A new beginning surges forward
like the foaming ocean waves,
like sudsy water of a washer woman
rushing forward over cobblestones,
washing away the dust on the road.
Cleaning blackboards with white cloth,
wiping away traces of the last lesson,
preparing for the start of a new day,
starting over once again from the top;
and this time, with feeling, please.
Purification requires great care:
bathing the body is not enough;
sanitize the home and property,
sterilize the hearth and the sink,
clarify the mind and heart as well.
May your new beginnings be blessed,
may they sweep clean your path,
may they purify your worn soul,
and may you ever find the way
to those you need most.

–Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

I pray to the Goddesses of the Sun:

Samsa, Gün Ana, Shapash, Shapshu,
Xihe, Amaterasu, Bast, Bastet,
Olwen, Saule, Uelanuhi, Hekoolas,
Sunna, Hathor, Sekhmet, Pattini,
Hashi, Brigid, Aine, Adit,
and all the names I do not know:
bring me your holy light.
Light of healing and protection,
Light of strength and warmth,
Light of creative and fertile growth,
Light of purifying passion and energy.
Let your fire ever be fueled
and like a phoenix let us be reborn.
As you will it, so let it be.

—-Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Power

Queens of everything,
Goddesses of the cosmos,
lend us your good judgment,
your wisdom, your knowledge,
and your means for effecting change,
that we may be powerful enough,
and righteous enough,
and kind enough,
to help protect and care for
ourself, those we love, and
the innocently suffering
oppressed, the unjustly wronged and
injured, the enslaved and the despairing,
the maddeningly sick and the
sickeningly mad,
and let us work your will in
their care, their assistance,
and delivery or vengeance
as you will.

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Every end is a beginning
And every beginning an end
The gods will ever be winning
All that humanity chooses to spend.

Merry meet and blessed be
And Hecate guard your way
May the road bring what you need
Easy paths for night and day.

Merry part and bless your heart
And may you return again
For the best of all within the art
Is the one we may call a friend.

Every end is a beginning
And every beginning an end
The gods will ever be winning
If human craft ceases to end.

 

—-Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

Warnings

Attention: carelessness is hazardous
to your health and others’;
So always do your homework
And be scrupulous and thorough
Guard against intemperance
But lapse not into total abstention
Let your ambitions be small and healthy
Your intentions ever useful and kind
For if you wreak changes too large
Chaotic principles will apply
If you are not careful you can harm
Even more than if you intentionally try
So do what you will if you may
Never forgetting the rule of three
And ever take care not to play out
Someone else’s version
of who you are going to be.

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Protection

Earth goddesses provide
protection through walls
and doors unbreached.
Air goddesses provide detection
of intruders and attackers pre-leach.
Fire goddesses provide disinfection
and clean away their malicious effects.
Water goddesses provide correction
to each of their untoward aspects.
Ladies of above, below, and in
between guard me against the
unseen and obscene.
So Mote It Be.

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Magic begins with love:
love of self and love of other.
Forget not your love of others:
family, friends, fellow travelers,
lest you forget your place
in a world of constant shifting
and changing allegiances;
we all need some grounding.
Remember to care for those in need
and refuse no hospitality
when it can be given freely.
Forget not your love of self:
needs, wants, desires, ambitions,
lest you forget your purpose
in a world which is lost
with no inherent meaning and
a common tragedy of values;
we all need some elevation.
Remember to care for your you
and refuse no helping hand
that can be given freely.
Magic beings with love:
love of self and love of others.

 

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Circle Casting

 

Circle of starlight,
Circle of fire,
filled with enchantments
bright with desire.
Turning, turning,
beginning to end;
end to beginning
again and again.

Circle of wisdom,
Circle of love,
Silver with moonbeams
bright from above.
Circle of death,
Circle of re-birth,
Circle of the Mother Earth.

Shining, shining,
forever and ever.
Spinning, spinning,
ending never.
Weaving the threads
of the midnight hour.
Weaving the web of Goddess power.

AN YE HARM NONE, LOVE,
DO WHAT THOU WILT!

—- Unknown

 

The Gathering at the Cauldron

 

She has called me to the sacred fire since I first drew breath,
But always I have resisted,
Until this moment.

So weary now that even fear is too heavy a burden,
Fear of death, of life,
Of Self.

She is the grandmother I cannot remember,
Wisdom etched upon her face in hard-won creases,
Rivers of pain long dried out.

I dip myself into her cauldron, watch is scald away my ignorance,
Reach to her like a greedy child.
And she takes me.

Her arms receive my weary soul, breathing understanding
In me with every breathe I breath
And her ancient breath stirs new life in my veins,
But her voice is empty.

I must make my own way as she has,
Prepare myself for the darkness to come, graciously, joyfully,
And trust that light will return.

At the gathering of the cauldron, she is present
At the meeting of the kin, she is present
At the burning of the night fire, she is present
At the sacrificing of the old and the pledging of the new, she is
present among us.

