This course will prepare the student for part of the Initiatory Tests by informing how they perform ritual and why.

Research & Application

1.    Demonstrate your understanding of at least two of the various purposes of ritual and how they work in solitary and/or group practice.

Ritual can have many, many purposes and functions, depending on how widely you define ritual. Limiting it to sacred/religious ritual, the list is still pretty long – from 30 second morning devotionals said in the elevator on the way to the 9th floor to extended group magical workings and high day rites, there are as many different purposes as there are rituals, really. Each ritual will fill a function in the lives of the humans that perform it (otherwise, why perform the ritual?). That said, I think generally ritual serves as a place to connect – to connect humans to each other, and to connect humans to the sacred forces that inhabit this world (Corrigan “Intentions”).

If we look at ADF Core Order ritual, for a high day or other high occasion, we’re still primarily looking at those two purposes. The group mind and group energy serve to connect us to each other, to strengthen our friendships and bonds, and to be the backbone of our religious communities (Brooks, “Goals”). The offerings made and blessings received serve to connect us to the spirits around us, Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Deities, and to create a baseline relationship for us to use in those contexts (Brooks, “Goals”). When we stand at the sacred center, especially in a group with a united mind and purpose, we have the opportunity to fulfil both functions of ritual in a profound way.

Other rituals will fit into different places along those spectrums, where a solo ritual done to a Patron is almost entirely about connection to that one sacred spirit, but a community ritual to welcome a newborn (or other rite of passage) is almost entirely about connection as a group and community (Corrigan “Intentions”).

I would be remiss if I didn’t also mention a third function of ADF Core Order ritual specifically, which is the recreation and restrengthening of order in the cosmos (Dangler). Our rituals mirror the creation and ordering of the cosmos, and in doing so serve as a way to strengthen that order. While there is a place for chaos in the cosmos as well (for order without chaos will die, just as chaos without order will never accomplish anything), our rituals are primarily orderly and serve to reinforce that order.

2.    What are at least three roles that someone might have in a group ritual, and how might those jobs be better or worse suited to being performed by the same person?

Leader – The person leading the ritual, who is sometimes also the leader of the group. They will make the primary sacrifices and will oversee making sure the rest of the liturgy goes off as planned. Also in charge of improv/control when things get out of hand. The Leader is responsible for the energy created in a ritual, and usually directs that energy as needed or determined by the purpose of the rite.

Bard – The person who leads the chants and praise offerings. Preferably someone with a strong voice and some ability to sing. Skill with an instrument is beneficial, but not required. May lead magical workings, depending on the working involved.

Seer – The person who takes the omens and interprets them for the group. May also have other roles in the ritual.

Fire Warden – The person who makes and tends the fire. Also the person who puts the fire out, if it gets unruly. Arm this person with a fire extinguisher, especially in an enclosed or otherwise flammable space. Especially necessary in windy or difficult conditions, it’s important to have someone specifically assigned to control the fire so that the other ritual participants don’t have to worry about it. This is a crucial role and one to which a single dedicated person should be assigned, and they should always be able to keep at least part of their attention on the fire.

Liturgist – The person who writes the liturgy itself. This role can be performed by any of the above, depending on the number of willing volunteers in a group, and may or may not overlap, as this is a pre-ritual position primarily.

In general, these roles can be combined fairly easily – not all rites need a bard, and a leader can easily be the seer as well. The job of Fire Warden is the one I feel most strongly needs to be done by a dedicated person if there is a fire larger than some candles or an oil lamp, because leading ritual and trying to tend the fire usually results in a less-than-optimal ritual and a less-than-optimal fire. Fire is a living, breathing thing, and it’s both better for the ritual and safer if it’s handled by a dedicated person.

I have combined all the other roles listed myself – done public ritual where I was the one who wrote it (liturgist), the leader, led the songs, and read the omens myself. It’s not ideal, but it absolutely can be done, and I think any solitary practitioner will have experience with this. In situations where I can’t have a dedicated fire tender, I usually choose not to light bigger than a very small fire, or an isopropyl alcohol fire (in a bowl), or candles.

3.    Demonstrate your understanding of Recreating the Cosmos in ritual, and what it would look like in at least two different hearth cultures.

ADF’s ritual structure is, at its heart, a re-creation of the cosmos. We first channel Fire and Water – the two primordial forces – and then we recreate the world itself, through the three hallows of Fire (which connects us to the upperworld), Well (which connects us to the lower world) and Tree (which exists in our world and yet stretches to contain all the worlds). By creating a sacred center via the powers of Fire and Water, we re-create the order that maintains the worlds themselves, and we perform the right actions – the rta – that uphold the cosmos itself (Dangler).

