Here are the communal prayers for each day of the week.
Dionysos – on Sunday
Dionysos, god of all things wild and free,
I call out to you this day.
Dionysos Lysios, the Liberator,
deliver me from burdens that I may draw closer to you.
Dionysos, god of all things wild and free,
I call out to you this day.
Hail to the Midnight Sun,
who lights my dreams dark and deep.
To Dionysos I give my first words today.
Let the Bull’s breath come from my mouth,
Let the fire of the Lightening Born be in my hands,
Let the sacred blood of the vine flow through my veins,
And let the sacrificial Earth be always under my feet.
Mother, lover, and the rending hand,
As you are all that man can be, let me live that cycle every day.
Give me eyes to see the beauty and the decay.
Give me a mind to comprehend your will.
Walk in this world through me.
Hanging Lord, garlanded in strange fruit,
you whose face peers from the twilight amidst the trees,
may we dance through your forests bloody-handed,
may we swing from your boughs with fresh wine upon our lips.
May my spine be like a thyrsus,
may my eyes reflect the dancing stars
for my heart belongs to the mad god, the bull horned Zagreus,
Dionysos, you who are both wild roaring and gentle,
as you lead us through the ivy,
I will seek You, always, in the fullness of life, each day,
so that I will be worthy to join you at my last breath.
I pray to Dionysos,
who liberates and saves us,
who offers an eternal feast to those who know the Mystery.
I [take action] for Dionysos, who is the Starry Bull.
Persephone – on Monday
Queen and Maiden, maiden and slave,
abducted into a kingdom to be hers,
you understand what it is like to be taken from one’s family and home,
you embrace us in a new land and new family.
Sweet and dark, dark and deadly,
console us in our fears of what we cannot see,
comfort us in our initiation of what we cannot know.
Maiden of light and shadow, whose secrets ripen like the darkest fruits,
first mother of the Starry Bull and last mother of my becoming,
protect the souls of my ancestors,
and welcome me to your meadows at my last breath.
My soul rises at your name,
like the flower coming through the snow,
like the earth splitting to reveal Death,
like the fruit splitting to reveal Life.
I bow my head and bear my neck –
beneath your scepter, oh Queen, may I serve;
beneath your garland, oh Kore, may I rejoice.
I pray to Persephone,
the Iron Queen of Erebos,
who welcomes and transforms the reveler.
I [take action] for Persephone of the Starry Bull.
Ariadne – on Tuesday
Ariadne, wise and clever daughter of Crete.
You go where others dare not travel.
When we are troubled or worried,
be there to give us your wisdom.
Help us when we are lost,
or take the uneven steps on our path.
Remind us there is hope at the end of our patience.
Unlock the puzzles we find ourselves in, Mistress of the Labyrinth.
Swinging, spiraling dancer of the shadowy in-between–
your love and your wildness can only be contained by the stars.
I will grasp the thread you offer, the one that snakes through my heart,
and I will not be afraid.
Axe-dancer, swinger on the vine, net-weaver, mistress called wife,
you that make the trees grow erect and fruit,
you whose face is sweet and fierce by turns,
ferocious hunter,
hidden behind meek face ripped and torn by the beaked monster within,
mad and maddening paradox in the skin of a maiden none too maidenly,
bless the land with the blood you shed and that shed by your followers,
may it stream through the labyrinth as water from the earth.
Betrayal was neither your intent nor your sin, our Lady,
but for surpassing love and mercy were you punished.
For helping those in need, you were helped in yours,
forsaken then reclaimed queen among mortals!
Deep love can lead us into danger and despair;
lead us from danger into the safety of divine embrace,
lead us from despair into the hope of divine love.
I pray to Ariadne,
who guides the way to the Starry Bull,
and returns from under the earth.
I [take action] for Ariadne of the Starry Bull.
Aphrodite – on Tuesday
Sweet, soothing Aphrodite
Heavenly One, Earthly One
whose power takes root
In gods and men alike
Hear our prayers!
Grant us the grace and gift
Of your beauteous sight!
Come and dwell amongst your people
Show us the ways of overpouring Love
So that we may be filled unto the utmost
And burst like grapes, like world-creating fire!
In every face and every smile that ever launched ship
or let loose hound, we see the beauty of your depths,
breaker of men, eater of hearts, healer in the dark,
we cry out to you whose warrior sons drive weapons deep in our breasts,
let loose your wiles, terrible and strong as the tide,
Show to us the passion that is your gift to life.
With long hair, wild yet beautiful, smooth yet fierce,
wearing rubies and pearls and all manner of gems,
give us love and lovely things, lady of the sea and all waters!
Mother of our births, for without you no union can be made,
Seducer of our hopes, for by you we fly across seas of desire.
Our sweat is salty; we come from your oceans.
Our tears are salty; we cry for and because of you.
Oh divinity, how beautiful you lie open before our eyes!
Goddess of sky and sea, such radiant glory makes mortals cry.
One glance from you, dare one sweet kiss,
I would willingly die! Aphrodite, thy name is Love.
I have only gratitude for the One who caresses and wakens us into longing
All history may be measured by moments of passion.
Through love, I embody my humanity.
Through love, I become more divine.
Open me further, Great Goddess, to this higher purpose,
touch me again! I await the next collision.
I pray to Aphrodite,
who brings together what is separate,
who inspires the action of the night.
I [take action] for Aphrodite of the Starry Bull.
