Pagan and Wiccan Prayers for All Occasions

Prayer at Lake
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Many Pagans and Wiccans pray to their deities on a regular basis. The prayers on this page are designed to help you pray on specific occasions, or in times of special need. If you're not sure about how to pray as a Wiccan or Pagan, read about the Role of Prayer in Wicca and Paganism. Keep in mind that if these prayers don't quite work for you as they're written, it's okay - you can write your own, or make adjustments to the ones here on this page as needed.

Prayers for Sabbat Celebrations

There is any number of prayers you can say to mark a specific sabbat or day of power. Depending on how you're celebrating, you can incorporate any of these prayers into your rituals and ceremonies. Prayers for the Imbolc sabbat typically focus on the goddess Brighid, the coming end of winter, or other seasonally appropriate themes. When Beltane rolls around, focus your devotionals on the return of new life back to the earth, and on the fertility of the land. Litha, the summer solstice, is all about the power and energy of the sun, and Lammas, or Lughnasadh, is a time for prayers honoring the early grain harvest and the Celtic god Lugh. Mabon, the autumn equinox, is a time for prayers of abundance and gratitude, while Samhain, the Witches' New Year, is a great season to pray in a way that celebrates your ancestors and the gods of death. Finally, at Yule, the winter solstice, take time to rejoice in the return of the light.

Prayers for Daily Use

If you'd like to work with some basic prayers to mark different aspects of your day, you can always use one of these mealtime prayers. When it comes to bedtime, try one of these prayers for Pagan kids.

Prayers for Times of Life

There are many times in our life that call for simple prayers. Whether you've lost a pet recently, sometimes the healing process can be helped along by offering a prayer for your deceased pet. If you are looking for a celebratory prayer for long life, there is a beautiful one originally written by a monk named Fer Fio mac Fabri. Finally, when it comes time to cross over, incorporate this prayer for the dying into your farewell rituals.

Prayers for Specific Deities

Finally, don't rule out the value of offering prayers to the deities of your tradition. No matter which pantheon you work with, nearly every god or goddess seems to appreciate the effort of prayers. If you follow a Celtic path, try these prayers that celebrate the goddess Brighid, or the horned fertility god Cernunnos. If your belief system leans more towards the Egyptian or a Kemetic structure, offer a devotion to Isis. Many Roman Pagans honor Mars, the god of war, with an invocation calling upon him for strength. For those who simply honor the goddess in a non-specific form, Doreen Valiente's classic Charge of the Goddess is the perfect prayer for a ritual setting.

More on Pagan Prayer

You can always write your own prayers - after all, a prayer is simply a call from the heart to the gods or goddesses of your belief system. When you write your own, it's your way of letting them know that you honor, respect, and appreciate them. Prayers don't have to be complicated, they simply have to be honest and heartfelt. If you write your own, keep it in your Book of Shadows so you can always find it again later.

If you're just not feeling that creative, don't worry - there are plenty of books out there that are chock full of awesome prayers you can use. Ceisiwr Serith's "Book of Pagan Prayer" is amazing, and full of beautiful devotionals for just about everything you can think of. If you need prayers specifically for death and dying rituals, be sure to check out "The Pagan Book of Living and Dying," by Starhawk and M. Macha Nightmare. You also may wish to check out Alexander Carmichael's "Carmina Gadelica," which - although not specifically Pagan - contains hundreds of prayers, chants, and incantations for different seasons and times of life.

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Wigington, Patti. "Pagan and Wiccan Prayers for All Occasions." Learn Religions, Aug. 26, 2020, learnreligions.com/pagan-prayers-for-all-occasions-2562573. Wigington, Patti. (2020, August 26). Pagan and Wiccan Prayers for All Occasions. Retrieved from https://www.learnreligions.com/pagan-prayers-for-all-occasions-2562573 Wigington, Patti. "Pagan and Wiccan Prayers for All Occasions." Learn Religions. https://www.learnreligions.com/pagan-prayers-for-all-occasions-2562573 (accessed March 28, 2024).