Prayer Beads & Such

Last post I mentioned that I wanted to write prayers for when I wake and before I go to sleep. Well, I've finally figured out the arrangement of my prayer beads, so once I write the prayers to go with that, I can say that instead of rising/sleeping ones. I ordered the beads for part of the set, and they've come in- they're beautiful African Lava rock, about 11-12mm, and I can't wait to go out and get the rest of the beads I need so I can string them up and use them. I still have to write the prayers, though.

I cleared off my shrine and redid it, and it looks a lot better. Not my ideal shrine, but it does the job. I'd like to have something that looks more like the one at the very bottom of this page. I don't like cluttered shrines.

So, my to do list seems to be:
     -write prayers to accompany religious jewelry
     -write prayers to accompany prayer beads
     -complete prayer beads
     -write Altú ritual

I think part of the reason I keep quietly putting off writing prayers and such is that I suck at anything poetry like. Le sigh.

Daily Practices

I have a whole really long list of things I need to work; I guess I need to start with what is most needed right now. My daily practices.

First, I need to clear off my shrine of all the extra random stuff that has made its way up there. I want it much simpler. Of course, I'm planning individual shrines for each of my "patron" deities, but it'll be a bit before those are made and ready. I need to make a closing shrine/box/thingy for Buddha, as well, because he glows and I hate putting a piece of laundry over him.

I'd like to eventually incorporate some sort of little fountain into my shrine- actually, I still have that little one that Laurie and Beki bought me for Christmas, so I can fix it and put it up there. I need to buy candles, too.

Back to daily practices- really, all I want to do is write some prayers to say when I put on and take off my dedicated jewelry, and something to say when I rise and when I sleep. Well, I sort of have a prayer for when I rise, but I don't like it much. Another thing is that eventually I'd like all prayers and ritual work in Irish Gaelic. As I am way way far from fluent, that'll be a ways down the road (unless I hire someone to translate, or post sporadically on the various translation forums/groups that I know of). I think the hardest part is coming up with something simple but meaningful; gods know I won't do something too complicated. (There's a reason I'm folky and not ceremonial.)

I think once I've figured out a solid, workable daily practice I can start writing the Altú. But first: onwards to the prayers.

Introducing Juni

I'm going to cheat, and steal the intro I wrote for my other religious blog, Conair an Cheo: Path of Mist.

I've never been particularly good at describing myself, but I figure knowing a bit about me might be useful for anyone wandering through this blog.

I have several names; in the pagan community (which this site is aimed at (sort of) and part of (ish)) I'm mostly known as Juni, which is short for Juniper, which is half of Juniper Deirndeithe. You can call me any of the above, or by my real name Katrina (or Kat).

I am a hard polytheist that honors the pre-Christian Irish deities in a modern way; some would call me eclectic, but only because I don't belong to any existing path. I'm working on that.

One thing that I feel I should mention is that I'm not setting out to be seen as a guru or leader or whatever funny name someone would give me. My path (Conair an Cheo) began as a way for me to organize my "eclectic" tendencies into something workable. After some consideration, I decided that I would share it, in case someone wandering like me could find some use in it. I don't know everything about anything, not even this path. I am not much of a scholar, and make use of my UPG (unverified personal gnosis) widely. (Of course, I always label my UPG as such- no "ancient wisdom that cannot be cited" here.)

So, this is me. Take it or leave it.

// Juni