The cosmos was itself created by sacrifice, when the primordial being (frequently “Twin”) is killed or dismembered (frequently by “Man”) and its body is used to form the world. This is reflected in several hearth cultures, including the Vedic Perusha, the Norse Ymir, and the Roman twins Romulus and Remus (Thomas). This sacrifice of the primordial being is what brings about the cosmos itself, and by retelling those stories in our rituals we recreate the cosmos in ways that reflect both our Indo-European practice and the separate hearth cultures in which we work.

In each Core Order ritual, each element of the cosmos is taken and put in its proper place. The ultimate order is maintained, as “ritual order takes the formless and gives it shape” (Serith). Like the Fire and Ice combining in Ginnungagap to make the Giant Ymir, from whom the very worlds are formed, our Rituals combine Fire and Water (which are themselves both ordered and chaotic, depending on the form they take) into the elements of order that represent the cosmos itself. “From a point where the ritual begins; through to the description of the cosmos; past the sacralization and population of that cosmos; and even in the blessings poured forth upon us by the Kindreds, we are engaging in an emulation of the rta and following the example given to us by the Kindreds” (Dangler).

We then take those elements and through them we pour our sacrifices – and sacrifices themselves are ordering, as they align our purposes with each other and with the Kindreds (Dangler). “The sacrificial order takes Chaos and forms it into a non-destructive but still vivifying flow”, a flow that we can use and channel into our world as something sanctified and sanctifying (Serith). In recreating the cosmos in each ritual, we reinforce the order, the right truth of the cosmos, and then in the return flow the cosmos pours back into us the power to transform ourselves and our world, to affect and remake us after the proper order of things.

As well as the general order of ritual itself, there is the cycle of rituals that we maintain that upholds the proper order of the cosmos. As Neopagan Druids we keep the Wheel of the Year, and in celebrating key events in the cycle of the year itself, we help progress those events and ensure that they continue in the right order. We, in a sense, become agents of the cosmic order ourselves, and ensure the persistence of the cosmos (Dangler).

4.    Demonstrate your understanding of the purpose and function of the Gatekeeper in ADF ritual.

Gatekeepers are beings whose job it is, with our own power, to open and hold open the three gates of an ADF ritual, holding space for the transfer of energies that will take place. “The work is a joint act of worshipper and Gatekeeper, where powers are mingled and merged” (Newburg). Between the worshipper and the Gatekeeper, the energies raised by the ritual are communicated to the realms for which they are intended (Upperworld, Middleworld. Underworld, or Land, Sea, Sky, depending on the ritual context). As well, after the sacrifices are made, the Gatekeeper’s work is to hold open the gates while the return flow/blessings are poured forth from the otherworlds into the blessing cup (or directly into the worshippers).

While we always have the ability to access the Kindreds, working through a Gatekeeper “greatly enhances that power” (Newburg).

Gatekeepers are “usually a deity but could also be an ancestor or nature spirit” (Newburg). I have done rituals with all three types of Gatekeepers, and they were all successful. Regardless of types, good candidates for Gatekeepers are “liminal characters, associated with boundaries and passage between worlds. They may be guides, messengers, or psychopomps, such as Hermes, or keepers of boundaries, such as Heimdall or Janus. Gatekeeper deities are the easiest of all to contact, as they are already halfway into this world already” (Newburg). Hermes, as the messenger of the gods, makes sense as a Gatekeeper because his function is as a go-between – essentially the exact role we’re asking him to perform in an ADF ritual. As a keeper of the boundary between Asgard and Midgard, Heimdall is another good Gatekeeper, simply because guarding the boundaries between two places is what he does already, and asking him to extend that role to our rituals makes sense. Psychopomps (like Manannan Mac Lir) also make good Gatekeepers, since they are go-betweens between our world and the world of the ancestors, similar to how Heimdall is the go-between for our world and the realm of the gods. I have also done successful rituals with local spirits/guardians acting as the Gatekeeper(s), which works out well, since they are already acting as spirits of the place that we are gathering to worship. Making offerings to them (especially offerings that are of the type that local spirits usually like) and then asking them to extend that protection/area of affect to include our gates to the otherworld works out well.

5.    Demonstrate your understanding of the purpose of Opening and Closing the Gates in ritual, and what it would look like in at least two different hearth cultures.

Opening and closing the gates allows for enhanced communication and clear channels to the Kindreds. Though there is “general agreement that the kindreds can hear us without the gates”, in ritual we want to ensure that connection is strong, efficient, and clear, and thus we open and close the gates to the otherworlds in order to guarantee that our messages, offerings, and energy are transmitted with ease (Newburg). Having the gates open also facilitates the return flow – allowing for the blessings to flow forth from the Kindreds and into the blessing cup and to the participants of the rite. “Mediation of energy is a primary function of the gates” (Newburg).

