adfdruidry

Second Annual Prayer-A-Day

picture of a candle in a lantern against a dark background with words that say "Light the Way, Draw others to the Flame: Write a Prayer a Day in November. #prayeraday #adfdruidry"

It’s time for the Second Annual Prayer-A-Day Challenge!

November tends to be a month when people work on doing something each day of the month, whether it’s moments of gratitude or writing for National Novel Writing Month. Last year, I decided that I would try my own variation on this trend and began a #PrayerADay Challenge. The idea was to write one prayer each day, to whatever spirit or on whatever topic called to you at that particular moment. After deciding that I was was going to take this on for myself, I thought “wouldn’t it be awesome if we were able to have a whole collection prayers compiled from clergy and other ADF members?” So, I issued the challenge to other members of ADF clergy, and the whole experiment kind of exploded from there. Many people across ADF joined in to write one or more prayers, and it has been absolutely fantastic.

So, it’s time to do this again, and this year I challenge all of you. Yes. All of you! I don’t care if you’ve never written a prayer, or if you’ve written lots and lots. The idea here is to write a new prayer each day. It’s okay if you don’t like it, but write _something_ every day in November.

The hash tags we’ll be using for this across social media are #PrayerADay and #adfdruidry. When you post it to social media, make sure you use both of those tags so we can all find it!

November Prayers: Day 7

When the black dog has her claws hooked in you,
threatening to never let go,
trying to pull you under, into the darkness…
When the world is too loud, and too bright,
overwhelming all your senses,
pushing you to escape into the void…
When the night seems to go on forever,
dragging into the black,
until it seems even the stars have lost their light…
Then is when the sky will lighten,
Then is when the cloud-cover will dissipate,
Then is when the Dawn will come.
So, after the storm has raged,
go to where the Waters flow more freely now,
won and blessed for you,
and find your peace in nature.

November Prayers: Day 5

A Meal Blessing of Thanks:
We thank the Earth Mother, first and foremost,
for the bounty she has shared.
We also thank:
The Ancestors, for teaching us their ways,
The Nature Spirits, for sharing of themselves,
And The Shining Ones, for walking with us.
To all those spirits we love,
Come, join us at our feast,
and be welcomed by our hospitality.

November Prayers: Day 4

Darkness is spread like a blanket across the sky
as I call out to Hypnos to let me sip from his horn.
Come to me, Mist Cloaked one,
and work your magic on me.
Bring your brothers and your sons,
The Oneiroi, Morpheus first among them,
to share their magic of sweet dreams.
A deep and peaceful sleep I desire:
Come to me, Hypnos, Come!

November Prayers: Day 3

When a tempest rages around my being,
When a maelstrom spins beyond control,
I stand centered, firm and grounded, at my core.
Rational thought continues to guide me,
my emotions acknowledged, but not my yoke.
For the God of the Deep, Lord of the Raging Sea,
I thank you as I continue my work as your devotee:
You’ve taught me perseverance in the face of turbulence;
You’ve taught me to when and where to unleash my temper;
You’ve taught me that all things ebb and flow,
and that in that cycle, balance can  be found.
Poseidon, Earth Shaker, Wave Bringer,
To you I give my deep praise and heartfelt thanks.

November Prayers: Day 2

My Day 2 #prayeraday for #nanowrimo is to one of my spirit allies I’ve met in my clergy and initiate trance work.  As much as we’ve worked closely together for somewhere around two and half years now, I’ve never felt the need to get formal with names.  In writing this, I’m feeling like I may need to ask what he’d prefer to be called, because it sounds silly and irreverent when I don’t really mean it to be.  Then again, maybe that’s okay too.  He is a bit impish in his wisdom and demeanor.
Pinpricks of light spark in the night sky.
I see you, many dancing spirits.
Falling to the earth, in brilliant streams of silver.
I see you, in your solitary glory, racing for the earth.
Alighting upon the land to dance atop the stones,
to dance atop the Mound.
In a burst of flame, dancing and flowing,
I see you, your impact spreading like wildfire across the land.
Strange and alien, fiery streak,
with your watery blue flesh belying the heat of your skin,
trailing a flickering path of crimson and gold
smoothing your way across the bosom of the mother.
Your tentacles make eye contact with me as you flow in my direction.
Slug of Fire, I welcome your presence in my life,
Just as I welcome your wisdom in my Work.
Be with me as I continue my journey.
#adfdruidry

November Prayers: Day 1

I think my contribution to #nanowrimo is going to be a variation.  I’ve not been writing as much in general, and want something to kind of kick start my devotional practice again, since there’s been a lot of changes in my life the past few months.  So, I’m going to write a prayer a day.  Since I decided this around 8 or 9 pm last night, I’ll try to manage two today 😃
Day 1:
A new step on this journey,
a new breath of life in this practice…
I call out to the Powers of Inspiration:
Be with me in my work this month.
Sing through my heart and soul
and drip your sweet honey from my lips and pen onto these pages.
Breathe life into my thoughts, and hopes, and dreams.
Invigorate my practice and my work.
Help me to notice the meaning in each moment,
be present with it, and let it inspire my voice.
Inspiration, I write this first prayer to you,
who will walk with me this month,
allowing my vision and words to flow with ease.
Powers of Inspiration, be with me!