52 lines
2.9 KiB
Plaintext
52 lines
2.9 KiB
Plaintext
12th C. Herbal Invocation
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INVOCATION
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'Earth, divine Goddess, Mother Nature who generates all things
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and brings forth anew the sun which you have given to the nations;
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Guardian of sky and sea and of all gods and powers....through your
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power all nature falls silent and then sinks in sleep. And again
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you bring back the light and chase away night and yet again you
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cover us most securely with your shades. You do contain chaos
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infinite, yea and winds and showers and storms; you send them out
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when you will and cause the seas to roar; you chase away the sun
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and rouse the storm. Again when you will you send forth the joyous
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day and give the nourishment of life with your eternal surety; and
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when the soul departs to you we return. You are indeed duly called
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Great Mother of the Gods; you conquer by your divine name. You are
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the source of strength of nations and of gods, without you nothing
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can be brought to perfection or be born; you are Great Queen of the
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Gods. Goddess! I adore thee as divine; I call upon your name; be
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pleased the grant that which I ask of you, so shall I give thanks
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to thee, Goddess, with due faith.
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Hear, I beseech you, and be favorable to my prayer. Whatsoever
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herb your power does produce, give, I pray, with goodwill to all
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nations to save them and grant me this my medicine. Come to me with
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your powers, and howsoever I may use them, may they have good
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success to whosoever I may give them. Whatever you grant, may it
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prosper. To you all things return. Those who rightly receive these
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herbs from me, please make them whole. Goddess, I beseech you, I
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pray as a suppliant that by your majesty you grant this to me.
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Now I make intercession to you all your powers and herbs and to
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your majesty, you whom Earth parent of all has produced and given
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as a medicine of health to all nations and has put majesty upon
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you, I pray you, the greatest help to the human race. This I pray
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and beseech from you, be present here with your virtues, for She
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who created you has Herself promised that I may gather you into
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the goodwill of him on whom the art of medicine was bestowed, and
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grant for health's sake good medicine by grace of your powers. I
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pray grant me through your virtues that whatsoever is wrought by
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me through you may in all it's powers have good and speedy effect
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and good success and that I may always be permitted with the favor
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of your majesty to gather you into my hands and to glean your
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fruits. So shall I give thanks to you in the name of the majesty
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which ordained your birth.'
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(Modernized version of a 12th century
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herbalist spell. Original translation
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from 'Early English Magic and
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Medicine', by Dr. Charles Singer.
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Proceedings of the British Academy,
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Vol. IV )
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