Caim Prayer & COVID-19
/Encircling prayers or loricas, also known as Caim prayers (from the Irish gaelic meaning ‘protection’), are used to create a ring of safety around one's self and their beloveds. It is a way to pray within the physical dimension as it requires the body to actively participate in the supplications of the heart. When one participates with and prays a Caim, the invocation begins with an arm extended outwards, pointer finger set towards the ground tracing the shape of a circle. This intentional act creates a sacred sphere, a space within which the pray-er invokes the protection of Divine Presence.
When I pray a Caim, I extend these boundaries beyond my personal reach to include my whole house, my neighborhood, the community in which I live, and the world at large. I encircle a space much larger than myself as a way to include the vast and diverse community of life of which we are fundamentally a part. As the novel coronavirus continues to spread, we need to continue our solidarity in our sanctuary-in-place. We can pray this encircling prayer for our global community’s protection against this virus.
As we work to create our wild sanctuary, we can extend the Caim protection beyond my personal self and human communities to include the plants, trees, birds, and other wild-life. In this act I am doing something different than invoking a defense against that which is forbidden, dangerous, or out of control; instead, I am inviting that wild world in, bringing the more-than-human community of life into revered relationship and attunement. I am inviting a way of seeing the wild as wonderous, and in the most ancient of meanings, seeing myself within its ward. Encircling prayers that cast the boundaries beyond our domesticated borders initiate a way of moving through the day that is expectant of mystery and magic as the whole of creation is considered to be within the Caim circle. In this way, Caim becomes an eco-centric way of praying.
Rewilding Practice
Find a place outside where you can practice in the embodied form of the Caim. Back yards, front gardens, public parks, and even sidewalks will do!
Center yourself by taking several deep breaths, tuning in to the sounds of the natural world all around you. You will likely hear human-made sounds too. Don't ignore the anthrophony. Instead, receive these sounds as an invitation to include them in your Caim too.
When you feel ready, position your body facing north. Breath deeply and feel the air within and around you. Stretch out your arm in front of you with your pointer finger extended and pointed to draw a metaphorical, expansive circle that includes the natural world. Slowly turn your body deosil, in a clock-wise rotation--going from the cardinal direction north, to east, to south, to west and back again to facing north while saying this simple encircling prayer, adapted to include the greater community of things with whom we live:
North, “Circle us Spirit, Keep protection near, And danger afar.”
East, “Circle us Spirit, Keep light near, And darkness afar.”
South, “Circle us Spirit, Keep peace within, Keep evil out.”
West, “Circle us Spirit, Keep hope within, Keep doubt without.”
Back at the North can finish your prayers with: “May you be a bright flame before us, May you be a guiding star above us, May you be a smooth path below us, And a loving Guide behind us, Today, tonight, and forever. I give thanks for the circle of loving kindness that has been created. Amen”
You can play with your language, calling in what you need and expressing that which you want to release. You can bring in particular protections against the virus, illness, sickness, and general unrest.
