Pure Flame: The Invisible Sun

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POETRY, PRAYERS, & SACRED WRITINGS FROM

THE EARTH AND BEYOND

Kate RogersFall 2010

Pure FlameUnveiling the Invisible Sun Within


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Life is a pure flame,

and we live by an invisible sun within us.

-Thomas Browne

Self-published in Guilderland, New YorkSeptember, 2010

Copyright 2010 by Catherine Ashworth RogersAll rights reserved


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Table of ContentsIntroduction .................................................................................... 3Suffer the Effort .............................................................................. 4

I: In the Beginning ...................................................................... 5II: Pastoral Prayers .................................................................... 6III: The Chosen .......................................................................... 7IV: Hindu .................................................................................... 8V: To Be Happy You Cannot Love ............................................ 9VI: Hunger Pains ..................................................................... 10VII: Meditation .......................................................................... 11VIII: Withering .......................................................................... 12IX: Greeting the Sun ................................................................ 13X: Off-Spring ............................................................................ 15XI: In the Shadow .................................................................... 16XII: Modern Messiah ................................................................ 18XIII: Sidewalk Serenade .......................................................... 19XIV. Suffer the Effort ................................................................ 20

Poetry ........................................................................................... 22The Stream .............................................................................. 23Affirmation ............................................................................... 24Becoming ................................................................................. 25The Earth Wise ........................................................................ 26Camp Mohawk ......................................................................... 27The Path She Follows ............................................................. 34Star Dust .................................................................................. 37Shielding .................................................................................. 38Three Breath Meditation .......................................................... 39Searching for Stillness ............................................................. 41Haiku for Inner Peace .............................................................. 42Haiku to Vision of Bronze Buddha ........................................... 43My Witness .............................................................................. 44Doldrums ................................................................................. 45


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Fullness of the Lady ............................................................... 46Dark Mother ............................................................................ 47Death ...................................................................................... 48Early Summer ......................................................................... 49

Prayers ........................................................................................ 50Opening Invocation ................................................................. 50Ostara - Spring Equinox ......................................................... 51Invocations.............................................................................. 52A Prayer of Gratitude .............................................................. 53Devotional Prayer ................................................................... 54A Thanksgiving Prayer ........................................................... 55Connection Prayer .................................................................. 56Moon Prayer ........................................................................... 57Prayer of Change ................................................................... 58Mabon ..................................................................................... 59Prayer for Peace ..................................................................... 60Evening Prayer ....................................................................... 61

Night Blessing ......................................................................... 62Shaman's Song ...................................................................... 63Solstice Sun ............................................................................ 64


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Introduction"You must understand the whole of life, not just one little part of it.That is why you must read, that is why you must look at theskies, that is why you must sing and dance, and write poems, andsuffer, and understand, for all that is life."

~ J. Krishnamurti

The following is a collection of work created over the course ofmore than twenty years of exploring and following a spiritual quest

for truth, peace, and purpose. The tale begins with Suffer theEffort, written when I was 21 and beginning my search forreligious identity. The Poemsand Prayersthat follow were writtenin the following decades, and document the places this searchhas taken me. Although each of the poems and prayers werewritten in different times, under different circumstances, I havetaken some care to arrange them here in a way I believe supportsand continues the journey I seek to document. Ultimately, each

piece herein is a piece of the story; they are artifacts that litter thepath of an earnest, if sometimes uncertain, spiritual seeker. Theyare an attempt to capture, explore, and convey the sights alongthe way.


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Suffer the Effort"The sacred place is not remote;No special roads lead to it.If one proceeds where a guide has pointed,He will find only a slippery, moss-covered bridge."

- Genro

This section, written as one linked piece, is comprised of severalpoems connected by the theme of Spiritual Searching. It was

written in college when I was 21and actively searching for aspiritual identity. As such, it represents a critical stage of mylifelong search for spiritual truth.

It examines the journey of exploration and discovery that Iexperienced as I began the path of the Seeker. It chronicles theeuphoria of discovery as well as the confusion, scorn, and fear ofthose who surrounded and challenged me. It ends with an

acceptance and understanding of my journey for what it was, withits beauty and pitfalls.


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"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God".-Matthew 5:8

I: In the BeginningIt all beganinnocently enough;this search I mean,this burning.

