Hail, Sunna!
Golden-glowing goddess,
shining lady of the heavens,
driver of the chariot of the sun,
whose flaming wheel gives light and life to all!
I honor you this day for the life and warmth you give,
for without your light
we could not live.
And although this is the darkest night,
tomorrow brings your renewed light,
as you ascend in strength and height
into the shining sky.
A Norse Devotional Ritual
[Perform Two Powers meditation]
I have come to honor the Earth,
my ancestors, the wights, the Aesir, and the Vanir.
May Thor protect me in my rite.
Goddesses of the Earth,
Nerthus and Jord,
I give you thanks for the life you give to all.
Accept my offering. [make offering]
I stand in Midgard,
the Land beneath me,
the Seas and waters surrounding me,
the Sky above me.
At the center burns a Fire,
where Bifrost touches the Earth.
At the center flows a Well,
with waters from the Three Great Wells.
At the center stands Yggdrasil,
connecting all worlds together,
from Asgard above,
to Helheim below,
and all worlds between.
I call to my ancestors,
my Alfar, and my Disir,
I honor you with this gift! [make offering]
I call to the wights,
wights of land and wights of home,
I honor you with this gift! [make offering]
I call to the gods,
the Aesir, and the Vanir,
I honor you with this gift! [make offering]
[Invocation to a deity(ies) or being(s) that you’d like to honor specifically]
[make offering]
Ancestors, wights, and gods,
what blessings do I receive in return for my offerings?
[Draw a rune]
[If positive:]
The omen is good!
A gift calls for a gift
to complete the cycle of hospitality.
May the blessing flow into this horn
so that I may drink deeply of fair return.
Behold the Waters of Life!
[Drink]
The blessings flow through my head, my heart, and my loins.
May these blessings enrich my life.
Hail to the Three Kindred!
[If negative:]
The omen is poor.
The Three Kindred put forth a challenge,
a challenge to overcome.
I drink from this horn
and accept this challenge.
Behold the Waters of Life!
[Drink]
May my victory over this challenge bring me blessings
and make me stronger.
Hail to the Three Kindred!
[Ritual continues:]
Aesir and Vanir,
Wights of land and wights of home,
my Alfar, and my Disir,
I thank you for your presence in this rite.
May I honor the Kindred and the cosmos in all that I do.
May I walk the path of the virtues to do right by myself and my kin.
May these relationships bring health, wealth, and wisdom to my life.
This rite has ended!
A Prayer for Sunna on a Cloudy Day
Sunna is present, even if we can’t see her. This is a prayer to Sunna for those times.
A Norse Prayer For Inspiration
Hail Odin,
High One,
Father of All!
I come to you
seeking inspiration.
I come to you
seeking the Mead of Poetry.
With this gift (offering)
I hope of one taste,
one drink of Kvasir’s blood,
that precious mead.
May the Mead of Poetry
flow through me,
past honey’d lips,
sparking the fire within.
May the Mead of Poetry
flow through me,
into my hands,
to create my work.
So be it!
A Prayer to Thor During Times of Trouble
Hail Thor,
slayer of giants and trolls,
defender of Midgard!
Darkness gathers on the horizon
and troubling times lay ahead.
I call to you for strength to face these challenges!
Mighty Thor,
as you defend Midgard,
so too shall I aid you in its defense
standing up for the Earth and its people.
As you stride into Jotunheim to challenge the giants,
may I have the courage to go forth and challenge those I oppose.
As you uncover deception and illusion in your travels,
may I have the bravery to confront those
who seek to harm with treachery.
And as you take great risk to fight for Midgard,
may I persevere in the face of opposition
for the sake of doing what is right.
So be it!
A Prayer For When We Lose Our Way
Hail Mighty Kindreds!
I come before you as a child of the Earth
who has lost their way,
who has made mistakes,
and broken the virtues.
I come before you as a child of the Earth
who wants to find their way,
make amends,
and reestablish the virtues in my life.
I do this in the sight my ancestors,
I do this in the sight of the land spirits,
I do this in the sight of the gods,
and I do this in the sight of those I have hurt.
May the virtues take root in me once more,
so I can reach for the Sky.
May I have wisdom,
to apply my knowledge with experience.
May I have vision,
to see the direction I am going.
May I have piety,
so the Kindred may continue to bless me.
May I have courage,
to do what is right.
May I have perseverance,
to weather the hard times in life.
