Deities and the Dark Moon
Dark moon energy comes into our lives in many forms: the faceless grim reaper, the fearsome hag, the grinning skeleton riding a black horse. This dark moon energy has many names.
Working with deity is something that many new witches fear. I’ve often fielded concerns about angering deity, invoking the wrong one accidentally, or offending a god or goddess. While some would have you believe that all deities are loving parental figures who have only your peace and happiness at heart, this really is not always the case.
In most of the workings in this book, you can focus just on the power of the dark moon. This is the most simple and raw way to begin and is something I prefer myself. For those who struggle with this abstract idea and would rather give the energy a face and name, I’ve made a brief list of deities who are associated with matters of death, renewal, revenge, and other dark moon pursuits. These are meant only as a reference point, for giving sufficient information on all of them would fill volumes.
The simplest way to begin to think about deity in terms of the dark moon is with the Crone archetype.
The Dark Moon as the Crone
For the sake of simplicity and because it is what works best for me, I often use the word Crone when referring to the dark moon influence. It’s important to note here that not everyone gives it the same face as I do, and certainly not always a female one. Dark moon energy can appear as a wise man or sage, a faceless cloaked figure with a scythe, or simply a mass of energy. When I use the word Crone, feel free to replace it with what resonates with you. The name we give this phenomenon is not as important as understanding and connecting with what the dark cycle really is. The title is just a guidepost for the conscious mind.
Understanding the dark moon current in terms of the Crone archetype is a good start. From there, you can determine your own terminology and find what feels right. When calling upon the Crone (or sage, shadow current, or dark energy), you are invoking so much more than just the image of an old woman or a Halloween witch. You are stirring up and embracing the dark of the moon, the very essence of night, the nature of darkness, the sleep of winter. You are welcoming the primal ancient energy of death, destruction, regeneration, and the “unknown” element of growth.
The Crone is part of the Triple Goddess, who encompasses the three stages of life: Maiden, Mother, and Crone. These phases, and the goddesses and gods that fall under each, fit the moon cycles of waxing, full, and waning. The Crone archetype holds the cauldron of death and rebirth. The cauldron represents the space between endings and beginnings. It occupies a place wedged deeply in the human consciousness, a place of fear, for things disappear forever into that cauldron … or do they? The cauldron ends life but also generates birth. In its most basic, mundane form, a cauldron takes plants and animals and transforms them into life-sustaining food for humans. At its most metaphysical, the cauldron takes away our souls at the end of our lives and renders them into their next incarnation.
Such is the mythology of the Crone, the keeper of the cauldron. She takes life away and she gives life back. When winter comes, the light and warmth disappear into her cauldron so she can turn them into spring. A relationship ends and goes into the vastness, and in its place she presents opportunity and life change. When one thing ends, she always produces something new to take its place.
Eventually everything must go into the shadows. Even you. And that is why the Crone and her moon phase are so feared. The Crone rules over the ultimate unknown: death. She rules over the cold season when fields are dormant and trees shiver barren against the dark sky. She is the moment when the wolf kills the deer. She is disease, accidents, and killing. She is our own death and the death of everyone we know. She, and all the deities she represents, is the one who snips the cord that ties us to the earthly plane. Naturally, everyone fears her and her cauldron. But what people forget is that she is also a creator. Death is double-sided, for on the other side is birth. This is a law of the universe. The Crone and her deities also rule over new beginnings and fresh starts. The abyss of “death” and the unknown is a wellspring of knowledge, wisdom, and power beyond our wildest imaginings. The cauldron, or dark moon phase, is a place of miraculous transformation.
The Crone and the dark moon current are felt at times of initiation in our lives. She beckons us to follow a path full of shadows. Often she does not offer a choice to turn back, but instead forces us to go forward through the darkness and out the other side. She calls us in many ways. There is, of course, our physical mortality, when we are old, sick, or dying, but beyond this, she cycles throughout our lives multiple times, such as at winter. The Crone comes to give us the hardest lessons of all, those of death, loss, endings, and revenge. She challenges us to grow by facing our inner darkness (the scariest thing of all), and once we do, we emerge with a better understanding of ourselves, our nature, and our life’s purpose.
