This course is designed to provide specific instruction to our Priests about how to conduct ritual, and to encourage observation and creative improvement of our current methods of working ritual.
Several questions in this course ask how our Priests do certain aspects of ritual. You may either observe the Priest whose method you describe, or (if you are solitary or your Grove does not have an ADF Priest) ask one of our Priests what they do in this situation. It is highly recommended that you both observe the Priest doing this part and ask them about it, if possible (seek festival rituals or online videos), but it is not necessary. You may wish to provide video or pictures to help illustrate your answers to some of these questions, and this is permissible as well, but you must still meet the word requirement.
A Note on Word Counts and Descriptions: This course seeks a great deal of information in questions 4-8 about how others do certain parts in ritual, and there are no minimum word counts available. This is by design. The aim of these questions is to show that you are familiar with the methods you describe, and to show that you are able to develop your own method. Keep in mind that there is a general maximum of 1,000 words on questions with no minimum word count, but this maximum should not include any scripts or quotes from your sources.
The primary goal of this course is for students to enhance their skills to create and maintain effective ritual work that is consistent with the goals of ADF’s priesthood.
Course Objectives
- Students will demonstrate meditative and prayer discipline, along with other key practices required of ADF Priests.
- Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of key portions of the ADF Order of Ritual that are often expected of our Priests.
1. Explain why purification is important prior to ritual, and what you do to purify yourself before you lead a rite. Include any prayers said, items used, and any stage directions needed to help your reviewer understand what is happening. (min. 150 words, not including prayers, items, and directions)
Newburg states that there are three ways to purify participants, space, or tools for ritual: “by removing, adding, or marking things.” These three ways set up the meaning of purification in an ADF context – a state of ritual readiness or ritual usefulness, the state of which is the goal when entering into any sort of ritual context.
- Removing undesirable things (things non-conducive to worship). “Purification takes away or suspends them, so that we can approach ritual pure and focused” (Newburg). This is usually the first step of ritual purification as it applies to people, as it cleanses them of negativities or (in a more ancient sense) makes them ritually clean/pure. This is usually done by asperging with water.
- Adding desirable things – usually through fumigation/incense. This is often the second step of the purification process when it applies to people, as it adds desirable attributes and prepares them for ritual. (Clean first, then redecorate)
- Marking things as special/sacred – there are several methods for doing this, and I would argue that performing the first two methods marks *people* as special/sacred and ready for ritual, and the same could be said of tools. This can be done by drawing a circle around the object, passing it through fire/incense, purifying it with water, or some combination therein.
My personal purification practice involves prayer and cleansing/censing of myself prior to doing ritual. I have VERY strong opinions that one should always cleanse first, and then add desirable things, much like it makes very little sense to decorate your home beautifully before cleaning it. Thus, for me (and Nine Waves), cleansing with water always happens first, followed by censing with incense or other smoke. If I have time, or the ritual is particularly important, I like to take a full shower, but barring that (which is most of the time), I make sure to wash my hands and face, and then thoroughly bless myself with incense.
The prayer I use during ritual purification is one that I have borrowed from another ADF priest, having liked it so much that I’ve never felt the need to write a new one. It is as follows:
(While rubbing hands under running/pouring water, say:)
May I be pure, that I might cross through the sacred.
(Bring hands to face, feeling the refreshing, cleansing waters, saying:)
May I cross through the sacred, that I may attain the holy.
(Stand for a complete breath, and appreciate the moment of blessings, while saying:)
May I attain the holy, that I may be blessed in all things.
-Rev William Ashton
2. Explain how you position your body and hands when inviting the Kindreds and making Key Offerings, what that position means, and why it is important to have a position that is (or several positions that are) consistent between rituals. (min. 100 words for description and meaning, min 150 for importance)
I use a number of positions in ritual, depending on the offering being made:
- Crouching, hands on the earth – for inviting the Earth Mother. This is a gesture of loving touch and grounding, shown to the Mother of All at the beginning and end of our rituals.
- Standing, both hands lifted to the sky – for inviting the Sky Father, for indicating the ‘peak’ of an offering or song. This is a gesture of elevation, of directing energy upwards to the sky, and of emphasis.
- Arms outstretched – when addressing the Grove directly. This is a gesture of inclusion, of welcoming, and of symbolically ‘embracing’ the group.
- ‘Magician’ position – one hand reaching for the sky, the other reaching for the earth, a la ‘The Magician’ in the RWS Tarot deck – when directing energy, or directly making offerings (usually with offering held in the hand stretching toward the sky). This is a gesture of emphasis and of “showing off” something in particular, especially an offering that is about to be given to the fire.
