We are a circle,….

A religion without a goddess is halfway to atheism.
~ Dion Fortune

Many Pagans and Wiccans pray to their deities on a regular basis, some only during formal ritual, and some not at all. The use of prayer and manner of prayer is as diverse and numerous as the Pagan and Wiccan traditions. In many Pagan traditions, both modern and ancient, it is customary to make an offering to a divine being. An offering is simply a gift, and it is given not as a trade-off but as a way of showing honor and respect, no matter what the answers to your prayers may ultimately be. One thing that does seem to be fairly common among many traditions is the use of chants, especially during community rituals and gatherings.

A Selection of Pagan Chants:

We are a circle, within a circle,
With no beginning and never ending.

(Unknown)

She changes everything she touches and
everything she touches, changes

(Starhawk)

Air I am
Fire I am
Water, Earth, and Spirit I am

(Andras Corban Arthen)

It’s the blood of the ancients
That runs through our veins
And the forms pass
But the circle of life remains

(Ellen Klaver)

The Circle is Open, But Unbroken,
May the Lord and the Lady be Ever in your Heart!
Merry Meet and Merry Part, and Merry Meet Again!

(traditional ritual circle closing)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“Each day I am getting better and better.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

Great sun, wheel of fire,…

Today is the Pagan/Wiccan holiday of Yule (No. Hemisphere) and Litha (So. Hemisphere). Today also begins the Hopi & Zuni New Years festival of Soyala.

The sun does not shine for a few trees and flowers,
but for the wide world’s joy.
~ Henry Ward Beecher

Great sun, wheel of fire, Ra in your glory,
hear me as I honor you
on this, the shortest day of the year.
Summer has gone, passed us by,
the fields are dead and cold,
all of earth sleeps in your absence.
Even in the darkest times,
you light the way for those who would need a beacon,
of hope, of brightness,
shining in the night.
Winter is here, and colder days coming,
the fields are bare and the livestock thin.
We light these candles in your honor,
that you might gather your strength
and bring life back to the world.
O Ra, mighty sun above us,
we ask you to return, to bring back to us
the light and the warmth of your fire.
Bring life back to earth,
Bring light back to earth.
Hail Ra! Ruler of the sun!

(Source: paganwiccan.about.com)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I am a Spiritual Being manifested in a physical body.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

 

Prayer for Sunday (Mabon/Ostara)

Today is the Wiccan/Pagan holidays of Mabon (No. Hemisphere) and Ostara (So. Hemisphere). The Jewish holiday of Sukkot and the Navajo Sing in gratitude for the harvest continue today.

The value of consistent prayer is not that He will hear us,
but that we will hear Him.
~ William McGill

Cosmic Mother

Oh Goddess Mother
You are the mystery of Night
Your radiant shine is the Day
Infinite realms cascade within You

Abundance is Your essence of Being
Blessings flow from You Limitlessly
Your Universe is harmony and tension in Balance

Within each of us, You are Alive

~ Abby Willowroot ©1998, used by permission

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I trust in the process of life.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

 

Prayer for Wednesday (Green Corn Ceremony)

The Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr begins at sunset today. The Muslim holy month of Ramadan ends at sunset. The Zuni Corn Dance and the Iroquois Green Corn Ceremony continue today.

God made Truth with many doors
to welcome every believer who knocks on them.
~ Kahlil Gibran

For the golden corn and the apple on the tree,
For the golden butter and the honey from the bees,
For the fruits and nuts and berries we gather on our way,
We praise the loving Mother Earth and thank Her everyday.

(Source: Beliefnet.com)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I am worthy of love.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

 

Prayer for Thursday (Lammas/Imbolc)

Today is the Pagan/Wiccan holiday of Lammas (Northern Hemisphere) and Imbolc (Southern Hemisphere.) The Muslim holy month of Ramadan continues today.
Our Mother Earth,
we give thanks for the bounty you have supplied.
For grains, beans, vegetables and greens,
For fruit, seeds and honey,
we give thanks to you.
You sustain us with your bounty.
So Mote It Be.

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I rejoice for the success and abundance of others.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

Prayer for Friday (Litha/Samhain)

Today is the Pagan/Wiccan holiday of Litha (Summer Solstice) in the Northern Hemispere, and Yule (Winter Solstice) in the Southern Hemisphere. It is also the Taoist festival of Shang-Ti. The Sun Dance Ceremony celebrated by the Sioux Nations and other North American Plains tribes continues today.

All began in love, all seeks to return in love.
Love is the law, the teacher of wisdom, and the great revealer of mysteries.
~ Starhawk

Middle of the year, we welcome the sun!
The garden is growing and we have fun!
Everything’s sunny and everything’s bright
At this season of love and light.

(Children’s Litha prayer)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I transcend all limitations. I live in a limitless world.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)

Prayer for Tuesday

Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact.
Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth.
~ Marcus Aurelius

The Gorsedd Prayer

Grant, O God, Thy protection;
And in protection, strength;
And in strength, understanding;
And in understanding, knowledge;
And in knowledge, the knowledge of justice;
And in the knowledge of justice, the love of it;
And in that love, the love of all existences;
And in the love of all existences, the love of God.
God and all goodness.

(Iolo Morganwg)

This Week’s Affirmation:

“I transcend all limitations. I live in a limitless world.”

(For more on Affirmations, go to my Affirmations Page.)