In neo-pagan traditions there are a couple of ways of viewing the gods. Soft polytheism views the gods as symbols or energies that effect the human mind. This is my personal view. Hard polytheism views the gods as real and distinct. Supernatural pantheistic polytheism views the gods as real but aspects of the same force.
I am inclined towards pantheism. However, I do not view the gods as real personalities. Even if I did, I would reconcile hard polytheism with pantheism as follows:
The gods are all aspects of the same universe, but so are we. They are no more identifiable with each other than you or I (an exception could be made for gods that are traditionally identified with each other).
I hold this view even though I am not a literal polytheist by regarding the gods as fictional/archetypal aspects of the universe rather than sentient aspects. I am inclined towards regarding the gods as distinct for two main reasons:
For one thing, although it is tempting to apply a gendered duo-theist model to the gods (the goddesses are all aspects of one goddess and the gods are all aspects of one god), this model fails where split-gendered deities are concerned (is Hermaphroditus an aspect of the god or the goddess?)
More importantly, the gods were never viewed as synonymous with each other by the original cultures that created them. If we view them as such, are we worshiping the same gods?
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