Who Are the Wiccan Gods?

In a previous video, I talked about the "schmidentity" of deities--the way that two gods can be somehow distinct from each other and yet the same, especially in cases where their cults share a common historical origin. Here, I turn my eye to the Gods of traditional Wicca. I discuss a few figures from ancient mythology (and from modern reinterpretations of that mythology) who are, to my mind at least, schmidentical to the Wiccan Gods.
My video on schmidentity:
• On the Schmidentity of...
My video on Frazer and The Golden Bough:
• James Frazer and the M...
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[@DanielWilliams-cp3wx]

I have a Question, and perfectly understand if you cannot answer because of your oaths ect. Since the Guardierian names are oathbound, can a non initiate, or a practitioner from a different more Eclectic Wiccan Tradition, work with theses Deities without knowing there names or being initiated. As someone who had been part of a few Eclectic Wiccan groups who had there own Deities name often with the same themes as you describe, but generally seen in a more general "Lord and Lady" or " Moon Goddess and Horned God" would they be working with the same gods or similar connected gods without actually knowing there inner names? just wondering you take on this.

[@JackChanek]

Different people have different opinions about this! My personal take is that non-initiates can absolutely have a relationship with the Wiccan Gods; it'll just be a different sort of relationship to what initiates have. Not necessarily lesser or worse, just different.

[@empressonthethrone]

I don't practice Wicca. However, I have always felt drawn to Isis. Nonetheless, I love your content, blogs and your latest book.

[@jessacatmomma6813]

Firstly, I just want to say that your timing on releasing this video is really perfect for me 🤣 so you thank you for that. Secondly, thank you for all the book and author references throughout this. Can I ask how you choose your books though? I just personally struggle with knowing which books are actually relevant to gard wicca vs which aren't.

[@JackChanek]

What a great question! Some of it is just a matter of what early Wiccans said they were reading. For example, The Meaning of Witchcraft has a large bibliography, and while not everything there is interesting or informative, it's a great jumping-off point for reading about things that influenced Gardner. You can also find some information from professional historians like Ronald Hutton. Other than that, reading books by initiates is often a good idea; for example, Margot Adler's Drawing Down the Moon is superb.Those books might not always be directly about traditional Wicca, but they're usually informed by the author's perspective and can give you a sense of the sorts of things that initiates are interested in or thinking about!

[@jessicaharvey-grayson147]

Thanks for this Jack, I really enjoyed hearing your thoughts, particularly on the influence of Murray and Frazer, both of whom’s works I am currently contemplating.

[@modernmonologue]

What is your take on worship of the Goddess alone? For example, like in the American Feri tradition by the Andersons with the Star Goddess. Or in the Minoan Brotherhood where we see the Goddess and her son?

[@S.L._]

