As soon as I wake up, I jump in the shower, brush my teeth, brush my hair, and get dressed. I don't wear ritual garb, mostly because I don't have ritual garb yet, but this may change; therefore, I wear clean everyday clothes. I do, however, incorporate a prayer shawl that I use to cover my head.
Centering
This is an important part of the ceremony for me. I start in the bathroom, at the mirror, where I look into my own eyes and give myself a smile. If there's anything I'm working on right now - an affirmation that I plan to use - I will repeat it to myself. Then I'll close my eyes, take a deep breath in for three counts, hold for three counts and release for three counts. Once I'm calm, I continue on.
Procession
Taking slow, deliberate steps (that usually match the beat of my heart or the count of my continued deep breathing), I make my way to the altar. Once there, I remove the veil as a sign of coming before the gods bare, naked, and open.
Light the Candle
Still doing my deep breathing, I go ahead, strike a match and light the candle.
Khernips
See my khernips blog on how I do this!
Hymn to Hestia
Daughter of Kronos, venerable dame,
the seat containing of unweary'd flame,
In sacred rites these sacred ministers are thine,
Mystics much blessed, holy and divine.
In thee, the Gods have fix'd place,
strong, stable, basis of the mortal race:
Eternal, much-form'd ever-florid queen,
laughing and blessed, and of lovely mien;
Accept these rites, accord each just desire,
and gentle health, and needful good inspire.
Light incense
I tend to use my intuition when selecting incense, since I don't have the necessary scents or ingredients for charcoal incense. I like to think that it's the intent behind the offering that counts. I select the cone or stick of incense that I plan to use, hold it in my hand for a moment, and infuse it with my intention. Then I light it from the candle, and set the incense in place.
Hymn to Eos
Hear me, O Goddess! whose emerging ray
leads on the broad refulgence of the day;
Blushing Eos, whose celestial light
beams on the world with red'ning splendors bright:
Angel of Titan, whom with constant round,
thy orient beams recall from night profound;
Labor of ev'ry kind to lead is thine,
of mortal life the minister divine.
Mankind in thee eternally delight,
and none presumes to shun thy beauteous sight.
Soon as thy splendors break the bands of rest,
and eyes unclose with pleasing sleep oppress'd;
Men, reptiles, birds, and beasts, with gen'ral voice,
and all the nations of the deep, rejoice;
For all the culture of our life is thine.
Come, blessed pow'r! and to these rites incline:
Thy holy light increase, and unconfin'd
diffuse its radiance on thy mystic's mind.
Hymn to Helios
Hear golden Titan, whose eternal eye
with broad survey, illumines the sky.
Self-born, unwearied in diffusing light,
and to all eyes the mirror of delight:
Lord of the seasons, with thy fiery car
and leaping coursers, beaming light from afar:
With thy right hand the source of morning light,
and with thy left the father of the night.
Agile and vig'rous, venerable Sun,
fiery andbright around the heav'ns you run.
Foe to the wicked, but the good man's guide,
o'er all his steps propitious you preside:
With various founding, golden lyre, 'tis mine
to fill the world with harmony divine.
Father of ages, guide of prosp'rous deeds,
the world's commander, born by lucid steeds,
Immortal Zeus, all-searching, bearing light,
source of existence, pure and fiery bright
Bearer of fruit, almighty lord of years,
agile and warm, whom ev'ry pow'r reveres.
Great eye of Nature and the starry skies,
doom'd with immortal flames to set and rise
Dispensing justice, lover of the stream,
the world's great despot, and o'er all supreme.
Faithful defender, and the eye of right,
of steeds the ruler, and of life the light:
With founding whip four fiery steeds you guide,
when in the car of day you glorious ride.
Propitious on these mystic labors shine,
and bless thy suppliants with life divine.
Daily Lunar Hymns
On the link to the page of Hellenion, there's a chart outlining the hymns that should be sung each day of the month. I follow the instructions written there.
Additional hymns as desired
If I'm working with a specific deity, this is when I honor them. I don't always use the Orphic Hymns for this; if I have a custom invocation, song, chant, or poem written in their honor, I tend to use that instead. I recite (or read) this as I light their specific candle on the altar.Pour libation
I treat this much in the way I typically treat my Wiccan rituals. I pour the drink (usually water or tea with honey) into a cup. At some point, I would like to invest in shot glasses for this, so that each deity could have their own cup, but at this point in time, I just don't have the cups.
