On Romanist Prayer

How to start praying as a Romanist

Embarking on the journey of prayer as a Romanist can initially feel overwhelming and confusing, given the multitude of Gods and modes of worship available. It's natural to worry about doing it 'wrong 'or even to avoid praying altogether out of fear of making a mistake. When I first began my own prayer practice, I often fretted that I might inadvertently offend the Gods by saying or offering the wrong thing. However, it's important to remember that the Gods are infinitely patient and understanding, and there is no 'wrong' way to pray.

Prayer is a personal journey, a unique connection with God and the Gods. We share a kinship with the Gods through our minds and souls, so we should feel empowered to talk with them as we would with a respected elder or parent. As we will see, there is no way to pray that will bring the wrath of the Gods upon you; there are only more or less effective means of praying.

We are all the cherished children of God the Father, whom we call Jove. Our prayers ascend to Him and are answered in one way or another. This doesn't imply that God will fulfill all our prayers as we desire, but we should trust that each one is heard. God responds to our prayers in the best way for us, and that might not always align with our expectations. For instance, if you pray for patience, God might present you with challenging situations that necessitate the cultivation of patience. If you request financial assistance, he might provide opportunities for earning money that still require your effort and risk-taking. God seldom hands you what you ask for, but rather, like a loving parent, teaches you how to fulfill your prayers and guides you along the way.

So you may wonder, If God, i.e., Jove,  answers all our prayers, why would we pray to one of the other Gods instead? The reason is that each of the Gods contains a particular aspect of God in its purest form. For example, Juno is the Goddess of marriage and family. When we pray about a family matter, we can always ask Jove directly, but we can strengthen our prayers by directing them to the God or Goddess who handles that domain specifically. You will likely find that when praying to one of the Gods in this more specific way, your prayers may be answered with more clarity. Also, it is the Gods of a particular domain that will provide the answer to your prayer, so by bringing yourself closer to that God, you may better hear and understand the response to the prayer.

For example, if I needed to find a pair of shoes at a department store, I could ask the store owner, and he could direct me to the correct department and manager who handles the shoes. However, if I know I am looking for shoes, I could ask the shoe department manager and likely receive a quicker and more productive answer. Also, if I continue to build a relationship with the shoe department manager, he can anticipate my needs and be more helpful in the future.

In this case, the owner is like Jove, who oversees all operations, and the manager is like the Gods of a particular domain within the store. They both work together but handle things in different ways. We can be more effective by directing our requests to the right area.

If you are unsure which God or Goddess to pray to for a specific matter, you can always turn to Mercury for guidance. Mercury, the swift-footed messenger of the Gods, can ensure that your prayer reaches the most appropriate God. For beginners, it's beneficial to consider Mercury as their patron God and ask him to lead them to deeper understanding and better prayers.

How to Pray

Ultimately, prayer is about communication. We are opening up a dialogue with the divine and seeking answers to our deepest desires, problems, and needs. To begin, decide who you will be directing your prayer toward, or if you are unsure, ask Mercury to guide your prayer.

Begin with,

Lord Mercury, messenger of heaven, swift-footed guide of mortals, hear my prayer and deliver it to the proper divinity:

[speak your prayer]

When you are finished, end with

Lord Mercury, be blessed. Fiat.

Fiat is pronounced Fee-aht and means 'Let it be done' in Latin.

Alternatively, if you can offer food or incense to the God you are praying to, you may do so after your prayer. Say your prayer, but offer the incense or food offering before closing. And say the following:

Lord Mercury, be honored by this offering of [incense, food]

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.

This brings us to an important question that beginners often ask, especially if they come from Christianity.

Are the Gods angry with me?

Sometimes, this question is asked in different ways, like, " Will I offend the Gods if I do X?" or "What if I am praying wrong?"

Fortunately, the simple answer to these questions is that the Gods are not angry with you or anyone. The Gods are the causes of all good things in the universe. They are also perfect beings; they do not need anything. We can honestly give nothing to God or the Gods because there is nothing they need.

The philosopher Sallustius wrote about this issue in the 4th century. He asks, "How is belief in the impassivity and changelessness of the Gods reconciled with the idea that the Gods take joy in the virtuous, shun the wicked, and are angry with sinners while being appeased by worship?"

He answers, "The Gods do not feel joy, or else they would be required to feel pain or anger (that is an emotion). Nor are they won by gifts; that would mean they were controlled by pleasure. Human conduct cannot affect the divine nature for good or for evil. The Gods are always good and help us; they never harm us.

When we are good, we are united with them by our likeness [to their nature]; if we become bad, we are separated from them. Our sins prevent the divine brightness from shining on us and subject us to avenging spirits: it is as false to say that the Gods shun evil as to say the sun hides himself from the blind.

