Pagan wisdom. Quotes, prayers, poetry, songs, chants... .

You are very welcome to share any Pagan literary texts, food for thought! Thank you!

Here is a short song that i came up with when i was Druid:

Take me away, take me away
To the shores of Awen,
Take me away, take me away
To the place that we were born.

To the land of sidhe and elves so great,
To the place of gods and goddess'

Take me away, take me away
To the shores that they roam,
Take me away, take me away
to the land they call home.

A VERSION OF THE WICCAN REDE

Bide the Wiccan Laws we must
In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.
Live and let live.
Fairly take and fairly give.
Cast the Circle thrice about
To keep the evil spirits out.
To bind the spell every time
Let the spell be spake in rhyme.
Soft of eye and light of touch,
Speak little, listen much.
Deosil go by the waxing moon,
Chanting out the Witches' Rune.
Widdershins go by the waning moon,
Chanting out the baneful rune.
When the Lady's moon is new,
Kiss the hand to her, times two.
When the moon rides at her peak,
Then your heart's desire seek,
Heed the North wind's mighty gale,
Lock the door and drop the sail.
When the wind comes from the South,
Love will kiss thee on the mouth.
When the wind blows from the West,
Departed souls will have no rest.
When the wind blows from the East,
Expect the new and set the feast.
Nine woods in the cauldron go,
Burn them fast and burn them slow.
Elder be the Lady's tree,
Burn it not or cursed you'll be.
When the Wheel begins to turn,
Let the Beltane fires burn.
When the Wheel has turned to Yule,
Light the log and the Horned One rules.
Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree,
By the Lady, blessed be.
Where the rippling waters go,
Cast a stone and truth you'll know.
When ye have a true need,
Hearken not to others' greed.
With a fool no season spend,
Lest ye be counted as his friend.
Merry meet and merry part,
Bright the cheeks and warm the heart.
Mind the Threefold Law you should,
Three times bad and three times good.
When misfortune is enow,
Wear the blue star on thy brow.
True in Love ever be,
Lest thy lover's false to thee.
Eight words the Wiccan Rede fulfill:
An ye harm none, do what ye will.

“Science is always discovering odd scraps of magical wisdom and making a tremendous fuss about its cleverness.”
-Aleister Crowley

“The joy of life consists in the exercise of one's energies, continual growth, constant change, the enjoyment of every new experience. To stop means simply to die. The eternal mistake of mankind is to set up an attainable ideal.”
-Aleister Crowley

\"Nature chose for a tool, not the earthquake or lightning to rend and split asunder, not the stormy torrent or eroding rain, but the tender snow-flowers noiselessly falling through unnumbered centuries.\"
-John Muir

\"Although its light is wide and great, the Moon is reflected in a puddle one inch wide. The whole Moon and the entire sky is reflected in one dew drop on the
grass.\"
- Dogen

“Vocatus atque non vocatus deus aderit.” – “Called or not called, the god will be there.”
- ancient Roman saying

\"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I – I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.\"
- Robert Frost

\"All things in the world are two. In our minds we are two, good and evil. With our eyes we see two things, things that are fair and things that are ugly.... We have the right hand that strikes and makes for evil, and we have the left hand full of kindness, near the heart. One foot may lead us to an evil way, the other foot may lead us to a good. So are all things two, all two.\"
-Eagle Chief (Letakos-Lesa) Pawnee

Chinook Lord's Prayer

Nesika papa klaksta mitlite kopa saghalie
(Our Father Who dwells on High)

Kloshe kopa nesika tumtum mika nem.
(Good for our hearts Your Name.)

Kloshe mika tyee kopa konaway tillikum;
(Good you Chief of all people;)

Kloshe mika tumtum kopa illahee kahkwa kopa saghalie;
(Good Your heart to make our country such as Yours up above;)

Potlatch konaway sun nesika muckamuck,
(Give us all days our food,)

Pee kopet-kumtux donaway nesika mesachie,
(And stop remembering all our sins we make to them,)

Kahkwa nesilka mamook kopa klasksta spose mamook
mesachie kopa nesia;
(As we suppose not their sin against us;)

Mahah siah kopa nesika konaway mesachie.
(Throw far away from us all evil)

Kloshe kahkwa.
(Amen.)

\"You have noticed that everything as Indian does is in a circle, and that
is because the Power of the World always works in circles, and everything
tries to be round.....
The Sky is round, and I have heard that the earth is round like a ball,
and so are all the stars. The wind, in its greatest power, whirls. Birds
make their nest in circles, for theirs is the same religion as ours....
Even the seasons form a great circle in their changing, and always come
back again to where they were. The life of a man is a circle from childhood
to childhood, and so it is in everything where power moves.\"
-Crowfoot, Blackfoot warrior and orator

\"Being Indian is an attitude, a state of mind, a way of being in harmony with all things and all beings. It is allowing the heart to be the distributor of energy on this planet; to allow feelings and sensitivities to determine where energy goes; bringing aliveness up from the Earth and from the Sky, putting it in and giving it out from the heart.\"
-Brooke Medicine Eagle

\"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys.\"
-Chief Dan George

\"Standing at the Mysterious Pass
Centered in the Eternal Now,
Balanced in Body and Open in Mind,
Rooted into the Sacred Space,
Motionless as the Golden Mountain,
Fingers around the Primeval Sphere.

