A Book of Pagan Prayer

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Just as planning the next Sabbat can be fun, so can planning your next Esbat. Plan an aura-cleansing bath on the New Moon – what herbs will you use? Will you use sea salt or epsom salt? Plan to do a releasing ritual on the next Waning Moon. What will you do next full moon? Write down your thoughts and ideas. 32. Research Your God/Goddess Mother of Creation, thank you for your bounty. All around the earth has grown to maturity. So too, I pray, may I see signs my own maturity. Help me to recognize the progress in my spirit, to see the fruits of character and insight that have developed since spring. Let me hold those gifts close to my heart as sacred and special. 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. I am obviously happy with this. I believe that it will lead to a deepening not only of our relationships with the sacred beings, but also of our awareness of the sacred in the world we live in. A person who immerses themselves in prayer is immersing themselves in the sacred. This can only be to our benefit. Say the Hail Mother on each of the next three beads for Our Mother the Earth, who has been so desecrated at the hands of mankind:

I grew up in a religious tradition where prayer was expected. We said prayers at night. We said prayers before meals. We went to church on Sunday, where there was organized prayer for adults and children alike. As a young adult I took confirmation classes where we learned meanings and techniques for prayer. I guess I took it for granted that people knew what prayer and contemplation were. As Paganism is a very diverse religion with many distinct though related traditions, the forms of Pagan worship vary widely. It may be collective or solitary. It may consist of informal prayer or meditation, or of formal, structured rituals through which the participants affirm their deep spiritual connection with nature, honour their Gods and Goddesses, and celebrate the seasonal festivals of the turning year and the rites of passage of human life. Then I came to Paganism, and everyone seemed to be anti-prayer. It conjured up images of begging the Big Bearded Policeman In The Sky to keep bad things from happening and being politely ignored or intentionally rebuked. It seemed to be a common thread in people’s beliefs about the Christian God, that he was at best neglectful and at worst spiteful. It made me wonder what sort of twisted, abusive image of God these Pagans had grown up with.

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Fourth, the mainstreaming of Paganism has decreased the need for Pagans to define themselves by what they aren't. This has meant a lessening of wholesale rejection of the practices of other religions. Chanting and poems were also a huge part of Norse paganism. Odin was said to love poems, so there is a wide literature of Old Norse poems and dedications to the gods. In fact, one of the best accounts we have of Viking prayer is from the 10th century CE. Arab traveler, diplomat, and scholar Ibn Fadlan. Upon encountering a Rus trader praying for a good market, he observed: Pagan music tends to fall into the categories of New Age or Folk, and a lot of pagans will have favourites among these. But you might also come across live music at a funeral. It’s not uncommon to have drummers, flautists or acapella singers at a pagan celebration of life. Pagan funeral locations The epigraphic evidence comes from inscriptions on offerings, temple walls, etc. Offerings sometimes have a short prayer inscribed on them that gives the name and intent of the offerer. Inscriptions found on temple walls, especially in Egypt, tend to be particularly rich in information.

Speak ye fair words for the Osiris Auf-ankh, and make ye him to prosper before Nehebka. And behold, though I be joined to the earth, and am in the mighty innermost part of heaven, let me remain on the earth and not die in Amentet, and let me remain a khutherein for ever and ever! Keep a record of your spiritual journey, traditions, and thoughts by writing them down in a spiritual journal or Book of Shadows. Take five minutes a day to write something down – even if its just your emotions or your thoughts in that moment. 17. Wear a Stone The day stands before me: I consider what I shall do today…. may the work of my hands and the intentions of my heart hasten the verdant springtime of the world’s spiritual awakening. The Encircling of the SoulAs a witch practicing folk witchcraft, I found much of this book unrelateable. It is a well-written book and the author has done a fine job of creating this work. It’s detailed, well researched, and carefully organized. It’s got a wealth of prayers to call upon depending on the need. And if my path was the same as those whom the book was written for - Wiccans, Pagans, and polytheists - this book would be a great reference to have in any personal library. According to a 2014 Washington Post article, Iceland seems to be a flourishing center of modern-day Norse paganism. The article stated that the Asatru Association, founded in 1972, a small religious sect devoted to Norse gods, had as many as 2,400 worshippers in its ranks. A Heathen funeral may require you to bring your own drinking horn to toast the deceased (usually with mead). If a drinking horn is passed to you, it is often customary to deliver some words or a poem about the deceased before taking a sip (or kissing the horn) and passing it on. The Wake

A beautiful and inspiring collection of prayers. A Book of Pagan Prayer is like a breath of fresh air, breathing life into the spiritual aspect of pagan practice.”—Mat Auryn, Patheos You will usually be expected to present an offering of sorts to the deceased. This may be a small token to represent them, money or a libation of food and drink. But do not approach or interact with any kind of altar set-up unless invited to. Wiccan Funerals If your religious upbringing was like mine, I strongly advise starting with some good scripted prayers. They’re different from what you’ve heard so they’re less likely to trigger bad memories. They also require more concentration, which will help you focus on the deity or spirit to whom you’re praying. Depending on the branch of paganism the deceased was a part of, readings and poems can vary enormously. There’ll typically be a eulogy, and many prefer poems or prose written by themselves or their fellow pagans, while others may take them from a favourite book or text. Heathenry

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This means shunning typical Western customs such as embalming (which slows the decomposition process and releases chemicals into the soil) and using coffins or containers that would take a long time to naturally break down. Instead, natural burials see bodies interred in simple shrouds or biodegradable caskets such as willow baskets.