The Crone presents us with what are perceived as the challenges and hardships in life, but she is also the opening of a new book. Always. She holds the keys of opportunity and light, but as with any quest, before you open the lock, you must first vanquish the darkness and find the door.
Do not fear endings or death, because there truly is no such thing. There is only change and transformation.
Approaching Deities
Deities are made of raw, primordial energy. Not all of them are nice and pleasant, just as all the forces of nature are not pleasant. A tornado, for example, is a powerful force of devastation that I would say is the natural equivalent of a god or goddess of destruction. There’s nothing gentle and understanding about a tornado though, is there? Many deities are the same way: they don’t necessarily have a moral compass that matches your own idea of what is nice or not, loving or hateful, negative or positive. They just are. It’s up to you to channel them appropriately and carefully. While they may not actively seek to harm you, they do demand a certain amount of respect and acknowledgment, particularly the ones we are discussing here. When you do decide to ask these deities to enter your life, they will. And they don’t typically do their work quietly. Don’t ask them to come and help you unless you’re ready to receive their lessons and deal with the consequences.
Sometimes people claim deities of death and destruction are bad or evil, but that’s only because they’re uncomfortable with the destructive side of change. This is understandable and natural: change is hard. It’s painful. It can feel like your world has been smashed. However, this destruction is exactly what’s necessary to create something new, which the dark gods and goddesses know. The old adage about having to hit rock bottom in order to activate change is an apt one. If what you need is a harsh lesson or figurative smack on the head to get you moving, that’s what these deities will give you whether you like it or not. This requires you to be honest with yourself about your situation and your own role in it.
When it comes to invoking deity, also bear in mind that it’s unwise to go into it without doing sufficient research first. While it’s true I’m only providing a brief list here, the list is only to get you started with a basic idea of what these gods and goddesses do. From here, I strongly suggest researching each one in depth before invoking them. In conjunction with research, a safe way to get to know deity is to meditate with them. Each god and goddess has a different story and personality. To approach them blindly without truly understanding or respecting them can lead to surprising and uncomfortable results. Gods and goddesses are often multifaceted, and it’s important to establish a rapport with them before asking for their aid.
Many gods and goddesses are alive and well around the world, being celebrated today in specific ways relevant to the culture from which they come. It’s important to learn about these current practices, making sure to fully understand the modern-day traditions associated with that deity. It’s no good to feel an affinity to a deity only to accidentally disrespect it and its practitioners by not following the current customs for honoring it correctly. It’s disrespectful not just to that deity, but to the people who practice with them and the entire culture surrounding it.
For example, Santa Muerte is an important death saint/goddess in some Mexican belief systems that go back for centuries and has recently gained popularity with witches around the world. It’s important to recognize that Santa Muerte has living, present-day followers with a long line of traditions that must be valued. While I agree she is definitely appealing and intriguing, that doesn’t mean I can just grab her image and start playing around. If I felt really compelled to include her in my life, I would do several things. First, read all about her—history, mythology, modern practice, everything. Second, seek out actual traditional followers of Santa Muerte and learn firsthand how she is included in their personal practice. You can find lots of individuals online and on social media and learn from books written by them. Third, consider what she means to the culture she is part of and why. You will be able to get a feel for what is considered disrespectful to this goddess and how to approach her. Appropriating Santa Muerte, or any deity, by approaching her thoughtlessly is also offensive to her living followers. By insulting her culture, you’re insulting her too. That’s not a good way to get started with any deity!
This same thorough method can be applied to any deity you wish to learn more about. Pay close attention to the culture they are part of and their place within it.
Personally, I have a very basic and simple approach to deity, and I often see them in their simplest forms. For shadow work, I sometimes literally turn to the dark moon and work with that energy, for I feel it is a direct conduit to the shadow current. However, many people prefer more specific versions of this, with a myth or legend behind them. For some, it’s easier to relate to a humanized form of primal shadow energy, something they can see in their mind’s eye with relatable traits, features, and personalities.
These deities have been chosen for their associations with shadow magick. Read through and see if one stands out to you, and if it does, research it further before performing the rite that follows. If the deity you’re looking for is not on the list, it isn’t intentional. I’m only speaking of deities I myself am familiar with—specifically Greek, Roman, Celtic, and Egyptian. There are far more pantheons to examine from all over the world, so don’t be afraid to explore all the information you can find.