"I humbly give this gift of [water/tea]. I ask that you accept this humble offering from your faithful servant!"
The first libation is poured into the cup, ("To Hestia!" ) to Eos ("To Eos") and Helios ("To Helios!"), any other deity honored in this devotion, and to Hestia ("To Hestia!") once more. The remaining liquid is then drunk by me.
Personal Supplication & Gratitude
If I have any prayers or petitions for a deity that I have already called on, I do this now. I also offer my own gratitude to the gods. If I have a gift, craft, or item that is to be dedicated to them, it's at this time that I typically present it, ask if it pleases them, and leave it on the shrine. I thank the gods for spending time with me.
Orpheus to Mousaeus
Attend Musaeus to my sacred song,
and learn what rites to sacrifice belong.
Zeus I invoke, Gaia the Earth, and Helios the Solar Light,
the Mene's pure splendor, and the Stars of night;
Thee Poseidon, ruler of the sea profound,
dark-hair'd, whose waves begirt the solid ground;
Demebeter abundant, and of lovely mien,
and Phersephone infernal Haides queen
The huntress Artemis, and bright Phoebus rays,
far-darting God, the theme of Delphic praise;
And Dionysos, honor'd by the heav'nly choir,
and raging Ares, and Hephaistos god of fire;
The might pow'r who rose form foam to light,
and Haides potent in the realms of night;
With Hebe young, and Hercules the strong,
and you to whom the cares of Eileithyia belong;
Dikaisune (Justice) and Eusebia (Piety) august I call,
and much fam'd nymphs, and Pan the god of all.
To Hera sacred, and to Mnemosyne fair,
and the chaste Muses I address my pray'r;
The various year, the Kharities, and the Horai,
fair-hair'd Leto, and Dione's pow'rs;
Armed Curetes, househeold Gods Korybantes, Kouretes, Kabeiroi I call,
with those Soteroi who spring from Zeus the king of all;
Th' Idaean Gods, the angel of the skies,
and righteous Themis, with sagacious eyes;
With ancient Nyx, and Hemara I implore,
and Pistis, and Dike dealing right adore;
KIronos and Rhea, and great Thetis too,
hid in a veil of bright celestial blue:
I call great Okeanos, and the beauteous train of nymphs,
who dwell in chambers of the main;
Atlast the strong, and ever in its prim,
vig'rous Aion, and endless Khronos (Time);
The Stygian pool, and placide Gods Meilikhoi beside,
and various Daimones, that o'er men preside;
Illustrious Pronoia, the noble train of daemon forms,
who fill th' aetherial plain;
Or live in air, in water earth, or fire,
or deep beneath the solid ground retire.
Dionysos and Semele the friends of all,
and white Leucothea of the sea I call;
Palaemon bounteous, and Adrastria great,
and sweet-tongu'd Nike, with success elate;
Great Asklepios, skill'd to cure disease,
and dread Athene, whom fierce battles please;
(Thunders) Brointoi and (Winds) Anemoi in mighty columns pent,
with dreadful roaring struggling hard for vent;
Attis, the mother of the pow'rs on high,
and fair Adonis, never doom'd to die,
End and beginning he is all to all,
these with propitious aid I gently call;
And to my holy sacrifice invite,
the pow'r who reigns in deepest hell and night;
I call Einodian Hecate, lovely dame,
of earthly, wat'ry, and celestial frame,
Sepulchral, in a saffron veil array'd,
leas'd with dark ghosts that wander thro' the shade;
Persian, unconquerable huntress hail!
The world's key-bearer never doom'd to fail
On the rough rock to wander thee delights,
leader and nurse be present to our rites
Propitious grant our just desires and success,
accept our homage, and the incense bless.
Extinguish Flame
While Hestia's flame does was not extinguished in the days of old, this cannot be so now. At some point, I would like to purchase an electric lamp that can be left on - perhaps a salt lamp - all the time, but until then, the candle must be extinguished.
Procession
The prayer shawl is donned once more. The lustral water is retrieved and poured out, and the match thrown away. If there are any offerings that need to be disposed, this is done. The prayer shawl is put away in a place of honor until the next prayer session, and I then go into the bathroom and finish my beauty routine - lotion, perfume, makeup, etc.
