Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

[thalassa]

The womb of stars embraces us;
remnants of their firey furnaces
pulse through our veins.


We are of the stars,
the dust of the explosions
cast across space.


We are of the earth:
we breathe and live in the breath
of ancient plants and beasts.


Their cells nourish the soils;
we build our communities
on their harvest of gifts


Our fingers trace the curves
carved in clay and stone
by forebears unknown to us


We are a part
of the great circle of humanity
gathered around the fire, the hearth, the altar.


We gather anew this day
to celebrate our common heritage.


May we recall in gratitude
all that has given us birth.

From Singing the Living Tradition, the Unitarian Universalist Association Hymnal, reading number 445 by Joy Atkinson. If read in a group setting, the italicized parts are meant to be read as a response by the group as a whole.

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

Spirit of the East, Spirit of Air,
of Morning and Springtime
Be with us as the sun rises in times of beginning,
in times of planting.
Inspire us with the fresh breath of courage
as we go forth into new adventures.

Spirit of the South, Spirit of Fire,
of noontime and Summer.
Be with us through the heat of the day
and help us to be ever growing.
Warm us with strength and energy
for the work that awaits us.

Spirit of the West, Spirit of Water,
of evening and autumn
Be with us as the sun sets
and help us to enjoy a rich harvest.
Flow through us with a cooling,
healing quietness and bring us peace.

Spirit of the North, Spirit of Earth,
of nighttime and winter
Be with us in the darkness
in the time of gestation.
Ground us in the wisdom of the changing seasons
as we celebrate the spiraling journey of our lives.

From Singing the Living Tradition (the Unitarian Universalist Association hymnal), reading number 446, by Joan Goodwin.

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

15-fold Blessing (Feri)

Blessed are my feet, that have brought me in these ways.
Blessed are my knees, that shall kneel at the sacred altar.
Blessed is my sex, without which we would not be.
Blessed are my breasts, formed in strength and beauty.
Blessed are my lips, which will speak the sacred Names.
Blessed are my hands, that will do the work of the Gods.
Blessed is my head, which coordinates my movements.
Blessed are my senses, that taste the Magick of the world.
Blessed are my internal organs, fitted together in form and
function.
Blessed is my skin, which contains and protects me.
Blessed is my blood, which nourishes me.
Blessed are my bones, which support me.
Blessed is my flesh, in whatever age or stage it presents itself to
Life.
Blessed am I:
I am her child.
I am Her Self.

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

Pagan

by T. Thorne Coyle, as shared on her blog, Know Thyself, 27 Sept2010

Wholly! Wholly! Wholly!
Power, light, and grace.
Wholly! Wholly! Wholly!
Shadow, love, and all unfolding time.
Know Thyself.
Know the World.
Know the Cosmos.
Know that you are God/dess,
(But not the only one).

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

For blessing/cleansing a home...


May nothing evil cross this door
and may ill fortune
never pry about these windows
May roar and rain go by.

By faith made strong the rafters will
withstand the battering of the storm
This hearth, though all the world
grow cold, will keep you warm.

Peace shall walk softly through these rooms
touching our lips with holy wine
till every casual corner blooms
into a holy shrine.

With laughter drown the raucous shout
and, though these sheltering walls are thin,
may they be strong to keep hate out
and hold love in.

*From the Unitarian Universalist hymnal, Singing the Living Tradition, hymn #1. We actually use this, slightly modified, in our home blessing and cleansing.

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

Devotional poetry by yours truly...

Salt Marsh Goddess
You may need
a super-human
super-hero
super-natural god/dess,
hammer or harp in hand,
horse-bodied or jackal-headed,
Lady of the Lake or Lord of the Seas.*

But I have the deep, deep ocean
and strong winds driving waves upon the shore
driving me to my knees for absolution;
A sun that warms tender shoots,
crooning them from the loamy body of a Living Earth;
The caress of the Willow branch as I lie beneath her roots,
book in hand, and squirmy child in lap.

The Salt Marsh Goddess speaks to me in ringing tones,
as clear as any god of myth does for you
& she speaks in a thousand tongues–
Spartina, Juniperus, Myrica, Sesarma,
Uca, Littorina, Malaclemys, Ardea, Alligator
…just to name a few.

While you argue
over how to resurrect
gods of long passed cultures,
I’ll be the one covered in mud and dancing with the rushes,
celebrating a goddess born of glaciers.

*(And that’s okay for you.
But its not enough for me.)




