Prayer Forum?

[loona wynd]

I was thinking that a forum dedicated to prayers as worship and magic might be useful. For me prayers can be spells but they can also and are mostly separate. I basically believe prayers to be their own rich form of magical and spiritual practice. Not all prayers are spells and petitions and not all prayers are invocations. Some are praise and some are thank you. Some are petitions and help me and some are invocations. Prayer doesn't seem to really have a place on this board specifically.

I think that having a place for sharing prayers and prayer based ritual and magic work would be beneficial. Many people don't see and understand how simple and effective magical prayer can be for working spells and for worship. Many believe you need long extensive formal rituals for worship and magic. I think this forum would be a great place to teach, and show off this practice. This would allow beginners to see how simple their work can be and how they don't need a lot of formal ritual work.

[Seraphin]

Yeah! Just like a virtual sacred altar perhaps?

[Xiao Rong]

This is a very interesting idea, Loona!

Yeah! Just like a virtual sacred altar perhaps?

Hmm ... so are you thinking about having certain threads that are a virtual sacred altar to a particular deity? So, for example, one thread devoted to, say, Aphrodite, and whoever wants to can leave a prayer/virtual offering to her?

I think that might be a cool thing to have, but it would have to be carefully moderated. If I'm understanding you correctly, we'd need to make it clear, for example, that such threads are not for asking generalized questions about deities (that'd be for the Gods and Goddesses forum) ...

[Seraphin]

Hmm ... so are you thinking about having certain threads that are a virtual sacred altar to a particular deity? So, for example, one thread devoted to, say, Aphrodite, and whoever wants to can leave a prayer/virtual offering to her?

Hmmm... I'm thinking of a place that people can make a devotion, pray to a certain Deity, light a virtual candle or create a blessing.

[loona wynd]

Yeah! Just like a virtual sacred altar perhaps?

That's not what I was thinking. I was thinking it would be sort of like the share a spell or ritual forum, but dedicated to prayers. Prayers like I said can be spells and rituals but they can also be communication and worship without ritual.

[Seraphin]

Sorry... Perhaps I'm thinking of another forum suggestion.

[loona wynd]

Sorry... Perhaps I am thinking of another forum suggestion.

I think that would be a good idea as well. Though I think that forum would be probably suited either as a subset of the God/Goddess forum or the altar forum.

[Xiao Rong]

I see no reason why there isn't room for all of these! I was envisioning that perhaps some people would want to start a thread about their personal devotions and light a candle, or for others to share their prayers (similar to the members' BoS forum), and maybe some threads devoted to certain deities where anyone can post a prayer or virtual offering to that deity. Perhaps we can establish some etiquette points in the beginning, whereby people can post that they don't want anyone else to post in their particular devotional thread, etc.

[loona wynd]

I see no reason why there isn't room for all of these! I was envisioning that perhaps some people would want to start a thread about their personal devotions and light a candle, or for others to share their prayers (similar to the members' BoS forum), and maybe some threads devoted to certain deities where anyone can post a prayer or virtual offering to that deity. Perhaps we can establish some etiquette points in the beginning, whereby people can post that they don't want anyone else to post in their particular devotional thread, etc.

I like that idea. Afterall with my BOS thread I have no problem with people commenting on the content I have put in. Though I want specific content referenced in the comment so it makes sense, while other people have said that they don't want comments in their threads. It would be respectful. They would be personal spaces we can have online that we might not be able to have in person (collective we not specific to anyone who has posted in this thread).

I'm actually working on a review of a book that teaches prayer as worship and magical work. Which is what brought on this topic and thought process. It was actually one of the first books I read 15 years ago, but have constantly returned to over the years. The book provides specific prayers and content but also how to write magical and spiritual prayers.

[Echo_of_shadows]

I'm actually working on a review of a book that teaches prayer as worship and magical work. Which is what brought on this topic and thought process. It was actually one of the first books I read 15 years ago, but have constantly returned to over the years. The book provides specific prayers and content but also how to write magical and spiritual prayers.

Many books include directions for how to write your own spells and rituals, but I've yet to see any that give directions for writing your own prayers. I think that would certainly be a beneficial post. I can see prayer as being a stepping stone for beginners who aren't comfortable casting spells just yet. I think people may be more likely to turn to prayer than spells since for almost every spell I've seen, you need at least one thing exterior to yourself, while for prayer, you simply need yourself and your connection to the divine.