Additionally, opening and closing the gates sanctifies what might be a non-sacred space. Though we purify our ritual space, and protect and ward it, opening the gates creates a sacred connection that contributes to the protection of the space (assisted by the Gatekeeper) as well as sacralizing it in the minds of the participants and in the eyes of the cosmos.

Closing the gates at the end of a ritual is good magical hygiene in general – you don’t ever want to open a connection and not close it, especially if it is not warded perpetually. This contributes to a sense of finality and assists with the return to mundane time after the ritual. It provides a bookend to the offering/blessing cycle in the ritual and gives both participants and kindreds a signal that we’ve done what we set out to do.

The use of the gates to transfer energy is essentially Neopagan in character, though the ancients did employ similar types of energy transfer in both symbol and intention (Newburg). An Irish gate opening might call upon Brige/Brigid as a Gatekeeper and have her specifically open the quenching bucket and the fires of the forge, using her power as smith, healer, and poet to guide the ritual and make-sacred the fire, well, and tree. A Greek gate opening would be more likely to call upon a deity like Hekate, as the guardian of the crossroads and magic, to “make open the ways” by holding her lantern to guide us along the elder ways and to transfer our messages to the various roads in the otherworlds.

6.    Demonstrate your understanding of the Fire, Well and Tree in ADF liturgy and how this could be modified for at least two different hearth cultures where Fire, Well, and Tree are not all culturally significant.

ADF’s ritual structure revolves around a recreated “sacred center” that exists at the center of all worlds (rather than between the worlds, or in a liminal space, as most neopagans do). This sacred center is the axis mundi – the axis about which all the worlds revolve, and through which we access the magical and energetic currents found in each of the worlds (the number of which usually depends on the hearth culture, but most often three or a multiple of three). The sacred centers that we use in ritual allow us an orientation in the world and a fixed point from which to observe and participate in the cosmos (Dangler). The axis mundi itself, the axis of the world, can only exist at the center of the universe and “all things extend about it”, it’s presence is not an ordering force, but a break that “allows the sacred to pour into and destroy the homogeneity of space” (Dangler). In this way the axis mundi is both a type of sacred center, and a type of gate through which we encounter the otherworlds.

This central axis is represented by the sacred fire, which transforms offerings so that they may be consumed in the upperworld, the sacred well, which transmits offerings so that they may be consumed in the underworld/lower world, and the sacred tree, which forms the pathway across all the worlds and holds the ways open. These three “hallows” are recreated in each ADF ritual as part of the ordering of the cosmos and creating the sacred center, transforming an ordinary fire, well and tree into their sacred counterparts. The fire, well, and tree together form the Center of All Worlds, the creation/recognition of which is recognized as a crucial part of ADF liturgy. (Paradox)

In a Scandinavian hearth, this would most likely be hallowing a sacrificial fire, the well of Mimir, and Yggdrasil, the world tree. Scandinavian hearths do not emphasize fire in the same way that most other Indo-European cultures do, but fire is non-negotiable in an ADF ritual, and in my experience working in that hearth it works just fine. Some Scandinavian ADF members use the Bifrost Bridge instead of a sacrificial fire – as Bifrost is the connector between the mortal realm and the realm of the gods, so it fits in the same function.

In a Greek hearth, it would more likely include a pit (instead of a well), a sacrificial fire, and an omphalos stone as the axis mundi. While I would absolutely explain these functions when I was hallowing them, they are similar enough to our standard fire, well, and tree to be able to be easily substituted into the core order.

7.    Demonstrate your understanding of why ADF focuses on the sacred center and what do we do ritually for protection.

By creating a sacred center, we eliminate the need to create an outer boundary. In fact, much like you can represent the three dimensions on a graph that extends to infinity, with one point in the center, the sacred center aligns the worlds and extends to cover them all. Instead of creating a boundary layer and separating the ritual from the world, which is, in a way, a rejection of the world as an appropriate place for magical workings, we work in the center that envelops the world and all the other worlds as well. Any place where the worlds meet – as they do at the sacred center – is already a sacred place, which we affirm as part of our rituals.

Also, ADF ritual is typically theurgist (per Issac Bonewits’ definition that theurgy is magic done for religious and/or psychotherapeutic purposes (Bonewits Neopagan 7)) and does not typically require raising energy that needs to be contained and then released in one great burst (which necessitates a containment device like a circle). This choice of a loose boundary (as opposed to a tight one, like a circle) is usually used since the energy raised in an ADF ritual doesn’t need to be contained to build up in one place before release (Bonewits Neopagan  26), and in fact would travel through the sacred center in waves with each sacrifice. This also eliminates the problem of energy dissipating before it arrives at its target in thaumaturgical (mundane) ADF rituals, since the energy travels directly through the sacred center in the ritual space to the sacred center at the target (Bonewits Neopagan 149). While this requires some coordination among the ritual participants, to ensure that the single burst of energy is raised and released at the same time, it avoids the problems often found with raising a “cone of power” within a circle.

