Daily Devotional: Novemebr 10th
Daily Prayer IV
Blessed are those who shun the grip of selfish greed,
With a wisdom that forbids harmful deeds.
In emulation of the gods, they seek the good,
Endeavoring to mirror divine brotherhood.
They hold in reverence the common good of the race,
Aware that gods' concern resides in this shared space.
They do not abandon the communal thread,
For in unity, the divine essence is spread.
Blessed are those who, with gratitude, give thanks,
To the gods for every boon, with hearts that flank
Jove, the source whence fair and good first spring,
In all things, a hymn of gratitude we sing.
Daily Meditation
""And when, after abandoning your mortal body, you arrive at the free ether,
You will be immortal, a divinity, and death will have no more dominion over you."”
—Pythagoras
Golden Verses
There is a pathway out of the cycle of death and rebirth. This is not the end of our life but rather the birth into a new life, a higher life in harmony with the nature of our immortal soul. Our return to our true home in the chorus of the gods is not sought out of hatred for the material but for the love of the gods and the desire to unite again with our true being.
Monthly Ascesis: Simple Rituals
“There is a simple formula to follow to begin making offerings to the gods. Since there are many gods, I recommend beginners direct all prayers to Mercury, who is the messenger of the gods. With this simple prayer, you can begin making offerings to all of divinity and know Mercury will deliver your prayers to the proper place.
Begin with this invocation:
Lord Mercury, messenger of heaven, swift-footed guide of mortals, hear my prayer and deliver it to the proper divinity:
[speak your prayer]
After your prayer, present your offering of food or incense and say:
Lord Mercury, be honored by this offering of [incense, food]
When you are finished, end with
Lord Mercury, be blessed. Fiat.
Fiat is pronounced Fee-aht and means 'Let it be done' in Latin.
If you are unable to make a material offering, that is okay. It is a gesture of honor and respect to the gods but is not necessary. Merely offering your thoughts and prayers is enough. The gods do not need our offerings to hear prayers. We offer these things out of gratitude and respect for them, not as a bribe or exchange of goods between us and the gods.”
-Excerpts from, Ascesis: the Handbook of Platonic Practice
Making simple offerings like this regularly sets our minds on the divine and places us in a giving posture toward the gods. The purpose of our rituals is not to ask for material goods but to give thanks to the gods and allow gratitude to fill our hearts. If we ask for anything from them in our prayers, we should ask for things that are like them such as virtues.
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