Sedna

black eyes peer from blackness
hair like tangled seaweed, current tossed
framed in gates of gleaming white bone
so young to be so cold
anger buried deep

encased in Ice
rage a frozen scream
hands hacked to pieces
cannot even brush her tangled hair
the dark is silent
the deep is still

She waits
Her blood flows in sticky metallic drips
eddying into dark cold waters
flows into the shapes
dolphins whales seal otter shark
keening as harpoons strike

she feels each hit
as if it were her own flesh
pierced

She waits
She sees Her children sinking, motionless
She sees their blood flow into the black water night

when She rises
who will pay Her price
who will brush her tangled hair

when the ice cracks
can you appease her hidden rage


Lamentations for the Sea

Deepest cold, I mourn for you.
Sedna, I mourn for you.
Broken goddess, furious maiden I mourn for you.
Betrayed by man, I mourn for you.
Giver of fishes, I mourn for you.
Mother of the hunt, I mourn for you.
Blanketed by oil, I mourn for you.
Breaking wave, I mourn for you.
Who birthed Aphrodite, I mourn for you.
White foam on a silvery shore, I mourn for you.
Beloved of surfers, I mourn for you.
Receiver of baby turtles, I mourn for you.
Encircling currents, I mourn for you.
Carrier of refuse to desolate shores, I mourn for you.
Nurturer of the Albatross, I mourn for you.
Incoming tide, I mourn for you.
Neptune, Poseidon, I mourn for you.
Bringer of Hurricanes, I mourn for you.
Protector of sailors, I mourn for you.
Creator of Climate, I mourn for you.
Hider of treasure, I mourn for you.
Exploited for dwindling resources, I mourn for you.
Blood of the Earth, I mourn for you.
Tropical seas, I mourn for you.
La Sirene, Met Agwe, I mourn for you.
Mother of mermaids and manatees, I mourn for you.
Song of the sea, I mourn for you.
Patron of ocean travelers, I mourn for you.
Ferrier of the dead, I mourn for you.
Pawn of nations-at-conflict, I mourn for you.
Ebb tide, I mourn for you.
Toxic soup, I mourn for you.
You who have been called Tethys, Thetis, Thalassa, Tiamat,
Oceanus, Posideon, Neptune, the Old Man of the Sea,
50 daughers of Nereus Nereids, Repun Kamui, Lir,
Mazu, Gods of the Four Seas, Dakuwaqa, Vedenemo, Ahti, and Vellamo,
Kanaloa, Namaka, Varuna, Susanoo, Namu, Sirsir, Olokun--
I adore you.
Our human greed is killing you.
I mourn for you.


blue girl (Psamathe)
in this my blue world
the wind waves are my hair
the sand mud are my toes
squishing up into waving seaweed

in this my blue world
the fishes crabs oysters are my hands
the sea spray is my voice
singing into the sky

in this my blue world
I will hold you to my bosom
rock your soul clean
until it shines like my sister moon's
soul-reflection

in this my blue world
my water blood pumps
the heart soul
of the space marble

may you never thirst at my door
may you never hunger at my table

I am the blue girl
my hearth is your shore

blue upon blue
upon blue
until the end of me
of you


Adorations to the Sun

Waking Fire, I adore you
Aurora, rosy fingered in saffron robes, I adore you
Khepri, I adore you
Extinguisher of darkness, I adore you
Thesan of the Dawn, bringer of new life, I adore you
Evaporator of fresh morning dew, I adore you
Infant King I adore you
Producer of helium, I adore you
Shapash, I adore you
Who brings a new day, I adore youWarming Fire, I adore you
Supplier of Light, I adore you
Protector from cosmic rays, I adore you
Definer of shadows, I adore you
Growing Sun, Boy King, I adore you
Arinna, I adore you
Cosmic Nuclear Furnace, I adore you
Eye of the Heavens, I adore you
Amaterasu, I adore you
Who holds the planets with immense gravity, I adore youBurning Fire, I adore you
Ra, I adore you
That which the planets orbit, I adore you
Photon source, I adore you
G-type main sequence star, I adore you
Sun King, Lord of the Longest Day, I adore you
Converter of hydrogen, I adore you
Creator of the solar wind, I adore you
Helios, I adore you
Who drives all weather on Earth, I adore youRelentless fire, I adore you
Courageous Malina, I adore you
Center of this solar system, I adore you
Luminous disk, I adore you
Inspiration of man, I adore you
Bringer of rainbows, I adore you
Free source of energy, I adore you
Sustainer of life, I adore you
Tama-nui-te-rā, I adore you
Who ripens fruits and fields, I adore youWaning fire, I adore you
Evening light, I adore you
Sol Invictus, unconquered and unbounded, I adore you
Grandfather Sun, stately and wise, I adore you
Setting Sun, I adore you
Worshiped by the ancients, I adore you
Driver of photosynthesis, I adore you
Surya, Guardian of the Year, I adore you
Green flash, I adore you
Who sets circadian rhythms, I adore youSlumbering Fire, I adore you
Source of the moon's reflection, I adore you
Maker of dancing polar lights, I adore you
Torch of Gnowee, I adore you
Mithras, I adore you
Resurrecting Sun, I adore you
Random walk, I adore you
Radiant heat, I adore you
Galactic wanderer, I adore you
Who shines on, even as we turn away, I adore you


(all of which, along with other stuff, can be found here)

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

'Spirits of Nature which inhabit this place,
Ancestors which have walked these paths,
Gods that dwell in these lands,
And Cosmos which enfolds us all:


See that you are recognized,
Hear that you are remembered,
Know that I rejoice in your presence.
I ask you now to stand witness
and bless this rite.


