The worship of deity in the form of a male god and a female goddess. In the history of the world, it appears that many, if not most early cultures, initially worshipped natural phenomena. Eventually, these phenomena became identified in the form of living beings. This evolved into the worship of one being, usually some sort of mother goddess, and lesser deities. Over the centuries, this evolved to worship of a co-equal god and goddess. Eventually, the goddess aspect was dropped leaving only a god, although even in god-centric cultures there are often remnants of goddess worship.

Today, many Pagan, Wiccan, and Witchcraft traditions are focusing on the worship of a god and goddess. Some see these deities—often called the “Lord and Lady”—as the ultimate formulation of the divine, thus having a dualistic theology. Others believe in an ultimate, unknowable, unified godhead of which the god and goddess are the highest deific manifestation. They are immanent (i.e., present in the physical world) while the unitary supernal being is transcendent (beyond the physical world). The concept of a deity who is both transcendent and immanent is known as “panentheism.”

See also:  god, goddess