Ministry of the Shining Sun

Spirits all, Allow me to rest when I get home from this appointment. Allow me to regain energy lost from waking up too early. Allow me to feel refreshed when I awake. So may it be. -Orchid Casarez

My prayer today is simply: Thank you for allowing my spouse to have a new beginning in a healthier place. -Orchid Casarez.

Shining Ones of prophecy: I call for your aid. Help me to understand The implications of choices to make, Both good and bad. Show me what I need to know As I ponder next steps. O Prophetic Ones, Ease my mind And soothe my spirit. -Orchid Casarez 

Allies and Spirits Help me get through my shift today. Let there not be rude customers And the store be not as busy To be easier on my body and mind. I thank you for all of your blessings thus far, Spirits. So may it be. -Orchid Casarez

Spirits all, I thank you for giving my spouse and I a moment of deep intimacy. Thank you for allowing us to open up and be vulnerable with each other. We both feel much better. May You continue to bless us in profound ways. -Orchid Casarez

Spirits all, for safety I pray. The safety for performers of all kinds, whether wrestlers, actors, or musicians. Wrap them in our protective shell to keep them from harm. So may it be. -Orchid Casarez

Glorious Sun, though I cannot see You, I know You are there. Today You wanted to hide--and that's okay.  We all do that sometimes. Today I praise and honor You, for without You we would not have light right now (even though You're hiding), and we would not have heat, though meager it might be. I praise You for Your ability to lift my mood when I catch a glimpse of You breaking through clouds. I praise You for feeding the plant life around me creating a vibrant world. Though today is gray, Glorious Sun, I praise you. -Orchid Casarez

I pray to my Allies: Ensure we will be okay financially through December. A sudden change has rocked our family, causing a domino effect of other changes. May this be the new beginning we have been seeking. -Orchid Casarez

Muses Nine, oh how I adore thee! You continue to inspire classics in this modern age. Country anthems like "The Thunder Rolls" Pop masterpieces like "Born This Way" Metal bangers like "Raining Blood" I could go on. Thank you, fair Muses, for your work in the modern day.  These songs make life a little easier to bear. -Orchid Casarez

This prayer needs a bit of background.  My nearly three-month-old nephew was born with a brain tumor and we didn't know how long he had left.  This prayer was written shortly after his passing. I light this candle to say good bye to baby Kingsley. May your passage into the Otherworld be swift and smooth. May this flame hold your memory and keep it burning bright in the hearts of all who knew you. We love you, baby King.  We will miss you. -Orchid Casarez

 As I lay me down to sleep, I give my Allies my soul to keep. Freyja, ensure I have pleasant dreams. Brighid, help my body heal during my rest. Lugh, ensure my body and mind stay sharp. May my journey through the night be just what I need to get through the next day. -Orchid Casarez

Holy Lady Brighid, Uplift the downtrodden. May your flames of courage empower them to seek true liberation from their oppressors. May your well of healing allow them to find true joy and peace. May your poetry inspire them to continue to fight for Justice. -Orchid Casarez

Today I honor those whose Ancestors lived on this land before mine did. I vow to let your worldview inform my own. I vow to not take sacred traditions and lands from you without asking first--and to leave those traditions and lands alone that you wish me to. I dream of one day collaborating with you to rebuild society to be more communal. I honor you not just this month, but every month. May it be so. -Orchid Casarez

 Thank you, spirit of Clarity, for your wisdom as I lied half-awake in bed this morning. Thank you for allowing me to finally understand a misunderstanding that happened months ago. Now may your gift allow me to move past this. -Orchid Casarez

Instead of perpetuating the nationalistic myth of Thanksgiving, in which the "Pilgrims" were offered food by Indigenous people and peace was had, I'm going to talk about something very different:  genocide of Native peoples. Today I honor and remember the Myaamia, Kaskaskia, and Kiikapoi--the peoples that were here in Indianapolis before colonization.  I thank all Natives for their innumerable contributions to our culture without any recognition (and often erasure). Thanks to my ancestors (and the ancestors of the majority of people living in the United States today), entire Native populations were destroyed and their cultures (including languages, religion, and art) erased. I can never undo what my ancestors have done.  The most I can do is listen to Indigenous peoples and amplify their voices with my own white privilege.  I can support them financially by buying authentically-made products from Natives and giving money directly to Native people. (When I am in a better s