Tag Archive | prayers

Litany to Artemis

Apr30

Beautiful Artemis, dark-eyed maid with tangled hair,
well-garlanded one, racing the wind through flowered fields;
playmate of the radiant nymphs, you shine more brightly
than any other, O excellent goddess.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Artemis the chaste, maiden untouched and free
of will, unruled and unrestrained, you are your own
woman, your own mistress, forever your own self.
Artemis, ideal to which we may only aspire,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Artemis who delights in arrows, whose shafts
of gold pour down like rain, far-working goddess
whose aim is ever true, swift-shooting bow-woman
who lets fly a hundred darts to darken the sky,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Artemis of the hunting-spear, Artemis of
the bow, each shot a clear shot, each strike a deathstrike,
spiller of blood, taker of life, merciful one,
your sure and steady arm delivers an easy death.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Artemis of the strong voice, clamorous one
whose bold cries echo through the forest; Artemis
whose calls strike fear into the hearts of all, you join
your sweet song with the bays of the hounds.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Artemis of the beasts, who runs with the wolf
and the deer, who knows the ways of all the wild things,
who wards the wilderness from those who would despoil
the land, who would take from it what they do not need,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Skillful Artemis, helper in childbirth, midwife
to blessed Leto, you brought your dear brother
into the world mere moments after your own
arrival, so wise and quick-witted a child were you.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Merry-hearted Artemis who leads the dance
of the playful nymphs, your graceful feet among
the bright flowers, swift of step and wild of caper,
reveling in the songs of maidens. Artemis,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Litany to Apollo

Apr29

Golden Apollo, son of lightning-wielding Zeus,
bright and blazing as the sun, your dreadful glory
unbearable to mortal eyes, your beauty
would blind us, an understanding of you drive us mad.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Beautiful Apollo, ever young, ever fair,
ever poised on the line between boy and man,
beardless and lithe, with hair shining and unshorn,
flawless of face and of form, ideal of the gods,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Apollo, who leads the merry Muses in dance
and song, the artist and the poet pray to you
for inspiration and for revelation.
For visions and for enlightenment, Apollo,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Apollo, friend of seers and soothsayers who carries
the words of father Zeus, in far-famed Delphi
were you well known, did men and women consult
your oracle, praying for insight and wisdom.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Far-shooting Apollo, bowman with no rival,
you loose your arrows from afar; through the air
they arc, true of flight, each shot striking its mark.
Steady-armed marksman, deadiest of huntsmen,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Apollo the healer, father of physicians,
sender of plagues and source of remedies,
granter of good health and sound constitution,
maker of miracles, worker of wonders,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Apollo, who delivers us from all that is
baneful and bad, who safeguards the city, the street,
the stranger, whose fury falls on the evildoer,
Apollo who answers the pleas of the distressed,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Litany to Aphrodite

Apr28

Beautiful Aphrodite, fairest of the deathless
gods, golden one whose name was praised by poets,
whose comely form was carved in stone, you are the ideal
of loveliness and grace, O peerless, flawless goddess.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Laughter-loving Aphrodite, bringer of joy
and merriment, who takes delight in all things
pleasant and lighthearted, all festivals and feasts,
all cheerful diversions and celebrations.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Aphrodite known as Peitho, mistress of sweet
persuasion, who turns the hearts of men and women
toward love, your gifts are welcomed by us all, goddess;
we are compelled by the eloquence of desire.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Aphrodite, shaper of passions who kindles
the fire of life, you awaken the oldest
of instincts; by your will our breath quickens, our pulse
pounds, hard and harder until we hear nothing else.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Clever Aphrodite, contriver of the sweetest
schemes, with cunning and guile you clear the way for love.
Devious one, deceptive one, to you do lovers turn
to find the forbidden, to grant the heart its desire.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Aphrodite of the bridal bed, of two hearts
bound with ties as strong and thin as spider-silk.
You watch with care, O goddess, as we pledge ourselves
to one another, hands clasped in an oath of love.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Aphrodite of all people, goddess of
the low and the lewd, the common and the coarse,
Aphrodite universal, Aphrodite blue,
Aphrodite of the need and the now. Goddess,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Aphrodite Ourania, heavenly one,
born of brutality, from seafoam and blood
you arose. Aphrodite of the spirit,
of a love pure and true, of a flame bright and still.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Litany to Poseidon

Apr25

Poseidon, lord of the clear blue sea and all
the fair waters of the world, throughout the depths
your might is well known, well governed, well wielded.
O god who commands the white-capped waves, Poseidon,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Poseidon, friend of the sailor, the fisherman,
of those who find their livelihood on seacoast and shoreline
or on the broad ocean, keeper of the harbor,
god of safe havens who wards the ways of commerce,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Poseidon who holds all waters in his hands,
by whose might a land is beaten with deadly waves
or deprived of spring rain and made barren of life,
master of flood and drought, we pray for your good will.
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Poseidon, holder of the earth, world-shaker
who moves the land to tremble and quake,
casting humanity to the ground like dice
from a cup, who opens the sod and stone beneath us,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Benevolent Poseidon, whose gift to man
of the useful horse brought trade and swift travel
to the small old world and made it a greater place.
Hard-handed driver of wild and willful horseflesh,
I praise and honor you, I thank you for your blessings.