- Standing, firmly planted, with hands stretched in front of me, as though ‘channeling’ energy – for opening and closing the gates. This is a theatrical gesture, as though bringing the energy of the earth and sky through my fingers and into the act of opening the gates.
- Orans position – when speaking prayers/making key offerings that don’t involve having something in my hand at the time. This is a gesture of prayer and is the gesture used most often by me in ritual space. I use it both in group and solitary ritual.
For me, the position that I use that makes me feel the most ‘religious’ or the most like I am in ritual is the classic Orans position, which I use frequently. I find that it is a comfortable position for prayer, and whether due to my upbringing or just through long use in my own rituals, it is what I default to when I don’t have another specific thing to do with my hands.
Ceisiwr Serith speaks of the Orans position as follows:
“… expectant, on your feet, and waiting for the deity to come. You are ready to do the spirit’s bidding, approaching as a subordinate without abasing yourself. You give both respect and expect to receive it. You hold up your hands in respectful greeting. You are clearly unarmed; you do not presume to threaten the deity. You stand ready to give or to receive. (Serith 21)”
Like Rev. Dangler suggests in his essay “A Spirit on the Winds”, I find that my grove members often mimic my hand motions when making offerings, and this unity of movement does add richness to the movement and positioning of my body in ritual. These positions draw attention to the offering being made, such as when it is raised high for the group to see before being poured into a bowl or into the fire, and they give continuity to the rituals that mere words cannot give alone. Each action taken in a ritual can magnify other actions, and body postures are as much a part of the ritual experience as words alone might be. The ritual is, in effect, like a theater – it is an experience beyond just what is spoken, and repeated postures give weight to what is being done in the ritual. They also, if Dr. Goodman’s work holds true, can connect us to the sacred through shared embodied experience.
3. Describe your meditation practice as it stands today. Include its regularity, any positions you may use or prayers you may say, and the method(s) you typically use. (min. 200 words)
My primary meditation practice takes three forms – mindfulness meditation, discursive meditation, and my mental grove practice. Mindfulness meditation focuses on centering oneself in the present moment of existence, with no focus other than on awareness of the immediate present. This is a mind-clearing and anxiety-busting technique that I was taught several years ago, in combination with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, and I find it very effective for managing stress, maintaining present-moment awareness, and general well-being.
Discursive meditation is meditation with an active topic or subject, whether an image or a short phrase, as described in several places by John Michael Greer. This style of meditation focuses the mind on whatever the subject is, and then encourages the thoughts to follow that subject (and only that subject) for the period of meditation. Whenever I have a difficult subject to puzzle over, I use this type of meditation to allow my brain to chew on it in a focused, light-trance state, and I find that I often can come up with good solutions or creative answers this way where previously I had been stumped. It is also a very useful meditation practice for getting the most out of divination tools.
My mental grove practice is somewhere between a meditative and a trance practice, where I mentally “visit” an internal or mental grove which I have cultivated since I was working on my Dedicant Path. This practice can be as simple as arriving and sitting by the fire there, in the shade of the tree, next to the spring of water, or as complex as using it as the home base for trance journeying.
In general, I practice mindfulness meditation most days, even if only for a few minutes before bed, as part of my ‘winding down’ at the end of the day. I practice discursive meditation whenever I have a subject that I find interesting – which is fairly often, as I’m working on several courses for ADF, and am always reading and finding new things to mentally chew on. For almost all meditation, I practice lying down. I use my mental grove whenever I feel like I need it, which is more often when I’m doing a lot of trance work, less often when I am not. I do almost all meditation lying down on my back, as I’ve found that posture to be the most effective for me at clearing my mind, though I also meditate sometimes sitting on a very stiff, buckwheat-filled zafu cushion.
4. Explain how two different active ADF Priests light a ritual fire. Describe the actions done, any prayers or magical work done. Explain how you light a ritual fire, including actions, prayers, and magical work you may do.
Rev. Jan Avende:
I am a Hellene, so when I am doing a ritual at my hearth, or in a Hellenic culture for a public rite, I call to Hestia. She is the sacred flame, and therefor is who I call when I am lighting a fire for a sacred purpose. I have written many variations on the prayer I say. Here’s the prayer I use in a public Hellenic ritual:
The Children of the Earth call out to Hestia!
First-born and last-born,
You are the Lady of our Hearth and Heart.
Your fire burns strong in us,
And we ask that it burn brightly here on our hearth now.
Hestia, sweet fire-maiden,
Join us here. Be our good fire and sanctify our hearth.
Warm us and light our way.
Hestia, accept our sacrifice!