Dragons and Tigers are still dreaming -
Ready for Rebirth.

I breathe in, the World Breathes Out.
The Gate of Space opens;
Heaven moves and Yang is born.
The hands move out, embracing the One.
The mind settles and is clear.
The Dragon Howls,
Ravens fill the Vast Cauldron,
Mind forms melt like mercury,
Spirit rises in the Clouds of Eternity.
Yin appears like the moon at dusk.

I breathe out, the World Breathes In.
The Doors of Emptiness close;
Earth quiets and Yin is born.
The hands move in, entering the One.
The body settles and becomes whole.
The Tiger Roars,
The Great Ox is nourished by the Valley Spirit,
Substances spark from flaming furnaces,
Essence roots in the Watery Flesh.
Yang appears like the sun at dawn.


Dragons and Tigers
Transformed within the Mysterious Pass -
Chanting and Purring.
Awakened,
Peaceful,
Free.\"

- Michael P. Garofalo

I heard this on a disc that i can no longer find that my sister recorded for me, it starts out with one women and each time the song is completed another women chimes in.

The Earth, The Air, The Fire, The Water
Return, Return, Return, Return

The Earth, The Air, The Fire, The Water
Return, Return, Return, Return

Ahae, Ahae, Ahae, Ahae
Aio, Aio, Aio, Aio

Ahae, Ahae, Ahae, Ahae
Aio, Aio, Aio, Aio

Here are some chants that I have heard at rituals, festivals, drum circles, etc.
Unfortunetly, I do not know all of the sources... \"We All Come from the Goddess\" is by Z. Budapest.


*****
We all come from the Goddess
And to Her we shall return
Like a drop of Rain
Flowing to the Ocean

*****
We all come from the Horned One
And to Him we shall return
Like a spark of Flame
rising to the Heavens

*****
Isis, Astarte, Diana
Hecate, Demeter, Kali
Innana

*****
Hoof and Horn
Hoof and Horn
All who die shall be reborn
Corn and grain
Corn and Grain
All who fall shall rise again

*****
Horned One, Father, Son
Reaper of the Corn
Deep in the Mother
Die and be reborn

****
From unreal to real
From darkness to Light
From death to immortality

*****
Gaia, Gaia
Ancient Mother
Gaia, Gaia
Mother of the Universe
Gaia, Gaia
I hear you calling
Gaia, Gaia
Feel your heartbeat in my soul
ooohhh, Mother Earth

****
Spring Maiden
Bright One of all
We call you

****
Seed Sower, Grain Reborn
Horned One Come

****
The Goddess is alive
And magik is afoot

****
Air I am
Fire I am
Water, Earth, and Spirit I am

****
Earth My Body
Fire my blood
Air my breath
and Fire my spirit

*****
Born to earth
to earth return
onward spins the wheel
the tapestry of life spun upon the web
the mystery revealed

The Charge of The Goddess
By: Doreen Valiente

Listen to the words of the Great Mother, who of all was called Artemis, Astarte, Dione, Melusine, Aphrodite, Cerridwen, Diana, Arienrhod, Brigid and by many other names.
\"Whenever you have a need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Wise. You shall be free, naked in your rites. Sing, feast, dance, make music and love, all in My presence, and Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and the Mine is also the joy on earth. For my law is love of unto all beings. Mine is the secret that open upon the door of youth and Mine is the cup of wine of life that is the Cauldron of Cerriwden that is the holy grail of immortality. I give the knowledge of the spirit eternal and beyond death, I give peace and freedom and reunion with those that have gone before. Nor do I demand aught of sacrifice, for behold, I am mother of all things, and My love is poured upon the earth.\"
Hear the words of the Star Goddess, the dust of whose feet are the hosts of heaven, whose body encircles the universe: \"I who am the beauty of the green earth and the white moon among the stars and the mysteries of the waters, I call upon your soul to arise and come unto Me. For I am the soul of nature that gives to the universe. From Me, all things proceed and unto Me they must return. Let my worship be in the heart that rejoices, for behold all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals.\"
Let there beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And you who see to know Me, know that your seeking and yearning will avail you not, unless you know the Mystery; for if that which you seek, you find not within your self, you will never find it without. For behold, I have been with you from the beginning and I am that which is attained at the end of desire.

Charge of the God
By: Doreen Valiente

Listen the the words of the Great Father, who of old was called Osiris,
Adonis, Zeus, Thor, Pan, Cernunnos, Herne, Lugh and by many other
names:
My Law is Harmony with all things.
Mine is the secret that opens the gates of life and mine is the dish of salt of the earth that is the body of Cernunnos that is the eternal circle of rebirth.
I give the knowledge of life everlasting, and beyond death I give the promise of regeneration and renewal.
I am the sacrifice, the father of all things, and my protection blankets the earth.
Hear the words of the dancing God, the music of whose laughter stirs the
winds, whose voice calls the seasons:
I who am the Lord of the Hunt and the Power of the Light, sun among the clouds and the secret of the flame.
I call upon your bodies to arise and come unto me.
For I am the flesh of the earth and all its beings.
Thru me all things must die and with me are reborn.
Let my worship be in the body that sings, for behold all acts of willing sacrifice are my rituals.
Let there be desire and fear, anger and weakness, joy and peace, awe and longing within you.
For these too are part of the mysteries found within yourself, within me, all beginnings have endings, and all endings have beginnings.