I call to Heracles, defender of men,
son of thundering Zeus, husband of bright-hearted Hebe,
who destroyed the raging lion of Nemea
and set the beast to shine among the distant stars,
who changed the course of the river Alpheios,
who slew the wicked Diomedes who fed
his mares on the flesh of men, who ended the life
of the many-headed hydra. In high-walled Thebes,
the city of your birth, were you well honored;
throughout the land did men and women pray to you,
at splendid shrines and at great festivals. A path
of valor you chose in mortal life, heroic one;
in godhood too you guard the world of men.
Heracles, friend of humanity, I call to you.
Archives
To Dike
I call to true-hearted Dike, righteous goddess
who knows the good we do, who knows as well the ill.
Daughter of thundering Zeus whose integrity you share,
child of order, mother of the peace of the good,
friend of the Furies, those vengeful ones who pursue
the evil and the wrongful, the tyrant and the brute.
Dike, straight-standing one who holds the scales of truth,
lover of justice, lover of the law, who knows
when judge or advocate has been untrue, who brings
the one who has betrayed his trust before the court
of mighty Zeus, who hears all oaths. Clear-sighted Dike
who hears the pleas of the wronged, who answers the cries
of the oppressed, who rages against the unjust,
granter of good to the wise and the mindful,
goddess who knows the hearts of all, I call to you.
Litany to Ares
Fierce-hearted Ares, crafty master of battle,
lord of war, spirit of war, leader of men,
inspirer of deeds, stormer of stone-walled cities,
with mighty arm you brandish the spear, you shake the shield.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Ares, destroyer of men, fearsome one who stalks
the battlefield, who holds the ruddy standard of war;
insatiate you are of battle and of blood.
In your name do men do what is base, what is needful.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Stalwart Ares, strong of heart and firm of will,
stout of arm and great of spirit, your mettle
undoubted, your vigor unequaled. Of nerve
and of courage you know much, O god who endures.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Ares who stands between the weak and the strong,
who stands before the gates, tirelessly, endlessly,
defender of cities, protector of homes,
Ares who holds off the hordes of chaos, kind one,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Brave Ares, granter of strength to the weak, courage
to the meek, voice to the silent, will to the timid,
hope and raw grit to those whose cause seems lost. Ares,
who knows the worth of those whose back is to the wall,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Litany to Hephaistos
Deft-fingered Hephaistos, craftsman without peer,
worker of Gaia’s silvery gifts, maker of jewels
to adorn Olympos’ shining ones. Hephaistos,
friend of the sculptor, the mason, the smith; sooty one,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hephaistos, inventor of clever devices,
patron of the engineer and the architect,
maker of marvels, father of the world’s wonders,
clear-eyed visionary, creator of dreams.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hephaistos, friend of the copper, friend of the bronze,
in your hands does the stoniest ore yield its riches,
in your hands does metal grow supple, does it find
its fairest form; your art it is to lay its beauty bare.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hephaistos, god of the burning depths, the rivers
of molten stone, whose might we see in bright-lit
trails of fire, in the ashy echoes of Pompeii.
