One of the things I’ve always found interesting is the idea of Morphic Resonance as it relates to thought processes and rituals. Morphic Resonance is Rupert Sheldrake’s idea that as something happens repeatedly, it creates a field that future occurrences can tune in to. While I’m pretty sure this is not something I can believe about biology or chemistry (since the claim is unfalsifiable), it’s something I’ve always wondered about in the metaphysical realm.
It’s something I’ve felt in the past during certain rituals as well. There is a concept in parts of Catholicism that one of the reasons everyone celebrates the same Mass is so you can tap into the togetherness of all the other people in the world who have been, are, or will be celebrating it. The same goes for Wicca, especially when you consider that a circle is a place that exists outside of time. If the job of a Witch is to turn the Wheel, it makes sense that all the solitary (and coven-based) Witches can turn the wheel “together” while they’re in their separate circles. There’s a lot of power that way.
So how does this all relate to Druidry?
Well, with the concept of the Gate being at the center of all time and space, there’s definitely an element of morphic resonance there. Not having a unified ritual is a little harder though, and I have definitely felt more “on my own” during Druidic rituals than I ever did working as a solitary Witch, even though both were done entirely solitary. I think part of this is also that so many Druids worship so many different Gods from such diverse times and places. There’s not a strong current of unified worship so much as just a unified holiday.
I am hoping, as I develop more of a sense of the Gate and it’s ability to center a ritual in metaphysical space, I’ll feel more connected to other Druids who are doing their rituals, and that my Gate will feel connected to all the other Gates at the Holy Days. I intend to focus some of my energy on that feeling during my Yule ritual, since I know we’ll all be celebrating around the same time.
I also definitely feel that there is a possibility for certain morphic currents in some of the invocations and prayers of ADF. As I use the same invocations over and over, I’ll end up creating my own currents as well as, ideally, tying into the currents that other members of ADF have set up.
This is part of why I’m a fan of a combination of both structured and spontaneous prayer. Structured, repeated prayers have the ability to set up your subconscious in such a way that you know what’s coming. If you use the same invocation, or the same cues for meditation, your subconscious begins to get the idea that “this means it is Ritual/Meditation/Sleep/Dancing/Divination/Waffles time“. (OK, maybe not waffles, unless you eat waffles regularly. Which you should, because waffles are delicious!)
Anyway, those subconscious cues also help to set up a predictable energy current that you can tap into with each repetition of a ritual element.
This also helps the Gods understand what you want. Using their historical names brings precedent – if you use the name or epithet that a Goddess has been using for millenia, you place yourself among the historical worshipers of that Goddess. If you write your own prayer, and then use it as your invocation to the Ancestors in each ritual, they’ll learn that that prayer comes from you (or whomever you share it with) and both you and they will deepen your understanding of what’s expected of each other through its use.
Of course there’s a time and place for spontaneous, offertory, from-the-heart prayer as well. I like to use structured prayer to set up the connection and spontaneous prayer to sustain and nourish it. The balance is key, for me. That structured prayer is where you find the connection with what other Druids and Pagans have done in the past.
All this to say that I’m working on tapping into the morphic resonance that exists around Druidry. ADF is new, so the morphic currents are newer and fresher, but I think they exist, and I want to learn to feel and be part of them, and add my voice to those currents. With our ties to the past, it’s possible that, through meditation and study, I’ll be able to tap into some of the Paleo-pagan resonances as well, and that would be amazing.
Little Druid on the Prairie 
I’ve never heard of morphic resonance, but this sounds a lot like Mircea Eliade’s idea of sacred time and space. When we do ritual at our Hallows, we are connecting to a primordial, mythic time at the beginning of Creation and at the Center of the Cosmos. Sacred time is repeatable, and we all exist in that same time together. We are all at the same place as well, due to the nature of the Hallows and sacred space. If you are interested, read Eliade’s book THE SACRED AND THE PROFANE, easily found on Amazon. This book is the basis for ADF liturgy, as I believe it is one of the required texts for the Liturgists’ Guild study program.
Honestly this “morphic resonance” thing sounds like a New Age term for a concept that has been around for a fairly long time. If you have trouble getting through the Eliade text, let me know and I can help you through it!
Blessings,
Victoria
Victoria – it’s not really a new age term. It was coined by a scientist, originally as a way to explain how certain parts of embryonic development work. A google search turns up mostly hits for science pages (mostly debunking the idea as it pertains to Biology, which I think is valid.) Some of the people I’ve worked with in the past applied the idea to working magic, which isn’t its intended use, but seems to work. It does sound very much like the idea of Sacred Time, a la Eliade, which is similar to the way that a traditional circle works as well. I’m not surprised that the idea makes its way through multiple currents, as I think it’s a good one. Thing is, I’ve definitely FELT that current working in circles (even when I was new and inexperienced), and I haven’t felt it yet with an ADF ritual. I’m hoping to do a ritual tomorrow just to work on my ability to set up that sacred center, since I feel like I’m missing that bigger connection. Ideally it’ll bleed over into my Yule ritual as well.
Eliade’s book is on my reading list already, I’m just working through the DP books first. I’m pretty sure I can handle it, I’ve got some post-graduate work under my belt in another discipline 🙂
Thanks for your reply! To be honest, I haven’t really felt this connection either, though I didn’t feel it when I was Wiccan either. I am still pretty inexperienced in both areas. Perhaps it has something to do with ADF’s age. ADF is only around 30 years old, while Wicca has been around for longer.
I’m also thinking this connection will be more apparent if you attend an ADF Unity Rite at a festival. (To be honest, I’ve been to one Grove ritual and didn’t feel it then either.)
Blessings,
Victoria
I felt it the strongest during my coven work, when I was working with people who had practiced trad Wicca for 20+ years. I think there’s an element of getting good at it that I’m not there yet with, but I have managed to get there in my solitary circles, though it’s been more luck than skill I think.
Getting to that point of connection in a Druid ritual will probably take time, but I’ll post any exercises I do come up with. If nothing else, they’ll be interesting to discuss 🙂 I have a feeling getting better at visualization will help, and maybe even my Mental Grove work will help. If I can set up a Hallows there, and pull into THAT sacred center, I can work on it even when I’m away from my altar. I’m already thinking of some exercises that I could do to help establish that feeling of true Center (of time, space, magic, and Cosmos).
As to the age of ADF – it’s also a more diverse religion. We may all be making a Hallows, but we’re worshiping different Gods there. All Gardnerian covens will cast circles and do rituals in pretty much the same way (at least to my knowledge), which is the advantage of a tradition – you’re already plugged into something that works. ADF members are getting half a tradition and half trial and error, since we’re often setting up our own relationships instead of being formally introduced to Gods through an established pattern. Neither is “better”, but I think the ADF pattern is challenging me as a new student to put a different kind of legwork into this.