Clergy Training Program
Baseline Training
Cosmology 1
Marc Meadows
Describe the generation of the cosmos, and what is done in ADF ritual to ensure that the cosmos remains in order.
When we do ritual we seek to tap into energies that will assist and empower our purpose. As such, we would look for liminal places, those where more than one type of energy will meet. As explained in the COoR (Newburg, 5), Indo-European conceptualize this as three-fold, Land, Sea, and Sky or Upper, Middle and Under realms. Where these liminal places meet is a spot of great energy, the Sacred Center. That being said not everyone is fortunate enough to live near the sea, or have a physical access to one or more of these points, for example a person living in the desert may only have sky and land, not sea or a natural water body around. However, we can create this through the use of symbolic representation. A well is placed to represent the sea, as well as tapping into the water within the earth, the fire represents air and offers a primary conveyance of our offerings to the beyond, and a stick or other plant can represent the tree or land element that connects the other two.
In many creation myths, something is sacrificed in order to bring about the universe as we know it. The second thing we do in ritual is to harken back to this initial sacrifice and through sacrifices of our own empower it once more. In one such tale of Donn and Danu, (Mythic Journeys, Big Myth) the two gods have children which are trapped between the parents. In order that they may live, Danu allows the eldest child to slay Donn. This brings about a series of events that create the land, sea, skies, people and the world as we know it. When we commit to sacrifice and blessings in our rituals, we honor the initial sacrifice of Donn and his part in our own creation as well as the gifts that came of that sacrifice.
Finally, (re) creating the cosmos around us, for ritual purposes, we remove the mundane elements and establish ourselves in a place where we can affect the universe. Through the ritual, we seek to take the pieces of the universe and arrange them in an outcome that suits our purpose.
Describe the physical items that exemplify the sacred center in ADF ritual, and how each constituent part reflects the vision of an ordered cosmos.
In ADF ritual the sacred center is created through the use of portals (Newburg, 5). These portals or physical items may vary from culture to culture, but in ADF they are the Well, Tree and most importantly Fire.
The Well, is a representation of many things. In its basic form as a chasm or hole in the earth, it represents the below. It is a connection to the waters of the world and thusly the water of life. As it is the below, it connects us to the past, the ancestors and where we are from. Through this we can tap into the energies of our planet as well as those that came before us. Its energy is that of persistence. A river changes the landscape over time. By accessing this portal, we not only establish a part of where we are in the cosmos, but also in my opinion most importantly, where we are from. It grants us the first fixed point in the cosmos.
The Fire, is a representation of the above. It is our link to the realm of the Gods/esses. As an item, it burns and thus converts our offerings into a non-material form to be carried upward. As a symbol of the above realm it connects us to the deities. The energy of fire is chaos. Fire is powerful, but uncontrollable. By accessing this portal, we connect to the deities, to our aspirations as well as granting the second coordinate in our cosmos.
The Tree, is a representation of here. Where we are now. It spans the distance from its roots, that delve deep into the under realm, to it’s branches that reach toward the sky realm. It is the manifestation of earth, our current living position in life. The tree represents neutrality. By accessing this portal, we are afforded a roadway. In my opinion the tree best represents mankind, we are the link between the past (under) and the aspiration (above). Third coordinate.
With the three portals (coordinates) firmly set we establish the sacred center. The center is where all three will touch and therefore offer a greater amount of energy to tap into for ritual use.
Explain the divisions of the cosmos in ADF ritual, and why the cosmos is divided in this way.
As, “The Indo-European view of the Cosmos was usually triadic in structure, so that's what we use.” (Newburg, 5) Newburg continues to state that the finer points of this may vary from culture to culture and hearth to hearth, however they will generally fall under two groupings:
Three Worlds: Land, Sea, Sky
Three Realms: Middle realm, Underworld or lower realm, Heaven or Upper realm.
These form the vertical axis for the energies in our rituals as well as functioning to mark our place in the cosmos as we proceed. They also create a liminal point of the three energies of creation (fire, water, and earth) which can be tapped into during ritual / magical proceedings.
In his paper “Toward a Ceremonial Magical System for ADF”, John Greer, proposes that in order for someone to perform ritual / magic there are certain tools that are required. The person must have a method of defining the space and removing it from the everyday use, they must have a method of concentrating mind and spirit on specific patterns and energies, and they will require tools in order to anchor these energies. He further expands the diagram above as follows:
Land Sea Sky
Tree Well Fire
Between Below Above
Spirits Ancestors Gods
Since the ADF does not cast pentacles or call corners / quarters, the method of “Defining a space in which magical action takes place, formally separating it” is done by accessing the three portals as well as by the inviting of the Kindred. By opening the portals, we separate the area from the mundane of a backyard, or city park, and shape it to be a place of magic.
