#druidry

A little “Would You Rather” for Druidry…

A simple illustration of what Modern Druidry looks like to me:

• A fire that burns at the center of all, a place of sacrifice and blessing.
• The waters of the deep well of the earth that draw forth inspiration and the flow of the cosmos.
• Hands out stretched to give and receive: reciprocity with the cosmos, the spirits, and our fellow humans.

It’s a constant cycle of work, re-work, and finding ways to open again and again. It’s deeply rewarding.

There’s so much more to do.

chronarchy:

A short prayer for the path in the forest.

This prayer spoke to me again today.

Spirit of Patience

Waiting, hoping, holding,
Seeking to be more than we are,
To open a door and fly through it,
To get from here to where we need to be,
Though it all feels so far out of reach.

I am ready to be there,
Wherever “there” may be,
Atop whatever hill it may be beyond,
Descending into the deep valley
Of blissful accomplishment.

But O! To find Patience!
To look at where we are,
And to say, “I’ve made it this far.
I can go further tomorrow,
And I can rest today in my progress.”

I call to you, Patience,
And tell you I am prepared:
Prepared to wait for you,
Prepared to work for you,
Prepared to rest for you.

Prepared am I, Patience,
For your lessons, and your time.
I practice your craft,
And I praise you where I find you.

[Image description: a newly-hatched praying mantis awaits the right moment to leap into her waiting life, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

This prayer completes my #PrayerADay work for November. Special thanks to Rev. Avende for creating the challenge for all of us in #ADFDruidry and beyond. I’m a winner this year, and I hope you’ve enjoyed these prayers. If you did, maybe take a look for the book, due out soon, that will include all of mine from this year and last year, plus several more. Preliminary book details here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/42529062

Prayer in a Peaceful Place

A calm, quiet afternoon
Gives me space I need to center myself.
Listening to the wind in the trees,
And watching the world go by,
I am amazed by its simplicity.

Here among the still waters,
Alone in contemplation,
I let myself rest upon a stone.
The clouds float by above me,
Making shapes and figures flow.

Stirring the reflections,
Ripples that shimmer in light,
I open the gates inside my heart.
Before me, within me, around me,
All things are centered and ready.

Spirits all, I call to you,
Uphold me in this space:
A rock amid the flowing waters,
Fresh air that fills my lungs,
And an inner flame that keeps me warm.

Resting here, among the Spirits,
I find a place of simple peace.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[Image description: my son at the pond in Franks Park, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Prayer to the Ada Spirits

Tiny Spirits, lined up together,
Filling altars and standing on shelves,
Touching lives and opening paths:
Come alive with each quiet touch.

Rough-hewn godden of strange places,
I call you from the dark of the wood
And ask that you come to the surface,
Facing the light of devotion and joy.

Whether you kindle the flame of devotion,
Or howl at the moon in the dark of night,
I see you here, sliding from the wood grain,
Dancing forth to seek altars and pocket prayers.

Aromatic cedar is your calling card,
A joyful connection of fire and wood
That reminds me of piety and work.
You open the paths to inspiration.

So however I encounter you,
However I open your door,
However you find an altar home:
Know that you take flight with my blessing.

Ada Spirits of wood and fire,
I honor you.

#ADFDruidry#PrayerADay 

[Image description: Ada Spirits from The Magical Druid, carved by Rev. Michael J Dangler; find Ada Spirits at The Magical Druid]

A Prayer From My Center

We know the world came to be,
For we persist within it:
Cosmic beings, centered with internal flame,
A spark of inspiration
Quenched in the Spring of Renewal,
Rising again and again with new vigor.

Here I sit, centered at the center,
Alone with the flame in a wind-swept circle.
The dome of the cosmos rises above me,
A giant’s skullcap, his mind floating by
And his eye shining a light upon me.
And here, I feel my home.

Each of us, light reflecting on stardust,
Has a place in this cosmos.
Our actions maintain it and continue it
No matter how small they seem.
I work my way with quiet confidence,
Hoping that each action improves the world.

Be centered within me, Spirits;
Help guide my work as I hold myself together,
And accept my offerings
As a part of the larger cosmos.

#ADFDruidry#PrayerADay 

[Image description: a fisheye (rabbit hole) sky dome of the stone circle at Trout Lake Abbey’sWhite Mountain Druid Sanctuary by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Gathering Light at a Distance

Today we give thanks for connection,
A light that cannot be dimmed.
Though kindled apart and distant,
We come together through phone and screen.

This time is like no time before,
When we held hands around a table,
Hugged hello and goodbye,
And offered support to one another in person.

But our times have called for this,
And we still settle in together, if afar,
And our memories and connections
Carry us through in new ways.

What once were flickering candles,
Kindled in fellowship and family,
Are now flickering screens with lit faces
Brightening our homes and tables.

Our distance is painful,
But our connection remains strong.
We are thankful for your presence
Here in our home and heart.

So thanks we give for connection,
Our light that holds us against the dark.
Together, our shining love overcomes.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[Image description: #TheFlameOfHope held together at Midnight Flame Festival in 2018, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Prayer for Treating

I call to the Spirits of the Land,
You who hold the Long Bargain,
Who stood in this space, connected,
To weave hearth, home, and heath together.

As I have worked this land at your leave,
And you have kept it safe,
I honor the bond we have built
To maintain this space and relationship.

As we continue this connection
Deep into the years that come,
Know that I still come to the edge
My hands full of gifts and joy.

Take these, my offerings,
Draw them under the mushroom cap
And know they are yours to retain.
May our alliances forever flourish.

