Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Many pagans and witches use prayer as a form of worship and for requesting help from deities. Share and discuss prayers here.
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loona wynd
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Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by loona wynd »

One of the most commonly overlooked magical and spiritual practices available to witches is that of magical prayer. Prayers are a way that we can worship Gods and honor spirits. Prayers can be petitions and they can be praise. A prayer can also be a way to communicate and talk to different spirits and beings. Prayer is a powerful and effective tool for building spiritual relationships and a spiritual practice. It is one of the most basic and most common practices out there.

This thread is going to cover two different types of prayer. The first type of prayer is going to be a magical prayer. This is a prayer that when combined with actions would be considered a spell. The prayer here would be the chant or worded aspect. The spell would be the actions taken in this prayer. The second form of prayer that is going to be addressed and discussed in this thread is that of a prayer for worship. Many people believe that worshiping and honoring Gods and spirits that we work with on our paths require extensive formal rituals with circles, invocations, offerings, and much more, when that is simply not the case. Saying a prayer reverently and with full intent of worship and honor a specific spirit or deity is just as effective a way to engage in your spirituality as a formal structured ritual is.

Edit:

There are only two resources I know of that teach and talk about Pagan and witch prayers. The book The Wiccan Way AKA Hedge witches way by Rae Beth and A book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith
loona wynd
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by loona wynd »

Magical Prayers

So a magical prayer is a prayer that is both said and enacted through actions. An example could be a women sewing a blanket for her young child. As she sews the women prays to the Gods that the blanket provide warmth and protection for child and that they have a peaceful nights sleep. By saying the prayer a few times over the blanket as she sews the women is both enacting a spell and praying effectively acting out a magical prayer.

This section will identify the components of magical spells and the steps involved in writing them. We will then look at each step and why its needed through the process of writing a spell prayer for a specific need as an example. This will provide an outline and a howto for magical prayers.

So here are the components and steps involved in the writing of a magical prayer:

1-The intent or need

2-Identify the spirit or beings you want to work with for this need

3-Identify which realm is best suited for the spell (Upper world, middle earth, or underworld)

4-Identify the proper magical practice and style for the spell at hand

5-Recite prayer while performing magical actions

So the first part is the intent or need behind the prayer and spell. Magical prayers are essentially petitions for a specific need. So when you are writing a magical prayer its important to have a specific desire or goal in mind. That way you can work the rest of the spell actions around that need, and can have emotional power behind the goal.

So an example of a need could be money and employment. Thats a good basic and starting line. However for the prayer to be the most effective it can be it is important to be a little more specific. So perhaps a better need would be a job that pays well enough to cover the bills and have funds to enjoy life. Now you know exactly what you need and why you need it.

The next part of knowing your intent and need is to craft a statement of intent. Here you would write something about the job you need and the bills you have to pay. So for our spell prayer the statement of intent will go:

"I ask for a job which provides for all my needs allowing me to take care of all my needs and enjoy life"

The next step would be to identify which type of being you want to work with for this spell. Not all gods or spirits are appropriate for all situations. In order for a spell or ritual to be as effective as it can and as powerful as possible it is important to ensure that the proper associations are in place. Like with your intent the more specific you are the better.

So in our example of employment and money there are many different Gods and spirits that could be worked with. You could work with beings that are associated with specific fields of employment (like healing Gods for doctors or medical fields, justice and law related spirits for police work or lawyers, etc) or you could choose to work with an animal spirit or other form of being that is associated with industry (employment) and wealth (money).

For our example we are going to work with Dwarves. Dwarves are an excellent spirit force to call on for this particular need because they are associated with industry and work (employment) but also with wealth (money). Now that we know what type of spirit we are working with its important to craft a call to them specifically.

Dwarves are associated with the element of earth and with strength. A call to them would include things that attract them. The calls to the spirit are there to create an image of the spirit, let the universe know who you are calling on, and what aspects of them you are calling on.

For our prayer our call may look something like:

"Oh Dwarves who live deep in the earth, who are masters of industry, crafting, and hard work. Who are masters of prosperity, wealth, and succsess I call upon you. May your blessing of industriousness be upon me and may your assistance bring me the wealth that I need"

The next step would be to identify which of the realms would best suit the needs of this spell first and then the order of the other realms. This is determined by the specific needs of the spell and the overall goal of the spell. This is also often determined by the spirit or God that is being worked with in the spell as they may have a specific realm or world that they are associated with.

For the example in this thread the spell is going to be directed to the underworld first and the middle world second. This is for a few reasons. One of them is that the spirits that we have chosen to call on for this work are underworld spirits. They live within the earth and are apart of the underworld for this reason. The underworld also holds valuable minerals and gems, so the riches and wealth portion of this spell would be met here. The second part would be the middle earth which is where the job will actually be the and is where our physical needs are. The last area addressed would be the heavens or upper world where we focus on success and enjoyment rather than the physical need of money and employment.