Further it supplies us with the tools needed to “anchor these energies” (Greer, Toward a Ceremonial Magical System for ADF) through the use of the Fire (censor), Well (cauldron), and Tree (wand).
Why is fire an essential element of ADF ritual, and what is its relationship with sacrifice?
Let’s begin by looking at the mundane aspects of fire and what it provides to us. Firstly, fire is warmth, light and comfort. Since the first peoples began to harness the power of fire it provided these three elements. Being invited to one’s fire was an invitation of hospitality and gesture of welcome. I believe in ritual that still applies. The phrase, “Let us pray with a good fire” (Rig Veda (1.26.9)) can come to mean, “let us build a good fire to link us to the deities” or just as easily, “let us build a fire and gather together in welcome to worship”, both the living as well as the deities.
Secondly, very simplistically, fire burns. This aspect links it to the topic of sacrifice. Anything placed in the fire is consumed leaving little to no trace except ash. In this way they are removed from our world. In his work (The Nature of Sacrifice), Kirk Thomas stated that “… in a ritual sense (sacrifice), could mean to cut off from the world.” If we then overlay the ADF teachings that fire is one of the three gates or portals used in finding sacred center (Newburg, 5), “Fire points upward… toward the heavenly realm”, thusly, any offering made to the fire is removed and carried to the heavens. For these reasons, I believe the PIE belief, “An altar to the Indo-European’s was a fire, and a fire was an altar” (David Fickett-Wilbar, 1) is most visible and why it is essential to ADF ritual. It provides welcome and community. It establishes the sacred center. It provides a place of worship and access to the heavenly realm as well as a way to convey offerings.
Describe the purpose and function of the Gatekeeper in ADF ritual. Explain also who or what makes a good Gatekeeper, along with why they do, with at least two examples of mythological figures that could fill the role of a Gatekeeper and give an explanation of why they can.
Purpose and function:
In our rituals we utilize the gatekeeper to open the gate between us and the Kindred. While every day the Kindred can hear our prayers, a cry for help, or thanks, the function of the Gatekeeper is to magnify or focus that communication like a lens. Also, during ritual you will be raising energy to send, it makes sense to have the door open before you try and send it out. We open our axis mundi, which gives us access to that energy, we then add our own energy and send it to the Gatekeeper, who adds his own to the mix (everything in threes) and the gates/ communication are open or closed to the Kindred.
A good Gatekeeper is normally a deity, however can be any of the Kindred (Newburg, 6). The chosen figure should be one that both relates to the ritual and on that crosses boundaries or between worlds. This characteristic allows the worshipper more direct communication due to them being both in and out of our realm.
My first example for a gatekeeper would be Cernunnos. Cernunnos is a God of fertility, life, wealth, the forests and the underworld (Wikipedia). He is seen as the figure of a man with horns, giving the impression he is half man half beast. Cernunnos is often represents sitting in the woods with animals near and holding or wearing torcs. He spans the realms of the living and the dead. He is effective as a gatekeeper because he dwells in the natural places of our world, and yet being a deity himself can travel to where we wish to communicate.
My second example would be Manannan Mac Lir. He is listed as a sea deity in Irish mythology, affiliated with the Tuatha De Danann and the Fomorians. Other properties of this deity also link him as a god of death and rebirth. As with Cernunnos, this is a deity that lives in a part of our world and therefore is connected to it and easier to call upon because of it. However, as Manannan Mac Lir has connections to the Tuath De (tribe of the gods) allowing direct communication, as well as the Fomorians (hostile and monstrous beings who come from the sea or underground) (Wikipedia), he represents liminal status, representing both good and darker forces.
Describe the relationship between earth and sky in ADF ritual.
As a Neo-pagan religion, our spirituality leans heavily on a respect and positive interaction with the world around us. We believe that the various aspects of the natural world / universe have energy, but in order to tap into that aspect and build a relationship we need to recognise them in a manner that we can comprehend. We personify the earth as a being or recognise stewarding deity as the keeping of the natural world be it Gaia or Earth Mother. Similarly, we have the Sky Father, the masculine counterbalance to the feminine Earth, such as the “…Norse Tyr, Greek Zeus, Roman Jupiter, and Vedic Dyaus” (Newburg, 3)
In looking at the relationship between these two forces, I believe it was best exemplified in a ritual by Raven and Carrion Mann. (2006 Liturgists Yearbook) Where in the section “Honoring the Earth Mother and Sky Father” The Earth Mother is seen kneeling at the well, the Sky Father is standing at the Fire. The earth mother has sovereignty over the lands and the waters, the Sky Father is the fertility, the inspiration, the part of the gods/esses that is granted us to make us more than a plan.