Different Deities for Dark Moon Work
Each deity represents an aspect of the human condition, such as war, love, the arts, or fertility. Every pantheon around the world, while its myths and names are different, has a god or goddess representing these archetypes.
Psychopomps
Psychopomp refers to a being who carries the souls of the dead into the afterlife. These are the creatures who rule over seeing people safely from this world into the next. Psychopomps come in many different forms, including animals. Their role is usually not to judge the deceased but to merely guide them. Psychopomps can be invoked when you are doing spells involving actual physical death. When you have a loved one who is terminally ill, it can be therapeutic to meditate with a psychopomp to gain insight into where your loved one is going and the natural cycle of death. Psychopomps can also be called upon when you feel the spirit of a departed person isn’t resting easy and needs help getting to the next world. Sometimes when someone very close to you dies, especially if it is untimely, there can be a real sense of their spirit being restless. This is because they feel like they had unfinished business in this world, or they know you are grieving and having trouble accepting that they’re gone. Asking a psychopomp for help can put them, and you, at ease. They can help you understand the bigger cycle of life and see that death is not an ending but a transition into something else. On a smaller scale, a psychopomp can be called upon to assist you with undergoing any type of ending, such as losing a job, leaving a relationship, or moving. Psychopomps rule over death and endings of all kinds of things, both literally and figuratively.
The Valkyries: The Norse Valkyries are strong warrior women on horses who collect dead soldiers and carry them to Valhalla (the Norse afterlife for fighters). They hover over the battlefield, deciding who lives and dies. Once in the afterlife, the Valkyries provide feasts for the chosen soldiers. The Valkyries are associated with mercy and gentleness because they caringly carry the fallen. However, they are also ferocious and can destroy entire armies.
Anubis: The Egyptian psychopomp Anubis has the body of a man and the head of a jackal. Anubis resides over the purification of the soul and its journey to the afterlife. He also guards tombs and rules over the mummification process. Anubis weighs a person’s heart, which Egyptians believed contained the soul, against a feather, which represents truth. If their heart is lighter than the feather, they are able to proceed to the afterlife. However, if their heart is heavy, Anubis will feed it to a monster known as the “Eater of the Dead.”
Hermes: Hermes (known as Mercury to the Romans) is a Greek god usually depicted as a young, athletic man. He is a guide between worlds and the protector of merchants, thieves, and travelers. He is known as the messenger of the gods and can come and go to the underworld with ease, represented by his winged cap and sandals. It is also his job to lead the souls of the dead to the entrance of Hades, where they wait for Charon to pick them up.
Charon: Greek Charon steers the boat that carries the dead souls across the rivers Styx (the river of hate) and Acheron (the river of sorrow). Charon requires a fee for his service, so people would put coins in the mouth of their deceased to pay Charon for their passage across the rivers. Those who couldn’t pay the fee were doomed to wander the shores of the river and haunt the living.
Janus: Janus is the Roman god of endings and beginnings in one. He is the God of gateways, doorways, and thresholds. Janus has two faces, one to see the past and one to see the future. He is a mediator between gods and humans and creates bridges between past and present, young and old, primitive and modern. His liminal characteristics to my mind make him a dark deity who can bring both endings and beginnings. It is said he begins and ends conflict.
Grim Reaper: Depicted as a skeleton wielding a scythe and wearing a black cloak, the grim reaper is perhaps one of the most modern psychopomps. This specter of death harvests souls of the living with a massive sweeping blade, severing the life cycle. Mostly viewed as sinister, scary, and even evil, the grim reaper has much in common with other death deities known for “cutting the cord” of the living.
Destruction and Change
Deities of destruction automatically also rule over creation, as they are one and the same. These deities are called upon to bring about transition and dramatic change. You will want to be careful in approaching these forces, as they do not tread lightly once asked into your life. That’s not to say they are evil or bad but quite the opposite. They will initiate the change that is best for you, even if you don’t realize what that may be. Sometimes change that is best for you is different from what you asked for and these gods and goddesses might surprise you with their results. If you’re calling upon these deities, get ready for your life to fall apart and then be put back together. They can smash everything you know and rebuild it in a better way. Just be careful what you wish for.
