Sacrament

Our great mother in the sea

Here, I'll talk a little about our god, what she is, and what she represents.

There is no one single oceanic deity. Many ocean worshipping religions have existed throughout history and there have been yet more individuals who pray to the sea alone in private worship. The aesthetics of worship are a tool. They provide some kind of imagery to ground ourselves to our god. What matters is what the god represents through that symbol. This is why the various oceanic religions are not created alike - there are common symbols that are sometimes invoked to mean different things. The aspect of the ocean we're concerned with, however, is one that acknowledges a commonly recognized power. We are privileged to be lent such strength as so many before us have shared some degree of the core understanding.

The ocean mother is one of the many facets of the abyss, a greater force that is vast and difficult to picture on its own. It is a face, an organ, a limb - something familiar and recognizable. If you are attending the Tidal Sacrament, it is almost certainly something you've been in the presence of. The abyss itself is not a static, desolate void. It has its functions, as it creates space, provides a foundation for the world to be assembled and situated, relates things to each other in space, and harbors and carries energy. It facilitates connection and fosters everything that dwells inside it. Near or far, wherever you may be, it is always around you at all times. Even as we are afraid of the unknown, we know that it is there, present and without malice, unfeeling but full of life. This is something we can take comfort in.

It is already with you, if you acknowledge it. These same things are true of the ocean mother.

The ocean is our mother, she is our greatest ancestor. Life began there, and in her depths and shallows, much still remains. She is generous and loving, providing for us. Everything we are and everything we have built can be traced back to her.

The easiest way to connect with god is to be there, present, on the shores of her vast ocean. She is mesmerizing and beautiful, and with the water at your ankles or knees or higher, you will certainly feel her presence. This is your mother and she is happy to see you. She is forgiving and healing. There is love in her depths.

Absent from her physical presence, we connect with our mother in the ocean through prayer and sacrament. The Saltwater Rite connects you to the sea, no matter how far inland you are. She is massive and powerful - even if you are far, she will reach you, as she lives in the depths of all water.

She does not take physical form, not cohesively, except through the sea itself. She is far too vast to be contained even in imagery, so we rely on symbols and rituals to relate her to a more tangible, understandable size. Those who traverse her surface, mariners, are blessed, and some nautical imagery has been chosen to reflect the bond we have with the sea: knots, banners, and tools that have been submerged. Other items of significance include vessels to hold water and things that she has returned to us, blessed in her waters.