Since becoming a priest my fire lighting methods, specifically for our private Druid Moon rites, has shifted somewhat. Part of this is because nearly everyone else in my Grove is non-Hellenic, and part of it is just a shift in mindset. For me the fire is always at the center of everything, and comes from everywhere. So after I’ve laid the logs I call for the fire from all places, and see it kindled in our ritual, so that we are connected to everything. The prayer as I’m lighting the fire, often goes something like this:
This fire,
born of the waters,
kindled upon the land,
and rising into the heavens,
Draws down the fire in the sky,
and draws up the fire burning deep within the earth,
Marking this as our sacred space.
It burns strongly here, at the center of all,
and carries our sacrifices to the gods.
To light the fire itself, I light a long stick of incense. (Of note, I always use a match whenever possible, instead of a lighter) Before blowing it out I light the Hestia candle. The incense becomes the offering that is made to her. If it is an indoor rite, this is all the physical actions that need to be done. If it is an outdoor rite with a large fire, then I will have done some work ahead of time such as laying the wood, and lighting the larger fire. I avoid as much as possible using accelerant of any kind (inclement weather can sometimes impede this desire), and instead rely on the careful laying of kindling, and the controlled air that breathes the fire to life. Then, in the very beginning of the ritual, I take the lit incense and transfer the flame to the fire that the Folk will be sacrificing to. This becomes the first of many offerings made to the fire.
The magical actions that are done when lighting a ritual fire for me include a visualization of the flame that I tend at my hearth and that I maintain as one of my connections to the relationship with the Kindreds. I hold this flame within myself always, and when I’m light the flame for ritual, I see my inner flame joining with the ritual flame. I then see the fire licking around the logs and making the earth glow as the embers heat. These embers connect the fire to the earth. I then see the smoke spiraling up into the sky. This smoke connects the fire to the heavens. Our prayers and sacrifices are sent to the gods on the smoke when they are burned, so establishing this connection between the fire and the heavens is vitally important.
Rev. Jon Drum
I build the fire in a teepee fashion; paper, kindling, sticks, logs. If there is an ogham or a particular purpose in mind, I will etch that ogham on one of the pieces of paper or pieces of kindling to provide a base for the fire. As I light the fire, I clear my mind and watch the fire grow, like a new life form coming into being. I try to let myself go into the nascent fire and encourage it. Once the fire is substantial and self-sufficient, I hold my hand open near the base of the fire and allow some of my energy to flow into the fire, as an offering or a gift. I say the following prayer:
“Grow, fire, grow:
“Grow within me,
“Grow without me,
“Grow, fire, grow”
Lauren Neuman
I do not often light full-fledged sacred fires, so I will speak both of the everyday fire lighting that I do and of the way I (and my grove) light sacred fires for large rituals.
For every day, when I light my oil lamps, I use exclusively matches (not a propellant lighter), and as I touch the flame to the wick, I say simply “Sacred fire, flame within me.”
For our large festivals and retreats, we choose to ‘steal fire from the sky’ – lighting the fire either with friction (a bow drill) or with a flint and steel. This fire is carefully constructed, usually square to represent the sacred fires of old, and it contains a coal or wood-chunk from the previous ritual fire, so that we have a continuous fire in our grove rituals that is present at all of them. We have a member who is particularly good at lighting a primitive fire, so he usually takes that actual task. Once the fire is lit, an offering is poured into it, usually of distilled spirits, and I say:
“Born of the waters,
Kindled upon the land,
Rising to the sky,
Let this fire and all who are warmed by it be sacred.”
5. Describe three different methods of (Re)creating Sacred Space, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the (Re)creating of Sacred Space portion of the ritual. Provide an original script with stage directions for (Re)creating of Sacred Space based on one of these methods.
Rev. Jan Avende
This one has always been a challenge for me to divide out, because the recreation of sacred space flows so seamlessly into the gate opening for me (and for my grove). The part that I focus on, that is the most important for me, is marking this space and this time as sacred. Because all sacred time is the same, and all sacred space is the same, I’m carrying out the recreation at the same time and in the same place as the original creation. The point is to line up the realms so they’re overlaid in all dimensions.
When I Re-Create the Cosmos I first hallow the space around the ritual participants, to be sure that the miasma is washed clean and chaos is left behind. Then I initiate the connection to the worlds by declaring that the smoke from our sacred Fire will carry our prayers to the gods. I then Hallow the Fire and the Well, allowing the objects that represent them to become fit for the purpose of ritual. Then I take the omphalos and bring it to the center, declaring that it marks the Sacred Center of all the Realms. I literally pick up the rock that is my omphalos and move it from outside of the altar space to the altar space. Then I put oil on my finger tips, and as I move my hands to the center I anoint the omphalos with oil. Because I am mimicking the first establishment of the Center, the magic being performed here is sympathetic. I am mimicking the directions of Zeus, as he searched for the Center of the World.