So now you have the spirits, the intent, and the realm. You can now write a better statement of intent and call to the Spirits for this spell. Our example spell will say something like:

"Hail to thee great dwavrves of the underworld. You who are the masters of wealth and industry. You who are the craftsmen of the Gods I bid thee welcome. I ask of your assistance. May you provide me with a job where I may provide for all my needs. Bring to me a job which will provide me with industry and prosperity. Let my skills bring me succsess and pleasure. Let my job fulfill my financial needs and entrainment needs so that I may be a balanced and happy person"

The last step in the preparation of this magical prayer is to decide what sort of spell action is best for this need. Some types of spells are better for different situations. Jar spells are good for spells that are going to take place and work over an extended period of time while candle spells would be better for an instant sudden type of need. Some spells like our sample spell can fit into many different actions. So its a personal choice.

For our example we will decide to work with a charm bag (gris-gris, mojo, etc depending on your tradition). The reason for this is that a charm bag is something that we can carry on us through the process of sending out and filling out applications as well as being something that we can carry with us to interviews. The next step of course would be choosing appropriate herbs and crystals to include in the bag as part of our charm for this spell.

So now that we have the type of magic we want to perform, our calls to the spirit, realms decided and overall intent its time to work the spell. This is entirely personal so I can't say how or what to do here. In our example spell the choice to use a charm bag means now that the spell is the process of crafting the bag. This is where the prayer would be actually said and the work finally done.

In the actual performance of the spell you can do this many ways. You can say the invocation to the spirits and the asking of their blessing over the items at the beginning and then have a chant you repeat that is part of the prayer through the casting of the spell (in this case the gathering of the charm items) and then the full prayer again when its completed, followed by daily reciting of the prayer over the bag to charge it and empower it. The other thing you could do is say the whole prayer over and over through out the process. The idea is that the prayer charges the charm bag in this case and gives it power.

So there you have the formula and set up of magical prayers.
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

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Prayers for Worship and honor

The next type of prayer that I am going to discuss in this thread is the type of prayer that is used as a form of worship and or praise. This type of prayer can be used as part of a formal structured ritual or it can be simply its own ritual. Prayers are powerful ways we can connect with our deities, spirit guides, and spirit forces on a daily basis, and they can take little to no time to actually say and do yet this practice is almost always overlooked.

There are three main components to a prayer that is used in worship. Each component is a part of the ritual of saying a prayer and is why prayers being said can be rituals all of their own. Each of the components are going to be discussed and examined with a sample prayer being written as a guide.

1-The invocation to the spirit or being

2-Statement of request or purpose

3-Consecration, offering and closing

The first part is the call to the spirit. This is what identifies the being that you are praying to. This is what directs our prayer and gives it focus. Prayers can be directed to any spirit or being that we work with. You can address them to specific beings or you can address them to a general set or type of being. Ancestor prayers for example can be addressed to all of our ancestors or to a specific one or both.

For our example we are going to focus on the spirit of the land that our homes are on. So this in some cultures could also be the spirit of the hearth and home or just the land spirit. So the call could be something like this:

"Hail to thee spirit who has been here long before me. You who have always been here, you who protects the land, you who silently watches. I bid thee welcome"

The second part of the prayer is the statement of purpose or the intent. In prayers for worship and praise the statement of intent is simple. You are asking them to be there for ritual and for worship. You are praising them. This can also be a place where you invite them into your life on a daily basis.

For our example prayer the purpose is to connect with the spirit of the land, to honor them, and to ask them to be with you on a daily basis. It may seem like a lot, but its actually not really a whole lot. You are giving them attention and you are giving them a purpose and focus. By praying you are also opening yourself up to them allowing them to know you better and you know them better.

So our statement of intent in the prayer could look something like this:

"I ask that you guide me in my day to day life. That you teach me how to work with you and guide me to the mysteries. I ask that we be friends and allies. Be with me this day."

The last section of the prayer is the offering and the consecration of the prayer. This is also where you will close the prayer. This is your ending and is what makes the prayer an act of ritual working with out a full structure to the ritual. Here is where you are offering your energy and yourself to them, or giving any offerings you have.

In our sample our consecration and closing could look something like this:

"May your strength and your powers remain strong. May my prayer give you life and purpose and may your blessings be upon me this day. Spirit of the land I welcome you this day".

The final full prayer would read:

"Hail to thee spirit who has been here long before me. You who have always been here, you who protects the land, you who silently watches. I bid thee welcome. I ask that you guide me in my day to day life. That you teach me how to work with you and guide me to the mysteries. I ask that we be friends and allies. Be with me this day.May your strength and your powers remain strong. May my prayer give you life and purpose and may your blessings be upon me this day. Spirit of the land I welcome you this day"

I hope this outline of prayer as a form of worship has been useful to you. To make it really worship you can say the prayer at altars dedicated to the spirits or Gods. You can also then give them offerings of anything you feel is right. For some simply maintaining the altar and the prayer practice is both an offering and ritual at the same time. Let the spirits guide you and help you find your prayers.
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by Seraphin »

Kudos to you, loona! This put alot of things into perspective.
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by loona wynd »

Seraphin wrote:Kudos to you, loona!
I haven't written many how to things in the years I have been posting on forums and blogs. So this was a lot of hard work. I did mention that I was going to write this thread in the Prayer forum request thread. So I did.