When asked to define

ReligionI did not know.

I was forced to thinkabout what religion was,and what I thought,and I did not know.

Like all good students do

I'm toldI went to Merriam and Webster.:Religion is a belief or causeheld to with faith and ardor.how nice.So what is faith?:a system of religious beliefs.That makes it clear.

Ardor was the only wordthat broke this neat circle.:a warmth of feeling- zeal."zeal" I found was:an eager and ardent interestin the pursuit ofsomething.

And with ZealI began my pursuit.


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II: Pastoral PrayersOur Sunday prayers sayGod is the Father,the Almightymaker of Heaven and Earth;of all that is,seen and unseen.

But with him, my childis the Lord,

Jesus Christ.Only son of the Father,through himall things were made.He alone is the Holy One.He alone is the Lord.He alone is the Most High.With the Holy Spiritin the Glory of God the Father.

The Holy Spiritis the Lord,The giver of life,who proceeds from theFather and the Son...

Then why do we call you father?

-Because we are all children of God-

Jesus is Most High over God?-When Judgment Day comes-

Jesus is the only son of God,but aren't we all children of God?-Yes, my child-


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III: The ChosenTo be a good Jew

you must believe in the lawwhich is the Torahwhich came from the prophetsfrom God.

It is not always easyto be chosen by God.For we are the Chosen people

and for that we suffer.

Always you must believein the unchangingtruth of God,and live in such a wayso not to sin;by obeying the law.

You must pray daily,for that is the law.

You must eat what is prescribed,for that is the law.

You must not steal, oppress, or hate,for that is the law.

You must have peace in your heart,for that is the law.

So it is written.


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IV: HinduNirvana.

The Ultimate Truth.Meditate on discovery,and discover, you shall.

All of Life flowsin an endless circle.Like the seasons of Nature,so are the seasons of

immortality.

Death is but a sleepand a forgetting.We would not wish to beoverwhelmedby the memories ofmillions of past lives.

When you haveprepared yourself,you shall find these memoriesand the truths within you,and then you will join Nirvana.

All people will become equal,but are not born so.Submit to the fate of your birth,and do not attempt to fightyour destiny.

If the wheels of fatedecree for you a low caste,submit meekly,search for peace,and wait for the

wheels of karmato turn.


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V: To Be Happy You Cannot LoveBuddha is

the awakenedand seeks the truthas a guide for man.

Life is sufferingembodied in theFour Noble Truths:

Old age, illness, and death;dislikes, separation, and failures,For these we suffer.

The desire for pleasure,the desire for power,the desire for being,For these we suffer.

Separate yourselffrom desire;destroy it completely,then you shall not suffer.

The fourth Noble Truth: to conquer desire,you must follow The Eightfold Path.

Right belief, right resolve,right speech, right behavior,right effort, right occupation,right contemplation,right concentration.This path will lead youto perfect peace.

Perfect peace

free from desirefree from sufferingdetached from life.


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VI: Hunger PainsWhich now

shall I claimas my religion?

Christianity is thefollowing of Jesus.Judaism is theReligion of the Law.Hinduism is a

fellowship of faiths, yetBuddhism isthe Awakened.

There is also Islam,the submission to Allah,but Taoism isThe Way.Shinto is

The Way of the Gods,and Confucianism isThe Middle Path.

Which is correct?They all seem to seekTruth,and taste incomplete.

I hunger for thatwhich they cannot explain.Their words fuel my desire,and desire is suffering.

I suffer for truth,I yearn for knowledge,I crave the awakening

of faith.


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VII: MeditationWho am I?

Where do I belong?I look aroundand see nothing but swirling blankness.

I search harder,perceptions strain,and see my questions blendwith the questions of others.

I look into the soulsof these others.I see free spiritsbound,straining to break the bondsof fears we cannot know.

The blankness is a guessing game.

It holds no answersyet knows them all.

The spirit moves us to blind trust,Blind Faithin whatever our grasping minds can grip.

When finally we turn inwardthe chains fall away,the answers reveal,and the soul can soarunfettered.


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VIII: WitheringDo you listen

to your own words?Am I the only onethat can hear theironydrip from you lipslike melting iceoff your frozen minds?

Am Ithe only onewho strainsto hear the lonely melodyof truthin the cacophonyof religionsyou sing to?

