Asklepios, great-hearted god of the ailing,
the injured, the sickly, the ill. Many folk
have you healed, O worker of wonders, many folk
have you brought back from sickness to health. Yet some
who are wounded expect no recovery. For some
diseases there is no cure–the afflicted ones
must live with their malady, with constant aches
or searing pain, with weakness or with weariness,
enduring what is a companion for life.
For what ails me, there is no remedy, and yet
I pray to you, O reliever of suffering,
to ease my pain, to soothe my soul, to grant to me
more good days than bad. Benevolent Asklepios,
I call to you for comfort, I call to you for respite.
Tag Archive | prayers
Prayer to Hygeia for Help Maintaining One’s Health
Hygeia, gracious goddess whose noble heart
and healing hands are well known to all, kindly
giver of strength and hearty good health to mankind,
I pray to you, help me to tend my body and mind
with care and constancy, grant me the discipline
to moderate my vices, to modify
my habits, to exercise wisdom in my choice
of fare, my work and my rest. May I find my way
to wellness and wholeness, may I become one
who seeks the good. May I be fit to do the work
of my life. Hygeia, who helps those the most who help
themselves, goddess, grant me the resolve to succeed.
Selene
Starry-eyed Selene, whose home is the dusky sky,
whose brilliance lights the shadows, driving fear from the souls
of men; child of Titans, sister of bright Helios
who rules the day as you do the dark of night,
your matchless beauty greets us with each setting sun.
Silken-haired goddess, your long black tresses fall
like water, your silver carriage courses through
the air, your strong hand guides the sturdy oxen
that draw it; at your command they soar through clouds
and fall beneath the far horizon. Fair Selene,
you shine your light on the midnight traveler,
the sleepless lover, the wakeful child. Wise goddess,
friend of those who live by night, friend of the lonely,
the waiting, the lost, good Selene, I honor you.
Tyche
Kind-hearted Tyche, granter of fortune good or ill,
you hold in your hands prosperity, to give
or to withhold. You throw the bones, you spin the wheel,
you cut the cards before each game we play; Tyche,
your hand is in each chance we take, each hunch we follow.
We make our choices, Tyche, by whim or with care;
we plan our lives, we attempt to create the best
of possible outcomes; we reckon the odds and place
our bets. We do what we can, goddess, to craft
our world as we would wish it, and yet
so much of life is not ours to plan, so much
of choice is blind or faulty, so much of
what is, is unclear or unknown–by all our will
and all our skill we cannot form our world entire.
Tyche, blessed one, where our own efforts cannot
prevail, your might can tip the scale. Your favor,
goddess, can enrich our lives; its lack can break us.
Tyche, compassionate one, I praise and honor you.
Hygeia
Kind Hygeia, granter of health and vigor,
daughter of skillful Asklepios whose wisdom
is the salvation of many, daughter of Epione
who soothes the sharpest of pains, defender against
all illness and disease, foe of the Nosoi,
friend of those who wish to live long and well, who wish
for a whole life. Granter of a strong body
and a strong mind, companion of grey-eyed Athena
whose wisdom upholds the mindful care of self,
your work of health and healing must be sustained by those
in need, your blessings must be borne by those who find
your favor. Hygeia, I praise and honor you.
Nike
Wreath-bearing Nike, spirit of victory,
attendant on great Zeus, you guide his chariot
with hand firm and steady, you stand by his throne.
Goddess of triumph, of conquest in battle,
of conquest in sport, patroness of all who strive
to be the best, who struggle toward excellence,
who seek the prize, you are the soul of contention.
Goddess of will, ally of all who are driven,
who transcend their potential by force of character
and steadfast resolve, by the persistence of effort
and the single-minded hunger for success,
goddess of the possible, I praise and honor you.
Prayer to Pan for Relief from Panic and Anxiety
I call to great Pan, lord of the wilderness,
friend of the nymphs and the free-hearted beasts, master
of the winding paths, the tangled trees, the dark
of the deep woods. Pan, whose presence strikes fear into
those who wander, whose might brings mindless terror
at your will, you hold as well the power to grant
a tranquil mind, a spirit at rest, freedom from
a turbulent heart. Pan, take from me the baseless
fright, the pulse-pounding dread that closes the mind
to reason, the circling doubts and worries that freeze
us in place despite all we know to be true. Pan,
grant me strength to fight these unfounded fears, grant me
clarity to see what is false, grant me the peace
of the long view, the comfort of certainty.
Persephone
Fair-haired Persephone, daughter of Demeter,
friend of the nymphs, merry-hearted girls who dance
barefooted and play, carefree, in grassy fields,
wreathed in bright spring flowers. The joy of life is yours,
goddess, the comfort of sun on skin, the dear bonds
of friendship, the refuge of a mother’s love.
Well-crowned Persephone, bride of noble Hades,
queen of the afterworld, clothed in fine silks, adorned
with jewels, enthroned in glory, friend to those who have
passed from this world into yours, advocate of the dead
and the wronged. Kindly Persephone, womanly one,
of transformation do you know much, of the ways
of the earth do you know much; of the life
after life do you know much. Gracious goddess,
friend of mortals, I praise you and thank you for your gifts.
Pan
Arcadian Pan, mountain-roaming god, playmate
of the lovely nymphs, the sweet sound of the pipes
precedes you, the dancing feet of pretty maids
follow in your wake. God of shepherds and their flocks,
god of all that grows, all that is green, of woodland
and riversong, of beasts fierce and timid,
goat-footed god, with horns among your tousled hair,
fair of face and swift of stride, you roam the wild world
with a free spirit. Friend of Dionysos,
rustic one, all life’s simple pleasures are yours
to enjoy–the merry song, the outdoor feast,
the sprightly dance of country folk, all are yours,
O Pan. God of the highlands, the stony peaks
and the gentle, grassy hills, I praise and honor you.
Hestia
Hestia, gracious goddess who sits at the heart
of each home, who lives in the heart of each one
who reveres you, each one who holds you dear, each one
who turns to you for strength and harmony. Hestia,
goddess most needful, goddess most serene, goddess
most esteemed, the heart of the city is yours
as well, great goddess; within your realm are those
who serve the state, who work for the good of all–
your blessings fall on the honest, goddess, your wrath
on the corrupt, on those who betray their trust
for gain. Defender of the householder, guardian
of the hearthfire, Hestia, I praise and honor you.
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