Invoking Deities: Respectful Deity Work vs Appropriation

BY NICOLE LAU

Working with deities from mythological traditions is powerful—but it requires respect, research, and ethical awareness. The line between appreciation (honoring a tradition) and appropriation (taking without understanding or permission) is real, and crossing it harms both you and the cultures you're borrowing from. This guide teaches you how to invoke deities respectfully, when it's appropriate to work with gods from closed traditions, and how to build genuine relationships with divine forces without causing harm.

The Difference: Appreciation vs Appropriation

Appreciation is when you:
- Study the culture and mythology deeply
- Understand the context and meaning
- Honor the tradition's rules and boundaries
- Give credit and acknowledge the source
- Approach with humility and respect
- Are willing to be corrected by people from that culture

Appropriation is when you:
- Take symbols/practices without understanding
- Ignore cultural context and meaning
- Violate sacred boundaries or closed practices
- Claim the practice as your own or universal
- Approach with entitlement ("I can do whatever I want")
- Refuse to listen when people from that culture say you're doing harm

The key difference: Appreciation involves relationship and accountability. Appropriation is extraction without relationship.

Open vs Closed Practices

Not all spiritual traditions are open to everyone. Understanding this is crucial:

Open Practices (Generally Accessible)

These traditions are historically open to outsiders or have no living gatekeepers:

Greco-Roman Paganism: Greek and Roman gods (Zeus, Athena, Apollo, Venus, etc.) are from open traditions. The ancient religions are dead—there's no living culture being harmed by your practice. You can work with these deities freely, though you should still research and be respectful.

Norse/Germanic Paganism: Odin, Thor, Freya, etc. are generally accessible. Modern Heathenry is a reconstructed religion, not a closed indigenous practice. However, be aware of white supremacist appropriation of Norse symbols—don't contribute to that.

Celtic Paganism: Celtic deities (Brigid, Cernunnos, the Morrigan) are accessible, though if you're working with Irish/Scottish/Welsh traditions, learning about the living cultures is respectful.

Egyptian Paganism: Ancient Egyptian gods (Isis, Osiris, Anubis, etc.) are from a dead religion. Modern Kemetic practice is reconstructed and generally open, though learning about ancient and modern Egypt is important.

Closed or Restricted Practices

These traditions have living cultures and specific rules about who can practice:

Indigenous American Traditions: Native American spirituality is not a single tradition—it's hundreds of distinct cultures, many with closed practices. Smudging with white sage, sweat lodges, vision quests, and working with specific spirits are often closed. Don't do these unless you're part of the community or explicitly invited by elders.

Vodou/Hoodoo: Haitian Vodou and Louisiana Voodoo are closed initiatory religions. You cannot practice Vodou without initiation from a legitimate house. Hoodoo (African American folk magic) is a closed practice for people of African American descent. Don't work with the Lwa or practice Hoodoo if you're not part of these communities.

Santería/Lukumí: This is a closed, initiatory Afro-Caribbean religion. You cannot practice without proper initiation. The Orishas in Santería context are not accessible to outsiders.

Hinduism (Specific Practices): Hinduism is complex—some practices are open, some are restricted. Working with Hindu deities (Kali, Shiva, Ganesh) can be done respectfully by non-Hindus, but you must study deeply, understand the theology, and avoid reducing complex deities to New Age stereotypes. Some practices (certain tantric initiations, caste-specific rituals) are closed.

Buddhism (Specific Practices): Buddhism is generally a proselytizing religion (it welcomes converts), but specific practices (Tibetan tantric initiations, certain esoteric teachings) require transmission from a qualified teacher. Don't just take practices without lineage.

How to Work Respectfully with Open Traditions

Even with open traditions, respect is required:

1. Study Deeply

Don't just read a blog post and start invoking. Study:
- Read primary sources (ancient texts, hymns, prayers)
- Read scholarly work (mythology, history, archaeology)
- Read modern practitioners (how are people working with these deities today?)
- Understand the cultural context (what did these gods mean to their original worshippers?)

Minimum: Before invoking a deity, read at least 2-3 books about them and their tradition.

2. Use Correct Names and Epithets

Deities have specific names and titles. Use them correctly:
- Athena Parthenos (Athena the Virgin)
- Isis Myrionymos (Isis of Ten Thousand Names)
- Odin Allfather
- Brigid of the Sacred Flame

Using correct names shows you've done your research and you're addressing the deity properly, not a New Age caricature.

3. Offer Appropriately

Each deity has traditional offerings. Research what they historically received:
- Athena: olive oil, owl imagery, wisdom offerings
- Dionysus: wine, grapes, ivy, ecstatic dance
- Hecate: garlic, honey, crossroads offerings
- Isis: milk, flowers, sistrum music

Don't just offer whatever's convenient—offer what the deity actually wants.

