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When a Pagan Prays: Exploring Prayer in Druidry and Beyond
When a Pagan prays, there are many uncertainties - who we pray to, what we pray for, and what might happen to us as a consequence. Not having the same structures as other religions, Pagans can't frame prayer in the same ways, and our experiences are likely to be wilder and more personal. This book is both a wide ranging exploration of what prayer means in different faith and cultures, and a personal journey into a spiritual practice.
207 pages, Paperback
First published July 25, 2014
22 people are currently reading
300 people want to read
About the author
Nimue Brown
48 books130 followersAuthor of fiction and non-fiction works.
Born in Gloucestershire, Nimue writes Pagan non-fiction, speculative fiction and poetry.
Green, queer, woke lefty Druid, passionate about life, creativity and building a better world.
Born in Gloucestershire, Nimue writes Pagan non-fiction, speculative fiction and poetry.
Green, queer, woke lefty Druid, passionate about life, creativity and building a better world.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews
January 24, 2018
"When a Pagan Prays" is a brutally honest and sincere enquiry into the subject of prayer. It is not written as a manual or a guidebook. It is not advocating for any particular approach, it is not pushing any spiritual agenda, and it is not promising any "results" like salvation, enlightenment, or getting a pony. Instead, it asks an unimaginable number of questions about every aspect of prayer anyone could think of and a few more on top of that. I just couldn't escape and pause every now and then to ponder on some of those questions and to sit with them for a while before I could join back into the book and continue the journey down the rabbit hole.
The original intention of the author was to write an academic style book on the subject of prayer but she found early on in her research that the only way to learn anything useful about it is personal experience. So she started with simple "Hello!.. Anybody there?.." and in a process of researching it further and writing the book Nimue developed a regular devotional practice and observed how her life was changing alongside.
For me, this book wasn't only about its subject - the prayer. It was also a good example of how true personal sceptical enquiry should be conducted on any subject. The best way to give an example of her approach is in her own words. "It's better, I think, not to put your faith in gods, but to carry your doubt towards the possibility of them, and see what happens".
The original intention of the author was to write an academic style book on the subject of prayer but she found early on in her research that the only way to learn anything useful about it is personal experience. So she started with simple "Hello!.. Anybody there?.." and in a process of researching it further and writing the book Nimue developed a regular devotional practice and observed how her life was changing alongside.
For me, this book wasn't only about its subject - the prayer. It was also a good example of how true personal sceptical enquiry should be conducted on any subject. The best way to give an example of her approach is in her own words. "It's better, I think, not to put your faith in gods, but to carry your doubt towards the possibility of them, and see what happens".
July 29, 2014
Prayer – formulating into coherent words or actions in the manner of prayer can make such a huge difference to our otherwise scattered thoughts, whether we speak them aloud to deity, spirits, ancestors or whatever we feel we would like to connect with that might be listening. This solidifying of thoughts, queries, petitions or thanksgiving is what makes prayer so beneficial. No longer ethereal or mysterious floaty thoughts, as humans who use language and gestures we define ourselves through prayer, if we so choose. The subject of the ethics of prayer brings to the fore that which humanity so often fails at – looking outside ourselves at the bigger picture. When graced by human consciousness, we should all be looking to live with compassion with all beings. Sadly the ethics of prayer can be abused by the simple fallibility of humanity.
Brown forthrightly explores prayer for the benefit of all, as well as, perhaps paradoxically focusing on our inner qualities of the self. Her re-working of the Gorsedd prayer is meaningful, and her instructions to create your own out of your own associations is very good advice, for prayer is such a personal experience. She has taken us on a journey that is filled with honesty and enquiry, and to which we are privileged to have shared, in my opinion. Written plainly, it has an eloquence in its simple approach to the subject, like the simple eloquence of an apple blossom, or the curve of a lover’s cheek. This book is a welcome addition to Brown’s series on Druidry already on my bookshelf, and I look forward to more of her inspired work in the future.
