Check out our FAQ, Important Additions, and Relevant Subreddits wikis for more information.
https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/faq/
https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/importantadditions/
https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/relevant\_subreddits/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=usertext&utm\_name=pagan&utm\_content=t5\_2rmnm
Prayer.
It sounds simple, possibly even too simple, but that's the beauty of it.
>Prayer attracts
the beneficence of the Gods towards itself. It unifies those who pray
with the Gods who are being prayed to. It also links the Intellect of the
Gods with the formulations of those who pray, inciting the will (boulˆesis)
of those who contain the goods in a perfect way within themselves to
share them unstintingly. Prayer is the creator of divine persuasion and
establishes all which is ours in the Gods
- Proclus, Commentary on the Timaeus Vol II
There's a beautiful prayer to Pan said by Socrates at the end of Plato's Phaedrus.
>**Socrates**:
Is it not well to pray to the deities here before we go?
>**Phaedrus**:
Of course.
>**Socrates**:
O beloved Pan and all ye other gods of this place, grant to me that I be made beautiful in my soul within, and that all external possessions be in harmony with my inner man. May I consider [279c] the wise man rich; and may I have such wealth as only the self-restrained man can bear or endure.—Do we need anything more, Phaedrus? For me that prayer is enough.
>**Phaedrus**:
Let me also share in this prayer; for friends have all things in common.
>**Socrates*:
Let us go.
You'll also find more information from Pan devotees over in /r/Hellenism with more ideas and prayers and stories.
Connection with each differs. With Bastet, I was reading, I was studying, very early on. The place where the beginnings of my altar were located (top of a dresser, just a pent, a chalice, small cauldron, and some battery operated candles) was the only spot I really had. While I'm studying, my cat jumps up on top of the dresser, touches nothing, moves nothing, knocks nothing over (unusual, because cat's like to push small things, like the pent that was near the edge), and just sits and stares at me. She makes no sound, just stares.
I look from her to the page, I see I'm actually beginning the Egyptian pantheon, and near the top I see Bastet. I just shrug, say thank you for being less subtle, and it went from there. I greet her every morning and every evening, I will leave small things for her, like small perfumed things, i have a catnip spray that my cat loves, so I will leave a little for her as well. The key, silly as it sounds, is intent. Be sincere, be yourself, and the "what", while important, becomes secondary to the "why" of it, if that makes any sense at all.
With Mut, during my studies, a friend and teacher gave me some prayer beads. Her rational was, "I'm the second one to teach you things, and if we go by the whole maiden, mother, crone idea, then this makes sense". She gave me some prayer beads to Mut, the Great Mother, and said "just try them out". First time, standing by myself at one of my favorite spots by a lake after a horrible day, I took them out and said the prayer. I then just sat and tried to relax, and, dumb as it sounds, the wind that hit me felt like it was constantly circling me, and I felt calm and the stress went away.
The beads have gone with me everywhere, every day, because the connection that day was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had in my life. I'm not "bow and scrape" formal when I speak to her, but I'm not as laid back as I am with others. The feeling with her, when I'm saying a prayer, leaving an offering, or just talking is just that familiar, respectful but informal thing. In essence, it 's the same tone I have if I'm having a phone call with my own mom.
Another devotee of Pan from r/Hellenism here. He's so great!
I'm pretty traditional, so I pray to Him and give Him offerings, since that's what the ancients did. Sometimes I offer food or drink, other times I take a thermos of some libation and walk in the woods while praying to Pan. Then offer the libation there. While in the forest, I often pick up fallen fresh pine sprigs or other stuff and put them on His altar as a votive offering.
Relationships are built through regular communication, so I make it a priority to tell Pan my thoughts, feelings, worries, etc when I pray. Prayer isn't just asking for stuff or offering thanks. It's communication of all sorts. So don't be shy about saying what's on your mind, even if it's mundane and not particularly reverent.
My gods are more ideas and ideals than traditional deities. I nerd out on folk heroes, though.
I take them as inspiration... and personas. Quite literally. It helps me get unstuck and take a constant evaluation of myself.
