W hile some prayer takes the form of a humble plea for assistance made to an almighty, parental god, for many Pagans, prayer is more of a hands-on experience, a blending of spellwork and communication with spirits involving active emotional, mental, and spiritual concentration and a delicate application of flattery, intention, faith, rhythm, repetition, visualization, and other magickal techniques.
When we talk about Pagan prayer, it should be noted that Pagan spirituality doesn’t necessarily demand an anthropomorphic understanding of the deities. Gods can be viewed as anthropomorphic beings, certainly, but they might alternatively be viewed as thoughtforms, spirits, symbols, allegories, egregores, or simply enormous collections of energy, each with its own unique attributes, power, purpose, and potential. Just as a pentagram is a symbol encompassing the energy of the five elements, so too might a god be understood in one sense as a type of über-symbol, encompassing the energy of anything and everything that godform represents.
We all have our own unique understandings of deity, and it’s imperative that we go about prayer with full authenticity and genuineness based on these understandings. Whatever our personal concept of deity might be, a prayer is a direct attempt to elicit any help or assistance that deity can offer. To many Neopagans, the buck doesn’t stop with the gods—there is often a strong belief also in personal responsibility for one’s choices and the consequences those choices lead to. We’re humble enough to ask for help, but not so helpless that we don’t realize that a large part of our fate is indeed in our own living, magickal hands. When we pray to the gods, we might feel that we are also praying to ourselves, praying to the world, or praying to activate that magickal spark that can only be fueled by the light of hope. We are the gods and the gods are we; when we pray, we are asking ourselves to remember that while at the same time acknowledging that we are not all that is.
An invocation is different from a prayer. Invocation is the process of actually calling into a person or thing the energetic spirit of a particular godform or other entity. The person or object becomes the godform, an open channel through which the summoned spirit can come in and make itself manifest in the mundane physical world. When invoking a spirit into yourself, first empty your mind of thoughts related to your own personal life or identity. Let go of ego, and try as best you can to open up, becoming an empty vessel into which the spirit can pour.
This chapter contains a collection of prayers and invocations created especially for Beltane. Incorporate them into rituals and spellwork, use them as guides for meditation or journaling, or simply use them on their own as a way to get closer to the divine energies of the season. Crafted with tried-and-true principles of spoken and written magick in mind, these prayers and invocations are designed for maximum effectiveness. However, do feel free to adapt, expand, edit, and elaborate as you wish.
Green Man Invocation
Green Man, I invoke thee!
King of the woods, lord of the wild, master of beasts,
come into me!
I am the earth. I am the field. I am the vessel,
come into me!
Fill me with your lust! Your life! Your power!
Great Green Man, I invoke thee!
By your names I summon thee.
Cernunnos, Pan, king of the woods, lord of the wild, master
of beasts, come into me!
You are the Horned God. You are the Oak King. You are the
god who dies and is resurrected.
Pan! Cernunnos! Green Man! Come into me!
I empty myself for you, lord.
I ready myself for you, lord.
Ride me, Green Man, ride me,
and we’ll fly through the night,
through the forests,
through the trees,
beside the stream of life everlasting.
Touch through my hands, taste through my tongue, see
through my eyes, feel through my body!
Run with my legs, reach with my arms, breathe with my
lungs, love with my heart!
It is not I but the Green Man who speaks with this voice!
Ride me, Green Man, ride me!
Prayer to the Green Man
Great Green Man, dear Lord of the Forests,
king of the woods, master of the fields and fowl, god of the
rocks and the trees!
Great Green Man, I pray to you! Please hear me now!
Fill me with life and energy! Protect my health!
My body is your body, Green Man, and it thrives and grows
like the leaves of the grass and the trees.
Great Green Man, I pray to you!
I am a sapling and you are the grove.
Great Green Man, I pray to you, make me your own!
Fill my pockets with riches! Protect my wealth and bring me
prosperity!
My treasure is your treasure, Green Man, and it shines like the
sun on the grass and the trees!
Great Green Man, I pray to you!
I am the acorn and you are the oak.
Great Green Man, I pray to you, make me your own!
Make me strong like the forest, alive like the trees, busy like
the bees!
Make me bold and alive, my lord!
Make me strong; help me thrive, my lord!
Great Green Man, I pray to you, make me your own!
A child of the forest, a babe of the trees, your servant, your
steward, your friend, and your liege.
I am the budding branch. I am the tender shoot. I am the
climbing vine. I am the thirsty root.
Look after me, Green Man, and make me your own!
Great Green Man, I pray to you, make me your own!
Solar Invocation
Bel, Belenos, Belemos, Beal!
Bright one, shining one,
everlasting light one!
The sun is your eye, its rays are your tears,
with life comes destruction, with new days die the years.
Great Belenos endures, the bright one shines on,
the everlasting light one shining brightly ever on!
Belenos, turn me on!
I am the torch, the lamp, the wick!
Fill me with your light, Belenos!
Belenos, turn me on!
Enter into my body.
Fill me with brightness.
Fill me with light.