4. Understand the Theology

Don't impose your own theology onto the deity. Understand how they were originally conceived:
- Greek gods are not "aspects of the divine"—they're distinct personalities
- Egyptian gods have complex relationships and mythologies—don't simplify
- Norse gods are not "archetypes"—they're beings with agency

You can have your own relationship with them, but start by understanding theirs.

5. Respect Sacred Boundaries

Even in open traditions, some things are sacred:
- Don't trivialize (making Dionysus just about partying ignores his death/rebirth mysteries)
- Don't sexualize inappropriately (Athena is a virgin goddess—respect that)
- Don't mix incompatible practices (don't invoke Yahweh and Baal in the same ritual—they're enemies)

When You're Called to a Closed Tradition

Sometimes you feel drawn to a deity or practice from a closed tradition. What do you do?

Option 1: Find an Open Alternative

Often, what you're drawn to has an open equivalent:
- Drawn to Kali's fierce destruction? Work with the Morrigan (Celtic) or Sekhmet (Egyptian)
- Drawn to Native American earth spirituality? Work with Celtic or Norse land spirits
- Drawn to the Orishas? Study their Greco-Roman equivalents (many Orishas syncretized with Catholic saints who have Greek/Roman roots)

Option 2: Study and Seek Proper Initiation

If you're truly called, commit fully:
- Study the tradition for years
- Find a legitimate teacher/house/lineage
- Seek proper initiation
- Be willing to be told "no" if you're not meant for this path
- Understand this is a lifelong commitment, not a phase

Warning: Beware of "plastic shamans" or fake teachers who claim to offer initiations they're not qualified to give. Seek out legitimate practitioners from the actual culture.

Option 3: Honor from a Distance

You can appreciate and honor a tradition without practicing it:
- Learn about it
- Support people from that culture
- Acknowledge its beauty and power
- Don't appropriate it
- Find your own path that honors your actual heritage or open traditions

Building Genuine Deity Relationships

Respectful deity work is about relationship, not extraction:

1. Introduce Yourself

When you first approach a deity, introduce yourself properly:
"[Deity name], I am [your name]. I come to you with respect and humility. I've studied your myths and your worship. I seek to build a relationship with you, if you're willing. I offer [offering]. Will you work with me?"

Then listen. Not all deities will want to work with you. Respect that.

2. Make Regular Offerings

Relationship requires reciprocity. Offer regularly:
- Daily or weekly offerings (even small—incense, water, prayer)
- Special offerings on holy days
- Offerings of action (doing the deity's work in the world)

Don't just ask for things—give.

3. Study Continuously

Keep learning about the deity and their tradition. Your understanding should deepen over time, not stay surface-level.

4. Honor Their Nature

Don't try to make the deity into what you want them to be. Honor who they are:
- If Ares is a war god, don't try to make him peaceful
- If Hades rules the dead, don't try to make him cheerful
- If Kali destroys, don't try to make her gentle

Work with their actual nature, not your fantasy of them.

5. Be Accountable

If someone from the deity's culture tells you you're doing something wrong, listen. Don't get defensive. Learn. Adjust. Apologize if needed.

Red Flags: Signs You're Appropriating

Check yourself if you're:
- Claiming to be a "shaman" without indigenous lineage
- Using sacred items as fashion (headdresses, bindis, etc.)
- Mixing practices from incompatible traditions without understanding
- Refusing to acknowledge the source culture
- Getting defensive when called out
- Profiting from practices that aren't yours
- Ignoring living practitioners from the culture
- Treating deities as "archetypes" or "energy" instead of beings
- Cherry-picking the fun parts and ignoring the hard parts

Ethical Deity Work Checklist

Before invoking any deity, ask yourself:

✓ Have I researched this deity and their tradition thoroughly?
✓ Is this an open tradition, or do I need permission/initiation?
✓ Do I understand the cultural context?
✓ Am I using correct names, epithets, and offerings?
✓ Am I approaching with respect and humility?
✓ Am I willing to be corrected?
✓ Am I building a relationship, not just extracting power?
✓ Would practitioners from this culture approve of what I'm doing?

If you can't answer yes to all of these, do more work before proceeding.

The Gift of Respectful Practice

Respectful deity work teaches us: The gods are not ours to take—they're beings to be in relationship with. Traditions are not resources to extract from—they're living cultures to honor. Power comes not from appropriation, but from genuine connection built on respect, study, and reciprocity.

When you work respectfully, the deities respond. When you honor the traditions, the magic deepens. When you approach with humility, you're welcomed. When you build genuine relationships, you're transformed.

This is not about restriction—it's about depth. Surface-level appropriation gives you surface-level results. Deep, respectful practice gives you genuine connection, real transformation, and relationships with divine forces that can change your life.

The gods are waiting. Approach with respect. Study deeply. Honor the traditions. Build real relationships. The magic is in the respect.