Set: Set is an Egyptian trickster god whose head is a strange mix of animals atop a human body. Set is best known for his battles with his brother Horus, in which he committed violence and rape. In many texts he uses deception to get his way and is known as the god of chaos. Set represents all things that interfere with peace and harmony, such as destruction and confusion.
Hermes: As well as being a psychopomp, Hermes (Mercury) is extremely devious. A thief and a trickster, Hermes is thought to be a shameless liar. Hermes can be called upon when you wish to outwit or fool someone. Just be warned he might make a fool out of you too.
Eris: Eris is the Greek goddess of strife, hardship, and discord and is called Discordia by Romans. She is summoned to wreak destruction and havoc upon a situation. Her children, according to legend, represent a wide range of human misery, such as pain, murder, famine, and lies. She loves chaos and destruction and starts wars. She is associated with arguments and stirring up trouble whenever possible.
Loki: Loki is a Norse trickster and shape-shifter, sometimes called the god of mischief. Loki causes a lot of conflict for the gods and can change his gender at will. He is playful but can be malicious, and while willing to help in many cases, he is full of surprises. He offended the gods in mythology often and was punished, but he always managed to scam his way out of trouble.
The Erinyes: The Greek Furies embody the spirit of vengeance. They are said to inflict insanity upon evildoers in the form of pangs of guilt. The three Erinyes were named Alecto the unresting, Megara the jealous, and Tisiphone the avenger. They are hideous to gaze upon, described as having snakes for hair, dog faces, bat wings, and red eyes. They are tasked with doling out punishment upon those who interfere with the natural order of things and are particularly protective of mothers. In the underworld, they torture the dead.
War
Gods and goddesses of war are to be called upon in rituals and spells for revenge, victory, destruction, and competition. The energy of war deities is that of brute force and merciless attack. In artwork they’re often portrayed as strong and vicious, usually bearing weapons and wearing armor, some carrying grisly trophies of their conquests. Some examples of when the gods and goddesses of war can be called upon are in court cases, beating a rival for a job promotion or recognition, winning the heart of your beloved, and even against physical illness that you are warring with. They can also be called upon for protection.
Horus: Horus is the Egyptian sky god and protector of the pharaoh. Horus takes the form of a falcon or a man with the head of a falcon. His right eye is the sun and his left eye is the moon. In an epic battle, he defeated his enemy but lost his left eye, the moon. This eye was replaced by the gods and became a well-known symbol seen to this day, the “eye of Horus,” which is worn for protection and illumination.
Ares: The Greek god Ares (known as Mars to the Romans) encapsulates courage, masculinity, and law. While Ares represents strength and physical ability in combat, he also personifies the ugly aspects of war, such as blood and gore. Ares isn’t well liked by the gods or humans but is accepted for his unquenchable thirst for battle and bloodshed. He is seen as dangerous, aggressive, and easily provoked into outrage.
Montu: The Egyptian god Montu is sometimes shown with a bull’s head and other times with a falcon’s head. He is depicted wielding a variety of weapons, such as swords, knives, and arrows, and represents the destructive side of the sun. He also stands for protecting family values and is strongly opposed to infidelity.
Odin: Odin, the Norse god of war, has a throne in Valhalla, the Norse afterlife for warriors. A raven sits on each of Odin’s shoulders. One represents thought, the other memory. Odin is a father-figure god who sees and knows all. While he rules over war and victory, he, like many gods, wears more than one face and also rules over death and creation.
Thor: The Norse god of thunder and lightning has a violent temper and love of battle, which shows itself in his association with storms. He rides a chariot pulled by two huge goats. Thor wears a belt that doubles his strength and wields the well-known hammer MjÖlnir, which he uses to defeat giants. His hammer is a protective weapon, but it is also used to consecrate and bless. The symbol of the hammer of Thor is still seen often today in jewelry and fashion.
Artemis: Artemis (known as Diana to the Romans) is the Greek maiden goddess of the hunt, independent and equipped with arrows. She is called upon in midwifery, and when a woman dies in childbirth, it is believed to be her arrows that cause it. She is a protector of chastity, or, in modern terms, against sexual predators. She killed Orion for committing rape.
