There are many general descriptions and traditional views of Lord Shiva, but I will share what I've learned from him and what you can expect if you choose to work with him.

How He Appears:
-First off, he's male. He's not a male and a female blended into one; however, people say this about him because of his ability to blend with females during a meditative state. This is based on the divine feminine and masculine descriptions of Shiva, but I assure you he's a male spirit. When you first encounter Shiva, you will notice a very powerful presence but in a non-threatening way. His energy is masculine with a touch of gentleness. He will make his presence known whenever he's near, giving you a warm and almost sensual vibration but without lust. He's a hopeless romantic and very soft-spoken. For men, he will give them the feeling of power and confidence. He has long black hair draped in beautiful beaded jewelry, wearing gold bracelets and colorful fabrics that blend beautifully with his brilliant blue skin. It may astound you how blue he actually is, but don't let this introduction intimidate you. You may see him with a staff that embodies his superpower, but occasionally, you may see him folding his arms, observing and not saying much or holding anything at all. 

How He Interacts:
Shiva is one of the first deities I go to when I feel I need to release my ego and work on my higher self. His approach to working with humans is controversial to some. Truth be told, he can be extremely loving and empathetic. He will listen to your every word, ignore all the others around him, and focus on what you need at the moment. His presence can be intimidating indeed, but the more you allow him to be vulnerable with you as you are with him, the deeper the bond you will receive. I'd be lying if I didn't say I have a soft spot for Shiva, as he possesses a lot of qualities that will make you remember the beauty in divine masculine energy and how you can depend on one. He's not one without a sense of humor! Don't let that serious face fool you; he will sometimes bellow out a laugh that will make you feel all kinds of joy to be in his company.

How He Works:
He helps me in several ways, in which I will assume he would do similar to you if you choose to work with him. However, Shiva doesn't just work with anyone. Specifically, he senses this in your heart and feels the energy of your truest desires. Because of this, he's careful not to take advantage of anyone he encounters and believes in treating people with respect and dignity. That said, he's also no fool. He won't work with you to treat him like some Genie from a bottle. Although he's blue, he's far from it. In fact, if he senses any deception or disloyalty, he will more than likely bid you farewell respectfully and depart. He will meet with you on the Astral Plane, in your dream state, and even during your waking moments. His magnificent energy makes interactions with Shiva extremely unique and memorable. He will travel with you into other dimensions, including time travel for ascension purposes, lessons, healing, etc.

His Abilities:
Shiva's abilities are vast. To be completely honest, I was BLOWN AWAY by Shiva's abilities. It's not every spirit I say this. He's the real deal badass with a kind heart. (He's smiling as I type this *-*) He can do many things, but he also works according to the level of your ascension and personal tolerance. If you ask him to meditate with you, for example, you will notice your meditation take on another level of intensity that will surely make you dizzy but overwhelmed with positive feelings. When working with me, he intends to ensure I'm protected and aware of my surroundings, especially among others. He does this because he knows of my background and what I do. So when working with him, it's important to speak openly, honestly, and clearly about what you need and why. He's an intent listener with the knowledge and wisdom of a sage, so there's no need to feel embarrassed if you have trouble with something as simple as meditation. Shiva's powers and abilities range from protection, spiritual warfare, dimensional travel, magick and manifestation, meditation, personal ascension, defeating one's ego, and more that I'm sure I don't even know about. One thing I've learned about gods is that just because you haven't seen it doesn't mean they can't do it!

What I Experienced With Him:
This is rather personal, but I want to share this information to prepare you for what you could experience...

There was a moment when I was involved in a terrible battle in the other realms with a devil named Asteroth. I won't go much into him, but what's telling is that the amount of peace Shiva gave me during this battle is something I will never forget and forever treasure. During this battle, I was blessed with a moment to blend my soul with Shiva's. This isn't something I can state without giving details, for every inch of this experience was unlike anything I've ever had. His soul blended with mine, and we were one mind. In this experience, I learned what it means to be of one mind with others in the description of Source. We both thought similarly and were in harmony with how we overcame Asteroth. Yet simultaneously, Shiva and I conversed together, our own thoughts telepathically when merged. Fear was gone. All I could feel was deep-rooted inner peace, confidence, and power. It was at that moment that I felt what it meant to be a GOD. When we were joined, I had taken over the left side, and he had taken over the right at one point, and then we blended again into one being that was full of light, love, and strength. Recalling this now, I remember him saying he could feel my divine feminine as I felt his divine masculine. I can still take in the memory of our souls together with so many colors that I've never known existed.

Another personal yet empowering memory is when he allowed me to watch him dance. ..There are no words that can describe how beautiful he is. There were so many feelings I experienced during witnessing what I consider is an honor and a sight to see! His energy flows beyond anyone I've seen but with such grace at the end of his thrust. When he was done, I was speechless. I couldn't stop smiling and crying at how wonderful it was to watch. This is so incredible because in the higher realms, when a spirit dances, they shed colorful lights, along with music and pretty much anything they feel in the moment. So at this moment, Shiva was sharing a piece of him with me. When he was done, I was already transforming from the sight of his magnificence. It wasn't just his power but his grace, gentleness, and love. Because of Shiva, I felt it was a safe space to dance. Because of him, I learned how to do this in the same way, and ever since then, I can't stop dancing (in the other realms.. I can't dance to save my life on earth, lol).

If you're interested in magick and manifestation, Shiva will surely guide and assist you in your spells. More so, he will listen to your struggles and what you're trying to accomplish in your magick. In the past, he's guided me into how spells work and where your mind needs to be to attract the type of specific energies toward you. He's highly skilled in energy magick and using the vibrations to pull them toward your desired outcome, which can be extremely useful. During one of my spells, I got to experience how to do this with him, and I witnessed how he would do this. The amount of energy that surrounded him during this process was quite spectacular while I could also feel the vibrations surging as he did this. There was a moment during this spell that I got to do this with him on the Astral Plane. -Long story short, the spell work by far better than I could have ever imagined. So if you're looking to work with someone who's highly trained and experienced in magick, Shiva would be my first pick!

What To Expect:
..I share this so you can understand that working with Shiva is nothing to underestimate. He can do many wonderous things as well as be the master protector when you call to him. If you ever choose to work with him in your journey, he advises you to be honest and well-intended. He's a neutral deity, but he won't do anything evil unto others that don't deserve it. He's not known as a vengeful god but rather one that dances to the cosmos and will share with you how powerful he truly is through his heart.