Below are the words I say most often when (Re)Creating the Cosmos:
“Let this area around us be purified sacred space where we go to meet the gods, and the gods descend down to meet with us.
Let the smoke from our sacred fire carry our voices to the heavens to be heard by the gods.
I place this omphalos at the center of worlds, just as it marked the center of the ancient world. My hands, like two eagles, flying to meet in the middle and establish this as the sacred center of worlds.
Through this sacred center, let the World Tree grow, plunging deep within the earth to touch the Sacred Waters below and reaching through the sky to embrace the Sacred Fires above.”
Rev. Jon Drum
When I am recreating sacred space, my hands are held at three different levels. When I acknowledge the Ancestors, I hold my arms open with my palms up and it is like an extended, long-distance “hug”, for lack of better words, between me and those who have gone before. For the Nature Spirits, I quiet and center myself and feel myself as one of them. I extend my arms out, at a ninety degree angle to my body with my forearms parallel to the ground and palms up, with that thought that I open myself to the spirits with which I share this earthly plane. For the Shining Ones, I hold my hands up at the same level as my face, palms open, as in offering and as if to receive grace from the Shining Ones above.
Nine Waves Grove
Nine Waves Grove uses a combination of songs to create sacred space. To begin, we sing the song ‘Thunor Hallow’ – which is a modern English translation of an Anglo-Saxon hallowing charm, the tune to which was written by Galina Krasskova. While this is sung, a person carries a burning coal or candle around the space, as the Anglo-Saxons believed that carrying fire around a space was a way of claiming it. In this way, we set aside our space as hallowed and sacred.
Fire I carry round the frith-stead,
And bid men to keep the peace.
Light I carry for defending
And bid ill wights flee away.
Chorus (x2)
Thunor hallow, Thunor hallow,
Thunor hallow this holy stead.
Fire I carry round the frith-stead,
And bid men to keep the peace.
Light I carry for defending
And bid outlaws flee away.
Chorus (x2)
We then purify all who are within the space with water and fire/incense. After offering to the Earth Mother and the Sky Father, we then recreate the cosmos using Ian Corrigan’s Portal Song, which hallows the Well, the Fire, and the Tree. Silver is placed in the well – we use a small piece of casting silver each time; Oil or incense are poured on the fire; the tree or world pillar is sprinkled with water and then incense smoke is wafted over it.
By fire and by water, between the earth and sky
We stand like the world tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of Earth
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring. (Place silver in well)
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth.
Come we now to the Well, together we sing.
By fire and by water, between the earth and sky
We stand like the world tree rooted deep, crowned high.
We will kindle a fire, Bless all, and with harm to none.
We will kindle a fire, and offering pour. (Place incense on fire)
We will kindle a fire, a light ‘neath the moon and sun.
We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar.
By fire and by water, between the earth and sky
We stand like the world tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Gather we at the tree, the root and the crown of all.
Gather we at the tree, below and above. (Sprinkle and cense the tree)
Gather we at the tree, together we make our call
Gather we at the tree, in wisdom and love.
By fire and by water, between the earth and sky
We stand like the world tree rooted deep, crowned high.
Original Script
From my own ritual, “A retreat weekend ritual for a day of rest”
Purification
(sprinkle with water, cense with incense)
By the powers of fire and water, I cleanse this space and all within it. May I be pure and hallowed as I approach the sacred center of all.
Recreating the Cosmos
(hallow the well)
This well is the Well of Wisdom, stretching deep into the earth, to the realm of the Ancestors. May its waters ever flow between the worlds. Sacred well, flow within me.
(hallow the fire)
This fire is the Fire of Sacrifice, born of the waters, kindled on the land, and rising to the sky. May it ever transform our offerings and may the spirits be nourished by its warmth. Sacred fire, burn within me.
(hallow the tree)
This tree is the Axis of the World, the pillar around which all the worlds are centered. May its roots stretch deep within the earth and its branches stretch high into the sky, holding fast the ways. Sacred tree, grow within me.
6. Describe three different methods of Calling/Hallowing/Affirming the Waters, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the Calling/Hallowing/Affirming of the Waters. Provide an original script with stage directions for the Calling/Hallowing/Affirming of the Waters based on one of these methods.
Rev. Jan Avende
So, let me start off by saying that this is a section that I tend to blend together into the Return Flow, rather than clearly split into the Calling, Hallowing, Affirming. This is also something that I do very differently in public ritual, than I do in my personal or mostly private rituals.
In public ritual there are kind of two ways that I do this section, where the “Hallowing” piece changes. One involves toning the blessings into the waters, and one involves igniting them in the waters.