Athena: While a goddess of wisdom and art, the Greek goddess Athena (known as Minerva to Romans) is also a warrior goddess. She is depicted bearing military weapons. She conquered Poseidon in a contest over who would rule the city of Athens. However, Athena’s energy is not exactly nurturing: she was the one who turned a young girl into the monster Medusa for being raped by Poseidon in her temple. This indicates you shouldn’t disrespect or insult her even unintentionally.
The Amazons: These Greek warrior women live in an all-female tribe and only have contact with men once a year for procreation purposes. It is said they only keep their female children, either letting their sons die or sending them back to their fathers. They cut off their right breast to allow them to better perform archery and javelin throwing. Children of Ares, they are devoted to war and are known for their courage, brutality, and aggression. They have no use for males in their group and are fierce fighters who vanquish many. Amazons rejected the typical role of women at that time, which was to be subservient to men. The mythology of the Amazons is often referenced today regarding strong women who reject the rules of the patriarchy.
Rulers of the Underworld
Kings and queens of the underworld are different from psychopomps, who are more like messengers or modes of transport. The ones who rule the underworld reign over all the dead. They are not known for gentleness and are generally feared with good reason. However, they can be worked with in terms of understanding death and facing the darkest shadows inside ourselves. They rule over the empty times in life and can help in understanding the lessons behind loss. Be careful when dealing with these deities, as some are fearsome and merciless.
Re: By day, Egyptian Re traverses the sky as the sun, and at night he descends into the underworld to travel the dark waters by boat. Monsters, serpents, and chaos try to defeat him on this journey, but he slays them all and returns triumphant to shine another day. Re can help you traverse the dark times and come out the other side victorious.
Hades: Hades (known as Pluto to Romans) is the Greek ruler of the underworld. Hades is known for his mercilessness and for forcing Persephone to stay in the underworld against her will as his bride. Hades is the name of the god but also the underworld he rules over. Even though Hades is a lord of the dead, he is also associated with fertility of the earth along with cyclic order. The soul of the deceased is not able to cross into Hades unless the body has been properly buried in the earth. Hades rarely leaves the underworld, as he is not well received by other gods or by humans. It is said he is irreconcilable and does not respond to any sacrifices or pleas. In Hades, the god is accompanied by other ferocious, dreaded beings, and once someone enters Hades, they never leave. Hades’s energy is uncompromising and pitiless.
Persephone: Persephone (Proserpina to the Romans) was forced to be Hades’s wife in the Greek underworld for half the year. In winter, she is in the underworld, and during spring and summer, she emerges from Hades to rule fertile fields. Persephone symbolizes the shadow self and can be called upon to help you understand and accept the fallow parts of your experience, which we all cycle through inevitably. She can help you go from the darkness into the light and vice versa.
Osiris: The Egyptian god Osiris rules death and new beginnings. Usually depicted as mummified from the waist down, he has green or black skin to symbolize fertility of the land. While he is a god of death, he is also the god of vegetation. He is responsible for floods, drought, and success or failure of crops.
Hel: Hel is a terrifying Norse being of the underworld, her form said to be half woman, half rotting flesh, or half blue and cold like death. Hel means “hidden.” She is the queen of slaughter and decay, said to trample upon corpses in battle. The realm she rules over is also called Hel, an underground land of desolation in the afterlife. Hel is seemingly viewed more as a metaphor for death than as an actual goddess. She was born of the god Loki and a giantess, so she is not considered fully divine.
The Morrigan
The Celtic Morrigan is a goddess with whom I have a strong affinity, and therefore I’m writing more about her than any of the other deities here. I truly feel she is the one who wanted me to write this book. The Morrigan is a triple goddess who encompasses all the aforementioned traits. She is a psychopomp, a war goddess, a harbinger of destruction, and a queen of death all in one, which makes it impossible to categorize her.
During the writing of this book, which was also a time of great change in my life, the Morrigan made herself known to me in no uncertain terms. When this triple goddess decides to come to you, there is no ignoring her. She is the bearer of great change, shifts of mentality, battle, death, and new beginnings. She is a warrior goddess and a symbol of strength. She is the blood spilled in combat. She is the spirit of the crows and ravens who clean up the dead after war, carrying their souls to the afterlife. She is also the queen of sovereignty of the land and the self. She is the terrible mother who kills in order to create, yet she loves her children ferociously.
