EŚAThere are two types of prayers that do not necessarily fit into the standard formats: litanies and mantras. A litany is a call and response. It is thus appropriate for group practice. One person calls out something, and the others respond. The most common responses are phrases like, “We praise you,” “We pray to you,” “Bless us.” I give responses like these in these litanies, but it’s easy enough to make up your own.
It’s also pretty easy to make up a litany. Simply research the deity you wish to pray to and learn as much as you can about their attributes. Make a list, and bingo—a litany.
Although litanies are generally group prayers, they can also be used by individuals. The repetition can build to ecstasy. When I use one, I find myself rocking to the rhythm. My whole body prays.
Litanies can have a single leader for the whole prayer, or celebrants can sit in a circle and each person in turn can contribute a call. I don’t recommend the latter because instead of concentrating on the litany, celebrants are trying to think of something to say when their turn comes. It’s generally better if only one person is so distracted.
we praise you, we praise you.
Earth beneath us,
we praise you, we praise you.
Queen of queens,
we praise you, we praise you.
Love of our Lord,
we praise you, we praise you.
Shining lady,
we praise you, we praise you.
Giver of wisdom,
we praise you, we praise you.
Open-handed one,
we praise you, we praise you.
Shield of the people,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Divider of time,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Well of inspiration,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Mother of nations,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Granter of prophecy,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Seeker of lore,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Bestower of sovereignty,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Knower of secrets,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Encompasser of worlds,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Mystery of mysteries,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
You who are worthy of honor,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
You who are worthy of praise,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
You who are worthy of worship,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
You who are worthy of honor, praise, and worship,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
You who are worthy of honor, worthy of praise, worthy of worship,
we honor you, we praise you, we worship you.
Earth’s Queen
blessings to you, bless us.
Ocean mother
blessings to you, bless us.
Star’s breath
blessings to you, bless us.
Heart’s rest
blessings to you, bless us.
Life’s lover
blessings to you, bless us.
Strong teacher
blessings to you, bless us
First wife
blessings to you, bless us
Love’s source
blessings to you, bless us.
Who is the one who gives birth to the world?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Who is the one who comforts the ailing?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Who is the one who shines in the nighttime?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Who is the one who changes yet remains the same?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Who is she who extends beneath us?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Who is she who rises above?
The Goddess is she, the mother of all.
Birds of the air,
blessings to you.
Fish of the sea,
blessings to you.
Snakes in your holes,
blessings to you.
Deer in the forest,
blessings to you.
Cattle in the fields,
blessings to you.
Queen of Stars
we pray to you.
Mother of All
we pray to you.
Presence of Emptiness
we pray to you.
Nowhere found
we pray to you.
Beautiful Nuit
we pray to you.
We pray to the one who knows the runes
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
We pray to the one who hears memory’s tales
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
We pray to the one who rescued the mead
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
We pray to the one who hung on the Tree
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
We pray to the one who travels unknown
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
We pray to the one who inspires the poet
Odin is he, Odin is wise.
Thunor of the heath,
praise to you, Thunderer.
Thunor of the hills,
praise to you, Thunderer.
Thunor of villages and towns,
praise to you, Thunderer.
Thunor of the welcome rain
that enlivens the fields
and causes our fields to grow.
Praise to you, Thunderer.
Praise to you, Thunderer.
Praise to you, Thunderer.
To you, Thunderer, this well-earned praise!
A mantra sums up the essence of a deity, and perhaps a desire of the person praying, in a few lines (four is about the maximum). They are repeated many times. In fact, they can be repeated so often that, after a while, they become automatic, forming a background to your life. It is important that they have a rhythm so that they can do this; an arrhythmic mantra is a distraction, requiring constant attention.
In some religions, such as Hinduism, there is a belief that certain sounds perfectly express certain truths. Repetition of these sounds, especially aloud, evokes their truths, which can be the nature of a divinity. If you accept the belief that sounds have this kind of power, I recommend you research the tradition you are drawn to and find out what mantras it uses. It is unlikely that you will stumble on your own onto one that expresses just what you want it to. In general, however, it is quite possible that the names or titles of deities, in their original language, will function in this way. Even if they don’t, they will be effective in other ways.
