As with many contemporary Pagan religions, Ingwine Heathenship affirms a genuine polytheism – that is the acknowledgement of the divine in the plural. This means for us that we believe in the literal existence of the many Gods and Goddesses that have shaped the histories and trajectories of the many cultures of humanity.
For us, our focus lies on constructing meaningful relationships with the deities acknowledged by the Ingvaeonic world. A world rich with particular divine plurality.
What is a God or Goddess in Ingwine Heathenship?
That is quite the question to answer.
It can be quite difficult to define that which personal experience and cultural memory may speak of.
Importantly, reducing the divine to any significant definition – however workable – may mentally reduce them to merely that even if they may be more than that in reality. Therefore any working definition should ideally be seen as indicative, rather than conclusive as none can grasp the divine in it’s totality, not even contemporary polytheists.
Generally though, it is assumed the Gods and Goddesses have – at least – these descriptive characteristics:
- They are Beings; Sublime, Sovereign and worthy of reverence in their own right.
- Divine Persons with which a personal relationship may be formed through honest devotion and healthy reciprocity.
- Particular divine individuals with their own nature, their own history and their own sphere of influence.
These three aspects are generally understood to be experienced by the Ingwine practitioner during ritual and personal reflections.
Additionally, the Gods and Goddesses are also understood through these characteristics:
- Symbolic projections of inner states of mind and being.
- Metaphors for natural forces.
- Disembodied forms of consciousness that enact their will directly unto reality.
- Jungian archetypes through which psychological states can be examined.
And there may be more characteristics that we have simply not yet been able to understand them through.
As stated above, none of these points should be considered to be the end-all-be-all of an indicative working definition of a God or Goddess within a polytheistic religion. We generally encourage our members to foster personal relationships with the Gods and Goddesses through forms of personal devotion such as ritual, acts of reverence and prayer. Therefore, further understanding of the divine plurality may come to be based off our own understanding in modern times.
About personal experiences
The personal experiences that one may receive as a consequence of this are not to be ignored and can help the practitioner get a personal, though still indicative and subjective, view of the Gods and Goddesses.
However the way you may experience Them may be different from how another experiences Them
This is natural, this is normal.
That is polytheism.
How might the Gods and Goddesses relate to the world?
To answer this major question it can be wise to remember that this answer too should be considered indicative, rather that conclusive.
Given the indicative working description as presented above it can be generally seen that the Gods and Goddesses have a special interest in particular on specific aspects of reality that are experienced by humanity as a whole. It is through these spheres of influence that humanity gets to meet the Gods and Goddesses that cultural memory or personal experiences have been able to reveal Them to us.
About a singular divine source or essence
Metaphorically speaking, it can be generally assumed that the many Gods and Goddesses are shoots of the same cosmic tree and share connections with this metaphorical tree through the concept of Wyrd. The tree, in this story, should be seen as the cosmos itself – rather than a singular divine essence as some spiritual movements have collapsed the divine into.
This monism, as we understand it, we find of limited use – even though we acknowledge the philosophical appeal.
Conversely, through the concepts of animism and immanence we hold that the Gods and Goddesses are a part of the world in some way that we as humans are, yet vastly more Sublime and Sovereign than humans are.
This more direct understanding of the divine plurality is a fundamental aspect of our polytheism.
How do Ingwinas generally relate to the Gods and Goddesses?
Generally speaking it is through fostering a personal connection, both individually and collectively, that we relate to many Gods and Goddesses of the Ingvaeonic world. Given the multiplicity of the divine as we have just discussed, this can take many forms suited to both the individual needs and the needs of the collective.
Although variations are always present and tolerated – even encouraged – generally speaking relating to the Gods and Goddesses goes along the following lines.
Fostering Frith through reciprocity
In order to foster a connection to the many Gods and Goddesses of our religion it is encouraged to present them with special gifts through offering rituals. The old sources upon which much of our practice is based generally describe the Germanic peoples as offering the Gods and Goddesses special gifts during special occasions for specific reasons.
