Dr Angela Puca released a video explaining the difference between hard paganism and soft polytheism.
Let me summarize.
Soft Polytheism : Gods are not ontologically real, therefore you don’t have to instantiate each and every one.
Hard Polytheism : Gods are are ontologically real, therefore you do have to instantiate each and every one.
What she neglected to mention is what model she and other academics predominately used. Which model is used more predominantly in academia, between Hard Polytheism vs Soft Polytheism?
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I feel as if soft polytheism is trendier. We live in a world that is split between being secular and monotheistic. So, to say that gods are the psychological creations of the human mind, used to help inspire the best in us, is just easier for other people to grasp onto.
I was once at an open mic night where I read the beginning of an urban fantasy novel I’m writing where the gods of multiple civilizations are doomed to constantly reincarnate upon the earth under the gaze of the Abrahamic god. In it, the god Odin applies to teach at a boarding school where he’s supposed to secretly teach a student magic. I was then questioned whether or not I prefer fantasy because I can’t handle reality. I ignored the feeling of being insulted, and made up some shit about how humans subconsciously use symbols to deal with the world, and how to me fantasy is a good way to discuss real world issues without getting personal. Truth be told, I was involving my own spirituality in the book, but I wasn’t in the position to say that I practice magick and rituals and worship gods they’ve never heard of.
Personally, I’m a hard polytheist, but have no problem pretending to be a soft polytheist.
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I am now leaning towards hard polytheism because I saw a doppelganger of a person I knew. I think our interface builds a map of things we perceive are close enough because we can’t hold as much state as the universe.