Fill me with fire.
Belenos, turn me on and enter into me!
I am the leaf absorbing sunlight. I am the branch engulfed in
flame.
I am yours, Great Belenos, light me up and turn me on!
Prayer to Belenos
Dear Belenos, Bright One, Shining One, Great One!
You whose light is unending;
you whose warmth never ceases;
you whose effort never wanes!
Dear Belenos, Great Belenos, I pray to you.
Shine upon me, bright one!
Fuel my dreams, shining one!
Bless me with your light.
Bless me with your love.
Bless me with your energy, your strength, your passion!
Transform me with your fire.
Make me worthy of your light.
Let me shine with infinite brightness and love as you do,
Lord Belenos!
Great Belenos, please bless me.
Shine upon my dreams, my fields, my flocks!
Shine upon the earth and all its beasts!
Chase away the darkness, Great Belenos.
Chase away the fears and doubts and cold.
Chase away the darkness, Great Belenos.
Chase away the darkness with your never-ending light!
Earth Goddess Invocation
Lovely maiden, beautiful goddess of the earth, the fields,
the flowers, the trees.
Lady of the oceans, ruler of the rivers and seas,
great mother of the beasts and the birds, I invoke you!
Great Lady of the wild wood, Great Lover of the world,
Great Danu, maiden of stars and mother of earth,
I invoke you!
You are the Lover and the Beloved. You are the sun and the moon. You are the death and the life.
Great goddess, great Danu, lovely maiden, I invoke you!
Come into me, Goddess, and meet your consort.
My body is your body, my pleasure is your pleasure, my lust
is your lust.
Come into me, Goddess, and find your lover who awaits!
Come into me, Danu, and accept the sun king’s seed.
Come into me, Danu, and make me blossom like the flowers
and trees.
Great goddess, great Danu, lovely maiden, mother of the
earth, I invoke you!
Great Danu, I invoke you! I am yours, and you are me.
Prayer to the Earth Goddess
Great Goddess, my mother, my lover,
I pray to you.
Let me open myself to the blessings that come.
Let me give myself over to ecstasy!
Let me open myself to love!
As the soil accepts the seed, as the leaves absorb the sun,
as the earth soaks up the rain,
let me be as you, the empty page, the foundation for the
living word.
I am the gateway. I am the womb of creation.
I am the mother, the maiden, the crone, the earth, the moon,
the stars, and the sun.
I am you, Great Goddess, and you are everything.
I am open to blessings.
I am open to ecstasy.
I am open to love.
I am the beautiful lover awaiting the beloved.
As I love you, Great Goddess, so too will my beloved come!
Great Goddess, you are the key to the creation.
You are the soil and the rain, the oceans and the darkness,
the moon and the stars and the sun.
Nothing would be without you, Great Goddess, as you
encompass all that can be.
You are the lover and the loved, the bride and the groom,
the maiden earth and her beloved, the sun!
Great Goddess, let us blossom and bloom with a beauty
that is fit for our king!
Bring me love!
Bring me ecstasy!
Bring me blessings!
I and the Goddess will it, and so it is bound to be!
Invocation of Flora
Lovely Flora, pretty lady, you whose beauty is brighter than the stars,
shinier than the seas, more glorious than the moon itself!
Lovely Flora, pretty lady, grace me, embrace me, enter into
me, amaze me!
May your spirit come into my heart!
May your love flow through me!
May your beauty and bliss embrace me!
You are the queen of the flowers.
You are the beautiful blossoming earth.
You are the sprout that pushes through the flat field to reach
the sun!
All the flowers of the earth reflect your love.
All the beauty of the earth is but your song.
You are the rose that opens and closes.
You are the love that is only its own.
Lovely Flora, pretty lady, come into my heart!
I am a flower awaiting your presence, a blossom that’s ready
to bloom!
Come into my heart, lovely Flora, enter into me, grace me,
amaze me!
Embrace me and cause me to bloom!
Prayer to Flora
Lady Flora, beautiful one, you who are loved by all!
Lady Flora, I ask you to bring me love.
Let me be a mirror of your beauty and your charm.
Let me attract and entice the persons I desire, just as the bees
are drawn to the blossom’s sweet scent!
Lady Flora, Lovely Flora, I ask you, I beg you, I leave you no
course but to bring me love!
If my lover doesn’t find me, may the roses wilt and wither!
May the lilies dry up forevermore!
Lady Flora, bring me love and the gardens will blossom
evermore!
Lady Flora, I give you my love! I give you my heart!
I give you my oath and my word!
Bring me my love, Lady Flora, lead them through you,
and unto me!
Like a bee to a flower, my lover is drawn to me!
Lady Flora, we will it, and so it will be!
Solar Invocation for Growth
Use this solar invocation to summon into an object or a plant an energy conducive to growth. For example, you might use the invocation to draw the powers of the sun into a paintbrush you plan to use to paint a masterpiece, thus ensuring an enormous supply of creative energy as you craft your artwork. As another possibility, you might use the invocation to empower your garden plants with an extra boost of solar energy that’s bound to help them grow.
