This edition of Pagan Voices is a spotlight on the actions many within the Pagan community are taking in a time of crisis. Those individuals and groups featured showcase not only the wisdom, thought processes, and evolution in the public eye, but also reflect the community in action. Is there a Pagan voice or artist taking action you would like to see highlighted? Contact us with a link to the story, post, audio, or image.
Byline Note: Staff writer, Sean McShee contributed to this article.
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As the pandemic continues to limit interactions around the globe, Pagans are finding creative ways to connect and interact spiritually. Many are offering ways to use magic or ritual to have an impact, whether for personal wellbeing or for the healing of others. This is by no means a comprehensive list, just the ones that caught our collective eye.
Circle Sanctuary has embraced the use of digital connection and is providing a number of ways for people to interact with ritual experiences, meditations and even a support healing circle on Facebook.
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- Monday, April 6: Magical Eggs — online via Zoom conferencing
Learn egg lore and some ways that eggs, egg-shaped objects, and egg imagery have been used to celebrate Spring and to make magic in meditations, divinations, and rituals. If possible, bring a hardboiled egg and/or egg-shaped object to work with during the workshop and Full Moon rite. - Wednesday, April 1: Nature Meditations podcast on Nature Spirituality with Selena Fox on BlogTalk radio. Some meditative journeys and ways to work with Nature imagery for healing, wellness, and resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- The Facebook page for Circle Healing Circle is open to anyone in need of spiritual support and serves as a space for prayers, requests, and messages that supports many spiritual paths, religions, & philosophies. Their focus is on spiritual healing, which is meant to complement but not substitute for work with health care professionals.
- Monday, April 6: Magical Eggs — online via Zoom conferencing
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Statue of Sekhmet in a very small chapel of the temple of Ptah in the Precinct of Amun-Re at Karnak Temple – Image credit: Asavaa – CC BY-SA 3.0
Some have offered healing prayers, like this one to the Goddess Sekhmet from Rev. Dr. Tamara L. Siuda. Sekhmet’s name means “powerful woman” and She is considered the Eye of Ra and can destroy, especially illnesses and viruses. Rev. Dr. Tamara L. Siuda created the prayer “as an adaptation of a translation of larger ancient rites to Sekhmet for the destruction of illness and evil.”
Prayer to Sekhmet against COVID-19
O Sekhmet, Eye of Ra,
Powerful Flame,
Protectress of those whom She created,
O Sekhmet Who lights up the land with Her flame,
Who gives life to everyone:
Come, Sekhmet! Free us!
Save us from the misfortunes of this time.
May they never have power over us, forever.Powerful One of Fire,
Who makes the virus tremble with fear of Her,
Come to us! Stop all calamity!
May our beginning be life, our middle be health, and our end be strength.
May there be cooperation between us.
May there be protection against all our enemies, living or dead.
Appease in our favor the Great Nine;
Appease in our favor the Lesser Nine;
Appease in our favor all the blessed dead,
as Ra is agreeable to His following,
in this time of our need.O Pure Mother,
grant that all of the peoples of our world,
the generations we know and generations still to come,
be pure of all evil contamination,
of all bad winds,
and all bad journeys for this time.
Melissa Hill on her Patheos Blog, DandelionLady offered a healing prayer that can be used for online healing groups.
Call and Response: The person acting as the priest/ess says each line, and all participants respond with “Heal the People.”
May the power of the sun’s light
Heal the people
May the power of the bird’s flight
heal the people
May the power of the storm’s force
Heal the people
May the power of the river’s course
Heal the people
May the peace of the stars be with us
Heal the people
May the fire of hope be with us
Heal the people
May the love of the earth be with us
Heal the people
Jason Miller offered many options for both practical and spiritual actions on his website, Strategic Sorcery. He also has some very no-nonsense advice on magical applications:
Again, NO Sorcery, Magic, or Witchcraft should REPLACE Mundane steps like Social Distancing, and Hand Washing.
When it comes to magic, go to the traditions and spirits you have relationships with already. If you work with Hekate regularly, and have no exposure to Tibetan Buddhism, chanting the mantra of White Tara is not necessarily your best best option. There IS an angle to deal with this from almost any tradition or deity.
The Fellowship of Isis created a healing rite to Isis that was performed on March 25th, which is also noted as the celebration of the Hilaria, a festival of joy. The details of the ritual are available via their Facebook page in the “Notes” section.
On the Anniversary of the Fellowship of Isis on the Vernal Equinox, I came to members of the Italian community of the Fellowship of Isis on the Facebook group “Casa di Aset, FOI Italia” with the idea to create a healing rite for these troubled times.
This was due in part to reading the heartfelt words of Ivana Modesto, posted on “Fellowship of Isis Central Site and News.” What better place to begin than in a country where the veneration of the goddess Isis, patroness of our Fellowship entered into Italy and beyond. For wherever the Romans went, the worship of Isis went.
Now is the time to connect with the protective and healing energies of the Goddess, to tune into her strength and wisdom. Many must stay confined to their homes, or restricted in their daily movements, so now is the perfect time for prayer, meditation and ritual.
Artist and author Laura Tempest Zakroff, has recently created three sigils that are very timely and based on the sigil design system she developed and that is featured in her book Sigil Witchery.
Her most recent sigils are freely accessed from her blog on Patheos Pagan, A Modern Traditional Witch.
All three sigils were designed to help individuals and the community. The first, an Immunity Booster Sigil was designed to help promote good health by boosting the immune system. The second, The Needs Met Sigil was created during her first interactive online Sigil Workshop on March 20. And finally, A Sigil for Managing Panic which was also created during an online class on March 22.
While Zakroff freely shares her sigils, she wants users to be aware that it is important to fully understand the various elements she used to create them and why she chose those aspects. The shared magic and an understanding of those principles are important. Additionally, anyone sharing her work should certainly credit her, and link to her articles that list all of the relevant information connected to them.
A Power Sigil for our Times [Courtesy Laura Tempest Zakroff]
And finally, Everglades Moon Local Council, the Florida-based council of Covenant of the Goddess has created a page to link magical with practical action. Among the practical bits of information are how to make face masks that can be donated to the community or used personally, how to practice virtual rituals, sharing their Zoom account, and some distractions and diversions. The complete list of resources can be found on the EMLC site.
As we move forward in this “new normal,” TWH will continue to bring you the stories that affect and impact our collective communities, and report the news.
Stay Home. Stay Safe. And, wash your hands!
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