Which Gods for Witch?

Question:

In Christianity, their God demands that no other Gods are to worshipped. Is it that way in Wicca or is the Goddess and God okay with Wiccans worshiping other Gods like Ra or Venus? I thought it was okay, but for some reason this question came up.

Answer:

I'll have to start by giving a disclaimer: While my personal practices are very similar, I'm not technically Wiccan, but I have enough experience with Wiccans (I'm married to one) and their Path, I think, to answer you in a general fashion.

In Wicca, Gods and Goddesses are viewed primarily as "archetypes." By this, I mean that by drawing on pantheons from other, more ancient traditions, Wiccans can access Spirit in a way that is relevant to their needs. Wiccans tend to gravitate towards Celtic and Greek deities, but it's not uncommon to find people who also call on those originating in Egyptian, Norse, Sumerian, or Babylonian systems, to name a few.

The Greeks and Romans worshipped many of the same Gods and Goddesses, but in most cases had different names for them. Therefore, if you call on Venus, you are using the Roman name for the same Goddess that the Greeks called Aphrodite. Similarly, Ra, the Egyptian Sun God, is similar in many of his aspects to the Roman God, Apollo.

Unlike many Christians, who interpret their God, Yahweh, as being a jealous Deity who disallows worship of any other God or Goddess, most Wiccans see all the Gods and Goddesses as aspects of Deity as a whole, so that calling on one does not anger or incur the wrath of another. This is NOT a universal idea, however; there are many Wiccans who are dedicated to one particular Goddess, for instance, and who view each Deity as a separate and unique entity.

Since there is no central Wiccan authority, nor is there any universally recognized dogma or doctrine for the Wiccan faith, it falls to each of its followers to seek out their own Path to connection with the divine, and with the Gods and Goddesses. For many people, this is part of the appeal. Some women, for example, who may have had negative experiences with the patriarchal God of Christianity, might come to Wicca as a way to relate to only the feminine aspect of Deity, and worship only the Goddess. More specifically, there are even groups of Wiccans who follow one Goddess (Diana is a good example of this), exclusively, because her archetype and characteristics meet their particular needs.

Wicca, like most of the Pagan paths followed today, is a religion of personal choice, responsibility, and accountability. Unless you choose to study with a very authoritative teacher or dogmatically restrictive coven, chances are you aren't going to be spoon-fed the answers to these questions... you're going to have to seek them out on your own. In my experience, the honest Seeker will find that if he or she diligently searches for the Divine, whether it is to choose a particular God or Goddess to follow, a particular pantheon to include, or even a form of Wicca to study, Spirit will meet us more than halfway. Remember... to those of us who are called to this Path, "God" and "Goddess" are more than just transcendent beings, sitting "up there, somewhere" and looking down at us here below... Deity is present within every piece of creation. This is called immanence, and it reminds us that within each human being, each animal friend, each tree and flower, crystal and rock, drop of water and tongue of flame, gust of wind and the earth Herself, there is a spark of the Divine. This is why we respect all things, treat the Earth with gentleness, meet our brothers and sisters of whatever path with kindness. It is why we struggle to overcome society's negative messages to us, and learn to value ourselves both inside and out. A worshipful relationship with any representation of this ever-present Deity can hardly be cause for jealousy when we are all, human and divine, connected.