Part of Ian Clysdale's Generalist Study Program submissions.
The scope of Liturgy 1 is the theory of ADF's liturgy and its underlying cosmology. Course objectives include an understanding of the purpose(s) and function(s) of ADF ritual; the roles and functions of individuals in ritual; each step in the ADF Order of Ritual; the entities who are addressed and how to address them correctly. Students will be thoroughly familiar with the elements of our liturgy and cosmology, why ADF Liturgy employs those elements, and in which order they are used. N.B.: Liturgy 1 is covers the basic theoretical aspects of ADF liturgy; see Liturgy 2 for more practical liturgical concerns.
1. Describe the purpose and function of ritual. (minimum 300 words)
An initial distinction can be made between the purpose and function of ritual, and the purpose and function of a ritual. There are certain broad issues that tend to be shared between all rituals, and then there are questions that are specific to the individual ritual at hand.
The key broad purpose that tends to be common to all ritual is to strengthen the relationships of the worshippers with the Gods. This can occur through several means -- it occurs when they take the time and effort to come to the ritual; it occurs when they speak forward and make offerings; it occurs when they receive the blessings of the Gods, and carry them forward as they depart. No matter what the other purposes of a ritual, it should serve to spiritually strengthen the participants, and bring them at least temporarily closer to the Gods.
A corollary of this is a desire for the participants to gain something, in terms of a concrete result of the ritual. While this may be more explicit in some rituals than others, especially those involving magical workings, it is nonetheless to be hoped for that if our rituals are powerful, there will be a real and positive result for the participants.
Brooks points out several other high-level goals that can be present in the design and practice of a ritual -- to strengthen group unity, to clarify either belief or practice among members, as well as to influence the status of those performing the ritual, or participating in it. [1-1] While all of these may be involved in a ritual, and should be recognized when they are present, they should generally be secondary to the goals of spiritual communion.
Specific rituals, also, bring with them their own specific purposes and functions. In a public ritual celebrating a High Day, for example, the main purposes might be to honour a specific selection of Powers, to gather together the Grove, to provide a public service to the broader Pagan community by offering accessible public worship, and to allow a framework for participants to make their own personal offerings to the Gods and Kindred. A rite of passage, on the other hand, would have the goal of highlighting this transition before both the Gods and the community gathered together, while smaller magical workings would have much more concrete and focused goals which would serve to guide the workings.
2. Describe some of the roles individuals might take on within the context of ritual. (minimum 100 words)
The roles that may be taken on within the context of an ADF ritual include:
- The officiating Druid: in most rituals, there is one person responsible for providing any text that is not clearly the responsibility of someone else, as well as for providing cues as necessary. This person is usually highly visible, and may also be doing many of the invocations.
- "Invokers": In many case, each invocation to various different Kindred and Gods is performed by a different person. Those making those invocations are responsible for picking up their cues, and then calling to their designated Power.
- Gatekeeper: It is the responsibility of the gatekeeper to call open the gates between the Realms, as well as to monitor the flow of energy between them, and close them when the ritual is finished. The gatekeeper, for this reason, can often be the person responsible for the initial meditation, and for grounding at the end of the ritual.
- Seer: The seer's responsibility is to channel the response of the Powers, both to judge the success of the offerings, and to carry any other messages that the Gods might have to pass on.
- Bard: The bard is responsibility for calling upon the powers of inspiration to guide the rite. The bard is also commonly responsible for keeping chants on track as necessary.
For a more detailed analysis of these roles and other roles in Druidic ritual, see Barton's "Dynamics of the primary functionaries of group ritual."
3. Describe the concepts of the Center and the Gates in ADF' s Standard Liturgical Outline. (minimum 600 words)
4. Discuss why ADF rituals need not have a defined outer boundary, or "circle" and the sacralization of space in ritual. (minimum 100 words)
Bonewits argues that in Wiccan ritual, the use of the circle serves as a barrier, meant to both keep hostile energy out, as well as to keep the energy raised in, until it can be focused and directed. [4-1] This can be contrasted with Druidic ritual, on the other hand, there is a more fluid, permeable barrier between the sacralized space, representing the order in the cosmos, and the area outside the ritual area, corresponding to primal chaos. As there is a constant, but somewhat controlled flow between the cosmos and primal chaos, so the boundaries in Druidic ritual can be permeable, with energy entering and departing, and the folk coming and going as they need.
