As Wiccans, we worship the Goddess and the God, either as archetypal representations of a Supreme Being or as distinct deities on equal footing with other deities from other cultures and timeframes.  Depending on the tradition, these deities may or may not have names.  In the beginnings of Wicca, the names of the deities were Aradia and Cernunnos, and Abracadabra was the Prime Mover.  Later, the Prime Mover became known as Dryghtyn.

Whatever the witch deities of communal worship are in your tradition, individuals often have a devotional deity who is the central focus of their personal spiritual work.  These deities may or may not be called upon by the group in circle, but they are often called upon by the individual during the course of their out-of-circle lives.  For example, I have a working relationship with Aradia and Cernunnos since those were the deities I was originally initiated in the names of.  I also have a working relationship with the Lady of the Forest (sometimes called Elen of the Ways) and the Lord of the Forest, Herne, since I was initiated to higher degrees in circles where they were present.  But the deities I pray to and work with for my own spiritual development are Ceridwen and Arawn, along with other deities from the Welsh pantheon.

Choosing a Devotional Deity

It’s important when looking at deities that you may wish to devote to that you look at all of their attributes, not just the keywords written about them in modern texts.  Delving into the primary sources and scholarly research about those sources will help you get to know the deities through their folklore and the cultural context of the time.  Delving into the scholarship outside of the mainstream Pagan media will go a long way to helping you decide if this deity is someone you’d like to be associated with in a deep and meaningful way.  Deities, even major deities like Artemis and Isis, have different associations in different timeframes and different locations.  Understanding which specific aspects interest you will help you to better grasp what influences you need in your personal spiritual development.

Discerning a Calling

Sometimes, deities call to humans.  The gods have agency and work their will in the world, and it’s patronizing in the worst way to think that our gods can’t make their own decisions about who they wish to follow them.  This is a point of some contention, as sometimes people feel a genuine call to work with deities from closed traditions or marginalized cultures.  What do you do in that case?

Seeking out practitioners familiar with those deities is a good first step.  The calling might be the first step in a new spiritual journey for you, so be open to the possibility that you might leave behind the Craft in favor of the religion more closely aligned with the deity who’s calling you.

Divination is another good method for determining whether a deity is calling to you.  Often their imagery or associations will appear in Tarot or oracle readings.  You’ll also be able to better understand exactly why they’re calling to you if you use a divinatory method.

Making sure you understand the difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation is especially paramount in cases where the deity calling you is from a marginalized culture in your part of the world.  This is especially true of Native American and African Diasporic deity figures.  Is Kokopelli or Erzulie really calling to you?  Why?  What do you have to offer them?  What are you willing to sacrifice to work with them?  Are you ready to get uncomfortable with your own privilege?  Are you able to listen to others with more experience with these deities and be respectful of the limitations they place upon you?  And are you willing to walk this path alone if necessary?  These are questions you must answer sincerely in order to continue.

Ultimately, however, each person’s spiritual journey is their own.  I cannot tell you that you can’t worship a deity outside of your own cultural heritage, because I know very well that you can.  At the end of the day, you can worship whoever the hell you want and nobody has the power to stop you because worship is in the heart and mind of the believer.  But a lot of people I know who have these sorts of deep connections with deities outside of their own heritage and history keep their worship quiet in order to preserve its sanctity.  In my experience, deities often care more about the work happening and less about the knowledge that they’re the ones behind it.  They have their own means of making themselves known in the world.

Deepening Connections

If you’ve chosen or been chosen by a deity, there are a few ways you can build a relationship with them beyond reading their lore and meditating on their presence.  One technique I like is making a deity scrapbook of pictures and imagery that reminds you of the deity.  As you search for these images, you’ll intuitively be drawn to symbols that represent your devotional deity, and even if you don’t understand them at the time, you’ll be able to come back to them later as your understanding deepens and discern their significance.

Another technique I enjoy is meditative ‘tea time’ with your deity.  You may invite them to your inner temple or you may journey to their abode, but either way, the object is to be in their presence and engage in get-to-know-you conversation with them.  Ask them what you can offer them, what they can help you with, how you can best honor them, what they like as offerings.  For example, Ceridwen (for me at least) has a strong association with herbal spirits like Jägermeister, Bénédictine, or absinthe.  Arawn, on the other hand, prefers water, herbal tea, or diluted cider — the water seems to be the important element to him.  As with all things, your mileage may vary.  I’m merely sharing my own experience.
Finally, understanding the animal, plant, and local associations a deity has can help you better understand that deity.  In my case, Ceridwen is associated with several animals that she transforms into while chasing Gwion Bach.  She also has an association with Bala Lake in Wales.  Arawn is associated with the Cŵn Annwn (who themselves were associated with the sound of migrating geese) and with pigs.  He’s also associated with the Kingdom of Dyfed in Wales (now a ceremonial county of the principality).  By delving into the folklore and cultural knowledge, one can gain a deeper understanding of why plants, animals, and places reflect on the deities associated with them.