If, by prayers and sacrifices, we find release from our sins, the explanation is that by our acts and turning to the divine, we cure our evil and enjoy the goodness of the Gods again; we do not effect any change in them."

You may wonder, "If I cannot affect the Gods, why am I praying to them?"

The answer is simple: We pray because we need the Gods, not because the Gods require our devotion. After all, how could they? What could you give to a God that they don't already possess? Incense? Hymns? Words of praise? As Sallustius says, "From all this, the Gods receive no benefit, but we gain union with them."

The truth is, we do these things to bring ourselves closer to the perfection of the Gods, not so that we can manipulate them or try to make them happy with us. The Gods are perfectly happy with or without our praise. We, on the other hand, become filled with doubt, anxiety, desire, and depression when we close ourselves off to the Gods. These are the ‘avenging spirits’ Sallustius spoke about. The Gods do not bring these spirits upon us; instead, we bring them upon ourselves by turning away from the Gods.

It's similar to a child who makes a drawing of his mom and gives it to her as a gift. The mother doesn't need to receive the drawing and doesn't care if it isn't perfect. She is delighted to see it because it is a beautiful expression from her child. Similarly, the child shouldn't fear their parent will hate their drawing because it isn't up to snuff. The child is made better by creating something for their mother as a gift as an act of selfless gratitude. They develop skills and become a better person through this act.

This is the parent/child relationship we have with the Gods. The stoic sage Epictetus says, “If every man could be convinced heart and soul in the belief that we are all begotten by Jove, father to both men and gods, I think he could no longer have any ignoble or mean thought about himself.” We should take courage and know we are not separated from God. He is always with us, gently guiding us back toward Him with infinite grace. 

Praying to Other Gods

Since there are so many Gods in Romanism, I will describe the fundamental domain of each primary God and how to address them quickly in prayer. Hopefully, this will help you start praying to the Gods with more confidence and understanding.

Jove - Order, justice, peace, happiness, harmony

King Jove, Father of Gods and men, creator and ruler of all things, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Father Jove, Be blessed, Fiat

Juno - Marriage, family, women and childbirth

Mother Juno, Queen of Heaven, Guide in marriage and family, hear my Prayer:

[Prayer]

Mother Juno, Be blessed, Fiat

Mercury - Messenger of the Gods, Travelers, Business, Trade, guide to the afterlife

Lord Mercury, Messenger of heaven, swift-footed friend to humanity, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Mercury, Be blessed, Fiat

Apollo - Light, poetry, music,  truth and divination, knowledge, harmony, healing

Lord Apollo, bright shining harmonizer, destroyer of evil, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Apollo, Be blessed, Fiat

Vesta - Hearth and home, fire, family

Mother Vesta, Guardian of the hearth and home, protector of the family, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Mother Vesta, Be blessed, Fiat

Dionysus - Liberation, rebirth, resurrection, breaker of boundaries

Lord Dionysus, Savior and liberator of souls, breaker of all bonds, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Dionysus, Be blessed, Fiat

Hercules - Strength, spiritual growth, Heroic guardian

Lord Hercules, Averter of evil, victorious guardian of humanity, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Hercules, Be blessed, Fiat

Venus - Love, beauty, desire, fertility

Mother Venus, uniter of the sexes, guardian of all things beautiful, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Mother Venus, Be blessed, Fiat

Mars - War, battle, victory, strife

Lord Mars, protector in battles spiritual and material, unconquerable God, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Mars, Be blessed, Fiat

Minerva - Justice, law, victory, strategy, philosophy,  the arts

Wise grey-eyed Minerva, protector of justice and wisdom, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Wise Minerva, Be blessed, Fiat

Pluto - Ruler of the underworld, wealth, agriculture, riches

Lord Pluto, wealthy one, ruler of riches and protector of souls, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Lord Pluto, Be blessed, Fiat

Diana - The moon, childbirth and children, maidens, and the hunt.

Heavenly Diana, virgin goddess of the wild, protector of children, hear my prayer:

[Prayer]

Heveanly Diana, Be blessed, Fiat

Longer prayers

So far, we have mostly been discussing petition prayers. These are prayers where we ask for something from the Gods. These are likely the most common types of prayer, but they are not the only ones. A second type of prayer is one of adoration and praise. Even if we don't have something we need from the Gods, it is a great practice to cultivate gratitude and an attitude of service and praise toward them; for this, I recommend longer prayer that helps bring our minds into communion with their perfections.