There is not a complete concensus that the outer boundaries should not be defined. Ceisiwr Serith argues that by marking an area -- with an explicitly fluid and open boundary -- we can mark more clearly, especially to those involved in the ritual, the distinction between these spaces, and therefore make the space more sacred. [4-2] He suggests that we can achieve this kind of marking in temporary ritual space with the use of poles, or cord. Another example of this marking of the fluid boundaries can be found in the handful of permanent Nemetons that have been established by ADF groves, where the ritual space -- while still fluid -- has strongly defined boundaries.
5. Discuss the Earth Mother and her significance in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words)
In recognizing the "Earth Mother," in one of her many forms -- as Gê, as Danu, as Nerthus -- we recognize that without the bounty of the Earth -- without the growth of grains, without the fruit of trees, without the food eaten by the animals -- without the bounty and fertility of the Earth, nothing else that we do could or would matter -- without food, it's impossible to pay much attention to anything else.
On a higher level, by honouring the Earth Mother at the beginning of our rituals, before all others, we also affirm our connection to the Earth and to the cycles of nature, and remind ourselves of the cyclic nature of birth and rebirth that she embodies. The initial offering to the Earth Mother is also a nod of the head to ADF's distant lineage from the RDNA.
6. Discuss the ritual significance of Fire and Water in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words)
In ADF liturgy, fire tends to represent the connection to the world of spirit, the inner spark of imbas, while water represents the connection to the otherworld -- the mists of Mannanan, the wells reaching to the underworld. In some older versions of ADF liturgy, spirits of fire and water are invoked as powers, in contrast to the Cosmic Tree which serves as the sacred ritual centre [6-1]; however, in the latest standard ADF liturgy, the fire, well, and tree are all evoked as symbols of the sacred ritual centre [6-2]. As a Grove, we started out by making offerings to the spirits of fire and water as powers, and found that this led to widespread confusion among participants as to whether the fire and water were powers, symbols, gateways, or all of the above - and happily moved to the standard liturgy.
7. Discuss the origins of the Fire, Well and Tree, and the significance of each in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words for each of the Fire, Well and Tree)
The Fire, the Well, and the Tree are each symbols of a crossing between the realms, and serve as foci where we may create our own bridges between the worlds.
The Fire, with its flames leaping up, has traditionally been seen as creating a bridge by which offerings may be made to the powers above -- whether in the sacrifice of animals, the offerings of oils, or the gifts of spirits. [Expand on Vedic, Roman practice]. In ADF liturgy, the Fire offers a path by which offerings may be made to the mighty Gods.
The Well serves as an opening into the Earth, and the use of wells has a long tradition in communicating with the "underworld," in whichever form that is perceived. From Celtic Britain, we have the ritual wells and springs into which offerings to the ancestors were made. Wells are also often associated with the art of divination, which is traditionally seen as tied to the land of the dead. A strong example of this is the Well of Mimir in the Norse tradition, from which all knowledge and power comes. This can be compared, too, to the Cauldron of Cerridwen -- which, while not strictly a well in itself, shares many of the attributes used in symbols of the well. In ADF liturgy, the Well creates a link to the powers of the underworld, where the ancestors and the Dark Gods live. It symbolizes a path to power, but a path that requires caution, wisdom, and sacrifice.
The use the Tree as a symbol of the gates seems to owe itself primarily to the image of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, which in the Norse tradition crosses across all the realms -- feeding its roots from the Well of Hvergelmir, and then reaching up through the realms of the underworld, into the realm of man, and reaching up to support the realm of the Gods. The Tree plays another powerful role in ritual as well, however -- it symbolizes the link to nature, and it ties to the images of Druids as worshipping in "oak groves." As a result, in ADF ritual, the Tree can carry multiple roles. It serves as a symbol of the natural world, and is therefore appropriate for offerings to the Kindred of Nature, but can also serve as an alternate gate to both the world of the Gods and the world of the Ancestors.
