(December 1, 2025) Causality has two complimentary components which are "flow" and "guidance." For example, fluid flow is guided by river banks or by pipes. Likewise the flow of electricity is guided by wires.
Significantly, these components of causality were recognized by the Neolithic Farmer Druid culture who incorporated them into their worldview. They identified flow as a masculine power and guidance as a feminine power. All life powers thus had their masculine and feminine components (deities).
The feminine life source powers seems to have been represented by a chalice since ancient times. The Indus-Valley Unicorn seals shows a chalice representing the feminine underdome in front of the unicorn bull (image below). The life network is pouring fluid into it and that looks like a dagger (athame).
In Sumerian times the life source goddess was named Erishkigal meaning "wise One of the Earth Chalice." Her later lordified name was Ningal meaning "Lady of the Chalice." (Gal means chalice, Nin means "lady" while ki means earth)
Gerald Gardiner who invented this ritual was apparently inspired by recent Sumerian and Indus Valley findings. He incorporated causality into it as "all the powers of the universe." The whole phrase is: "As the woman is to the chalice so is the man to the athame and in their union are all the powers of the universe."
(August 31, 2022) Or as Nature Pagans say, the deity chooses you because your feelings direct you towards some ancient conception of a deity that represents your dominant feelings at the time.
Sometimes your feelings do not fit any ancient conception that has come down to us so you can just make up your own name for it or just interpret it as a spiritual power or cluster of powers. Not everyone needs to personify a spiritual power or cluster of powers into a human living on a different plane of existence. Yet many do because their brain is wired to related best to other people.
If your deity is personified then you will connect with it in the same loving way as with human partner. These connective practices are: