Litany to Wonder: A New Prayer for the Old-Souled

Today I renamed my blog. I listened to the stirrings of my soul and the hunger in my belly, and I finally dipped my big paintbrush into the pot and wrote it up there in wide, messy strokes, for all to see: Litany to Wonder.

This is a small, brave step for me into a vast territory and topic that’s fully captured my attention and my heart: wonder. Down the path, more steps in, but not so far that I can’t see the curvy shape of it, will come more blogging, and…a book. There, I said it.

For now, I take one more small, brave step, which is sharing a prayer I wrote, with you. I call it a new prayer for the old-souled, one of those rare labels I’ve loved being given. This prayer I wrote is a litany.

If you grew up Catholic as I did, you might remember litanies–prayers that are series of petitions, of naming the divine and requesting support. I always loved them because they included Mary, a hint of the goddess in a religion where I struggled to find feminine power celebrated, where I struggled to find a place for my call to leadership and my own feminine, powerful voice.

The litanies about Mary lit up my heart. They called her Mystical Rose. Morning Star. I ate it up. Those names were the kinds we gave ourselves in the club my sisters and I started with our mom and some of our friends, probably when I was eight years old or so. Rainbow Unicorn. Magical Fountain. Flower Dancer. Like the names of My Little Ponies. Of course those names can get attached to plastic things and lose their pizzazz, but for me, the pizzazz is still in the name.

Of course those names were ridiculous, and they also transported me right smack into the heart of wonder, what I’m coming to understand as my natural resting state.

In the midst of my devotion to and fascination with wonder, a new prayer spilled out last month. One that’s been brewing in me since I was a little girl in church, looking and listening for the sacred feminine.

Now it seems so clear to me how the goddess permeated Catholicism.  Even though she was relegated to supporting roles or best costume or soundtrack, and never up for best actress. She was still there. In the litanies was Mary and Venus. Morning Star. Evening Star. Star of the Sea. Mystical Rose.

 

The goddess is in my litany too, and with rapid heartbeat, I dare to share it with you here. Welcome to my

Litany of Wonder

Lingerer on the couch,

Daydreamer in class,

Pray for us.

Lady who sang with the tenors,

Lover of musical theater,

Queen of Elastic waistbands,

Pray for us.

Giver of compliments,

Teller of tales,

Moongazer, Starwisher, Thighswisher,

Pray for us.

Worshipper of the slow kiss,

Living room dancer,

She of the rolling orgasm,

Pray for us.

Whiskey slugger, wine chugger, Tuaca sipper,

Slipper treader

End of party dreader,

Pray for us.

Story maker,

Sanctuary keeper,

Brownie batter licker,

Sauce concocter,

Inappropriate giggler,

Tear shedder,

Pray for us.

Obsessive reader,

Healer writer,

Wonder sighter,

Fire lighter,

Goddess lover,

Whale watcher,

Pray for us.

Wonder is at hand. And lip. And nose. And eye. And ear. Within and without. Wonder is near.

 

Thank you so much for reading. You might notice that I don’t have a space for comments, but I’m certainly open to conversation about what’s written here. If you’re so inspired, feel free to start a conversation with me via the contact form on the homepage of this site.