My hope is that people will be able to use this guide to write their own prayers and use it to connect to their deities, guides, and spirit companions better. It was actually through writing this thread that I really felt my inspiration for my prayer work return.

I almost used one of my own prayers as a sample. However I wrote a new prayer as the sample prayer. I effectively wrote two new prayers in the process of writing this thread.
Seraphin wrote:This put alot of things into perspective.
Like what?
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

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loona wynd wrote:Like what?
I see you divided prayers into two general types:
  • Magickal Prayers - for petitions or spells
  • Worship Prayer - for praise
Actually, I always thought there are three types, the other one is Gratitude Prayer.
loona wynd wrote:The next type of prayer that I am going to discuss in this thread is the type of prayer that is used as a form of worship and or praise. This type of prayer can be used as part of a formal structured ritual or it can be simply its own ritual. Prayers are powerful ways we can connect with our deities, spirit guides, and spirit forces on a daily basis, and they can take little to no time to actually say and do yet this practice is almost always overlooked.
Our Deities desire our prayers because They want to bestow blessings upon us. I believe every Gods or Goddesses who chose us only wants our good -- which is to make the most out of our lives. Worship or Praise Prayer is one way in which we maximize our potential by having an ongoing individual relationship with Them.
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by loona wynd »

Seraphin wrote:
loona wynd wrote:Like what?
I see you divided prayers into two general types:
  • Magickal Prayers - for petitions or spells
  • Worship Prayer - for praise
Actually, I always think they are three types, the other one is Gratitude Prayer.
I would actually consider that as part of the worship of the Gods and spirits. Worship doesn't have to be just about praise. It can be a thankful prayer as well where you as part of the prayer tell the Gods and spirits what you are thankful for.

There could be a total of five or more types of prayer if we include gratitude as its own type of prayer:
Magical Prayer-spells enacted with prayer
Worship-Prayers honoring the Gods and spirits
Petition Prayers-Asking for help from the Gods not necessarily with magic (most common type of prayer)
Gratitude Prayers-Prayers of thanks and appreciation
Communication Prayers-Prayers simply to communicate with deities and spirits (would best be used prior to trance and meditative work where you are traveling in spirit to meet with the Gods or spirits being prayed to).

You might also have people who would add blessings into this as well. Though for me again I would consider blessings to fall under magical prayers. I would consider communication based prayers to be either or depending on the context. Prayer comes in many forms. Not all prayers need to be verbalized either. They can be silent and meditative focusing on the spirit you want to pray to and interact with speaking to them through your mind and heart. Prayer can also be through movement.

On another forum I belong to a person who practices a form of Hawaiian witchcraft told me that for them traditional prayers can take several hours to actually complete. These prayers are complex and active. These prayers use movement (hula dance) as well as words and music to complete their prayers. For me when I first heard of this I was shocked that a full traditional prayer could take so much time and effort, but then when they explained the use of Hula dance and specialized movements it made sense.

In a way prayers are very much like spells in that there are many different types and styles of prayer. Just as with formal spell work we need to as individuals find out what styles and practices make the most sense to you and work best for you. When it comes to prayers specifically the Gods and spirits we work with will guide us in the right direction. Often times I feel when I write a prayer they are actually the ones writing it. I'm just channeling the words based on the feelings and images I get.

Its not about perfection though. While prayers can and do open our worlds to spiritual forces more freely, the idea isn't to perfect our selves and our world. The idea behind magical prayer is that we are doing some of the spiritual work ourselves, but the majority of the work and changes come from the Gods. This is what I mean by prayer being external. The power that creates the prayed changed does not come from ourselves but from the Gods and spirits. Yes we do some work, but we do not channel the energetic forces to make the change. The Gods and spirits do.

Its basically saying that I don't know what I can do to change this force. I've tried and worked hard to make these changes but its not working as effectively as it could. I give the changes and the world I want to the Gods so that they may help make this change for me. Again you are still going to have to do some of the work yourself. However the actual forces at work with prayers are the divine mysteries, which is not something we can control or have access to.

Here is another example. In the Temple tradition as part of my training I had a prayer that was said for opening the path ways to the powers and abilities of a witch. When performed ritually that prayer with the magical practices in it helps us to open the pathways to that power. However we are giving the actual change over to the Gods. There is work that we need to do, but the Gods are the ones who in the end will decide if the prayer will manifest or not. The energy is channeled through the Gods rather than ourselves.

In this example we are trying to elevate our spiritual awareness. Its our work with the blessings of the divine that make that change happen. We do work in the gods name and powers. They channel that energy for us because of the prayer. Essentially in prayer we tell them what we want to have happen and what we will do to make it happen and they are the ones who actually manipulate the energetic currents to make the changes. our energy is added to theirs and the changes are made through their work. The work done was the ritual and the follow up steps. The manifestation comes not from our work, but from the Gods seeing the work and seeing that we are true to wanting what we asked for in magical prayer.