Prayer to Aphrodite to Soothe a Broken Heart

Apr24

Aphrodite, mistress of desire, holder of hearts,
who gives and takes the gift of love with even hand,
I pray to you, show kindness to this aching soul.
Beautiful one whose goodness and gentleness
are well known, ease this sorrow, lighten this heavy heart.
Your gifts are great, O goddess; their loss is a wound
that cuts us to the very core, a wound of spirit
so keenly felt–yet so willingly borne, for the risk
and the pain are well worth the reward–and still,
so great is this grief, only your sweet solace,
your mercy and your might, can comfort the afflicted.
Goddess, I pray to you for relief and renewal.

Prayer to Aphrodite to Bring Love into One’s Life

Apr24

Tender-hearted Aphrodite, friend of the lonely,
friend of those who seek a lover, a companion
for life, a mate to share their sorrows and delights;
Aphrodite, you touch the center of the soul,
you light the flame of passion in men and women,
you hold our hearts in your gentle hands. Goddess,
fair one, kind one, giver of the most precious gifts,
open my spirit to joy and gladness, open
my mind to possibility, open my heart
to love. Heal me of hurt, release me from fear;
grant me the innocence of first love that I may
see the world in all its promise and beauty;
grant me the wisdom of experience that I may
choose with sense and judgment. May my eyes be keen,
may my vision be true, may I see what is
more clearly than what may be. Aphrodite,
I pray to you, goddess, grant me your gift of love.

Heracles

Apr24

Heracles, mighty son of thundering Zeus
and incomparable Alcmene, father of
wise kings and great heroes, clever one, courageous one;
Heracles, defender of the children of men,
your shrines and temples stood throughout the land in times
of old, your name was lauded in prayer, your deeds
proclaimed in story and song. Never has your fame
been forgotten, O Heracles; as your tales are
told and retold, as each generation learns anew
of your legend, your glory grows, your honor
increases. Kind Heracles, brave one, strong one
constant friend of man, I praise and honor you.

Morpheus

Apr24

Ever-shifting Morpheus, lord of the Oneiroi
who bring us our dreams, true or false. Morpheus,
swift-soaring courier, twilight messenger of the gods,
kind one, dweller in the shadowed land of dreams,
dark-winged god who shapes the visions of the night,
who tells the tales that must be told, who strips us bare
of secrets, who clothes hard truths in subtle raiment,
child of the black night, child of the shrouded dark,
in the realm of illusion you are king. Morpheus,
harbinger of change, concealer of clues, you bury
bits of truth among our wishes and fancies;
with your aid can we see into the mist of
the unknown, with your aid can we find the hidden
pieces of the self. Morpheus, I praise and honor you.

Prayer to Hypnos for Restful Sleep

Apr24

Hypnos, bright-winged bringer of blessed sleep,
son of misty-eyed Nyx of the sooty night,
I call to you to grant me your favor.
In sunless Erebos you make your home,
O Hypnos; each eventide you follow
in Night’s wake, fleet of foot, garlanded
in blood-red poppies, their sweet scent a balm
to those who seek your gift. Hypnos, granter
of the peace of a night’s oblivion,
soft-spoken god in whose gentle
arms men lie in repose, I pray to you,
deliver me into soothing slumber.

Prayer to Hera for a Happy Marriage

Apr24

Hera, queen of Olympos, bride of thundering Zeus,
protector of marriage, of the joining of hearts
and the creation of bonds, of the building
of home and the finding of family. Great Hera,
whose presence honors any wedding day, whose favor
graces any marriage, I pray to you, O goddess,
grant to me a joyous union, a love to last,
a harmonious home. I ask your blessing
on my household, O Hera–may it be a place
of happiness and affection. I ask your blessing
on my marriage bed–may it be a place of joy
and pleasure. May my mate and I share our lives;
may we grow old together, merry and content;
may our words be honey-sweet, may our love be
ever strong. Shining Hera, I ask your blessing.