Underflow

May Hestia, who warms the hearth and brightens the home,
who is ever first in the hearts of mankind,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May great Zeus, bearer of the firebolt, granter
of rule to the worthy, upholder of the right,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May peerless Hera, friend of those who seek the joy
of marriage, the solace of companionship,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May grey-eyed Athena, protector of cities,
keeper of wisdom, who favors the virtuous,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May Demeter of field and flower, mistress
of all that grows in the earth, founder of the feast,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May golden Aphrodite, whose gift it is
to bring us together in love and compassion,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May swift-footed Hermes, guide of words and meaning,
who clears the way for unity and understanding,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May bright Apollo, lover of knowledge and beauty,
who keeps away all ill, who banishes all blight,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May Artemis of the woodland, mistress of beasts,
guardian of all that is innocent and wild,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

May noble Persephone, queen of light and dark,
comfort of the sorrowing and the bereft,
be with us: we honor you and praise your might.

Father Zeus, protector of the weak,
help me to be strong against my fears.

Father Zeus, protector of the wronged,
help me to do right by all I meet.

Father Zeus, protector of the home,
help me to safeguard those within my walls.

Father Zeus, help me to do what I must,
be with me as I walk in the world.

Bold-hearted Ares, bright-helmed son of thundering Zeus
and noble Hera, well-honored god of war,
any battle will you face, any foe will you fight,
without fear and without hestitation. Ares,
god of warriors, ally of those who risk their lives
on the field, to you do soldiers offer their prayers.
You know each one's name, O Ares, you know their lives,
you know their worth. Great Ares, I pray to you,
watch over ____________ who heeded your call,
who practices your art, whose name you know well,
for s/he is one of your own who does you honor
with each day s/he serves. Ares, I pray to you.

Beloved Hekate, defender of the weak,
protector of those who fear the might of the wicked,
for whom each step into the dark is filled with dread,
I pray to you, I ask your favor. Hekate,
who knows well of all things we mortals most fear,
who knows well how best to drive away all ill,
I ask your blessing. Goddess, preserve my home
and my family from evil, guard us well
against all that would do us harm. Goddess, hold back
the dangers of the dark, grant me wisdom and courage
that I may face my fears and my foes with open eyes.

Swift-footed Hermes, friend of the traveler,
friend of those who find themselves far from their homes,
by will or by chance, I pray to you. Hermes,
who moves between the realms with authority and ease,
who leads men and women on their last, longest journey,
who stands at the crossroad, who watches the byways,
in you I place my trust, for by your might I know
that when I stumble I will rise again, that when
I choose my way I will choose aright. Hermes,
as I make my way through the world, whether I wander
or whether I walk my path with care, be with me.

Hermes of the ready wit and the lightning smile,
wing-footed one who carries the words of the gods,
compassionate one who guides the newly-dead
to the hall of Hades and fair Persephone,
quick-thinking one who takes interest in the world
and works of mankind, whose hand we see in a run
of luck and a clever scheme, I call to you.
Hermes, bearer of the herald's staff, your gifts are great.
You guard our homes with constancy and care,
you grant to us a portion of your own craft and wile,
you join with us when we revel and are merry,
you stand with us when we are far from home, alone.
You are ever with us, O Hermes; O god
who holds in hand the good of men, I honor you.

Beautiful Eros, ever-young, ever-fair,
your eyes, so dark, so ancient, pierce the soul
as your golden darts pierce the heart. Light-hearted god,
teacher of harsh lessons, giver of precious gifts,
through you do we find our best selves, through you do we show
our worst faces; if ever we are good and decent,
if ever we are greedy and cruel, it will be
for the sake of love and desire. In your realm,
sharp-shafted Eros, do we show ourselves true.
Before you, O Eros, we are all weak, and all strong.

I call to Hermes, god of the marketplace,
god of the the deal, from whose hands fall shining coins.
I call to Hestia, goddess of the home,
goddess of good management, who knows the ways of thrift.
Grant me a keen eye to spot a bargain, I pray;
grant that I know false economy from true.
Grant me the craft to repair what is broken,
grant me the sufficiency to save for what may come.
Grant me the wisdom to live with care, O gods,
the discipline and skill to live within my means;
grant me the wit to know my needs and my desires,
grant me the judgment to know the difference.

Dionysos, god whose arrival is swift
and certain, enduring friend of women and men
whose welcome is warm, bringer of light, we see you
in shadows. Dionysos, granter of great blessings,
your presence is a heady wine. Kind-hearted god,
to each you give as is fitting, each vessel you fill
only as we can bear, and yet with even a sip
we are drunk upon you, and our faith is affirmed.
Awesome god, by our own will we drink deeply,
with you we become lost, we wander, we are found.

Bright-helmed Ares, strong of arm and stern of visage,
firm of stance, unyielding of will, ever ready
to face any foe, to hold the line against
all who may come, to battle until the end.
Ares, son of noble Zeus and wise Hera,
cherished by golden Aphrodite, honored
by those who call on you for strength and courage,
in the north were you much honored in times of old,
in Thrace and Thessaly were you held in esteem
by those whose lives were harsh, whose world was stony,
whose comforts were hard-won. Ares who answers
the prayers of the despairing, I honor you.