Hermes – on Wednesday
God of guides and guide of gods, men, spirits, souls, and heroes!
Be kind and lead us to our goals and ends,
not just lead us on in your jokes and wiles!
May we honor you as door-opener, gate-crasher, road-walker, schedule-helper,
May we be blessed by you as thinkers, writers, speakers, commuters.
Traveling trickster, dearest stranger,
your talents are many, and no paths are closed to you.
May your luck move through me
as I move through life, in harmony with the gods.
In your honor, I will speak with eloquence and greet the unexpected with grace.
God of the Road that is all roads, above the earth and beneath,
protect the travel-weary souls on your Road, no matter where it takes them,
twist and turn the road beneath our feet to guide us where we must go,
drive us as the stolen cattle to the will of our fate-woven cords,
and carry us as messages to Hades when our road is done,
may we recognize you on the darkest paths
that your work may be carried out in full.
Swiftest of gods, messenger divine.
As you carried away the crying child,
guide and save the souls of the Forgotten!
May they find blissful life after dying.
I pray to Hermes
of the staff and the fleet feet,
who guides us down and sets our feet on the path.
I [take action] for Hermes of the Starry Bull.
Hekate – on Wednesday
Torch-maiden of the mysteries,
you who hold power alongside but unbound to the Lords of the Earth,
Night-wandering leader of dead hosts, mighty Hekate,
lead us along the path to the crossroads.
May we honor you there, may we honor those in your train,
and may we choose well which way to turn.
Crossroads mistress, of Earth, Sea and Sky,
flanked by dogs and serpent-girdled…
Saffron colored your untouchable gown
two your torches, fires of the night
hear our prayers as we pour you red wine
and help us sooth the Unresting.
I bow to she who holds the key,
who knows the hidden magicks of plant and beast.
Hekate, some part of me is at the crossroads
some part of me is lost in the dark,
where all possibilities collide.
Wandering Queen, protect what is in transition.
I pray to Hekate,
who brings the dead to the feast,
who dances in revels lit by her torches.
I [take action] for Hekate of the Starry Bull.
The Heroes – on Thursday
Fathers of our fathers, our ancestors of glory!
your blood flows in our veins,
your breath fills our lungs,
your journeys forge our paths,
your death brings us life.
We stand on your shoulders in all we do.
May we honor you by being honorable in your names.
Hail to the Dionysian Heroes, whose lives burned so brightly,
like meteors tumbling from the whirling heavens -
celestial martyrs, messengers of divine will –
I remember you, mortal and yet god-struck, alone and yet many.
May I live in your example, in glorious paradox.
I pray to the Heroes,
those who have walked these paths before,
and feast forever at our Lord’s side.
I [take action] for the Heroes of the Starry Bull.
The Heroines – on Friday
Hail to the Dionysian Heroines, beloved of the god,
with ivy in your hair and beasts at your breast,
you would revel and sing in the face of despair,
weave beauty from suffering,
and carve yourselves into yet deeper vessels,
the better to be filled with his wine,
may I live in your example, in sublime surrender.
The throng that follows the Starry Bull,
above the earth or below.
The throng that knows the Starry Bull
as sister, as lover, as friend.
The throng that loves the Starry Bull,
pray admit me to your number.
I pray to the Heroines,
who have sorrowed before us,
and will rejoice beside us when we follow them.
I [take action] for the Heroines of the Starry Bull.
The Satyrs – on Saturday
Arise, Arise, you drowsy goats,
it’s time for the hunt, raise up your horns, and drink.
Sound the call with lusty voice, and run,
run with the wine in your veins, run with us!
I tremble beneath the weight
of my own ridiculousness.
The childish absurdities of my soul
cry out to you, and you answer.
Your laughter bubbles up in my throat.
Your stomping dance leaps in my feet.
I am unbound and filled with joy
beyond all reason and madness.
Great and terrible are the blessings of the Satyrs,
graceless and beyond beauty.
Insatiable gluttons for the greatest pleasures,
may you be honored in the absurd pursuits
of our deepest desires.
Seek pleasure, seek greatness!
Seek whatever you will, seek whomever you will!
Let us chase you as you chase us,
let us take you as you take us.
Let us enjoy you as you enjoy us,
let us open you as you open us.
Pour your hot, heady wine into our throats and hearts.
Erect your thyrsi, wild Satyrs,
Hircine tricksters!
Tongue the last drop of wine, and pluck the last grape,
always calling out for more!
The Nymphs – on Saturday
Every tree is a dancer, every mountain a myth, each river a song.
Beautiful Nymphai, you protect life in its most elemental expressions,
I ground myself in the divinity of this place,
knowing wherever I go, I can feel the wind and water pulse and thrum
like the echo of a tympanon in the god’s eternal bacchanal.
Dwellers in the waters of the world,
haunters of caves,
you who’ve life-giving sap singing in your veins,
Protean lovers of gods and heroes,
blessed are they that find you,
wise are they that worship you, the holy Nymphai.
I pray to the Nymphs and Satyrs,
His eternal companions,
those who dance with him above and below.
I [take action] for the Nymph and Satyrs of the Starry Bull.
With special thanks to our authors
Narkaios Alepou
Joy Carter
Matt G
Ibgreenie3
Jessie Lynn
Rebecca MadGastronomer
Aridela Pantherina
Polyphanes
M.A. Rivera
Teresa
Wynndark
Tagged: thiasos of the starry bull