By using magical prayer we can open ourselves up to the presences of the Gods more. By working with specific forces in prayers we connect to those energetic forces, bringing them present in our lives. Prayer connects us the the spirits and divine in our hearts and in our minds. The result of extended prayer use will connect spirits to our spirit. This is why prayer is useful to establishing relationships with spirits and deities. Again we are doing the work of making the connection through the prayer. It is they themselves who will decide to answer or not.

Seraphin wrote:Our Deities desire our prayers because They want to bestow blessings upon us. I believe every Gods or Goddesses who chose us only wants our good -- which is to make the most out of our lives. Worship or Praise Prayer is one way in which we maximize our potential by having an ongoing individual relationship with Them.
I agree. As I said above by using repetitive prayer we can open and align ourselves with their spiritual energetic forces. This is why prayers for worship are important. The worship and praise as well as thank you or gratitude prayers bring their energetic forces into our lives. These are the prayers that to me really do the work of aligning our spirits and opening our spirituality. Magical prayer helps build the working relationship with the beings. The worship and praise prayer shows them love, appreciation, and enjoyment. I find that these types of prayers provide the work for guidance and mystery experiences.

The magical prayers for me provide a working relationship and as such is slightly different. A magical and working based relationship for me is based on obtaining items that I need or desire in life. This type of work can be based on employment, healing, money, or protection. The idea is that I am working with forces that are associated to those needs and will be able to help draw those things to me. As part of the spell or working I give them an offering to power them and to show my appreciation for their assistance. I do the work, they channel the energy making the change. Its a partnership of sorts.

That being said there are some deities and spirits that I have only worked with magically (ends based work) and there are some deities and spirits that I have only worked with spiritually. The relationships are not as strong with these types of relationships, but it has worked for me. At least as a starting point. I will need to deepen the relationships with both magical and spiritual based work and prayers.

I think most people may start out with a working/magic based relationship with Gods and spirits. Like the first time they contact spirits may be for a spell that they need to work. After doing many spells with that spirit they have established a working relationship. For some this may be enough, with only occasional thank you and gratitude prayers and offerings. Other people then start to work with those spirits on a spiritual level (through meditation and trance work). No one way is better than the other. We all have our own relationships with spirits and deities.

Odin is an example of a deity who I started to work with based on means or magic. I was working hard to have good grades and to understand the material I was working on. I prayed to him and did a ritual to him asking him to guide and bless my school work. That I would be open to new teachings and new ways of doing things. With his blessing and help I started to have a deeper understanding of the literature I was reading as well as the maths and sciences. The relationship started off based on a need. It developed into a different relationship after that. Though I still primarily work with and have a relationship with him based on gaining wisdom and insight as well as knowledge.

The best example I have in my own life of a spirit who I work with both magically and spiritually all the time with would be my Dragon guardian named Soldonge. He is a dragon god of healing. So when I do reiki work or other healing spells I ask that he be present. I ask that he joins me and helps me guide the energetic forces to where they need to go in the treatment. Spiritually he has helped me meet other dragons and other spirits as well as contact other spirit guides. Spiritually he also helps me do the healing of my soul or spirit from my traumas.

Ancestor work is also something that combines both in my practice. Though again its something that is slightly different. When working with ancestors magically I approach them differently than I would when I am working with them in formal ritual and worship. My prayers to them reflect this sort of work. I've only recently started to really include them in my rituals and worship of the Gods. So its bringing the relationship to a new level.

*note I'm not saying that magical work and spiritual work aren't tied together. For the sake of this discussion I am making spiritual guidance and spell work as separate things. For this discussion the practice of spell work and magic is based on need or ends based (obtaining something needed in life) while spiritual based work is more about the connection of ourselves to the spiritual world and the universe. The difference is that spirit work is more based on internal changes and needs (work on the spirit and the soul-that which can not be seen) while spell work and magic is more external (outside of the self).
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

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loona wynd wrote:I would actually consider that as part of the worship of the Gods and spirits. Worship doesn't have to be just about praise. It can be a thankful prayer as well where you as part of the prayer tell the Gods and spirits what you are thankful for.
I would agree. Honoring and praising reminds us to recognize and show gratitude for what the Gods have done for us. Realize and acknowledge the provisions or blessings we received from Them and be forever grateful to Them is indeed a form of worship, I see.

