Writen by Isa Moon
There are many pagan religions that believe in both a god and goddess but our images of them may be different. There are many traditions to chose from: Wicca, Native American, etc. These pantheons {n. all the gods of a people; the Greek Pantheon} can be overwhelming and make choosing a patron deity more of a chore.
Do I need a patron deity?
Do you "need" anything? Patron deities give you an image for when you are calling upon the God and Goddess. Like patron Saints in christianity, patron deities may symbolize luck, wealth, good fortune, etc. I have an aunt who never goes anywhere without her Saint Christopher {saint of travel} medal. You may chose an image of Mercury and his winged feet to see you safely through your travels.
How do I chose a patron deity?
There a couple of ways that I can think of and probably many, many more. One is to think of your favorite time in history, the farther back the more likely you're going to run into a civilization that had a pagan religion. In history classes during high school, I always found myself paying more attention during our lessons on ancient Egypt. Because of my fascination with this time period I have chosen Isis {my namesake} and Osiris as my patron deities and the Egyptian religion as my basis. That doesn't mean I've limited myself to only Egyptian magick and gods, I enjoy working with many different traditions.
Another method is just to study the different pantheons and traditions and chose a deity which best personifies the qualities you most want. Do you want love and beauty? Aphrodite might be a good choice. Want mischief and frolic, call upon Pan. Looking for a fiery warrior, look to Mars of Rome or Bridge of Scotland.
If you are looking for both male and female aspects I suggest that you don't cross your pantheons, it could cause lots of problems. If you chose to work with different pantheons individually, like calling upon Aphrodite during a spell to help a relationship and then call upon Bridge to help you fight a battle.
