The selections in this book are sourced from across the continents, from the last 4,000 years. The authors range from ancient Greek playwrights to twentieth-century California Pagans and British occultists.
This is a big resource: 420 pages in an oversized paperback, probably 130,000 words. The gifted compiler/author has organized rich material into a monthly format from January to December, followed by collections of Lunar Prayers, Wedding Prayers, Funeral Prayers, and then an appendix of Prayers for Gods and Goddesses organized according to Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse/Germanic, and Middle Eastern.
Another appendix lists Prayers for Nature by categories such as Mountains and Caves, Storms, Forests, and Fields. Yet another appendix comprises Prayers for Magical Purposes — for healing, finding a partner, growing, salvation, protection, and prosperity.
Each month has a short introduction. This is the one for July:
“As the sun shines bright in a summer sky, we celebrate a month of the glittering gods and goddesses: Apollo, the shimmering god of light; Aphrodite, the glamorous lady of beauty; and Poseidon, god of the shining sea. July is a time of fine weather, beauty, and leisure, when beneficent gods are blessed for their kindness toward the world.”
Special days — a couple each month — have introductions written by the compiler/author, too. See the excerpt accompanying this review for an example of one of these, which is then followed by a short commentary on the hymn which follows it, and then the hymn itself.
This book opened our eyes to the abundance of prayers and blessings that are part of the Pagan tradition, and it is a resource unlike any other currently available.