With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Humanity,
born of those born before me,
to walk the paths they have walked
and to forge ahead in preparation
for those to whom I shall become an ancestor.
(make offering to water)


With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Earth;
born of Rock and Tree, Ocean and Breeze,
to inhabit the Living Earth that extends around me,
to drink of the Waters of Life that flow around me,
to inhale the Air that whispers around me.
(make offering to earth)


With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of Divinity;
born of Inspiration and Desire, to strive to be worthy
as a partner in the creation and continuation of culture,
and to hold mythos–our collective dreams and nightmares,
glory and folly, as sacred treasures.
(make offering to air)


With this offering*, I declare my intention
to live more fully as a child of the Cosmos,
born of stardust, and moon-pulled tides,
to dance with the Cauldron of Creation,
the living flame of live within ourselves, within our Earth,
our solar system, and the burning suns beyond our sight.
(make offering to fire)


I shall strive to take action each day that will attune me to the Universe:


So that my words shall be true and my actions just as
I seek to give the voice of our past to our future–
to be a bridge between my ancestors and my antecedents.


So that my choices are mindful of the Earth
and conscious of all of her children
as I undertake the daily tasks of living.


So that my worship is thoughtful
and honors the role of the Gods
in the lives of their peoples.


See that you have been recognized,
Hear that you have been remembered,
Know that I rejoice in your presence.
My offering stands as testament to my thanks for your witness.

(from a personal dedication ritual, slightly altered)


*For offerings:

Offerings of Earth are made to the Spirits of Nature, and are generally food of some sort. I like to use grain outdoors, generally millet…because, well…lets be pragmatic, its pretty much birdseed.

Offerings of Water are made to the ancestors and are generally drink. I don’t like to use alcohol, because (with some very minor exceptions) when poured put as an outdoor offering, I feel it is deeply disrespectful to the land (here in the US.

Offerings of Air are made to the gods as incense. The precise gods involved may change the incense up a bit (if they are Greek, I go by the Orphic Hymn’s suggestions), or may not (sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, and dragon’s blood, as well as California White Sage, all have some iffy conservation issues that I avoid by avoidance.

Offerings of Fire are made as original bits of inspiration that I choose to give up and not use elsewhere, they get burned, and they are made to the Cosmos/Universe-at-Large (a nod to my pantheistic tendencies).

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

I think I maybe posted this in the Egyptian forums...but I think it belongs here too:

Adorations for Seshat


Keeper of Records, I adore you.
Mistress of the House of Books, I adore you.
Scribe of Pharaohs, I adore you.
Recorder of Glory, I adore you.

She who measures foundations, I adore you.
Lover of knowledge, I adore you.
Wife of Thoth*, I adore you.
Mother of the Golden Horus**, I adore you.

Patron of Writers, I adore you.
Lady of the writings in the House of Life, I adore you.
Recorder of Time, I adore you.
Counter of Days, I adore you.

Patron of foreigners, I adore you.
She who was born before the Sun, I adore you.
Lady of hieroglyphics, I adore you.
Patron of Surveyors, Beloved of Architects, I adore you.

Original One, I adore you.
Lady of Lists, Counter of People, I adore you.
Bearer of the light of Gnosis, I adore you.
She who opens the door after death, I adore you.

Inventor of the Written Word, I adore you.
Keeper of fate, I adore you.
Patron of builders, I adore you.
She who stretches the cord**, I adore you.

Bringer of understanding, I adore you.
She who reckons all things, I adore you:
Recorder of all things from the beginning,
Until their end.

She who keeps alive the sacred flame of humanity
What is measured is seen
What is written remains
What is remembered lives


In pages we find the world,
In words we find life


I kiss the earth for Seshat--
She who remembers
Will not be forgotten.

[thalassa]

Re: Big thread of liturgy and devotionals

I forget where I came across this originally, but I've had it in my little black book (grimoire, witchy-journal, BoS, whatevs) for quite some time. Its a poem that I use as a meditation in times of strife, hopelessness, etc...when all the world is obviously mad...right in that moment before you are sure your heart will surely shatter (again) in a million pieces. It was written in the aftermath of 9/11, but I often think of it pretty much anytime I turn on the news these days.

Wage Peace
by Judyth Hill, written the day after 9/11

Wage peace with your breath.


Breathe in firemen and rubble,
breathe out whole buildings and flocks of red wing blackbirds.


Breathe in terrorists
and breathe out sleeping children and freshly mown fields.


Breathe in confusion and breathe out maple trees.


Breathe in the fallen and breathe out lifelong friendships intact.


Wage peace with your listening: hearing sirens, pray loud.
Remember your tools: flower seeds, clothes pins, clean rivers.


Make soup.
Play music, memorize the words for thank you in three languages.

Learn to knit, and make a hat.


Think of chaos as dancing raspberries,
imagine grief
as the outbreath of beauty
or the gesture of fish.


Swim for the other side.
Wage peace.


Never has the world seemed so fresh and precious:
Have a cup of tea and rejoice.


Act as if armistice has already arrived.
Celebrate today.