yourself or your space, but set your intentions and focus on cleansing your energy so that you feel clean, refreshed, and energized.
How to Re-Ground Yourself
Grounding after a deity working is incredibly important as it ensures that any excess energy is redirected back to the ground/earth. You can ground your energy utilizing the same method you did at the beginning of the ritual, such as spending time in nature, walking barefoot on the grass or soil to feel the connection to the earth, sitting crisscross on the ground to connect your root energy source to the earth, imagine roots growing from your feet into the earth anchoring you firmly, practicing intentional breathing exercises, etc.
Remember, just as we tend to our physical bodies with care and attention, so too must we nurture our spiritual well-being. By cultivating a practice of grounding, cleansing, and protecting ourselves we can fortify our energetic boundaries and safeguard our essence from anything who seeks to drain it.
May you walk your path with wisdom and prudence. Blessed be on your journey of spiritual growth and healing.