Sometimes though, I use gratitude prayers to impress my animal soul (in Kabbalah, this is the soul that gives life to the physical body, source of animalistic desires and innate instincts), with how good it is for its own material self to be close to the spiritual world. I often tell to my animal soul, "You know, the greatest thing in the world for you is the Divine Forces and Spirit Forces around you." Being grateful to these forces and powers means being grateful to my health, my sustenance, my child, my beloved, my family, my social life, my community life, etc.
loona wynd wrote:You might also have people who would add blessings into this as well. Though for me again I would consider blessings to fall under magical prayers. I would consider communication based prayers to be either or depending on the context.
Yes blessings! I use blessings to tell my animal soul that there are orishas, angels, daemons, dragons, nature spirits, and other helpful entities and forces such as the ase's and beings (humans, animals, plants, crystals etc.) that sometimes aid us. If these beings and entities can aid and help us, then my animal soul feels that he has no reason to shy away from them, of getting closer them, and of not inhibiting the right soul in reaching expressing its bond with them through blessings :D .
loona wynd wrote:Prayer comes in many forms. Not all prayers need to be verbalized either. They can be silent and meditative focusing on the spirit you want to pray to and interact with speaking to them through your mind and heart.


In Kabbalah however, the common term used for prayer is to "daven" (pronounced daa-ven). This Yiddish term comes from the Hebrew word "dovaiv", which means "to move the lips." Davening is when Kabbalists move their lips. So as someone who has a Kabbalistic background, I don't really pray silently; I pray verbally, vocalizing my prayers.
loona wynd wrote:Prayer can also be through movement.

On another forum I belong to a person who practices a form of Hawaiian witchcraft told me that for them traditional prayers can take several hours to actually complete. These prayers are complex and active. These prayers use movement (hula dance) as well as words and music to complete their prayers. For me when I first heard of this I was shocked that a full traditional prayer could take so much time and effort, but then when they explained the use of Hula dance and specialized movements it made sense.
My finacee and I do this form of prayer. It's not Hula Dance though but it's a kind of prayer through movement. For a long time, we had been looking for an inner spiritual work that works more holistic, a way of connecting with our Deities. Sitting in meditation and saying prayers do the job quite well, but we are really interested to see more practices we could possibly adapt.

We call this form of prayer as Prayer Dance, for lack of better term :lol:. This practice is like cosmic mirror that reflects whatever kind of energy is within us. The dance and graceful movements themselves mirror who we really are outside of our masks and illusions. This is the favorite form of prayer of my Chaos Deities.

The words that we utter and the motions we do clears a pathway to a higher state of energy awareness not in a comprehensive way though, but through a very real and often transformative experience in mind, body, soul and spirit. The prayer or our voice itself seems the one who control us as I notice my appendages moves freely without my conscious volition.
loona wynd wrote:Its not about perfection though. While prayers can and do open our worlds to spiritual forces more freely, the idea isn't to perfect our selves and our world. The idea behind magical prayer is that we are doing some of the spiritual work ourselves, but the majority of the work and changes come from the Gods. This is what I mean by prayer being external. The power that creates the prayed changed does not come from ourselves but from the Gods and spirits. Yes we do some work, but we do not channel the energetic forces to make the change. The Gods and spirits do.
Well prayers in any form for us Kabbalist is one way to perfect ourselves. In Kabbalah there are three specific paths that can be taken: Contemplation (study), devotion (prayer), and action (practice). Each of these practices is out of balance if carried out on its own; all three need to be use together to achieve perfection.

Yes, I agree that the work come from the Deities and Orishas. But there are times that the work and changes from Them, aren't always bring positive results. But doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong with my prayer. When this happens, I believe this calls me on a different level. There's something deep within myself that I need to rectify. Something is wrong with me. I believe all the works and outcomes of my prayers serve a lesson.

For the Kabbalist, prayers and other forms of spiritual work (meditations, spells, rituals) make us grow until we reach what the Buddha called enlightenment or in Yoruba tradition called "iwa pele".
loona wynd wrote: I agree. As I said above by using repetitive prayer we can open and align ourselves with their spiritual energetic forces. This is why prayers for worship are important. The worship and praise as well as thank you or gratitude prayers bring their energetic forces into our lives. These are the prayers that to me really do the work of aligning our spirits and opening our spirituality. Magical prayer helps build the working relationship with the beings. The worship and praise prayer shows them love, appreciation, and enjoyment. I find that these types of prayers provide the work for guidance and mystery experiences.

The magical prayers for me provide a working relationship and as such is slightly different. A magical and working based relationship for me is based on obtaining items that I need or desire in life. This type of work can be based on employment, healing, money, or protection. The idea is that I am working with forces that are associated to those needs and will be able to help draw those things to me. As part of the spell or working I give them an offering to power them and to show my appreciation for their assistance. I do the work, they channel the energy making the change. Its a partnership of sorts.
As long as we have the proper discipline and attitude (both magickally and spiritually and psychologically), and the proper goal in praying (whatever type is that), our prayer isn't just, "Well my Deity said to me to thank Him, so I have to say the words, and get it over with" or "I need something now, so I have to pray with my Deity." There are many folks who belong in different traditions, religions, paths and even people who belong in such but hold different beliefs and principles who like to pray very three times a day, which is a good thing; but what is not good, is that they do so because they want to get it over with or they want something to be done for them. Prayer whether it's a magickal prayer, worship prayer or gratitude prayer isn't something to "get it over with" -- it's something to get into.

