The use of prayer is integral to maintaining ties with a deity such as Eorgina. She is ever volatile, and ever ready to smite all those who would disturb her- be they pauper or Priestess. For that reason, prayers to the Lady should be fashioned in a very particular manner. Assuming that one can even catch her attention (a formidable task in itself, and one best not attempted on a whim) it must be held, and held in such a manner that her ire is not raised. Prayers to the Goddess of the Dark Hall must stroke her vanity, must reaffirm your dedication and tmust wist themselves so that you appear penitent. This last is important to remember, as penitence can save you from having a lake of fire appear under your feet.

There are three types of prayers, the first being the personal prayer. Personal prayers are meant not for great rites, but for murmuring to oneself in times of thought or meditation.

Queen of Darkness
I love the black bloody one
She who is born anew every month
Like a mushroom in dark soil
Eorgina
I follow your phases like the wind
Along the contours of a cliff
I borrow your velvet gown
When my own warmth is not enough.
 

Now I lay me down to rest,
while fires of life burn in my breast
if while I sleep, my flames go out
then I shall know what life's about.
 

The second type of prayer is the group prayer. Group prayers may be used when a circle or sect convenes, or when two or more Priestesses take worship together. Group prayers need not be highly elaborate, though they should be more elevated and focused than a personal prayer. It should be noted that the Lady oftentimes is more likely to notice two worshippers than one, so praying with another adds a degree of risk.

Guide of the underworld- of ancient wisdom
Black as night, red as blood
Wise as time, ever lasting...
Eorgina
Who art the souls mirror and the keeper of the burning flame
Enter there upon the chamber where infidels
Bear aloft their weapons of war
Strike there with thine eye which penetrates all darkness
And release those who worship the blessed night!
Come, calm all fears of those who are thy children.
In the grey silence of the moon
In the cries of all passion
In the howls of the wild
Eorgina grant us thy presence!
Come, may the darkness dance with the fire.
 

If today be the day that is set for my death,
and I shall look upon the face of the world no more with these eyes,
let me go not quietly, but with great force
and with great passion
as that is how I have tried to live.
Let my swordarm be strong until the end,
and my will be unbroken though the pain may be great.
But if this is not how I should go out,
not with great cries
but with small whimpers
Lady may you not find flaw in me for wishing it was not so.

The final type of prayer is the high call. High calls are those recitations designed specifically to attract the attention of Eorgina, or her handmaidens. They should only be attempted after a long amount of time spent in thought and adoration, and should only be attempted under certain proscribed circumstances. High calls are used commonly at dedications, initiations, sacrifices and during the times of the Nine Rites.
 

Convocation- This convocational prayer was written to proceed the first Council of the Gods meeting. The Council meets every Sunday night, at 8 elven time, in Frith's Inn.

Mistress of Domination, hear my prayers
Provider of Revenge, hear my prayers
Queen of Darkess, hear my prayers
Lady Eorgina, I entreat you

Mistress
through this gathering
we have a great opportunity
to garner further power for you
to gather further worship for you
to grasp further the world for you
hear my prayers

Provider
at this meeting
we have a great opportunity
to punish enemies for you
to pillage minds for you
to put aside non-believers for you
hear my prayers

Queen
in this council
we have a great opportunity
to engage in debate for you
to educate for progress for you
to eviscerate opponents mentalities for you
hear my prayers

Lady Eorgina
I am yours
my life is yours
my soul is yours
you have me in all way
all I ask is your blessing to do in your Holy name
I entreat you!
 

Song for the Fireside- Prayers take shape from those who perform them. For some, a prayer is a whispered entreaty, for others it may be the shrill call before the descent of a sacrificial dagger. Each person connects in a different way. This song was written to be accompanied with a hand-drum.

Eorgina is my Goddess
She has long and fiery hair
It serves her for her bodice
What else should a Goddess wear?

Her heart beat breaks the land open,
lays it's landscape bare
One breath from Madame Eorgina
Will burn and crisp the air.

Oh, Lady, Lady, Lady, Lady
Dance across the Heavens gaily
Spread your flames daily
Everywhere

Elanthian Gods assemble,
Eorgina makes the very earth tremble
She makes the oceans boil
and whispers brimstone on the air.

