Canticles of Mara

Mara, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me bring love.

Where there is discord, let me bring union.

let me not seek as much

to be consoled as to console,

to be understood as to understand,

to be loved as to love.

For to love is to give with all my heart.

with all my heart.

—Canticles of Mara, 4:5–6

Because of her gift, I am Love

Because of her gift,

I am Love.

I expand Love.

I was born to create for Love, not hate.

I was born with the gift of love inside of me

To nourish the creation of life.

The gift of Love inside of us

Was made so we can continue

The gift of being alive, to help others be alive.

As I am worthy to live

Regardless of productivity

Regardless of physical wealth

Regardless if I am alone or together

I am worthy to be alive.

I am worthy of being loved.

I am deserving of happiness, love and light.

We were made in her image, her heart.

It is a gift of love to be here,

to be with her, our Divine Mother.

to be with you and I.

—Canticles of Mara, 12:1–3

Prayer for loving-kindness

Mother Mara, let all your children be happy!

Weak or strong, of high, middle or low estate,

Small or great, visible or invisible, near or far away,

Alive or still to be born—may they all be perfectly happy!

Let none lie to anyone or despise anyone under Your gaze.

May nobody wish harm on any single creature.

Let us cherish all created beings, as a mother her only child.

May our loving thoughts fill the whole world, above, below, across,

Without limit: a boundless goodwill toward the Aurbis!

—Canticles of Mara, 12:7–9

I love you, my dear!

I love you, my dear!

As the sun loves the grass,

I will love you much more tomorrow,

Much more than I did yesterday.

And it might be unfortunate to think

But I will love you less today, than I will tomorrow.

Because love grows, it transforms.

It nourishes, it enriches, and it defends

And just like a daydream, dipped in honey and clear water.

It stays together, and with time, it hardens beyond greatness, beyond doubt, beyond darkness.

With her gift of ever lasting love and light,

We shine beyond the eternal,

Thank you, Goddess of Creation.

For your sun, your warmth, and your illumination.

I love you, my dear.

Come tomorrow, I will love you so much more.

Just us the sun loves the grass.

Just as the love I have for you today is so much greater than it was yesterday.

—Canticles of Mara, 14:6–9

You are love

You are love.

Just as the sun meets the moon

and the tide meets me at the edge,

it feels like I was born for this –

born for you,

born to be in love with you,

born with her gift inside of you.

Have you listened to the beating of your heart?

Deep inside you, the voice of our Goddess telling you who you are?

I am love.

Just as the wind meets Nirn,

duty to myself, you, our Faith

will become one as we face the end,

because being with you until the end

helps me recognize that loving you

is worth the pain of losing you.

Mara is inside of me, loving you –

will this make me happy?

To feel complete?

Will this be everything I need?

They are love.

As the virtues become one,

as we come together,

we bring change, flexibility, and trust.

We understand that coming together

means that her gift.

Our love is the Strongest.

We are love.

Through her eyes, her heart, her sky

we were always meant to be.

The Light inside of us all burns bright.

The moment of being with you

is just right;

it was never a question,

and just like the sun, our love will always burn,

to be love and light,

to be your heart and Sky.

—Canticles of Mara, 12:10–12

The Bride’s Lament

My dearest Mother Mara,

I’ve been given away, miserable and misfortuned,

and giving me away they washed it down with mazte

and a burnt crust of bread.

How will it turn out for me, going to live with strangers,

to a new father and mother?

I will have to please this man I hardly know,

to be pleasing and obedient to them all.

I am distraught. This is his home, not mine.

O Mara, maybe I can spin. Maybe I even used

to be able to weave – but it was all for nothing.

As a noble daughter, they only spoke of me

when it came to my future marriage.

It is infuriating. It is heart-rending

here on this earth. Sometimes I worry.

Sometimes I eat myself up in rage.

I am dying of sadness. I cannot make the spindle dance.

In my desperation I suddenly wish I was dead.

I wish you had been a woman here in this place.

Maybe then you wouldn’t let me be taken,

let him do to me what the wind does to the blossom,

spread my petals and take away my plumes.

—Canticles of Mara, 5:2–13

You teach me to be gracious

Mother Mara,

You teach me to be gracious, so that I may receive grace.

You teach me to comfort, so that I may be comforted.

You teach me to be silent, so that I may hear the voices of the unheard.

I hunger and thirst for righteousness, and in my faith to you, I shall be satisfied.

Make me your instrument. I am ready.

—Canticles of Mara, 11:1–6

We come before you, O Mara

We come before you, O Mara, Divine Mother,

seeking your gentle guidance and benevolent embrace.

Amidst the cacophony of discord, we yearn for solace.

In the turbulent currents of life, we seek an anchor of peace.

Let your presence envelop our weary hearts like a warm hearth,

a sanctuary in the storm, a refuge from the noise.

Mara, Goddess of Family and Peace, we implore you,

bless our homes with love, unity, and serenity.

Grant us the wisdom to cherish the sacred bonds of family,

to nurture the relationships that form the very fabric of our existence.

In a world that often drives us apart,

help us bridge the divides with empathy and understanding.

—Canticles of Mara, 2:1–3

Hail, our Divine Mother!

Mara, in the high dwellings of all,

both radiant Divines and those mortals who walk on Nirn,

you have gained an everlasting abode and highest honor:

glorious is your portion and your right.

For without you mortals hold no banquet,

where one does not duly pour sweet wine in offering to Mara,

both first and last.

Come and dwell in this glorious house in friendship together;

for you, well knowing the noble actions of men and Mer,

aid on their wisdom and their strength.

Hail, our Divine Mother! Now I will remember you.

—Canticles of Mara, 3:29–39