Praise the Gods

My mission is to challenge the status quo and create a meaningful, lasting impact…first, for myself…and then for others who find this material useful…through pagan adaptations of psalms, poems, prayers, etc from various authors and religions.

Currently (in 2025) I have been on a pagan path for 37 years. Does that make me an expert? It makes me an expert on MY path, not yours. No one person is the gatekeeper of a particular path and no one person or organization holds a monopoly on the “right” or “correct” way. Religious experiences and practices are both subjective and individualistic and therefore deeply personal and pluralistic.

People have asked me about the path I follow. I do not have a name for it but I can tell you some of the elements. My beliefs are both animistic and polytheistic. At the same time, I hold the belief that being pagan is something you do, not what you believe. With that in mind, I honor the spirits of the land where I live by making sure the area is neat and tidy. When trash blows into my yard from wherever, I get it up and put it in the trash can. I’m also conscious about what offerings I make on the ground. For example, offering milk on the ground in the summer time when the weather is very humid and very hot (where I live) is not a good idea.

My prayers and rituals are either to praise a specific god/dess or to ask for help. In which case, I always give an offering. My prayers and rituals are very liturgical and scripted because I feel that is the best way for me to connect with a particular deity. The pantheon that I most closely align with is Norse, primarily Thor and Celtic, primarily Brigid, Morrigan, Dagda, Taranis, and Cernunnos.

Honoring and making offerings to my ancestors are also an important part of my worship. My “shrine” is filled with various pictures of my ancestors to help me focus when offering prayers or libation to them.

My path is influenced by Heathenry and Ar nDraiocht Fein (ADF) as well as from growing up in an atheist household in a culture where the only religion was Christianity.

This is my story and my path. Feel free to use what is meaningful to you.

-Raysdottir