Devotion is valued and I agree that a patron can just "pick you"Andreeje wrote:I know this is an old thread, but this question comes up a lot on many forums from people just starting out. When you first start getting your feet wet, there is an overwhelming amount of information and so many possibilities, so many things to do and work on. One of the things that has the biggest draw is finding a Patron, I fully understand why, there is a sense of security in devoting yourself to one specific Diety, especially for those coming from other religions. But I think it's something that most people should hold off on. One reason is that a lot of people just starting tend to do a lot of hopping around, it's natural when faced with so many Spirits and Paths; also, devotion is something that should be taken very seriously. What a beginner may want as their Patron on day one may be very different than after a year or two. Which brings up another point, a Patron may not always be the one you "want", it's not always about picking one, so much as its discovering who it is. Not always, but sometimes you already have a Patron because they have "picked" you instead of the other way around, and by trying to rush in and devote yourself to another it could limit your view and take quite a while to discover this fact.
Another thing you'll see is Patron hopping, where people switch monthly or yearly, claiming each time that this is their Patron now. That's never a good idea in my book, because like I said, devotion is a serious thing and should be treated with respect, as you should also respect the Spirits you devote yourself to and continue to do so. This doesn't mean there won't be Spirits who step in on a ever changing basis to guide and teach you. Work with them; explore and learn everything they are there to show you. But to call them you Patron and devote yourself to them just to change your mind later isn't the best idea.
With that being said, I'd hold off on spending so much time and effort finding a Patron for a while. Down the road you may be surprised who you find out it is for you. Start with the basics for now: meditation, energy work, basic ritual, divination, and start by working with a small handful of Spirits on a regular basis. As Anatel said, Connelly has a good method for choosing a handful of Dieties to start working with, and there is a good chance that your Patron may be in that mix. But hold off on claiming so until you really know them intimately. Hell, it took me over 15 years to find mine, and I'm glad I waited and kept my "spiritual chastity belt" on and saved myself for Her:) Not to say finding yours will take that long, not by any means, I'm just a tad stubborn and that was my case only. Hopefully you will have a faster time than I did, but then again I wasn't looking either, my Patron came to me and it wasn't one I ever would have thought of years earlier. Good luck to ya:)
I have had a spirit make themselves known to me but I never
Thought about working with them. I will pick up that book from Connelly.
I want to make sure the patron I pick is the correct one. More than likely I should
Work with the one who came to me.
