hate;a time for war and a time for peace.
—Ecclesiastes 3:1–8
Prayer Practice: Ritual Cleansing, Purification
Many religions and cultures have their own forms of ritual cleansings (Baptisms/Christenings, Mikveh, Ghusl/Wudu, Snanam, etc.) that each have different symbolic meanings. Though many of these ritual baths are purely spiritual, some have also incorporated material objects for both physical and metaphysical cleansing; for instance, the Romans used oils and fragrances, Indians used herbs and spices, and even Cleopatra added milk and honey to her ritual baths. These rituals are typically used to mark a rebirth or significant change in one’s life and are often believed to have purifying properties. While some of these ancient rituals have come under criticism by women for suggesting that women are unclean, modern feminists have reclaimed spiritual bathing as a way to appreciate femininity and oneself. Any woman can incorporate the idea of ritual cleansing into her life in many forms either similar to or symbolizing the original concepts. Taking a meditative bath with your favorite oils and candles, cleaning out your house, or even deleting toxic friends from social media can all be compared to the cleansing and rebirth that is at the core of these ritual ceremonies.
10
Inspiration and Aspiration
Far away there in the sunshine
are my highest aspirations.
I may not reach them,
but I can look up and see their beauty,
believe in them, and try to follow
where they lead.
—Louisa May Alcott
11
Arise in Radiance and Go Down in Joy
The earth is full of your goodness,
your greatness and understanding,
your wisdom and harmony.
How wonderful are the lights that you created.
You formed them with strength and power
and they shine very wonderfully on the world,
magnificent in their splendor.
They arise in radiance and go down in joy.
Reverently they fulfill your divine will.
They are tributes to your name
as they exalt your sovereign rule in song.
—Ancient Hebrew Hymn, 516 BC
12
The Magdalene’s Blessing
You hardly imagined standing here, everything you ever loved suddenly returned to you, looking you in the eye and calling your name. And now you do not know how to abide this ache in the center of your chest, where a door slams shut and swings open at the same time, turning on the hinge of your aching and hopeful heart. I tell you, this is not a banishment from the garden. This is an invitation, a choice, a threshold, a gate. This is your life calling to you from a place you could never have dreamed, but now that you have glimpsed its edge, you cannot imagine choosing any other way. So let the tears come as anointing, as consecration, and then let them go. Let this blessing gather itself around you. Let it give you what you will need for this journey. You will not remember the words—they do not matter. All you need to remember is how it sounded when you stood in the place of death and heard the living call your name.
—Jan Richardson
13
The Rewards of Risk
It is so easy to close down to risk, to protect ourselves against change and growth. But no baby bird emerges without first destroying the perfect egg sheltering it. We must risk being raw and fresh and awkward. For without such openness, life will not penetrate us anew. Unless we are open, we will not be filled.
—Patricia Monaghan
14
Hearing the Music of the World
How wonderful, O Lord, are the works of your hands!
The heavens declare Your glory,
the arch of the sky displays Your handiwork
In Your love You have given us the power
to behold the beauty of Your world
robed in all its splendor.
The sun and the stars, the valleys and the hills,
the rivers and the lakes all disclose Your presence.
The roaring breakers of the sea tell of Your awesome might,
the beasts of the field and the birds of the air
bespeak Your wondrous will.
In Your goodness You have made us able to hear
the music of the world.
The voices of the loved ones
reveal to us that You are in our midst.
A divine voice sings through all creation.
—Ancient Jewish Prayer
15
A Perfect Love
AND GOD SAID TO THE SOUL:
I desired you before the world began.
I desire you now as you desire me.
And where the desires of two come together
The love is perfected.
HOW THE SOUL SPEAKS TO THE GOD:
Lord, you are my love, my longing,
My flowing stream, my sun,
And I am your reflection.
HOW GOD ANSWERS THE SOUL:
It is my nature that makes me love you often,
For I am love itself.
It is my longing that makes me love you intensely,
For I yearn to be loved from the heart.
It is my eternity that makes me love you long,
For I have no end.
—Mechthild of Megberg, Thirteenth Century Nun
16