Both methods start the same: I tell of the winning of the waters (either in long or short version) and declare that the Shining Ones (or specific deity) won these Waters for us, and that I call them forth now into this vessel. Then I discuss how “all Waters (note the capital W) are by their very nature sacred, but we set these Waters aside for a time” for our use in receiving these blessings.
Then, towards the end of Calling for the Blessings, I reflect on the omens that the Seer has received and interpreted. It is important to understand the omen, because that is what you are going to be infusing the Waters with, and offering to the Folk. I find it useful in larger, especially diverse, rites to also call on the Folk themselves to consider the omens and their interpretation, and how it applies to them. I then ask for the Theoi or Shining Ones to give us their blessings, as we have given of ourselves.
For Hallowing method 1, the toning, it partly depends on if the Seer has given me names of symbols for the blessings, or if the Seer has given me long descriptions and concepts. If I do get a keyword, we tone that keyword into the Waters. I hold the vessel aloft, and lead the Folk in toning or singing the keyword into the waters, and encouraging them to visualize that blessing filling the waters. If I don’t get a keyword we will either intone an Awen three times in to the Waters or tone a single instance (normally about 30 seconds of vocalization) int the waters, still with instructions to visualize our voices helping the blessing go into the Waters.
For Hallowing method 2, the igniting, the vessel of Waters (we use a clear glass pitcher) is on the altar, and three unlit candles are around it. I instruct the Folk to think on the blessings we’ve received. Then I light the first candle and name the first symbol or keyword that we received and speak the verbalization of seeing the light of the fire ignite in the waters, brightening them with the blessings. I do this again for each of the other candles/keywords we received.
Then, after the blessings have been put in the waters, and we’re ready to Affirm the Blessing, I declare them infused with the blessings we have received and say “Behold! The Waters of Life!” and the Folk repeat that same phrase. Then I ask if the Folk wish to partake of the blessings. They (presumably) say yes. Then in most of our public rituals we pass out our little shot glasses, and I take the pitcher around to each person and fill their cup with the Waters, and then we all drink together after each person has that full cup. Also of note here, in our public rituals, we always use plain water as our Waters (rather than wine or whisky or something else)
In my own personal rituals (or small Hellenic Moon rituals that I host) I use the imagery of the moon to help the Folk visualize the Blessings filling the Waters. I hold the vessel of water aloft as I ask for the Theoi to send down their blessings and Hallow the Waters. As I am doing this I reach out in all directions with tendrils of awareness, and use them to act as a conduit and a funnel for the blessings, so that they make it into the vessel.
As I feel the vessel getting heavier, more dense, and often slightly warmer, I declare that with the blessings of the gods we can grow ourselves, and symbolize this mixing of our energies by pouring the blessing infused waters into wine or ‘proto-wine’ (juice ;D). Some of the water is reserved for any workings that will be done, as well as for those who desire a non-alcoholic drink (when wine has been used). The Folk are then invited to imbibe and reflect on the blessings. The Blessings are Affirmed as we declare that we accept and welcome them, and take them into ourselves.
Below are words, or a variation on them, that I commonly say when conducting the Calling/Hallowing/Affirming of the Waters in those personal or private rituals:
*have vessel filled with wine, and vessel filled with water. Water is infused with the blessings and poured into the wine. Some water is set aside for the working*
Having given of ourselves, and received wisdom and blessings in return, we now seek to take of those blessings to enrich ourselves for the work that is to come. We seek to fill ourselves with these blessings so that we may be thusly imbued with the sacred powers and apply ourselves to the work ahead.
*take vessel filled with water and hold it aloft*
Theoi, Give us the Waters!
See the Power of the Fires Above filling these waters.
Theoi, Give us the Waters!
See the Power of the Waters Below filling these waters.
Theoi, Give us the Waters!
See the Power of the world around us filling these waters.
*vessel held now at chest level with one hand holding it below and one hand hovering above. The hand above trances the symbol of each omen, then hand, palm down, focusing the intent of that symbol into the waters*
Let the brightness of the Shining Gods fill these waters with the omens we have received, [Omen, Omen, and Omen]. Let their blessings grow in strength like the light of the moon, shining with the brilliant power akin to the noon-day sun.
*vessel is held aloft as water is infused with the blessings*
Theoi! Rain your blessings down upon us, and fill our Sacred Cup.
Their strength shall augment our strength *blessed waters are poured into wine. reserve some waters for the working* as we approach the workings ahead.
Drink deep, Children of Earth, and think on the gifts we’ve been given.
Esto!
