A Book of Pagan Prayer

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Paganism is often about the celebration of nature and life, honouring the earth and other creatures. This is reflected in how they conduct funerals, they view death as part of the cycle of life/death/rebirth. Some prayers are very formal and carefully scripted. They often follow a prescribed formula, such as invocation – praise – request. If you come across ancient prayers they are almost certainly scripted, because unscripted prayers are rarely written down. Throughout your day, pay attention to any nature signs or omens. This could be anything – a praying mantis on the windshielf, a blue jay that seems to repetitively visit you, a cloud in the shape of a heart, a snail that’s entered the house, etc. The gods and ancestors often use nature to communicate with us. This is one of the most enriching daily pagan rituals in my practice. 10. Light Incense Heathens have many halls of the dead depending on what occurred during the person’s life, the most obvious being Valhalla, ruled by Odin, and Folkvangr, ruled by Freyja. Otherworld Book Review – Nature Devotional: Eco-Spiritual Reflections, Meditations and Affirmations by Rebecca Reitz

Blessed Be”: Daily Wiccan Prayer – Spells8 ”Blessed Be”: Daily Wiccan Prayer – Spells8

The Pagan tradition centres on the reverence of the natural world, so many opt for the most natural form of interment. A natural burial involves the burial of the deceased in a way that would encourage its decomposition and the fertility of the land in which it’s interred. Homage to thee, O thou heart of Osiris--khent--Amentet! Homage to you, O my reins! Homage to you, O ye gods who dwell in the divine clouds, and who are exalted [or holy] by reason of your sceptres! Requests. The Gods are persons, not vending machines where you insert offerings and blessings fall out. I still see some Pagans who have no qualms about approaching a deity they’ve never met and asking for huge favors. That works about as well as when a stranger walks up to you and asks for a substantial gift. Other prayers are more conversational – we speak to the Gods as we might speak to someone standing bodily in front of us. Perhaps we have a great need and so we describe it in detail. Perhaps we want to negotiate the terms of an agreement – we need to clearly delineate what we will do and what we won’t. Or perhaps we want to express the yearnings of our hearts. And so we just speak.May naught stand up to oppose me in judgment; may there be no opposition to me in the presence of the sovereign princes; may no evil be wrought against me in the presence of the gods; may there be no parting of thee from me in the presence of the great god, the lord of Amentet. Another prayer practice that might appeal to you is the creation and use of prayer beads to count out chants, mantras, or affirmations, or to hold as a focal object during prayer. Paganism is rich with symbols that you can incorporate into your beads, from stones or beads for different elements or intentions to charms or pendants representing different deities or sacred objects.

Pagan funeral | With Respects What to expect at a Pagan funeral | With Respects

The second approach is simply to pray. Now, I don’t believe in praying to “the Universe” like some Christians pray to their God. That practice carries assumptions and implications I don’t believe are true. Cremation is a popular choice, particularly for Druids and Heathens, but crematoriums contribute to greenhouse gas emissions and aren’t necessarily the best for the environment. However, since 2010 it has been legal to hold open air cremations with old-style funeral pyres. If you are invited to an open air cremation, you should be prepared that while it is an emotional and powerful process, it is one that many find distressing to witness. Natural burial Simply put, Paganism involves the veneration of nature and multiple Gods and Goddesses. It is often conflated with witchcraft, though not all Pagans consider themselves witches, nor do all witches consider themselves Pagan. Whether you have a dog, horse, or a hamster, set aside some time every day to love on your pets. This doesn’t seem like a pagan ritual, but anything done with intention and in a routine can be a ritual. And what’s more pagan than loving on animals? 13. Light a Red Candle in the Kitchen Finally, undertaking the reflective task of writing your own prepared prayers can help you delve deep into the mythology of your deities and reach deeper levels of understanding of their stories and symbols. A handwritten or custom-designed prayer book is both an heirloom and a repository of power.The prayers that get said the least in Paganism, I’ve noticed, are prayers of praise. Because our gods aren’t omnipotent or omnibenevolent, it seems that idea has entered the movement that they are unworthy of us saying, “You’re really awesome.” But the fact is, our gods are really awesome. They have amazing stories and fantastic powers. Some of them are gentle, others are downright badass. But they’re ancient and powerful and wise and worthy of veneration for those reasons and many more.

