I've been actively avoiding the word 'pray' for decades, as a relic of a long-abandoned religious upbringing. But recently, while wondering how I could possibly help all the victims and survivors of the multiple genocides, collective trauma resurgence, and displacements happening around the world, that's the word that came through. I felt doubtful at first, that something that seems so small could be meaningful, but adrienne maree brown reminds us that what we practice at the small scale sets patterns for entire systems.
Small is large, large is small.
Like many people, I tend to borrow from different faith traditions, elements that I appreciate and enjoy. That practice brought me to this post, as I reclaim the word ‘prayer.’ I added ‘spell’, because I also feel the pull of magical divinity, as another path into the All That Is. In the spirit of these traditions, I release and invoke this spellprayer, to join with all those already in existence. I release it as an invitation for everyone who is feeling overwhelmed, confused, paralyzed, hopeless, numb, exhausted, terrified, uncertain, disconnected, and all the ways we may feel lost and helpless.
The feelings of uncertainty, chaos, devastation, misinformation, disillusionment, disappointment, absolute-ism, division, enormous grief and rage - all are extremely present and active. This constant activity means our ability to make decisions, to choose with care and thoughtfulness, may be compromised, as the survival centers of our brains respond to our collective and individual fears. Remember that when the survival center is active, we are less able to access our executive functions, the area of the brain that provides access to curiousity, imagination, creative vision, and critical thinking.
Do not underestimate the force of the collective will, of the collective emotional state, on your own decisions and understanding. With so many people in desperate circumstances and so much terror ‘loose’ in our collective emotional field, it is impossible to fully escape its presence or influence. Sometimes, the best decision we can make is to not add to that collective rage, to take time to calm ourselves, and tend our own emotional state.
This spellprayer is for Palestinians, Afghans, Jews, Sudanese, Congolese, for those bearing witness, and for those inflicting suffering. It is based on the metta meditation, and expanded through my connection with the divine. This is my invitation to all of us, as we are able, to bring ourselves back to our center, and remember our shared humanity, our shared divinity.
May we be happy
May we be healthy
May we be safe
May we be at ease
May I be happy
May I be healthy
May I be safe
May I be at ease
May you be happy
May you be healthy
May you be safe
May you be at ease
May they be happy
May they be healthy
May they be safe
May they be at ease
May our world be happy
May our world be healthy
May our world be safe
May our world be at ease
May we experience divinity together
May we experience creation together
May we experience freedom together
May we experience love together
I pray that our creative efforts are strong enough, pervasive enough, enticing enough, hearty enough, sticky enough, compelling enough, brave enough, tender enough, soft enough, deep enough, wide enough, delicious enough, tensile enough, stormy enough, connected enough, adaptable enough, beautiful enough, providing nourishment and courage to everyone called into their embrace.
I am profoundly grateful for all who have stepped into the vision, as we move toward a world where we can all feel safe, happy, healthy, and at ease.
About the image: This is a Wordcloud portrait I completed several years ago, in collaboration with S. Renee Mitchell. It is one of the first larger portraits I attempted in collaboration, using the Storyclouding © process.