Pure Flame

Unveiling the Invisible Sun Within

POETRY, PRAYERS, & SACRED WRITINGS FROM

THE EARTH AND BEYOND

Kate Rogers
Fall 2010
 “Life is a pure flame,
and we live by an invisible sun within us.”
-Thomas Browne

Self-published in Guilderland, New York

September, 2010

Copyright © 2010 by Catherine Ashworth Rogers

All rights reserved
Table of Contents
Introduction ....................................................................................3
Suffer the Effort ..............................................................................4
I: In the Beginning ......................................................................5
II: Pastoral Prayers ....................................................................6
III: The Chosen ..........................................................................7
IV: Hindu ....................................................................................8
V: To Be Happy You Cannot Love ............................................9
VI: Hunger Pains .....................................................................10
VII: Meditation ..........................................................................11
VIII: Withering ..........................................................................12
IX: Greeting the Sun ................................................................13
X: Off-Spring ............................................................................15
XI: In the Shadow ....................................................................16
XII: Modern Messiah................................................................18
XIII: Sidewalk Serenade ..........................................................19
XIV. Suffer the Effort................................................................20
Poetry ...........................................................................................22
The Stream ..............................................................................23
Affirmation ...............................................................................24
Becoming .................................................................................25
The Earth Wise ........................................................................26
Camp Mohawk .........................................................................27
The Path She Follows .............................................................34
Star Dust ..................................................................................37
Shielding ..................................................................................38
Three Breath Meditation ..........................................................39
Searching for Stillness .............................................................41
Haiku for Inner Peace ..............................................................42
Haiku to Vision of Bronze Buddha ...........................................43
My Witness ..............................................................................44
Doldrums .................................................................................45

1
 Fullness of the Lady ............................................................... 46
Dark Mother ............................................................................ 47
Death ...................................................................................... 48
Early Summer ......................................................................... 49
Prayers ........................................................................................ 50
Opening Invocation ................................................................. 50
Ostara - Spring Equinox ......................................................... 51
Invocations.............................................................................. 52
A Prayer of Gratitude .............................................................. 53
Devotional Prayer ................................................................... 54
A Thanksgiving Prayer ........................................................... 55
Connection Prayer .................................................................. 56
Moon Prayer ........................................................................... 57
Prayer of Change ................................................................... 58
Mabon ..................................................................................... 59
Prayer for Peace ..................................................................... 60
Evening Prayer ....................................................................... 61
Night Blessing ......................................................................... 62
Shaman's Song ...................................................................... 63
Solstice Sun ............................................................................ 64

2
Introduction
"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it.
That is why you must read, that is why you must look at the
skies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, and
suffer, and understand, for all that is life."
~ J. Krishnamurti

The following is a collection of work created over the course of

more than twenty years of exploring and following a spiritual quest
for truth, peace, and purpose. The tale begins with Suffer the
Effort, written when I was 21 and beginning my search for
religious identity. The Poems and Prayers that follow were written
in the following decades, and document the places this search
has taken me. Although each of the poems and prayers were
written in different times, under different circumstances, I have
taken some care to arrange them here in a way I believe supports
and continues the journey I seek to document. Ultimately, each
piece herein is a piece of the story; they are artifacts that litter the
path of an earnest, if sometimes uncertain, spiritual seeker. They
are an attempt to capture, explore, and convey the sights along
the way.

3
Suffer the Effort
"The sacred place is not remote;
No special roads lead to it.
If one proceeds where a guide has pointed,
He will find only a slippery, moss-covered bridge."
- Genro

This section, written as one linked piece, is comprised of several

poems connected by the theme of Spiritual Searching. It was
written in college when I was 21and actively searching for a
spiritual identity. As such, it represents a critical stage of my
lifelong search for spiritual truth.

It examines the journey of exploration and discovery that I

experienced as I began the path of the Seeker. It chronicles the
euphoria of discovery as well as the confusion, scorn, and fear of
those who surrounded and challenged me. It ends with an
acceptance and understanding of my journey for what it was, with
its beauty and pitfalls.

4
"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God".
-Matthew 5:8

I: In the Beginning

It all began
innocently enough;
this search I mean,
this burning.

When asked to define

Religion
I did not know.

I was forced to think

about what religion was,
and what I thought,
and I did not know.

Like all good students do

I'm told
I went to Merriam and Webster.
:Religion is a belief or cause
held to with faith and ardor.
how nice.
So what is faith?
:a system of religious beliefs.
That makes it clear.

