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To Bia

2018-09-01T12:57:15Z

Bia, O goddess whose might is well known,
whose calling it is to stand guard at the throne
of thundering Zeus, I offer you my praise.
O able daughter of battle-wise Pallas
and Styx in whose name great oaths are sworn,
sister of Nike, granter of victory,
with whom you share your holy station,
broad-winged one whose will is unmatched,
whose power compels the strongest to bend,
yours is the strength to stand against any,
yours is the irresistible force. Bia,
unyielding one, grant me your gift of fortitude.

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To Eleos

2018-09-01T12:06:48Z

I pray to Eleos, sweet spirit of mercy,
daughter of Nyx who rules the star-strewn night
and Erebos, great one whose gift it is
to wrap us in the comfort of the dark.
Eleos, so long ago your altar stood
in Athens’ marketplace, amid the temples
and assemblies, where all could see your name,
recall your goodness and your might. Eleos,
compassionate goddess, friend of the needy
and the poor, the supplicant and the refugee;
Eleos, protector of the wretched,
provider of sanctuary, I pray to you.

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A Back to School Prayer to Athena

2018-09-01T12:04:59Z

I pray to Athena, learned one, clever one,
daughter of Metis, mother of wisdom,
and great and thundering Zeus. Athena,
yours is the realm of the intellect,
of judgment, of reason, of clear perception;
yours is the might behind great minds.
Grant to me, O goddess, the power of thought,
the will to study, the wit to understand.
Grant to me, goddess, the gift of knowledge.

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To Aegaeon

2018-09-01T12:02:59Z

I call to Aegaeon, great god of the sea,
of the waters once traveled by heroes brave,
of the wicked gales and the foam-flecked surf.
O son of wise Gaia, good mother of all,
and Pontos who is the broad salt sea,
O god of the sea-storm, O mighty Aegaeon,
yours is the tempest that tosses the ship,
the squall that drives her into the deep;
yours are the lives of mariners, to take
or to spare as is your will. Aegaeon,
ancient one, brother of monsters, child of Titans,
I honor you with a full heart, O god of storms.

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To Psyche

2018-09-01T12:00:58Z

I call out to Psyche, sweet breath of the spirit,
fair among mortals, fair too among gods.
Beloved of Eros, your tale is one
of joy and of sorrow, of retribution
and redemption, of determination
and forgiveness. Daughter of humanity,
beautiful above all women, your loveliness
a blessing and a blight; loved by the love god,
betrayed by uncertainty, you would bear any torment,
face any fear, to reunite with your dear one.
Bright-winged goddess who knows the art of transformation,
who knows the work of a great love, I pray to you.

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To Iris

2018-09-01T11:59:03Z

Fleet-footed Iris, swift as the storm,
golden-winged goddess, I call out to you.
Daughter of Thaumus, ancient one of the sea,
and bright-lit Elektra of the thunderhead,
sister of the fearsome Harpies, I honor your might.
Iris of the rainbow, many-colored goddess,
handmaid and herald of deep-eyed Hera,
yours is a duty needful and grave;
messenger and courier, you speak with the voice
of all Olympus–the Trojans and the Argonauts
did tremble at your words. Harbinger of hope,
goddess of the new day, I pray to you.

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To Asteria

2018-09-01T11:57:03Z

Asteria who dwells in darkness, star-bright,
mistress of the spangled skies, I praise your name.
Daughter of Phoebe, great of understanding,
and restless Coeus who seeks to know all;
sister of twice-blessed Leto; mother of Hekate
to whom all honors are given, I pray to you.
Beautiful goddess, pursued by thundering Zeus,
in fleeing you became a quail and fell
into the sea, to rise again an island,
fair Delos of famous name. Asteria,
mistress of auguries, lady of the falling star,
great of glory, I praise your wisdom and your might.

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To Enyo

2018-09-01T11:55:02Z

To Enyo, beautiful, terrible goddess,
I offer my praise. Companion of Ares,
daughter of Hera and thundering Zeus,
you delight in the clash of arms, the loud battle-cries;
you dance upon the blood-soaked ground. Fiery-eyed Enyo,
sister of War, destroyer of cities,
the sword and the spear are yours to wield;
the lives of the young are yours to take.
Keen-eyed goddess, strong of arm and swift of strike,
yours is the frenzy of the field, the madness
of the fray, the pounding pulse of strife.
I honor your work, O goddess; I honor your might.

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To Phobos and Deimos

2018-09-01T11:52:13Z

Phobos and Deimos, great sons of Aphrodite
and Ares who exceeds all warriors,
companion of Enyo, fierce battle-goddess,
and Eris who delights in all strife. Brothers two,
ever-present on the field of war, ever-ready
with spear and with shield, you hold fast the reins
of your father’s bright chariot, O mighty ones,
O spirits of fear. Phobos of the burning eyes,
yours it is to rout the foe, to drive them in panic
from the battleground; Deimos, yours is a subtler power,
yours is the silent chill of dread that drains the heart
of courage. I praise you, O gods; I honor your might.