I was seeing her symbols everywhere, it seemed: crows in the sky, black feathers scattered on the ground, symbols like skulls and bones around me. She made it clear that she was present and that while she brought painful and inescapable change, she was there to help me understand it.
The lessons of the Morrigan are tough ones. She arrives in the form of what seems like chaos and destruction, the end of all that keeps you comfortable and secure … but she only does this when it is in your best interest to move forward and grow. So while she is a harbinger of destruction, she is also a mother figure who will guide you through it.
Understandably, many people are afraid to call upon a goddess of death and war. The Morrigan demands respect, and should you decide to meet her halfway when she’s calling you, be ready to accept some big changes. Her allegiance is earned, her wisdom is often achieved by overcoming a battle of some kind, and she has no time for dabblers. She should only be called upon in a curse that is for the greater good of many people and absolutely necessary. Don’t involve her in petty squabbles.
About Her Three Faces
The Morrigan is complex and appears in many different forms, an old hag in some myths and a beautiful young girl in others. Sometimes she is a banshee, sometimes a great protector. Her blood-curdling shriek is said to have killed men in their tracks. The most well-known face of the Morrigan is that of a battle goddess. The Celts believed she soared over the battlefield during war, filling her chosen warriors with a supernatural fighting frenzy while striking terror into the hearts of the enemies. After this, she was believed to carry the souls of the dead warriors to the otherworld. Pretty scary, right? But there’s more to her than just that.
The Morrigan bears the Maiden, Mother, and Crone aspects all rolled into one. Earlier we discussed the Crone archetype and how it fits with the dark moon phase of our lives. While the Morrigan has all three aspects, they fall on the dark side of the spectrum. To better understand her various powers, it’s important to know as much about her as possible. I’ve gathered some information here, but like I said, it is only a start.
The Morrigan is made up of three sisters known as Macha, Anu, and Badb. They’re all separate but part of the same whole.
Macha, the Maiden, is connected with the sun and earth, governing fertility and abundance. She is best known as the one who fights for sovereignty over her rich, fertile land. Macha is the one who swoops over the battlefields, inciting the fighting frenzy in her warriors and bringing death upon her enemies. Macha can be called upon to protect women, especially to fight for what is theirs. She can help you have sovereignty over yourself, your life, and your heart while bringing justice to oppressors.
Badb is most commonly connected with the Crone aspect of the Morrigan. She is the banshee whose screams signify death, she is the infamous washer at the ford who cleans the bloody armor of fallen fighters, and she is also the one who sends the crows to clean the battlefield by eating carnage left behind, thus transforming death into life. In Celtic legend, Badb was the keeper of the cauldron into which souls went to be transformed into their next incarnation. This same cauldron, when overflowing, would destroy everything around it. As the washer at the ford, she was a prophetess, for to see her meant you or a loved one would be next to die. Badb is a goddess of death and rebirth. She can be called upon for protection but also for guidance between endings and beginnings. She can aid with communicating with the dead and helping understand past lives.
Anu is the side of the Morrigan most connected to the Mother aspect, fertility, the land, and wealth. Anu is said to be the mother of all gods and keeper of livestock. Not a lot is known about Anu except that she is associated with the creation of crops and that she is part of the Morrigan. As the ruler of creation, Anu can be called upon for aid in creative projects and growth.
The Morrigan in Our Lives
The Morrigan shows up in our lives when we need her. I’ve seen her in my life in too many ways to count.
I’ve acted as psychopomp like Badb, at the bedside of my loved ones as they passed from this life into the next. I helped make them comfortable and tried to guide them through the transition when they were afraid. I’ve seen her creative Anu aspect in my writing and art as well as in motherhood. I’ve been a maiden like Macha in the most polar opposite of ways, as a fierce protector and as the provider of love. I’ve chosen my favorite people in the battle of life and protected and encouraged them.
Some say that you don’t choose the Morrigan, but she chooses you. In my case, I would definitely say that is true. Watch for her signs and you will find her. Know that when she is meant to be in your life, she will come.