Sometimes only after praying for years and years, do you finally feel something. Because praying for me is much like being a concert violinist. The violinist doesn't just get up on stage, play some great musical masterpiece, and do some head banging and eye twitching :lol: . The violinist has to prepare, has to practice hours and hours, days and weeks and months and years before he/she can really present a masterpiece. The same is true with praying I believe. It might take years and years -- but the main thing is that you have to start, to know what prayer is about and how prayer works, and to use praying to go in that direction.
loona wynd wrote:That being said there are some deities and spirits that I have only worked with magically (ends based work) and there are some deities and spirits that I have only worked with spiritually. The relationships are not as strong with these types of relationships, but it has worked for me. At least as a starting point. I will need to deepen the relationships with both magical and spiritual based work and prayers.
My Mesopotomian Deities however concentrate more on my magickal works. They serve as my guides and my mentors concerning my devotion, study and practice about Witchy Crafts, Chaosorcery and High Magick. Some of Them also serve as my guardians and my protectors who are magickally invoked. Actually, those who work with Daemons believe that one's perception of Them is based on how one approaches and regards Them. One's attitude towards Them attracts the behavior from Them which most definitely reflects what is projected. In short, since I am treating Them as my co-magickians and Masters with honor and utmost respect, then They treat me as Their apprentice.
Seraphin

If you have any questions, please feel free to PM me.
loona wynd
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Re: Writing Magical And Ritual Prayers

Post by loona wynd »

Seraphin wrote:I would agree. Honoring and praising reminds us to recognize and show gratitude for what the Gods have done for us. Realize and acknowledge the provisions or blessings we received from Them and be forever grateful to Them is indeed a form of worship, I see.
Indeed. People who practice grace before meals often do this type of prayer. Often the words are along the lines of "lord we thank you for the food we are about to recieve". It simple and direct but shows appreciation that we are provided by the gods with sustenance.
Seraphin wrote:Sometimes though, I use gratitude prayers to impress my animal soul (in Kabbalah, this is the soul that gives life to the physical body, source of animalistic desires and innate instincts), with how good it is for its own material self to be close to the spiritual world. I often tell to my animal soul, "You know, the greatest thing in the world for you is the Divine Forces and Spirit Forces around you." Being grateful to these forces and powers means being grateful to my health, my sustenance, my child, my beloved, my family, my social life, my community life, etc.
Its easy to take everything we have for granted. Its also easy to take our spirituality for granted. The world we live in is a world based on getting our desires and having basically everything. Its not a life of quiet peace and plenty where we are glad to have what we have. In many ways its important to recognize that those forces exist in our lives. Most spells and rituals are based on getting something or accomplishing something. Gratitude is about I have what I need. I thank you for it. Its counting our blessings and appreciating that the spirits are in our lives bringing us these things.

Seraphin wrote:Yes blessings! I use blessings to tell my animal soul that there are orishas, angels, daemons, dragons, nature spirits, and other helpful entities and forces such as the ase's and beings (humans, animals, plants, crystals etc.) that sometimes aid us. If these beings and entities can aid and help us, then my animal soul feels that he has no reason to shy away from them, of getting closer them, and of not inhibiting the right soul in reaching expressing its bond with them through blessings :D .
Blessings to me is all about empowering an object, item, person, or place with the power of that spirit. Or at least with the energetic signatures associated with that spirit. Consecrations of ritual tools to me are powerful blessings. They are after all being dedicated to a specific purpose.

Blessings to me are also about bringing the forces of that being into your life. In my morning prayer to the sun I ask that his blessings are upon me each day. In doing so I am asking and actively bringing his force into my life. I do the same thing with my ancestors and the spirit of the hearth and home. For me its important to remember that Gods are not the only ones that can bless us, Spirits have the power to bless (or curse) us just as much as Gods do.

I can also bless a person with my own power. I could bless an object or item for luck, prosperity, etc using my own power and focus. The idea is that I would be channeling that energy into the object. Personal blessings to me are coming from my susoul or the part of me that is forever connected to the divine. The higher self if you would.

Seraphin wrote:In Kabbalah however, the common term used for prayer is to "daven" (pronounced daa-ven). This Yiddish term comes from the Hebrew word "dovaiv", which means "to move the lips." Davening is when Kabbalists move their lips. So as someone who has a Kabbalistic background, I don't really pray silently; I pray verbally, vocalizing my prayers.
Most prayers are verbalized. Even when people say personal prayers at candles and the like they are often said aloud. I think part of this is that by verbalizing what you are praying for the words actually being spoken can trigger emotional responses that will drive us to do additional actions to change our situation. This is also one of the reasons there is a connection between spells and prayers. Often times in many of the books I have on witchcraft the author equates prayers and spells as essentially being the same thing. Spells are typically said aloud with actions to go along with them. So to a witch I can see why prayer and spells could be associated.

