Patron deities

A Young Flemish Hellenist posted recently on the topic of "patron deities". I too have seen a lot of talk of patron deities among the Hellenists and to a somewhat lesser extent among Cultores. AYFH points out:

The largest misunderstanding however, from a Hellenic point of view, is the assumption that there is such a thing as a personal Patron, that if one has a special connection or relationship with a certain God(ess) or a few Gods, and that this [makes them] ones Patron(s).

I think that this is true to an even greater degree for Romans. The "client-patron" relationship in Rome was a clearly defined thing, and one that involved obligations on both sides. I do not believe that anyone can unilaterally establish such a relationship with any deity. Even if a person feels a special connection, and even if that person feels "called" by a god, there is still no reason to believe that the bilateral client-patron relationship has been established. 

I encourage anyone interested in the Roman way of the gods, the Cultus Deorum, to engage with all the gods, and to avoid making the cultus into an alternative monotheism. 

One of the great features of the Cultus Deorum is that it provides opportunities for us to link our lives and our families together with our community, with other families and with all of nature's various rhythms and forces. Each aspect of life has its tutelary divinity, and if we are open to them all, and if we manage our cultus with a balanced pietas, then we are much more likely to keep our lives in healthy balance as well.

Patron Deities at A Young Flemish Hellenist.