That was an interesting video. I'm not Gardnerian, so as someone looking at the tradition from the outside, even with the best of intentions, I'm of course going to have some misperceptions. I also appreciate what you said about your impressions being your own, and everyone having a unique perspective. Nevertheless, I found it fascinating which deities you mentioned, and which you didn't. I was also surprised -- though I probably shouldn't have been, given the prominence of the divine feminine in a lot of types of Wicca and witchcraft, seemingly perhaps especially in Gardnerian Wicca -- at how you almost exclusively mentioned Gods only in the context of the Goddesses they were or are associated with. Do you think you might ever be interested in doing a companion video going more into depth on Gods? For context, first, I generally identify first as Pagan, and then elaborate from there, as necessary, with identifiers including polytheist, animist, Druid, and witch. Second, my personal experience of "schmidentity" is extremely limited. I felt I experienced it more when I was much younger, though I think that was often much less a case of schmidentity, and more a case being new enough and young enough that I didn't have adequately functional understanding of what I was doing (which, frankly is still often how I feel, but that's a whole other story, and also to at least a certain extent, probably a good thing). These days, I can see how it would, or at least could theoretically apply to a whole range of deities and other powers for a variety of reasons (off the top of my head, I'm thinking of Greek and Roman deities, and there are plenty of other examples, too). But my main most recent experience of it is of Gaia syncretizing with a local land goddess. Finally, it's also definitely worth noting that my initial, and for a long time only, experience of Paganism was of the eclectic bookstore witchcraft variety with early internet eclectic witchcraft mixed in. With all that said, deities I personally closely associate with the Goddess and God of Gardnerian Wicca insofar as my nonparticipant understanding goes are: Selene, Luna, Isis, maybe Hecate, Cernunnos, Pan, Faunus, Green Man figures, and Herne. Also, partially because of my polytheism and partially because of how that meshes with the formativeness of that early eclecticism (and relatedly the emphasis on duotheism and/or soft polytheism a lot of those books had) I tend to think of different deities when I think of different aspects, deities, or emphasis in a witchcraft context. For instance, I think of Selene when I think specifically of the Wiccan Goddess as a Moon Goddess (and these days, that is mostly the area I think of the Wiccan Goddess as having the most sway over and affinity with), but of Gaia or Isis when I think of the Wiccan Goddess as a Mother Goddess. There are also deities that I used to associate with the Wiccan Goddess and God that I no longer personally do, like Artemis and Dionysus, for example. And sometimes, it's simply a matter of relative distance. For example, Isis was one of the first Goddesses I prayed to, but relatively early on I stopped for reasons I no longer remember. I don't think there was any malice there in either direction. By contrast, when I think of the Horned God, I now think of Cernunnos, generally to the exclusion of all others. And then tradition factors heavily into it, too. Most of my Gods are Greek or Irish, so that makes a difference. In terms of witchcraft, I heavily associate Gaia with Reclaiming Witchcraft; and I also have come -- mostly through a class that heavily involved Her -- to associate Brigid with that tradition. In the lexicon of Reclaiming, They would both be "the Goddess", but as far as my understanding goes, they are each individual Goddesses Who are both associated with that tradition -- though theoretically any Goddess, God, or otherwise gendered Deity could also be associated with that tradition. And important to that point, I think that the Gods one has a relationship with compared to those one doesn't (and probably also those one has an affinity for being in relationship with, compared to those who one doesn't) is probably also a large determining factor. Wow, I rambled considerably more than I meant to, so I apologize if this is *way* too long. I tend to get a sometimes unwieldy combination of thinky and rambly when haven't slept recently.

[@tyson7687]

I thoroughly enjoy this video! Do not be afraid to "ramble on" about this topic. The Wiccan deities are something of a mystery or elusive to me. I think that being a mystery tradition is difficult for many minds. Primarily because a lot of us do not have access to teachers, priests, or priestesses. Whereas, if I turn my eyes to Druidry, everything is relatively open. My personal sensations or draw (hard to think of phrasing) continues to pull me towards Wicca. I enjoy the structure and ability to travel anywhere and have a similar flow in ritual. The issue I have is purely geographical. I wish a priest or priestess were available to help me grow and understand the Wiccan deities better. Until then, I have to keep things general. Long comment, but it hopefully illustrates why videos like this are valuable.

[@gweneversmith4492]

Hello! I found you a few months back, and found your clear informative nature supportive in my solitary exploration. I see Isis and Ishtar as very much the same energy. I’m just formulating this idea now, but perhaps it connects with tapping into archetypal energy of Divine Mother, Divine Virgin ….? I love your book suggestions ( and your own book😁). I am currently reading Dion Fortune’s’Sea Priestess,’ based on your discussion in past videos- and loving it! . Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us on KZbin.

[@Alexander-wq7qo]

Can you do a review on the rites of Isis and Pan

[@keithbrough5575]

@15:48 -- Dear Mr. Jack Chanek, Could you please provide a citation for Ronald Hutton's emphasis on Algernon Charles Swinburne? Thank you in advance.

[@dhesyca4471]

Disclaimer: I am not Gardnerian, I am solitary, I work with Norse deities. So in my personal experience if Frigg showed up as a mother goddess, I personally wouldn't consider that I did something wrong, but I can understand how many Wiccans might not feel that way. I also do not feel drawn to Heathenism as much as Wicca, as far as practices go. Thank you for the video!!!