Light & Shadows 2nd Degree Circle

There are a few more things that may need to be brought in to this lesson..such as the idea of pantheons...I am meaning... God and Goddesses of the same traditions being paired as well as the idea of the "stages" of deities..... maiden goddesses that tend to offer more councel to younger seekers that are just learning aspects...Mother Goddesses may call more to those with families to guide them...and Crone aspects will be more apt to be dominant to the more adept in the path..

I do want it brought out that "Fad" worship is just that..and you need to really seek to see what aspect is truly trying to help you. It is nice to just say God or Goddess, but as you know them more and are more personal, they become a first name basis...just as anyone does as they start with Sir or Ms. then go to the Mr or Ms.Jones then finally to John or Jane. Your Goddess is not one that is picked just because it is a cool name to worship but rather, you look at the aspect and all that is there..study it and get to know that deity personally.

Also calling on Deity because they are in a negitive thinking is another area that needs to be addressed...we do not call on Hecate because we are mad at a boyfriend and want Her to "ZAP" him because he was seen with another girl. Things like that will be an eye-opener for some that tend to be working a little on the revenge side of things.

ASSIGNMENT

Part one

Examine your personality, make a list of your likes, dislikes, goals and traits apart from any religious coloring.

Write a short autobiography about yourself, attributes, faults, strengths, weaknesses, and tendencies....just as if you were doing a research paper

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Part two

Choose from the cultures of the world, past or present that you feel a closeness to.

Research their culture, their history, thier mythology, find info about their god/desses, pay attention ONLY to their personalities... you can make a file with info only about each one in that culture's pantheon, but DON"T include the name of the deity.

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Part three

Run a comparison on the culture's deity's personality you chose, with the list of your own personality traits and see which one you are more attuned with.

Write an essay about the culture and how you feel connected with it. Explain what part you would play in that culture. Explain, also, why you feel a kinship with the deity that most matches yours.

Good Luck and I hope to hear from you in a few days. ______________________________________________________________

Part # 4

1. Match the name of the diety with the personality and reveal it with a paragraph or two about how that effects you personally.

2. What do you think you need to learn from that Deity?

3. Are they communcating with you on the level of maiden ... mother ... crone ... warrior ... father ... sage?

Realize that THIS is how you identify your Patron Deity that is working with you. We do not pick that deity, but instead, they pick US. Sometimes , we think that different deities seem romantic or exciting to work with, so we try to match ourselves to them and actually ignore what is really pulling us to deity and the guidance that is given. We can work with any aspect of deity when it comes to different intents, but the form of deity that is guiding us is shown in what we are.

4. Think about this and give your final thoughts on your Patron Deities. (Keep in mind that , most often, your deities are ones of the SAME pantheon and are most usually mates.

Extra Credit Opportunity:

Watch this through the year.. feel and observe to see if it is the same aspect all the time. THere may be times when differnt aspects are working with you. Let us know when this happens.

Give examples

Note any shifts in that department. Write indepth observations about what it is, why you feel there is a change in aspects, and how it turns out ... at least twice between now and the end of your training of First Degree.

Other Possible Extra Credits Ideas:

Redesign the world from a spiritual as well as a practical perspective as the Goddesses of Manifestation would do it today. Consider the societal issues each Goddess might address. For example:

Athena: politics, economy, law and commerce
Brigit: health, ecological issues, the arts
Hestia: the value of the home, the homeless
Artemis: rights for women of all ages, ecology

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Record ways in which you are already manifesting the activities of one, several or all of these Goddesses in your life. Write an affirmation to one or all of these Goddesses to invoke her attributes into your life. For example:

"Athena, give me clarity and wisdom."
"Brigit, I acknowledge that I use the resources of my craft wisely."

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