Group Eclecticism can be Difficult. (12/29/08)

I am an eclectic Wiccan. My group honors deities from many pantheons. As the wheel turns, we have many different ways we can celebrate, as we honor many cultures and pantheons. This is wonderful, as some of us feel closer to Celtic gods, and others- Roman or Egyptian. While we stick with a Wiccan ritual format, we are able to play and explore many different cultures, and techniques. Coming up on our sixth year as a group, I feel as though this has been good for us. However, it's sometimes really difficult. As we have honored many different Gods, we've had to research so many god/desses and traditions. Sometimes I feel that it would be nice to be part of a tradition. One with a pantheon that I could become familiar with, and feel as though I 'know' more than just an acquaintance. I still love the idea of experimental ritual, but by getting to know the deities deeply, and using that culture as the basis for Sabbat circles, I feel as though we wouldn't have to reinvent the wheel every single month.

I've mentioned this to other witches before, and they say- well, why don't you change it? Well, its not "my" coven to change, first of all. Just because I'm the leader, it doesn't mean that I get to change things willy nilly. Its not mine to change. It belongs to all the sisters. And what pantheon would we change it to? The one that I want? We are separate people with separate personal deities. I'm drawn to Greek Gods, others Celtic, Roman or Egyptian. Who gets to make that choice? The eclecticism is one of the reasons we all chose our coven, that we'll be able to honor deities of our chosen pantheon at one time or another. It's been suggested (more than once) that we focus on one pantheon per quarter. But is that really enough time to establish a relationship with the Gods, to immerse ourselves in the culture and flavor of those ancient people? 3 esbats, 3 gatherings, 2 sabbats? And then what? We drop the Gods we've fostered this relationship with to start over? If its was simply reading and discussion, it would be different. But we are witches. We practice, we learn, we get hands on in the dirt, we try new things, we commune and pray and interact. And so, 3 months, or 6 months, or even a year seems noncommittal when it comes to deity.

Talk about being stuck between a rock and a hard place.