Main image courtesy of Mythology Vault.
Do you know someone that works with a patron god or goddess? Or perhaps you’ve read a little bit about what a patron deity is, but want to know if it’s the right spiritual practice for you to pursue. There are a lot of neo-pagan groups that are interested in patron deities, so don’t worry, you don’t need to be a member of a certain organization to be curious about this. So whether you’re a wiccan, witch, polytheistic, pagan, or another culturally focused form of paganism (like neo-Celtic or neo-Norse) you can rest assured that lots of people who identify under these headings are working with patrons. However, a lot of members of these groups do not. It is not a requirement to have a patron deity, no matter what someone on Instagram or Tiktok might say.
If you’d like to learn more about this path and whether or not it’s something you want to try out for yourself, you’ve come to the right place. In this article we’re covering:
Patron deities have been around as long as humans were worshipping gods and goddesses. In fact, in the past they were also referred to as tutelary deities and were commonly associated with a place, geographic feature, culture, profession, or country. You’re probably already familiar with patron deities of places and professions in the Greek and Roman cultures—Athena was the patron goddess of Athens, Hestia was the patron goddess of the hearth, Ares the patron god of warriors, and so on. Depending on what culture you were a part of in the ancient world, you would be familiar with a variety of deities who were associated with where you lived.
The patron deities of cities and special geographic locations were celebrated by the people located there most noticeably. This meant that there may be special ceremonies, offerings, or rituals specifically to invoke the help and benevolence of that patron deity. It didn’t mean those worshippers could only communicate with their patron, they were also able to worship and invoke the aid of other gods/goddesses in the pantheon.
You’ll also find patron deities of professions that people of a specific culture would also make offerings to and ask them for their favor. Vulcan is the Roman god of blacksmiths, Poseidon was the patron of sailors, and so on. If you were a member of those professions, you would certainly be aware of your patron deity, and ask them to watch over you while you work and for protection and good blessings as you progress in your craft.
Cities and cultures have mostly moved on from these types of patron deities (and some have been Christianized and replaced by patron saints for cities/professions), but a lot of people are still working closely with what they call a personal patron deity. This is when you feel called to work with a specific god or goddess, you might want to consider working with them as your patron deity.
In addition to deciding whether or not you want to start a devotional practice with a patron god or goddess, you could also consider working with ancestors or a daimon/genius (guardian spirit). These are also great wells of insight and both types of spirits can offer their help and assistance if you’re willing to start a relationship.
Only you can make the choice of whether or not to work with a patron god or goddess. This isn’t something that you should take lightly, so make sure to spend some time meditating on it and weighing your options. You don’t just choose a deity and say “Hi, I’d like you to be my patron deity,” because how rude would that be! First of all, you haven’t yet established a relationship with them and now you’re making demands. Working with a patron deity involves making the conscious choice to do so, and then putting in the work of researching their culture to find out what they’re associated with.
Lots of deities have animal associations, favored flowers or plants, and even specific crafts that they enjoy. It’s your job to find out what these are so you can determine if working with them would bring you some benefit at this time in your life. If you find that you don’t actually want to work with one god/goddess but instead start to feel called to another, that’s okay too. There’s no one way to work with deities.
You don’t need to wait to be called by a deity either (but if you are that’s great!) as they do not like to meddle with our free will. Feeling drawn to a certain god/goddess is typically the first inclination that there is a benefit to working with them as a patron deity.
No one is required to have a patron deity, no matter what type of path you’re on. Some people find that they are called to work with certain deities, and even end up becoming priests/priestesses of that particular god or goddess. This isn’t the only way to work with a deity, so how you work with them can be customized to what you’re comfortable with. You don’t have to gather to worship with others unless you want to, and you can still get all the benefits of working with a deity one on one.
After reading through this, have you decided that finding a patron deity seems to be the right choice for you? Or perhaps you had a god/goddess in mind the entire time, and just wanted to be sure that this is something you really want to get started with? Well, either way that’s great news, and we have a few ways you can start to work with a specific deity, and perhaps end up with them as your patron deity.
Keep in mind, this is a very personalized process for everyone, these are just guidelines to get you started. Don’t do something if it doesn’t feel right to you, and instead, do what does. You don’t have to really worry about doing this wrong, as deities can see that you’re making an honest effort to start a relationship. If this is something you see benefiting you in the future, then you already know that you should avoid being disrespectful or rude, as that won’t get you anywhere. Deities don’t grant wishes just because you ask. This is an ongoing relationship that you’re choosing to initiate.
While not everyone decides to work with a patron god or goddess, there are lots of folks who do and enjoy the benefits of inviting a deity into their everyday lives. Remember, your path of accessing and working with the divine is very personal, so if you do want to work with a patron deity, take your time, and make sure to always listen to your intuition in order to grow closer to your chosen deity.
