The Woman's Book of Prayer. Becca Anderson

for granted in this life;

      that we may learn to see and understand with our hearts;

      that we may learn to rejoice in our being.

      We pray for these things with humility;

      We pray because of the hope that is within us,

      and because of a faith in the ultimate triumph of the human spirit;

      We pray because of our love for Creation,

      and because of our trust in God.

      We pray, above all, for peace throughout the world.

      —Dr. Jane Goodall

      54

      We Are All One

      We light the light of a new idea.

      It is the light of our coming together.

      It is the light of our growing;

      to know new things,

      to see new beauty,

      to feel new love.

      —Unitarian Invocation

      55

      Truth, Life, and Love

      Thy kingdom come.

      Let the reign of divine Truth, Life, and Love

      be established in me, and

      rule out of me all sin;

      and may Thy Word enrich

      the affections of all mankind,

      and govern them!

      —Mary Baker Eddy

      56

      Maiden Mother Crone

      Hold thy shield over us, protect us all.

      Danu beloved! Mother of the Shining Ones,

      Shield, oh shield us, Lady of nobleness,

      And Brigit the beauteous, shepherdess of the flocks,

      Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together,

      Safeguard thou our animals, encircle us together.

      And Ellen, beneficent, benign,

      Governess of the trackways of power,

      Invoke the star of power upon the path,

      Guide thou well ourselves, shield our procession,

      Guide thou well ourselves, shield our procession.

      O Mother! O Maiden! O Crone of Wisdom!

      Be the Triad with us day and night,

      On the machair plain or on the mountain ridge,

      Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us,

      Be the Triad with us and her cloak around us.

      —Ancient Celtic Oral Tradition

      57

      On Earth as It Is in Heaven

      Our Father which art in heaven,

      Hallowed be thy name.

      Thy kingdom come.

      Thy will be done, on earth

      as it is in heaven.

      Give us this day our daily bread.

      And forgive us our trespasses,

      as we forgive those

      who trespass against us.

      And lead us not into temptation,

      but deliver us from evil:

      For thine is the kingdom,

      and the power, and the glory,

      forever and ever.

      Amen.

      —Matthew 6:9–13

      58

      The Ancient Wisdom of Women

      Our old women gods, we ask you!

      Our old women gods, we ask you!

      Then give us long life together,

      May we live until our frosted hair is white;

      May we live till then.

      This life that now we know!

      —Tewa Traditional Prayer

      59

      Learning the Art of Forgiveness

      Our Father, Holy Mother,

      Creator of the Cosmos, Source of Life,

      You are in my mind, in my garden,

      in my cup of wine and loaf of bread.

      Blessed be your names:

      Mother, Allah, Goddess, Beloved, Father,

      Radiant One, Yahweh, HaShem, Sophia

      Your presence has come, your will is done

      on earth as it is in the cosmos.

      May we give each other strength, mercy,

      tenderness, and joy

      and forgive each other’s failures,

      silence, pettiness, and forgetfulness

      as we ask to be forgiven

      by those we’ve hurt.

      Lead us home

      to ourselves, to You,

      to clarity, to oneness

      and deliver us from the darkness

      of our ignorance and fear.

      So we pray and so we receive. Amen.

      —Jan Phillips

      60

      Toward an Enlightened Mind

      Om Mani Padme Hum

      Tibetan pronunciation—Om Mani Pémé Hung

      I invoke the transformation and purification of the six

      negative emotions of pride, jealousy, desire,

      ignorance, greed, and anger

      into their true nature, enlightened mind.

      —Mantra of Compassion, Avalokiteshvara

      Prayer Practice: Rites of Passage

      Ceremonies celebrating rites of passage are used in many religions and cultures in different ways and are celebrated at different times of a person’s life. Celebrations such as the Croning Ceremony for Wiccans and Na’ii’ees for the Apache have important significance in the lives of women and girls and focus on celebrating womanhood and feminine power. At the core of these celebrations is reflection on the past, wisdom, and growth, and many rites of passage for women are particularly used to connect to other women as well. In theory, the concept of a rite of passage does not have to be a literal celebration or have religious significance like most practices but can be a reflection upon blessings, a prayer for growth, or something to commemorate the passing of a threshold.

      What the World Needs Now: LOVE

      “Be yourself and others will love you!”

      —Gina Rodriguez

      “Do not compare yourself to others. You have a unique destiny and mission that only you can accomplish.”

      —Marianne Pearl

      “You don’t have to be anything but yourself to be worthy.”

      —Tarana Burke

      “You