In my long journey as a spiritual person, one thing has remained a constant. Prayer. No matter who you pray to, as long as the intent is there and you are praying with sincerity and humility, the outcome is the same. It brings peace and reassurance. I have often prayed casually; 'please let it rain'. I have prayed with so many tears in my eyes; 'please let her passing be eased'. I do not feel like any less of a person by getting on my knees and beseeching my deity or deities. I still feel like the strong person everyone tells me that I am. I feel even stronger because I am admitting that I am just a speck in a wide universe and the beings who have existed since before time have the wisdom and courage I need to proceed with my life.
I have also encountered deities who prefer that I converse with them in simple conversation instead of prayer, on my feet instead of on my knees. Okay, I can do both. When I speak with Thor, he doesn't mind either way. He prefers that I speak on my feet, however, he understands that the human condition is weak at times and is content to comfort me when I am on the floor with no strength left. He has been called Good Friend throughout the centuries and the title is not misguided. He really is a Good Friend, and when my worldly friends have been far away, he was my Friend.
It is the time of the year when the Pagans mark the weakening and passing of our Lord. He has worked tirelessly to fertilize the Earth and give us the things we need to make it through another long winter. Now His work is done, the harvest is coming in, and He lays down for His rest. At Samhain we will mark His passing. But this is not the end. He has merely gone to seek more knowledge to share with His children, like Odin who departed our world to seek knowledge and made himself a sacrifice upon Yggdrasil and then shared that knowledge with the people of Earth. As He journeys, His children will seek him, and He will return to use with Yule, the warmth will gradually return to Earth as He is reborn and shares His warmth again.
I own a book called "Books of Hours. Prayers to the God." By Galen Gillotte. It is a great book, even for Christians who only pray to the male aspect of the Divine. I use it frequently during the Autumn and Winter. These are the times of the year when I feel very close with God. He brings comfort, when everything looks bleak and cold and hopeless, He will return and bring light and warmth. It is a cycle and its a certain hope. To me, the hope of an end to a harsh winter is more real and tangible than living a long life and hoping for the best on the other side. My view is much more simple. I will go to a better place when I die, all I have to do is live honestly and honorably, without harming others. My household follows the Nine Noble Virtues and those are the only guidelines we need.
The definition of prayer as given in Book of Hours: "Prayer, at its deepest core, is the passionate expression of love for God. It may take the form of formal prayer, such as those prayers offered in this book, or may be wordless and incomprehensible cry of the heart. It matters not, for God reads the intention of the soul even before it is articulated. He reaches out to answer our need in tender yearning and, if we are open to it, we may fall into His rapture, which is beyond all words, and even beyond all thought."
I have also encountered deities who prefer that I converse with them in simple conversation instead of prayer, on my feet instead of on my knees. Okay, I can do both. When I speak with Thor, he doesn't mind either way. He prefers that I speak on my feet, however, he understands that the human condition is weak at times and is content to comfort me when I am on the floor with no strength left. He has been called Good Friend throughout the centuries and the title is not misguided. He really is a Good Friend, and when my worldly friends have been far away, he was my Friend.
It is the time of the year when the Pagans mark the weakening and passing of our Lord. He has worked tirelessly to fertilize the Earth and give us the things we need to make it through another long winter. Now His work is done, the harvest is coming in, and He lays down for His rest. At Samhain we will mark His passing. But this is not the end. He has merely gone to seek more knowledge to share with His children, like Odin who departed our world to seek knowledge and made himself a sacrifice upon Yggdrasil and then shared that knowledge with the people of Earth. As He journeys, His children will seek him, and He will return to use with Yule, the warmth will gradually return to Earth as He is reborn and shares His warmth again.
I own a book called "Books of Hours. Prayers to the God." By Galen Gillotte. It is a great book, even for Christians who only pray to the male aspect of the Divine. I use it frequently during the Autumn and Winter. These are the times of the year when I feel very close with God. He brings comfort, when everything looks bleak and cold and hopeless, He will return and bring light and warmth. It is a cycle and its a certain hope. To me, the hope of an end to a harsh winter is more real and tangible than living a long life and hoping for the best on the other side. My view is much more simple. I will go to a better place when I die, all I have to do is live honestly and honorably, without harming others. My household follows the Nine Noble Virtues and those are the only guidelines we need.
The definition of prayer as given in Book of Hours: "Prayer, at its deepest core, is the passionate expression of love for God. It may take the form of formal prayer, such as those prayers offered in this book, or may be wordless and incomprehensible cry of the heart. It matters not, for God reads the intention of the soul even before it is articulated. He reaches out to answer our need in tender yearning and, if we are open to it, we may fall into His rapture, which is beyond all words, and even beyond all thought."
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