As well, this openness to sacred space means that people can come and go easily from our rites, which is an important consideration with groups larger than 5-10, groups where families and children are present, or groups with people of differing bladder sizes (Bonewits “Step”).

Protecting the rite physically is best done by having a member of the group designated as someone to keep an eye on the ritual and ensure that if someone is out of line (or has an emergency) they can be assisted or redirected. Metaphysically, we do any of a number of things to protect the space. Cleansing a space ensures that there is nothing untoward hanging around, and our work either with a guardian spirit or propitiating the Outdwellers ensures that nothing disrupts us. I have some misgivings about the way some in ADF deal with the outdwellers, so I typically rely on a guardian spirit, who receives offerings. As well, I like to “claim sacred space” by walking around it with fire (usually a lit coal in a brazier or dish) to delineate that though there is not a hard boundary drawn, metaphysically this space is set aside for our work right now, and we are not to be disturbed.

8.    Demonstrate your understanding of what it means to be purified in ADF ritual and why or why not purification is important.

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.

• 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.

Purification is an important step in ritual. Though I personally find that focusing too hard on ritual impurity is both distracting and an easy route to marginalizing people, it’s still important to be prepared to enter a worship or sacrificial space. If I was going to meet a friend, I would not do so (unless in an emergency) immediately after having exercised outside in the blistering Texas heat, meeting them while sweaty and smelly and disheveled. I would take a shower and change clothes and comb my hair. It’s only polite to do so with friends, and it is thus polite to do so with the spirits and beings that we are in reciprocal relationships with spiritually as well.

The purification process can be performed by the individual wishing to be purified (in the case of a solitary ritual) and should be done in order – cleanse first, then make sacred (for the same reason you clean/dust before you move your stuff into a new house). In a group ritual, someone should start the purification process, and should cleanse themselves (or be cleansed) first, and then move around the group purifying others. In a large group, asperging and censing is less personalized, but still fairly easily performed with a handful of branches/herbs (for flinging water) and a good censer on a chain (for distributing smoke).

9.    Demonstrate your understanding of the Outdwellers in ADF liturgy, as well as at least two variations on interacting with them.

Outdwellers are representatives of the forces of chaos, and generally are seen as beings that would act contrary to the rite that is being performed (specifically to the order that ADF ritual seeks to create) (Newburg). While some view them as specifically malevolent or chaotic beings, others view them as simply “anyone we’re not actively making offerings to today” (Newburg). Some groups also include human feelings and impulses (like anger or jealousy) that would have a negative impact on the rite as part of the outdwellers (Newburg), though making offerings to those feelings seems odd to me. The outdwellers can be a significant (or not) portion of ADF worship depending on how they are viewed by any particular group that is performing the ritual. Some groups make offerings to the outdwellers directly, some groups make offerings to a protective deity or spirit to protect the sacred rite from the influence of the outdwellers, and some groups ignore them entirely, preferring not to name those forces and thus garner their attention. I usually choose to use the second method for large group rites, asking a protective deity for their protection of our ritual space – which is admittedly something of a threat, considering how most protective deities usually deal with things that disrupt the order of the universe. In personal rites, where I am working in an established space, like my home, I do not address the outdwellers at all.

10.           Demonstrate your understanding of the Earth Mother, and at least two different variations on how she could be honored.

The Earth Mother is probably the most Neopagan part of the ADF liturgy, but She is an extremely significant part of Druidic culture and worship. While there are people who see Her as a thought-form, a goddess, an ecological organism, a local body of water, and an archetype (or some combination of the above) (Newburg), She typically takes the first and last offerings in ADF’s liturgy and is given the respect of the eternal All Mother from whom we all emerge and to whom we all return. This is not to say that there is no historical present for an Earth Mother figure (and, in fact, Tacitus calls Nerthus the Earth Mother to the Germans, and Gaia serves the role of Earth Mother to the Greeks), but that her role and primacy in ADF ritual is more reminiscent of modern than ancient worship. This element of our rituals helps ground the ecological and naturalistic currents in ADF’s population, and the presence of the Earth Mother places ADF squarely among the other Neopagan traditions with Earth/Environmentalism as the center of their worship, though ADF also works with more historically based god/esses (Newburg).

In many ADF rites, it is traditional to honor the Earth Mother by offering grain to the earth, and sometimes participants (who are able) will kneel or touch the earth at this point in the liturgy. Other acceptable offerings to the Earth Mother would be offerings of clear water, of a particularly desirable treat for the local spirits, such as birdseed, cracked corn, or fruits or vegetables (I’ve used grapes very successfully at rites at a park that is inhabited by ducks).

