DEITY WORK AND WORSHIP ARE NOT THE SAME

DEITY WORK AND WORSHIP ARE NOT THE SAME

if deity work isn't the same as worship, what does the term actually mean?

according to some helpols, it means a worshipper who wants to feel special. someone who thinks the term 'worship' is degrading and hence chooses to use wording that suggests equality. it's a hubristic, elitist term that aims at placing the worshipper at the same level as the deity, which is deeply inappropriate.

i completely disagree.

now yes, of course there's people who choose to say they 'work' with a god because they view worship as beneath them. i of course also acknowledge that 'deity work' isn't an ancient concept; this is written from the perspective of a revivalist. but i do believe it is a thing, the term is just widely misused.

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THIS IS MY PERSONAL DEFINITION OF IT

deity work can be defined as working towards the betterment of yourself with the help of a deity. this is obviously not reserved to the greek pantheon, but being that i'm a helpol, those are the gods i'm gonna be talking about.

can you do it as a beginner? with a greek deity, no. kharis is still an essential !!! they don't have to care for your personal growth as an individual if they barely know you (regardless of how great and fancy your offerings might be).

do the gods have to accept you? yes. now now, i agree that gods don't reject worshippers, but i see deity work as a mutual agreement. so yes, the god in question does have to accept you. and yes, they may reject you. whether because you haven't been very successful in establishing the bond or because they simply think you're not ready/you should be working on yourself in a different way. don't push it.

does it have to involve an oath? no. i view it as a higher commitment, but it doesn't mean it has to last a lifetime.

if i'm partaking in deity work, does that make me a devotee? no. not inherently. i'd still put people who do it in the 'worshipper' category for the most part. (i'll make a post on the difference between worshipper and devotee in the future)

when do you cross the line between being a worshipper and doing deity 'work'? when you choose to. it's a conscious decision and not at all an inherent “next step”. you don't have to partake in deity work (if you believe it to be a thing) at all, ever. that's your choice to make.

do you have to do divination? nah. asking for a sign that they've accepted you is enough.

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SO WHAT DOES DEITY WORK INVOLVE, EXACTLY? again, this being stated purely as a matter of opinion:

active worship (obviously). as somebody who's on and off the practice constantly due to mental issues that drain me, if i were to do deity work, that, for me, would mean praying/offering almost every other day. probably reading a whole lot more as well. in other words, kinda 'stepping up' whatever you were doing already, in thanks for a god helping you in this way. you're asking for a big thing!

active incorporation of religious values in your life. you may argue that every helpol should be doing this already, and i hear you, and i mostly agree; however, as long as you're not going *against* values like xenia or kharis, you're okay as a worshipper. here i'm talking of making an active conscious effort to be an example of said values.

open permission for the god to more heavily influence your life. if they consider you have to be put through tough shit in order to grow into your best self, they will put you through tough shit. this isn't to say that a deity will choose to hurt you, let alone that you should blame everything bad that happens to you while you're doing deity work on the god; mundane before spiritual, you guys. but a lot of people describe deity work as having been incredibly taxing but worth it (similar to what others say about starting a fitness journey or going to therapy), and yeah, that's basically what it is. it may suck, but it's for your own good.

heavy work on yourself, whatever that means for you personally. do you have emotional baggage? could you be a better friend? do you want to better yourself academically? you feel like you're too much of a couch potato and would like to stop? imo, it's important to know exactly what you're aiming at. “i want to be better” doesn't really cut it. what do you want to work on?

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HOW DO I START DEITY WORK, THEN?

for the 2749292th time i'm clarifying that this is what i, me, sage would do; this ain't a rulebook, just a guide made by a rando.

i would prepare a fancy offering (a craft that took me a long while, a full meal, new items, an altar reset with oils and the nicest incenses i've got) and call upon whatever god in prayer. i would explain what i want to do and why, how i think it would benefit me and what i'm willing to do in return. probably praise the god a whole lot too; sure, this is about me, but also about them. one doesn't choose their god(s) based on what they can provide, but out of genuine connection and feelings of devotion. i'd talk about my goals and what i expect to grow into, and ask for a sign that they agree to help me with those goals.

if they accept you: hooray! brace yourself lol, this is gonna be a bit of a ride.

if you don't see any signs that they do: it's okay. and it's reasonable to be disappointed. give it a little more time; the sign may come even if not immediately. if something you have to work on is your patience, perhaps this is the very god testing you.

there's many reasons why a deity may choose to refuse you. trust their judgement, and trust that you didn't do anything wrong. you're not lesser, they don't hate you. you can still work on yourself by yourself, y'know. and if you do so as a devotional act, little snippets of their help may start to show up:)

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that's all for now! i love y'all x