Ardor was the only word

that broke this neat circle.
:a warmth of feeling- zeal.
"zeal" I found was
:an eager and ardent interest
in the pursuit of
something.

And with Zeal

I began my pursuit.

5
II: Pastoral Prayers

Our Sunday prayers say

God is the Father,
the Almighty
maker of Heaven and Earth;
of all that is,
seen and unseen.

But with him, my child

is the Lord,
Jesus Christ.
Only son of the Father,
through him
all things were made.
He alone is the Holy One.
He alone is the Lord.
He alone is the Most High.
With the Holy Spirit
in the Glory of God the Father.

The Holy Spirit

is the Lord,
The giver of life,
who proceeds from the
Father and the Son...

Then why do we call you father?

-Because we are all children of God-

Jesus is Most High over God?

-When Judgment Day comes-

Jesus is the only son of God,

but aren't we all children of God?
-Yes, my child-

6
III: The Chosen
To be a good Jew
you must believe in the law
which is the Torah
which came from the prophets
from God.

It is not always easy

to be chosen by God.
For we are the Chosen people
and for that we suffer.

Always you must believe

in the unchanging
truth of God,
and live in such a way
so not to sin;
by obeying the law.

You must pray daily,

for that is the law.

You must eat what is prescribed,

for that is the law.

You must not steal, oppress, or hate,

for that is the law.

You must have peace in your heart,

for that is the law.

So it is written.

7
IV: Hindu
Nirvana.
The Ultimate Truth.
Meditate on discovery,
and discover, you shall.

All of Life flows

in an endless circle.
Like the seasons of Nature,
so are the seasons of
immortality.

Death is but a sleep

and a forgetting.
We would not wish to be
overwhelmed
by the memories of
millions of past lives.

When you have

prepared yourself,
you shall find these memories
and the truths within you,
and then you will join Nirvana.

All people will become equal,

but are not born so.
Submit to the fate of your birth,
and do not attempt to fight
your destiny.

If the wheels of fate

decree for you a low caste,
submit meekly,
search for peace,
and wait for the
wheels of karma
to turn.

8
V: To Be Happy You Cannot Love
Buddha is
the awakened
and seeks the truth
as a guide for man.

Life is suffering
embodied in the
Four Noble Truths:

Old age, illness, and death;

dislikes, separation, and failures,
For these we suffer.

The desire for pleasure,

the desire for power,
the desire for being,
For these we suffer.

Separate yourself
from desire;
destroy it completely,
then you shall not suffer.

The fourth Noble Truth: to conquer desire,

you must follow The Eightfold Path.

Right belief, right resolve,

right speech, right behavior,
right effort, right occupation,
right contemplation,
right concentration.
This path will lead you
to perfect peace.

Perfect peace
free from desire
free from suffering
detached from life.

9
VI: Hunger Pains
Which now
shall I claim
as my religion?

Christianity is the
following of Jesus.
Judaism is the
Religion of the Law.
Hinduism is a
fellowship of faiths, yet
Buddhism is
the Awakened.

There is also Islam,

the submission to Allah,
but Taoism is
The Way.
Shinto is
The Way of the Gods,
and Confucianism is
The Middle Path.

Which is correct?
They all seem to seek
Truth,
and taste incomplete.

I hunger for that

which they cannot explain.
Their words fuel my desire,
and desire is suffering.

I suffer for truth,

I yearn for knowledge,
I crave the awakening
of faith.

10
VII: Meditation
Who am I?
Where do I belong?
I look around
and see nothing but swirling blankness.

I search harder,
perceptions strain,
and see my questions blend
with the questions of others.

I look into the souls

of these others.
I see free spirits
bound,
straining to break the bonds
of fears we cannot know.

The blankness is a guessing game.

It holds no answers
yet knows them all.

The spirit moves us to blind trust,

Blind Faith
in whatever our grasping minds can grip.

When finally we turn inward

the chains fall away,
the answers reveal,
and the soul can soar
unfettered.

11
VIII: Withering
Do you listen
to your own words?
Am I the only one
that can hear the
irony
drip from you lips
like melting ice
off your frozen minds?

Am I
the only one
who strains
to hear the lonely melody
of truth
in the cacophony
of religions
you sing to?

Why am I
condemned
for wanting the same peace
that you claim to have?

12
IX: Greeting the Sun
The wafting scent of pine
was carried gently down
from the trees,
embracing the grass
where I lay.