Brown forthrightly explores prayer for the benefit of all, as well as, perhaps paradoxically focusing on our inner qualities of the self. Her re-working of the Gorsedd prayer is meaningful, and her instructions to create your own out of your own associations is very good advice, for prayer is such a personal experience. She has taken us on a journey that is filled with honesty and enquiry, and to which we are privileged to have shared, in my opinion. Written plainly, it has an eloquence in its simple approach to the subject, like the simple eloquence of an apple blossom, or the curve of a lover’s cheek. This book is a welcome addition to Brown’s series on Druidry already on my bookshelf, and I look forward to more of her inspired work in the future.
October 20, 2021
This is one of my favorite books on spirituality, ever of all time. It’s not pushy. It’s not forcing a religion on you. I read this book a year ago (knowing nothing of druidism) and haven’t been able to get this book off my mind since. I recently cracked it opened again. There’s just so many great treasures in these pages. This book is pure magic. Here are some of my favorite quotes I found I had highlighted.
*SPOILER*
“This is not a how to be a druid book. There are no instructions to follow that will turn you into a druid.”
The author goes on to say, “What I can offer you is to share what I’ve done, and you can copy that if you want, or reject it if you like.” (LOVE THAT)
(The author talks about her inner struggle, and her questions about her limitations in a spiritual life, fears of going mad.)
“Did I want to hear voices? Is it the case that all religious experience is simply the consequence of failed mental health? Was I willing to gamble my sanity on this? I had so much fear that I seriously considered going no further. After a while, curiosity won out over anxiety.”
“In many ways prayer is an attempt at a conversation, but will probably turn out more to be a monologue”
“I am here to live in this world, not gaze continuously at something else.”
“Prayer is simply a tool for opening the mind and creating a scope for change.”
“If you aren’t willing to change then don’t pray.”
“When a magician prays. It is their failure. When a prayer fails, it may be because the gods have other plans for you”
“I’ve seen too many irrational things to be confident that there’s a rational explanation for everything.”
And many more in the book. 5 stars. Happy reading.
*SPOILER*
“This is not a how to be a druid book. There are no instructions to follow that will turn you into a druid.”
The author goes on to say, “What I can offer you is to share what I’ve done, and you can copy that if you want, or reject it if you like.” (LOVE THAT)
(The author talks about her inner struggle, and her questions about her limitations in a spiritual life, fears of going mad.)
“Did I want to hear voices? Is it the case that all religious experience is simply the consequence of failed mental health? Was I willing to gamble my sanity on this? I had so much fear that I seriously considered going no further. After a while, curiosity won out over anxiety.”
“In many ways prayer is an attempt at a conversation, but will probably turn out more to be a monologue”
“I am here to live in this world, not gaze continuously at something else.”
“Prayer is simply a tool for opening the mind and creating a scope for change.”
“If you aren’t willing to change then don’t pray.”
“When a magician prays. It is their failure. When a prayer fails, it may be because the gods have other plans for you”
“I’ve seen too many irrational things to be confident that there’s a rational explanation for everything.”
And many more in the book. 5 stars. Happy reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 19, 2018
A wonderful exploration of the subject of prayer from a pagan perspective. A must read.