Why am Icondemnedfor wanting the same peacethat you claim to have?


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IX: Greeting the SunThe wafting scent of pine

was carried gently downfrom the trees,embracing the grasswhere I lay.

Summer sunbathed the branches,casting cool lattice

across my upturned face.

The swallows sangin random order,the crickets hummedin steady harmony.

My mind was driftingslowly, effortless,

like the billowing whiteof floating clouds.

My eyes followed a bumblebeefeeding nectared blossoms,only to feed a spiderin a patiently spun web.

My heart smiled for the bee,who nurtured the flowerand the spider,both the beautiful and the feared...And my mind becamethat web,spinning and radiating,

vibrating with a thought...


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There was godin the bee making honey,and in the spider who fed of the bee.

There, in the summer sunand in laced snowwhich feeds the spring.

The ground stood firmbeneath my headwhile my heart rejoicedNature.


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X: Off-SpringMom, this may well be

the only timeour thoughts diverge.In this matter,we are of two minds.I have admired youand echoed you,but the light of your faithserved only

to illuminatemy own unblazoned path.

You gave me lifebut you could not give meyour peace of mind.

You,my best friend,

gave me the abilityto search.To find my wayalone.

Your mind,as open and expansiveas your friendshipnow reflectsmy own light,showing us togetherunder combined illumination.


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XI: In the ShadowHave you heard of Hellfire?Can you say Damnation?

God is goodyou bitch,and I feel sorry for youbecause God won't acceptyour blasphemy.

Do you have any ideahow long eternity is?Do you know how long it would takefor God to forgive your saying"I am god"?

Never.He does not forgive

sinners and blasphemy.God loves everyone,except for thoselike youwho don't believe.

Just you wait and see.Just you wait and seehow God dealswith heretic paganslike yourself.

Look at me.I am saved.See how pure and happy I amin the Light of God's love?

Look at yourself.You are damned.Forever cast in the shadowof God's scorn.


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Eternal Hellfirebecause you are not like me.

Can you say Hallelujah?


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XII: Modern MessiahCome with me, she said

if you are so curiousand full of yourself.

I too was searching,like you,and thought I had foundanswers.

I too was so damned sureI had found the way,alone,until I met this man.

He's hard to describe, heradiates.And he tells a truthyou can believe.

His words flowout and overuntil you swayhis song.

And it doesn't evencost that much.What is moneycompared to truth?


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XIII: Sidewalk SerenadeHave you found God?

they ask with eager eyesand flashing fervor,surrounding me withtambourine and hallelujah.

Eyes smile back,laughing at their desperate urgeto salvage and absorb.

Relieving their mindI say yes.

Their faces thrill withembracing joy,finding another thathas come into their fold.

Have you found nature? I ask.

The frantic light dims,puzzlementtakes its place.Patiently I wait,amused by their assumptions.

Have you found Christ? they counter,defensive now,detached.

Dimly I smile,retreating myself.I did not realize he was lost.


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XIV. Suffer the EffortMuch to my dismay

one day I discoveredthat I am damned.

It was confusing to meas I aspired to lead asinless lifeand it was my belief I had.

They say my great sinis that I do not followtheir faithand their god.

They say my great sinis that I do not goto their cold stone placesand worship their words.

"Where is my sin,"I ask, "when I havefaith and I havefound God?"

I have found my Godin all that lives.That powerfulmysterious forcewhich drives roots into soiland springs petals from the stem.

I have felt thisGreat Forceforever winding in circles,spinning the cycles of nature.

I have not seen theirAlmighty Godwhose powerful hand


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strikes down one whileuplifting another.

I have foundmy peace of mindin the assuranceof continued life.

There I have foundmy faith and strengthand for thatIll gladly remain damned.


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Poetry"Man fixes some wonderful erection of his own between himselfand the wild chaos, and gradually goes bleached and stifledunder his parasol. Then comes a poet, enemy of convention, andmakes a slit in the umbrella; and lo! the glimpse of chaos is avision, a window to the sun."- D. H. Lawrence

Poetry is written in the language of the Spirit. It attempts toexpress what cannot be expressed in any other way. This sectioncontains poems that were written at various stops along myspiritual journey.


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The StreamA branch falls,

dead, from the suninto the flowing water.

the splash, hollowamidst the

bubbling stream.