Rev. Jon Drum
For Calling, I take the waters and hold them at eye level. This is acknowledging that these are soon the be the waters of life, but at this point are only water. By holding them out, I am presenting them to the powers that be. Depending upon the ritual and the audience, this may be the Earth Mother, or it may be the Shining Ones. By holding them such, I am stating intent and putting forth the vessel. For the Hallowing, I hold the Waters higher, to bring them closer to the Shining Ones. I say:
“Hail to you, Shining Ones, descend into these waters and make them holy”
For the Affirming, I hold the waters out, at chest-level, and move the waters from left – to right to present them to all assembled and say:
“Behold, the Waters of Life”
Nine Waves Grove
Nine Waves Grove calls to each of the three kindreds to call down the blessings. We call to the Ancestors, the Nature spirits, and the Shining Ones to ‘Give us the waters’. Once that is done, we hallow the waters with prayer and intention, with the person hallowing the waters focused on channeling the energy of the kindreds into the drink. This is symbolized by drawing a spiral over the horn of drink. We then ask if the folk accept the blessings in the waters, and if they do, the waters of life are distributed. After this, a small prayer is said to help affirm the blessings as our own and integrate them into our bodies and lives.
Waters of Life
You among the Mighty Dead, ancestors to us all,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these waters so we may share in the serenity of your great wisdom!
The gifts of the Ancestors for the people of the Ancestors! Ancestors, give us the waters! (elevate mead horn)
ALL: Ancestors, give us the waters!
You of land, sea, and sky; both mortal and spirit alike,
You who are the Nature Spirits,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these waters so we may share in the comfort of your great kinship!
The gifts of the Nature Spirits for the kin of the Nature Spirits! Nature spirits, Give us the waters! (elevate mead horn)
All: Nature spirits, Give us the waters!
You among the divine, shining gods and goddesses,
Offerings we have made, offerings you have received.
We ask that you bless these waters so we may share in the warmth of your great light!
The gifts of the Gods for the children of the Gods! Shining ones, Give us the waters! (elevate mead horn)
All: Shining ones, give us the waters!
A Pitcher of Drink is lifted and a spiral is made over it, saying:
Wyrd’s well waters, We waited to reveal,
Well have we witness to the glory of gods,
Giving gift for gift, great ones all.
Words were spoken and runes were read,
Wyrd was revealed, And now we await.
With these waters let the blessings flow…
Pause, then Elevate Cup/Horn
Children of Earth, do you accept the blessings in these waters?
All: We do!
(With Vigor) BEHOLD, THE WATERS OF LIFE!
All: Behold the Waters of Life!
Cups are filled and passed as usual. Everyone drinks.
When we give we receive and are blessed
What we share will be shared in return.
Those we praise with joy will respond in our need.
We are kin to the gods when we drink of their mead.
Original Script
From my own ritual, “A retreat weekend ritual for a day of rest”
Calling For, Hallowing, and Affirming the Blessings
(a cup of drink is prepared)
Ancestors, Mighty Dead, pour your blessings into these waters.
Nature Spirits, Good Neighbors, pour your blessings into these waters.
Deities, Shining Ones, pour your blessings into these waters.
(elevate cup)
These waters of life I accept into my being. May their blessings fill and enrich my spirit. Behold the waters of life!
(drink)
The blessings are one with my body and spirit. I reaffirm my relationship with the Kindred and with the Cosmos.
7. Describe three different methods of Opening the Gates, as used by at least two different active ADF Priests. Explain the actions done, the reason for those actions, and any specific magical work the Priest does during the Gate Opening. Provide an original script with stage directions for the Gate Opening based on one of these methods.
Rev. Jan Avende
When I Open the Gates, I call on a Gatekeeper for assistance. In public rites this is often Garanus, though it is sometimes another hearth-culture specific/appropriate spirit. Notice I don’t say deity, because we often work with Nature Spirits in our Grove. In my personal rites I work very much with Hekate, but also with “The Mistweaver” who seems to be an embodiment of the ADF Gatekeeper that I met during my initiation.
The things we focus on in the Gatekeeper invocation are that they are of all realms, and have the ability to move among and between all realms. We then ask that they join their magic with ours (making this theurgic magic) and aid us in opening/closing the gates.
This is also one of the parts of ritual where the hand/body motions are very much a part of what I do, and I do the same motions in both my personal rites, and in public ritual. The physical motions that I make are echoes of what many in ADF do. When Opening the Gate to the Underworld through the Well I make a spiral motion from my center, counter-clockwise down towards my feet. When Opening the Gate to the Upperworld through the Fire I make a spiral motion from my center, clockwise up towards the sun towards my feet. The reason these spirals go opposite directions is because they are meant to form a single ‘corkscrew’, so as the orientation changes as it passes the horizontal horizon, the direction of the spiral appears to change.