If we were to continue the image given in this ritual one step further, as the Shy Father is fire, the Earth Mother is well / water, then one can make the deduction that through them the Tree or us as humans representing the tree are the third part of the triangle.
Summarize each of the five contexts of sacrifice in Rev. Thomas' "The Nature of Sacrifice" paper in your own words. Explain the effect of sacrifice on the cosmos and on the participants.
Maintaining Cosmic Order:
In respect to maintaining cosmic order, I believe there are three aspects that can be taken. We sacrifice to acknowledge the act that created our universe. One being (Man, Twin, or beast) is rendered into the world (seas, land, trees, and people). We make sacrifice to remember where we come from and give energy back to maintain that event. It may also be that when this sacrifice was made a certain void was created due to the loss of the slain entity, and by making offering we pay back a portion of that energy.
This remains true on a smaller scale, in attempting to teach us that for everything we take, something must be given back. Mankind has proven that we can consume endlessly. If we want to be alive and have a thriving planet, we must learn to give back. We sacrifice trees for our homes and for heat, so we need to give back in the order of replanting. This follows for the foods we eat, and the rituals we perform. Sacrifice in this manner replenishes the matter and energy of the cosmos on the local and celestial levels.
Delivering services through gifts:
This aspect of sacrifice is concerned with the duties of hospitality as well as relationship building and maintaining. In the context of ritual, the grove or worshipper is both host to the deities invited, as well as sacrificer. As host s/he provides offerings (libation, incense or food) for the comfort of the invited, in return for their presence and participation. As sacrifice they take the lesser position and make offerings that should be of themselves, in the hopes of accomplishing either the forging of relationships or an exchange of gifts for a desired outcome.
While offerings can range from home grown fruit, homemade wine, livestock fully up to the sacrifice of one own self, it should be understood that the context coupled with the attempt to have the offering be of yourself is of more importance than the grandeur of the offering.
Apotropaic Offerings:
This context seems to highlight bribery and avoidance. We see a negative situation or influence and we seek to appease it or bribe it with an offering in order to keep it away from us. “Take this sacrifice and go, please!” (Rev. Thomas, 3). In the ADF rituals there is the segment concerning the “Out-dwellers”, in which we make an offering to them in order that they do not trouble us or our workings. (Newburg, Supplementary Step) In this manner we give an offering as either distraction or payment. In the second example, Rev. Thomas discusses “Scapegoat”, in which someone or something other than the offending party is used to take on the indiscretions of another or others. Here let us give you nice things and then kill you for our benefit.
I personally find both of these examples rather distasteful. In making an offering to an event or entity in order for it to be appeased, do we in turn cheapen the offerings and sacrifices that we make to the deities and beings in our rituals and faith? If we make offerings in order for someone else to take our burden (Scapegoat), are we setting up a practice of irresponsibility for our actions? I feel these questions should be asked before these methods of sacrifice are attempted.
Commensality:
“The sharing of food symbolized and enhanced the unity of the people in celebration.” (Rev. Thomas) Through sharing a meal we build connections, familiarization, and stronger relationships. Another side of this would be that the people were perhaps more aware of the value of the animals that were being eaten. A live cow can reproduce, where one that is eaten only provides temporary nourishment. Therefore when the animal was killed it meant risk to the clan or people. This would make that sacrifice more significant, and the offering to the deities more valued. I realize that the meat would be consumed by the sacrificers and that the offerings of the skin, fats and bones may counterbalance my statement slightly.
I also feel I have to say that I strongly disagree with a portion of the wording Rev. Thomas uses in this context. “The sharing of food with the Gods in the shared meal also reflects this human bargain, giving man the right to make demands upon the Gods.” The goal of the shared meal is to build relationships, and even is we are the “client” in this situation, while we can expect hospitality from our “patron” (deities), I disagree that we are ever in a position to “demand”. Strong relationships are not built on demands.
Chaos Mitigates Cosmos:
In many rituals we make a sacrifice of breads or spirits in the place of an actual animal (or person, referring to older times). In that regard the bread is the animal, and to make sacrifice of it is to in fact kill it. Death invites chaos, and doing it within the construct of ritual allows us to bring in chaos in a directed manner. This is done to keep us from becoming rigid in our workings. Another method would be when we introduce spontaneity into our rituals. Through music, dance poetry or personal offerings we step away from script, and unite with the chaos energies. This then elevates routine to a higher level of spirituality.