8. Discuss the Outdwellers and their significance in ritual (or not, as the case may be). (minimum 100 words)
The Outdwellers are interesting in that, within ADF, there seem to be several quite different, although interconnected, views on the nature of the Outdwellers.
In one case, the Outdwellers represent the forces of raw chaos, who are inherently inimical. This model which is to some degree represented by Indo-European myths, in which there are forces (often aligned with "older deities") who are seen as forces of raw chaos, fighting the Gods -- whether it be the Norse giants fighting to bring about Ragnarok, or whether it be the Greek Titans unleashing forces of nature fighting the Olympians. In this case, as Ceisiwr Serith suggests in his The Place of Ritual[8-1], the primary ritual role of recognizing them seems to be a matter of defining the ritual and those within it in opposition to these forces -- that we create an order in the cosmos, that stands against the chaos that surrounds us.
A second view of the Outdwellers is hinted at in Kit's The Outsiders[8-2], which describes them as "those spiritual forces of the Otherworld that we might not wish to include in our cosmology." Although Kit does not elaborate this point, one outcome of such a view of them is that the desirability of their inclusion in a ritual depends on the goals of the ritual -- resulting in the possibility of one ritual's "Outdwellers" being another ritual's honoured guests. In this view of the Outdwellers, it becomes essential to honour those who we would not wish to invite, as well as those who we would invite, in order that we should be able to call on them at another time.
A third view is made explicit in Kit's piece, the view that the Outdwellers represent "the negative emotions that ritual attendees bring with them," which are ritually and magically expelled in this piece of the ritual.
These three views -- although theologically quite distinct -- can and do merge somewhat in practice. Forces of chaos - the traditional "Outdwellers" - always fall into the second category of those powers unwanted at the ritual. And even if one includes "inappropriate deities" in the category of Outdweller, by marking and honouring them, we once again place the order of the ritual being created in contrast. Finally, while from a polytheistic angle the rather more Jungian idea of Outdwellers as our own negative emotions might be a dubious theological interpretation, it nonetheless remains the case that this psychological goal can be - and frequently is - achieved by this element of the liturgy.
9. Describe the intention and function of the Three Kindreds invocations, and give a short description of each of the Kindreds. (minimum 100 words for each of the Three Kindreds)
The invocations to the Kindreds serve as an invitation for all Powers who wish to join our ritual, and make a collective gift that they are invited to partake of as guests. It is sometimes made explicit in the call (as in "If you come in peace, be welcome and take these offerings...") and sometimes merely left implicit by the initial offering to the Outdwellers, that Powers who accept the invitation and take our gifts are making a contract not to disrupt the ritual.
The Kindred of Nature represent the non-human, non-divine powers of the world that surrounds us -- whether the spirits of animals, the spirits of trees, the genius loci spirits of place, the fey, or any other similar powers that inhabit our world, and to which we can attune ourselves to listen. They are neither always powerful nor always benevolent, and it can take both time and effort to build relationships with the spirits of nature in a given place. Especially in our modern industrialized world, it can both be difficult for us to connect with spirits of nature, and difficult for them to be willing to show themselves.
The Ancestors are those human powers who have gone before, and whose spirits linger in some form. Offerings can be made to the ancestors in the form of specific individual ancestors, in the form of "spiritual" ancestors who have influenced either the individual or the group and whose memory one wishes to honour, and in the form of ancient ancestral peoples, in whose footsteps we try to at least partially walk. Some believe that, as is illustrated in Homer's description of Odysseus' search for Tiresias in Hades, the Dead slowly forgot who they were, but that they can regain strength from the attention of the living. [9-1] If so, then the very process of acknowledging and making offerings to them can be an act of piety. (While in Homer's tale, it is drops of the blood of the living that strengthen the Dead, we may hope that our other offerings will also serve a similar purpose.)
