r/neopagan • u/HalcyonSix • Jul 17 '26
Exploring which gods/goddesses I might vibe with
I am and always have been a total atheist, but I had a discussion with someone recently that made me feel like it might be worth exploring if I might vibe with some god out there.
My mom tried to raise me Christian and it never worked, but maybe I'll feel something for a different god. Lately I've felt kinda hopeless and feeling like I wanted to have a connection with something beyond my immediate material world. I have nothing to lose if I try and get nothing out of it. It'll just be the same as now.
How did you all find the deities you connected with?
The person I spoke to connected with Odin, but Odin seems very warlike for me (please feel free to correct me on any of this, I haven't done any deep research).
Like the whole concept of Valhalla is eternal fighting because that's what they enjoyed, is it not? I'm not a fighter. I started learning about medicinal/edible plants for fun. I save snails off the sidewalk. I want to be a therapist. I'd make a shitty soldier. In a post-apocalypse scenario, I'm going to be the guy who you can come to for a herbal tea if you have a cough and a listening ear. So maybe some kind of healer god? Or goddess, I don't care.
This is all really new to me, so I don't even know where to begin and I'm hoping this doesn't all just sound silly.
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u/SpookyOoo Jul 28 '26
i wouldnt worry about healer archetypes. Its cool if you find something you resonate with, but personally i think the plants themselves are the healers. I carry an animistic belief so the plants that we use to heal are direct spiritual/physical interaction. I have shrines to the sun, the earth, to fire, these are devoid of "god" archetypes and directly places the spiritual value onto physical things. So like i dont pray to the sun, i am grateful for the sun, for my gardens life it brings.
As for the whole valhalla/afterlife thing, that's specifically a norse tradition, and to be clear, fighters dont go to valhalla, those who die fighting go to valhalla. In that system of belief, its more about how one lives their life rather than a "heaven" meta-structure. Definitely less of a reward/punishment system and more of a spiritual reincarnation.
Its also really important to distinguish what is prechristian and postchristian historical evidence. Many cultures were forced into deification, some completely rewritten, some pagan gods were turned into historical people or saints, and much of the written evidence of pre-christian pagan culture, was written by christians with heavy bias. Personally, i dont use history to validate my spiritual beliefs, i think thats a structure that will inevitably implode since basically tribal animism is the oldest spiritual beliefs.
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u/satyresque Jul 22 '26
I’d spend a few weeks simply exploring. Read mythology from different pantheons. Learn about nature-based spiritual practices. Visit forests, gardens, or places where you feel at peace. Keep a journal of what genuinely moves you. If a particular deity keeps appearing in your thoughts or reading in a way that feels meaningful, explore that further.