This is a book of blessings, gathered from various sources.

"Hum!"

May they be a blessing to you, as well.


INDEX


If you have or know of a blessing that should be here

please write birrell@well.com


 

Now Choose Life

I have set before you life and death, 
blessings and curses. Now choose life, 
so that you and your children may live
and that you may love the LORD your God, 
listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. 
For the LORD is your life,

Deuteronomy 30:19-20

(New International Version)

Thanks to Dame Emily Carder

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May All Beings be Happy

Ya keci pana bhu-tatthi
Tasava thavara va anava sesa 
Digha va ye mahanta va 
Majjhima-rassa-kanuka thuta 

Dittha va yeava addittha 
Ye ca dure vasanti avidure 
Bhuta va sambhavesi va 
Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhi-tatta... 

Whatsoever living beings there are;
feeble or strong, long, stout, or medium, 
short, small or large, seen or unseen, 

Those dwelling far or near, 
those who are born, and those who are to be born, 
May all beings, without exception, be happy-minded.... 

From the Metta Sutta in Ven. K. Shri Dhammananda,

Daily Buddhist Devotions

Buddhist Missionary Society: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

 

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The Father's Blessing

Teknon, su pantote met' emou ei
kai panta ta ema sa estin.

Child, you are always with me,
And all that I have is yours.

-The Father speaking to the elder brother
in the parable of the Prodigal Son

Luke 15:31

Translated by BTW

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The Orphic Hymn to Night

Nyx, Mother of sleep, mother of gods, 
humans and animals,

star spangled Goddess, 
at dusk your silence calls dreams.

Pleased by lengthening shadows, 
by exhaustion after feast, 
friend to pleasure, heal us 
with rest free from fear...

  - The Hymns of Orpheus, Mutations 

by R.C.Hogart, 

Phanes Press 1993

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Seed We Bring

Seed we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless them, O Lord!

Gardens we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless them, O Lord!

Hoes we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless them, O Lord!

Knives we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless them, O Lord!

Hands we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless them, O Lord!

Ourselves we bring
Lord, to thee, wilt thou bless us, O Lord!

- East African hymn used at seed consecration service
The Oxford Book of Prayer

compiled by George Appleton

Thanks to Ann Chamberlain
Canada

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Everywhere God will come to meet you

Everywhere God will come to meet you, 
everywhere he will appear to you, 
at places and times at which you will look not for it, 
in your waking hours and in your sleep, 
when you are journeying by water and by land, 
in the night-time and in the day-time, 
when you are speaking and when you are silent; 
for there nothing which is not God.

- Hermes Trismegistus

Corpus Hermeticum Libellus XI:ii

Translated by Walter Scott

Boston: Shambala 1993

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The Blessing of Brigit

 
The Charm placed by Brigit,
Maiden of graces,
On the white daughter of the king,
Gile-Mhin the beauteous.

The form of God is behind thee,
The form of Christ is before thee,
The stream of Spirit is through thee,
To succour and aid thee.

The bloom of God is upon thee,
The bloom of Christ is upon thee,
The bloom of Spirit is upon thee,
To bathe thee and make thee fair.

Excellence of men,
Excellence of women,
Excellence of council,
Excellence of lover,
Excellence of sons and of daughters.

Excellence of dells,
Excellence of knolls,
Excellence of knolls
Excellence of hollows,
Excellence of hills,
Excellence of horses and of heroes.

Excellence of travel,
Excellence of journey,
Excellence of small town,
Excellence of great town,
Excellence of sea and of shore.

Excellence of beauty,
Excellence of radiance,
Excellence of goodness,
Excellence of heaven,
Excellence of day and of night.

Excellence of form,
Excellence of voice,
Excellence of complexion
Excellence of cattle,
Excellence of curd and of butter.

Thou are the star of each night,
Thous art the brightness of each morn,
Thou art the tidings of each guest,
Thou art the enquiry of every land.

Thou shalt travel a rough ground
And thou shalt not redden thy foot:
Jesus is guarding thee,
Jesus is by thy hand.

The crown of the King is around thy head,
The diadem of the Son is upon they brow,
The might of the Spirit is in thy breast;
Thou shalt go forth and come homeward safe.

Thou shalt journey upward
And come again down,
Thou shalt journey over ocean
And come again hither;

No peril shall befall thee
on knoll nor on bank,
In hollow nor in meadow,
On mount nor in glen.

The shield of Michael is over thee,
King of the bright angels,
To shield thee and to guard thee
From thy summit to thy sole.

Nor shall man
Nor shall woman
Nor shall son
Nor shall daughter

Make glance nor wish,
Hate nor jealousy,
Love nor eye,
Envy nor durance

That shall sunder thee,
That shall lie upon thee,
That shall subdue thee,
That shall wound thee.

