Adapting Prayers Respectfully

The pagan community needs to stop replacing the word ‘God’ in Abrahamic prayers and poetry with the word ‘Goddess’ and acting like it’s invented something completely new (it shouldn’t be done to other religions either, but it happens most to the Abrahamic faiths). These ‘Pagan’ prayers are disrespectful to the religions the original content has been stolen from because it’s rude- as well as being disrespectful to your own religion because it's lazy.

On top of that, they’re also aesthetically displeasing; the main reason the majority of them sound so bad is because you’ve ruined the meter. You’ve added an extra syllable and changed the stress patterns. You have taken something beautiful, something so lovely that you desired to have it as your own, and you’ve damaged the music of it.

Instead of doing that kind of hideous word replacement, try taking the prayer, looking at the ideas and the imagery, and translating those to be relevant to your own faith. Here, let’s try this with Psalm 23:

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

It's possible that you like this Psalm solely because of the Renaissance English the KJV uses. Good news there, is that’s just grammar and you can apply it to anything ever written without much difficulty at all. More likely, though, you either want a prayer of reassurance and protection- or you like the images of a shepherd and a feast.

If the first, think about what images suggest safety, comfort, and protection to you, and then build on those. For example:

The Lady is my comfort and mentor; I am guided by Her wisdom. When I am lost in a fog of uncertainty, She guides my feet; She lights the lamps by which I set my course. Even when I am threatened or afraid – fears of my own making or of others’ – She comforts me; She reminds me of my strength. The Lady is a Warrior, and She is my shield. In Her presence, I have an eternal refuge; perfect love casts out all evil. Always, She will help me stand like a resolute flame against fear and harm.

And if you preferred the second option of images of a lamb with a shepherd and a feast and blessing, the process is the same:

When I am conflicted and caught between options, the God of the Wilds makes His voice known to me, a song of forest leaves in the wind. When I am anxious over leaving my comfort zone, He leads me as gently as a shepherd with a new lamb. When I am caught up in daily life, tired, worn, and impatient, He soothes me; He reminds me that I am His precious child and deserve better care. Surely my God blesses me; surely within His arms I am made whole.

Both took about three minutes of effort. Not very much time at all. And both are perfectly servicable prayers. More importantly: Neither plagiarizes or disrespects anyone else’s religion. Neither relies on anyone else’s religion in order to give it the appropriate context. Which should be your goal. You want your own religious trappings and not someone else’s- and this is how you get them. You create them yourself; the point here is to stop lifting poems and prayers whole-cloth from other religions (because that’s rude, ethically questionable, and definitely lazy), and instead learn how to draw inspiration from them.

If you find a prayer beautiful or moving, look at why that is the case instead of just taking it as it is. Take what you actually like about it, and then make it personal to you and your beliefs. That way, you can create something unique, of true meaning, that is specifically for your faith and your gods. And isn’t that a better offering anyways?

Main Sources

Tumblr user @winebrightruby (previously @opalborn)