Persephone, glorious goddess, fair one
with hair that flows like ripened grain, eyes that catch
the clear blue sky, a smile sweet yet shadowed,
O light-footed one who dances in flowered fields,
I praise you. Persephone, lovely one who knows
the feel of sun on skin, who knows as well the press
of cold stone against warm flesh, in the world
of the living, no maid is so alive as you.
In the world of the dead, Persephone, you reign
as queen, crowned with riches unsurpassed, enthroned
in splendor, honored above all others. Goddess,
child of the earth, bride of the darkness, I honor you.

I call to you for favor, my own good spirit,
my Agathos Daimon, my companion through life.
From the day of my birth you have walked next to me,
turned me from all evil, kept me safe from those
who would do me harm. In days of old, kind spirit,
you received offerings of strong wine, you were honored
at great banquets and in the home. Faithful one,
unfailing guardian of my luck, I turn to you
for counsel when I am in doubt, for direction
when I am uncertain. Mild and helpful spirit,
I thank you for your guidance, I thank you
for your blessings. Agathos Daimon, I honor you.

Gentle Hypnos, child of night-dwelling Nyx,
master of far-flung Erebos, far beyond
the path of the sun, I honor you, I thank you
for your blessings. Dark is your hall, O Hypnos,
dark and deep; red are the poppies that grow
at your gate. Young and fair you are, O Hypnos,
so beautiful in repose. Kind and good you are,
O brother of death, O granter of rest
to the weary, of respite to those whose need
for your comfort is desperate and dire. Hypnos,
fair-browed one whose gift of sleep restores us
to ourselves each day anew, I praise you.

I praise comely Eris, daughter of dark-cloaked Nyx,
wrathful one who knows her own worth, who knows the purpose
of conflict and rage, who knows that there are times
when vengeance is the proper response, when anger
is fitting. Eris, spirit of discord, spirit
of strife and of striving, spirit of rivalry,
in times of old it was well known that yours
is a world of nature and need, that you see well
the struggle within us. Eris of the battlefield,
Eris of the golden apple, I honor you.

Kind Eileithuia, goddess most dear to mothers,
goddess most ancient, goddess most necessary,
I praise your name, I honor your calling.
Eileithuia, in Crete were you well honored.
Lady of Amnisos, within the deep earth
your temple lay of old, within the deep earth
did you receive offerings of cakes and sweet honey.
Bearer of torches, bringer of new life
into the bright world, Eileithuia, I praise you.

Deep-dwelling Poseidon, shield of sailors,
stiller of storms, shaker of the earth beneath us,
I praise you. Well known you were in days of old,
honored above all others in far-famed Corinth;
your temples stood throughout the ancient lands,
each floor well polished by the feet of the devoted.
In times still longer past, still further lost in time,
were you among the first of gods whose names
were known to men, the first whose might was honored,
the first who answered desperate pleas with dear blessings.
Poseidon, whose voice we hear in the crash of waves,
whose hand guides the fate of all who venture out
upon the sea, to whom we owe thanks for transport
and trade, for salt fish and sweet water, I praise you.

I call to the Graces, maidens three whose loveliness
and charm are unsurpassed among the deathless gods,
daughters of thundering Zeus, sprightly and lissome,
attendant on Hera of the fathomless eyes
and golden Aphrodite. Ever welcome
you are, well-garlanded ones, bringers of joy
and mirth; in life's many pleasures we see your hand.
Yours is the play of children, yours the merry dance
and the sumptuous feast, yours the laughter of good friends.
Fair ones, granters of ease and delight, I praise you.

Heracles, strong-armed son of Zeus and Alcmene
of the dark eyes, great one whose deeds are well known,
whose ancient stories are yet told throughout the world,
whose glorious name will never be forgotten,
I praise and honor you. Libations you received,
in older times poured out upon the earth as befit
a hero; in later days were offerings made
to you on shining altars and at festivals.
Kind Heracles, friend of mankind, defender
of humanity, I call to you for refuge.
Shelter and shield us from harm, O Heracles;
ward us well, I pray; preserve us from all evil.

Eros, ancient one whose might it was that brought life
into being, capricious one whose gift it is
to fire the hearts of gods and men with lust and love,
I call out to you. Eros, master of desire,
bearer of the bow, your golden shafts you shoot,
so swift, so sharp, we barely feel the prick.
Eros, your blessings I have known; I know their worth.
They are a treasure, precious and true. Eros,
grant to me your sweet misery, the yearning
and the need that drive mankind, that bring us
together again and again. Strike me
with your dart, O Eros, make of me your mark.

Gentle Harmonia, daughter of Aphrodite
who bore a lifetime of ill fortune with patience
and grace, who knows well how to find peace and comfort
in any circumstances, I pray to you.
Goddess, grant to me a portion of your poise.
Grant to me the strength always to see the good,
grant to me the open heart to take joy
where I find it, grant to me a happy nature.
Bless me, goddess, with contentment and a quiet mind.