We are currently working on developing shared devotional practices within the monastery.
We keep morning and evening devotions to the Gods and Goddesses of Annwn and pray together every new moon and full moon. Other practices we share in common are breathwork and the use of prayer beads.
MONTHLY PRAYERS
New Moon Prayer
Gods and Goddesses of Annwn
we come this new moon
as monastic devotees
to honour You.
We honour darkness, we honour depth,
we honour light, we honour breath,
we honour warp, we honour weft,
we honour the weaving of life and death.
Let our breath be one with Your breath
and our hearts beat one with Yours.
Let our hands be one with Your hands
in harmony, devotion, and love.
Merged together, above, below, within, without,
this day and all days, this night and all nights.
~ Co-written by monastic devotees
Full Moon Novena Prayer – Nine Faces of Gwyn
Gwyn ap Nudd
on these nine nights
of the full moon
we pray to
Your nine faces –
Warrior, Hunter, Lover
Dreamer, Inspirer, Ruler,
Reaper and Gatherer
and to Your Unknown Face.
I.
On this first night
we pray to You as Warrior.
With Your spear in Your hand
from doubts defend us.
With Your shield at Your side
from fear protect us.
Your strength and courage
grant to bolden us
on this first night.
On all nights.
II.
On this second night
We pray to You as hunter.
With Your keen eye
You relentlessly seek us.
With Your swift bow
Awen pierces us.
Your patient pursuit
grants to reveal us.
On this second night.
On all nights.
III.
On this third night
We pray to You as Lover.
With gentleness
Your arms embrace us.
With tenderness
Your touch awakens us.
Connecting Joy–
You dance with us.
On this third night
On all nights.
IV.
On this fourth night,
We pray to You as Dreamer.
With the baying of hounds,
To slumber lull us.
With the cry of ravens,
Through dreamland lead us.
With deep mystery,
From mist deliver us.
On this fourth night
On all nights.
V.
On this fifth night
we pray to you As inspirer
Within the cauldron of Annwn
Your wisdom ignites us
Within the song of your land
Your stories enchant us
Within the eternal dance
Your Awen flows through us
On this fifth night
On all nights.
VI.
On this sixth night
we pray to You as Ruler.
Oh Lord of Annwn
forever watch over us.
When broken we kneel
before You heal us.
To our sovereignty
and self-love raise us.
On this sixth night.
On all nights.
VII.
On this seventh night
we pray to You as Reaper.
May You hold close our souls
take away our fears; soothe us
Sacred one, balancer of Life and Death
continue to keep us
Holder of the Great Mystery
from the cosmos to our hearts, guide us
On this seventh night.
On all nights.
VIII.
On this eighth night
We pray to You as gatherer.
With Your steadfast patience
You search for us.
With Your inspiring words
You beckon us.
Your strong arms
never tire of carrying us.
On this eighth night.
On all nights.
IX.
On this ninth night
We pray to Your Unknown Face
With the vastness before
may you continue to lead us
through mysteries both great and small
we look to You to continue to guard us
through the Unknowable may we
know ourselves, as you know us
On this ninth night,
on all nights.
~ Co-written by monastic devotees
DAILY PRAYERS
To the Spirit of the Monastery of Annwn
You are new
and yet You are ancient.
You are of the Deep
yet You speak the world.
You call your monastics
to solitude and the silence of prayer
yet You inspire us to raise our voices in poetry and song.
You reside in our hearts and souls
and every breath we take.
We sing You.
We carry You
everywhere we live.
Your walls hold us and offer sanctuary
but they keep nobody out.
Your doors are always open.
Your only demand is love of the Gods,
of each other and all beings
in life and death.
Your challenge is to love death itself.
When we pass through that door
You will still be there –
the other monastery,
like the other Tawe in a distant land
where the tides beat furiously upon the shore.
~ Poetry by performed Sister Patience with the Celtic harp by Sister Aelfwyn
~
Prayer to Gwyn ap Nudd for Awen
Gwyn ap Nudd Lord of Annwn
I pray with you this day
Gwyn ap Nudd Lord of Annwn
may Awen flow this way
Hollow are your hills
sacred are your ways
Gwyn ap Nudd
Lord of Annwn I pray with you this day
Awen flows through the river
Awen flows through the sea
Awen deep within the well
may Awen flow through me
~ Sister Aelfwyn
Annuvian Awen
An invocation of the awen written and recited by Sister Patience with the Welsh translation by Greg Hill.*
Awen chant x 3
Allan o dywyllwch caf fy ngeni
Allan o waed caf fy ngeni
Allan o ysbryd caf fy ngeni
Yn canu o Annwn
Tri phelydryn golau
Tri phelydryn llais
Tri phelydryn wirionedd
I oleuo â rhyfeddod
Ac yn torri’r galon wytnaf
Yn canu o Annwn
Out of darkness I am born
Out of blood I am born
Out of spirit I am born
Singing from Annwn
Three rays of light
Three rays of voice
Three rays of truth
To illuminate with wonder
And break the hardest heart
Singing from Annwn
Awen chant x 3
First published on the Awen ac Awenydd website HERE.
