We all know that Wicca is a polytheistic religion which in a nutshell means that its practitioners honour a number of different Gods and Goddesses rather than a single deity. But while many Wiccans practice this way, they may also have a patron God and a matron Goddess who are their ‘special’, or without meaning to sound flippant, ‘pet’ God and Goddess. They will often honour these two deities in regular rituals like Esbats and will dedicate many other workings to them. Many covens are named after a particular God or Goddess who becomes the Divine icon of that group.           

 It’s a great thing to have a special God and Goddess that you can create a much deeper, more personal relationship with but it’s not necessary and many Wiccans are happy to share their love across a range of deities and indeed a range of pantheons. One of the dangers with having patron and matron deities is that you can slip into duotheism instead of polytheism without even realising it. In other words, you just end up honouring one God and one Goddess and forget that our religion is actually one that honours a great may deities. So by all means have a patron God and a matron Goddess, but don’t forget the other equally as wonderful deities around and within us.         

   I’m often asked “How do I know who my matron Goddess is and my patron God?” This simple answer is that when the time is right, they will make themselves known to you. Don’t force it, let it happen. It may be that one day a thought or sign will come to you, maybe followed a few days later by another. Gradually you’ll get to realise that someone is talking to you directing you their way. Or alternatively, it may be that a God or Goddess does a whammy and just hits you with their presence and it’s blatantly obvious that you belong with them. Whatever way they make themselves known to you, let it happen. As they say, when the student is ready, the teacher will come.

Smiles and blessings, Amethyst