My Goddess Eorgina gaily meddles,
in pain and domination peddles
Making hearts heavy, testing mettle
Everywhere

Oh, Lady, Lady, Lady, Lady
Dance across the Heavens gaily
Spread your flames daily
Everywhere
 
 

Aside from prayers, ritual is also used to maintain a strong spiritual connection to the Lady. There are many different rituals associated with the Eorginian faith, the most important being those contained in the Nine Rites. Also important, on a more personal level, are the rituals of the initiation and the handfasting, and the funerary practices.

Initiation is the act of formally declaring oneself to a faith, and being accepted into that faith. In the way that there are basic forms of prayer, so are there basic forms of initiation. The main two branches of this process are the group initiation, and the self initiation.

Self initiates are those who choose to walk alone, for either a short period, or for an entire lifetime. Because a follower is self-taught does not mean they are less worthy in the eyes of the Goddess, and does not mean that in the future they might not choose to join up with a group of likeminded individuals.

This is a ritual to be used by a solitary practictioner of Eorgina's faith. While She is closer when the moons are full and visible in the sky, it can be performed whenever a person feels ready to devote themselves to spiritual servitude.

Prepare an altar in fiery colors, with sparkling objects to catch the candlelight. In the center, place three candles, orange, red and gold. As you praise the Goddess with each verse, light a candle, and sit silently, receiving Her
messages and blessings.

Blessed be the Goddess of Creativity
Eorgina, Bright One
Goddess of the forge.

Teach me to bear the fires of  transformation,
The furnace that tempers my blade, and makes me strong.

Be with me as I blaze my trail.

 I light this candle
 in fiery offering to you,
 Eorgina, Goddess of Fire.

Blessed be the Goddess of Transformation,
Eorgina, Courageous One,
the molten core of the Lands.

Teach me to enter the underworld without fear,
and to emerge without regret.

Light my path with your torches.

I light this candle
in fiery offering to you,
Eorgina, Goddess of Fire.

Blessed be the Goddess of Faith
Eorgina, Constant One,
Goddess of hearth and temple.

Teach me the lessons of commitment and contentment,
service and celebration.

Warm me within and without.

I light this candle
in fiery offering to you,
Eorgina, Goddess of Fire.

Accept me.
Take me as yours,
as I have taken you as mine.

These fires burn for you, as I do.

Let the candles burn themselves down and out, till the flames gutter in the wax. Then save them, and sit them on your altar when you pray.
 
 

Group initiations are usually lavish affairs, and times of great rejoicing. Every person brought into the worship of Eorgina adds to her power on the mortal plane, and a person brought into the worship through a group serves to add to the power of that specific sect.

As each sect usually strives to maintain some measure of individual secrecy, this is merely a generalized ceremony.

The words of the Goddess have been handed down to us, in this, her promise of relationship between herself and her followers. Hear the words of the Goddess, who of old was called Origiana, Hellbringer, Firehearted and many other names:

Whenever you have need of anything, once in the month, and better it be when the grey moon is full, you shall assemble in some secret place and adore the spirit of Me who is Queen of all the Dark.

She who would learn all sorcery yet has not won its deepest secrets, for them I will teach her, in truth, all things as yet unknown. And you shall be free from slavery, and  as a sign that you be free you shall be powerful in your rites.
Sing, feast, dance, make music and love in My presence, for Mine is the ecstasy of the spirit and Mine also is the ecstasy of all in the Lands.

For My law is unto all  beings. Only do I demand sacrifice, for behold, I am the taker of all things and My power is poured out upon the earth for you to return to Me.
 

A processional is held, with the Initiate  left to meditate as the others rise and follow the High Priestess into the Circle area. Three times around her they walk and chant:

"We all come from the Goddess,
And to her we shall return
Like a lick of flame,
Returning to the fire."

The highest ranking Priestess present  takes the blade from the altar and traces a circle around the group.

When she returns to the north, she kneels and salutes,  saying, "Hail and well come, Fiery Spirits of the North.  Lend to us your power and protection this night, that <initiate's name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of our Lady. In Her service we call."

Everyone present envisions a wall of orange light springing up from the circle and recites,"In Her service we call!"

The presiding Priestess advances to the east, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, Warm Spirits of the East. Lend to us your power and protection that <initiate's born name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of our Lady. In Her service we call "

Everyone present envisions a wall of yellow light springing up from the circle, within the wall of orange. They recite, "In Her service we call!"

The Priestess advances to the south, kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, Burning Spirits of the South. Lend to us your power and protection that <initiate's name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of our Lady. In Her service we call!"

Everyone present envisions a wall of crimson light springing up from the circle, within the walls of orange and yellow. They recite, "In Her service we call!"

