Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship.

Although sexual pleasure is the primary method of worshipping Ishtar, there are other ways. Chief amongst these is dance, particularly the sensual and beautiful art of bellydance. Please enjoy in Ishtar's name

Dancer’s Prayer

Incense smoke drifts, fragrant, curling tendrils of blue

The ney sounds, haunting melody lifting, twining with the smoke

Tabla beats, quiet, steady, slow

Emerging now, slowly swaying, She comes forth

Step, step-step

The earth trembles

Quivering beneath Her feet

Step, step-step

A lover’s skin awaiting soft caress

Expectant, longing

Arms rise and fall in opposition

Undulating slowly, sinuously

Fingers extended, beckoning

Eyes flick

Wrist turns, withholding

Hips twist

Each step shatters civilisations

Each step builds them anew

Rainbows fly from her spinning veils

The winds are born of Her flying hair

Step, step-step

Increasing tempo

Step-step, step

Hypnotic beat

Step-step, step

She charges forth,

Eyes ablaze

All fall back in awe before Her

She turns, sways back, arms raised, abdomen undulating

A turn of the head,

Step

A flick of the eyes

Step

Lowering arms, palms open

A gift,

This dance

For you

Step, step-step

How can I not dance with You

You who gave the Dance to me?

How can I hold back from You

Who gave the world to me?

Each step creating, destroying and renewing again

When I dance I honour You

When I dance, I dance for You

When I dance, they see You in me

Step, step-step

To the sound of ney and drum

By Sara Fitton

This week's praise poem and pictures were both suggested and provided by our friend Jessie Belle. If you would like to suggest a theme, prayer or poem for Friday worship please feel free to ask. We would be glad to hear from you.

We serve Ishtar and, through Ishtar, love.

Praise to Ishtar

Praise to Ishtar

Friday Worship

Welcome to Friday Worship

Unto the queen of the gods,
into whose hands are committed the behest of the great gods,
unto the lady of Nineveh,the queen of the gods,
the exalted one,unto the daughter of the moon-god,
the twin sister of the sun god, unto her who ruleth all kingdoms,
unto the goddess of the world who determineth decrees,
unto the Lady of heaven and earth who receiveth supplication,
unto the merciful goddess who hearkeneth unto entreaty,
who receiveth prayer, who loveth righteousness,

I make my prayer unto Ishtar
to whom all confusion is a cause of grief.
The sorrows which I see I lament before thee.

Incline thine ear unto my words of lamentation

and let thine heart be opened unto my sorrowful speech.

Turn thy face unto me,

O Lady, so that by reason thereof
the heart of thy servant may be made strong!

I, Ashur-nasir-pal, the sorrowful one, am thy humble servant;
I, who am beloved of thee, make offerings unto thee and adore thy divinity
. . . . I was born in the mountains which no man knoweth;

I was without understanding and I prayed not of thy majesty.

Moreover the people of Assyria did not recognise and did not accept thy divinity.

But thou, O Ishtar, thou mighty Queen of the gods, by the lifting up of thine eyes did teach me, for thou didst desire my rule. Thou didst take me from the mountains, and didst make me the Door of my peoples

. . . and thou, O Ishtar, didst make great my name! As concerning that for which thou are wrath with me, grant me forgiveness. Let thine anger be appeased, and let thine heart be mercifully inclined towards me.

The pictorial theme for today's Friday Worship was suggested by our friend ~Thumbelina~. If you would like a particular prayer or pictures, please ask.

May the blessings of Ishtar bring you love, joy and sexual pleasure.

Praise to Ishtar