Mantras serve to keep you constantly aware of the attributes of a deity. The more you repeat a mantra, the deeper an understanding you achieve of that deity’s nature. This doesn’t always happen in a conscious way. The awareness may percolate in your unconscious for some time; then, all of a sudden, you have an “aha!” experience, a flash of insight comes to you, seemingly from out of nowhere. Then you can return to your mantra with a new outlook.
Repeating a mantra can serve as constant praise. Over and over, you can send out words that recite your deity’s deeds. In this way, the deity remains aware of your attention, which is, in itself, a form of praise.
Mantras are especially good for making certain contact with a deity. It can sometimes seem hard to reach the gods. They may be testing you, or you may not be in a state to receive or understand them. If the first is true, a mantra will show just how much you desire contact; if the second, repetition of the mantra will move you into a track along which you may approach the deity.
A mantra can be used with a rosary. Rosaries are most closely associated with Christianity, but they’ve been used by a number of other religions as well. I myself have used one for many years as part of my devotions to Nuit, the Thelemic goddess of infinite space. A rosary is simply a number of beads strung together in a circle with some space between them. You keep track of the number of prayers you say by moving your fingers along the beads. There is a large bead or some other marker to tell you when you have gone once around. The exact number of beads (and thus of prayers) is up to you. You can make it appropriate in some way to the deity to whom you are praying or to some aspect of your religious tradition.
For instance, my Nuit rosary has five groups of eleven beads each, each group separated by two slightly larger beads. The numbers five and eleven are significant to Nuit. The total number of small beads is thus fifty-five. The large bead at the end (which has its own prayer) makes fifty-six beads—another significant number. The dividing beads, again with the large bead, number eleven. A Wiccan rosary might have thirteen beads, for the lunar months in a year, or twenty-eight, for the days in a lunar month. A Celtic rosary might be arranged in three groups of nine. And so on.
You don’t have to have a physical rosary. I sometimes say my Nuit rosary lying in bed at night, my fingers counting the prayers under my pillow. By tightening one finger at a time, one hand counts out eleven prayers—one for each finger in one direction, one for each back, and a final tightening of the whole hand. My other hand keeps track of how many times I’ve gone through the cycle of eleven. With a system like this, you can count prayers almost anywhere.
Watcher on the threshold, guide and guard me.
[For any gatekeeper deity, such as Janus or Cernunnos.]
Life’s soft fluid, gently welling,
source and gift to all who live.
[For the Wiccan Goddess or a river goddess.]
Run before me into battle,
Andraste, protect me in my fight.
Shaft of reason, light within me.
Clear sight and reason,
open my eyes.
Ba’al, ride the storm with me.
The fire of Brigid is the flame in my heart.
Cernunnos, Lord, guide my way.
Open the way,
open the way,
Cernunnos, Lord,
open the way.
Disputer of passings, opener of gates,
Cernunnos, Lord, guide me through.
EŚAOpen the way, Ga
apati.
With magic’s might, may Gwydion come.
May I descend with Inanna, may I rise with Inanna.
Isis whose wings support all beings,
be my help, be my supporter.
I call on you Mother, Isis, Queen.
Queen of heaven, bless my home.
Jupiter, Best and Greatest,
Rule in splendor.
Bright shield, bright spear, bright Lug, come.
May no act of mine disturb your feather.
I ask to write truth on the tablet of life.
Over the deeply sounding sea
carry me safely, son of Lir.
Part the mists and guide me through.
End the chaos, mighty Marduk.
Protect my people, ruddy Mars,
with sword upraised be at my side.
Force and fire, strength of arms.
Lord of oaths, Miϑra, friend,
keep my feet clearly on the path of the right.
Thousand-eyed Miϑra, may I be just.
Mead thief and rune snatcher,
with wisdom endow me.
Asar slain and Asar living,
Lord of death and of rebirth.
Awaken me, Pan, walker on the edge,
Lord of mad music, god of wild longings.
My shield and protector, Perkūnas, be.
Quetzalcoatl, rescue me.
Great Queen Rhiannon, guide and protect me.
My guide is Rhiannon as I ride through life.
Taranis, Thunderer, be my protector.
Defeat my foes with flashing flame,
with thunder and lightning, Taranis, lord.
Smasher of serpents, empower me, Thor.
Venus of beauty, grant my desire.
Love’s dear patron, beauty’s queen.