Silent prayers are really only done I've found in public. Examples of this are times when people take a moment of silence to honor the dead or to reflect on moments of tragedy. These moments of silence are places where people often pray silently for different things related to the reason for the moment of silence. Many times these are ways that secular governments can allow for prayer as part of public functions without declaring them to be prayer or asking people to pray.

Silent prayers in public are also often done on the way to school or work. Say you are having a difficult day or have a presentation to deal with at work and you don't really have time in the morning for a full prayer session, but you do have time for silent reflection and prayer on the way to school/work via public transportation. Here you can through meditation and silent reflection pray in public in a fashion that no one would know. This is also often an option used by people who are spiritual or religious but don't really want other people to know about it. So its done silently between them, their spirit, and the beings that they work with.
Seraphin wrote:My finacee and I do this form of prayer. It is not Hula Dance though but it's a kind of prayer through movement.
Well Hula is specific to a specific culture lol. I just thought that it made a good example. One of the things I want to do with the prayer threads is show that prayer can be done in many different forms. That prayer does not need to be verbalized. It can be done through actions and movement as well. Different cultures used different styles in contacting and working with Gods and spirits. For some movement was more important that speech.
Seraphin wrote:For a long time, we had been looking for an inner spiritual work that works more holistic, a way of connecting with our Deities. Sitting in meditation and saying prayers do the job quite well, but we are really interested to see more practices we could possibly adapt.
Its nice to be fluid in prayer and ritual work. It shows creativity and a willingness to expand experiences. I believe that Gods and spirits enjoy diverse prayers and rituals. I think that they have preferences based on cultural concepts, but in the end I believe that many are open to having prayers and rituals directed to them in basically any form.
Seraphin wrote:We call this form of prayer as Prayer Dance, for lack of better term :lol:. This practice is like cosmic mirror that reflects whatever kind of energy is within us. The dance and graceful movements themselves mirror who we really are outside of our masks and illusions. This is the favorite form of prayer of my Chaos Deities.
Thats interesting. I've thought of using kata (martial arts series of moving forms to used to teach skills) for prayers and meditation. I've also thought of doing animal formed movements for praying to different animal spirits. I do have one prayer dance that I use during the spring and summer for rituals about the harvest. This spell prayer dance is about making plants grow and mimicking plant growth through movement.
Seraphin wrote:The words that we utter and the motions we do clears a pathway to a higher state of energy awareness not in a comprehensive way though, but through a very real and often transformative experience in mind, body, soul and spirit. The prayer or our voice itself seems the one who control us as I notice my appendages moves freely without my conscious volition.
Thats interesting. Dance has traditionally been used as a way to raise and direct power. So its interesting that the spirit seems to really take over when you dance pray. Maybe its related to how often times when we start using movement in rituals as a way to raise energy we can shut out the rational mind and just let the spirit through. This is why often rituals that use dance can become ecstatic-and the spirit can be free.

Seraphin wrote: Prayers in any form for us Kabbalist is one way to perfect ourselves. In Kabbalah there are three specific paths that can be taken: Contemplation (study), devotion (prayer), and action (practice). Each of these practices is out of balance if carried out on its own; all three need to be use together to achieve perfection.
I do understand working towards bettering ourselves. Like for example I do believe in working on developing skills to deal with anger, stress, frustration, and anxiety. I also believe in working on areas of our personality that are in need of improvement. Some examples could be patience, understanding, tolerance, and attention spans. I dont nessecarilly believe that working on these things lead to perfection. I believe that we are "perfect" as we are. By that I mean that we are what we are meant to be. Sure we can always work to being more open spiritually and less focused on the physical and mundane.

Basically I feel that by perfecting myself I am changing who I am, and that wouldn't be being true to myself. One of the areas that was a "flaw" or issue that made my life difficult was being controlled by emotions. By learning skills to process and deal with my emotions I still allow my very empathetic emotional self to be there and be true to myself. I simply learned control and provided boundaries. I'm still able to feel my own emotions and the emotions of others. It just no longer controls me.

For me a lot of witchcraft is about knowing yourself and being true to who you are as a person. I'm not a person who would fit a 9-5 corporate America type job. My spirit and my soul couldn't stand the structure, the rigidity and the like. By knowing this I am able to find ways to be employed that avoids that situation. I'm also not a person who can stand to be boxed into really anything. I need to be fluid and the like. Through witchcraft I learned these facts about myself and use my witchcraft to develop those things.

