I pray to Artemis, noble-hearted daughter
of Zeus, ruler of the mountain and the wood,
roamer in the wilderness. Potnia Theron
were you named of old, lady of the beasts, mistress
of the animals. Under your care are the creatures
of the field and the forest, the sea and the sky.
I pray to you, Artemis, keep safe those helpless ones
who live their lives upon the earth, shield them from harm,
defend them from those who would destroy them, guide them
to flee and to hide from perils and foes. Goddess,
Artemis, I pray to you, shelter these wild ones.
Archives
Artemis
I praise you, Artemis, free-hearted child of Zeus
and blessed Leto, courageous goddess who roams
the wildwood with silver bow at hand. Artemis
of many names, Artemis of many lands,
your temples stood shining and tall, in cities
and in villages. In the long days of summer
the maidens dance in your honor; in Brauron
were the little she-bears under your care.
Artemis, the mountains are yours to wander,
fleet-footed and firm of step; the wilds of the world
are dear to you, O guardian of wood and of beast.
Goddess who takes joy in dance and song,
companion of the laughing nymphs in all their play,
of all young maids you are the swiftest and the strongest,
the fairest and the first, in skill and grace the greatest.
Prayer to Artemis Before the Hunt
Slim-ankled Artemis, free-footed, wild-haired girl,
with steps swift and silent you run through the wood,
your bow at the ready, your shafts sharp and deadly.
Far-shooting Artemis, keen of eye and strong of arm,
your aim ever true, you take your prey, goddess,
with a single strike. Artemis, I pray to you
as I begin my hunt–may my eyes be clear,
may my hand be steady, may the shots I fire
reach my target and no other, may any kill be quick.
I am grateful, goddess, for the meat on my table.
I am grateful, goddess, for the time I spend
in the cold, in the wood, hearing the silence;
I am grateful, goddess, for the time I spend
in your world. Grant that I take on this work
with honest intent, grant that I feel the weight
of what I do, grant that I honor the lives
that feed me. Mistress of the hunt, I pray to you.
Prayer to Tyche (Eutykhia) for Good Fortune
I call to Tyche, friend of the Fates, mistress
of fair fortune who holds the rudder of all ships,
who bears the shining horn of Amalthea,
who wears the mural crown, whose face was graven
upon gold, tossed in the air when a choice need be made.
In times of old men named you Eutykhia;
they threw the dice with eyes tight shut and trusted
in your goodness. I call to you, Eutykhia,
I pray to you, O goddess, grant to me the good.
Prayer to Euthenia for Abundance
I pray to you, Euthenia, rich-tressed daughter
of Hephaistos and fair Aglaia, goddess
who grants the gift of abundance, that treasure
of certainty desired by all. I call to you,
Euthenia; I ask your favor. I pray to you
that we never hunger, that we never thirst,
that we ever have enough. I pray to you,
O goddess, free us from the fear of want,
grant to us the comfort of sufficiency.
Prayer to Hestia to Bless the Home
Home-loving Hestia, fair maid who sits by the fire,
first-born of fearful Kronos and deep-souled Rhea,
goddess who is the beating heart of every home,
tender of the altar flame, guardian of the gate,
I pray to you this day, I ask your favor.
All who pass this threshold pass into your realm,
O goddess; may all who dwell within these walls
be under your protection. Hestia, eldest
of the deathless gods, I ask your blessing
on my home and on my family. May we live
our lives in joy and love, may our larder be full,
may we be sheltered from storms, kept safe from all ill,
may only those who wish us well make their way
to our door. Be ever welcome in our home,
O Hestia; be ever present in our hearts.
Prayer to Ariadne for Adaptive Thinking
Clever Ariadne, child of seagirt Crete,
wise and cunning one whose agile mind finds purchase
on the frailest of notions, the slightest of signs,
goddess who turns, and turns, and turns again
until the way is clear. Ariadne, goddess,
I am blinded by expectation, shackled
by experience, bound to the proven and the known.
Open my mind to all that is possible,
light for me the paths long abandoned, long unknown.
Prayer to Ariadne to Find One’s Way Out of Difficulty
Gloried Ariadne, pure one, ancient one,
whose feet trod the ground of old and storied Crete,
mistress of the labyrinth, mistress of the serpent:
to every riddle there is an answer,
to every puzzle a solution, to every trap
a sweet release. Ariadne, you know the ways
of the tangled wood, you know of complexities,
and intricacies; where others see knots and snarls
you see the patterns of the world. Ariadne,
gracious one, I am confused, I fear to move,
I cannot find my way. I pray to you, goddess,
open my eyes to the path before me, guide me
on my journey, grant me steady footing, reveal
to me my missteps, bring me to a resolution.
Hephaistos
Hephaistos of the clever hands, the artist’s eye,
the craftsman’s care, ingenious Hephaistos who sees
what cannot be and brings it into the world,
inventive one whose works stir awe and wonder
in all who see, whose peerless jewels adorn the throats
of goddesses fair and mighty. Hephaistos,
friend of the blacksmith, the sculptor, the wright,
friend of all who seek to join the mind’s devises
to the work of the hands, granter of skill
and vision to those who honor your art, to those
who are called to your craft, to those who seek your favor.
Ariadne
Clever Ariadne, fairest daughter of Crete,
wise one, passionate one, goddess who knows much
of the heart and its demands, who woke all alone
on the white shores of Naxos, who was borne away
by wild-haired Dionysos to the high-reaching
halls of Olympos, to be his shining bride.
Graceful Ariadne, free-hearted one who dances
on the sand and in the temple, who knows the way
through any maze, who knows the way through any trouble.
Mistress of puzzles, mistress of answers, with wit
and with reflection you find the way to the self;
you find the way to the center and back again.
Underflow 