Twigs trail their fingersthrough the trickling wet

much as a child mighton a hot and hazysummer day.

A bird lightson the branch

like a lighton a branch,

picks a seed

from the peeling barkand flies away again.

The dry branchdrinks deeply

from the coolclear flow

while remaining anchoredfast to shore.

Moonlight fallson its resting body

and a new cyclebegins.


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AffirmationToday, I affirm myself.

In this moment, I embrace myself.In this heartbeat, I become myself.

I stare with stern eyesinto the hidden reaches of my souland snare my deepest truths.

And reaching out to me

from my darkest pockets of soul-shardsis my own throbbing lightreaching out to me.


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BecomingThe clouds

cover the sky,a thick gray blanket, yetI can see beyond themto the sunfringingthe blazing horizon.

The air

is bitter coldyet my soul,and heart, revelsin its own heat.

From the skyfalls snow,chill, wet, heavy;I admire the beauty

of each delicate flake.

I stand in wonderof every cloud,wisp of wind,and snowflake.

All around is harshyet I am soft,pliable, breathing inour existence.


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The Earth WiseThe time has come

when the Motherneeds her Children.We who have learnedand were raised in her heart.

Come out of your snug caves,peer out from behind thatGrandfather Oak;

proudly reclaim your placeby joining hands and dancing!

Do not cower or quiver,there is no more need for fear.The burning times have passed.Leap from the ashes laughing!


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Camp MohawkA Saga of Self

This poem tells about how I learned to love nature,

through my early experience at camp the summer I was five. Fiveyears later my family miraculously moved across the street, andthose 43 acres became my backyard paradise.

I first arrivedin the fifth summerof my life.As a child I felt

I was somehowreturningto a placeI once loved well.

It had becomea Day Camp.A joyous escapefrom pavement

to wooded ecstasy.

All that summer,that sun swollenchildish summer,I exploredand expanded,granted a reprieve.

I was alreadytoo old to be five.Innocenceand tender trustno longer belonged to me.

This woodland wonderlandbecame my looking glass.

Childhood was preserved;wonder returnedto where wonderwas lost.


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*****************************************************************Arrival Day

There's a lotI don't remember now;the waitingfor that standard yellow schoolbusthat picked me up.I don't rememberthe ride.I don't remember even

where I lived then.

I do rememberThe Turn.The bus squeezes itselfdown a narrowtree lined tunnel.It's markedwith a small wooden sign."Welcometo Camp Mohawk".

My memories beginwith that faded signand that shadedrutted road.

The summer schoolbuswould shudderand jerk to a halt,releasing its chargesinto the summer sunshinebeside the camp headquarters.The Pavillion.

*****************************************************************

Connection

That first daywe were divided


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by ages;my new familyof strangers.

My group was toldto meet in the Lower Field.

We were paired upand set free.My companion and Iventured forthhand in hand.she found the Field.

I found Paradise.

*****************************************************************Summer School

That summer;that gloriousblossoming summer!The forest becamemy classroom.The trees and animalsbecame my friends.

I learned aboutDutch Elm disease,how to whistleon acorn caps,

and get free paperfrom Birch trees.

I learned thatif you walk carefully,you can gazeupon the grazing deer.

If you sit quietly,

the birds willbuild their nestsand sing nearby.


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I learned howto walk downa steep hill sideways,

so you won't slipon pebbles underfoot.

(You have to goslower stillin Autumn,when fallen leavesmake the slope slippery.)

I watched minnowsdarting aboutin the shallows.We weren't allowedto cross the creekto see larger fishin the deeper parts.

But we learned to skip stonesand watch the rockbounce to the far shore,Wonderingwhat the big kids meantby "panty raid".

*****************************************************************Rain Out

Then the tentswere all set upfor the Camp Overnight,the Bonfire was preparedfor our Weenie-Roast,and that morning it rained.

We waited

with our bundledsleeping bags,water dripping fromthe bonfire logs,


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for the raysof the setting sun.

That day,I learned where West was,as I searchedfor broken cloudsand golden rays.Clouds and Campoutsdon't mix.

We went home

dragging damp blanketsand Summer ended.No more craftswith pasta and paint.No more pinecones,nature trails,and scavenger hunts.No moresplashing to catcha greased watermelonin chlorine waterthat wentover my head.

