But what these people miss about the concept of prayers of gratitude is how quickly these things could disappear. The spirits thou hast made extol thee, saying, welcome to thee, father of the fathers of the gods; we worship thy spirit which is in us. The collection uses a variety of voices to address three Divinities – Our Lady of Corona, the Weaver of Worlds and the Horned God – and to reflect on issues that might fall within the authority of each. In some forms of Wicca, the offering of time and dedication is as important as an offering of tangible items.

prayers, old and new - Christian Prayers Celtic blessings and prayers, old and new - Christian Prayers

You can start with this simple prayer as a foundation for your own gratitude, and then enumerate the things for which you are thankful. It’s a good idea to ensure you don’t let too much Christian vocabulary slip out during the service – references to “heaven”, Jesus or a singular God, and Bible verses may be seen as disrespectful even if said with positive intentions. While we all want to avoid sounding like a kid sitting on Santa Claus’s lap, there is nothing wrong with speaking the desires of your heart to the Gods. Instead of a headstone, a tree may be planted and, in the case of Druids, a mound of stones known as a cairn may be built.

If your religious upbringing was like mine, I strongly advise starting with some good scripted prayers.

BBC - Religions - Paganism: Pagan worship

Or if it’s not, that you’re breaking grammar rules on purpose and not from ignorance or carelessness. Bonus: getting out into the sunlight within one hour of waking aids in regulating our circadian rhythms. References to the natural world, particularly the four elements of Earth, Fire, Air and Water and representations of those elements. Ancient prayers – where they exist – have a powerful connection not just to the deity to whom they’re addressed, but also to the people who originally wrote them.Thou art the one, maker of all that is, the one; the only one; maker of gods and men; giving food to all. Pagans do not believe in reward and punishment after death for the lives they have lived, only that living with a sense of honour and morality is a reward in itself. But by praising the Gods we are reminded of what is truly praiseworthy, and thus how we can best live our lives.

Pagan Prayers for the Beltane Sabbat - Learn Religions Pagan Prayers for the Beltane Sabbat - Learn Religions

Some prayers survive to the present day because they have lived on not in the written documentation but in the oral traditions of the area—via ​folktales, songs, legends, etc. But there is value in simply being thankful, even if you aren’t offering thanks to anyone in particular. If you happen to be someone who feels a connection to the darker aspect of the year, considering holding a full Ritual Honoring the Dark Mother. While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. If you're lucky enough to visit one this summer, remember thatit’s a spot where all four of the elements converge: the water of the ocean crashes upon the shore.The Carmina Gadelica features hundreds of poems and prayers that folklorist Alexander Carmichael collected from residents in various areas of Scotland. You may see your ancestors as a specific individual (dear Uncle Bob who died in Vietnam, or your great great great grandpa who settled the frontier, etc. Think about the things that contribute to your good fortune and blessings – do you have your health? Since Pagans do not have temples in the way that other religions do, most ceremonies take place outside. Secular buildings may be used if necessary, but other religious venues are generally seen as inappropriate.

Pagan Prayer: Offerings of Praise, Gratitude, and Hope Pagan Prayer: Offerings of Praise, Gratitude, and Hope

If your belief system leans more towards the Egyptian or a Kemetic structure, offer a devotion to Isis. And that’s a shame, because prayer is one of the most basic and most helpful spiritual practices in virtually every religion. Of course, public extemporaneous prayer is hard, so they ended up falling into their own clichés and repetitions that were a weak parody of good scripted prayers – but at least they weren’t Catholic. Some people object to prayers before meals because they say they don’t need a prayer to make the food sacred, that it was sacred simply by existing.That being said, the usual etiquette also applies – be respectful, arrive early, wait to be seated, turn off your phone, avoid platitudes and don’t eat or drink unless it is provided or offered by the main funeral party. I still see some Pagans who have no qualms about approaching a deity they’ve never met and asking for huge favors. Druids do not believe in an afterlife per se, but they do believe that the soul is immortal and departs to the Otherworld – sometimes known as Tir Na n’Og, or the Land of the Eternal Youth – upon the death of the body, before dying again and reincarnating in another body.