To connect the realms I first form a ball (Tai Chi “hold the ball”) at my navel with my right hand on top and left on bottom, then I press my right hand up towards the heavens, and my left hand down towards the earth. Finally, as I proclaim the Gates to be open I take my hands from a ‘prayer’ position and open them out to my sides.
The motions help to focus the intent of the magic, and the gatekeeper helps provide the power to do so. It is the relationship with the spirit that makes the magic possible.
Below are the words I say most often when Opening/Closing the Gates:
“We call out now to Hekate to guide us in walking between the worlds:
Hekate, at moonlit crossroads, you befriend the helpless.
Keyholding Mistress of Earth, Sea, and Sky.
Dark Mother Hekate,
Ghosts and hounds follow you.
You are the black puppy and the black she-lamb.
Torchbearer, we praise you for the brightness of your power.
We offer you [eggs and wine].
Hekate of the Crossroads be our Guide!
Guide us as you guided Demeter in her journey.
Reveal to us the way to walk in safety.
Radiant Hekate of the Torches,
Guiding Light, Keeper of the Keys,
Join your hidden knowledge and power with ours
and help us to open the Gates between the worlds.
Let this water become the Well, and open as a Gate to the worlds below.
Our connections deepen to the Chthonic beings as the Gate is opened.
Let this flame become the Fire, and open as a Gate to the worlds above.
Our connections deepen to the Ouranic beings as the Gate is opened.
Let this Omphalos stand at the center, and mark our sacred center here and in all the world.
Let the tree wrap its roots around the stone and sink into the Well, and let it’s branches stretch upwards and reach for the Fire.
We stand here, connected at the Sacred Center to all the realms of Land, Sea, and Sky.
Let the Gates be Open!”
Rev. Jon Drum
My mentor taught me long ago that gates are opened by drawing things towards you and are closed by moving them away. To open the well, I put my hand in the well, profoundly, and then move my hand in a spiral motion to open the gate towards me. I visualize the Ancestors moving through the gate as my hand moves through the waters. For the fire, I typically would put my palm to the fire and do a similar spiral motion to open the gate, while visualizing the Shining Ones moving through the gate. For the tree, I would have my hands joined at the tree and then extend one hand to the well, and another one extended into the sky to symbolize the linking of the worlds. At this point, I would see the Ancestors and the Shining Ones standing with the rest of the terrestrial entities.
N.B. After seeing the Rev. Robb Lewis put his hand into the flames, I will also do that movement in the future.
For closing the gates, I do the reverse. For the well, I put my hand again in the well and spiral downwards. I see the Ancestors, en masse, moving back towards the well. This is a symbolic image because I feel that the Ancestors always surround us, even in this world. For the fire, I put my palm back to the fire and spiral inwards to close the gate. I see the Shining Ones shining brightly in the flames, radiant. For the tree, I take my hands, extended towards the well and fire, and bring them together at the center of the tree, signifying the closing of the gate, but continuing the linked nature of Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Shining Ones.
Nine Waves Grove
Nine Waves Grove typically calls on a gatekeeper to help hold open our gates. As members of the Northern Hearth, we ask Heimdall (or Hama), who guards the bridge between the worlds, to lend his magic and his watchfulness to our gates. After inviting him in, the person opening the gates draws upon the Two Powers of Earth and Sky/Chaos and Order, channeling those energies into their hands. They draw a spiral over the fire, ending with a motion of their hands towards the sky. They draw a spiral over the well, ending with a motion of their hands towards the earth. And they draw a spiral against the tree, ending by splitting their hands – one up and one down, to emphasize the Tree’s nature of “spanning the worlds”. They then ritually “throw open the curtain” and announce “Let the Gates be Open!”
Calling the Gatekeeper:
Heimdall, Holy One; White God of the Watchtower
Son of nine waves which crash upon the shore
Sire of Jarl’s sons, and all the sons of the Earth
Shining guardian of the Bridge between the Worlds,
Well-known wise watcher, We ask your help now:
By nine flames shining, By nine waves flowing,
Open the ways with us once again.
Heimdall, accept our offering. (Make offering)
All: Heimdall, accept our offering.
(Pause, drawing the Two Powers into yourself, centering them in your hands and mind.)
Let the fire open as a gate, (Make a spiral, ending with your hand going towards the sky)
Let the well open as a gate, (Make a spiral, ending with your hand going towards the earth)
Let the tree hold fast the ways between! (Make a spiral, with hands separating to span the tree)
By the keeper of the gates, and by my will and word, let the gates be opened! (Using hands, FLING open the gates as though flinging open curtains or a double door)
All: LET THE GATES BE OPENED!