11.           Demonstrate your understanding of the Attunement and connecting to the Two Powers in ritual.

The attunement step is performed at the beginning of the ritual to do a couple of different functions. It “attunes” the group mind – getting everyone into the same mental and metaphysical space in order to be receptive to the ritual and in the right frame of mind for the upcoming work. It also attunes us with what ADF calls the Two Powers – the powers of fire and water, of earth and sky – which are repositories of magical energy that we can draw up/down into ourselves and use for the energy-work portions of a ritual, such as opening the gates.

These Two Powers are the powers we draw upon for our magical workings and energetic currents (Newburg). The fire is the sky power, the power of the upperworld, of order and craft, and of the expression of will. The water is the underworld power, the power of chaos and potential. When these two powers meet, as they do in each participant in an ADF liturgy, they provide the magical current from which we have the power to do the work of making sacrifices and opening the gates. They also provide a grounding and centering aspect to ADF ritual, which prepares the ritual participants for working together and mentally calms and prepares them for the energetic work that we do in each ritual (Bonewits “Step”, Newburg).

12.           Demonstrate your understanding of each of the Three Kindreds and why ADF includes them in rituals. What are at least two variations that could be used to invite the Three Kindreds into a ritual?

The three kindreds invocations serve as ways to name and identify the kindreds by type, function, and role in the ritual and in the lives of the participants/the world. They primarily take the form of lists of attributes, titles, great works, or other specific identification markers (like names, realms of influence, type) as ways for us to remember them and for them to be identified and called specifically to our rituals. None of the Kindred are omniscient or omnipresent, or we would not need to invite them to our rituals specifically, nor ask them for specific blessings.

Ancestors: Often called the Mighty Ones or the Mighty Dead, these are the spirits of our past. They can be of several types: ancestors of blood – our direct progenitors and family members, ancestors of heart – those people who were not family but were close to us in life, ancestors of mind – people who taught and inspired us, and ancestors of spirit – people with whom we share a spiritual path, as well as the ancestors of the place in which we currently live or do ritual. We call upon all the different Ancestors in ritual (sometimes specifically, sometimes all together as one category) and ask their blessings and protection. The ancestors are typically beings who are concerned with the well-being of their descendants and can be reliable allies in life (Corrigan “Worlds”). Offerings to them should be tailored to their specific likes in life (if they are being called by name) or, more often, general offerings of food and drink (to show that they are welcome at our table and to spiritually feed them from our own bounty). The Ancestors are invited to connect us to the past and to the ever-present spirits of those who have gone before (Bonewits “Step”). They provide a link to all the previous priests and druids who have gone before and ask their presence and blessing and guardianship over the ritual.

Nature Spirits: Often called the Noble Ones, these are the spirits of land and place that inhabit the middle realm with us (Corrigan “Worlds”). They can be of myriad types, from house spirits and land spirits to animals and plants, to elves and fae, depending on the ritual and the person(s) performing it (Bonewits “Step”). Sometimes mischievous, other times aloof, they do not depend on human interaction, but are instead honored as part of the world that we inhabit and call home. The non-animal Nature Spirits, in particular, have specific ways they like to be addressed and given offerings, and when those preferences are upheld, they are often friendly and helpful spirits to us. The Nature Spirits are invited to give us the comfort, knowledge, and blessings that we will need to accomplish our goals for the rest of the ceremony (Bonewits “Step”).

Deities: Often called the Shining Ones, First Children of the Mother, these are the beings most often honored as “spirits of the occasion” in ADF rituals (Corrigan “Worlds”). They are the gods and goddesses that we honor and worship, and from whom we expect the greatest blessings and protection. They are the great heroes of myth and legend, and we relate their stories as a way to honor and remember them. They are all separate (or mostly separate) and each has his or her own personality, likes and dislikes, and function within their respective pantheons. By these attributes, we relate to them and make offerings to them (Bonewits “Step”). The Dieties are invited to provide us with power and blessings, especially power and blessings particular to the rite to which they are invited (Bonewits “Step”). As well, they fulfill the goal of ritual that seeks to exalt the ritual attendees spiritually (Bonewits “Step” Corrigan “Intentions”).

Most often in ADF ritual the Three Kindreds are called individually – an invitation each for the Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Deities. The order they are called depends entirely on the group or person doing the calling and does not seem to matter. However, I have had great success calling the Three Kindreds by “location” instead of by type – which is to say, an invitation each for the Cthonic Ones, the Earthly Ones, and the Heavenly Ones. This latter style of calling the kindreds does more to emphasize that they do not neatly fit into boxes and is something I sometimes use in personal rites, especially if I am not making separate offerings to each kindred. It lends itself well to a single poured offering at the end of inviting each group.