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To Harmonia

2018-09-01T11:49:54Z

I call to you, Harmonia, child of love and war,
of Ares who is strong of heart, of courage unrivaled,
of Aphrodite whose might it is that binds us all.
Fair bride of Cadmus, great of Thebes, on your wedding day
did gods and mortals all rejoice, for none yet knew
the doom which would befall you, the cursed ornament,
the ruin of all who would possess it. Harmonia,
great goddess who knows the worth of a peaceful life,
yours is the joy in tranquillity, in friendship
and in understanding, yours is the union
of soul and soul, of two hands clasped, of two hearts joined.
Harmonia, gracious one, I pray for your blessing.

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To Eunomia

2018-09-01T11:48:11Z

I call to Eunomia, lady of laws,
daughter of Themis and thundering Zeus,
sister of Dike who is just and Eirene
the peace-bringer, sisters three who hold in hand
the well-being of all, of the community.
Yours are the good laws, the fair and proper order,
for law itself does not make what is right;
yours is the punishment of the evil-doer;
yours too is the care of the powerless,
of those preyed upon by the strong and the cruel.
Eunomia who knows the good of custom and the ill,
I pray to you for wisdom, for the courage to do right.

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To Eirene (Peace)

2018-09-01T11:45:37Z

I pray to Eirene, most gracious of goddesses,
fair of face and tender of heart, daughter of Zeus
and clear-headed Themis; with your sister Seasons
you welcome the springtime with each new year.
O goddess of peace, of the sweetness of concord,
the comfort of friendship, the ending of war,
yours is the olive branch, supple and green;
yours is the blessed horn of plenty, the wealth
of a land free of strife. Easer of tension,
soother of wrath, resolver of conflict,
we pray to you, Eirene, that our lands and our lives
be touched by your gifts, we pray to you for favor.

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To Maia

2018-09-01T11:43:49Z

I call out to Maia of the star-strewn skies,
eldest of the Pleiades, wise daughters of Atlas
who holds up the heavens. Beautiful Maia,
Maia of the cypress wood, black-eyed goddess,
in the dark of night Zeus came to you, to lay with you
in your deep-hewn cave, well hidden in the stony soil
of distant Mount Kyllene. Maia of the mountain,
well-honored you were in wild Arcadia,
that rugged land in which you bore your son,
bright Hermes of the many gifts. Gracious goddess,
companion of women in their travail, friend of the mother,
the child at her breast, I praise your kindness and your might.

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To Kairos

2018-09-01T11:41:54Z

I call to Kairos, great god of opportunity,
youngest son of thundering Zeus, yours is the moment seized,
the chance swiftly taken; yours is the eye that sees
where luck may land, the arrow loosed, the race well-run.
Beautiful Kairos, fair of face, you appear without warning
and must be grasped, swift and sure, for in an instant
you are gone. We cannot summon you, O god,
or tell where you may go, but only watch for you
with care and hope to know you when you come–
a flash of certainty, a spark that may ignite a flame
or may be lost to darkness. I pray to you,
O Kairos, that when you come I may not hesitate.

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To Methe

2018-09-01T11:40:11Z

I sing now to Methe, joyful and unrestrained,
goddess who knows the worth of pleasure, the value
of forgetfulness. Yours is the flow of words,
the loosening of the tongue; yours is merriment
and good cheer, the heady sweetness of the wine,
the wild-hearted dance, the fire of ecstasy,
the rule of the heart, impulse obeyed,
stories that never end, tales only true
in the telling. Companion of Dionysos,
you travel with his retinue, you follow in his wake;
we know you in the brimming cup, the stumbling step,
an evening’s evanescent grace. I honor you, O Methe.

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To Anteros

2018-09-01T11:38:15Z

Kindly Anteros, good of heart and great of mercy,
son of brave Ares and sea-born Aphrodite,
brother of Eros who aims his sharp shafts
at one and all, yours is a treasure more precious than gold:
a love requited and returned. Shining Anteros,
bright-winged as the butterfly, a love long-lived
is yours to give, a heart filled full with all delight,
the solace of a life’s companion, the sweetness
of fulfilled desire. Friend of the faithful, good Anteros,
your blessing comes to the tender-hearted–
your wrath to those who play at love, whose cruelty snuffs
a steady flame. Grant me your favor, compassionate one.

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To Pothos

2018-09-01T11:36:28Z

To Pothos, great of repute, great of might,
imminent and inevitable, companion
of fair Aphrodite and the Erotes,
yours is the gift of sweet desire that fills the heart
and fires the loins, a gift that sears the soul.
Yours is the cup of passion, from which you pour,
lavishly and with abandon, upon all humankind,
a blessing of unreason, an irresistible call;
yours is the longing of the lovelorn, the yearning
of the distant lover, of those torn from the arms
of their beloved, separated by need, by duty,
or by sorrowful circumstance. Pothos, to you I pray.