Hephaistos, who dwells within the living mountain,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Glorious Hephaistos of ancient renown, of your might
and your art great tales are told. Exalted one,
friend of the king and the workman, master unmatched
of hammer and tong, your works we view with wonder.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Litany to Hermes
Hermes the messenger, who bears the words of Zeus,
ever-present one who holds the herald’s wand,
wingfooted one who brings the blessings of the gods
to mortals frail and fleeting. Hermes, friend of men,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hermes, friend of the merchant, friend of the trader,
friend of the householder who prays for certainty,
from your hands fall silver and gold, cold coins that warm
our hearths and feed our families. Hermes, kind-hearted one,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hermes the crafty, wise and wily god of tricks,
god of the unexpected, god of swift change
and connections unseen, Hermes who finds a way,
when all roads are blocked, to reach any destination.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Great Hermes, god of the gambler, god of the game,
whose hand we see in the rise and fall of great men
and great nations, granter of luck and guide of
heedless chance, your keen eye sees what mortals cannot.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Silver-tongued Hermes, god of words who grants to men
the gift of persuasion. Patron of diplomats,
of those whose lives and livelihoods depend on smooth
talk and stirring speech, on wit and rhetoric.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Hermes, guide of the dead, patient and kind-hearted
leader of the lost, Hermes who stands between
the bright world and the dark, who holds open the gate
as those we love pass into the realm of Persephone.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Litany to Demeter
Blessed Demeter, granter of the most precious
of gifts, yours is the sweet fruit that hangs from the trees,
yours the field of golden grain flowing in the wind,
yours the life that fills our hearts with love and thankfulness.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Demeter, mistress of seasons, goddess whose hand
guides flowers to bloom and fruit to ripen, whose might
turns spring into summer, to fall and to winter,
who grants well-deserved rest to the laboring soil,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Wrathful Demeter, friend of the Furies who bring
revenge to the wronged and punishment to the wicked,
noble goddess who answered the theft of a child
with a mother’s rightful rage. Worthy Demeter,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Dark-cloaked Demeter, veiled in sorrow, who traveled
the wide world in search of lost Persephone,
whose misery brought drought and famine to the children
of men, whose joy at her return brought life again.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Demeter Khthonia, holder of the secrets
of the deep earth, daughter of cymbal-clashing Rhea,
mother of Hades’ dark queen, yours are the mysteries
of life and of death, yours the gifts most prized by men.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Litany to Dionysos
Dionysos of the vine, rich-tressed god of wine,
potent and lusty, unmixed, undiluted,
with full force you come to us, vital and robust,
rich and strong and surprisingly sweet. Dionysos,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Ivy-bearing Dionysos, god of the green,
of the power of root on stone, the force of life
that will make its own way in spite of all who labor
to hold it back, no will or work can bind your might.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Dionysos of the deep earth, of the dark world,
of the unknown expanse beneath the black soil,
beneath solid stone, of mysteries you know much,
of death and of what lies beyond. God of secrets,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Dionysos the inspiring, granter of words
of prose or poesy, words heard best by the drunken
and the mad, words forgotten with the passing
of night and delight. Bacchus, granter of rare transport,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Dionysos Soter, holder of the hearts
of men, you free us from the cares of the world,
each brilliant frenzied moment a shining jewel,
each glimpse of the sacred more precious than gold.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Kindly Dionysos, granter of good to men
and women, giver of gifts to all who seek
your blessing. Gracious Dionysos, accepter
of offerings great and small, friend of mankind,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.
Prayer to Zeus for Finding Work
Father Zeus, whose wisdom and firm hand maintain
the realm of the gods and the province of men,
Zeus of the agora, Zeus of the ordered world,
Zeus who rewards those who uphold community,
I pray to you, help me as I seek honest labor,
as I strive to protect my home and feed my family,
to trade my time and effort for fair return.
Zeus Ktesios, Zeus of the household, Zeus of the larder,
kind one, giver of wealth, provider of plenty,
protector of the home and all that lies within,
I pray to you, be my advocate as I search,
stand behind me as I face the marketplace,
guide me to steady work where my skills are needed,
where the wage is fit, where I can contribute
to the good. Zeus, granter of boons, I pray to you.
Prayer to Asklepios Before a Surgery
Bright Asklepios, father of physicians,
provider of health and healing to men,
giver of wisdom and craft to those
who attend the ill and the injured:
Asklepios, as I entrust my life
and my well-being to those who do your will,
make steady the hands of the surgeon,
make keen her eye and her wit, grant to her
all knowledge and skill required for your work.
Asklepios, friend of mankind, grant to me
the strength and resilience to recover
from all wounds and return to full good health.
Zeus
Father Zeus, defender of cities, defender
of homes, defender of the traveler, of those
far from home, of those who rely on the refuge
of civilization; kindly Zeus who watches
the world, friend of the fates, giver of good fortune,
by your good will are our larders full, our children
strong, our minds and bodies sound and vital; Zeus,
from whom all good derives, whose gifts are sought by all,
who knows our troubles and our joys, who hears our calls,
who answers them with wisdom and with care; oh Zeus,
whose wrath falls on the wrong-doer, whose blessings
come to those who are fair-minded and good of heart,
who stands behind the guest and the stranger, I praise you!
Underflow 