Tides and Cycles

Prayer is so very important. Many Pagans don't pray because of their past religious experiences with prayer. Prayer is the first step of living every moment in sacred space. Sacred means to make Holy (whole-y). A thing that is Holy is a thing "that must be preserved whole or intact, that cannot be transgressed or violated" (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=holy) It is the elevation of the self beyond the mundane; beyond this plane; beyond ourself to ourself.

A Blessing is an act. It is not words or hand motions (with or without props). If you bless a thing that thing changes. If it fails to change then you have failed to bless. To Bless is "to consecrate, make holy" the word is related to blood and was originally a sprinkling of blood on "Pagan" Altars. (http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=bless) The blood was a transaction. All blessings must have a transaction to occur. The Christians 'civilized' the transaction of blessing by embodying blood in bread.

Also, a blessing leaves a mark. We all knows someone who is marked by the Gods. The crazy who will stare down a tank (and live)... The friend who has money falling into their hands... The enemy who always wins never minding justice....

A word must also be given about curses: curses are blessings. I know this may not make much sense at first, but without going into a long speech about the problems of our current dualistic culture; curses are blessings. They change the target, they require a transaction, and yes traditionally curses where 'sealed' with blood.

Let's go over a simple prayer that my wife and I adapted from a prayer of Scott Cunningham:

Goddess of the verdant plains;
God of vegetables and grain;
Goddess of the mountain rains;
God of fruit and God of cane.

Bless this meal that’s been prepared;
Nourish us with love;
Bless this meal that we now share;
With you both above.

How to Pray

Remember Prayers are not just Words!

1. Take time to memorize the prayer

The goal is to get beyond the words. This is done by memorization. There's just no way around it.

2. Once memorized see the prayer
3. The current most popular form of manipulation/Magick is through visualization If you pray is 'bless you' and you can't vizualize 'bless you' than you aren't doing anything.... The above example gives many points of vizualization. Embody each line.
4. Draw down the energy from your visualization

Again we want to get beyond the previous step. The words have been memorized. You can see, smell, hear, touch, and taste every aspect of your memorized prayer. You have become the prayer. Now we take that reality that you have created and bring it to this plane towards/at the end of the prayer see the energy flowing, in this example, into the prepared food.

5. Seal it

The above example lacks seal. Most prayers should be sealed. The notable execption is maybe prayers of comfort. Sealing the comfort might also seal the pain. To seal is to bind, to make permanent (seals can be broken so permanecy is an abstract thought not a reality). A seal is Amen (meaning Amen Ra of course!) or So mote it be. My wife and I generally use "So Be It!". Use what you are comfortable with. Use it over and over again it's like another prayer and must be memorized, embodied, and drawn down. And yes some people seal their seals......