I think as pagans, we forget sometimes that we can pray. Prayer so often seems like the domain of a big three religion, that sometimes it seems we shouldn't pray, or at least shouldn't say that we pray, for fear of seeming like we are conforming.
My experiences of prayer have been extremely varied. When I was a young child, I was Christian. Not necessarily because my parents were, because they were fairly open. No, it was at school that I learned to be Christian. There was no question of if you were Christian or not, you simply were. You didn't have a choice. We had prayer every morning, and once I was in grade three we had mandatory bible study. And yes, this was a public school.
I remember someone (alright, I know exactly who but I'm not naming them) telling me when I was in grade 2 that I wasn't Christian because I didn't pray enough.
So what about pagan prayer? Or at least, Wiccan prayer? Because that's the stickler there, isn't it? Wiccan prayer doesn't apply to all pagans. Pagan prayer would probably involve something more earth-based instead of Goddess based, as Wiccan prayer. So how should a Pagan or Wiccan pray? However they want!
Even a simple function like breathing can become a prayer. It can be a prayer to life; with each breath you take you are living for something, instead of just blindly living. A prayer can be as simple as taking time to sit and breathe, and with each breath in and out say something you are living for.
Even Pagans can say prayers before meals. I find personally that the food actually tastes better after it's been blessed - fresher, or somehow more.
Belief Net has a wonderful search function for looking up prayers. By need, text or religion, and Pagan/Earth-based is listed. Abby Willowroot has written many Goddess prayers. The best prayers are the ones you create yourself. You can write them out, or you can say them at the spur of the moment. If it is from the heart, it will mean more than anything written by another person, no matter how eloquent they are.
What do you think about prayer as a Pagan or Wiccan? Do you pray?
Goddess Bless,
Stacy
I think prayer is a functionality of speaking to the divine regardless of what name you use. I pray on a regular basis to my Divine Mother and Father and I sometimes hear or feel a response.
ReplyDeleteThat's really true, Mrs.Oddly. No matter the name we use, it's all prayer. Thanks for your comment. :)
ReplyDeleteI recently learned that the word "pray" basically means to beg. I have decided that I do not want to "beg" the divine, regardless of what name I use, for anything. Ask is a different story. So I have decided that when I "pray", I start out by thanking the divine for all the blessings that have been bestowed upon me, and thank the divine for what it is I need. I refuse to bow my head and grasp my hands as though I am wringing them from stress or pain. I life my head up and look up to the beautiful sky and open my arms out wide and just breathe in the life force given to me with a heart full of thankfulness and love.
ReplyDeleteI had to "create" a way for me to do this, because when I decided I wasn't a christian, but something else, I felt like I was missing something. That was the act of prayer. How will I pray, do I pray, who do I pray to? Those were some of the questions I had. After some contemplation and meditation and research, I figured out my own way to do what I feel I need to do, and it comes from the heart.
Prayer is second nature to me. While I love the ability to use my own power, combined with that of the Gods and the Universe to affect change, I also believe that there are some situations where my will should not be imposed, or situations where I don't know what the right thing to do is. In these situations, especially, I offer them up to Deity in the hopes that the best outcome can be achieved.
ReplyDeleteAnd, also, I find it comforting to speak to the Divine that way.
I had no idea of that, Diana! Of course, words change meaning over time. Pagan used to mean country dweller, but not all of us live in the country anymore, lol. It's a great thing to keep in mind when using words that got their roots in the past, though. We sometimes have to search for what they used to mean, and be careful with their use. Thanks. :)
ReplyDeleteMuse Mama, I feel much the same way. It is truly comforting, and sometimes you never know if you should meddle or not! Thanks! ♥