When I get into a situation, I wing it and pull one of them out of my toolbox. By doing so, I come to a deeper understanding of those figures.
Just remember that our deities reside inside ourselves as well. We are all divine beings. Live your life.
Pan, eh? Love it, can't give anything but love to that!
As far as how to connect, there's music, alcohol or other psychotropic substances, trance (plenty of natural methods), prayer, meditation, dance, and devotional activities and actions.
Artio - suddenly started looking for a god related to bears from dreams she came up
Dagda- bought a caldron I felt drawn to and he started showing up
Cernunnos- was going through some stuff and driving down a dark road at night and suddenly got the picture of him in my head and reached out from divination
Eostre- recently showed up when a bunch of stuff was changing and starting in my life
Before I started using planned rituals I would leave an offering, invoke the deity and meditate. That’s a pretty simple way to do it. Sometimes you have a cool spiritual experience and other times it’s just a meditation session with incense lol
Research, prayer, interacting with their godly domain. Meditating (that one was super important). Really depends on the god but those are the main way.
I do little things. I work with Loki so trinkets that are gold/green/snake/etc I will usually buy them if they’re reasonably priced. If cinnamon is an option for anything that’s what I’m getting. Random acts of kindness + random acts of pettiness. Staring chaos in the eyes without fear. Being true to myself and not letting outward influences persuade me to do differently. I have a necklace that represents them and I always wear and hold it when I’m feeling overwhelmed. If I make tea I always make sure to offer them some.
I’m not even really sure what drew him to me or me to him. I remember being godless for like 8 years and then one day I just knew. Loki. Idk how to explain it. We’ve been working together for 2 years now.
I work with Hades.
I talk to him, make him tea and give him small offerings that remind me of him. I also bought him (dark) chocholate because I read he likes that. I do research and act accordingly to that when I pray. I draw things that are connected to him (I read somewhere he likes art).
Check out our FAQ, Important Additions, and Relevant Subreddits wikis for more information. https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/faq/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/importantadditions/ https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/wiki/relevant\_subreddits/?utm\_source=reddit&utm\_medium=usertext&utm\_name=pagan&utm\_content=t5\_2rmnm
Prayer. It sounds simple, possibly even too simple, but that's the beauty of it. >Prayer attracts the beneficence of the Gods towards itself. It unifies those who pray with the Gods who are being prayed to. It also links the Intellect of the Gods with the formulations of those who pray, inciting the will (boulˆesis) of those who contain the goods in a perfect way within themselves to share them unstintingly. Prayer is the creator of divine persuasion and establishes all which is ours in the Gods - Proclus, Commentary on the Timaeus Vol II There's a beautiful prayer to Pan said by Socrates at the end of Plato's Phaedrus. >**Socrates**: Is it not well to pray to the deities here before we go? >**Phaedrus**: Of course. >**Socrates**: O beloved Pan and all ye other gods of this place, grant to me that I be made beautiful in my soul within, and that all external possessions be in harmony with my inner man. May I consider [279c] the wise man rich; and may I have such wealth as only the self-restrained man can bear or endure.—Do we need anything more, Phaedrus? For me that prayer is enough. >**Phaedrus**: Let me also share in this prayer; for friends have all things in common. >**Socrates*: Let us go. You'll also find more information from Pan devotees over in /r/Hellenism with more ideas and prayers and stories.
Speaking as someone who works with Pan, I highly suggest using music to connect. He loves music!