Summer sun
bathed the branches,
casting cool lattice
across my upturned face.

The swallows sang

in random order,
the crickets hummed
in steady harmony.

My mind was drifting

slowly, effortless,
like the billowing white
of floating clouds.

My eyes followed a bumblebee

feeding nectared blossoms,
only to feed a spider
in a patiently spun web.

My heart smiled for the bee,

who nurtured the flower
and the spider,
both the beautiful and the feared.
.
.
And my mind became
that web,
spinning and radiating,
vibrating with a thought.
.
.

13
There was god
in the bee making honey,
and in the spider who fed of the bee.
There, in the summer sun
and in laced snow
which feeds the spring.

The ground stood firm

beneath my head
while my heart rejoiced
Nature.

14
X: Off-Spring
Mom, this may well be
the only time
our thoughts diverge.
In this matter,
we are of two minds.
I have admired you
and echoed you,
but the light of your faith
served only
to illuminate
my own unblazoned path.

You gave me life

but you could not give me
your peace of mind.

You,
my best friend,
gave me the ability
to search.
To find my way
alone.

Your mind,
as open and expansive
as your friendship
now reflects
my own light,
showing us together
under combined illumination.

15
XI: In the Shadow

Have you heard of Hellfire?

Can you say Damnation?

God is good
you bitch,
and I feel sorry for you
because God won't accept
your blasphemy.

Do you have any idea

how long eternity is?
Do you know how long it would take
for God to forgive your saying
"I am god"?

Never.
He does not forgive
sinners and blasphemy.
God loves everyone,
except for those
like you
who don't believe.

Just you wait and see.

Just you wait and see
how God deals
with heretic pagans
like yourself.

Look at me.
I am saved.
See how pure and happy I am
in the Light of God's love?

Look at yourself.
You are damned.
Forever cast in the shadow
of God's scorn.

16
Eternal Hellfire
because you are not like me.

Can you say Hallelujah?

17
XII: Modern Messiah
Come with me, she said
if you are so curious
and full of yourself.

I too was searching,

like you,
and thought I had found
answers.

I too was so damned sure

I had found the way,
alone,
until I met this man.

He's hard to describe, he

radiates.
And he tells a truth
you can believe.

His words flow

out and over
until you sway
his song.

And it doesn't even

cost that much.
What is money
compared to truth?

18
XIII: Sidewalk Serenade
Have you found God?
they ask with eager eyes
and flashing fervor,
surrounding me with
tambourine and hallelujah.

Eyes smile back,

laughing at their desperate urge
to salvage and absorb.
Relieving their mind
I say yes.

Their faces thrill with

embracing joy,
finding another that
has come into their fold.

Have you found nature? I ask.

The frantic light dims,

puzzlement
takes its place.
Patiently I wait,
amused by their assumptions.

Have you found Christ? they counter,

defensive now,
detached.

Dimly I smile,
retreating myself.
I did not realize he was lost.

19
XIV. Suffer the Effort
Much to my dismay
one day I discovered
that I am damned.

It was confusing to me
as I aspired to lead a
sinless life
and it was my belief I had.

They say my great sin

is that I do not follow
their faith
and their god.

They say my great sin

is that I do not go
to their cold stone places
and worship their words.

"Where is my sin,"
I ask, "when I have
faith and I have
found God?"

I have found my God

in all that lives.
That powerful
mysterious force
which drives roots into soil
and springs petals from the stem.

I have felt this

Great Force
forever winding in circles,
spinning the cycles of nature.

I have not seen their

Almighty God
whose powerful hand

20
strikes down one while
uplifting another.

I have found
my peace of mind
in the assurance
of continued life.

There I have found

my faith and strength
and for that
I’ll gladly remain damned.

21
Poetry

"Man fixes some wonderful erection of his own between himself

and the wild chaos, and gradually goes bleached and stifled
under his parasol. Then comes a poet, enemy of convention, and
makes a slit in the umbrella; and lo! the glimpse of chaos is a
vision, a window to the sun."
- D. H. Lawrence

Poetry is written in the language of the Spirit. It attempts to

express what cannot be expressed in any other way. This section
contains poems that were written at various stops along my
spiritual journey.

22
The Stream
A branch falls,
dead, from the sun
into the flowing water.
the splash, hollow
amidst the
bubbling stream.

Twigs trail their fingers

through the trickling wet
much as a child might
on a hot and hazy
summer day.

A bird lights
on the branch
like a light
on a branch,
picks a seed
from the peeling bark
and flies away again.