Here is one I recommend below. I would also recommend using the orphic hymns when you want to say a more extended prayer to a particular God: https://universaltheosophy.com/tt/hymns-of-orpheus/

The Hermetic Prayer:

Holy is God, the Father of all things.

Holy is God, whose will is performed and accomplished by his own powers.

Holy is God, who determines to be known, and is known by his own, or those that are his.

Holy art thou, that by thy Word has established all things.

Holy art thou, of whom all Nature is the Image.

Holy art thou, whom Nature hath not formed.

Holy art thou, that art stronger than all power.

Holy art thou, that art stronger than all excellency.

Holy art thou, that art better than all praise.

Accept these reasonable sacrifices from a pure soul, and a heart that stretched out unto thee. O unspeakable, unutterable, to be praised with silence!

I beseech thee, that I may never err from the knowledge of thee; look mercifully upon me, and enable me, and enlighten with this Grace those that are in Ignorance, the brothers of my kind, but thy Sons.

Therefore I believe thee, and bear witness, and go into the Life and Light.

Blessed art thou, O Father; thy man would be sanctified with thee, as thou hast given him all power.

Listening and silence

Lastly, allowing a moment of stillness and silence to follow all prayers is important. As mentioned, praying is a form of communication with the Gods. If we are always talking but never listening, then we aren't having a conversation so much as we are performing a monologue. After we have finished our prayers, we must have a moment of silence to rest in the stillness within our minds. Try to stay in that silence for as long as you can. It is in that space that the Gods have the opportunity to respond to your prayers.

This doesn't mean you will hear their voice call out to you, although you may. It merely allows a space for the union with them to take place. Even if it is only a moment of peace and union with them, that is worth it. Silence and stillness are the fruit of prayer. Too often, we say our prayers and walk away before allowing the Gods to grace us with their peaceful presence. Don't rob yourself of the best part of prayer, and give the Gods a space in your heart before moving on.

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Additional Note to Christians converting to Romanism:

Christianity can leave some deep scars on our relationship with the divine. Many ex-Christians I talk to are still living in fear that God either hates or disapproves of them since leaving the Church. They worry that God will abandon them and, even worse, punish them eternally for their "misdeeds." This is unfortunate to see and is the cause of so much of the spiritual sickness in the West. Many people are dealing with spiritual trauma from the abusive nature of Christian ideas about God. This abuse is the reason many shun religion altogether and consider it all false. It is a protective overreaction to spiritual abuse.

Recall the analogy above about the child drawing a picture for his mother. We used this to show our relationship with the Gods. To follow that analogy further, Christianity behaves like a stranger who tells the child that their mother will hate them and throw them in a dark room as punishment if their picture isn’t drawn correctly. Then, the stranger tells the child exactly how the image must be drawn. When it’s finished, the image bears a striking resemblance to the stranger himself. Anytime the child begins to draw something that isn’t the face of the stranger, he gets angry and tells them they will be punished and taken away from their mother if they don’t stop and destroy the evil picture.

Let me ask: “Does this seem like the actions of a loving God? Would this not cause psychological damage to the child?”

Quite frankly, these are the actions of a possessive demon. That is not to say all Christians worship demons—many worship God the Father. However, many have been deceived about the nature of God and have given themselves over to spiteful demons of hatred and jealousy in their ignorance. Some will even boast that their God is jealous. Once you understand the true nature of God, who is incapable of such abusive emotions, it’s easy to see that many Christians are not taking direction from God but from demons.

Ask yourself, "Does hating and punishing someone for seeking the divine from non-Christian sources seem like the actions of a God that truly loves you and wants you to find spiritual fulfillment?" Christians have painted a caricature of God that is more a reflection of their insecurities and desire to control others than an accurate description of the Father of all beings.

Surely, you have your reasons for leaving the church. It could have been a theological disagreement, or perhaps the church's intolerance drove you away, or maybe you just found a deep and meaningful connection with the Gods and wanted to pursue that further.

None of these are good reasons for cosmic hellish retribution. You are trying to connect with God in whichever way you can. For some, that is the Church, but for many, it isn't. Anyone who tells you that God is angry or wrathful toward you for leaving the Church is confused and ignorant about the nature of God. God is the Father of all, not just Christians, and there are many ways that people have come to know Him. What Christians have sadly done is convince themselves they are in sole possession of the truth. When we leave the Church, we often learn that the truth is available to all through the light of our minds and the eye of our souls; we merely have to make ourselves pure enough to see it.

In the gospel of Thomas, which the Church hid, Jesus himself says, "The one who seeks will find. The one who knocks, to that one, will it be opened.” In Romanism, we embrace the commandment of the Oracle of Delphi: Know thyself. God will never punish those who seek him honestly and earnestly. We must seek God and know ourselves.