May I have integrity,
so that I may be trustworthy again.
May I have hospitality,
so my relationships stay strong.
May I have moderation,
so that I may not give into extremes.
May I have fertility,
so that I may be productive again
in all that I do.
So be it!
Five Ways to Practice Paganism Now
A group of people dance the spiral around a roaring bonfire, their song rising into the night sky. A solitary Wiccan casts a circle in her living room, calling out to the Lord and Lady so that she may work her magic. Several Heathens raise their horns to honor the Norse gods and goddesses.
When I think of Paganism, I think of ritual. Personally, I find the pageantry alluring and, when effective, a wonderfully fulfilling way to honor the spirits who inspire and sustain me. Ritual can be daunting, however, especially to someone new to modern Paganism. Perhaps there are space considerations in the home, or there are certain tools that still need to be created or acquired.
One need not perform elaborate ritual to practice Paganism, though. In fact, there are five things you can do right now to take your first steps on the path.
1. Greet the sun
Sun gods and goddesses are abundant in ancient Pagan religions, and with good reason: the sun is life. Nothing could survive without the sun’s light and warmth. Step outside and give gratitude to the sun, using any words you’d like. Feel its warmth on your skin, its energy, and power.
2. Know a tree
To ancient pagans across Europe, trees were an important part of religious practice. Sometimes worship was held in groves of trees, or sacred spaces were centered on a particular tree. In Scandinavia, the ash tree Yggdrasil was considered the very structure of the cosmos.
Do you have a favorite tree you like to visit, or perhaps have a tree near your home that you don’t know very well? Now is the perfect time to forge a relationship with that tree. If you are able, try to identify the tree. Is its bark different from other trees? How are its leaves shaped? Is the wood of the tree used for any kind of product?
How does the tree feel on a spiritual level? When you meditate at its base, how does the tree make you feel? Does it impart wisdom to you? If so, what is that wisdom? It may take some time to cultivate a relationship with the spirit of a tree. Try to spend some time with the tree to grow that relationship. Give the tree gifts in the form of offerings. Something as simple as a cup of clean water will do.
3. Dispose of litter
Paganism honors the holy within nature. Many of the spirits of the ancient world had a natural component, not to mention the plethora of earth gods and goddesses found in each culture. Modern paganism recognizes these connections, and naturally grew in tandem with the environmental movement of the 60s and 70s.
Any environmentally conscious act can be an act of devotion to the spirits. If you ever find yourself hiking, dispose of the litter you may find on the trails. This can be another way to forge relationships with the spirits, and you may eventually find yourself with powerful allies.
4. Search for inspiration
The Poetic Edda, Mabinogion, the Táin, and the Theogony are examples of sacred texts that are rich in the legends of ancient pagan Europe. They are also teeming with inspiration to guide you on the pagan path. Perhaps you’ll come across a certain deity or spirit with whom you wish to connect with. While some copies of these works can get quite expensive, there are free translations available on-line at the Internet Sacred Text Archive.
In my own personal experience, whenever I am feeling disconnected from the gods and spirits, I reach out to the lore. This often helps me reconnect to the spirits, setting me right on the path once more.
5. Live well
People throughout the ages have always tried to live up to their potential as good human beings, sometimes modeling their actions after those they consider the pinnacle of virtue: the gods. Indeed, the old sagas are full of stories about heroes in pursuit of a virtuous life, with examples of success and the consequences of failure found throughout these tales. Virtuous living did not remain confined to the old stories, however, as people, both ancient and modern, strive to “live well” according to their own personal values and codes.
Some reflection is in order for this kind of question. What does it mean to you to “live well?” Do you follow a set of virtues? If so, what are they? What do you consider your values? Making a list of virtues and values can be helpful. How does it feel to succeed in living your virtues? On the other side of the coin, what do you do when you fail? What things can you do to make sure you remain on the right path in regards to your virtues?
If you’re unsure what virtues are important to you, there are many examples that can be found on-line or in literature. Exploring these concepts can be a highly rewarding endeavor as you seek to guide your own personal development.
While this list is not meant to be comprehensive, it is meant to be accessible to folks who are taking their first steps on the pagan path, without the need to purchase or acquire anything. Feel free to modify or expand these ideas as you see fit. For example, if you are reading this article at night, perhaps you can greet the moon instead. You can start being pagan today, and hopefully some of these ideas will help you with those first steps.