The dry branch

drinks deeply
from the cool
clear flow
while remaining anchored
fast to shore.

Moonlight falls
on its resting body
and a new cycle
begins.

23
Affirmation
Today, I affirm myself.
In this moment, I embrace myself.
In this heartbeat, I become myself.

I stare with stern eyes

into the hidden reaches of my soul
and snare my deepest truths.

And reaching out to me

from my darkest pockets of soul-shards
is my own throbbing light
reaching out to me.

24
Becoming
The clouds
cover the sky,
a thick gray blanket, yet
I can see beyond them
to the sun
fringing
the blazing horizon.

The air
is bitter cold
yet my soul,
and heart, revels
in its own heat.

From the sky

falls snow,
chill, wet, heavy;
I admire the beauty
of each delicate flake.

I stand in wonder
of every cloud,
wisp of wind,
and snowflake.

All around is harsh

yet I am soft,
pliable, breathing in
our existence.

25
The Earth Wise
The time has come
when the Mother
needs her Children.
We who have learned
and were raised in her heart.

Come out of your snug caves,

peer out from behind that
Grandfather Oak;
proudly reclaim your place
by joining hands and dancing!

Do not cower or quiver,

there is no more need for fear.
The burning times have passed.
Leap from the ashes laughing!

26
Camp Mohawk
A Saga of Self
This poem tells about how I learned to love nature,
through my early experience at camp the summer I was five. Five
years later my family miraculously moved across the street, and
those 43 acres became my backyard paradise.

I first arrived
in the fifth summer
of my life.
As a child I felt
I was somehow
returning
to a place
I once loved well.

It had become
a Day Camp.
A joyous escape
from pavement
to wooded ecstasy.

All that summer,

that sun swollen
childish summer,
I explored
and expanded,
granted a reprieve.

I was already
too old to be five.
Innocence
and tender trust
no longer belonged to me.

This woodland wonderland

became my looking glass.
Childhood was preserved;
wonder returned
to where wonder
was lost.

27
*****************************************************************
Arrival Day

There's a lot
I don't remember now;
the waiting
for that standard yellow schoolbus
that picked me up.
I don't remember
the ride.
I don't remember even
where I lived then.

I do remember
The Turn.
The bus squeezes itself
down a narrow
tree lined tunnel.
It's marked
with a small wooden sign.
"Welcome
to Camp Mohawk".

My memories begin
with that faded sign
and that shaded
rutted road.

The summer schoolbus

would shudder
and jerk to a halt,
releasing its charges
into the summer sunshine
beside the camp headquarters.
The Pavillion.

*****************************************************************
Connection

That first day

we were divided

28
by ages;
my new family
of strangers.
My group was told
to meet in the Lower Field.

We were paired up
and set free.
My companion and I
ventured forth
hand in hand.
she found the Field.
I found Paradise.

*****************************************************************
Summer School

That summer;
that glorious
blossoming summer!
The forest became
my classroom.
The trees and animals
became my friends.

I learned about
Dutch Elm disease,
how to whistle
on acorn caps,
and get free paper
from Birch trees.

I learned that
if you walk carefully,
you can gaze
upon the grazing deer.

If you sit quietly,

the birds will
build their nests
and sing nearby.

29
I learned how
to walk down
a steep hill sideways,
so you won't slip
on pebbles underfoot.

(You have to go
slower still
in Autumn,
when fallen leaves
make the slope slippery.)

I watched minnows
darting about
in the shallows.
We weren't allowed
to cross the creek
to see larger fish
in the deeper parts.

But we learned to skip stones

and watch the rock
bounce to the far shore,
Wondering
what the big kids meant
by "panty raid".

*****************************************************************
Rain Out

Then the tents

were all set up
for the Camp Overnight,
the Bonfire was prepared
for our Weenie-Roast,
and that morning it rained.

We waited
with our bundled
sleeping bags,
water dripping from
the bonfire logs,

30
for the rays
of the setting sun.

That day,
I learned where West was,
as I searched
for broken clouds
and golden rays.
Clouds and Campouts
don't mix.

We went home
dragging damp blankets
and Summer ended.
No more crafts
with pasta and paint.
No more pinecones,
nature trails,
and scavenger hunts.
No more
splashing to catch
a greased watermelon
in chlorine water
that went
over my head.

*****************************************************************
Autumn

The trees are now displaying

their scarlet flags.
I gather bluejay feathers
and brilliant leaves,
mementos of a promise
to return.

