[pagan] Prayer to Thoth

[changeling]

I began sketching the outlines of this in my head on the tram this morning; one of my resolutions this week vis-à-vis The Artist's Way was to make more of an attempt to incorporate my spirituality in my life. I thought a prayer to Thoth, specifically tailored to my work, would be nice. sannion asked for prayer/poetry submissions for Neos Alexandria this afternoon, and one of the gods he wanted things for was Thoth, so I got myself into gear.

Djehuti, keeper of Ma'at, I pray to you.
     May the words I speak today be true.
     May the words I write uphold Ma'at.
Djehuti, scribe of the gods, I pray to you.
     Give me a sweet pen that I might edit to find each book's inner beauty.
     Help me remember what it is to be a writer, that I treat each book with respect.
Djehuti, wise one, counsellor, I pray to you.
     Give me a sweet tongue that each author I work with understands the underlying Ma'at of our work.
     Help me remember whose work it is, and to always treat the author with courtesy and respect.
Djehuti, master of science and magic, I pray to you.
     Give me a sweet computer, one with a quick mind, that does not crash or lose data.
     May the computer and I always work together smoothly.

Comments

[sannion.livejournal.com]

That is really good and captures his complexity. I'm impressed - you did that in an afternoon? Wow!

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

In about five to ten minutes, actually, while I minded the cash register of the bookshop out the front of my work. But then I'd been thinking about it a couple of times during the day. They don't all come that easily. :) But I am generally a one-to-two draft sort of person – which is why I tend to write glacially slowly, unlike my best friend Jess who can toss things out quickly, but will redraft two or three times. Often I envy Jess.

[sannion.livejournal.com]

I write all of my stuff the same way, except for essays which are more like collages for me, adding layer upon layer until the "image" emerges. Even so I almost never go back and edit - which is why there's often grammatical and spelling errors. :X

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

I've been holding off thus far, but if you like I can comment or send you an email letting you know where the errors are. I don't know if you care – it's just that I notice them anyway, so it wouldn't be an effort on my behalf!

I kinda miss writing essays. I might try making an effort to go to the State Library – I might be able to get some books and catch up on my reading, so I can actually have an informed position from which to analyse! My local libraries just don't have the sort of books I need.

I'm afraid my approach to essays is much my approach to short fiction: head down, breathe in, write it all in one go and don't stop 'til it's done.

[sannion.livejournal.com]

Sure! I can always use an extra pair of eyes.

I love that poetic ecstacy where you're possessed by the Word and it's all you can do or think or feel until it's out of you and on the page. I live for those moments.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. Before my recent reconnection with my creativity, I hadn't had one in so long. I'd missed it so much!

[sannion.livejournal.com]

It's almost better than orgasm.

Almost.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Yes; but so different. I suppose because writing ekstasis is so out-of-body, almost like channelling the divine (at its best), whereas orgasm is so in-body, really.

[chennpug.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're posting these.

Praying has always felt so awkward for me without some sort of direction, and (without getting into various theologies or dogmas), most modern religions/faiths/interpretations eschew ritual in an effort to appeal to the time-crunched modern person. At least, that's how it seems to me, and thus I feel like I'm floundering when I want to show respect or worship or...well, anything at all.

[delirieuse.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I have another couple brewing in the back of my mind I might try to get down as well.

I don't know if it's useful to you (as I don't know what your path is), but I found A Book of Pagan Prayer by Ceisiwr Serith to be immensely useful, not only for the prayers included, but mostly for the whys and wherefores. Clare Vaughn, author of Pagan Prayer Beads, also wrote an essay on prayer in her public livejournal (parts one, two and three).

I'm really glad that you've found them useful or interesting.