These words are a spell of protection.

They come from deep in the Earth.

They fill me with the grace I need

to make my way in this perilous world.

They come from the the stars,

from my ancestors,

from the deep fires at the Earth’s core,

from the rushing waters out of which I was born.

They come from the spreading roots of the low plants,

whose green life sustains my own;

from the searching roots of the tall trees,

whose branches reach and twist upwards,

whose strength is always at my back.

They come from the sure-footed creatures,

and the soft-winged creatures,

who travel the forest’s edge,

who whisper to me in ancient voices,

when my ears are ready to listen.

They come from those who walk beside me,

human and more than human,

those who shift their shape with ease,

at home in water, in sky,

in the tangled forest undergrowth,

and in the soft welcoming darkness of the warm Earth.

They come from my heart’s sure knowledge of love,

from the fires banked within my body,

from the simple and complex truths,

of skin and flesh and bone.

They come from passion,

and also kindness,

and from my trust in the truth of my own soul’s song.

They come from my fierce commitments

to those who accompany me on this journey,

and to Creation,

and to Mystery,

and to Love.