Advancing to the west, the Priestess kneels and salutes, saying, "Hail and well come, Heated Spirits of the West. Lend to us your power and protection that <initiate's name> may be given a true initiation, to justly wield the power of our Lady. In Her service we call!"

Everyone present envisions a wall of golden light springing up from the circle, within the walls of orange, yellow, and red. They recite, "In Her service we call!"
 

The Priestess recites, "I call upon the Pantheon of Lornon; I call upon the Destroyers, the Corrupters, and the Strong; I call upon the Spirits of the wretched souls forever enslaved in Her service; I call upon the might of the Goddess Eorgina; and I call every true follower within this circle to witness that we are here to consecrate <initiate's name> as a member of the Faith. The circle is cast!"

Everyone present envisions the walls of the circle bending together overhead and flowing together under the floor to form a hemisphere of bright white light. They recite, with greater volume than before, "In Her service we call!"
 

The Priestess cuts a symbolic gate in the circle, and roughly leads the Initiate to kneel at the edge before the gate, then balances the blade over the Initiate's heart (the Initiate raises his or her hands to support the point).

She recites,"You stand at the edge of a place that is between the worlds, in the presence of the true Gods and under the watchful eye of the departed dead. If you go any further, you embark on a path that cannot be safely turned aside before your own death. Feel the sharpness of the blade at your breast, and know this in your heart - it would be better for you to throw yourself forward and spill out your life than to enter this circle without fear or with falseness in your heart."

The appropriate response to this from the initiate would be to recite, "I come with humbling fear and no falseness to the Faith."

The Priestess lays down the blade, lifts the Initiate to her feet, and kisses her on each cheek. "Thus are all first brought into the Faith." She then leads the Initiate to the altar and taking up the blade, re-draws the circle over the gateway.

The rest of the assembly begins a quiet humming and sustains it throughout the Kiss and the Oaths of Initiation.

The Priestess, administering the Five-fold Kiss, recites: "Blessed are your feet, that have brought you to this place. Blessed are your knees, that shall kneel at the altar of the Lady. Blessed is your sex, without which we could not be. Blessed is your breast, formed in strength and beauty. Blessed are your lips, which shall speak the Words of Praise to Her.

Are you prepared to take the oath?"

The initiate should recite, "I am."

The Priestess motions for the initiate to kneel. "You who have from birth been called <born name> but now seek to become more, do you willingly pledge yourself to the Goddess Eorgina?"

Placing her left hand on the top of her head and right hand on the soles of her feet, the initiate recites, "All between my two hands belongs to Her. "

All of the others raise the volume of the humming slightly.

The Priestess continues, "And do you swear to keep silent all those things that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to you?"

Reciting the words, "I willingly swear to keep silent all that must be kept silent, and to respect that which is taught to me. In Her service I call," officiates the initiates entrance into the Faith.

All of the others raise the volume of the humming a little more.

The Priestess asks, "And by what surety do you swear all of these things?"

The initiate should then swear, "All of these things I do swear, by the blood in my body and by my hope for future lives, knowing well that my worth has been taken in the presence of She who is greater than all. Should I fail utterly in my oaths, may my powers desert me, and may my own tools turn against me. In Her service I call. In Her service I call. In Her service I call."

Everyone yells quickly, "In Her service we call!"

All of the group grab onto the Initiate quickly chanting her name over and over again, as fast as possible. Each draws a small blade and makes a cut on some part of the new follower's body, just enough to draw a bit of blood. Through all of this they continue chanting the Initiate's name, falling off in volume and speed as the cuts are completed.

The Priestess recites, "Know that the hands that have touched you are the hands of your Sisters. Each member of the Faith holds the lives of the others in her hands, this night will be kept in memory, and will be used against you should you endanger the others."

Handing the blade to the Initiate, the Priestess leads her to the West, where they both kneel. The Initiate salutes, and the Priestess announces, "Behold, dead and Gods - I bring before you <initiates name>, who has been consecrated into the Faith." The Priestess repeats this announcement at the South, West, and finally North.

Everyone present joins hands.

The Priestess finalizes the ceremony stating, "Thank you Gods of Lornon, spirits of the damned dead, and the awesome Lady for hallowing our circle. Go or stay as you will, the group will now close."

Everyone ground and centers, absorbing the power of the Circle and returning it to the ground beneath their feet.

The Priestess recites, "Our rite draws to its end. Serve Her well."