[Main Blog Post] [Heathen Rosary] Draft "Hail Holy Forebears"

[jprussell]

I am so very, very close to having all of the bedes of the "Heathen Rosary" at least to a stead where you can say the whole thing, but the draft of the closing bede still feels a bit "flat," and so once again, I am asking for your help in working out what I might change about it.

Your thoughts on the "Hail Idun" and "All-Father" have been very worthwhile and truly helped them take shape, so even more so than usual, kindly share them on this one as well so I can have a full set of prayers I'm happy with and get to working out the "mysteries" to go with them.

Thanks ahead of time if you choose to share any and all thoughts, big or small.

Comments

[borealbear]

"I tend to best like the idea that It transcends earthly species and partakes of something of the essence of both ash and yew (and maybe every other tree), and so which mundane wood we choose to symbolize it is more about calling out certain aspects, rather than getting it "right."

This is probably the best way to approach it. Like you said, it's a mythic idea in any case, not a matter of botany. Still, I do have a soft spot for the ash as the one distinctive wood of Germanic tradition, and its properties and appearance also go very well with a Golden Dawn approach as I understand it - which is one reason I also got an ash wand to use for the HGD when that time comes.

"JMG's response was that prayers shouldn't necessarily follow the rules of affirmations, because they are a form of communication with a fully sentient other being, rather than a way of hammering something into your own subconscious."

True, that's a very valid point. My thought process here was similar to yours: this prayer, both in the Heathen and Catholic context, is more a personal declaration of intent towards the Gods as a whole, so I thought it was fitting. I agree that it probably wouldn't be right with the other Bedes.

Again, appreciate the encouragement, and I'll let you know when I've adapted the whole thing and hopefully gotten a chance to try it in practice (which is of course where the real value lies).

[jprussell]

If you have other reasons to favor Ash, it makes good sense to me to go with that here as well. It might be interesting over time to see if folks report any different "feel" based on different materials in their beads.

And agreed that making the "creed" affirmation-like makes better sense than the other ones. My own "Tree Deeming" also does this somewhat, though it's not wholly put in the present tense in order to get the feel of Wyrd, Werthende, and Sculd (the three Wyrds, matching the three Norns - Urdhr, Verdhandi, and Skuld).

Lastly, my pleasure, and thanks for sharing your updates!

Thanks,
Jeff