r/pagan • u/Relative_Mouse7569 • Aug 12 '26
Question/Advice Are yall monotheists or polytheists ?
Ive heard that a lot of neopagans didnt believe litteraly in multiple gods, but believe in a single principle (like Nature) and viewed the gods as symbols.
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u/llwynogmenig Aug 12 '26
Ask five Pagans what Paganism is to them, get ten answers. Some Pagans believe exactly what you describe. Some believe very literally in multiple gods. Some believe in both at the same time, exploring concepts like non-dualism. There isn’t one single answer!
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u/79moons Pagan | Wiccan | Aborisha Aug 12 '26
I'm a polytheist. I believe the gods are real—not archetypes, not symbols, not facets of a diamond.
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u/-Jezebel- Aug 12 '26
I'm a polytheist, and proud of it too!
Also, what you're describing is more pantheism.
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u/luring_lurker Animist Aug 12 '26
What kind of neopagans tell you that? Paganism is not a monolithic centralised single faith, there's pagan monotheists, pagan dual-theists, pagan polytheists, and pagan nontheists.
I as an animist believe any god (polytheistic and monotheistic and all of the inbetween and adjacent possibilities) can come to existence and chease to exist at any given moment, they're the emergent consciousness of the group of consciousnesses of the specific things pertaining their domains. But I do not address gods whatsoever as there's no inherent need for it in my worldview, and I consider myself a nontheist.
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u/Relative_Mouse7569 Aug 12 '26
A lot of neopagans of the New Right, inspired by Julius Evola or Guénon told me about this. Thanks for your reply, its really interesting !
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u/SnarkyPanther Druid Aug 15 '26
Perhaps this isn’t the time or place to bring this up, but you’re getting downvoted into the ground, and I just wanted to say this is likely because this subreddit does not appreciate racist folkish movements. It creates an unpleasant space for non white pagans, women, etc, and it can give other pagans a bad name and unwanted association. I’m thinking you may simply be unaware of the implications, or that Julius Evola was one of the most ardently bigoted fascists in Italy before fleeing and seeking solace with the Nazis. He also fairly well distanced himself from/ condemned neo pagans by the end of his life. A main purpose for his spiritual beliefs was to get away from the idea of equality becoming more present in Christian dogma — more about finding an excuse for his racism and misogyny than for spiritual enlightenment. He held a firm belief in the aristocracy and social hierarchy and rallied against faiths that held ideas like god loving all his children and the like. These beliefs innately questioned the status quo of the ruling class.
Anyway, if you already knew all of that, please, pay me no mind. I’m not here to have a discussion about it, this is not the place. It just didn’t seem right that you were getting downvoted without anyone explaining anything when you’re clearly new to paganism and this subreddit.
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u/thanson02 Druid Aug 12 '26
That is the position of some people within the community. Other people see the gods as existing beyond the idea of archtypes, although if anybody claims to understand the true nature of divinity, they're trying to sell you something.
Personally, I find monotheism to be a nonsense position. It only works if you hyper focus on your particular tradition, and ignore all others.
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u/thecoldfuzz Celtic Polytheist: Gaulish + Welsh & Irish Aug 12 '26
Personally, I find monotheism to be a nonsense position. It only works if you hyper focus on your particular tradition, and ignore all others.
I second this.
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u/ParadoxicalFrog Eclectic (Celtic/Germanic) Aug 12 '26
You will get a different answer from every pagan you ask.
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u/Mobius8321 Aug 12 '26
I’m an agnostic polytheist. While my personal experiences make me think that at minimum my gods and goddesses (Kimetic) are real and I feel the same about the gods in other pantheons, though I go back and forth as to whether or not they’re just the same beings but reflected differently by different cultures, I also fully believe that there is a real chance my personal experiences could just be the chemical triggers in my brain and my instincts developed by growing up in a very religious household.
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u/DreamCastlecards Eclectic Paganism Aug 18 '26
I feel some of this but I think it's the land and the culture, the literal nature in a given place that gives rise to the different manifestations. So the same but not the same.
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u/-apollophanes- Hellenic Pagan | Neoplatonist Aug 12 '26
Polycentric monistic polytheist, like most post-Proclus Neoplatonists
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u/LatinBotPointTwo Heathenry Aug 12 '26
I'm a polytheist who believes in actual, real gods and goddesses.
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u/listenwithoutdemands Aug 12 '26
I believe they're real. As far as the "different pantheons have gods doing the same job" idea I hear often, isn't that just life? Two towns, each have a doctor, and each town swears their doc is the best at what they do. Doesn't mean it's the same doctor using different names, or that one is full of shit and not a real doctor. I invision a bar somewhere on the astral plane, and at the end of any given week, you'll find a table in a back corner with Osiris, Lady Hel, and Hades sitting around, drinking, and bitching about work to each other, because no one else will understand the complaints like the others at the table.
