Daily Devotional: August 14th

Daily Prayer XIX

Hail, Mercury, guide of mortal souls in flight,  

Leader of angels and daemons, in celestial light.  

Thy swift wings span realms, traversing the ethereal plane,  

Messenger divine, transcending time's constraining chain. 

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In thy hand, the Caduceus, symbol of transcendent power,  

A ladder to the divine, ascending each cosmic tower.  

With serpents entwined, a dance of duality,  

Harmony and balance, thy sacred reality. 

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Thou art the conductor of the cosmic symphony,  

Leading souls to realms of eternal harmony.  

Through the veil of worlds, in thy company, we soar,  

Mercury, our guide, forevermore. 

Daily Meditation

"For Plato says the souls’ choices take place according to their previous lives… The souls, changing their bodies, appear now in one form and now in another, and also, when it can, a soul takes its place outside the process of becoming and is with the universal soul.”

—Plotinus

We live many lives as we churn through the cycle of reincarnation. Each time we take on a new body, that new life is colored by our previous lives. Each life accrues a fate from previous actions and patterns that must be worked out. This cycle is the wheel of fate. It continues to turn until like Plotinus says, we take our place outside the wheel and dwell with the universal soul. We achieve this escape from the wheel of fate after we purify our souls from the pollution and miasms that have attached themselves to us during our lives. Spiritual ascesis outlines the many methods for the soul’s purification.

Monthly Ascesis

Developing a practice of chanting prayers is a powerful and effective way to create stillness in our souls, allowing us to behold God's presence in our lives.

This month, begin chanting the short prayer below. Start with just a few repetitions, for example, 10-15. Then, gradually increase the number over the month. When you reach a higher number of chants, say 100-200 per day, your mind will begin to quiet down, and a sense of stillness in your mind and soul will increase. Following your chants, take a moment to rest in the newfound stillness and keep your mind clear of thoughts for as long as you can.

DOMINE MERCURI, MACTE ESTO

(Do-min-ay Mehr-coor-ree, Mahk-tay Es-tow)

Lord Mercury, Be Blessed

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