The schoolbus emerged

from the shadowy tunnel
to return me to
my childhood.
I went home
transformed.

31
*****************************************************************
Homecoming
I'm ten now
and have not forgotten
bittersweet memories of
half a lifetime ago.
I remember
the faded sign
and the rutted road.

I've lived with

concrete playgrounds
and scraggy woods.
I've remembered
to walk carefully
but saw no deer.

We finally move
away from sidewalks
and trees in pots.
A real house,
with a forest
right across the street.

At last a chance
to learn again what
I am slowly forgetting.
A certain set of pines,
so proud;
where to find White Birch,

My longing creates a mirage

of the memories I dwell in...
An arch of trees
forming a tunnel...
a faded wooden sign
and a rutted
schoolbus road.

32
*****************************************************************
Manifesting Dreams

My longing
and long dreaming
have deceived me...
and yet it is so.
All I thought was lost
is rediscovered.

But now I'm ten,

and this is my
backyard!
My fabled Wonderland,
my fading Eden,
my adventure reawakened!

No pairing up,
and counselors
forbidding me the stream.
The Nature Trails
walked so long in dreams
are emptied
with the last bus out.

Now September,
when school begins
and Day Camp ends,
the trails are mine to walk.
At four O’clock
the trees whisper
their invitation.

My sanctuary is restored!
I dive between the trees,
daring myself to get lost,
and finding my way
inevitably
back home.

33
The Path She Follows
By a mountain stream flowing,
falling, rushing,
step by step
over time-worn stones,
I sit breathing softly
under the leafy canopy
as dangling fingers
and trailing toes
splash idly
in liquid crystal,
catching sparkles
of sun on spray
lifted
on a sweet scented breeze.

A rustling step sounds

on fallen needles of pine
above me
and behind.
At the top of the falls,
Where earth and water
meet the sky's horizon
stands a woman alone.
Draped in black,
shadowed against the setting sun,
a halo forms
around her flowing robes
as the breeze dances
about her feet.

The cloak falls back

against her shoulders
and fading sunlight
reveals a face
serene in its repose.
Her eyes reflected midnight,
laughter shone in her gaze
like stars.
Framed by graying locks,

34
beauty
worn by time.

A hand emerges
and beckons me,
Arise and Follow.
As I climb along the banks,
she turns
and slips silently
amongst the trees.
A trail of glowing footsteps
weaves a dance
deeper within the woods;
I follow.

The breeze fades

with fading light.
The trees cease
their sighing song
and cloak me
with deepening dusk.
Pacing the pearlescent prints,
the scent of pine rises
from my feet.

The path I follow

ends with the last light;
parting trees reveal
a starlight dusted glade.
There, in the center,
the woman sits
and beckons.

Her face is smiling

comfort and welcome
as the crescent moon
sets behind her head.
Rising,
she takes my hand.

Standing thus,
Mother and Child,

35
I gaze upon the heavens.
Dizzied by the endless depths of space,
eyes watering with its magnitude,
she lowers me gently
onto the dewy grass.

Stroking my hair
and caressing
my dampened cheeks,
she murmurs gentle words
of tender love.

In a forest glade glowing,

silent dew beading
on blades of grass,
I lay breathing softly
under the starry canopy
as beating hearts
and gazing eyes
flare with shooting stars.

With a rustling step

she rises,
silhouetted by dark trees
and bright stars.
Gathering her cloak
back against her shoulders,
She began to dance
upon the returning trail.

And rising, I dance.

Arms out flung, I spin.
Smiling, I slip silently
amongst the trees,
laughter shining in my eyes
like stars
and my footsteps glow
where I tread.

36
Star Dust
Those rare dazzling moments
when we are open to the sheer
wonder of the Universe,
those moments when we are
intimately aware that
we are composed of star dust,

those moments are fleeting.

Seeking those moments and
straining to stretch them out,
make our moment of connection
last just a bit longer,
that’s what the spirit strives for.

Each time we stretch those

delicate wings of the soul,
they grow stronger; able
to carry us farther, to greater
heights, perhaps even

soaring us back to that moment

of ultimate connection
when we can feel the shimmering
atoms of the stars themselves
glowing within our flesh.

37
Shielding
The golden ball spins in my hands,
glowing, winking, it pulses
with an intense brightness
within the center of its essence.

Swirling rainbow iridescence

rippling its surface, responding
to my heated hand and
stroking caress.