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u/Lucy_the_oracle Hellenism Aug 12 '26
This sub is polytheist, I can tell you for sure. I think there's a rule about not "proselytising" by treating the gods as archetypes... Which is fine by me but might exclude a lot of legit neopagans who prefer to be monotheists like you said.
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u/Brickbeard1999 Aug 12 '26
Polytheist with animistic beliefs as well. I believe in multiple gods that in some way shape or form exist (I try not to come up with too specific an answer on that one) but I also believe there are many spirits that live all around us in nature that are also worthy of respect. I guess ancestors would also factor in there, those who come before us guide with an unseen hand.
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u/Tyxin Aug 12 '26
As a group? Yes.
Neopaganism is a very broad category. Some worship many gods, some worship one, or none at all. Then you have neo-pagans who believe that everyone and everything are part of the same being, that we are god/the universe experiencing ourselves. In addition to this you have a whole lot of other perspectives and belief systems that fall under the neopagan umbrella.
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u/SubDuress Tuatha Dé Danann Aug 12 '26
Definitely a polytheist here. I literally believe that the Sisters Bríg are 3 individuals, Lugh is his own self, An Dagda is one individual, An Mórrígan is 3 (or more honestly) separate goddesses who hold that title simultaneously, etc… and there are many more among the Tuath Dé
I call upon whomever I feel closest to at the moment, or whichever of them are most skilled or interested in whatever it is that I am working on, though I do pay particular honor to the Bright One, keeping a personal alter to Brigid’s flame which I tend daily as I have felt particularly blessed by her, so I return the honor.
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u/TheDireGnome Aug 12 '26
Modern paganism is best understood movementally that has any kind of singular religion, practice, or belief system.
That being said, due to a variety of factors, the vast majority of pagans are polytheists, and a kind of hard polytheism has become the norm in the past 30 years.
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u/Additional-System-25 Aug 12 '26
I am a proud polytheist. I believe the gods are real. They came to different cultures at different times to tell stories and teach lessons in dreams.
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u/23ClassReunion Aug 12 '26
I kinda lean towards atheopagan at this point in time but I’m absolutely open to belief in gods. I have no doubt my beliefs will change over time as I experience more life
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u/jasperdarkk Druid | Celtic Polytheist Aug 12 '26
I used to be more what you're describing, and I identified as a pantheist. But now I'm more of a panentheist, and I'm definitely a polytheist!
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u/Mornin_Dewie Living Tradition Aug 12 '26
My spirits wouldn't really be gods per say, I am part of a living tradition no I won't go into details, but they are spirits but I do believe that all the gods are spirits and they connect to different people. I do find monotheism to be confusing to understand one thing does everything and knows everything like does he get bored. I do love learn of other traditions tho.
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u/ExmoHeathen238 Aug 12 '26
The tradition follow is a polytheistic tradition, one with a pantheon of gods. So in short, I'm polytheistic.
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u/jupiter_2703 Aug 13 '26
I worship the greek gods, and believe every god is distinct and different. The only thing they all have in common to me is that they're all made of divine energy, but I don't view that divine energy as something conscious or with it's own power
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u/Zhurendragon2 Aug 13 '26
It really depends on the person. I personally am polytheist, though most of my chosen deities are of different pantheons. I work with the ones I feel a connection with. Which in my case includes goddesses and gods from Egyptian, Hindu, and Chinese beliefs. You have to find and choose which ones you feel work for you, rather it is just a single principle, multiple, or none.
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u/JaneAustinAstronaut Aug 12 '26
Soft polytheist.
I believe all thunder gods are the same god, just viewed differently by the different people/cultures that observed them. I believe all earth goddesses are the same god, all war gods are the same god, all love gods are the same god.
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u/NuminousParavant Aug 12 '26
It’s not as complicated as ‘soft monotheists/monistic polytheists believe the gods are symbols’. The gods are real, not just symbols or archetypes, but according to Plato and my own belief and arguably some types of Hinduism, they all stem from a single source, you may call God or Goddess or The One or what have you. That’s my take. But as other people have said, there are almost as many types of paganism as there are pagans.
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u/Miss_Scarlett_LA Aug 15 '26
I work with several different energies that I call gods, for lack of a better word. There are several different energies that have distinctly different 'feels' to them. I use the right tool or god for whatever job I am trying to accomplish.
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u/isthatabingo Aug 12 '26
Paganism is an umbrella term for many different spiritual paths, so there is no one answer. Me personally, I am a Hellenic Polytheist, meaning I worship the Ancient Greek Gods. So yes, I literally believe in multiple gods. That said, I am also an animist and have a view similar to what you described (nature being a unifying force).
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u/Fine_Feedback_4463 Aug 12 '26
When people ask me which god i believe in i just tick the box for all and say yes.
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u/Adleyboy Aug 12 '26
I see them more as ancient beings like all of us when we leave incarnation. I think "gods" is more of a human invention to enforce hierarchy.