These reasons could vary from time to time and from place to place.
In the modern world this is no exception.
Offerings, like offerings of food or drink, are generally done to connect to them and to continue to foster the bond between humanity and divinity. Think of visiting a friend you haven’t seen in a while, but still like to keep a good relationship with. When visiting, it is wise to give them a gift to remind them that you care about them and about the relationship you foster with them. Especially when reciprocated, friendships can last a very long time.
Therefore giving back that which the divine has given us therefore is a pious way to relate in gratitude to the Gods and Goddesses who bless our lives each and every day.
Extending gratitude to those who we hold dear regularly is a foundational aspect of holding good relationships with anyone.
Why should a human-to-divine relationship be any different?
Acts of devotion
Another way of fostering good relationships with the Gods and Goddesses is through personal acts of devotion.
One may choose to grow in personal strength and in determination through their personal relationship with Thunaer, or someone might choose to undergo a particularly challenging education in devotion to Woden. Yet another may choose to learn a particular skill or craft often associated with a Goddess in devotion to Frig of example.
Some may choose to head into the forest to clear away clutter and waste left behind by humans to honour the deity of the forest in particular. And of course, people may choose to perform charity work in relationship to the Gods and Goddesses.
That is another way to relate to the Gods and Goddesses in Ingwine Heathenship.
Other ways of relating
These are just two particular outlined ways our members generally relate to the Gods and Goddesses.
Though as stated above, the practices varied from place to place and from time to time – even in the Ingvaeonic world. Therefore personal devotion might look a little different from person to person, even from group to group.
But what matters most is that it is being done.
On other forms of theism
Polytheism is of course not the only way humans have related to the divine.
For Ingwine Heathenship it is clear that our ancestors related to the divine in the plural.
We do so as well, yet are aware about the fact that there are other ways of relating to the divine.
To allow space for a little bit of discussion and food-for-thought for the curious, here is a list of other ways of theism we reject and some of our reasons why:
- Exclusive archetypal polytheism
We reject this in so much as this reduces the Gods to merely ideas living within a human head which – generally – is not how we experience them as explained above. It is also to close to atheism, which is not polytheism. - Henotheism
The definition of Henotheism is that one may hold belief in a singular deity as supreme over all other deities, including outside of your own religion. Generally this is not considered to be clear-sighted polytheism and so we reject it therefore. - Monotheism
This form of theism and its philosophical descendants often carry with them a tendency toward collapse: one truth, one God, one moral axis, one destiny. Reducing the diverse Gods and Goddesses to facets of a single divine mind, or subordinating them to a hidden unity beyond human understanding.
As we have experienced the world to be shaped by many divine minds, we reject this. - Atheism
As our cultural memory and our personal spiritual – and sometimes physical – experiences indicate to us we hold that an atheistic view of reality is not conducive to a complete enough picture of experienced reality. Based on those factors, we reject atheism.
Concluding
We believe that true polytheism restores a clear-sighted understanding of the sacred.
The Gods and Goddesses are not considered to be merely symbolic projections of inner states, though they are partly that.
They are not simple metaphors for natural forces, though are partly that too.
They are Beings; distinct, sublime, sovereign, and worthy of reverence in their own right.
Each has its own nature, its own story, and its own sphere of influence.
They are encountered through ritual, through memory, through the natural world, and through lived relationship—not abstract speculation.
Ingwine Heathenship does not seek union with the divine, nor escape from the world.
We seek relationship—with the Gods and Goddesses, with our ancestors, and with the rhythms of land and season.
We speak not of “ascending” beyond this life, but of living it well, in the sight of powers who walk beside us.
Our rites are not therapeutic. Our Gods and Goddesses are not mirrors. Our tradition is not a metaphor.
Polytheism, for us, is not a step toward something else.
It is the thing itself.
See Also: Fyrnsida, Theology, World-Affirming Religion