Question for neo-pagans: Difference between venerating gods and spirits

[EverChanging]

For those of you who have worked with both gods and spirits or venerated both, do you feel there is a difference in your experiences between the two? I'm just wondering if there is since some neo-pagans don't feel drawn to gods at all and work solely with ancestors or other types of spirits.

 

[Quintessence]

I use the two terms interchangeably, therefore I don't process a difference between "gods" and "spirits." Well, that's not precisely the case. Let's get into the nuances of that, because it relates to how Paganisms approach deity in ways that are different than, say, the monotheisms folks in the West are more familiar with.

In the monotheistic traditions, what "god" can mean covers a narrow territory. When you have polytheism, the range of things that "god" can mean covers a considerably broader territory. At the end of the day, if we want to be culturally inclusive about defining what "god" means, a god is basically something a culture deems worthy of worship. It's like a title applied to something, similar to "doctor" or "professor." Such titles designate a role and a relationship. In the case of gods, the role is "worthy" and the relationship is "worship."

What does it mean to be "worthy?" It varies from tradition to tradition, but broadly speaking, it means something is held in high regard, deeply valued, or respected. What does it mean to have a relationship of "worship?" Again, it varies from tradition to tradition, but broadly speaking it means you demonstrate respect by doing things such as expressing gratitude, appreciation, or celebrating.

As far as I'm concerned, if something in your life is deemed worthy of worship, those are your gods. Honestly, the word used doesn't much matter. Gods. Spirits. Ancestors. Kami. Theoi. Whatever. The specific terms vary from culture to culture too, and it's the substance that is important. But this does mean I don't really see much of a distinction between "gods" and "spirits." The word "spirit" or "ancestor" could be a word used to designate something something worthy of worship just as easily as "god" can be.

There's a bit more to it than that, but this is the important bit, I think.

 

[Unveiled Artist]

For those of you who have worked with both gods and spirits or venerated both, do you feel there is a difference in your experiences between the two? I'm just wondering if there is since some neo-pagans don't feel drawn to gods at all and work solely with ancestors or other types of spirits.

The difference I personally see is gods are deities and spirits can be defined as anything from the "presence" of a deceased family member to an energetic connection between earth, self, and others.

I work with the ancestors and spirits because they are personal and I can experience their spirit strong. Deities Vishnu, Yahewah, Ordin, are all foreign to me and the definitions of their natures.

So I stick with experiencing the spirit rather than personalizing him, her, or it to diefy and make it religious when it isn't.

 

[GoodbyeDave]

I'd agree that this is mainly a linguistic thing. In some languages, like Japanese or ancient Egyptian, there is just one word for any being that is worshiped. In others, there isn't. In the latter case, people are perhaps more likely to pick and choose whom they worship by category.

In my case, I worship gods and humans, but I've rather neglected natural spirits. Perhaps this year I can get round to trying to connect with Father Thames.

 

[EverChanging]

I'd agree that this is mainly a linguistic thing. In some languages, like Japanese or ancient Egyptian, there is just one word for any being that is worshiped. In others, there isn't. In the latter case, people are perhaps more likely to pick and choose whom they worship by category.

That's interesting. In my own practices there is really no difference. I view all humans and entities as gods or potential gods.