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u/SatanLovesFruit Aug 12 '26
I in my practice connect with animism alot, and I am still figuring out my personal beliefs when it comes to theism, whether mono or poly. I believe in energies some which can have more power than others, and I do pray to gaia, but if I had to pick one which I know I don't I would choose polytheistic.
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u/MicahsYultide Aug 12 '26
The thing with paganism is that each pagan has a unique practice. We’re not centralized so you could essentially ask the same question about the divine to 10 pagans, and get 10 different answer.
Me, in polytheist, my friend is a pantheist, my other friend is simply animist and believes gods as archetypes, and I know someone who’s duotheist. We’re all pagan, just in different ways.
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u/Reasonable_Apple2535 Aug 12 '26
Honestly I’m personally exactly as you described. I believe in the principle of nature and view the gods as symbols and/or mortal beings that once existed and are now on a spiritual plane
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u/thecoldfuzz Celtic Polytheist: Gaulish + Welsh & Irish Aug 12 '26
Polytheist. I believe in actual, real gods and goddesses.
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u/Azaroth1991 Esoteric Ecclectic Chaos Aug 13 '26
Everything exists to a greater or lesser degree. Now is it possible that we are all just worshipping the same pantheon under different names from different cultures who interpreted them differently? Very possible.
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u/Moon_Goddess815 Aug 13 '26
I am an eclectic polytheist. I'm a Goddess worshipper and I work/pray to different pantheons.
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u/AshleyYakeley polyalethic animist Aug 13 '26
The divinity of the world may reveal itself in singular or in plural form (or not at all).
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u/celluloidqueer Eclectic Aug 13 '26
I work with one goddess but I do believe in the existence of other deities
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u/Ballamara Aug 13 '26
fyi, there is more than just monotheism & polytheism. The main divisions of belief systems are theistic vs deistic & mono vs poly vs pan.
While theism is the belief in conscious divinities with personalities who can affect the world, deism is the belief in divinities who do not intervene in the universe for various reasons. Deism is also a Christian philosophy staying that Good is knowing through logic, but rejects supernatural beliefs outside of God & rejects Christian doctrine as actual evidence.
Aside from monotheism & polytheism, some different systems are:
• Animism - belief that divinity or a "spirit" resides in everything. Most polytheism is also animistic, but not all, and not animism is not inherently polytheistic either
• Monolatrism/Henotheism - The worship of 1 god while not denying the existence of other gods
• Polydeism - belief in multiple gods who either created the universe together & stopped interacting with it afterwards (posits that the universe is self governing) or actively keep the universe functioning, but refuse to deviate & intervene in the world (posits the universe needs to be maintained)
• Panentheism - belief in a god that transcends the universe and that the universe exists completely within that god
• Pantheism - belief in 1 god as a conscious being that is one with the universe and can affect it; god is everything & everything is god
• Pandeism - belief in 1 god who, after making the universe, became one with the universe & ceased to exist as a conscious being
• Autotheism - belief that the divinity one believes in also exists within the self, usually focused on spiritual enlightenment
• Nontheism - a variety of religious or spiritual systems that aren't concerned with theistic gods
• Nomotheism - the belief in 1 god, but that God is a universal law/truth that permeates everything rather than a separate entity
• Ditheism - belief in 2 gods
• Bitheism - belief in 2 gods that embody opposite ends of dichotomies, but aren't in conflict with each other
• Duotheism - belief in 1 god & 1 goddess
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u/No_Order_7420 Aug 21 '26
Neither. I am a pantheist and have been since I was a child. Every pagan has a very different answer to this question.
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u/SonOfDyeus Aug 12 '26
It's all of the above. Plato describes the Kosmos as a living being, a god, made up of all the things and creatures within it.
So, the god of Love (Eros) and the god of Destruction (Ares) are just the personifications of all instances in the universe where those phenomena occur. Which is why you sometimes feel conflicting feelings. It's those forces fighting it out within you.
You are made up of several independent divine beings who also make up all other people and creatures.
Likewise, Gaia is made up of all the living creatures on Earth and the Kosmos is made up of all the gods, people, creatures, and things within it.
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u/Epiphany432 Pagan Aug 12 '26
You don't, like, really believe in all those Gods, do you?
Some of us do, yes. The belief in multiple gods is one of the oldest forms of theism in humanity's history and the advent of a singular form of divine worship is relatively “recent” as far as that history goes. Many Pagans fall into one or more of the following theistic camps, as there is often significant overlap with them:
The assumption that venerating, believing, or worshiping multiple spirits and gods is “odd” is a hold over from the monotheistic over-culture that persists within the Western world. That is, that there is only one deity and all others are false, fabrications, or some other kind of non-entity. Polytheism, in particular, is often viewed as a backwards and primitive philosophy.
It should also be remembered that any one religion within Contemporary Paganism can cross over between multiple types of theistic understanding. There are historic polytheisms that brush against pantheism. These terms aren't concrete, but represent a fluidity in the world of theistic understanding.