The energy linked to a million Universes

lies sparkling in my hands,
its glowing pulse matching my own
until my blood glows in harmony.

It grows as I spread my palms

as wide as my arms allow
then stretches and forms around me.
I stand within.

38
Three Breath Meditation
The first breath drags inward
and closes the eyes,
expanding the breast upward
with arms sweeping, rising,
palms open and receiving,
saying Focus on Now.

The hands meet above the head,

a prayer posture extended above
saying Here!
There is no time but this moment
The body an extended arrow,
pointing up, out, away.

The first exhale, a slow sigh with

palm-pressed hands drawing a line
straight down past the sighing lips, down
the center line of the Spirit,
saying Enter the Stillness...
Feel the Earth beneath your feet...

The second breath in brings

Earth energy up with the hands
sweeping out from the side like wings,
filling each body hollow
and sweeping up the Crown.
The hands press above into a prayer.

The second exhale, the breath

hisses through the skin as
the healing hands move down
pushing the hoarded debris of Spirit
into the nourishing compost of Earth.
The hands sweep down and away.

The third breath in,

hands sweeping up and becoming
soaring wings of light,
reaches up and gathers in,

39
drawing down the heavenly Ki
streaming through the body from above.

The third exhale, a soul-sent sigh

that streams through the spirit,
connecting back to earth,
balanced perfectly between.
A living pillar held open
to the Flow of Divine.

40
Searching for Stillness
The candles glow
upon the altar of self.
Lit by a hand made steady
by steady habit of time.

The words are whispered

into the space that spans
the seeking spirit
and the silent flame.

Staring into the stillness,

the swirling senses slow,
the struggle to stay centered
is accepted, and stilled.

The Sacred Space is prepared.

The Altar is lit from within.

41
Haiku for Inner Peace
Peaceful bliss begins,
a delicate downy wisp,
a fluttering hope.

The stillness of joy

starts deep within the Spirit,
eager to expand.

Allowing sorrows
to soften into balance,
deepening the soul.

42
Haiku to Vision of Bronze Buddha
Steam curls and rises
above the forest treetops,
below the high perch.

Murmuring water
travels on the breath of breeze,
a hidden streamlet.

Overlooking all,
serenely sits the Buddha,
his bronze gaze unchanged.

His pose is stillness

on the edge of the mountain.
His moment is now.

Supreme attention
to the center of stillness
finds the path to joy.

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My Witness
Nexus points are full
Of emerging futures, empty
Of direction, all things are possible
And equally impossible.
Whence comes the clarified direction?

Who watches
As we thrash our way
Along paths unknowing?
Detours collide with destinations
The paced struggle defines the pace

Upon us and before us

Tread the soles of history
Decisions, choices
Rolling heel to toe
Wearing paths for us to follow.

Well worn paths mutely guide blind feet

To common destinations
Destiny denied the chance to detour
Who sees the end of the road less traveled?
My witness is the empty sky.

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Doldrums
My steady routine
staggers and slows.
Guilt nags me back
sometimes
but outer cares distract.

All of my plans
for the unfolding
of my soul
lay waiting as I play
and read and work and
keep busy with the minutia
of carrying this body
through time.

Feeling guilty because

I’m not striving daily
for the betterment of
myself and the world.

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Fullness of the Lady
When the Sun balances
on the rim of the mountains;
tumbling his rays with sprays
of golden showers into the valleys below;

The Earth trembles

beneath the edge of the shadowing horizon
and with one last slow push
gives birth to the rising Moon.

She peers curiously at

her departing lover and
pulls herself higher to see
where he has gone.

Her rounded belly glows

from his hidden strength.

She stretches her arms

across the sky, braiding the stars
into her radiant hair.

Strolling across the night

she sings to the dreamers
as she journeys to join
her restless lover.

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Dark Mother
~In memory of an unnamed woman from Sevastopol,
Ukraine, who was burned on a stake as a witch, January, 1997.

Let her death be remembered.

I will remember.
I remember.

She is the unnamed woman.

Her name is my own.
She is me.

Her rope burns scar my wrists.

I am tied to the stake.
I am burned.

Let my death be remembered.

My death transforms me.
I am renewed.

Use my anger
to heat the forge of change.
Use my rage
to temper the blade of justice.

Empower my voice
so that I may speak
for the forever silent.

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Death
Death is a gateway at the end of a well trod path.

Death is a blossom that drops its petals to prepare for the swelling
seed.

Death is a song with endless verses.

Death is a spiral dance with the universe.

