i have been researching Paganism, and during my studies I have seen a lot about devoting yourself to a certain God or Goddess. The only Goddess I know of is Isis, and from what I understand she is like the basis of the religion. If you have any idea where I can find information on Pagan deities, or the religion itself, i would be extremely grateful.
Update:i would just like to thank evereyone for their answers, they really have helped. i started out researching this just out of curiosity, and from what you have told me, i obviosly need to filter out alot of my searches. again, thank you for your time and help. oh, and by the way, im not stupid, i know how to do a freakin google search. i was looking for assitance.
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You can search alot of information if you look for things like ' The Egyptian gods and goddesses pantheon.
You don't really have to devote yourself to any God or Goddess right away. In fact, it's almost better not to right off the bat. Having the honour of a patron/matron diety is a special relationship that takes time. It's kind of like a marriage in the fact that you don't just pick one out and dedicate yourself. You take the time, work with the deity a bit, and build a relationship. Some people never devote themselves to given deity, and that's fine too.
So, what I would probably do is kind of start thinking about the general area you are attracted to. Is Wicca for you, or maybe you are more Kemetic? There's a wide variety of paths to take. I would probably start there. People often search for awhile before "clicking' and that's okay too. You may start off a Wiccan and end up a Heathen-just examples- and that's fine and normal as well.
The best source for Pagan deities often comes right from mythology itself. I also find scholarly works on Pagan religious history to be helpful.
There are many forms of paganism. Isis of from the Kemetic Orthodoxy.
There are the neo-pagans with their various ... flavors.
Then there is Asatru and Norse Heathenry of the Norse and Germanic peoples.
Hellenisimos of the greeks.
Nova Roma of the romans.
Druidry or Celtic Reconstructionalistist of the (you guessed it) Celtics.
Each one has their own Gods and Goddesses, traditions and practices, importance on certain holidays over others, their own cosmologies, beliefs, customs, and attitudes. Probably the only thing we have in common besides misconception, is that we all gather around a BBQ and and eat roast pork and lamb and get drunk on wine and mead. I've never seen ANY fighting between the different Recon groups.
I myself an Asatruar. So ... I would suggest: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norse_mythology to start with. For further reading, the Norse myths are largely from the Poetic Edda. A very interesting and fun read.
answer: paganism isn't the religion - its the umbrella term for a lot of pagan religions. There are many pantheons of deities; Greek, Roman, Egyptian, African, Slavic, Germanic, Celtic, etc.
There are also eclectic pagans and Wiccans that determine what deities they wish to work with (without being part of a reconstruct religion).
http://www.godchecker.com/
It took me years to find which pagan religion was right for me (the internet wasn't as available to me as it has been for the last few years). You work and see what pagan religion is for you and what those deities are. As to finding if you have a patron deity - that can only be determined by you.
1) Ignore the fundies saying you’ll go to hell and are opening yourself up to demons. We don’t believe in either.
2) Get the book: Wicca, a Guide for the Solitary Practitioner by Scott Cunningham (Amazon.com used books is a great resource)
3) Avoid Silver Ravenwolf, DJ Conway and most Llewellyn books
4) Do NOT pay for lessons over the internet. You can’t ask for references. Do NOT give out personal information to anyone over the internet. Get a PO Box.
5) www.witchvox.com www.wicca.timerift.net
6) Learn and keep learning about various paths in paganism.
7) get the book: "Drawing Down the Moon" by Margo Adler (an older book that's a little dated, especially concerning Asatru but a good resource) - it gives an overview on a lot of pagan traditions. Might help you narrow things down.
Paganism is not a religion. It is a term that refers to thousands of different religions. The ancient Greeks were pagans, the ancient Egyptians were pagan, and modern Wiccans are pagan, but none of them follow the same religion, for example.
If you want to start learning about some of them, visit the mythology section in a bookstore or library. You can also do searches on various specific religions and groups such as "Greek gods"
There is no "one" or "correct" Pagan belief. Pagan is just a general term for many different religions, many of which are independent, have their own pantheon, or even none at all.
There are organized and semi-organized Pagan religions such as Wicca, Aesir (Viking/Germanic), Hellenistic (Greek), etc. and some even have cross-over pantheons.
Many, but not all, follow the Rede: "Do as thou wilt, an' it 'arm none." or a variant of this. Many also follow the Ethic of Reciprocity under one name or another ("Do unto others as you would have them do unto you").
Most importantly, Paganism is (usually) not a Univeralistic religion. Just because it is right for one person does not mean that it can be forced on everyone. Many Pagans share and look for commonality, but almost none of them proselytize.
Paganism comes under many titles because there are many religions that are classified as Pagan. Isis is Egyptian, then you have the Greek Gods/desses, Roman, Norse, etc. Type in Deities and list any one of those and you will find much information (Which many people say are mythology). Enjoy.
If you are interested in the religion of Isis and Osiris there is one group that might definitely be able to help you.
The one group that has members with strong devotion to the Isis and Osiris religion ( in the Egyptian and Hellenistic context ) is the Greco-Egyptian syncretic group ( this is a group where you have members of Hellenismos, Kemetism, Religio Romana, the Classical Religion and the syncretic religion coming together ) NeosAlexandria. This group has a page on Isis and Osiris ( Serapis ).
http://www.neosalexandria.org/isis.htm
Here you will get people devoted to Her as Aset and to Her as Isis and also to Her as Isis in the Greco-Egyptian and later Hellenistic period and also Roman context. So you get the whole spectrum in this group.
I am constantly amazed that the people who post questions on here don't seem to know how to do a basic internet search.
Here's a list of various things you can type into Google:
Greek and Roman Mythology
Greek and Roman gods and goddesses
Germanic gods and goddesses
Celtic gods and goddesses
Norse gods and goddesses
pagan deities
Egyptian gods
or you could research the deities themselves:
Zeus, Hera, Hermes, Aphrodite, Athena, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Jupiter, Juno, Mercury, Venus, Minerva, Mars, Diana, Thor, Wotan, Odin, Lugh, Brigid, Osiris, Isis, Astarte, Freya, Frigga, etc, etc.
Even a quick look at Wikipedia should give names to research further.
Ideally.......(wink)
You do not choose your patron.....they choose you.
You are in no hurry, begin your practice, start learning all you can about the Old ways (which actually means digging past a lot of modern fluff that is not really relevant) and when/if the time is right...they will tap you on the shoulder....usually HARD.
The best place to start studying Pagan god's is to pick a culture (I suggest starting with the culture you are a member of, because there is usually a strong connection) and begin learning about that cultures gods.
If you intend to eventually evolve into more of a "clergy" role (if that's your calling) you will need to be able to interact with a large number of god's anyway, so don't rush yourself to find a specific patron.