*****************************************************************Autumn

The trees are now displayingtheir scarlet flags.I gather bluejay feathersand brilliant leaves,mementos of a promiseto return.

The schoolbus emergedfrom the shadowy tunnel

to return me tomy childhood.I went hometransformed.


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*****************************************************************Homecoming

I'm ten nowand have not forgottenbittersweet memories ofhalf a lifetime ago.I rememberthe faded signand the rutted road.

I've lived with

concrete playgroundsand scraggy woods.I've rememberedto walk carefullybut saw no deer.

We finally moveaway from sidewalksand trees in pots.A real house,with a forestright across the street.

At last a chanceto learn again whatI am slowly forgetting.A certain set of pines,

so proud;where to find White Birch,

My longing creates a mirageof the memories I dwell in...An arch of treesforming a tunnel...a faded wooden signand a rutted

schoolbus road.


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*****************************************************************Manifesting Dreams

My longingand long dreaminghave deceived me...and yet it is so.All I thought was lostis rediscovered.

But now I'm ten,and this is my

backyard!My fabled Wonderland,my fading Eden,my adventure reawakened!

No pairing up,and counselorsforbidding me the stream.The Nature Trailswalked so long in dreamsare emptiedwith the last bus out.

Now September,when school beginsand Day Camp ends,the trails are mine to walk.

At four Oclockthe trees whispertheir invitation.

My sanctuary is restored!I dive between the trees,daring myself to get lost,and finding my wayinevitably

back home.


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The Path She FollowsBy a mountain stream flowing,

falling, rushing,step by stepover time-worn stones,I sit breathing softlyunder the leafy canopyas dangling fingersand trailing toessplash idly

in liquid crystal,catching sparklesof sun on sprayliftedon a sweet scented breeze.

A rustling step soundson fallen needles of pineabove me

and behind.At the top of the falls,Where earth and watermeet the sky's horizonstands a woman alone.Draped in black,shadowed against the setting sun,a halo formsaround her flowing robesas the breeze dancesabout her feet.

The cloak falls backagainst her shouldersand fading sunlightreveals a faceserene in its repose.

Her eyes reflected midnight,laughter shone in her gazelike stars.Framed by graying locks,


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beautyworn by time.

A hand emergesand beckons me,Arise and Follow.As I climb along the banks,she turnsand slips silentlyamongst the trees.A trail of glowing footstepsweaves a dance

deeper within the woods;I follow.

The breeze fadeswith fading light.The trees ceasetheir sighing songand cloak mewith deepening dusk.Pacing the pearlescent prints,the scent of pine risesfrom my feet.

The path I followends with the last light;parting trees reveala starlight dusted glade.

There, in the center,the woman sitsand beckons.

Her face is smilingcomfort and welcomeas the crescent moonsets behind her head.Rising,

she takes my hand.

Standing thus,Mother and Child,


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I gaze upon the heavens.Dizzied by the endless depths of space,eyes watering with its magnitude,

she lowers me gentlyonto the dewy grass.

Stroking my hairand caressingmy dampened cheeks,she murmurs gentle wordsof tender love.

In a forest glade glowing,silent dew beadingon blades of grass,I lay breathing softlyunder the starry canopyas beating heartsand gazing eyesflare with shooting stars.

With a rustling stepshe rises,silhouetted by dark treesand bright stars.Gathering her cloakback against her shoulders,She began to danceupon the returning trail.

And rising, I dance.Arms out flung, I spin.Smiling, I slip silentlyamongst the trees,laughter shining in my eyeslike starsand my footsteps glowwhere I tread.


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Star DustThose rare dazzling moments

when we are open to the sheerwonder of the Universe,those moments when we areintimately aware thatwe are composed of star dust,

those moments are fleeting.Seeking those moments and

straining to stretch them out,make our moment of connectionlast just a bit longer,thats what the spirit strives for.

Each time we stretch thosedelicate wings of the soul,they grow stronger; ableto carry us farther, to greater

heights, perhaps even

soaring us back to that momentof ultimate connectionwhen we can feel the shimmeringatoms of the stars themselvesglowing within our flesh.


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Three Breath MeditationThe first breath drags inward

and closes the eyes,expanding the breast upwardwith arms sweeping, rising,palms open and receiving,saying Focus on Now.

