me:
> >because the two deities share a subcult. The question remains if godi
>>of a great god worship the whole god or an aspect....
>
>Probably not the whole god as relationships with the Great God tend to get
>absorbed by the god.
That's a good point, isn't it?
>That's true but why would you be the godi of one god and be an initiate or
>devotee of another? I realize it's a political position mostly though but
>that seems unlikely. Being a godi makes you good at communicating with your
>god but not necessarily good at emulating your god like an initiate or
>devotee. (Those who can't teach?) This is starting to seem really weird to
>me. So godi are great at knowing a god and communicating with a god (or
>interceding with a god say) but aren't necessarily as holy say as a devotee
>or a disciple. Now the question is, if you want to get someone to intercede
>with a god for you do you get a devotee or a godi? Or is the best possible
>choice a godi who is a devotee? I think I answered my own question
>initiates/devotees/disciples are gifted amateurs while godis are
>professionals?
>Does that sound right?
As I recall (Not having the books to hand), the position of godi is a job. It's a job that deals with supernatural forces (so it's special), but it is a job. Whether a person is a devotee or initiate is a matter of belief and identification with a god. So the career Keyword indicates technical sophistication while the magic Keyword indicates degree of religious involvement. They are very loosely linked, but it's not hard and fast -- you could have a devotee of Humakt who is a farmer (a very bad one, I assume). Similarly, your average devotee may be close to the god but not remember whether the god prefers blue rams in Fire Season and white rams in Dark Season or the other way around or whether the alter should be set up facing the east or south east.
Another way to think about it is that godar sacrifice for others while devotees sacrifice themselves for themselves.
Now, in most cases (again as I recall), godar are devotees -- they have both technical expertise and the religious connection. Since you can't be a devotee to two gods, you may know the sacrifices for both, but you are going to be a better follower of one. My impression is that "dual initiation" types are considered at least a little strange; maybe you better find a more normal godi? What if they got the rites mixed up?
Peter Larsen
Peter Larsen
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