Personal vs. Universal Deity

On a personal level we approach Deity as an entity with Which we interact through words and actions and with Whom we maintain a personal relationship. At this level we give Deity many names and faces, and interact with Deity through these. Most Wiccans will use a variety of names and faces for Deity in this personal sense, and will have one particular form which they perceive as their PATRON. They will interact with this Patron Deity, or in some cases Patron Deities, in a very personal way, seeking guidance, inspiration, and practical help in both daily life and esoteric matters.

The second way in which Wiccans look at Deity is Universal. We acknowledge that the true nature of Deity is beyond all names and forms, and indeed perhaps beyond all mortal understanding. As our personal images of Deity are the facets so UNIVERSAL DEITY is the diamond. Wiccans believe that any one name or form for Deity can never possibly encompass all of the nature of Universal Deity, but can only serve to limit our understanding of it. Rather we use our personal images of Deity symbolically to help us understand the nature of Universal Deity, using myth as a tool to illustrate the qualities and processes of Universal Deity without ever imagining that a single view can encapsulate the whole nature of the Divine.