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To Himeros

2018-09-01T11:34:39Z

I praise you, O Himeros, mighty beyond wisdom,
whose care is for the heart and all its whims and fancies,
the seduction of necessity, unbending
and indomitable, irresistible force of nature,
friend of bright Eros whose darts hit every mark,
constant companion of fair Aphrodite,
bearer of the champion’s ribbon, wielder of the bow,
yours is impatience, the drive that brings us all to life,
yours is the power within a lover’s eyes.
You are desire, O Himeros, the sweetness of longing,
the passion that seeks an end that is no end.
I pray to you, O Himeros, grant me your blessings!

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To Thanatos

2018-09-01T11:32:49Z

To Thanatos, so kind and so good, I offer my praise.
Son of the darkness and the night, of wise Erebos
and raven-haired Nyx, brother of Hypnos who grants a respite
ephemeral and sweet, O Thanatos, you bring a repose
of a longer span–an endless sleep is yours to bestow.
Beautiful Thanatos, well-wreathed with poppies red as blood,
black-winged god, fleet-footed one, bearer of the sharp-edged sword
with which you cut a lock of hair from each who enters Hades’ realm:
some call you merciless, hard of heart, O god who takes
from us those we most love–and yet, dear Thanatos,
yours is a mercy great and freeing, a boundless comfort,
a final peace. O god who gives us life’s last blessing, I praise you.

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To Ganymede

2018-09-01T11:30:35Z

I offer my praise to Ganymede, great one of Troy,
son of the river-god’s daughter, companion of Eros,
fairest of mortal men. So beautiful you were,
O Ganymede, so bright a flower in the field,
that Zeus himself one summer day came down to you
from Olympos’ heights: a shepherd boy, you watched your herd
with care; in swept the great god on eagle’s wings
and carried you away to the hall of the gods,
to be his cup-bearer, to make you full welcome
among the deathless gods. Beloved of the thunderer,
O god who is a friend to lovers, I pray to you,
O Ganymede, I praise and honor you.

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To Peitho

2018-09-01T11:28:16Z

I call out to Peitho, great daughter of Ocean
and sea-striding Tethys, fair of fame and great of name.
Peitho who is the irresistible voice,
who is the sound of the surf, who is bird-song
and fair weather, whose gift it is to turn the tides,
to bring about a change in reason, I pray to you.
Companion of Aphrodite, beguiler of hearts,
refiner of feeling, yours is the divergence of passions,
the coaxing of lovers, the fascination of love;
you are seduction, the call of need to need;
you are the soul and sweetness of persuasion.
Peitho, herald of the heart, I honor you.

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To Leto

2018-09-01T11:22:31Z

Blessed Leto, bright daughter of Phoebe
and Coeus the wise, beloved of Zeus,
bearer of children mighty and fair,
shining Apollo and bold-hearted Artemis.
O best of mothers, O friend of mothers,
yours was a travail unlike any other,
a journey beset by sorrow and strife
until, at long last, you found shelter
at Delos, that welcoming isle. O Leto,
O mother of gods, O goddess of mothers,
beautiful you are, great-hearted and kind.
I honor you always, O glorious one.

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To Styx

2018-09-01T11:19:06Z

I call to great Styx who wards the river
that bounds the realm of deep-hearted Hades.
Wise eldest daughter of Ocean and Tethys,
eldest of those three thousand fair maids,
yours is the power behind an oath,
yours is the might to break the forsworn,
yours is the comfort of the forsaken.
O solace of those with a righteous wrath,
with hearts overfull of rage and revenge,
with the anger of the just, I call to you.
I honor you, good and gracious Styx,
I offer you my praise and seek your blessing.

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To Perses

2018-09-01T11:16:14Z

I call to great Perses, almighty destroyer,
son of wise Krios and tender Eurybia,
beloved companion of bright-eyed Asteria,
father of Hekate, mistress of magics
who holds such honors in all the worlds,
warrior of the Titan gods, breaker of bonds
and defender of your brethren. Perses
who is the wisest of gods, great of learning,
great of judgment, discerning one
who knows what must be, I call to you.
I honor you, good and gracious Perses,
I offer you my praise and seek your blessing.

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To Dione

2018-09-01T11:13:56Z

I call to Dione, ancient of name,
grand-daughter of Gaia and star-strewn Ouranos,
mother of blessed Aphrodite,
companion and counsel of thundering Zeus.
O goddess who knows the ways of fate,
mistress of visions and oracles,
friend of the seer and the prophet,
well-honored in temple and in grove,
well-honored at far-famed Dodona,
teller of the hidden tales, I call to you.
I honor you, good and gracious Dione,
I offer you my praise and seek your blessing.

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