Are All Gods the Same?

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Jean-Louis de Biasi, author of Secrets and Practices of the Freemasons, The Divine Arcana of the Aurum Solis, and the forthcoming Rediscover the Magick of the Gods and Goddesses. Jean-Louis is also Lifetime Grand Master of the Ordo Aurum Solis and Kabbalistic Order of the Rose-Cross.

The theory of correspondences is one of the oldest and essential laws of Magic. It is easy to understand; everything in the universe is linked, and several clues give us the ability to reveal this hidden web. A yellow flower is linked to the Sun, the milk to the Moon, and so on.

The elaboration of these complex relationships has an unexpected consequence in the realm of the Gods and Goddesses.

As everything is linked, the idea of equivalence progressively appeared. Magical Qabalah was the perfect playground for this. Several authors began to list symbols, plants, stones, perfumes associating everything to the sephiroth of the Qabalistic Tree. Ten was a good number for that; not too small, not too big. It was a reasonable size that fit well in the Western occult world. More than that, it was even “well-aspected” with the Biblical heritage. The latter provided countless sacred words derived from layers of Hebrew sediments. However, no trace of divinities. The Almighty can be very exclusive!

But the temptations of modern heretic magicians were too strong, and the Jewish theology too restrictive! The idea came to connect sephiroth and ancient divinities. The last logical step has been to list these divinities according to their personalities. The reassuring sephirotic boxes were perfect and extensible enough to assimilate these foreigners. But, similarity is not interchangeability! Even having the same mother does not make you the same as your brother or sister! Your cousin is different from you! We’re not identical!

What is true for us, is true for the Gods and Goddesses. It is easy to compare Hermes to Thoth, Helios to Amon Ra, or Aphrodite to Ishtar and Hathor. It is true that all these divinities are superior to the humans we are. It is true that their power exceeds what we can imagine. However, they are radically different, one from the other. Their origin, myths, behaviors, customs, languages are different in each countries. As archeologists and anthropologists demonstrated we cannot really compare these divine figures. Even the concept of the after-world is different.

If these divinities really exist and are immortal, we have to admit something: they can be different today compared to what they were. Maybe today, Ares is not wearing the same uniform and using the same kind of weapons. Maybe Egyptian divinities take some vacations in the United States before walking backwards to their turbulent land.

Let’s have a step back and consider Gods and Goddesses in a new way, in their own mythological environment without forcing them in a box. I am sure that you will be surprised by the result. Don’t try to compare your sisters and brothers. They are different. When you accept that, you will be able to discover their unique talents.

Our heart is more open when we accept these divine differences and the divinities will welcome us!

Our thanks to Jean-Louis for his guest post! Visit Jean-Louis de Biasi’s author page for more information, including articles and his books.