We are blessed to live in a day and age where we have access to belief structures from not only across the world but deep into history. We know about deities and practices to honor them that come from cultures outside our own as well as from our own cultural heritage. We are not limited to the religion and Gods of our parents, our village or our homeland.
And this leads many of us to connect with a broad spectrum of deities. Which brings up issues in many peoples mind. There is a huge argument about cultural appropriation, and I have some very strong opinions about that myself, which I'll try not to harp on too much! I do believe though that an honest, heart-felt practice that honors deities that you may not be directly connected through by your race or country of origin isn't a bad thing.
Many of us believe that we may life multiple lives, and that some of those other lives may have been in other cultures. We may feel a pull to a certain deity that seems like it goes beyond simple interest and is something from our deeper or past self. We may find certain practices hold a sense of familiarity that we can't explain or fill us with a sense of belonging and 'home'. I am a firm believer that we should follow where our heart leads, and if my heart leads me to a deity that is foreign to me but feels familiar, then I will work to deepen that connection and discover the relationship that exists between us.
That, to me, is ultimately what deity worship is about: developing a connection between yourself and the deity. And if a particular deity is calling to me, I don't feel that other people can tell me it's wrong.
Another issue that sometimes comes up is when someone works with deities from multiple pantheons. I have seen it suggested before that this isn't something that people should be doing, and this is another point that I disagree with.
I do think that it is a good idea to be mindful about which deities you call upon for a single ritual or honor together in a shrine or altar. I think about it much like friends and family. I have lots of both, and I may have good relationships (of varying degrees of closeness) with them all, but they may not get along with each other. If I were to throw a party and put people I know don't get along in the same bedroom for the night, I should expect some kind of problems...at the very least they both will probably be a little cross with me in the morning.
Likewise, I think that when we work with deities, we need to be mindful of their personalities and what they stand for....even when we are working within a particular pantheon! There are plenty of deities in every pantheon that I can think of that don't necessarily get along, or are focused in different areas and might not work well together.
There may be a tendency to assume that deities that effect the same sphere of influence will get along, but I don't think this is always the case either. Just because two deities are connected to love doesn't mean that they work the same way, and they may not actually work well together.
On the flip side, just because at first glance two deities might seem opposed in their goals, doesn't mean that they actually are. A war deity and one of peace might be a great combination to end an ongoing conflict quickly and decisively in order to create a peaceful outcome.
It can be tempting to work with every deity that draws your attention, but this isn't always the best way to approach your practice. The more you work with a given deity, the deeper you will forge that relationship. This will not only mean that you will better understand them and how they work, but also how you can work together with them. The rituals and other work you do will them will be enhanced by the depth of your relationship.
I don't feel there is any kind of technical limit on how many deities you can work with or honor, but I do recognize the limits on my own time and energy. I may tip my hat to a whole lot of different deities, both within the Norse pantheon (which is my primary focus) and beyond it, but I haven't created deep relationships with all of them. Much like the relationships with people in my life, there are some that I work with all the time, some that I work with fairly regularly for specific purposes, and those that I honor in passing or only occasionally.
I don't think I will ever have enough time to develop all the relationships that I might like to. I have very broad interests and I do think that I will always want to work with more deities that I have time for. I try not to focus on what I can't have however, and instead focus on spending quality time with the deities I feel truly called toward.
When I work with deities that I don't have a deeper connection with, it is always from a more formal place of respect. It sort of reminds me of entering someone's house. If it is a close friend, I am quite comfortable, and I make myself at home. If it is someone I know decently well, but perhaps don't visit that often, then I may be a bit more reserved. If it is a stranger, then I feel like I need to be on my best behavior. That isn't to say that I am ill behaved in places that I am comfortable, but more that I don't feel like I need to be as proper...I can be more relaxed and more myself.
I do not feel like I need to be a close devotee of every deity I work with, not even of every deity I may have images of in my home. Some I am quite comfortable with worshiping from afar, in a less frequent manner. Others are definitely a part of my daily life, and a big part of who I am. I work with deities from different pantheons, and that works for me.
Ultimately, we each have to discover the way that deities fit into our own lives. We have to develop the relationships we want and work within the framework we have. Some people may be perfectly happy to stick to one pantheon, or even just one deity, while others may have a large group of deities that they work with from many pantheons. The only limits are the ones that you have within your own life....only you can determine if you have enough time and energy to honor the deities in a way you feel is appropriate. So let your heart lead the way, listen to what the deities you are working with want to tell you, and build the practice that works for you!
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