Silinists believe that the words of a prayer matter little; only the faith behind a prayer is of importance. Many Silinists dedicate their creative works to Forsteri, considering this to be a form of prayer in its own right. Similarly, many Silinists dedicate their acts of confusing others as devout prayers. When more formal prayer is performed, Silinists feel that they can be in any language, and many prayers are even encouraged to be made up on the spot. It is believed by Silinists that no one should be forced to pray in an uncomfortable manner unless, as in some religions, that discomfort is an integral part of the prayer. What follows is a list of some of the prayers and rituals which, in the past, have been adopted by multiple Silinists.
Forsteri's Chant:
One of the most popular prayers to Forsteri, the chant goes as follows: "Di Forsteri dominae, Dona eis requiem.". Loosely translated, it means "The penguin is our leader and we shall sing its name." This prayer is most commonly chanted as a mantra, used to bring on sleep or enter meditation. It is also used to confuse people who are listening in. The following sound file is the monks' chant from Monty Python and the Holy Grail from which Forsteriu's chant was originally derived.
Ritual of the Sun
While worshipers of Forsteri are not asked to arise with the sun (few arise earlier than 8 a.m. if they have a choice and many will quite happily sleep in past two or four p.m. if they have nothing to do that day), there is a ritual for those who happen to be up and about during sunrise. This ritual is particularly used during the winter, when the rise rises at a more agreeable hour. Worshippers bow twice: once first directly away from the rising sun, and then once towards it. Then, looking towards the east, worshipers chant: "Cave ne ante ullas catapultas ambules" which, loosely translated, means "if I were you, I wouldn't stand in front of any catapults."
Breaking the Fast:
Breakfast being the most important meal of the day, some worshippers make a short prayer to Forsteri before eating. Worshippers set aside a small portion of their favorite part of the meal. The worshipper then chants "I thank [whoever earns the money/buys the food/cooks the meal] for this meal, and the gods for giving me the wealth to have it." The portion is then eaten.
Lunch:
Forsteri teaches that lunch is one of the holiest times of the day. Lunch is a deeply spiritual moment for the worshipper of Forsteri, and in this prayer, worshippers recite a portion of the First Book of Adams before eating. Their lunch lying before them, the worshipper bows once to the left, once to the right, and once to the lunch. With each bow, the worshipper recites one of the three portions of this prayer: "What do we eat? Why do we eat? Where shall we have lunch?" The worshipper then eats.
Dinner:
Dinner, or "supper," is traditionally a family meal. Even when the worshipper cannot be with their family, has lost family, or is perhaps on bad terms with their family, the worshipper is encouraged to think of friends, loved ones, pets, favoured toys, or humanity as a whole at Dinner. Before eating, the worshipper sets aside one small portion of food for each individual being considered, up to a maximum equal to the number of types of food on their plate. There is no limit to the number of people being thought of, of course, only to the number of portions which must be set aside. The worshipper then recites at least one name [or group, or species, etc...] for each portion, and recites "Our name is Family, for we are Many." Each portion is then eaten, and the meal begins.
Sunset/Moonrise:
At sunset/moonrise, the Worshipper of Forsteri is told to think of the cycle. Here, the wisdom of George Bernard Shaw is recited while the ritual is performed. The worshipper finds an area with a clear view of the sunset in the West or the moonrise in the East, as is their preference. Typically, the sunset is chosen, because it is more shiny. The worshipper then spins in a circle three times at a speed of their choosing, ideally not making themselves sick. This ritual reminds the worshipper that all things come in cycles; tragedy is replaced by comedy, and in its turn, comedy must be replaced by tragedy. The worshipper then stops spinning (possibly with difficulty, depending on how quickly they have been spinning about), faces the sunset/moonrise. The Silinist recites: "life no more ceases to be funny when someone dies than it ceases to be tragic when someone laughs."
Bedtime:
Sleep, and more importantly dreams, are the realm of Forsteri, who is first and foremost a god of creativity and iconoclasm. Before going to sleep, a worshipper is encouraged to read a portion from any book, preferably a creative work of fiction or poetry. The length of the segment is determined by what the worshipper feels is appropriate and has handy. As the book is set aside, the worshipper recites their own personal prayers to Forsteri. One popular variation is to begin by stating "of the days annoyances, these..." and then recite the annoying things which happened that day. In this way the worshipper vents either the day's worries or the conscious thoughts, and hopefully, dreams happy and silly dreams.
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