We like to pride ourselves (often with good reason) on our ability to effect a change in our situation. Cora Anderson, shortly before her death, told me that the purpose of Feri witchcraft is to become a better person, which is to effect a change in ourselves. 

I was talking with some Feri initiate friends the other day and the idea was expressed that this is a good time to do some collective magic to help heal the earth and our societies. Our societies are not separate from the earth because it is through our societies that we affect the earth. 

To that end, it was proposed that those who are so inclined and able perform rites around this time of Earth Day and Beltaine for making right with our relations. Since all living beings are children of the Great Goddess, we are all relatives. 

By this, I mean rites of offerings to nature spirits, rites of reconciliation of differences and atonement for mistakes. Many societies that still maintain a close connection to nature contend that when we pollute the environment, we harm the spirits of nature who then retaliate, in an attempt to stop the damage. 

It is often believed that making appropriate offerings to the nature spirits and asking for forgiveness for our species’ harm to the natural world can help to heal the spirits and our relationship to nature. This in turn is a balm to the spirits of the world who then cease their justified attacks of pestilence and natural disasters.

However, it doesn’t stop there, because we also need to correct our relationships with each other as individuals, as societies, and as countries. Hatred and fear poison our relationships which then kill people. This is true on a personal level and a governmental level. Thus, it was proposed that we include working for establishing right relationships between nations: to encourage cooperation between countries, since each country is affected as well as their people. Cooperation is our only path forward from the path of destruction. 

This includes justice for criminals regardless of their influence, because justice for one is justice for all. This also includes governments fulfilling their mandate to protect and benefit their citizens to reestablish harmony within their borders. Harmony within a society can only happen when its citizens are respected, treated fairly and with dignity by those in power. Thus authoritarian administrations must be dismantled by the people they wish to dominate and destroy. 

For those who wish it, I offer the following prayer to accompany this work.

Image by ejaugsburg from Pixabay

Ho’oponopono Offering Prayer

By Willow Moon

IAO-QUA-CORA-LINA! IAO-QUA-CORA-LINA! IAO-QUA-CORA-LINA!

From primordially pure basic space
The unceasing magical display of your desire
Appears as a Great Queen, enthroned
Whose toes are strong roots deep in the earth
Whose coal black hair streams with stars
All appearances arise as your glorious body!

From your heart, flames flash out, burning all ideas about the offerings into ash
From your heart, wind blows the ashes of doubt far away
From your heart, water washes the offerings clean from limitations
From your heart flows rays of rainbow lights, touching and changing the offerings into the nectar of your wisdom, a balm to all ills!

[pour out fluid offerings onto the earth and burn fragrant wood/herbs, raising the smoke to the sky while chanting IAO for a while. For best results, pray with strong emotions and if possible, mingle your tears with the fluid offerings]

Please accept these offerings as a healing nectar, healing all hurt, all ill intent
Be satisfied with these offerings, all you spirits of the sky, land and sea
Clouds of offerings, as limitless as the sky and pleasing to the senses
Are the form of the wisdom of Godhirself and swell throughout the phenomenal world!

They are all that could be desired for the Gods, spiritual caretakers of the land and to those whom we owe debts of nourishment, home or wealth
To those harmful spirits who create disharmony and pestilence
To those who steal life force, those who cause insanity and fatal accidents
To those who take the essence of wealth and health
To those hostile spirits who live in cities and in the wild!

As the red flames burn and smoke arises, debts are repaid, whatever is desired instantly arises
As long as space endures, we give inexhaustible offerings to all those to whom we are connected and to those we have harmed whether intentionally or not
The evil deeds and harmful actions we have accumulated, may they be purified by these offerings of generosity
May all beings awaken to their original nature and live free from conditioned existence!

May illness, evil spirits and pollutions be purified
May plagues, famine, warfare and natural disasters be pacified
May all enemies and dangers be averted
May calamities and misfortune cease!

May this offering clear mental cloudiness, dullness and agitation
May this offering clear the conflicts of people and nations
May this offering repair mistakes
May this offering clear bad dreams and omens
May this offering clear the quarreling of peoples!

As the smoke fills the sky, it is offered to all the Gods and spirits who fill space
May their afflictions due to our negligence from today onward be cleansed!

As the flames and sparks shoot into the space between heaven and earth, they are offered to all the Gods and spirits who remain between heaven and earth
May their afflictions due to our negligence from today onward be cleansed!

As the flames swirl upon the earth, they are offered to all the Gods and spirits who live under the earth
May all their afflictions due to our negligence from today onward be cleansed!

May obscurations from harmful magic and incantations be cleared!
May obscurations from broken connections with Gods and spirits be cleared!
May obscurations from authoritarian destructive forces be cleared!
May obscurations of demonic possession be cleared!
May all broken and weakened words of honor be cleared!

In this way, all Gods and spirits cleared from the fog of afflictions experience supreme well being
May they all be pleased with these offerings and may their desires be fulfilled
May past debts and stubborn habits be released
Through the power of this generosity, may we all be filled with ecstatic wisdom!

May harmful spirits who remain here
Whether on the earth, above it or below
Always be loving toward beings
May we practice kindness both day and night!