13.           What are at least two ways to choose who the Being of the Occasion is for a ritual, and how do you decide what to give them as an offering?

Choosing a Being of the Occasion usually means determining the function or purpose of the ritual itself, and then choosing a Being to honor who is in line with that function or purpose. Of course, the opposite is also a perfectly good way of choosing the Being, which is to choose a Being that you think SHOULD be honored, and then tailoring the rest of the rite around them. Often this is related to seasonal observances, but it could just as easily be the purpose of a working (a healing deity for a healing ritual) or simply one that is important to a person for whom ritual is being worked (a child’s favorite deity for a coming-of-age ritual).

Generally speaking, the focus of the key offerings should match the beings of the occasion, the purpose of the ritual, or both (Newburg). For the 8 high days, there is commonly attributed lore for what kind of deities and offerings would be appropriate (calling upon fertility deities and offering seeds and flowers at Beltane, for example). For magical workings, there are myriad lists of magical correspondences that would fit into the general paradigm of the working itself, or the previously listed lore for what certain deities might like as offerings. There is also the opportunity to do meditative work on the various beings to think of ways that you might please the spirits who are the focus of the ritual. Though this would generally be classified as unverified personal gnosis, it may also fall under the “common sense” category, depending on what you come up with (healing herbs as an offering in a healing ritual, for example). In general, though, it’s best to match your key offerings either to the occasion or to the beings that are central to the ritual in a way that makes sense for the purpose of your ritual and go from there.

14.           Demonstrate your understanding of Sacrifice, and its purpose in ADF Liturgy.

Sacrifice means “to do/make sacred” and is the process by which things are set apart for the spirits that we are making sacrifices to/for. I typically see this represented as Gebo/Gyfu – as the Havamal says, “a gift calls for a gift” – where we are entering into a relationship with these spirits that is categorized by gift-giving on both sides. We make sacrifices and offerings; they give us blessings in return. It is a relationship of reciprocity, though not in a “tit for tat” sort of way, but in the manner of a cultivated friendship. When you are close friends or family with someone, you don’t keep a tally of the things you do for each other, but you reciprocate good things with other good things, perhaps taking turns covering a dinner bill, or paying for a friend’s dinner so you can use their washing machine because yours is broken. It’s not a direct one for one relationship of equality, but a relationship where each gives according to their own measure. This relationship is central to ADF’s liturgy and forms the backbone of our ritual structure. We create the sacred center, invite in the various spirits and powers, and then create a space for sacrifice, where we give of ourselves (whether physical items or gifts of time and energy (like dance, poetry or song)) and they, in return, offer blessings. These sacrifices should have meaning, either to us or to the spirits they are offered to, or both, though they may not come at great monetary cost (Newburg).

Sacrifice is also the act that creates the cosmos, as in the lore when “twin” is portioned out to create the world. The sacrifices we make in our rituals mirror this act of creation and help to reinforce the right order of the cosmos (Thomas). Each act of sacrifice is distributed among the cosmos, reinforcing and re-energizing it with order.

15.           Demonstrate your understanding of the Omen, and its purpose in ADF Liturgy.

The omen is the point in the ritual after the offerings and sacrifices have been made when the Seer steps forward to ask of the Kindreds what their reaction to the offerings will be (Newburg). Some groups ask specifically if offerings have been received (and make more offerings if the answer is “no”), while others assume that all offerings will be received in the spirit in which they were given and will thus be returned with blessings (Dangler, Newburg). The omen is typically taken through the reading of runes, oracles, cards, or other divination methods (older Druid groups might read bird flight or natural omens instead, which is sometimes still done in ADF). It is up to the Seer to determine the nature of the omen, whether it is positive or negative, and what it means for the grove as a whole. In general, this omen also applies to the individual participants, who should think on what it might mean for them in particular.

16.           Demonstrate your understanding of how the Call, Hallow, and Affirm parts of ADF ritual (steps 11-13 of the COoR) are distinct, and how they all work together to form what we commonly call the “Return Flow” or “The Litany.”

Once the omen has been read and interpreted, the ritual leader will ask that these blessings be transferred into the cup of (usually) drink that has been sitting on the altar. This is the direct return flow for the energies of the sacrifices and offerings that have been made. While they traveled through the gates to the otherworlds, the return flow travels exactly in reverse, from the otherworlds through the gate, to be caught in the vessel and presented to the people. This energized water, a mingling of “fires” and “waters,” represents the Waters of Life. It is then shared among the participants of the ritual as a way of internalizing the blessings into each person and feeling the transformative power of those blessings. Individuals are directed to visualize the blessing pouring into them in whatever form they might need, as it is at this time that each individual can receive a personal and direct blessing from the powers.

