Hear my prayer...

There's a saying in neopaganism "ask three pagans a question and you'll get five answers", well I think if you ask three neopagans about prayer you may get seven answers. It always surprises me that something that seems so essential to me can cause so much controversy in the larger neopagan community; after all prayer can be found (as far as I know) in every culture and religion around the world. Yet there are some people who are very firm in their opinions that prayer has no place in neopaganism. The same is true in Recon. although I've seen it more in heathenry than CR. There just seems to be something about prayer - especially daily or devotional prayer - that really puts some people off. Now don't get me wrong I'm all in favor of personal practice being unique and I don't think what works for me should be required for anyone else; I may pray daily and someone else may never pray outside of ritual, or at all, and that's fine. What I don't understand is people who are totally against the concept altogether.
   There seems to be some idea that prayer, daily or devotional prayer that is, is a "Christian thing", despite the fact that it is seen in many other cultures.  I am not as open about this as I used to be because when I talk about it I almost inevitably am accused of having Christian baggage - hilarious since I wasn't raised Christian and only studied Christianity as an adult long after my habit of daily prayer was begun. But the whole "Christian baggage" thing is a common accusation in some pagan and Recon debates, tossed out without any supporting argument, and used as if it were the final word. The equivalent of saying "No one should listen to you because you think like one of them". Like a child shouting "you have cooties!"
   Personally I love prayer; I pray in the mornings and I pray at night because I find it helps me feel both connected to Powers beyond myself - be they my ancestors, the daione sidhe, or the Gods - and that I get a feeling of peace and centered-ness from prayer. I pray because I want to pray and because I enjoy praying. Prayer is a little way, on a regular basis, to strengthen and reaffirm my relationship with those Powers. I may accompany my prayers with little offerings - incense, candles, herbs, actions - or I may only offer my own energy. I tend to follow the Celtic practice of singing my prayers, making little chants and songs out of traditional material I have reworked or writing my own. I may pray to ask for things like protection for my home and family or blessings, or I may just pray to honor whoever I am praying to. I try to have fun with it; I once made a prayer to Odin in limerick form, even. I feel like I am giving my energy and focus to those Powers for that time and I also feel like I am getting something out of it because it does help me feel better and more connected to them.
   There is a lot of beauty in prayer that I wish more people were open to, even if they don't choose to do it.
  

Fáed Fíada - The Deer's Cry

The Deer's Cry is a portion of a prayer called Saint Patrick's Lorica, or breastplate from around the 8th century CE in Ireland. The portion that makes up the Deer's Cry is thought to be a survival of an older traditional prayer by some people; whether it is or not it is a beautiful little prayer and very useful.

Old Irish:

"Atomriug indiu
niurt nime,
soilsi gréne,
étrochtai éscai,
áni thened,
déni lóchet,
luaithi gaíthe,
fudomnai mara,
tairismigi thalman,
cobsaidi ailech." *

Modern Irish:

"Éirím inniú
I gcumhacht na bhFlaitheas,
I soillse gréine,
I ngile na gealaí,
In áilleacht tine,
I mire lasrach,
I luas gaoithe,
I ndoimhneacht farraige,
I mbuanseasmhacht talún,
I ndaingneacht carraige."**

English:

"I arise today
strength of heaven
light of the sun,
brilliance of the moon,
splendor of fire,
speed of lightning,
swiftness of wind,
depth of the sea,
stability of the earth,
firmness of rock."


*Old Irish courtesy of http://www.daltai.com/cgi-sys/cgiwrap/daltai/discus/show.pl?tpc=12465&post=10574#POST10574
** Modern Irish courtesy of http://www.cumannnasagart.ie/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=18&Itemid=45

Prayer for Lughnasa

This is based on the Carmina Gadelica, but modernized and made pagan...

Reaping Blessing 89

Gods may you bless my reaping,
Each ridge, and plain, and field,
Each sickle curved, shapely, hard,
Each ear and handful in the sheaf,
Each ear and handful in the sheaf.
Bless each maiden and youth,
Each woman and tender child,
Safeguard them beneath Your shield of strength,
And guard them beneath the shadow of your power,
Guard them beneath the shadow of your power.
Encompass each goat, sheep and lamb,
Each cow and horse, and store,
Surround the rocks and herds,
And tend them in a kindly fold,
Tend them in a kindly fold.
May Lugh, the many skilled, bless us,
May Danu’s blessing flow to us,
May Brighid of curling locks bless us,
And our ancestors of the graves and tombs,
and our ancestors of the graves and tombs.