I think a virtual altar thread would be great. It would be an alternative for those who just can't have a personal permanent altar set up at home. It would be good for people who want to connect with the divine but are in a hurry. It's faster to upload a picture of a Mabon feast than it is to actually make one. It is more discreet to pray while looking at an altar on a phone or tablet screen than it is to dig your tools out from under the bed or down from your closet shelf, where the have to be hidden from nosy, unsympathetic family.

[loona wynd]

Many books include directions for how to write your own spells and rituals, but I've yet to see any that give directions for writing your own prayers. I think that would certainly be a beneficial post. I can see prayer as being a stepping stone for beginners who aren't comfortable casting spells just yet. I think people may be more likely to turn to prayer than spells since for almost every spell I've seen, you need at least one thing exterior to yourself, while for prayer, you simply need yourself and your connection to the divine.

That is part of the reason I suggested the prayer forum. Prayers can be effective ways of working magic and spells. The difference for me between a spell and a prayer magically really boils down to that prayers are directed towards beings outside of ourselves while spells do not have to involve anyone but ourselves. There are other differences as well for me like prayers being a form of worship without structured ritual as well as prayers being ways to meditate and communicate with spirits. Prayer can be a part of spells and spell craft but I also find it is an effective technique all on its own.

When I am done with the book review I may very well write up a post on writing prayers as a worship activity as well as magical activities (one post for each) in a witchcraft and prayer thread. I want to get the review written first. The review will at least give people a book they can look at for prayers and for a system of witchcraft that basically works exclusively with prayers as magical practices and worship.

I think a virtual altar thread would be great. It would be an alternative for those who just can't have a personal permanent altar set up at home. It would be good for people who want to connect with the divine but are in a hurry. It's faster to upload a picture of a Mabon feast than it is to actually make one. It is more discreet to pray while looking at an altar on a phone or tablet screen than it is to dig your tools out from under the bed or down from your closet shelf, where the have to be hidden from nosy, unsympathetic family.

No reason why can't have both forums. Maybe one for the prayers specifically and another one as a subset for the virtual altars and devotions? Its an idea. I see them being connected, but I also see them as very important separate resources. In the end its Star's board and her decision.

[Xiao Rong]

No reason why can't have both forums. Maybe one for the prayers specifically and another one as a subset for the virtual altars and devotions? Its an idea. I see them being connected, but I also see them as very important separate resources.

Let's hold off on separating them until we see how much traffic we get in the Prayers subforum as a whole. If we find there's a lot of interest in having virtual altars, we can separate them out then.

[loona wynd]

No reason why can't have both forums. Maybe one for the prayers specifically and another one as a subset for the virtual altars and devotions? Its an idea. I see them being connected, but I also see them as very important separate resources.

Let's hold off on separating them until we see how much traffic we get in the Prayers subforum as a whole. If we find there's a lot of interest in having virtual altars, we can separate them out then.

Like I said its Stars board and her decision in the end. Both are excellent ideas and resources and I'd love to see both. If they are together fine is separate fine. I just wanted to be clear how I saw them as separate resources in the end. I dont have a problem with them being connected and one. It was more making sure that my original concept was prayer specific.

[Seraphin]

So... are we going to give it a go?

[loona wynd]

I'm actually working on a review of a book that teaches prayer as worship and magical work. Which is what brought on this topic and thought process. It was actually one of the first books I read 15 years ago, but have constantly returned to over the years. The book provides specific prayers and content but also how to write magical and spiritual prayers.

Many books include directions for how to write your own spells and rituals, but I've yet to see any that give directions for writing your own prayers. I think that would certainly be a beneficial post. I can see prayer as being a stepping stone for beginners who aren't comfortable casting spells just yet. I think people may be more likely to turn to prayer than spells since for almost every spell I've seen, you need at least one thing exterior to yourself, while for prayer, you simply need yourself and your connection to the divine.

I think a virtual altar thread would be great. It would be an alternative for those who just can't have a personal permanent altar set up at home. It would be good for people who want to connect with the divine but are in a hurry. It's faster to upload a picture of a Mabon feast than it is to actually make one. It is more discreet to pray while looking at an altar on a phone or tablet screen than it is to dig your tools out from under the bed or down from your closet shelf, where the have to be hidden from nosy, unsympathetic family.

Writing magical and spiritual prayers And the thread providing the outline has been created.