~
I Hail You
A Morning Prayer to Gwyn ap Nudd
Gwyn ap Nudd, White son of Mist,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
I will never be lost again.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Hunter in the Skies,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
my hunt, my quest, will never die.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Bull of Conflict,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
I will keep on fighting through this day.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Keeper of the Cauldron,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
my life will be filled with inspiration.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Ruler of Annwn,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
I will know the unfathomable depths.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Gatherer of Souls,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
I will gather up my pieces be whole again.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Lord of the Dead,
I hail You in the morning
and pray with You beside me
I will walk with courage until the end.
~ Sister Patience
An Evening Prayer to Gwyn ap Nudd
Gwyn ap Nudd, White son of Mist,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
through the mist and the fog and the rain.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Hunter in the Skies,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as my hunt, my quest, leads into night.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Bull of Conflict,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as our battles end at the close of the day.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Keeper of the Cauldron,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as I become the vessel for Your inspiration.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Ruler of Annwn,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as I come to know the unfathomable depths.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Gatherer of Souls,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as I gather up the lost pieces of my soul.
Gwyn ap Nudd, Lord of the Dead,
I hail You in the evening
and thank You for Your guidance
as I walk with courage towards the end.
~ Sister Patience
~
A prayer co-written by members for Gwyn when He is absent over the summer months.
In Summer We Miss You
For Gwyn ap Nudd in Summer
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss the rain
but we know You will return again
like the raindrops on our window panes.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss the snow
but we know You will return again
like blackthorn in its moonlit glow.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss the moon
but we know You will return again
like life’s cycles; all in tune.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss the Star
but we know You will return again
with silver song, high sweet and far.
In summer we miss You
We miss you like we miss a song
but we know You will return again –
in silence Your melody lingers on.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss the Dance
but we know You will return again:
the Phoenix, bright with radiance.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss our breath
but we know You will return again
like the primordial dance of death.
In summer we miss You
we miss You like we miss time gone before
but we know You will return again
like crashing tides upon the shore.
In summer we miss You.
we miss You like we miss the breeze on our skin
but we know You will return again –
as summer ends winter will begin.
~ Co-written by monastic devotees
Gwyn, Master, Teach Me
Teach me, teach me, dearest Gwyn,
in Thine own sweet, loving way,
all the lessons of perfect witchcraft
I must practice day, by day.
Teach me confidence, my Gwyn,
of Thine own counterpart;
not in words and actions only
but in confidence of the heart.
Teach gratitude, sweet Gwyn
to this tired, worn heart of mine
which still wishes
to hold your favors for all time.
Teach me fervor, blessed Gwyn
to move forward, firmly paced
as as to never look back,
never to quit the race.
Teach me magic, Gwyn
that my every day may see
something added to our world
that my soul is bared to Thee.
Teach me patience, my love, Gwyn
so that I can breathe and be
firmly grounded, rooted,
in acknowledgement of what you do for me.
Teach Thy Heart to me, dear Gwyn
is my fervent, final prayer
for all beauties and perfections
are in full perfection there.
~ Sister Prey
~
Creiddylad Arrives
Creiddylad arrives brings the morning.
She is here, She is here, She is here.
Creiddylad arrives brings the birdsong.
She is here, She is here, She is here.
Creiddylad arrives brings the flowers.
She is here, She is here, She is here.
~ Sister Patience
~
Beats of the Heart of Annwn
A drumbeat and chants for alignment with the Heart of the Annwn which would ideally be sung by multiple voices in a monastery setting.
Slow Beat
Slowly beats the Heart of Annwn
Slowly beats the sacred heart
Hear the Heart
Hear the heart the Heart of Annwn
Hear the heart oh monk and nun
Hear the heart the Heart of Annwn
Hearken to the sacred drum
Hear the heart the Heart of Annwn
Hear the heart oh monk and nun
Hear the heart the Heart of Annwn
To the monastery we come
~ Sister Patience
The Monastery of Annwn 