Death is a moment, a nanosecond, a pulse of thought.

Death is the balance, the blessing, the mirror that reflects

meaning.

Death is the tear in the eye that waters the seed of rebirth.

Death is the reward of a well-lived life.

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Early Summer
A beautiful early summer morning,
A hint of cool damp mists the green
as the last of the chill night dew
evaporates into bright morning sunshine,
as the songbirds trill
their prophetic morning greetings
to this lucent start of day.

A playful gust of breeze

runs fingers through leafy hedges,
making motherly “shushing” sounds as though
to hush the nattering chicks who peep
incessantly from within the leafy depths.
Dappled shadows dance and play upon
the grass as the rippled breeze returns
to brush against the shrubs once again.

A steadier trickle of breeze caresses

the lush spring growth of grasses, as
a mother might lovingly trail her fingers
through her child’s hair,
but the heads of these grasses grow heavy with seed,
still green but swelling
with new life, ripening
in the lush green sunshine
of early summer.

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Prayers
"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."
-Alfred Tennyson

Prayers allow our Spirits to reach outward toward the Divine

Presence. They express the yearnings of our Souls. The
difference between poetry and prayer is often very small.

Opening Invocation
We enter this space with Love in our hearts,
To make it a place Between the Worlds and
Outside of Time.
May the Eyes of the Universe
Lend witness and support to our gathering together.
So Mote It Be!

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Ostara - Spring Equinox
Opening Invocation

Today is the balance point on the Wheel of Seasons.

We say Farewell to Winter and Welcome to Spring!

We welcome the Fertility of the God and Goddess.

We honor the Rebirth of the Earth.
We rejoice at the Return of the Sun.

We charge ourselves
With the Energy of the quickening sap
And budding trees.

As the soil softens and the snow melts,

So are we cleansed and renewed.

As the Sun waxes in strength,

So may our Spirits.

So Mote It Be.

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Invocations
She of the stars dancing,
She of the hawk soaring,
She of the moon glowing,
Come to me.

He of the wind sighing,

He of the Raven crowing,
He of the Sun shining,
Come to me.

She of the rain falling,

She of the bird nesting,
She of the lava surging,
Come to me.

He of the deer rutting,

He of the seed planted,
He of the danger answered,
Come to me.

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A Prayer of Gratitude
I thank you for the bountiful blessings
you have showered upon me in this life.
I thank you for the abundance
with which you have graced my soul.
I am full to overflowing,
filled with your white brilliance
flowering within my spirit.
It is through my connection with you
that I live my life.
I see my own divinity
reflected in your shining face.

Oh Lady Goddess,
your strength and beauty
fill me with wonder.
I am dazzled at your gentle gaze.
You are subtle and wise,
and aid the spiritual traveler
with warm nourishment
and a safe place to rest.

Oh Lord God of the Hunt,

God of the Greenwood,
God the Elder of the Tribe,
you flood me with strength
when my knees lose their support.
You are the hunter, the grower,
the elder, the provider.
Show me your wisdom and leadership
to guide me safely through this life.

I thank you both for the many gifts

you have showered upon my spirit.
I ask only that you walk beside me
and guard my path
as I follow where it leads.

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Devotional Prayer
He who stands with feet planted firmly upon the Earth,
Wings stretched across the heavens,
a jar of Thunder pouring from His shoulder:
To You, my dear God, I send my love.

She who rises up from the womb of the Earth,

Arms embracing the four winds,
the streaks of moonlight tangling Her hair,
with stars in Her eyes:
To You, my dear Goddess, I send my love.

I stand firmly upon the womb of the Earth,

my wings spanning the horizon,
moon beams catching in my hair.

I am embraced between Earth and Sky.

My spirit is expanded by Love.
And Stars shine in my eyes.

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A Thanksgiving Prayer
Today I opened my eyes and beheld the bright blue sky out my
window.
I am thankful for my eyes that let me see. I am thankful for the
Sky above me
that protects this planet. I am thankful that I have a window to
keep out the
cold. I am thankful for the roof over my head. I am thankful for my
comfortable bed where I slept so soundly.

Today I showered and dressed for a special dinner with my

family.
I am thankful for clean water. I am thankful for warm clothing. I am
thankful
for a family that loves me despite my flaws. I am thankful for my
own
children. I am thankful that I have a place to go.

Today I share a feast of Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for the corn that ripened and died for my meal. I am
thankful
for the apples that fill the pies. I am thankful for the Turkey that
lived and
died this week so that I may share him with my family and friends.
I am
thankful for the sacrifice of life in exchange for life.