Great sun, Sol, Ra, Bright One, Shining One!
You are the great eye, you are the fire, you are the light!
Great sun, I hold you in my hand.
I place you where I like.
And you are here, great sun, great Ra, great Shining One,
great Bright One!
You are here now in the place that I place you,
you are here now and shining so bright.
Great sun, Sol, Ra, Bright One, Shining One!
You are the hope! You are the fire! You are the light!
Great sun, great Sol, I implore you!
Shine here where I place you, day or night.
Invocation of Belenos into the Fire
Use this invocation to call the spirit of Belenos into the Beltane fire. If you can’t build a bonfire or a smaller campfire, you can still use this invocation to summon Belenos into a candle flame. The size of the fire doesn’t matter, as the portal to the realm of spirit is created like a pinprick in a balloon: once the illusion of separation between the worlds is penetrated in any way, it’s a bust. Belenos can slip into a tiny candle flame just as easily as pouring forth from a large torrent of fire. Utilize this invocation to summon Belenos into the Beltane fire, then communicate with that spirit in whatever ways you see fit, perhaps saying thanks, or perhaps asking for courage, energy, strength, or other qualities you admire. You can also ask Belenos for answers. Think of a yes or no question, then observe the behavior of the Beltane fire. If the flames lean toward you, it signifies an answer of yes, and if the flames shy away from you, the answer is a likely no.
Belenos, Beal, Bel, Shining One, you who are fire!
You who are heat! You who are light! You who are bright!
Come into this flame, enter into this fire!
To you this fire is dedicated, Great Belenos; to you this fire
now becomes your home.
Enter into the flame! Enter into the fire!
Great Belenos, you must enter into it now! Enter into the
flame! Enter into the fire!
Shine upon us, Belenos! Warm us, Belenos! Make us strong,
great Belenos!
Great Belenos, come witness through your light!
Be with us now, great Belenos!
The flames are your body; our desires, the wood!
Be with us, Belenos, and burn up the wood!
Be in the fire, and burn up the wood!
Enter into the fire; enter into the flames!
Enter into us, Belenos, we call you by name!
Beal is the fire, and this fire is Beal’s!
This fire is Beal. This fire is Beal!
Be with us, Belenos, come into the flame!
Come into the fire!
We all know your name!
Prayer for the Protection of Plants and Animals
Lord and Lady of the wild wood, Lord and Lady of the May!
King of the forests and Queen of the fields! Listen to me,
a creature, an animal of the earth!
Your children are in trouble! The foxes, the hounds,
and the wolves!
The horses and cows! The bears and the squirrels!
The birds and the fish!
The humans and all the other living beasts!
Great Mother, Great Father, we need you now!
Protect your children! We need you now!
Shield the animals from unnatural dangers.
Protect us all from cruelty.
Give us habitat, food, shelter, water. Let us breed and grow
and thrive.
Guide our hands, guide our minds, guide our hearts so we
can stay alive!
Protect us, Lord and Lady! Protect your living beasts!
Lord and Lady of the wild wood! Lord and Lady of the May!
King of the forests and Queen of the fields! Listen to me,
a human, a steward of the earth!
Your garden is in trouble! The trees, the herbs, the blooms!
The flowers and the grasses! The roots and the leaves!
The vines and the gourds!
The fruit and all the seeds!
Great Mother, Great Father, we need you now!
Protect your children! We need you now!
Shield the plants from unnatural dangers. Protect the trees
and herbs from man.
Give the plants sun and rain and soil and protection.
Let the plants live and grow and thrive.
Guide our hands, guide our minds, guide our hearts so the
earth can stay alive!
Lord and Lady of the wild wood, Lord and Lady of the May!
I ask you with my heart and mind, protect the beasts and
plants in kind!
Prayer to the Faeries
According to early Celtic belief, faeries are out and about most prevalently at the times of Samhain and Beltane. While the faeries of Celtic lore were fearsome creatures to be avoided or appeased rather than befriended, many Neopagans think of faeries as generally benevolent and often helpful nature spirits, believed to be just as fond of making merry as they are of making mischief. If there’s a lot of stagnation in your life, or you feel you could use a boost of extra luck in a particular situation, you might consider giving some faery magick a try this Beltane. Here’s a prayer you can use to ask the faeries to please help you out.
Sweet faeries, blessed Fae, queens of magick and the night!
Wonderful faeries, powerful faeries, blessed mistresses of moonlight and of fate!
Be my allies on this night, and come help me with my plight!
Sweet faeries, blessed Fae, queens of magick and the night!
I invite you faeries to spread your mischief! Work your magick! Change my fate!
I ask you faeries to make it happen! My wish come true before it’s too late!
Sweet faeries! Blessed faeries! Powerful allies in the night!
By your whims, the fences broken; by your wish, the gates unlocked.
By your will, the mirror shatters; by your voice, the serpent stops.
Be my allies, little faeries, be my allies in my plight!
Be my allies as I wish it, change my fate this very night!