December 26, 2014
This is my fifth time reading this book in five months. Its quite odd, every time I read it - I get something new from the pages - as if I missed a little snippet here or there when reading it because I was too focused on this or that aspect. I have been a Pagan since 1986, when I happened across a Wiccan Priestess on a local Bulletin Board Service (BBS). In all the time I have studied and read about Pagans and Paganism, never once have I considered how prayer would enter into the equation. Seriously. Its never been a top priority in my studies, and not even an after thought. Its been propped up on a shelf, and left there for the dust to collect. And then along comes Nimue's book, and I blow the dust off of the concept - and am introduced to a side of Paganism I had never contemplated before. And like I said before, I am finding new points about prayer and Paganism that I had never considered with each successive reading. Her approach is to first let you know where she is coming from, as well as to define some of the concepts from her perspective. In my opinion, this is an excellent start as it lays out the groundwork for how to approach the topic - as well as providing a sounding board for your own personal differences. From there, Nimue walks you around the topic, and around and around and around - each time you think she is going to make the same point as before when the circuit ends - and she merely builds from there. The topic begins to climb, one bit at a time. In the end, you find yourself at a great pinnacle - looking back and discovering how little you really thought about the concept of prayer and how it integrates into Paganism. Or at least that's what I got from it. I will make one recommendation: take your time. Make notes. Keep a little journal of your thoughts. And when you are finished reading - go back over what you wrote, and see if you are still looking for clues and information. If so, do the same process for a second reading - I was surprised at how much I had missed through my first reading. And my second. And my third. Do I recommend this book? Nine Hells, yes! Its definitely something that will make you think and postulate your position. As she notes in the beginning of the book - if you are looking for a How-To book on Druidry - this is not the place for that. What you will find is a lot of food for thought...
September 19, 2014
It is said that there are no atheists on the battlefield, or more generally to whom do you turn in your darkest hour? In ‘When a Pagan Prays’, Nimue Brown encourages us to look closely at what we, as individuals, mean by prayer and offers up a valuable insight of how she views the subject as a modern Druid. If we’re honest, most pagans are hampered by the lack of an established creed to guide us when ‘communing with, a god or some spiritual power’ and so we need some sort of guidance in understanding what prayer entails. Generally speaking, most prayer is either a petition or supplication simply because we want something (from the release of pain to winning the lottery), often less frequently a vote of thanks as in counting our blessings. Within the established religions, prayer is generally performed by rote and as the author points out: “Prayer practices are numerous and diverse, from the deeply private, to the public ritual, from the ancient prayer poem to the sudden improvisation. A little reading around about different faiths left me clear that there are many ways of doing it, and that individual preferences and needs are probably the best guide in picking ways of working. After all, if you feel silly, uncomfortable or fraudulent then the odds of having a meaningful spiritual experience are slim.”
The charm (if that is the right word) of this book is that Nimue Brown can encourage us to look away from our own attitudes to prayer and study those from other cultures – not in order to highjack those ideas or techniques but to draw inspiration from them. She uses the comparison with Shinto (a faith I grew up in and have often compared with traditional British Old Craft)in that it combines the purity of technique with a highly abstract focus on deity. Prayer, of course, is a very private matter and our own individual way of connecting with godhead, however we see He, She or It and ‘When A Pagan Prays’ reveals how we can bring that personal spirituality into our daily lives. Or simply as my neighbouring farmer commented only the other morning as we stood together in silent contemplation of the early morning blue haze on the mountains, “It makes you feel good with yourself, doesn’t it?”
Suzanne Ruthven
The charm (if that is the right word) of this book is that Nimue Brown can encourage us to look away from our own attitudes to prayer and study those from other cultures – not in order to highjack those ideas or techniques but to draw inspiration from them. She uses the comparison with Shinto (a faith I grew up in and have often compared with traditional British Old Craft)in that it combines the purity of technique with a highly abstract focus on deity. Prayer, of course, is a very private matter and our own individual way of connecting with godhead, however we see He, She or It and ‘When A Pagan Prays’ reveals how we can bring that personal spirituality into our daily lives. Or simply as my neighbouring farmer commented only the other morning as we stood together in silent contemplation of the early morning blue haze on the mountains, “It makes you feel good with yourself, doesn’t it?”
Suzanne Ruthven
July 8, 2019
Excellent discussion of what prayer is that challenges the reader, of any faith, to think about why they pray, what their reasons for praying are and what effect it may have on them or others. For Druids and other pagans, it goes in to depth about who to pray to and how to conduct personal and group prayers.
October 11, 2024
This book initially raised some good questions but got repetitive very quickly. The almost 400 (e)pages could be condensed into 100.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 9 reviews