The hands meet above the head,a prayer posture extended above

saying Here!There is no time but this momentThe body an extended arrow,pointing up, out, away.

The first exhale, a slow sigh withpalm-pressed hands drawing a linestraight down past the sighing lips, downthe center line of the Spirit,

saying Enter the Stillness...Feel the Earth beneath your feet...

The second breath in bringsEarth energy up with the handssweeping out from the side like wings,filling each body hollowand sweeping up the Crown.The hands press above into a prayer.

The second exhale, the breathhisses through the skin asthe healing hands move downpushing the hoarded debris of Spiritinto the nourishing compost of Earth.The hands sweep down and away.

The third breath in,hands sweeping up and becomingsoaring wings of light,reaches up and gathers in,


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drawing down the heavenly Kistreaming through the body from above.

The third exhale, a soul-sent sighthat streams through the spirit,connecting back to earth,balanced perfectly between.A living pillar held opento the Flow of Divine.


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Searching for StillnessThe candles glow

upon the altar of self.Lit by a hand made steadyby steady habit of time.

The words are whisperedinto the space that spansthe seeking spiritand the silent flame.

Staring into the stillness,the swirling senses slow,the struggle to stay centeredis accepted, and stilled.

The Sacred Space is prepared.The Altar is lit from within.


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Haiku for Inner PeacePeaceful bliss begins,

a delicate downy wisp,a fluttering hope.

The stillness of joystarts deep within the Spirit,eager to expand.

Allowing sorrows

to soften into balance,deepening the soul.


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Haiku to Vision of Bronze BuddhaSteam curls and rises

above the forest treetops,below the high perch.

Murmuring watertravels on the breath of breeze,a hidden streamlet.

Overlooking all,

serenely sits the Buddha,his bronze gaze unchanged.

His pose is stillnesson the edge of the mountain.His moment is now.

Supreme attentionto the center of stillness

finds the path to joy.


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My WitnessNexus points are full

Of emerging futures, emptyOf direction, all things are possibleAnd equally impossible.Whence comes the clarified direction?

Who watchesAs we thrash our wayAlong paths unknowing?

Detours collide with destinationsThe paced struggle defines the pace

Upon us and before usTread the soles of historyDecisions, choicesRolling heel to toeWearing paths for us to follow.

Well worn paths mutely guide blind feetTo common destinationsDestiny denied the chance to detourWho sees the end of the road less traveled?My witness is the empty sky.


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DoldrumsMy steady routine

staggers and slows.Guilt nags me backsometimesbut outer cares distract.

All of my plansfor the unfoldingof my soul

lay waiting as I playand read and work andkeep busy with the minutiaof carrying this bodythrough time.

Feeling guilty becauseIm not striving dailyfor the betterment of

myself and the world.


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Fullness of the LadyWhen the Sun balances

on the rim of the mountains;tumbling his rays with spraysof golden showers into the valleys below;

The Earth tremblesbeneath the edge of the shadowing horizonand with one last slow pushgives birth to the rising Moon.

She peers curiously ather departing lover andpulls herself higher to seewhere he has gone.

Her rounded belly glowsfrom his hidden strength.

She stretches her armsacross the sky, braiding the starsinto her radiant hair.

Strolling across the nightshe sings to the dreamersas she journeys to joinher restless lover.


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Dark Mother~In memory of an unnamed woman from Sevastopol,

Ukraine, who was burned on a stake as a witch, January, 1997.

Let her death be remembered.I will remember.I remember.

She is the unnamed woman.

Her name is my own.She is me.

Her rope burns scar my wrists.I am tied to the stake.I am burned.

Let my death be remembered.My death transforms me.

I am renewed.

Use my angerto heat the forge of change.Use my rageto temper the blade of justice.

Empower my voiceso that I may speakfor the forever silent.


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DeathDeath is a gateway at the end of a well trod path.

Death is a blossom that drops its petals to prepare for the swellingseed.

Death is a song with endless verses.

Death is a spiral dance with the universe.

Death is a moment, a nanosecond, a pulse of thought.

Death is the balance, the blessing, the mirror that reflectsmeaning.

Death is the tear in the eye that waters the seed of rebirth.

Death is the reward of a well-lived life.


