- WBM Link
- https://web.archive.org/web/20130510042045/http://wizardforums.com/Thread-Devotion-to-Deities
- Original WF Link
- http://wizardforums.com/Thread-Devotion-to-Deities
These days, it seems like a lot of the old gods aren't being worshipped anymore. Whereas once they had great temples, huge, state-wide festivals, beautiful hymns and chants sung by the masses, now there's New age hippies downgrading their existence to that of merely a part of the human psyche.
Some people might tell you that the gods don't want or need worship. That is not true at all. Gods, for some reason we cannot fathom, CRAVE worship. Ultimately, they get something out of it. In this tutorial, I will be giving you guys practical advice and a ritual to get in touch with the old gods as well as seek favors from them.
First of all, you must have a shrine for your deity. This is simply a place where the cult statue/image is kept, alongside offerings. This can be a small piece of your closet or a shelf. It must be cleaned beforehand, physically and psychically. This can be done by washing down the area with a cloth soaked in salt-water.
Next, you must have a temporary altar. This is used in the nightly devotions. This can be combined with the shrine, but I keep them separate. I use an old desk as the altar, while a piece of shelf serves to house the deity's image.
Thirdly, you must have offerings and an offering bowl. There are two types of offerings. Consumable offerings and material offerings. A consumable offering is food, drink, or incense. These last only in the duration of the devotion, at the end of which the food and drink can be cast upon the ground or consumed. The incense remains are simply thrown out.
Material offerings are things like flowers, herbs, stones, money, or jewelry. These were common offerings throughout the ancient world, still common today. In ancient Greece, the god's temples had places where ornate statues, crude statues, models, money, clothes, etc. were placed. The most expensive and pretty items were put on display by the Priests.
Whatever offering you choose to make, it must be suited to the deity. For example, you might offer Dionysus fresh fruits or raw meat, while Astarte might enjoy your sexual fluids. Darker deities will tend to enjoy blood offerings, which you can do by pricking yourself with a lancet and using parchment to absorb the blood. The parchment is then burned on the altar.
These are the basic requirements. Personally, I go a step further and add candles. I place one candle on each side of the statue and another two on the corners of the altar.
In order to ritually worship and contact the old gods, you must first purify yourself. Brush your teeth and take a shower or bath. Clean yourself physically and spiritually.
Then, enter the space.
1. Light the candles on the temporary altar. Turn off all other light sources.
2. Perform an opening ritual. I prefer to simply scatter salt around saying "Hekas Hekas Este Bebeloi, Depart all ye profane ones!".
3. Kneel before the altar. Look up and visualize a white-blue star. At heart center, visualize a pulsing golden light. Use your index finger of your writing hand to project a stream of this golden light into the star. Next, direct a line of the white-blue energy in a spiral into the left eye of the statue. Say:
I invoke you N.! By the Power and Authority of the All-In-All, I call you down to this temple!
Enter into this temple by the passage I have made for you and receive my offerings I have made for you.
Come in this temple and hear my prayers
Come into this temple and answer my prayers
I invoke you NN, I invoke you NN
4. Repeat the invocation a total of three times. You must now keep a steady eye on the left eye. Chant the Deity's name over and over, until you can feel the temple shudder at their coming. With the deity in attendance, raise each offering in turn and give your own words of offering.
5. This part is for prayers and communion. You could also use a pendulum to communicate with the deity. When praying, stare into the left eye. Ever so while, reaffirm the spiral light. Project your words into the left eye.
6. When you are done, imagine that the spiral fades away along with the star. Dispose of the consumable offerings and clean up shop, thanking the deity. End with blowing out the candles.
Some people might tell you that the gods don't want or need worship. That is not true at all. Gods, for some reason we cannot fathom, CRAVE worship. Ultimately, they get something out of it. In this tutorial, I will be giving you guys practical advice and a ritual to get in touch with the old gods as well as seek favors from them.
First of all, you must have a shrine for your deity. This is simply a place where the cult statue/image is kept, alongside offerings. This can be a small piece of your closet or a shelf. It must be cleaned beforehand, physically and psychically. This can be done by washing down the area with a cloth soaked in salt-water.
Next, you must have a temporary altar. This is used in the nightly devotions. This can be combined with the shrine, but I keep them separate. I use an old desk as the altar, while a piece of shelf serves to house the deity's image.
Thirdly, you must have offerings and an offering bowl. There are two types of offerings. Consumable offerings and material offerings. A consumable offering is food, drink, or incense. These last only in the duration of the devotion, at the end of which the food and drink can be cast upon the ground or consumed. The incense remains are simply thrown out.
Material offerings are things like flowers, herbs, stones, money, or jewelry. These were common offerings throughout the ancient world, still common today. In ancient Greece, the god's temples had places where ornate statues, crude statues, models, money, clothes, etc. were placed. The most expensive and pretty items were put on display by the Priests.
Whatever offering you choose to make, it must be suited to the deity. For example, you might offer Dionysus fresh fruits or raw meat, while Astarte might enjoy your sexual fluids. Darker deities will tend to enjoy blood offerings, which you can do by pricking yourself with a lancet and using parchment to absorb the blood. The parchment is then burned on the altar.
These are the basic requirements. Personally, I go a step further and add candles. I place one candle on each side of the statue and another two on the corners of the altar.
In order to ritually worship and contact the old gods, you must first purify yourself. Brush your teeth and take a shower or bath. Clean yourself physically and spiritually.
Then, enter the space.
1. Light the candles on the temporary altar. Turn off all other light sources.
2. Perform an opening ritual. I prefer to simply scatter salt around saying "Hekas Hekas Este Bebeloi, Depart all ye profane ones!".
3. Kneel before the altar. Look up and visualize a white-blue star. At heart center, visualize a pulsing golden light. Use your index finger of your writing hand to project a stream of this golden light into the star. Next, direct a line of the white-blue energy in a spiral into the left eye of the statue. Say:
I invoke you N.! By the Power and Authority of the All-In-All, I call you down to this temple!
Enter into this temple by the passage I have made for you and receive my offerings I have made for you.
Come in this temple and hear my prayers
Come into this temple and answer my prayers
I invoke you NN, I invoke you NN
4. Repeat the invocation a total of three times. You must now keep a steady eye on the left eye. Chant the Deity's name over and over, until you can feel the temple shudder at their coming. With the deity in attendance, raise each offering in turn and give your own words of offering.
5. This part is for prayers and communion. You could also use a pendulum to communicate with the deity. When praying, stare into the left eye. Ever so while, reaffirm the spiral light. Project your words into the left eye.
6. When you are done, imagine that the spiral fades away along with the star. Dispose of the consumable offerings and clean up shop, thanking the deity. End with blowing out the candles.
