Deities + Which of Them Should You Work With
All throughout the world there are many revered deities from various cultures. Some are more well known and have larger followings than others. In this "new age" where there are many newcomers to spirituality who are looking for guidance and enlightenment, people are choosing to work with certain deities that they've come across online, or by word of mouth from spiritualists without doing their due diligence.
There have been reports in the media of people who have unwittingly called on certain deities and have had tragic experiences as a result. While we all have our own ancestors, spirit guides and certain deities that take a liking to us, not everything is for everybody as one may think. Some deities choose their followers and are selective with who they work with. Sometimes calling on energies who have not chosen to work with a person can cause them to have bad experiences, or the deity may simply not respond at all to the person and they many not get any results from working with said deity.
An example of such a deity is Santa Muerte. Santa Muerte is a Mexican folk Saint who represents holy death and the underworld. She is widely worshiped in Mexican folk Catholicism. She is a deity that is said to choose her followers. She must come to you. When she wants to work with a person she will let her presence be known. The message will be very clear as she cannot be ignored. She has become more popular in the mainstream and as such many want to work with her. However, she is not a deity that you just approach out of curiosity. I don't think any of them are.
Personally, when it comes to deities and spirits in general, I have not ever called upon any that has not first made themselves known to me. As a rule of thumb I tend to err on the side of caution and also just out of respect for the spirit world, I only choose work with those that choose me. I don't choose them. In the case of the example I gave earlier regarding Santa Muerte, some would argue that no one owns death and that death is something we all must experience in our lifetimes and as such anyone should be able to work with her. I would remind them that there are many spirits from many different cultures and spiritual lineages, which share similar energies and it's really just about knowing which ones walk with you and have been inherited through your bloodline. There are other deities related to death across various cultures such as, Iku amongst the Yoruba or, Anubis from Ancient Kemet, just to name a couple. In India Mama Ganga is an energy that is equivalent to the Yoruba Goddess of the River, Ochun. While they share similar energies, they are still not the same entities.
It seems disrespectful and daring in my opinion for someone to call on any deity at a whim. One should first ask themselves when approaching a deity do they have the right to demand the energy or time of this particular deity? Has this deity shown up in their life in a personal way to let them know that they want to work with them (this does not include scrolling TikTok or IG)? If the deity has not made themselves known to you then I would suggest that you leave them alone and continue to work with the ones that have.
A deity can make themselves known to you first and foremost through your elders/godparents. This is especially true of the Orisha, and the only way to confirm the Orisha who rules your head is through an official reading with babalawos, or priest. I see a lot of people claiming to be a child of Oshun or other Orishas who have not had it confirmed with a reading. This is not correct. While you may have an idea, or someone may give you their best guess as to which Orisha it may be keep in mind that it only a guess. It must be confirmed through an IFA reading to know for certain.
Other deities from other pantheons may make themselves known through mediums, they may appear in your dreams, or if you have the gift of sight they may appear to you in your awakened state through visions. In addition to them making themselves known to you, you will also be able to confirm that a deity walks with you by the similar characteristics that you share with the deity. For example, their particular day of reverence may fall on the day that you were born. Your favorite color may match the colors associated with the deity. Your general disposition may be very similar to the well known characteristics of that deity. Usually there will be a deep resonance within your spirit and soul between you and said deity. Also, as you continue on your spiritual journey your own spirit guides will show you which deities work with you. All you need to do is ask and trust their guidance.
Please feel free to leave your comments below, mis brujis. I’d love to hear your feedback on the subject.