How to Invoke Deity
To invoke a deity is to invite them into your magick circle to witness and lend power to your working. This can be done by having them join you in the circle or by inviting them into your body. In both cases, you will want to prepare an offering of thanks to give them afterward. How to do this is explained on page 40.
Each goddess and god has objects and colors associated with them, which you can use as inspiration to decorate your altar. Get a picture or statue of the deity to help you focus, and surround it with items that are sacred to them. For example, my Morrigan altar has crow feathers, a chunk of black obsidian, black candles, an incense burner, and a dark green altar cloth (I like to keep it simple). When you research your chosen deity, you will learn what items resonate best with them. You will also have meditated with them in order to fully understand their powers and whether or not they are right for your work.
Facing the Deity
One way to bring deity into a working is to invite them into your space as if they are sitting there with you. After you cast your circle, imagine the deity materializing before you. See their physical characteristics, such as attire, hair color, jewelry, and adornment. Now that they’re before you in your mind, tell them why you have called them and respectfully ask for their assistance. Some people like to write out an invocation ahead of time to read to the deity out of reverence. This should include:
• Respectfully requesting their presence
• Inviting them into your circle
• Asking them for their blessing
• Thanking them for their presence
After you have read or recited your invocation, spend time with the deity and just feel them. Take note of images or thoughts that come to you. If they’re part animal, perhaps they smell like it. Consider the texture of their skin, fur, or scales. You may want to touch them to make them more real to you. Are their hands dry and withered or strong and large? Is there light emanating from them, and if so, what color is it? Do they touch you back? Do they speak or tell you something with images or sounds?
You may feel frightened because some of them have great power that is overwhelming. You may also feel love, happiness, or even rage, depending on what they are like and what kind of working you’re doing. While this exercise did begin with imagining the deity in your mind, as you do this, you will find they become quite real in the astral realm, with a life and personality of their own.
Now is the time to enact your spell, while the deity is with you in spirit form. When you’re done, thank the deity, close your circle, and leave them an offering.
The second way to invoke deity is to actually invite them into your body while you perform your rite. This should be done with caution, and perhaps not alone, as some people claim to be unable to remember things afterward. Sometimes the deity pushes the individual out completely and takes over the mind and body of the witch.
You can read your invocation to them as before, only this time instead of seeing them in front of you, feel them inside you. Sense your body becoming theirs. You may wish to sit or stand in a way that mimics how they are shown in pictures. Feel their attire on your body, whether it’s heavy armor, jewelry, or light robes. Sense your face take on their features, their eye color, their hair or headdress. If they are winged or have a tail, feel the weight of the wings on your back and the tail growing from your spine. When done correctly, you should feel like you’re partly the deity, partly yourself, kind of like wearing a costume. Perform your spell while they are inside you in this way.
Some would say that assuming the god form like this is reserved only for very experienced practitioners. You may find that in this trancelike state you don’t feel like yourself at all but are a different creature.
For this type of invocation, it’s very important to separate yourself from the deity when you’re done, or you might feel unbalanced and strange for some time afterward. Thank the deity, close your circle, and give your offering as explained next. Visualize them leaving your body and walking or flying away from you. Spend some time focusing on your physical body to realign your energy. Lie on the floor or ground and become conscious of each body part, one at a time, starting at your feet. Wiggle them and feel the muscles working. Do the same for your legs, trunk, arms, and face, anchoring your senses in your physical self. Afterward, have something to eat and, if possible, take a walk to reconnect yourself fully with the present again.
Leaving an Offering
No matter what method of invocation you choose, remember to give an offering to deity after you are done. Leave your offering on the altar for them for several days after your ritual or place it outdoors. Your offering can reflect their characteristics and mythology or can be something general, as long as it is sincere. A common offering is to pour a glass of wine, beer, milk, or mead onto the earth in their name, while thanking them. Incense and flowers are also popular.
Make sure that for the time you are studying or working with a deity, you remember to regularly acknowledge them with daily offerings. This can be a stick of lit incense each day devoted to them in front of their picture or a special candle that you burn for ten minutes each day while meditating with them. The offering is very important; never call upon a deity for help and then forget all about them afterward. You will also find that as you dedicate these small acts to them, they will show up in other areas of your life, developing a relationship with you. Some deities stay with you for a little while as you work through a specific situation in your life and then fade, while others stick around for the long haul.