My Portable Ritual Kit

May 6, 2011 at 6:42 am (spirituality)
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What’s in it, clockwise from the top:

~Fire-pot (I used a ‘decorative’ copper cauldron from a thrift store.)
~a piece of egg carton fire starter (I have replaced this with commercial firestarter, see below.)
~matches
~small cauldron (Yes, that’s a “salsa cauldron”.)
~silver ring (You can also use a piece of silver or a silver coin .)
~divination method (like ogham or runes)
~drinking cup (Yes, that’s a pudding cup.)
~offerings (I have here; oats and cornmeal each in ‘snack-size’ ziplock bags, and a small bottle of oil, all in one drawstring pouch.)

So I put all the items in the fire-pot, small cauldron last, turned upside down, and tie it all up in a drawstring bag and add it to my backpack along with a bottle of water and a small towel or rag for cleanup. You don’t want too big of a fire for a short solitary ritual, but you might want enough of a fire to burn small grain offerings. The first time I used this, I packed a piece of egg carton firestarter and it created a lot of smoke. So you might want to use a small broken off chunk of commercial firestarter instead; its smokeless and environmentally friendly. If you’re not going to be burning offerings, you could even go with a tealight candle. The tall sides of the firepot will shield the flame from wind. If you were to create a bigger fire in your firepot, you would also need to let the fire burn itself out and the pot cool down before packing up and moving on, and a small fire will burn out faster, or can just be puffed out or snuffed out with a rock. When choosing a good place for the ritual, I look to the trees and find one that I particularly resonate with. It’s nice to find a flat rock to use as an altar, but it’s not absolutely necessary.

If you are not familiar with ADF-style Druid rituals, you may be wondering what some of this stuff is for. The central focus of ADF rituals is the Triple Center of Fire, Well, and Tree. The first three items on the list are for constructing the sacred Fire. The cauldron, in which I pour water from the water bottle when setting up the altar, represents the Well. The silver is the offering to the well. Divination is used in most Druid rituals. The drinking cup is for the “return blessing” portion of the ritual (for this I use more of the water from the water bottle- I bring a full bottle, for I also use some of this water for pre-ritual purification.). And offerings are an essential part of Druid ritual as well. It’s nice to have a variety of offerings; something different to offer each power. Dry offerings like oats and cornmeal are lightweight and portable. You might want to make the offerings an item that you put in the kit at the last minute, rather than storing with the kit, to avoid items going rancid in storage. Another alternative is using incense. In fact, I plan on adding juniper incense to my kit for pre-ritual purification and for offering to the Tree.

To learn how to make an even smaller kit see fiacharrey’s pocket ritual kit  youtube video.

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ADF Revelations

March 24, 2011 at 8:17 pm (spirituality)
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My last blog entry was about my rediscovery of Ár nDraíocht Féin. This, I suppose, is a continuance of that.  Only now I feel more convinced that I’ve found the path for me.  Looking back, I don’t know why I wasn’t this convinced before. I once wrote that a successful ritual should be spiritually moving. Lately, even just thinking about certain aspects of ADF ritual gets me near teary eyed…

One of the first things done at an ADF ritual is worshiping the Earth Mother. A prayer is said to her and participants bend down to touch or even kiss the Earth.  I have never been to any other style of ritual in which people do this. This is true Nature worship! Why do so many Pagans think “worship” is a dirty word?  I can think of no better purpose for ritual than to come into closer relationship with the Kindreds; the Sacred Three of Deities, Nature Spirits and Ancestors.

ADF liturgy has a special magic to it that at once inspires and makes me feel at home.  Participants are addressed as “children of the earth”; “The children of the earth call out to all those Spirits who share this world with us… The children of the earth call out to the beloved Ancestors… and to the Shining Gods and Goddesses…”  Lately I’ve been thinking about the significance of those oft used words in the liturgy and am comforted by them.  And those words I’ve used so often to start out ritual, even when not in ADF,  Ceisiwr Serith’s “I kindle the sacred fire in wisdom, love, and power… Sacred fire, burn within me.” My ears recognize all these words as sacred scripture.

Another aspect of ADF that is unique to the tradition is the “Triple Hallows” of well, tree, and fire.  They are thought of as gateways to communing with the Spirits and Deities. The symbolism of each is deep and multifaceted, but I have begun to realize that I had only touched the surface in my understanding of them when I was studying Druidry before.  The power of fire to transform is so magical, like nothing else on earth.  Matter cannot be created nor destroyed, yet when we place an object in the fire (say, an offering or a prayer) that object is instantly and utterly transformed. It is reduced to almost nothing before our eyes- ashes and smoke; hardly anything is left of it in our world for us to see. Surely the offering/prayer has been sent to the realm of Spirit. This is powerful symbolism.  This is deep magic.