 

Author: Derek Thompsom
Published on Pagan Heart

Pagan Goddess Chant

I am the wind and I am the trees.
I am the Earth and I am the seas.
I am a mother and I am a child.
I am a lover of passions gone wild.
I am the rain and I am the soul.
I am the one who makes the spirit whole.
I am the Maiden, Mother, and Crone.
I am the reaper of seeds that are sown.
I am within and I am without.
I am everywhere and everything about.
As Maiden I gave you the gift of joy.
As Mother I gave you nurturing and care.
As Crone I gave you wisdom unknown.
All of these gifts I have given you to share.
All of these gifts I have given you to share.

—Author Unknown
Published on Pagan Heart

Pagan Heart

 

Now is the time to realize the path where
our heart belongs is not one that is understood.
So how can we follow our path without fear and prejudice?
We just stand up for what we believe and write down our thoughts as
they come to us from Her well of inspiration. We do as we please and
only listen to our pagan heart.

We just listen to our pagan heart and She speaks to us she says
“Be who you want to be and follow your pagan heart.” Oh now in this time
of fear and prejudice only one can make things right if they listen to Her and
follow their pagan heart. Condemn us if you will but for all our days we’ll follow
Her words and Her wisdom! Condemn us all you want we still follow my Pagan heart…

Wake up to your true nature and follow your instincts
speak your mind do not fear. Run with the wild hunt as the he takes
you on a midnight journey deep over land hill and sea in to your soul
reunite with your pagan heart.

Do not give in to fear and prejudice
and hide your pagan heart. For those who don’t know it
fear is power so speak your mind and be true to your pagan heart.

We just listen to our pagan heart and She speaks to us she says
“Be who you want to be and follow your pagan heart.” Oh now in this time
of fear and prejudice only one can make things right if they listen to Her and
follow their pagan heart. Condemn us if you will but for all our days we’ll follow
Her words and Her wisdom! Condemn us all you want we still follow my Pagan heart…

 

Author: Enadil Moonweaver
Pagan Heart Online Community

 

Time and Again

Time goes by,
So fast, so slow,
Just as the phases
Of the bright moon’s glow.
Time goes by,
So fast, so slow;
We plant a seed,
And watch it grow.
Time goes by,
So fast, so slow;
The magic moves
Through energy’s flow.
Time goes by,
So fast, so slow;
The Goddess is alive
As we all know.
Time goes by,
So fast, so slow;
Love warms our hearts
As the cool winds blow.
Time goes by,
So fast, so slow;
The Priestess chants
“As above, so below.”
Time goes by…..

—-By the Light of the Crystal Moon
Elizabeth Gardiepy

Queens of everything,
Goddesses of the cosmos,
lend us your good judgment,
your wisdom, your knowledge,
and your means for effecting change,
that we may be powerful enough,
and righteous enough,
and kind enough,
to help protect and care for
ourself, those we love, and
the innocently suffering oppressed,
the unjustly wronged and injured,
the enslaved and the despairing,
the maddeningly sick and the sickeningly mad,
and let us work your will in
their care, their assistance,
and delivery or vengeance
as you will.

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Workshop

A witches’ workshop on creating
amulets and talismans and charms
to be worn pendant
around neck or ears or wrists or waist
to be wrapped widthwise and lengthwise
round the body or objects
intended to be protected.
A white witch seeking only to help
A black witch seeking only to harm
A green witch seeking only to grow
All attend to learn
how to incorporate
power into substance
word craft into handcraft
All working in the same shop.

I choose neither left nor right but a third or fifth middle path
Valuing not only survival
but also flourishing.

—Poetry, Songs, and Enchantments: A Pagan Sourcebook
Gwenhwyfar Rhwwttchen

 

Burning Times

 

The songs are sung to rouse our anger
Of martyred witches gone to the fire
But what is served by righteous singing
When all we do is stew in our ire?
Nine million dead in four hundred years
More in that time simply died of disease.
Why do we dwell on long-passed dead
When we are alive in times like these?

Rise up, Witches, throw off your masks
And cease crying guilt for ancient crimes;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

In the face of that hostile power,
How did the old knowledge stay alive?
How do we have a Craft to practice?
Our ancestors knew how to fight and survive!
How do we honor our blessed dead?
Slavery threatens all but the few!
We must teach their cunning ways;
Everyone needs the skills they knew.

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

I’ll not cast off science’s works
Witches all forces to Will can bend.
I’ll not accuse, for war and waste,
Some patriarchy of faceless Men.
Men do not cast the only votes;
Women alone do not demonstrate.
Rather than shut out half the race,
Who, if not we, will change that state?

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

I will not blame a Father’s Church –
Blame and guilt are Their tools, not mine.
And even in the schools and churches
Allies there will I seek and find!
I will not answer hate with fear;
Nor with a smug, cheek-turning love;
I will not answer hate with rage;
By strength alone will I not be moved!

