Hail to the Hag of the Iron Wood!
Great in wisdom you stand, Ancient One,
Warrior, Sorceress, Lady of Mystery!
I pray to you for the strengthening of my will
To be iron-hard, to be oak-strong,
To bear me up when all else is fallen.
Hail, chieftess of werewolves! If the battle takes years,
Give me the will to see it through to the end.
Hail, bride of Flame! If I must let go of what I love
In order to keep it, let me do so with open hands
And open heart, and trust in Fate’s return.
Hail, mother of monsters! If those I love are imperfect,
As they must be, let me love them anyhow,
And find in them goodness unseen by others.
Hail, raging wolf-mother! If what I love is stolen from me,
Let me not fail or falter, but still stand tall.
Hail, thrice-burned goddess! If I am struck down
By my enemies, let me never fall in despair,
But rise again and again from the embers.
Hail, heart of ashes! If I finally fall, the last of my will
And all destroyed, let Love carry me tenderly away,
Bring me back to life, let Loyalty weep for me
And may many hands give me the aid that I have earned.
Help me, O Grandmother, to earn that aid.
O Angrboda, give me strength to claw my way
Out of any pit, out of any trap, no matter how dire,
If only through gritted teeth and bleeding nails,
Heeding not how much of me must be left behind.
Help me to know that I am more than a match for Life
No matter what Life may inflict upon my heart.

(Be Thou My Hearth And Shield is available at Asphodel Press.)