The word “priestess” is a noun that describes a woman who performs the sacred rites of a particular religion. It is the feminine variant of “priest.” A priestess is thus a female officiant of sacred acts and a facilitator of ritual who serves a particular religion or deity(s), especially of a non-Christian religion. In history, priestesses were associated with the worship and temple tending of either male or female deities. But the roles embodied by the word “priestess” are vast, ever-evolving, and incapable of being limited by mere definitions. When you view the word “priestess” as describing an active participant in sacred activities, you acquire a broader understand of a priestess’ role. As an active participant in sacred rites, a priestess may be a ritual facilitator or guide, a healer or spell-caster, a prophetess or seer. A priestess defines herself by the role she chooses to fulfill and the way she exercises her powers. The role of a water priestess is one dedicated to the service of the water and water spirits. This is not a new or isolated practice. In fact, it is quite ancient and is cross-cultural. Since antiquity, and possibly since the beginning of time, women have tended sacred waters. These sacred sources, were often found near temples or in groves, or perhaps were just local water sources. For hundreds of generations, these arts were passed on from culture to culture, eventually being forced almost completely underground by the advent of organized religions. Modern water priestesses are often drawn to serve a particular water goddess. Some are directly called by a particular body of water or spirit to be the human conduit for it. Priestesses who don’t work directly with water spirits or goddesses sometimes choose instead to work with a particular type of water, like the sea. Sometimes they call themselves sea priestesses. Others prefer to be called healers, or water magicians. The work of a water priestess is expressed in various sacred practices like enchanting the waters, facilitating rituals, creating healing ceremonies, and preparing sacred baths. Water priestesses offer devotional practices to the water or water spirits, commune with water spirits, cleanse and purify the waters, and perform healing rituals with sacred water. As a water priestess, you may find yourself called to use water to heal your community, or you may be called to heal the water through energy work. You may be called to protect the water from more harm with magical or mundane water activism. You may feel led to join beach or river clean-ups, or to bless water for the land or your community. Your mission may be to revive the old temple arts in your community, or to find other ways to honor the water with singing, dancing, drumming, or chanting at the water’s edge. Exercise: Setting Up a Water Altar Altars can be set up anywhere and can include simple or elaborate items and layouts. Items you can use on your altar include altar cloths, statues, candles, ritual tools, shells, and, for water priestesses, most likely a chalice or bowl. Most altars I have observed are more like working spaces and thus are often quite messy—but not dirty—whereas shrines are usually kept clean and lovely in devotion to the water spirit. Altars can take any form you like. The important thing is that you have a particular place to focus your work and your devotional practices. A clever water priestess may also want to create a water altar for other purposes as well—perhaps for protection or for another specific cause. Blue, as the color most often associated with healing and water, should be the primary color for your water altar. To establish blue as the predominant color, choose a blue chalice, bowl, or other sacred vessel. When selecting healing items like crystals, herbs, symbols, or talismans to adorn your altar, choose blue when possible. Consider using the symbol of the Vesica Pisces found on the Chalice Well, as well as sacred healing waters stored in blue vials or jars, blue flowers and other offerings, and statues of the water goddesses you are petitioning for healing. It is up to you how your altar looks and what you put on it. Just make sure you leave space for your sacred vessel!
✔ Author(s): Annwyn Avalon
✔ Title: The Way of the Water Priestess: Entering the World of Water Magic
✔ Rating : 4.8 out of 5 base on (163 reviews)
✔ ISBN-10: 1578637244
✔ ISBN-13: 9781578637249
✔ Language: English
✔ Format ebook: PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Audio, HTML and MOBI
✔ Device compatibles: Android, iOS, PC and Amazon Kindle
Readers' opinions about The Way of the Water Priestess by Annwyn Avalon
Beata Shepard
What an intellectual journey! The themes explored in this book challenged my perceptions and sparked introspection. It's refreshing to read a book that provokes such thought.
Josephine Alvarez
The plot was incredibly well-crafted, with twists and turns that kept me hooked until the very last page. It was impossible to predict what would happen next.
Tasha Cobbett
The characters in this book felt like old friends, and I was sad to say goodbye to them at the end. It's a testament to the author's talent for creating memorable and relatable personas.
