Nature Spirit and Shining Ones (24,25)

 Well, of course I got behind. But instead of giving up (as I am so close!) we'll just get caught up um...soon. :) 

Cheating a BIT today, and using my "standard" daily devotional prayers, maybe punching them up a bit.  On most days it's a quick saying of the last two lines (bolded), but if I have time it's the full thing.  

Nature Spirits

Spirits of Rock and Soil

of Leaf and Stem

Of Skin and Blood

Of Light and Shadow

of Hearth and Home

Natures spirits I give thanks for the night

And ask your blessings, protection, and wisdom for the day.

When I was at Four Quarters' Farm I learned a lot about how people in other parts of the country see and interpret things through ritual.  (See ancestor daily devotional prayer).  One of the groups was a Gardnerian Coven who had ADDED to their drawing down and great rite liturgies, two other spirits, Both and Neither.  This coven had a number of gender-fluid folks (and they may still, I don't know), and wanted a way to hold to Gardnerian tradition, but then reflect their coven's make up. So they inserted Both and Neither into their drawing down of God and Goddess and then all four took a role during the great rite.  (Not like that....stop it.)

This predated some groups experimentation with new terminology, which hasn't ever really worked for me ("deities" is already gender neutral...and then my inner feminist balks at any gendered suffixes like "-ess" anyway...).  In works for others, so that's good though.  But, in my personal rites I had started referring to deity thusly, and still do so.

Shining Ones

Eldest and Brightest

First Children of the Mother

God, Goddess, Both, and Neither

Creators and controllers of order amidst the chaos*

Shining Ones I give thanks for the night

And ask your blessings, protection and wisdom for the day.

*Yes, I know some deities are more chaotic than others but my personal theology about some chaos being necessary and thus part of the order is just.... well, part of things.