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Early SummerA beautiful early summer morning,

A hint of cool damp mists the greenas the last of the chill night dewevaporates into bright morning sunshine,as the songbirds trilltheir prophetic morning greetingsto this lucent start of day.

A playful gust of breeze

runs fingers through leafy hedges,making motherly shushing sounds as thoughto hush the nattering chicks who peepincessantly from within the leafy depths.Dappled shadows dance and play uponthe grass as the rippled breeze returnsto brush against the shrubs once again.

A steadier trickle of breeze caresses

the lush spring growth of grasses, asa mother might lovingly trail her fingersthrough her childs hair,but the heads of these grasses grow heavy with seed,still green but swellingwith new life, ripeningin the lush green sunshineof early summer.


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Prayers"More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of."-Alfred Tennyson

Prayers allow our Spirits to reach outward toward the DivinePresence. They express the yearnings of our Souls. Thedifference between poetry and prayer is often very small.

Opening InvocationWe enter this space with Love in our hearts,To make it a place Between the Worlds andOutside of Time.May the Eyes of the UniverseLend witness and support to our gathering together.So Mote It Be!


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Ostara - Spring EquinoxOpening Invocation

Today is the balance point on the Wheel of Seasons.We say Farewell to Winter and Welcome to Spring!

We welcome the Fertility of the God and Goddess.We honor the Rebirth of the Earth.We rejoice at the Return of the Sun.

We charge ourselves

With the Energy of the quickening sapAnd budding trees.

As the soil softens and the snow melts,So are we cleansed and renewed.

As the Sun waxes in strength,So may our Spirits.

So Mote It Be.


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InvocationsShe of the stars dancing,

She of the hawk soaring,She of the moon glowing,Come to me.

He of the wind sighing,He of the Raven crowing,He of the Sun shining,Come to me.

She of the rain falling,She of the bird nesting,She of the lava surging,Come to me.

He of the deer rutting,He of the seed planted,He of the danger answered,

Come to me.


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A Prayer of GratitudeI thank you for the bountiful blessings

you have showered upon me in this life.I thank you for the abundancewith which you have graced my soul.I am full to overflowing,filled with your white brillianceflowering within my spirit.It is through my connection with youthat I live my life.

I see my own divinityreflected in your shining face.

Oh Lady Goddess,your strength and beautyfill me with wonder.I am dazzled at your gentle gaze.You are subtle and wise,and aid the spiritual traveler

with warm nourishmentand a safe place to rest.

Oh Lord God of the Hunt,God of the Greenwood,God the Elder of the Tribe,you flood me with strengthwhen my knees lose their support.You are the hunter, the grower,the elder, the provider.Show me your wisdom and leadershipto guide me safely through this life.

I thank you both for the many giftsyou have showered upon my spirit.I ask only that you walk beside meand guard my path

as I follow where it leads.


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Devotional PrayerHe who stands with feet planted firmly upon the Earth,

Wings stretched across the heavens,a jar of Thunder pouring from His shoulder:To You, my dear God, I send my love.

She who rises up from the womb of the Earth,Arms embracing the four winds,the streaks of moonlight tangling Her hair,with stars in Her eyes:

To You, my dear Goddess, I send my love.

I stand firmly upon the womb of the Earth,my wings spanning the horizon,moon beams catching in my hair.

I am embraced between Earth and Sky.My spirit is expanded by Love.And Stars shine in my eyes.


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A Thanksgiving PrayerToday I opened my eyes and beheld the bright blue sky out my

window.I am thankful for my eyes that let me see. I am thankful for theSky above methat protects this planet. I am thankful that I have a window tokeep out thecold. I am thankful for the roof over my head. I am thankful for mycomfortable bed where I slept so soundly.

Today I showered and dressed for a special dinner with myfamily.I am thankful for clean water. I am thankful for warm clothing. I amthankfulfor a family that loves me despite my flaws. I am thankful for myownchildren. I am thankful that I have a place to go.

Today I share a feast of Thanksgiving.

I am thankful for the corn that ripened and died for my meal. I amthankfulfor the apples that fill the pies. I am thankful for the Turkey thatlived anddied this week so that I may share him with my family and friends.I amthankful for the sacrifice of life in exchange for life.

