Read Online To Walk a Pagan Path: Practical Spirituality for Every Day by Alaric Albertsson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Alaric Albertsson
Tags: Reference
Ads: Link
of oil while saying:
You are duly called the Great Mother of the Gods;
You conquer by your divine name.
You are the source of strength of nations and of gods.
*
The hunig gebedmann (honey prayer-leader) steps forward and pours a libation of honey, saying:
f 58 2
the sacral calendar
Without you nothing can be brought to perfection of be born; You are great, Queen of the Gods.
*
The meolc gebedmann (milk prayer-leader) pours a libation of whole milk and says:
Goddess, I adore you as divine;
I call upon your name
And give thanks to you, with due faith.
*
At this time the finol gebedmann may invite any who wish
to do so to speak their own personal words of praise, or to
make oaths to honor or protect the earth in some way. This
is a good time to reaffirm a commitment to Hal Sidu by
oathing to make some specific change in your lifestyle that
will lead to a more holistic, positive existence.
Finally the meolc gebedmann concludes the ritual by
saying:
Hail to you Herthe, Mother of Men and Gods.
To which all participants respond with a hearty “Wassail!”
I am a Saxon Pagan, so my Earth Day ritual includes
Anglo-Saxon words and draws its inspiration from Old
English writings, but anyone, whatever the source of his or
f 59 2
the sacral calendar
her spiritual inspiration, can devise a similar rite to honor the earth every year on April 22nd.
*
Ideally, when you have met the challenge of devising a sacral
calendar that is true to yourself, yours will not look exactly
like everyone else’s because our individual relationships with
the world around us are shaped by a variety of factors. Your
own sacral calendar should reflect your spiritual orientation,
your physical environment and the greater society in which
you participate.
f 60 2
CHAPTER THREE
DAILY DEVOTIONS
Having a sacral calendar that reflects your environment and
your spiritual focus is more meaningful than following a “one
size fits all” wheel of the year, but every day of the year—no
matter how ordinary—can be invested with your spirituali-
ty. The holistic Pagan lives fully in the moment. Rather than
waiting for a special calendar date to give praise to the gods
and ancestors, each day is embraced as a new opportunity for
spiritual expression.
Perhaps you already do this. How, if at all, have you
expressed your spirituality today? Is it something you do every day, or was it a special or sporadic activity? Like your sacral calendar, you should approach each day in a way that is appropri-
ate for your own spiritual focus and circumstances. Almost any
moment of your life can have a deeper spiritual meaning, but
those moments are unique to yourself. My day—influenced
by my household and my means of support—is different from
f 61
f
2
61
daily devotions
yours, just as your day is at least slightly different from that of most of your friends.
Whether we dash off to an office, or to school, or enjoy
a leisurely cup of coffee, or take the dog for a walk, the one thing most of us do each morning is arise to face a new
day. Some people begin the day at an odd hour due to their
occupational schedule, but the majority of us awaken in
the morning. This event, so common and simple, is a great
opportunity to affirm your spirituality. Some Pagans like to
meditate in the morning, believing it better prepares them
for the coming day. It need not be a lengthy meditation; ten
minutes can be more than enough. If time is an issue, set
your alarm fifteen minutes earlier, meditate for ten minutes
and then enjoy the extra five minutes of free time that you
have given yourself.
A morning meditation is a great way to start the day—for
some people. It does not work for everyone. You may be one
of those people who are more likely to fall back asleep if you
attempt to meditate that early in the day. If so, you can still sacralize the first moments of your day by connecting with
Spirit with a short but sincere
You are duly called the Great Mother of the Gods;
You conquer by your divine name.
You are the source of strength of nations and of gods.
*
The hunig gebedmann (honey prayer-leader) steps forward and pours a libation of honey, saying:
f 58 2
the sacral calendar
Without you nothing can be brought to perfection of be born; You are great, Queen of the Gods.
*
The meolc gebedmann (milk prayer-leader) pours a libation of whole milk and says:
Goddess, I adore you as divine;
I call upon your name
And give thanks to you, with due faith.
*
At this time the finol gebedmann may invite any who wish
to do so to speak their own personal words of praise, or to
make oaths to honor or protect the earth in some way. This
is a good time to reaffirm a commitment to Hal Sidu by
oathing to make some specific change in your lifestyle that
will lead to a more holistic, positive existence.
Finally the meolc gebedmann concludes the ritual by
saying:
Hail to you Herthe, Mother of Men and Gods.
To which all participants respond with a hearty “Wassail!”
I am a Saxon Pagan, so my Earth Day ritual includes
Anglo-Saxon words and draws its inspiration from Old
English writings, but anyone, whatever the source of his or
f 59 2
the sacral calendar
her spiritual inspiration, can devise a similar rite to honor the earth every year on April 22nd.
*
Ideally, when you have met the challenge of devising a sacral
calendar that is true to yourself, yours will not look exactly
like everyone else’s because our individual relationships with
the world around us are shaped by a variety of factors. Your
own sacral calendar should reflect your spiritual orientation,
your physical environment and the greater society in which
you participate.
f 60 2
CHAPTER THREE
DAILY DEVOTIONS
Having a sacral calendar that reflects your environment and
your spiritual focus is more meaningful than following a “one
size fits all” wheel of the year, but every day of the year—no
matter how ordinary—can be invested with your spirituali-
ty. The holistic Pagan lives fully in the moment. Rather than
waiting for a special calendar date to give praise to the gods
and ancestors, each day is embraced as a new opportunity for
spiritual expression.
Perhaps you already do this. How, if at all, have you
expressed your spirituality today? Is it something you do every day, or was it a special or sporadic activity? Like your sacral calendar, you should approach each day in a way that is appropri-
ate for your own spiritual focus and circumstances. Almost any
moment of your life can have a deeper spiritual meaning, but
those moments are unique to yourself. My day—influenced
by my household and my means of support—is different from
f 61
f
2
61
daily devotions
yours, just as your day is at least slightly different from that of most of your friends.
Whether we dash off to an office, or to school, or enjoy
a leisurely cup of coffee, or take the dog for a walk, the one thing most of us do each morning is arise to face a new
day. Some people begin the day at an odd hour due to their
occupational schedule, but the majority of us awaken in
the morning. This event, so common and simple, is a great
opportunity to affirm your spirituality. Some Pagans like to
meditate in the morning, believing it better prepares them
for the coming day. It need not be a lengthy meditation; ten
minutes can be more than enough. If time is an issue, set
your alarm fifteen minutes earlier, meditate for ten minutes
and then enjoy the extra five minutes of free time that you
have given yourself.
A morning meditation is a great way to start the day—for
some people. It does not work for everyone. You may be one
of those people who are more likely to fall back asleep if you
attempt to meditate that early in the day. If so, you can still sacralize the first moments of your day by connecting with
Spirit with a short but sincere
Similar Books