Today I will sleep and digest.

I will leave the pain behind me, and be thankful for the gifts that I
have.
I have breath. I have life. I have an abundant capacity to love.
I remember.

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Connection Prayer
Dearest Mother,
I have need of thee.

Step behind my eyes

and give me a larger perspective.

Step inside my spirit

and fill me with your divine strength.

Walk with my feet,

Listen with my ears,
Share my body once again.

I miss seeing Your face

when I look in the mirror.

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Moon Prayer

Lady of the Dark Moon:

Hold me within your dark embrace as You hide your face in

shadow.
Shine your dark light within my soul,
and help me find that which was crushed, wounded, and lost.

O Lady of the Dark Moon, I ask you for mastery of self.

Lady of the New Moon:

Squeeze my hand tightly as you reveal Your face to me once

more.
Your lancets of light pierce my shadows, and bleed the wounds.
As you wax in strength, hold my hand and lead me to Your Full
brilliance.

O Lady of the New Moon, I ask you for illumination.

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Prayer of Change
Pele-
Melt me down and reshape me.
Consume me and transform me.
Let me burn with your heat of creation.
Destroy me so that I may be reborn.

*Stretches hands upward to the sky*

I am Changing Woman! I spin my webs of spirit!

*traces circle in the dirt*

I am Summer Face Woman! My Spirit shall never die!

*spins in circle, weaving a net of protection*

I am Snake Woman! I writhe and molt... help me shed this
skin!

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Mabon
the autumnal equinox,
when the earth itself
is poised in balance

Although that balance is fleeting,

a moment only,
a spinning pause

Then the axis begin to tilt

toward darkness,
the failing of the light

The long night,

although that too is spinning away
back into balance

For a moment,
then light;
all is impermanent

All seeking balance,

always a spinning moment
as it changes

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Prayer for Peace
Imbolc – February 1, 2003

This is Imbolc, when the ice begins to melt, the earth begins to
soften, and the seed begins to stir in the darkness. Let the small
seeds of peace also stir within the hearts of those who have been
locked in the ice of fear, anger, and hatred.

As the heat of the sun strengthens and warms the earth, so may
the heat of love and compassion strengthen the will and spirits of
all of us who strive for peace.

I will strive to soften my impatience, so that my compassion can

break free and thrive. Peace is a harvest worthy of my patience. I
cannot hasten the growth of the crop by tugging on the new
shoots But I can prepare the soil where the seeds of peace may
grow.

I can allow love to burn so brightly within me that I glow with the
force of it, and allow it to shine so that the fear and anger held
within the hearts of others begins to soften and melt.

Peace is not an outward ideal, but an inner truth that lies deep
within each heart. May it break forth and flourish. So mote it be.

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Evening Prayer
When the clouds sigh
and sweep the breath of rain
across the drapery of evening,

and the roosting birds return

to preen the damp from
weighted wings,

then do I sing my song

of breath and beauty,
swaying with the sight.

Stillness settles
as the sun seeps through
the bending horizon.

The rustle of leaves

hushes like whispers
of healing breath,

my silent song
slides along the
edge of night,

as peace descends.

61
Night Blessing
This was the blessing that I recited to my children every night until
they reached their tween years.

Have a good night sleep (hands crossed over my heart)

filled with pleasant dreams, (hands spread out over my head)

knowing you are safe and protected (hands palms out, circle
around)

by the light of my love. (Hands return crossed over my heart)

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Shaman's Song
Here I am standing before you,
a shape-shifting keeper of light.
Rooted in Helderberg mountains,
born of the forested heights.

Touched in the heart by the Goddess;

Struck down by the flame of the God;
Spirit trail first led to Tortoise;
Raven and Hawk gave their nod.

Mother's blood, daughter of Ashworth

where Mashpee and Celtic combine.
Born to be one who can listen,
passing my blood down the line.

Drumming from center of spirit,

I walk between worlds and I soar;
Journeying, seeking new wisdom,
Spirit guides teaching me more.

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Solstice Sun
Under the stars,
under the clouds,
under the deep blue sky,
under the full moon,
under the Solstice sun;

We dance the sacred dance,

chant the sacred songs,
invoke the sacred spirits,
share the sacred feast,
dream the sacred dream;

Under stars, we share,

dancing the clouds,
chanting the sky,
dreaming the moon,
invoking the Solstice sun.

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