This is an article in a series describing the process I use to create a practice card. The practice I’m using to illustrate this process is for “Calling Back Power.”

A question I hear is “why include a prayer or blessing?”

These practices can be done with other people. But they were initially created for my own use. Still, I don’t consider myself alone when I do them. All of the practices directly or indirectly call in “more-than-human” beings. For example, “Calling Back Power” involves calling in a safe, protective guide. This guide may be a plant or animal, a spirit of place, or a wise, loving ancestor. Although a guide is not human and may not be incarnate, they are powerful communities for us. In my experience, practices are so much more potent when done in community.

Most of the blessings I use are based on traditional Jewish ones. For example, the blessing I chose for “Calling Back Power” comes from the Hebrew priestess prayerbook, Siddur HaKohanot.

Heal us and we shall be healed, for YOU are the healing within.

Raise up full healing for all our hurts, for YOU are faithful and compassionate.

Reprinted with permission from Siddur HaKohanot, J. Hammer and T. Shere, 2016, p. 65.

In the context of Siddur HaKohanot, YOU is the Divine presence, God. Although it may be any higher power to which the person saying this prayer chooses.

As they are written, these blessings are a direct respectful request to One who is greater than us. Jewish blessings are very old and have been used for thousands of years. As a Jewish woman, these blessings are very potent for me, especially when spoken in the original Hebrew.

This is why I include the blessing in both Hebrew and English. Here is what the blessing looks like in the artwork.

Saying these blessings also establishes a kind of intimacy with the Divine for me. I feel a strong connection in my heart to the One who is the Source of everything.

I also keep the blessings as compact as possible because I want the practices to be easy to do. I sometimes extract a portion from a longer prayer for this reason.

Because I’m not fluent in Hebrew, I ask someone who is to review the Hebrew for spelling and grammar. Batya Diamond has been essential in this process when it comes to edited the Hebrew and for providing an English transliteration.

Once I’ve finalized the Hebrew and English blessing, the card is just about ready for printing bring ing me to the final step: 7. Printing the Card.