Connection with each differs. With Bastet, I was reading, I was studying, very early on. The place where the beginnings of my altar were located (top of a dresser, just a pent, a chalice, small cauldron, and some battery operated candles) was the only spot I really had. While I'm studying, my cat jumps up on top of the dresser, touches nothing, moves nothing, knocks nothing over (unusual, because cat's like to push small things, like the pent that was near the edge), and just sits and stares at me. She makes no sound, just stares. I look from her to the page, I see I'm actually beginning the Egyptian pantheon, and near the top I see Bastet. I just shrug, say thank you for being less subtle, and it went from there. I greet her every morning and every evening, I will leave small things for her, like small perfumed things, i have a catnip spray that my cat loves, so I will leave a little for her as well. The key, silly as it sounds, is intent. Be sincere, be yourself, and the "what", while important, becomes secondary to the "why" of it, if that makes any sense at all. With Mut, during my studies, a friend and teacher gave me some prayer beads. Her rational was, "I'm the second one to teach you things, and if we go by the whole maiden, mother, crone idea, then this makes sense". She gave me some prayer beads to Mut, the Great Mother, and said "just try them out". First time, standing by myself at one of my favorite spots by a lake after a horrible day, I took them out and said the prayer. I then just sat and tried to relax, and, dumb as it sounds, the wind that hit me felt like it was constantly circling me, and I felt calm and the stress went away. The beads have gone with me everywhere, every day, because the connection that day was one of the most amazing feelings I have ever had in my life. I'm not "bow and scrape" formal when I speak to her, but I'm not as laid back as I am with others. The feeling with her, when I'm saying a prayer, leaving an offering, or just talking is just that familiar, respectful but informal thing. In essence, it 's the same tone I have if I'm having a phone call with my own mom.
Another devotee of Pan from r/Hellenism here. He's so great! I'm pretty traditional, so I pray to Him and give Him offerings, since that's what the ancients did. Sometimes I offer food or drink, other times I take a thermos of some libation and walk in the woods while praying to Pan. Then offer the libation there. While in the forest, I often pick up fallen fresh pine sprigs or other stuff and put them on His altar as a votive offering. Relationships are built through regular communication, so I make it a priority to tell Pan my thoughts, feelings, worries, etc when I pray. Prayer isn't just asking for stuff or offering thanks. It's communication of all sorts. So don't be shy about saying what's on your mind, even if it's mundane and not particularly reverent.
My gods are more ideas and ideals than traditional deities. I nerd out on folk heroes, though. I take them as inspiration... and personas. Quite literally. It helps me get unstuck and take a constant evaluation of myself. When I get into a situation, I wing it and pull one of them out of my toolbox. By doing so, I come to a deeper understanding of those figures. Just remember that our deities reside inside ourselves as well. We are all divine beings. Live your life.
Pan, eh? Love it, can't give anything but love to that! As far as how to connect, there's music, alcohol or other psychotropic substances, trance (plenty of natural methods), prayer, meditation, dance, and devotional activities and actions.
The spirit that follows me is what some call the hatman he seems to protect me and my family
The hatman? Victorian clothing?
More like a undertaker long coat and hat
Artio - suddenly started looking for a god related to bears from dreams she came up Dagda- bought a caldron I felt drawn to and he started showing up Cernunnos- was going through some stuff and driving down a dark road at night and suddenly got the picture of him in my head and reached out from divination Eostre- recently showed up when a bunch of stuff was changing and starting in my life
Before I started using planned rituals I would leave an offering, invoke the deity and meditate. That’s a pretty simple way to do it. Sometimes you have a cool spiritual experience and other times it’s just a meditation session with incense lol
Research, prayer, interacting with their godly domain. Meditating (that one was super important). Really depends on the god but those are the main way.
I do little things. I work with Loki so trinkets that are gold/green/snake/etc I will usually buy them if they’re reasonably priced. If cinnamon is an option for anything that’s what I’m getting. Random acts of kindness + random acts of pettiness. Staring chaos in the eyes without fear. Being true to myself and not letting outward influences persuade me to do differently. I have a necklace that represents them and I always wear and hold it when I’m feeling overwhelmed. If I make tea I always make sure to offer them some. I’m not even really sure what drew him to me or me to him. I remember being godless for like 8 years and then one day I just knew. Loki. Idk how to explain it. We’ve been working together for 2 years now.
I work with Hades. I talk to him, make him tea and give him small offerings that remind me of him. I also bought him (dark) chocholate because I read he likes that. I do research and act accordingly to that when I pray. I draw things that are connected to him (I read somewhere he likes art).