Perthro’s Pronouncements

Gods and Goddesses

When I was asked to write this column, I had all ideas that I would write about the divine feminine, and what it means to be a man and embrace the divine feminine in myself. As it turned out, this is not going to be the case.

In my explorations of the divine, and divine qualities, I found that I had a hard time with the entire idea of the “divine” having gender divisions at all. Sure, we have “male” and “female” deities, and I do believe they actually exist, but, I’m not sure they exist as beings with the male and female genders. While we are here living on earth, however, we are not privy to acquire that information, so I’m not going to beat that subject to death, but rather, I’m going to explore the topic of divinity in ALL its aspects, and focus on how those aspects affect ME personally.

What does it mean to be a “god” or “goddess”? The first word that probably comes to mind is POWER. Gods are powerful, they can do amazing things, like conjure things out of seemingly nowhere, they can move mountains, they have infinite knowledge, and can be all places at all times.

But there’s a lot more to being a god or goddess. We think of them as “out there”, not being HERE, on earth, living the lives we live. They are out in space somewhere, moving about as they see fit, creating, destroying, pretty much doing as they please. So how in the world can we possibly relate to THAT?

I think first it takes seeing the gods and goddesses as the entities they are, made of energy, not “above” us, but as beings that are in a different form of existence. Then they are not “gods” at all, but rather something a lot like us, but with a different perspective, and a different way of life.

The way a lot of people see it, it’s like our relationship with our own children, or how you may have seen your own parents. Children see adults in the same light we see the gods, we are amazing, we can do things they can’t, and we always seem to have all the answers. But is that REALLY how the gods see us, as children? Possibly, but I’m not so sure. Here’s another way to look at it.

To be a god, or goddess, we need only to look into ourselves. We need to see our own divine nature as beings living in the same universe as our gods, yet existing in the physical world. This means seeing ourselves as more than just a creature living on the earth, separate from the divine, but rather see ourselves as part of the same energy that makes up everything in the universe, including our gods.

So to be a god or goddess it means that we need to embrace that part of ourselves that says we ARE divine, just like our gods. If you see yourself as one who is as divine as a god or goddess, then you begin to see everything differently. Suddenly there is no “out there”, the separation is gone. The energy of everything is connected, here on earth, as well as everywhere else in the universe, and our gods and goddesses are made of that same energy. So we too are divine. In religious terms, this is called Pantheism, and for me, really describes best how I see myself.

If I myself am as divine as my gods and goddesses, then how should I act? What should I do? I still don’t have all of their power, I can’t do all the things THEY can do, so how can I see myself in the same light? Let me explain.

It’s not about being powerful, or being amazing, it’s about caring for those around you. Being a god I am the protector, the provider. I love my fellow man, I love the earth, and I take care of everything in it as part of myself. As a goddess, I take those same qualities, and I bring new life into the world in my ideas and thoughts that I share with others, I nurture them into being, I give of myself without thought of return. Being a god or goddess doesn’t mean I lord over my “subjects”, demanding worship or praise, but rather, I respect them as part of myself,  for they are gods and goddesses too, as are all beings and in fact all of creation. We are all part of the same energy of this vast universe, and that energy is best described by using the word “love”. Divine love has no bounds, no restrictions, because it is all around us, and in us, it IS us. To realize that, and to live it, makes one feel the true nature of a god/dess.

Gods and goddesses alike are made of the same energy that we are, the whole universe is full of that energy, that “love”, so to find that in yourself, you don’t have far to look. Love is literally what makes the world go around, it’s what makes everything happen, it is what makes us who we are. Therefore, we ARE as divine as our gods and goddesses, and whether we are male or female, we can feel that same love, we can see that love, and see the divine in everything.