Hurm. As a nonobservent Jew and minimally observant witch, I read the poem as describing individuals, spiritually bereft (even if only for a moment), hearing prayers which connect to their own experiences.
Their reading doesn't make sense to me. "...a prayer utters itself." And then some examples. Seems pretty straightforward.
I never went to synagogue, except for bar/bat mitzvahs. I practice solo as a witch; when in a group, prayers are, more frequently than not, communal and ritualized.
A more personal response to the poem: The singing in the tree, the chanting of the train, to me would not be a prayer at all, but the voice of the goddess streaming towards me. The whole divine communication thing is more of a two-way street; a spiritual conversation.
The closest I can think of in the (Protestant?)Christian context is immanence. I think there's a Catholic equivalent in Theophany, but you would know better than I.
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branchandroot
(no subject)
Date: 2008-11-03 09:59 pm (UTC)Their reading doesn't make sense to me. "...a prayer utters itself." And then some examples. Seems pretty straightforward.
I never went to synagogue, except for bar/bat mitzvahs.
I practice solo as a witch; when in a group, prayers are, more frequently than not, communal and ritualized.
A more personal response to the poem:
The singing in the tree, the chanting of the train, to me would not be a prayer at all, but the voice of the goddess streaming towards me. The whole divine communication thing is more of a two-way street; a spiritual conversation.
The closest I can think of in the (Protestant?)Christian context is immanence. I think there's a Catholic equivalent in Theophany, but you would know better than I.