Daily Pagan Rituals: List of 30+ SIMPLE Everyday Traditions Daily Pagan Rituals: List of 30+ SIMPLE Everyday Traditions

Edred Thorsson talks about runic stadhas in his book on the Elder Futhark. Stadhas are similar to yoga positions. So whether you enjoy yoga or feel a connection to the runes, try physical positions like the runic stadhas or yoga on a daily basis. Even if you only do one or two in the morning to get your day started or in the evening to relax and connect. 6. Go for a Walk Having said all that, if you don’t know who to pray to, just pray. And then listen. Prayer as a regular practice Remember that the world runs on reciprocity. If a God grants your request, They may later ask you for something in return – that’s how my relationship with the Morrigan began. Once you’ve got some experience with other peoples’ prayers, start writing your own. Don’t try to be poetic, just write what comes to you: words of invocation, praise, thanksgiving, and needs. Then edit your draft to make it as deep and as reverent as possible. When you’ve done that a few times you should be able to do your own extemporaneous prayers without them sounding like Pagan versions of fundamentalist ramblings. The purpose of prayer is not persuade the Gods to give us stuff, and it’s not reinforce fragile egos with constant praise. The Gods know They’re Gods – They don’t need us to remind Them of that. We, on the other hand, often need to remind ourselves that while we are sacred beings of inherent value and worth, the Gods are Gods and we are not.

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References to the natural world, particularly the four elements of Earth, Fire, Air and Water and representations of those elements. Keep a dream journal at your bedside. Before you even set foot on the floor in the morning, record your dreams. This is a simple, yet effective way to tune into your higher self and gods – through dreams. The more you journal your dreams, the more dreams you will recall. And the closer you’ll become to your spirit guides and gods. 8. Meditate

Prayers for Healing – PaganPages.org Prayers for Healing – PaganPages.org

Wiccan ceremonies may require you to bring a chalice and athame, and avoid wearing certain crystals associated with high-ranking members of the community. You may be asked to light a candle or accept an offering of cake and wine. Heathen Funerals The May Queen is Flora, the goddess of the flowers, and the young blushing bride, and the princess of the Fae. She is Lady Marian in the Robin Hood tales, and Guinevere in the Arthurian cycle. She is the embodiment of the Maiden, of mother earth in all of her fertile glory.Make an offering of a floral crown, or a libation of honey and milk, to the Queen of the May during your Beltane prayers: Of interest to modern Pagans is the work of Galen Gillote, who wrote Book of Hours: Prayers to the Goddess (2001) and Book of Hours: Prayers to the God (2002), and also Ceisiwr Serith, who wrote A Book of Pagan Prayer (2002) and A Pagan Ritual Prayer Book (2011). These collections, though imperfect, seek to illustrate a pathway to organized, prepared prayer to the gods in a manner that honors the proud tradition of prayer in historical paganism. Gillote’s prayers are intimate and contemplative, suitable for organized prayer at home. Serith’s prayers span a wide variety of deities and occasions, both public and private. Take time in the morning while you’re getting ready for the day or take time just before falling asleep to say a simple prayer to the gods. Prayers of gratitude are best. The more grateful we are for the gods’ presence in our lives, the more blessings roll in. 19. Visit the Garden The consecration of the deceased with salt and water, the sharing of cakes and wine, and libations are also common in all Pagan traditions.

Book Review – The Sacred Herbs of Yule and Christmas: Remedies, Recipes, Magic & Brews for the Winter Season by Ellen Evert Hopman Whether you keep an elaborate garden or just have a few plants and trees in your yard, take some time in the early morning or the evening to pay the garden a visit. You never know what wisdom the plants, trees, and wildlife have to share with you. I find garden visits comforting, peaceful, and enlightening. 20. Exercise written. Often, the traditional prayers from remote locations contain a mix of Christian and pagan thoughts! Typically, a pagan prayer or rite may include calling on the four elements with appropriate representations at each respective cardinal point (North, South, East and West). There may also be an appeal to the ancestors, as well as a higher power: a God, Goddess, or an entire pantheon of deities. Still, if you need something, ask for it. If you have a relationship with a deity, they’re more likely to help you out of a difficult situation – particularly if you need something to be able to accomplish a task they’ve set in front of you. It is always good to ask for healing for yourself and your loved ones.