Today I will sleep and digest.I will leave the pain behind me, and be thankful for the gifts that Ihave.I have breath. I have life. I have an abundant capacity to love.I remember.


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Connection PrayerDearest Mother,

I have need of thee.

Step behind my eyesand give me a larger perspective.

Step inside my spiritand fill me with your divine strength.

Walk with my feet,Listen with my ears,Share my body once again.

I miss seeing Your facewhen I look in the mirror.


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Moon PrayerLady of the Dark Moon:

Hold me within your dark embrace as You hide your face inshadow.Shine your dark light within my soul,and help me find that which was crushed, wounded, and lost.

O Lady of the Dark Moon, I ask you for mastery of self.

Lady of the New Moon:

Squeeze my hand tightly as you reveal Your face to me oncemore.Your lancets of light pierce my shadows, and bleed the wounds.As you wax in strength, hold my hand and lead me to Your Fullbrilliance.

O Lady of the New Moon, I ask you for illumination.


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Prayer of ChangePele-

Melt me down and reshape me.Consume me and transform me.Let me burn with your heat of creation.Destroy me so that I may be reborn.

*Stretches hands upward to the sky*I am Changing Woman! I spin my webs of spirit!

*traces circle in the dirt*I am Summer Face Woman! My Spirit shall never die!

*spins in circle, weaving a net of protection*I am Snake Woman! I writhe and molt... help me shed this

skin!


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Mabonthe autumnal equinox,

when the earth itselfis poised in balance

Although that balance is fleeting,a moment only,a spinning pause

Then the axis begin to tilt

toward darkness,the failing of the light

The long night,although that too is spinning awayback into balance

For a moment,then light;

all is impermanent

All seeking balance,always a spinning momentas it changes


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Prayer for PeaceImbolc February 1, 2003

This is Imbolc, when the ice begins to melt, the earth begins tosoften, and the seed begins to stir in the darkness. Let the smallseeds of peace also stir within the hearts of those who have beenlocked in the ice of fear, anger, and hatred.

As the heat of the sun strengthens and warms the earth, so maythe heat of love and compassion strengthen the will and spirits of

all of us who strive for peace.

I will strive to soften my impatience, so that my compassion canbreak free and thrive. Peace is a harvest worthy of my patience. Icannot hasten the growth of the crop by tugging on the newshoots But I can prepare the soil where the seeds of peace maygrow.

I can allow love to burn so brightly within me that I glow with the

force of it, and allow it to shine so that the fear and anger heldwithin the hearts of others begins to soften and melt.

Peace is not an outward ideal, but an inner truth that lies deepwithin each heart. May it break forth and flourish. So mote it be.


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Evening PrayerWhen the clouds sigh

and sweep the breath of rainacross the drapery of evening,

and the roosting birds returnto preen the damp fromweighted wings,

then do I sing my song

of breath and beauty,swaying with the sight.

Stillness settlesas the sun seeps throughthe bending horizon.

The rustle of leaveshushes like whispers

of healing breath,

my silent songslides along theedge of night,

as peace descends.


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Night BlessingThis was the blessing that I recited to my children every night until

they reached their tween years.

Have a good night sleep (hands crossed over my heart)

filled with pleasant dreams, (hands spread out over my head)

knowing you are safe and protected (hands palms out, circlearound)

by the light of my love. (Hands return crossed over my heart)


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Shaman's SongHere I am standing before you,

a shape-shifting keeper of light.Rooted in Helderberg mountains,born of the forested heights.

Touched in the heart by the Goddess;Struck down by the flame of the God;Spirit trail first led to Tortoise;Raven and Hawk gave their nod.

Mother's blood, daughter of Ashworthwhere Mashpee and Celtic combine.Born to be one who can listen,passing my blood down the line.

Drumming from center of spirit,I walk between worlds and I soar;Journeying, seeking new wisdom,

Spirit guides teaching me more.


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Solstice SunUnder the stars,

under the clouds,under the deep blue sky,under the full moon,under the Solstice sun;

We dance the sacred dance,chant the sacred songs,invoke the sacred spirits,

share the sacred feast,dream the sacred dream;

Under stars, we share,dancing the clouds,chanting the sky,dreaming the moon,invoking the Solstice sun.

Pure Flame: The Invisible Sun

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Transcript of Pure Flame: The Invisible Sun