Demon or Deity? How to Confirm That You’re Talking To a God or Goddess

In the early 5th century, St. Augustine of Hippo wrote a theological essay against Paganism called On the Divination of Demons. In it, he proposed the argument that all Pagan Gods are actually demons in disguise. 

If you have not heard of St. Augustine, you should know that he kickstarted many arguments for Christianity. He was born 40 years after Rome officially became Christian, although most of the Empire was still Pagan at this time. Augustine’s mother was Christian and his father was Pagan, so he understood both sides. He wrote many philosophical arguments for Christianity, his largest being The City of God. 
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In On the Divination of Demons, Augustine fought back against the assertion that a Pagan Oracle predicted the invasion of Serapis's temple. He argued that Gods did not speak to this Oracle; demons did.

[3.7] The demons have also gained, through the long span through which their life is extended, a far greater experience of events than humans can attain, since their lives are brief. Through these capacities, which the nature of an aerial body is allotted, the demons not only predict many things to come, but also do many wonders. Since men cannot say and do these things, some judge them worthy of their service and the bestowal of divine honors, especially under the impulsion of the vice of curiosity, on account of their love of false felicity and of earthly, temporal excellence.

As a side note, Augustine also argued that future predictions were not impressive because circus performers also do things that he couldn’t understand.

[4.8] How many marvelous things have funambulists and the other theatrical specialists done? How many marvelous things have artisans and especially contrivers made? Are they really then better than men who are good and endowed with holy piety?

I’m not trying to undermine St. Augustine’s intelligence, but I laughed so hard when I read that he compared acrobatics to accurately foreseeing an invasion.

Regardless, the idea that Pagan deities are actually demonic pervades through Christian literature. We see it in sermons, theology, Dante’s Inferno and Milton’s Paradise Lost. It is no wonder, then, that many people fear that messages from Pagan deities are actually demonic in origin.

Can Spirits Impersonate Deities?

The short answer is yes.

The long answer is it depends on your method, experience level, and knowledge of the situation. 

If you do not know how to fact-check the messages you are receiving, you are prone to deceit. If you are not used to the deity’s signs or how They speak, you are prone to deceit. And if you do not know which red flags to look out for, you are prone to deceit. 

I find that people most often encounter this with divination. Divination is one of the best ways to contact a spirit or deity, and it is easy to fact-check by asking the same questions over and over. But if you do not know how to do that, then a spirit can easily take over your pendulum/cards/whatever divination tool.

That said, not all shocking or disturbing messages stem from malicious spirits. Sometimes, people just misinterpret signs. If a practitioner is stressed, anxious, angry, etc., they can mistake these strong emotions for intuition or divine signals. I’ve seen it happen even in practitioners with 10+ years of experience.

People often ask me if they need protection spells to contact a deity. No, you do not. I always recommend spiritual protection for people who are interested in magic, because it is better to be safe than sorry. But you don’t need a spell to know who you’re talking to; you just need to know the signs.

Red Flags to Watch For

While you are trying to communicate with a deity, watch out for these red flags. Regular readers might recognize some of these from my malicious spirits post. That is not a coincidence.

• The tone of the message drastically changes. This is by far the biggest and most common red flag that you are not speaking to a deity. Let’s say, for example, that you recently received a sign from the Goddess Ceridwen that She wants to work with you. The next week, you receive another divination message that She does not like you. Deities do not choose people willy-nilly, and They rarely change their mind without good reason. If this happens, double-check your divination.
• Someone interpreted the message for you. Deities do not need to go through others to speak to you. Even if you cannot hear Them directly, deities can contact you through many different ways. If someone else does a reading that sounds completely different from what a deity has told you, question it. Especially if it came without request. For instance, if someone randomly told you “I heard that Ceridwen doesn’t like you” without you asking for a reading, that would sound fishy, right? Because it is. Even if that person is a friend, they can still be wrong.
• The message is overly negative or apocalyptic. I've heard an unfortunate amount of people claim that their deity said the world was gonna end, that they were going to die, etc. What are the chances that a deity, who is in constant contact with thousands of worshippers, only told that to you about the apocalypse? Giving someone a sense that they are “the chosen one” is a sign of a malicious spirit. This goes hand-in-hand with the tone change, too. Deities do not go around insulting people or telling them they’re worthless, especially if you’ve worked with that deity before.
• The entity is trying to force your hand. If you’ve been in the Pagan community for a while, you’ve probably heard that you do not need to answer deities. A deity could ask you to worship Them, but you can also say no. In my thirteen years of experience, I have never heard of a deity punishing someone for not working with Them. If a message sounds like a deity is threatening you, trying to force you, etc., question it. ​

How to Guarantee That You’re Speaking to a Deity

Depending on your situation, you can try one or more of these techniques to fact-check the concerning message.

• Ask the same question several times. When you use a divination tool, write down all answers to your questions. Wait at least a day. Then, using the same divination technique, rephrase the question and ask again. Like humans, malicious spirits usually do not remain consistent with their lies.
• Is it another entity’s thought, or yours? As I mentioned before, some people mistake strong emotions for divine signs. Self-deprecation, anger, guilt, anxiety--if you think these things about yourself, it does not guarantee that a deity feels the same way. During spirit and deity work, I often ask myself, “Is this message what I anticipated would happen, or is it something never thought of?” Even our closest friends and family can surprise us with unexpected answers.
• Familiarize yourself with the deity before trying a new divination method. This might not be possible for new Pagans, but in an ideal world, you should become comfortable with a deity before attempting something new. Learn how They respond to offerings, divination, prayers, written letters, devotional acts, etc. This way, you’ll be more likely to catch when something is off in the future.
• Before contacting your deity, stabilize your emotional state. Even the most experienced practitioners can be tricked if they are stressed, angry, self-deprecating, anxious, or sad. It is also possible to misinterpret a deity’s sign if you feel bad. While deities can soothe turbulent emotions, make sure that you’re taking care of yourself, too. 
• Ask the deity for confirmation. Some people worry that asking a deity about their worries might offend Them. If you feel that a divine message has been compromised, confirm it. The deity might reassure you and, better yet, protect you from future mishaps.
• Seek an outside opinion. If you are new to deity work or a certain divination method, ask someone who is more experienced in that field. You can even ask a different form of divination (such as tarot cards or runes) for answers.
• Trust your gut. Although this might sound cliche, intuition matters in deity work. Did the message shock you? Scare you? Infuriate you? Does it seem too convenient? If so, ask your deity next time you pray. You may have good reason to doubt.
• If you’re constantly worried, put up wards. If you suspect that a spirit is messing with your deity work, cast protection spells. It will give you peace of mind, at least. 
• Give deities the benefit of the doubt. Deities are here to help people. They want loyal worshippers, not enemies. They can heal, inspire, encourage, and enlighten if you let them. I have personally found that, when people think lowly of themselves, they assume that deities think the same way. They do not. Trust me.

​Conclusion

Although it is possible for a spirit to pose as a deity, it is not common. If you reach out to a deity, you more likely receive a response from Them. If you want to learn how deities can contact you, check this post. 

St. Augustine made an intelligent philosophical argument in On the Divination of Demons. However, I believe that he is wrong. Pagan deities are not demons in disguise, for two reasons:

1. This argument can easily be flipped and said about any religion.
2. We know when we’re talking a deity, because we have methods to fact-check!