Original Script
Calling the Gatekeeper:
(Hold aloft a lit flame or candle)
Eostre is the first of all to wake;
She tramples over transitory night
The mighty Goddess, bringer of the light,
Beholding every thing from Heaven’s height,
The ever youthful, all reviving Dawn,
To every invocation She comes first.
Blessed Goddess of the Dawn, who guards the gate between Night and Day, be with me here; lend your magic with mine and aid me in opening the gates to the other worlds.
Let the fire open as a gate, (Make a spiral, ending with your hand going towards the sky)
Let the well open as a gate, (Make a spiral, ending with your hand going towards the earth)
Let the tree hold fast the ways between! (Make a spiral, with hands separating to span the tree)
By the keeper of the gates, and by my will and word, let the gates be opened! (Using hands, FLING open the gates as though flinging open curtains or a double door)
8. Explain the purpose and function of the Pouring of Waters for an ADF Unity Rite. Provide a script with stage directions for this portion of the Unity Rite. (min. 150 words for explanation)
“The ADF Unity Rite is designed to foster growth of the spiritual egregore (group mind) of ADF. In this rite, all ADF Groves and Protogroves are called and all ADF members are represented as being spiritually present. The rite is done for ADF as one people” (“Unity Rite FAQ”). During the Unity Rite, waters are poured out for the folk of ADF, though there is no one standard method for doing so.
Having read several Unity Rites as published on the ADF website, many seem to place the Pouring of the Waters in the Return Flow portion of the ritual, which makes the most sense to me as well, as that is when the blessings are called into the waters, and they are shared. Instead of sharing the waters simply with those who attended the rite, the waters are poured out for all of the Groves, Protogroves, and Solitary Members of ADF, effectively blessing all within the organization in one pouring of the waters. Other methods include Pouring out the Waters as an offering on behalf of the Groves, Protogroves, and Solitary Members of ADF, and thus this step would be placed between the main offering and the Prayer of Sacrifice.
For my own script, I am assuming a Unity Rite that follows the first example, with the waters poured out as part of the Return Flow.
Pouring the Waters
A large cauldron of water is prepared, with a large pitcher or ladle. Two people at least are needed to perform this step, one to be the ‘voice’ of the rite and one to pour out the waters.
After the blessings have been called for and affirmed, the speaking Druid brings the hallowed waters to the large cauldron, holding the Waters of Life above the waters prepared and says:
“We have called for the blessings of the Kindreds, in return for the many offerings we have made. We now seek to bless not just those of us here at this rite, but also all those in Ar nDraiocht Fein – all of those who worship alongside us. As we share these waters, we also remember the Groves, Prison Worship Groups, Protogroves, and Solitary Members who worship and seek to spread the fire of piety wherever they may be.”
“By their nature, all waters are part of the sacred waters of the Earth. Today we have hallowed this water (lift pitcher) and now we unite these hallowed waters, filled with the blessings of the Kindreds, with this greater water just as all in ADF are united in our common worship.” (Pour the pitcher of water into the cauldron)
“May these waters unite us in our virtues, may they unite us in our worship, may they wash through all of ADF and bring us together as we call out with one voice their names.”
(If using pitcher, fill with mingled waters, second Druid prepares to pour/ladle out the waters)
(Speaking Druid reads the names of the Prison Worship Groups, Protogroves, and Groves of ADF by founding date, starting with Solitary Members, while the pouring Druid pours the waters on the ground. This does not need to happen in turn, or the rite would take a very long time.)
“Let these waters always flow, uniting us with common purpose and common mind. So be it!”
(Afterward, folk who wish to may draw a vial of any remaining waters to bring home with them to their grove or home practice.)
Works Consulted
–. “The ADF Core Order of Ritual for High Days.” Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship. ADF, 2006. Web. 2 August 2017. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/core-order.html>.
Avende, Jan. Personal Communication. 27 September 2017.
Dangler, Michael. “A Spirit on the Winds.” Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship. ADF, 2011. Web. 2 August 2017. <https://www.adf.org/members/training/dp/articles/spirit-on-winds.html>.
Newburg, Brandon. “Ancient Symbols, Modern Rites: A Core Order of Ritual Tutorial for Ár nDraíocht Féin.” ADF. Web. 1 August 2017. <https://www.adf.org/
members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/index.html>.
Pagano, Jean. Personal Communication. 27 September 2017.
Serith, Ceisiwr. A Book of Pagan Prayer. Boston, MA: Weiser, 2002. Print.
–. “Unity Rite FAQ.” Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship. ADF, 2011. Web. 2 August 2017. < https://www.adf.org/rituals/general/unity/faq.html>.
Little Druid on the Prairie 
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