And so I leave you this fine milk,
A side of honey and of treasure,
And ask that you keep us in your grace,
And help us understand your needs.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[Image description: Mushrooms in macro, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Prayer for Spiritual Sight

Winding round the center,
We call to the Spirits:
Our voice echoing in the wind,
Our flame warm in the dark.

We give way to their voices,
Listening as they move us,
Swaying with us in the quiet
Of the moon’s gentle light.

The path is open to the Spirits,
A way that winds through the world;
Sliding down the silent starbeams
Into the sacred grove to dance with us.

Unfastened from the mundane,
Exposed to the cosmos,
Filled with a gnostic understanding,
We begin to speak for the Spirits

Here in this place, let our Sight be clear,
Let it flow like water from our mouths.
May prophecy and vision be a waterfall
That hews close and strong to Truth.

In all the things we do, our voices raised,
May we know the path our feet wander,
And may we speak it clearly, by your leave.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry

[Image description: a planchette among herbs, with the words, “Oracle of the Spirits” on it, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Prayer for Traveling Spirits

The light of our hearth and home,
A healing flame that brightens us,
Provides the warm glow of fellowship
To all those who travel with us.

As we close the door on one home
And open it on another,
Kindling the fire and claiming the space,
We ask the Spirits who lived with us to come along.

You who have known our joys and sorrows,
You who have stood by us in hard times,
You who have opened your hearts to us,
We offer the chance to maintain this connection.

Though we know you will not all come along
And brighten our new hearth with your light,
We honor our deep relationship,
And the work you have done for and with us.

So this box, warmed by a blessed light,
Is here for you to stow away in:
Empty of things, but full of love,
A hopeful gesture to offer you welcome.

Should you wish, be welcome with us.
Should you stay, bless those who come after.
So be it.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[Image description: two children hold a lantern, lit, in an empty box for the Spirits to stow away in, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Journey to a Distant Shrine

Above the shrine,
A hanging moon;
Lifted to the heavens,
My soul begins to sing.

Here in this space,
Quiet in contemplation,
I listen to the Spirits around me,
And breathe deep in their presence.

The bells sing in the wind
While the quaking leaves
Fill out the soundscape;
Here, I am not alone.

Centered in my center,
Animated by the edges,
I find myself open and ready
For whatever may appear.

And here before me,
Facing this shrine,
I find myself ready
For whatever lies ahead.

And I open my eyes,
Far distant from this place,
And remember those Spirits again.

#ADFDruidry#PrayerADay 

[Image description: two antlers of the Cernunnos Shrine at Trout Lake Abbey’sWhite Mountain Druid Sanctuary, with a moon above, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

Blessing of the Good Striker

Sucellos, Good Striker,
Firm hand and guardian,
I call to you with a bright voice,
And ask that you hear me now.

Your hammer-strike sparks the night,
And serves as both warning and welcome:
For you stand with us, and hold us close,
Helping us walk the line in confidence.

With one side you strike the nail
And craft community together.
With the other you strike our foes
And keep our borders safe and sound.

Come, open wide your cask
Filled with drink for all:
Let it flow in hospitality
And deep connections!

For you will always swing wide the door
For those who seek a better life,
And offer them both a full cup,
And the best seat beside our shared fire.

Sucellos, keep our community whole,
And keep it safe and welcome.

#ADFDruidry#PrayerADay 

[Image description: Sucellos wood carving by Rev. Michael J Dangler, available at The Magical Druid]

Strange Owl, or The Spirit of Trying

What the heck are you,
You strange, long-necked bird-thing,
Looking down on the square from high
Above the cathedral’s central window?
Someone who had never seen an owl before
Must have been your sculptor;
He was deeply confident in his accuracy,
Much to the likely dismay of his patron.

Wings wide-spread at the center,
Wide-eyed, loudly shouting,
Carrying your song, such as it is,
To the highest of heavens.
Placed where all eyes are drawn to you,
You are a crowning glory,
Clearly intended to convey
The importance of this endeavor.

But I thrice name you differently:
Spirit of Trying,
Spirit of Not-Actually-Failure,
Spirit of Ostentatious Confidence.
For you stand tall and proud in your space,
Awkward and hard to define,
Just like us, when we are at our most assured.
Be with me, Spirit of Trying, as I do my work today.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[Image description: a long-necked owl gargoyle from Collegiale Notre-Dame de Mantes-la-Jolie, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

The Fairy House

“A space to play,” they asked,
“That’s all we small ones seek:
A wall against the wind
And a winding path that leads to me.”

And so we set about to build the home
That the Fey had asked for sweetly.
We found leaves and branches, root and stem,
And set them down carefully, neatly.

We arranged it all as best we could,
The autumn colors pleased our eye.
A picket fence, a smoothed out trail,
And a walnut table fit their size.

“The roof is high,” they shouted loud,
“And the mossy threshold keeps it clean.
You’ve made a lovely home for us against the hail,
It’s the loveliest abode we’ve ever seen!”

So they moved in, our Good Neighbors,
And we know they live their still.
But the space is theirs and theirs alone,
In the forest, beneath the hill.

Our neighbors good, though others may joke:
Remember our connection, you Good Folk.

#PrayerADay#ADFDruidry 

[image description: a child-built fairy house, by Rev. Michael J Dangler]

the-darkest-of-lights:

​via crones book of Magical Words
By Valerie Worth

Mirror, mirror on the wall, 
tell me no lies… 

Mirror, mirror on the wall, 
show me the sights from behind… 

Mirror, mirror on the wall, 
Shatter in protection of what is mine. 

-This is when you will find me,
in my witching hour… -