Devoured by Flame

Manifestations of the Divine are not literally creating a Deity into being. Deities already exist as a natural part of our world as energy. However, like all processes, energy can become condensed and dispersed in different ways. It is a process which creates an environment that is more amenable to a Deity to exist in and thus creating an easier environment to contact and interact with a Deity.

Things such as creating anchors, shrines, and items the Divine can attach to can all help to create a manifestation of a Deity. However, unless the mechanics of the Divine attachment are understood, it won’t be easy to create an anchor or an effective shrine without significant frustration.

The process of creating an effective environment can be described by an equation:

Energy x time = density of manifestation

Energy in this context is the amount of effort both sides are giving in order to be present. Both sides being the devotee and the Deity impacting the level of effort. 

Energy builds over time and not all amounts of time are created equally. If you have been working with the Deity for multiple years and have already built a shrine and established a connection, you will likely have already managed to manifest Them yourself without realizing it. 

Those who are just starting have a bit more work to do. Those who seek to establish a new connection with a Deity are also going to require more energy to manifest Them regardless of how much work you do with another Deity.  

Energy can also be more poignant at varying levels throughout the cycles of the year. Full moons, new moons, certain astrological occurrences, and liminal seasons (fall and spring) can all assist in making energy become more palpable. This is why the veil is considered thinner at certain points during cyclical events and why most people who are energetically sensitive report having experiences during the times of a liminal period. 

Energy can also depend on spaces. For example, spaces of liminality can make it easier and more accessible for Divinity. Mystical experiences tend to take place in areas where random occurrences are more likely to happen. Like gas stations, airports, travel, between two different more defined areas like neighborhoods or rivers. The coming and going of beings and the shifting nature of the liminal creates environments that change swiftly and therefore can support the amount of energy that it would take for a Deity to manifest.

Spaces that are more difficult for the Divine to exist in are places where there is disharmony, neglect, where it is dirty or unlivable. If it is a high stress environment, it is not as easy for a Deity to manifest.

Time as a variable in this equation means that in order to develop a more suitable environment, it needs to keep being that way over a period of time. This means that a shrine that has just been put together will be less effective than one that has existed for multiple years. This can also mean a devotee who has been dedicated to the Deity for a significant amount of time and has been connected effectively for that duration may also be more inclined to assist in manifesting the Divine in question in a faster amount of time.

Other variables can include the amount of people included in manifesting the Divine. Should a group of individuals who have all been working with the same Deity be working together to manifest a Deity versus a single person, there will be more energy combined and therefore less time required. Should a group who does not work with the Deity whatsoever and is requesting the presence of the Deity in question, they will have a harder time manifesting the right Deity much less at all. 

A group of individuals who are practicing Divine manifestation continuously and are making a point to work with a singular Deity (or two) and make Them more present would be called a cultus (not to be mistaken for a modern day understanding of a high control group though it can turn into that if you are not careful). It is not enough for a random group of people on the internet to call themselves a cultus if they do not work with the same amount of energy and focus over time and do not understand the principles of manifesting in the same way as the others do. For example, you cannot have one person who thinks a Deity is an archetype or imaginary and will move on after a certain amount of time and then another who has dedicated their whole lives to the Deity. It must be consistent among all the people of the group and it is important that it remains that way in order for the group to be working towards the manifestation of the Deity in question.

We can see examples of a cultus throughout history in the pre-Christianized religions from Hinduism and the avatars of Vishnu to the concept of Dionysus’ ecstatic tradition that created a manifestation of the Deity within His cultus. This is the same for all religions in one way or another as Christianity has taken this concept into the notion of a church body (note: the body of Christ is the same thing as a cultus, it looks different). Any group of religious people who have the same kind of devotion and effort towards manifesting a Deity could be considered a cultus, though some are less effective than others. 

Churches typically have varying belief styles and dedication while pagan organizations tend to only have those who practice polytheism casually and take it to mean that you should have a collection of Gods as they would be considered archetypes.

In all regards, a body of people who are putting forth the effort in contributing to the Divine manifestation can manifest much more powerfully than the effort of a single person in a faster amount of time or even spontaneously.

A single person, however, depending on how much time and effort it takes, can also manifest a Deity on their own. However, this comes as a result of putting effort into creating a restorative environment for the Deity to exist in. Even if you work with a Deity for several years, you will not be able to manifest Them should you not have consistent results. This can also naturally happen as a result of being naturally attuned but those are fewer and far between should they not be stamped out by people who think they know better. 

This is not to say that in order to get a God’s attention, you have to be special and important. However, in order to make sure you have the God’s attention and you, yourself, can have an easier time being aware of it, you will need to put a bit more work than the occasional offering every full moon.

There are several variables at play when it comes to becoming more in tune with the Divine and not all of them need to be perfect always in order to have the best chances at producing effective results. However, it is easier should you be more mindful of where you are coming from and why being connected or feeling connected to the Divine has become difficult. 

Levels of manifestation

Not all energy is the same. Energy functions similarly to all other forms of matter. It can vibrate at a higher level and become more solid and palpable or it can vibrate slower and become more elusive and like mist.

You’ll notice if you get goosebumps at a concert where there is a significant amount of energy that is directed in one direction through music, that is a manifestation of sound and vibrancy that is not otherwise found at a parking lot with a radio or another empty space where music is playing. The music becomes more palpable and more effective the more energy gets directed in a single position. The same can be true for a Deity.

Humans can amass stored energy toward the Divine by creating processes in which They can be more easily within reach. These processes often look like bringing the Divine into the body, places of living, and within your natural world. Humans are naturally storage facilities for Divine energy because we were all created with a piece of the Divine within. It is only whether we build upon it and not ignore it that we can make it work toward our advantages. Any human is capable of building upon the Divine storage of energy that they have within them, however. 

When a Deity is more palpable in Their manifestation, it will become easier for Them to speak to Their devotee using a more understandable framework, language, and thought processes. To bring a Deity nearer makes Them more aware of what is happening and going on. They are then more effective at being apparent when They are around. 

Subjectivity to the experience of a Divine presence also becomes less of a problem. When a Deity is close and around, everyone around Them can feel it if they know what they are picking up on. Most of the time, it is just experienced as a brief moment of energy and feeling by those not already understanding of the experience. To those who know what the presence of a Deity feels like, it becomes extremely obvious, noticeable, and experiences become unquestionably less subjective to the one who is experiencing it. 

It isn’t that you have to earn Their presence and guidance by being a good person or doing everything by the book. It is that you would need to be open enough to decide that it really doesn’t have to be all that difficult to listen to your inner knowing. If you aren’t already open to the possibility that the Gods care and talk to people including you, it won’t happen.

In the same vein, not everyone can accurately pick up on when a Deity is manifesting because of the philosophy I am describing here. Most people think that a Deity is always there listening and caring about their day. It is most likely true that the Deity can listen in but They are only aware of what that person lets Them in with their home, bodies, and environments. 

Next I will talk about the levels of manifesting you can have as a devotee, what they feel like and how they can be attained.