Typically the Return Flow is thought of in three parts: Calling (asking) for the blessings, Hallowing the Blessing, and Affirmation of the Blessing (Newburg). Calling for the blessings is the step that initiates the return flow, where the *ghosti relationship is reaffirmed and reminds the Kindreds of when and how to confer the blessings, and sometimes what blessings are called for specifically. Hallowing the blessing realizes the arrival of the blessings, which permeate the beverage in the blessing cup and confer holiness and sacral power to the drink. Affirming the blessing has two parts – confirmation and integration. Confirmation is the full acceptance of whatever blessings the Kindreds give. Integration is the process of consuming the blessings and making them a part of the imbiber physically, mentally, and spiritually. (Newburg)

In rituals for large groups of people, sometimes the waters are asperged over the group instead of forming long lines of individual people and waiting for each to drink, as a way to keep the ritual energy from stagnating.

17.           Choose three of the Nine Pagan Virtues and explain how they manifest in ADF ritual.

The most prominent of the Nine Pagan Virtues that I see in ADF ritual is the virtue of hospitality; critical to everything we do is the guest/host relationship (*ghosti) and the idea that the Kindreds are our guests, and it is right for us to enter into hospitable relationship with them. The entire structure of the Core Order is infused with hospitality – we invite in guests, we offer them gifts, we ask them for blessings in return, we thank them for their presence.

As well, the virtue of piety is prominent – ADF ritual is, at least most of the time, a rite that interfaces with the Gods and Spirits in a sense of right relationship and even worship. We gather together to honor the kindreds and to light the fires of piety, and our ritual supports those responsibilities to the Gods and Spirits and to each other.

The final virtue I want to talk about when I address doing ADF ritual is perhaps one of the more unorthodox ones and that is moderation. We know in the Havamal that offering too much is worse than not offering at all, and as modern humans it can be hard to strike a balance between “practicing enough” and “exhausting ourselves”. Moderation in ritual can also speak to balancing speaking times, while still allowing everyone a chance to participate, the giving and receiving of offerings, the ability to adjust to changing circumstances, and knowing when to say that something is “enough”. As a grove priest, I’ve encountered many rituals where the virtue of moderation was critical – we knew we needed to do a ritual, but for various reasons (illness, heat, natural disasters like hurricanes) we had to exercise moderation so that everyone could participate and honor the Kindreds, while still maintaining our own health, safety, and well-being.

Practicum

18.           Compose a full Core Order of Ritual and say where each piece came from if you did not personally write it.

This is a complete Core Order ritual that I wrote myself.

Weekly Blessing Ritual for a Time of Rest

Statement of purpose:

At this liminal time between the ending of one week and the beginning of the next, I approach the sacred center of all to find my place in the cosmos. In this season of (most recent high day/seasonal reference), I come before the Kindreds to bless and hallow my time of rest, that I may go into the next week recharged and rejuvenated.

Outdwellers (Optional)

Those beings whose works do not harmonize with mine, accept this offering and leave me in peace. Those parts of me that distract from my purpose, I put aside and recognize this time and space as holy. May I form my Cosmos in the midst of Chaos. (make offering outside of the main ritual space)

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.

Grounding and Centering

(Two Powers in Nine Breaths)

For the first breath, our roots reach deep into the earth.

For the second breath, we draw up the swirling, chaotic waters.

For the third breath, we are filled with the cool waters.

 

For the fourth breath, our branches reach high to the heavens.

For the fifth breath, we draw down the ordering, creative fires.

For the sixth breath, we are filled with the burning fires.

 

For the seventh breath, the waters and fires alight, turning into the druid’s mist.

For the eighth breath, they expand and pour fourth, filling our grove.

For the ninth breath, we open our eyes, to work magic in this place.

 

(Light candles)

Let us pray with a good fire.

Earth Mother and Sky Father

I honor the Earth Mother, the green growing earth, the caverns of rebirth, the sovereign of all.  I honor the Sky Father, bright stars above, the fire within, the order of the cosmos.  Earth Mother and Sky Father, uphold me in my ritual. I come before you with honor and praise. (Make offerings)

Recreating the Cosmos (This is ADF Traditional at this point, but I believe originally Ian Corrigan’s words)

(hallow the well)

In the deeps flow the waters of wisdom. Sacred well, flow within me.

(hallow the fire)

I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power. Sacred fire, burn within me.

(hallow the tree)

From the depths to the heights spans the world tree. Sacred tree, grow within me.

Gatekeeper

Keeper of the gates between the worlds, warder of the sacred paths, watcher of the ways, lend your magic with mine and let my voice sound through the worlds. (make offering)

Let the fire open as a gate to the upperworld. Let the well open as a gate to the underworld. Let the sacred tree hold fast all the ways between. Let the gates be opened!