The Shining Ones are the mighty Gods, in their many guises. Especially when we have large public rituals, where we do not know which Gods participants may have close relations with, we consider it prudent to invite and make offerings to all of the Gods who might wish to come -- it does not do to snub the Gods! We also tend to follow a practice documented in the Greco-Roman world of explicitly inviting Gods both known to us, and those unknown, to be absolutely sure that we have covered all our bases. (An interesting reference to this custom can be found in the Acts of the Apostles, 17:23, where Paul argues that a dedication made "To the Unknown God" refers to the Christian God, whom the people of Athens have supposedly been worshipping unknowingly.) While rituals tend to have key deities who are being invoked, and to whom special offerings are being made, it is nonetheless essential that we remember, and make offerings to, all Gods that our people might worship.
10. Describe other possible models for the "Filling Out the Cosmic Picture" sections. (minimum 100 words)
Although the invocations of the Three Kindreds is certainly by far the most common approach, Bonewits suggests in "Changes in the Druid Liturgy" that other invocations might be appropriate for specific rituals. [10-1] He specifically mentions an invocation of helpful beings characteristic of each of the Nine Worlds in Norse Religion, or else of helpful beings associated with the cosmological provinces and functions of magic/law, force, fertility and chaos. Our Grove developed a system which combined the idea of cosmological provinces with the invocations to the Kindreds, and which we used for quite a while - it is described in more detail below under question 16.
11. Describe other possible models for the Sacred centre. (minimum 100 words)
The best documented classical alternative model for the Sacred centre is the Greek omphalos stones, the "navel of the World." Found in several shrines around the Mediterranean - most famously in the inner sanctum at Delphi - they were supposedly dropped by Zeus to mark the centre of the world, and correspond very clearly with our idea of the sacred centre.
A more syncretic image, but one that holds the potential to serve this role extremely well in a more neo-pagan-influenced ceremony, is to use a maypole explicitly as a sacred centre for a Beltaine ritual. Although the evidence of folk survivals is always difficult to interpret historically, within a modern Druidic framework, the image of weaving the threads around the sacred centre has the potential to be extremely powerful.
12. Discuss how one would choose the focus (or focuses) for the Key Offerings. (minimum 100 words)
The focuses for the Key Offerings are the Powers whom those involved in the ritual either wish to honour, to ask a boon from, or to communicate with in some other form -- they can be any of the Powers that might be invited to a ritual otherwise, but are particularly honoured, and have greater offerings and sacrifices made to them.
In some contexts, especially High Days, the cultural focus of a grove will frequently at least strongly suggest who the key focuses should be - for instance, a Celtic Grove would be extremely likely to, in public rituals, make offerings to Bride at Imbolc, and Lugh and Tailtiu at Lughnasadh.
In other cases, there is more flexibility in who the key offerings of a ritual might be directed to. A Grove trying to build a relationship as a Grove with a particular deity might make offerings to that deity over a number of rituals. In other cases, the offerings might not be made to deities, but to other powers who are relevant to the goals of the ritual. For example, we ran a public ritual for Earth Day several years ago in which the key offerings were made to the local spirits of nature and to the Goddess of the St. Lawrence River, and we've made key offerings to the ancestors collectively for several of our Samhain rituals.
However the focuses of the key offerings are chosen, they should reflect the goals of the specific ritual - it is to them, and from them, that the most energy will flow.
13. Discuss your understanding of Sacrifice, and its place in ADF liturgy. (minimum 100 words)
By sacrificing an object - literally rendering it sacred - we are moving it from being an offering in our world to being an offering in the realms of the Powers, that can actually feed them and strengthen them. By making the offering at the sacred centre, the intersection of the worlds, where the Gates are open, we allow the object to ritually exit our world and enter theirs. For objects where it is appropriate, a visually powerful way of symbolizing that departure from our world within the ritual can be the ritual destruction of the object - a historical practice attested to by the number of clearly deliberately broken finds in sacred wells across Europe.