Seraphin wrote:Yes, I agree that the work come from the Deities. But there are times that the work and changes from Them, aren't always bring positive results.
I dont know. I mean I do think that sometimes things need to be destroyed or occasionally made worse before they can get better, but I dont always see that as negative. I believe that these things happen because there is a lesson to be learned, and that stuff will keep happening until we learn those lessons.
Seraphin wrote:But does not necessarily mean that something is wrong with my prayer. When this happens, I believe this calls me on a different level. There's something deep within myself that I need to rectify. Something is wrong with me. I believe all the works and outcomes of my prayers serve a lesson.
Again I dont think that they bring negative things into our lives. I do think they will utilize negative or difficult situations to teach us a lesson. Sometimes shit just happens. I dont believe that all our experiences are pre-planned and that we decided what will happen to us in this life. I believe that what happens in our life is built on that which came before. Basically I believe everything that happens in our lives must happen based on that which has happened before, This is the concept of fate. I believe we can wiggle the strands of fate to create specific changes and to deal with situations, but we don't really change fate, just change our views of it and how we experience it.
Seraphin wrote:For the Kabbalist, prayers and other forms of spiritual work (meditations, spells, rituals) make us grow until we reach what the Buddha called enlightenment or in Yoruba tradition called "iwa pele".
I don't believe in enlightenment. I believe in ascension. Its similar to enlightenment but also vastly different. Basically I believe that we as individual souls have specific lessons we need to learn at each level or state of being. It takes many lives to learn all those lessons. Once we have learned all those lessons upon the last death of that state we rise to a next state of being. The next state after humanity I believe is nature spirit then elf, angel, and finally God status.

Seraphin wrote:As long as we have the proper discipline and attitude (both magickally and spiritually and psychologically), and the proper goal in praying (whatever type is that), our prayer is not just, "Well my Deity said to me to thank Him, so I have to say the words, and get it over with" or "I need something now, so I have to pray with my Deity." There are many folks who belong in different traditions, religions, paths and even people who belong in such but hold different beliefs and principles who like to pray very three times a day, which is a good thing; but what is not good, is that they do so because they want to get it over with or they want something to be done for them. Prayer whether it is a magickal prayer, worship prayer or gratitude prayer is not something to "get it over with" -- it's something to get into.
This is true. That being said I do think that its ok to have an "I need something now so I have to pray to my deity" or a "My God said I need to thank them so I am going to thank them" prayer. I don't think there is anything wrong with following traditional routines of prayer either. In some religions specific prayers are used for specific times. For example in Islam one of the pillars or essential core practices is that they pray at five specific times of the day. So for them this provides a structure for those prayers and times.

Sometimes I do feel like I need to pray because the Gods are asking me to. Other times I pray because I want to maintain my relationships with the Gods and spirits. I see nothing wrong with praying because you believe or feel that your Gods are asking you to. I see no reason why following a prayer routine should not be used if its part of your tradition.

Honestly when I was younger and a Christian when I first learned to pray at night before bed it did feel like a chore. It basically felt like something i had to do. Then after awhile it felt wrong if I didn't pray, or if I missed one of the three prayers I said at night. So I do think that prayer routines can start out feeling like a chore, but then they can become a much enjoyed and wonderful part of our spiritual routines.

Seraphin wrote:Sometimes only after praying for years and years, do you finally feel something. Because praying for me is much like being a concert violinist. The violinist doesn't just get up on stage, play some great musical masterpiece, and do some hand banging and eye twitching :lol: . The violinist has to prepare, has to practice hours and hours, days and weeks and months and years before he/she can really present a masterpiece. The same is true with praying I believe. It might take years and years -- but the main thing is that you have to start, to know what prayer is about and how prayer works, and to use praying to go in that direction.
The same can be said about magic. I worked a spell that took several years to manifest results, but the results are in. I created a charm that I carried with me every day and would carry with me everyday until I was able to find and locate my biological mother. Needless to say I can probably release that charms energy into the world now as I have found her if not met her. The goal was to find her, and I believe that the universe has through the last several years been making that happen for me slowly. Having me build up and learn skills that will allow me to be able to deal with the situation when it arose and I have been using those skills.

Sometimes I think that we need to build up and have things in place before desires can really manifest, that doesn't mean the universe wont help us continue to work towards that goal, and may need a few workings for ourselves. It just means that I feel sometimes the universe will manifest things for us at the right time and no amount of prayer or spell work would make it happen sooner.

Seraphin wrote:My Mesopotomian Deities however concentrate more on my magickal works. They serve as my guides and my mentors concerning my devotion, study and practice about Witchy Crafts, Chaosorcery and High Magick. Some of Them also serve as my guardians and my protectors who are magickally invoked. Actually, those who work with Daemons believe that one's perception of Them is based on how one approaches and regards Them. One's attitude towards Them attracts the behavior from Them which most definitely reflects what is projected. In short, since I am treating Them as my co-magickians and Masters with honor and utmost respect, then They treat me as Their apprentice.
Thats sort of how the Dragons work. They are the teachers of Dragon based magical crafts. They are the ones who will tell you about how to work with them and how to find them. They also are very picky about who they work with in their practice. They are guides and guardians. They also are not afraid to direct humans away from them if they are not interested in working with that particular human.

I believe that this is also how a lot of herbs and crystal properties were learned. I have found through specific trances and meditations I can meld my mind and spirit with that of animals, crystals, and herbs. I can also through the same process become aligned with their energetic forces. The impressions I am given about properties and associations are how that specific item wants me to use them. 95% of the time most of what I receive this way is related to or similar to what other people have said and experienced, The other 5 % is slightly different for myself, like I may have an additional property in the herb or crystal that others dont have.
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