Kindreds

I call out to you, the Mighty Dead. Hear me, my ancestors, my kindred. You have gone before and prepared the way. You guide and encourage me to great deeds. Join me here at the center of all worlds, and be welcome here at my good fire. (Make offering)

I call out to you, the Nature Spirits. Hear me, good neighbors and friends. You inhabit this world with me, and we share the same earth. Your wisdom inspires me to live rightly. Join me here at the center of all worlds, and be welcome here at my good fire. (Make offering)

I call out to you, the Shining Ones. Hear me, great eldest and brightest. You dwell in the heavens above and the worlds below and exist both in and out of time. Your guidance and blessings lead me forward. Join me here at the center of all worlds, and be welcome here at my good fire. (Make offering)

(If you have a patron deity or deities that you wish to honor as part of this ritual, invoke them here)

Let my voice arise on the fire; let my voice resound in the well

May all beings here be honored by my offerings and accept my reverence.

Omen

May wisdom rise from the depths of the well, and descend on the flames of the fire. What wisdom do you offer me in return for my gifts?

On what should I contemplate, as I leave the past week behind?

What blessings to the Kindreds grant me for this next week?

On what do I need to focus for the upcoming week?

(Record the omen)

As I walked through the past week, I recognize (first omen interpretation)

Today, as I rest and recharge, I welcome in (second omen interpretation)

As I walk into the week to come, I focus on (third omen interpretation)

Blessing

(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.

(drink)

The blessings are one with my body and spirit. I reaffirm my relationship with the Kindred and with the Cosmos.

Thanking the Kindreds

(If you invoked a patron deity or deities, thank them here)

Great Shining Ones, may there ever be peace among us.

I thank you for your many blessings.

Nature spirits, good neighbors all, may there ever be peace among us.

I thank you for your help and wisdom.

Ancestors, beloved dead, may there ever be peace among us.

I thank you for your guidance and inspiration.

Thanking the Gatekeeper/Closing the Gates

Keeper of the gates between the worlds, warder of the sacred paths, watcher of the ways, thank you for holding fast these portals, and may there ever be peace among us. Lend your magic with mine and let these gates be closed.

Let the fire be but flame. Let the well be but water. Let the tree be but a tree. Let all be as it was before, save for the magic I have made. Let the gates be closed!

Thanking the Earth Mother and Sky Father

Earth Mother and Sky Father, the green growing earth and the bright stars above, thank you for upholding and supporting me. May I go into the coming week always aware of your presence

Ending the Rite (ritual only)

With the peace and blessing of the Kindreds, I leave this sacred space to go back into the world, recharged and ready to approach another week. May the fire of my heart burn brightly for all to see. Be it so!

Ending the Rite (rite followed by period of rest)

With the peace and blessing of the Kindreds, I leave this sacred space, with candles burning, to show my devotion as I enter into the next (amount of time) of rest. May this time of rest be blessed, may I find rejuvenation and restoration, and may my relationships with the Kindreds be strengthened. Be it so!

(Don’t leave candles unattended! Move them to a place where you can keep an eye on them, and blow them out if you go to sleep or leave the house.)

 

Works Consulted

Bonewits, Isaac. Neopagan Rites: A Guide to Creating Public Rituals that Work. Minneapolis: Llewellyn Publications, 2007. Print.

Bonewits, Isaac. “Step by Step through A Druid Worship Ceremony.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/stepbystep.html&gt;.

Brooks, Arnold. “A Druidic Ritual Primer.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/ritual-primer.html&gt;.

Brooks, Arnold. “Goals of Group Ritual.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/group-ritual-goals.html&gt;.

Corrigan, Ian. “The Intentions of Drudic Ritual.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/intentions.html&gt;.

Corrigan, Ian. “Magical Skills in Druidic Ritual.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/magskills.html&gt;.

Corrigan, Ian. “The Worlds and the Kindreds.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/worlds-kindreds.html&gt;.

Dangler, Rev. Michael J. “Nine Central Tenets of Druidic Worship.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nine-tenets.html&gt;.

Newburg, Brandon. “Ancient Symbols, Modern Rites: A Core Order of Ritual Tutorial for Ár nDraíocht Féin.” ADF. Web. 21 August 2014. <https://www.adf.org/members/training/dedicant-path/articles/coortutorial/index.html&gt;.

Paradox. “Sacred Space, an Exploration of the Triple Center.” ADF. Web.  2 June 2014. <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/sacred-space.html&gt;.

Thomas, Rev. Kirk. “The Nature of Sacrifice.” ADF. Web. 16 September 2014. <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html>.

Serith, Ceisiwr. “Sacrifice, the Indo-Europeans, and ADF.” ADF. Web. 21 August 2014. <https://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/sacrifice-ie-adf.html&gt;.