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

I will not hide in my sacred grove –
The factories and cities yet ring me about.
I will not climb my ivory tower –
The real world exists though I shut it out.
I will not work for Church nor State
Who serve themselves while they serve us lies.
Nor only for my Witchen kin
But for the family of all alive!

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

So if rebellion means to fight
A State lost sight of why it was built,
If heresy’s to reject a Church
That rules with force or fear or guilt,
Then let us all be rebels proud,
And shameless heretics by creed!
A tyrant’s hand subjects the Earth
More heretic rebels are what She needs!

Rise up, Witches, gather your strength,
And let your power spread and climb;
Earth and all her children need us,
For all face now the Burning Times.

—Leigh Ann Hussey
Published on Pagan Library

Victims of Hate

This prayer is dedicated to all the victims of hate.
To those who fight to keep us free.

We gather in our secluded space in the forest.
The wind blows through my hair
Our capes keep us warm against change of season
We stand as the beauty of Mother Earth surrounds us.
A gentle rain falls and we know we are one with the elements

We form our circle around the fire.
We add rosemary, rose petals, cinnamon and sun flowers to the flames
Each of us forward and add incense to the fire
The flames grow.
We feel the power of the Goddess.
Our circle is formed.

Taking the hand of the Sister next to us, we begin.

We bow to the Goddess
We bow to the corners
We bow to each other
We bow to the light
We bow to the power

We feel the animals as they come
We feel those who have passed before us
We feel those who stand with us

Raising our hands we call on the Goddess

We find the love and compassion of the Goddess
We find the love and compassion of each other
We find the love and compassion of the Witches from the past
We find the love and compassion of those who surround us

We send energy to our families
We send energy to those who live in fear
We send energy to those in pain
We send energy to those in need

We take evil. Fling it into the fire!
We take hate. Fling it into the fire!
We take pain. Fling it into the fire!
We take fear. Fling it into the fire!

We release our power
We release our love
We release our compassion
We release our passion

The animals gather and freely give us their power
The earth sends forth her beauty to us
Those who surround us hold us close
We are safe.

We thank the Goddess
We thank the elements
We thank the animals

We release our hands and know we will be joined soon
As we leave we gather the earth of this space for our work
This space holds our power
We will come again and again
For we are Witches and know our power.

Blessed Be

—A Witch’s Prayerbook, JoAnne Spiese

 

Hymn to the Morrigan

 

O Morrigan, we call your name Across the dusty years.
You speak to us, of blood and lust. You show us all our fears.
You are a goddess, old and wise. Of holy power you have no dearth.
Beneath your wings : Black, Red and White, We learn of death and birth.

You walk about, this ancient land, Your hungers raw and clear.
You make the crops, grow rich and strong, As well your geese and deer.
A flirting maid, a lusty hag, A mother of great girth :
Without the touch of your black wings, We cannot heal the earth.

You float upon, a blood red wave, Of swords and spears and knives.
Your voice inspires, fear and dread, That you’ll cut short our lives.
You try the warriors’, courage sore, Our inner souls unearth.
Without the touch of your red wings, We cannot know our worth.

You fly above the silver clouds, To Manannan’s shining Gate.
You lead the dead along that path, To meet our final fate.
The joke’s on us, we find within, A land of laughter and of mirth.
Without the touch of your white wings, We cannot have rebirth.

 

—-by Isaac Bonewits

We am more than what anyone expects
We am more than what the world sees
We am more than what we show you
We am more than what can be
We am more than women and men
We am part of the earth and the earth is part of us
We feel the best when we are working the earth
We feel fulfilled when we see the growth of the earth
We smell the beauty of the earth when it rain
My self, my Sisters, my Brothers, we are of the earth
The earth is our Mother
We am more than what is seen and more to come
Much more to come

 

—The Poem “I Am” from A Witch’s Prayerbook
JoAnne Spiese

*Should be noted that I did a little re-paraphrasing to Ms. Spiese’s beautiful poem.

 

The Gift

Bewildered and amazed,
I stand before thee;
Receiving thy wisdom
As thou cast thy light upon me.
The overwhelming knowledge given
Seems way too much to bear.
With thy blessings of inner strength
I find it easy, with others, to share!
I know my path in the incarnation,
To serve thee well and true;
I thank thee for thy gift thou hast given,
For this gift has given me life anew!

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon
Elizabeth Gardiepy

~* ~ Potions and Brews ~* ~

Gather the ingredients
One by one,
Place them in bowls
The spell has begun.
Harness the energy
From the Goddess above,
Charge the herbs
With the power of love.
Simmer in water
As you chant a charm,
Making sure you
Cause no harm.
Now strain and bottle
Your new concoction
Keeping it safe
From impurities and toxin.
If you make this brew
Before the moon does wane,
A strong and powerful
Potion will be your gain.

—By The Light Of The Crystal Moon: A Book of Pagan Poetry and Short Stories
Elizabeth Gardiepy