Ever since the beginning of the human race Man has needed a God.

They associated all things that happened beyond their control to a higher power. All things unexplained were Holy and sometimes those things were frighteningly powerful, so they knew they had to be controlled by someone bigger and more powerful than themselves.

To understand their Gods, they associated things in nature to certain behavioral aspects they understood, this is called anthropomorphizing. Sometimes their gods behavior reminded them of the animals they saw around them and their gods became associated with having the animals attributes, or vice versa.

As Society and culture evolved, many of the gods, while having supernatural powers were thought to be mostly human in shape and temperament and each culture had a group of gods that oversaw the unknown and unexplainable and regular forces of nature and the world around them. These are called Pantheons.

Many different cultures have what seem to be interchangeable gods with other Pantheons because of the similarity of association of human nature that is common in every culture. Some gods are particular to a certain culture because of the region in which that culture is located. For instance a god of snow and ice in the Norse culture, wouldn't be conceived of in a pantheon from a culture in a tropical region, However, a god of mischief, or love would be seen in most societies Pantheons across the globe.

Some argue that the gods of old were aliens of advanced races that visited earth and because of their advanced knowledge and technologies were viewed by early man to be supernatural, and therefore assigned the status of gods. This is possible in some instances, but not provable. Ancient petroglyphs, carvings, legends and even the Nazca Lines in Peru are used as evidence of alien influence. Legends of Atlantis as well are ripe with speculation of alien connections and influences on primitive cultures after it's legendary sinking with legends of survivors integrating into cultures on the mainland.

Throughout time Scholars and Theologians have endeavored to define and regulate the Divine to a level of understanding that attempted to explain the nature of the Divine, and exert control on the masses by creating a hierarchy of a specialized society where in certain levels of knowledge and understanding were dispensed in increments to prevent the unprepared from being overwhelmed by the awesome Power of the Divine. Some handled this task with grace, others botched it horribly. Those that handled it well, did it without a political agenda without thinking of using their knowledge and understanding as a tool to gain power, influence, wealth and domination, but rather to heal, guide, and counsel. I don’t think I need to name names of those who botched it, history makes their actions, and the consequences of their actions blatantly obvious.

One of the definitions of different types of Deity discuss the difference between Immanent and Transcendental Deity.

Transcendental Deity described briefly: *"The term 'transcendence' derives from a Latin word meaning 'to go beyond'." It refers to deity as existing above, outside of, or beyond creation. It is generally a different and higher order of being than are humans and other living entities. For example, the ancient Hebrews viewed God as seated on a throne in Heaven above the firmament, where he could smell the delicious fragrance of meat cooking on temple altars.*

Immanent Deity described briefly: *"Immanence" is also derived "from Latin, but conveys the polar opposite sense of 'indwelling' or the quality of 'within-ness'." Deity is seen as being within the universe, perhaps an "...inner presence and Power that permeates, saturates, or infuses the universe and everything in it..." For example, Taoists believe that the Tao a formless, unchanging and self-sufficient form of energy, which was present before the universe existed. and continues to be present in all things.*

Regardless of the origin of Deities and their Pantheons, the fact is they exist, and their stories, legends, and lessons have been passed down throughout time and have influenced Man's entire social structure, morals, ethics, and values.

Each Deity has it's own personality and talents and attributes, some we ourselves can associate and empathize with, others are repellent to us. as you research different Deities and their quirks, you will find a certain level of connection with one or more particular Deity. That familiarity is not an accident. It could be influenced by past life experience or just the fact that as you introduce yourself to that Deity, He/she/it, may take a liking to you or notice something in your spiritual growth that needs improvement or tweaking and will take a special interest in you and take the time to teach you for a while, or even a lifetime.

This is referred to as a "Patron Deity", a close mentor and friend of high respect, a teacher and confidant. When you have learned the lessons that Deity has taken time to teach you they may "kick you out of the nest" to go on to another Deity to learn another lesson, or it could be that your relationship with them could grow into a lifetime relationship. Either way, always keep your mind open to expanding and growing opportunities for your spiritual path.

Your assignment for this lesson is to meditate on which pantheon you feel inspired to research and learn as much as you can about the culture than it comes from. Explore you inner spirit to see what makes you feel connected to them and get to know the deities in that Pantheon. Your connection with that culture can influence your understanding of what a deity from that pantheon is trying to teach you. when you have discovered a God/dess with whom you feel could be a patron Deity for you, write an 300 word essay (or longer if you wish) about them and what you feel you might need to learn from them.

Possible resources for your search:

http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/

http://www.glorantha.com/library/religions/intro-pantheons.html

* http://www.religioustolerance.org/tran_imm.htm