Wiccans and NeoPagans; how many of you believe in a supernatural Goddess or God?

I absolutely believe my god and goddess are actual entities (not metaphors or allegories), and that is the opinion of every Wiccan I know that's worth their salt. I find it very surprising that you claim to be a Georgian and Alexandrian high priest, considering the large number of British Traditional Wiccans who have specifically told me they are hard polytheists.

There is certainly a strong connection between natural forces and the gods, but that doesn't mean one is merely a metaphor for the other. Why would I see communion with a purely physical process? I consider a belief in such entities to be a core value of Wicca.

Some gods are entities, some of those are ancestors while others are spirits of various kinds. Anyone who has called upon the elements to protect corners know spirits exist. There are many different kinds of spirits beyond simple elementals, some have been worshiped as gods. Many gods are allegories or concepts that have been fed believers' energies for periods of time. But how sentient and thinking and capable can an allegory be? The real use for an allegory is a tool to change states of mind. I have asked many times on this site for someone to define what a god is, but always was disappointed. I'd have to describe myself as eclectic. Wisdom and knowledge are far more important than sticking with one particular mythology or another. I'm from the American Midwest.

I am Wiccan, from Texas, and a solitary practioner. I do not believe in my deities as supernatural beings. Rather, I believe that they are an extension of myself, and, like you said, the forces of nature. I love the earth, and revear her as she should be, and honor the gods and goddesses as a reminder of morality and faith. I don't think that it is necessarily true that most Neo Pagans think of theirs as supernatural. However, it is very easy to see why one might, especially if raised under a different belief. Ultimately, it just depends on the Neo Pagan. After all, witch does not mean Wiccan and Wiccan does not mean witch. Pagan is not the same as Wiccan, Druid, and especially Atheist as some here may say. Not all Wiccans, Pagans, Druids, Spiritualist, Christians,Atheists etc., believe the same thing. An it harm none, do as Ye will. Love and Light!

What I believe is actually kinda strange....

I believe it is a mixture of both; I do believe that there are Gods And Goddesses, but I also believe that they are connected to the forces of nature, being in such that they ARE the forces of nature. Of course, I do believe in the Goddess and all that she holds.

I am sorry if this isn't a very clear answer, I stated this the only way I could think of, or at least in this moment. If you are more interested in my thoughts on this, or what I mean, you can either ask or e-mail me; I'll be glad to talk about it ^^

Christian here, but I've visited a lot of Wiccan and NeoPagan churches and groups here in Seattle (including yours!), and none of the folks I've met seem to think of their gods and goddesses as actual entities independent of the minds which conceive them. Your own church ends its services with "may the gods preserve the Craft, and may the Craft preserve the gods", which I have to tell you I found remarkable, and which has helped me come to a deeper understanding of my own Christian faith. Since I haven't experienced NeoPaganism outside of Seattle, I don't have any way of knowing if all NeoPagans share this or if this unique to Seattle.

Actually in my experience... quite a few of the pagans I know really do believe that their gods/goddesses are real and functioning deities. Others believe as you do, while many others believe {as I do} that they are all aspects of a spirit quite beyond description or definition.

I tend to just call upon the light, which I believe is what actually created all things and left a spark within all of us. This is the little light shining inside us that gives many of us the strong need to create something of beauty to help light up the world.

Just my own opinion...

Yes, it is a dire violation of the First commandment: "I am the Lord your God. You shall have no other gods before me." You cannot worship the Goddess and remain faithful to God. It is akin to spiritual adultery. I think Wicca would have less of a problem with this than would the Catholic Church. However, I don't think Wicca cares as much about the 10 Commandments as does the Catholic Church.

Yup, I believe that the gods and goddesses are actual supernatural entities. However I believe that they are all various manifestations of one divine force.

My Pagan flavor is eclectic, but I lean towards Eastern mysticism, Hinduism, Voodou and Native American spirituality.

I live in Canada. Far northern Ontario, to be exact.

:)

I believe in both conceptual gods and actual gods.

I also have different conception of a Creator-of-All compared to other gods.

I am henotheistic. Though I believe that many gods exist, I only worship one directly; he is not the Creator.

I have been in my god's presence and felt his humor. He has a personality and a presence, though I do not know if he has a body or not.

I absolutely view my gods as discrete, fully existent entities. Personally, I couldn't think of Brigid as a facet of Aine or Macha as a facet of Scathach, or anything else. They are who they are, not facets or aspects to me.

So yes, I am a hard polytheist. My personal experiences with the deities, including getting my butt lectured when I died in surgery for a bit is too much evidence to the contrary for me to embrace soft polytheism and see my gods as allegories or metaphors.

That's not to say that I care what other's believe or think them right or wrong, just that I have my beliefs that they are real.