Last night I had a revelation. I was contemplating the relationship between myself and my Goddess Brigid when her and I kinda got into an argument. I started by asking the question why me? Who am I that a Goddess, an ancient one no less, would be interested in me. The answer came to me during our prayer session which I confronted her. She wanted me to represent her, to study her and become a priestess of hers. Then I realized what she gets from me I had to ask what do I get from her?
It was a long night between the two of us going back and forth. I lobbed accusations at her. Her people, the Tuatha De Danann basically lost their war to the Gaels who took over Ireland forcing them into the Otherworld, buried deep in the hills of the British Aisles. As I recalled the legendary stories from the Irish myths I realized something, no disrespect to her people but as an American I find OUR accomplishments easily outmatch even the most fantastical of Irish myths. A never ended cauldron, show me landing on the moon. A shape shifting warrior goddess, show me a Nuclear Powered Mars Rover. You lost your battle to the mortal Gaels, we developed atomic bombs which we, unethically mind you, used to end the greatest (in stature not respect) war to ever ravage the Earth. I realized as amazing as the Old Gods, all of them, from the ancient world appear at first glance, they pale in comparison to the God-Like achievements made by humanity since then, Americans often think they are gods but damn if we haven’t flexed our scientific muscle in such a way we’ve generally out classed even the most powerful of ancient gods with our modern magic.
This revelation once occurred to me altered the dynamic of our relationship. Do I respect her as a Goddess, yes but damn if I don’t achieve magic-like abilities every time I divine something from the Google Oracle or I defeat death by taking simple to us magic potions we call medicine. Our modern science is so far beyond the magic of the old gods how can *I* expect an ancient being to find any use for me? Then it hit me, what she needs from me, what all deities need from their followers, is belief. They need our offerings. They need us to pray to them. They cannot exist if we do not believe in them. I recall the plot to Clash of the Titans where the gods are worried humans have lost their faith placing the gods in jeopardy of becoming irrelevant. Thus she came to me because she needed an American master of modern magic to bring her into the 21st century. That is our dynamic now. The power shifted. I still revere her, I still honor her and I still utter my daily devotion to her now with the understanding our relationship is of mutual trust not my worshiping a supreme being. Oh sure *I* didn’t land on the moon but I flip a switch in my apartment and the climate in my entire house bends to my will. She wasn’t even capable of altering the weather in her most fantastical legends on even a local scale.
We came to an understanding. I will honor her, she will enlighten me. It’s a relationship that works better for the both of us in light of this recent realization. Show me a god or goddess that can fly to the Moon and I will raise you an American that can launch Space X in his spare ass time. We’re the new gods. The old gods need us now more than we’ve ever needed them. I think we both found peace in that dynamic, so long as I remain respectful of her she will honor that.
Stephanie Bri 