Effect:
The effect that sacrifice has on the cosmos is twofold. Firstly it replenishes some of what was take from it. Be that, harkening back to the creation, or just what we as celebrants use in our rituals and day-today lives. By making a sacrifice the cosmos is nurtured and maintained. Secondly, it bridges the gap between chaos and order in a manner that does not destabilize either one. Order is maintained while allowing creativity its expression.
As to the participants, sacrifice was at the heart of ritual, celebration, and hospitality. It connects us to the universal forces in a respectful, hospitable manner. In short it builds the relationships we need with the deities, the world, and our communities. It also brings everything to the personal level. Sacrifice has to be meaningful to the person, for it to be valued by the receiver. In that way it brings spirituality from simply scripture, to a living part of our daily lives.
What does it mean to be "purified" in ADF ritual? Why is purification important? What must be purified, and who may do the purification?
Purification: to make clean for ceremonial or ritual use. (Dictionary.com)
In ADF, we conduct purification in order to remove unwanted influences from affecting our workings and to prepare ourselves. The physical act of purification whether it is with water, smudging or other means, aids in the removal of unwanted energies. It pushes back or suspends them. This can be applied to object of the ritual, people, or the space in general (though there is some discussion on whether or not natural areas require it (Newburg, 2)) Purification also becomes a key to mentally transition from mundane life to ritual / magical time. When we pass through the smoke of a smudge we alter our thinking and enter ritual clear and focused.
Purification is important as it is part of the buildup for doing something non-mundane. We started by going, physically going, to ritual. We then are given a cue (bell, chime, someone beginning to speak) that the ritual has begun, then we make ourselves prepared through the purification and we enter into the space of the ritual and get ready to greet the Kindred.
ADF currently holds not hard and fast rules about who may or may not conduct the purification, only that it is a required step in the COoR. Solitary Druids must by necessity do it themselves, and for larger groups more than one person may turn to the task in order to prevent overly long rituals.
In many rituals, we call for the blessings of the Kindred. Where do these blessings come from, how are they provided to the folk, and why are we entitled to them?
When beginning this answer let me first start by saying that I steadfastly disagree that we every have and “entitlement”. Under the rules of ghosti, by making our offerings and sacrifices we build relationships with those we honour. As such we may be deserving of compensatory treatment for our hospitality and devotion. However, I think we set dangerous precedence when we set out with the expectation of entitlement. A better phrasing can be found in the COoR tutorial (Newburg, 11) where it states that; “Step Eleven initiates the Blessings by calling for them. This is a cordial request which reminds worshipper and worshipped of the ghosti relationship”. Asking for a/the blessing is a request, respectful and without preconception.
That being said, who do the blessings come from? As ADF we recognise and respect the Kindred, which are comprised of the Ancestors, the Nature Spirits, and the Deities. If the ghosti, has come full circle then the blessings will come from those you have made offering to. If you have followed the COoR then you have made offerings to the Earth Mother and Sky Father, the Kindred, the Fire, the Well, the Tree, the Gate Keeper perhaps, and the Deity of the Occasion. If they have been pleased by your workings and offerings and feel kindly in kinship, then they may grant blessings in return.
The manners in which the blessing comes are varied. If you are asking for assistance, such as a bountiful crop, they may grant favorable weather or resistance to blight. If you are in personal emotional crisis they may grant you courage or the strength to push through. In physical form these blessings may be brought into the body through the blessing cup (Water of Life), or through the sharing of food. We may be granted insight as to how the gift war received or the nature of the gift granted through the ogam or rune that was selected.
Works Cited
"Cernunnos." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 15 Mar. 2017.
"Creation Myth." Mythicjourneys.org/bigmyth/download/CELTIC_CREATION.doc. Mythic Journeys, n.d. Web.
Fickett-Wilbar, David. "The Proto-Indo-European Hearth." The Proto-Indo-European Hearth | ADF. David Fickett-Wilbar, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.
Greer, John. "Toward a Ceremonial Magical System for ADF." ADF.org, n.d. Web.
"Manannán Mac Lir." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 13 Mar. 2017. Web. 16 Mar. 2017.
Mann, Carrion, and Raven Mann. "Whis Pe Ri Ng La Ke Gro Ve , ADF Yule 2006." Whispering Lake Grove, ADF Yule 2006 (2006): n. pag. Https://www.adf.org/system/files/members/guilds/liturgists/yearbooks/2006/WLGYule.pdf. Web.
Newburg, Brandon. "Core Order of Ritual Tutorial." Adf.org. N.p., n.d. Web.
"Purify." Dictionary.com. Dictionary.com, n.d. Web. 14 Mar. 2017.
Thomas, Kirk, Rev. "The Nature of Sacrifice." The Nature of Sacrifice | ADF. Kirk Thomas, Rev, n.d. Web. 17 Dec. 2016.