14. Discuss your understanding of the Omen. (minimum 100 words)
The primary role of the Omen is to allow us to know if our Sacrifices have been accepted by the Gods, and to make more Sacrifices if necessary. (Or, as in the case of one particularly clear Omen early in the history of our Grove, to halt the ritual at that point, and run it again a week later.) By letting the Gods speak, we know that they have received our gifts. However, by letting them speak to us through the Seer, we open up a space where we can receive any messages that they might wish to send to us, in addition to the answer we might seek about the Sacrifice -- and we cannot command what they will say. Finally, the Omen allows a place where we can seek the guidance of our Gods, if we have anything specific that we would ask.
15. Discuss your understanding of the Blessing Cup, or "Return Flow." (minimum 100 words)
One of the fundamental tenets of ADF liturgy is the idea of reciprocality, that "a gift demands a gift." As such, we expect that, by making offerings and sacrifices to the Powers, we will receive something in return from them -- although it may not take a form that we recognize, or even desire at the time. The Blessing Cup provides a physical focus for that energy that we expect participants to receive -- while drinking from the Cup, with the idea of taking in strength and guidance from the Gods, it provides an opportunity for them to take in some form of "return flow" energy.
16. Describe how ADF liturgy corresponds with your personal or group practice. (minimum 100 words)
I have been involved with ADF groups - first visiting Silver Fox Grove in Montreal, and then as one of the founders of Red Maple Grove in Ottawa - as my primary group practice for over seven years. In addition, my personal daily-ish practice includes offerings to the kindreds, and a variant on the two powers meditation that at least used to be taught as part of the dedicant's program.
In general, the rituals that we have done as a Grove have reflected the standard ADF liturgy quite closely. The widest divergence we have had from the standard ADF liturgy was a model that we used for a while several years ago, which worked the Recognition of the Outdwellers and the Calls to the Kindred into a framework that also used four quarters. The directions for the quarters were inspired by Rees & Rees' argument in Celtic Heritage that in the mythology, the geographical location of the tale marks it as a magical/druidic tale (Connachta), a tale of battle (Ulster), a tale of feasting (Leinster), or a tale of conflict, chaos, and change (Munster). (Footnote this when I get my copy of Rees & Rees back.) An example can be seen in the invocations in our 2000 Lughnasadh Ritual. For various reasons, this model has mostly drifted out of use in the Grove, and our recent rituals have even more closely resembled the standard liturgy. Also, while we had always thought this our own innovation, I recently came across a diagram in Isaac Bonewits' "Changes in the Druid Liturgy" from 1991 [16-1], which shows exactly the same correspondences, suggesting that the same model has clearly been experimented with at various times in ADF's history.
Footnotes
1-1: Brooks, Arnold. "Goals of Group Ritual." http://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/group-ritual-goals.html (8 Aug. 2005).
4-1: Bonewits, Isaac. "Step by Step through A Druid Worship Ceremony." http://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/stepbystep.html (8 Aug. 2005).
4-2: Serith, Ceisiwr. "The Place of Ritual." ADF Course Materials Liturgy 1. 2001. http://www.adf.org/members/training/sp/courses/liturgy-1-resource-book.pdf (8 Aug. 2005).
6-1: Bonewits, Isaac. "Changes in the Druid Liturgy." Druid's Progress 8 (1991), 11.
6-2: Corrigan, Ian. "A Standard Liturgy." http://www.adf.org/rituals/explanations/liturgy.html (25 Aug. 2005).
8-1: Serith, Ceisiwr. "The Place of Ritual." ADF Course Materials Liturgy 1. 2001. http://www.adf.org/members/training/sp/courses/liturgy-1-resource-book.pdf (8 Aug. 2005).
8-2: "Kit." "The Outsiders." http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/outsiders.html (8 Aug. 2005).
9-1: Homer. The Odyssey. Book XI.
10-1: Bonewits, Isaac. "Changes in the Druid Liturgy." Druid's Progress 8 (1991), 11.
16-1: Bonewits, Isaac. "Changes in the Druid Liturgy." Druid's Progress 8 (1991), 11.
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Submitted by Ian Clysdale on Mon, 08/08/2005 - 5:45pm.