The Cauldron: A Pagan Forum

Both Brighid and the Morrigan come across as awfully serious to me; I can't imagine joking with either of Them.

The only thing I can help with is to say that, IME, Brighid loves puns and other kinds of word- and image-play.  Which is not surprising, given the Celtic love of those things.

Also, She has appeared twice in my meditations wearing a truly ridiculous costume:  Pepto-Bismal pink "neo-pseudo-medieval princess" gown and tall, conical hat with sheer scarf billowing from the top.  Think "little girl Halloween princess costume".  And it was clear that She did it for fun.  :cool:

~ Aster

Also, She has appeared twice in my meditations wearing a truly ridiculous costume:  Pepto-Bismal pink "neo-pseudo-medieval princess" gown and tall, conical hat with sheer scarf billowing from the top.  Think "little girl Halloween princess costume".  And it was clear that She did it for fun.  :cool:

Woah.  I once had a possible encounter with a deity (I was trying to contact Cerridwen but I don't know if that's who I met, and I still think the whole thing could have been imagination) who turned up wearing gold fantasy-anime-chick style armour and a purple cape.  I wonder if that might explain that... unusual... choice of attire.

Both Brighid and the Morrigan come across as awfully serious to me; I can't imagine joking with either of Them.

I find Brighid and the Morrigan serious, but in very different ways. Brighid always seems to be the gentle, smiling type (to me), while tM seems very focused and intense.

I find Manannan mac Lir very humorous - he seems to enjoy a joke, which I perceive as correlating with his myths. And he laughs at me, a lot. But in a friendly, amused way.

Bui strikes me as often delighted, rather than humorous exactly. She's almost childlike, in my (quite limited) experience of her - but not when I experience her in an older, more intense, Cailleach Bheara form.

I like how different the gods are in terms of things like humour. It reminds me that they have personalities too - they're not some remote force, as the Christian god always felt like to me.

Can't help with most of the ones on your list, but your take on The Morrigan tallies with mine - very serious and focussed on whatever her project for you is, and to be treated with respect and deference.

 
By contrast, my own experience of her is that she doesn't have the time or patience for long, involved displays of deference (and doesn't have much use for those who focus on their own unworth).

Not to say that's what you meant by "respect and deference", just that some people do seem to think the way to do that is to be all small and grovelly, and I've found her to be quite cranky about that.

Snowdrop, I'm not sure if my own experiences are useful here - my deity-interactions tend heavily towards the informal, but that's at least partly because I am really crappy at conventional reverence, and make it clear from the get-go that any deity that strongly prefers solemn formality and deference at all times probably wouldn't want me as a follower anyway.  Like any relationship, it all depends on the people (whether human-type people or deity-type people) involved and what kind of relationship works for those people.

Take those Irish ladies, who seem to tag-team quite a few folks - with one person, they might be very stern and serious and All About The Work; with another, they might occasionally show up as Bridie and Maggie, the Magillicuddy sisters, swapping bawdy jokes over a pint or two of dark.  (Veeeerrrry occasionally; it's more a running gag than an actual interaction mode).  Which doesn't make them any less serious (as in "important", rather than as in "solemn") about the Work.

IME, most deities don't roar, "Respect My Authoritay!!!" at their devotees.

(Now that I've said that, the Chaotic Canine is liable to try it on, just for lulz.  And lulz he shall have; I'll laugh at his furry scruffy ass.)

Sunflower

:confused: Is that an accident of juxtaposition, or did you intend to imply that Brigid is "heavily polarized almost exclusively towards war"?

Nope, nope! I meant the Morrigan, since OP was talking about Brighit and tM. And I was about to type that war gods don't bother with me except the Man does kind of is sort of did...and so, that. :eek: (I call Manannan "the Man" just so I can say "You da Man" often to someone... and He didn't mind, so "reserved but not formal" is my UPG.)

Anyone have UPG about gods who are serious-minded versus gods who are more humorous and self-deprecating?  

I've only in the past few weeks started making offerings to my gods, praying to Them, etc.  I've been really pleased (and actually astonished, really) with the number of Them I've felt a response from.  

One thing I'm worried about, however, is how seriously and formally They want to be addressed.  I think I have UPG from two at least that They wouldn't mind being gently . . . joked with, I guess?  That they wouldn't mind being drawn in cute or cartoonish ways, referred to with sort of kitsch titles, etc.  

I am also terrified that I'm getting the wrong impression and will offend Them something awful.  

UPG:

Both Brighid and the Morrigan come across as awfully serious to me; I can't imagine joking with either of Them.
 
Bast and Nebt-het are . . . not really serious, but a bit more reserved?  Both have been friendly but quiet so far.  

But Khonsu and Ishtar both seem a lot more comedic, and it's these two I'm worrying about.

 
My experience with The Morrigan is that while She is rather commanding, She also is very practical - not much patience for overtly formal approaches, She would prefer getting to the point in a straight and forward manner, even in ritual.

By contrast, my own experience of her is that she doesn't have the time or patience for long, involved displays of deference (and doesn't have much use for those who focus on their own unworth).

Not to say that's what you meant by "respect and deference", just that some people do seem to think the way to do that is to be all small and grovelly, and I've found her to be quite cranky about that.

Yeah, I didn't explain that terribly well.  I'm fairly blunt and to the point, so I don't do grovelly or complicated rituals with flowery language very often... but I do get the impression if I tried it with TM I'd get a 'just GET ON WITH IT already!'

Sulis on the other hand doesn't mind a bit of poetry or flowery ritual stuff, but my relationship with her is much closer, and much less formal, than with TM.