Host shall not make,
False one shall not make,
Fairy shall not make,
World shall not make

Sling nor catapult,
Spear nor shaft,
Axe nor javelin,
Hook nor sword,

That shall affect thee,
That shall afflict thee,
That shall wound thee,
That shall overpower thee.

No smith shall make,
No craftsman shall make,
No mason shall make,
No wright shall make

Gear nor tool,
Weapon nor device,
Tackle nor instrument,
Frame nor invention,

Of copper nor stone,
Of brass nor iron,
Of wood nor bronze,
Of gold nor silver,

That shall check thee,
That shall enclose thee,
That shall rend thee,
That shall bridle thee,
Thither nor hither,
Earth nor land,
Here nor yonder,
Down nor up.

Above nor below,
Sea nor shore,
In the sky aloft,
In the deep beneath.

Thou nut of my heart,
Thou face of my sun,
Thou harp of my music,
Thou crown of my sense;

Thou are the love of the God of Life,
Thou are the love of tender Christ,
Thou are the love of Spirit Holy,
Thou art the love of each living creature,
Thou art the love of each living creature.

-From Alexander Carmichael,

Carmina Gadelica: Hymns & Incantations
Collected in the Highlands and Islands
of Scotland In the Last Century

Hudson NY: Lindisfarne Press, 1991, p. 279.

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Keeler's Treatment

Know first that God loves you.

Do not be concerned about any doubts you may have, 
or that you may believe you have.
God has no doubts, and He will care for you.

Be not concerned about your faith.  
God is your creator, your very Father, 
and He has faith in you.

Do not agitate yourself about God, 
who He is, or what He is.  
He is safe, secure and dependable, 
and He is our Source.  
It is sufficient to know this.

You desire Peace and Strength.  
Very well, rest within that desire...

Remember again that He loves you 
and holds no sin against you.  
God cannot be diverted by sin.  
His one action is Love.  Believe no doubts.  
Let lying nervousness and apprehension alone.  
The universe is not nervous.  It is at Peace.  
Universal Law is harmonious, 
and it is every whit as much here 
as it is there or anywhere.  
Live with it silently.  
No one can prevent you from doing this.  
Come into the Presence by means of your consciousness, 
and Know that no one or no thing 
can harm you while in the Presence.

More than all, Rest.  Do these things easily.  
Stop all thought and all prayer when you wish
and in faith.  Whereupon you will find that 
you can take up your healing communion often
and whenever you wish.

And the Master will come to you...

- W. Frederic Keeler,

Christian Victory Instruction,

Oakland CA: Lakeside Temple of Practical Christianity

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A Sufi Blessing

May the Blessings of God rest upon you,
May God's Peace abide with you,
May God's Presence illuminate your heart,
Now and forevermore.

- Hazrat Inayat Khan

Thanks to Rabia Rachel Mead, D.C.

SanFrancisco CA USA

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The Lord Bless You and Keep You

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee:
The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
So shall put my name upon the children of Israel; and I will bless them.

- The Blessing of Aaron

Numbers 6:23-27

The Holy Scriptures, Jewish Publication Society

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Peace All Ways

"You may wish to include a blessing 
that I receive from a wonderful friend 
of mine, a psychologist/yogi/holy-man named 
Atman who writes from Sri Lanka. 
He always ends his letters with the blessing 
that we find 'Peace All Ways'.

Peace all ways,
                Eddie"

Thanks to Dr Edward F.Crangle

School of Social and Cultural Studies
Edith Cowan University
Mount Lawley WA AUSTRALIA.

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May God Go With You!

May you go with God!
Let God bear you in peace like a young shoot!
Go nicely:  may your path be swept of danger.
God go with you, and may you escape from the mishaps ahead!
May you meet with the Kindly-disposed One!
May God take care of you!
May God walk you well!

May you remain with God!
May God be with you who remain behind!
May you stay with God!

from The Prayers of African Religion

published (I think) by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

Thanks to Susan Polizzi

Carroll College
Waukesha WI USA

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Abba, Servant, Paraclete...

Ma te marie a te Atua e kore nei e taea te whakaaro 
e tiaki o koutou ngakau o koutou hinengaro i roto i a Karaiti Ihu; 
a kia mau kia u hoki ki a koutou te manaaki a te Atua Kaha Rawa, 
a te Matua, a te Tama, a te Wairua Tapu aianei a ake tonu atu.
Amine.

May God whom Jesus called Abba embrace you in love for ever;
may God the Servant bear your burdens with you;
may God the Paraclete grant you life in one another;
so may the blessing of God,
Abba, Servant, Paraclete,
be with you always.
Amen.

from A New Zealand Prayer Book

Thanks to Anne Chamberlain
Canada

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