So too is the magic of water and the well.  Water is the source of all life. Water seeps deep into the earth, combining with earth energy and the realm of the dead, making water a conduit for deep spiritual connection. What many people don’t know though, is that water remembers. It holds all the knowledge and experience it has acquired.  So too, may it carry our prayers and offerings to deeper realms.  And the tree?  The tree traverses all worlds, at once reaching deep into the earth and far into the sky. They hold our world together and give us the air we breathe. In my reasearch into Ozark folk magic, a great deal of what I found has to do with tree magic. (So it seems to me that there should be a natural Ozark-Druid connection.)

All these things and ideas have made me fall in love with Ár nDraíocht Féin like never before.  The things I took for granted are still there; the liturgy, songs, cosmology…  and I’m finding new meaning in things I didn’t fully understand; the role of the Gatekeeper and the Triple Hallows…  Also, I’m finding that I really groove with the balance of scholarship and inspiration; they reconstruct but are not ‘reconstructionists’.  There is also a well tuned balance of structure and freedom.

And then there is also the feel of the group; how can a religious tradition at once be so laid back and homey and at the same time so eloquent and meaningful in their liturgy and ritual style?  I don’t know, but they have figured out how to do it.  Ár nDraíocht Féin is a classic, and I am proud to say, my religion.

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Me and Ár nDraíocht Féin

March 22, 2011 at 6:43 am (spirituality)
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Those of you who follow my blog have probably read my rambling on the different types of Paganism I’ve tried on for size; my journeys from Wicca to Celtic Reconstructionism (CR), to ADF Druidry (Ár nDraíocht Féin), to Gnosticism, then back full circle revisiting them all again.  The two that seem to resound with me the most are CR and ADF.

A while back I was reading Facebook and came across a video someone had posted titled “A Druid Dialog: What is ADF?”.  Suddenly it made me miss being a member of ADF.  Kirk Thomas is an dynamic speaker, and I can’t think of anyone who could be a better leader of the organization.  I think part of my reflecting back on ADF is that I miss being a member of a larger Pagan organization and the sense of belonging that comes with it.  I went to YouTube and started watching ADF videos and came across one of my favorite ritual songs ever- the “Portal Song”.  Oh how I love that song!  I feel such nostalgia for the music, the liturgy, and the ritual style.   I realize that, even as a CR, I still use a lot of ADF terminology and liturgy.  Even more, most of the philosophy has stuck with me through the years.

It’s been twice that I joined ADF- the first time was is in 2001, then again in 2009.  Both times I let my membership drop after a year.  The first time it was because there were no local groups to join, and the second time it was because I felt I didn’t fit in with the local group, and I was feeling that ADF style rituals seemed too elaborate.  Also I wanted something specifically Celtic.  Now I find myself wanting to re-examine it all again.  It’s not like I’m going to join a local grove or anything (I‘m involved in a mixed Pagan group right now), but I’m starting to want to go back and finish the Dedicant program, just for my personal satisfaction.  I want to actually make those ADF prayer/ritual beads that I planned out.

What I think I need to do is a “pros & cons” kind of thing…

Ritual:  ADF rituals include a few things I usually leave out as a Celtic Reconstructionist.  Upon close examination, many of these things are not something that I would disagree with, it’s just that I think they are not necessary.  And actually, many of them are not “required”.  The only “required” ritual step (for the ritual to be considered ADF), that I am not real fond of, is the Gatekeeper invocation.  I have noticed that some CR folk do this though, so there must be some kind of historical precedent for it.  And although I’m not that fond of routinely calling on a “Gatekeeper”, I am resounding, as never before, with the symbolism of the Sacred Center of Well, Fire, and Tree and the reality that they are portals to communicating (more effectively, perhaps) with the Spirits.

I don’t like the “Outsider offering”, but as far as I can tell, it’s not a required item.

I also don’t agree with the idea of taking an omen to see if the Spirits accepted the offering.  I think the Spirits accept whatever we offer them if given in love…
“If one offers me a simple leaf, fruit, or flower with love and devotion, I will accept it.”  - Bhagavad Gita
I’ve noticed however, that in many of the rituals (that I’ve read on the website lately), the omen portion of the ritual is used just to divine the nature of the return blessing, not to judge the worthiness of the sacrifice.  This I would be more in agreement with.

And well, I guess that’s it about ritual.  I’m looking at the “ADF Core Order of Ritual” and finding nothing else to disagree with.  Could it have been that I just built up the ritual structure in my mind to be something too elaborate?  Some may think it a moot point anyway; an ADF member once told me that one’s personal practice need not be effected by ADF’s protocol.  However, I think it’s a matter of principle; shouldn’t one agree with ADF’s ritual style for it to be one’s spiritual path?  It appears that, except for a couple of little things, I do agree with the ritual structure.

Can I find any other disagreements with ADF in general?  At one time I would have preferred a Celtic-only group.  But at this point I like the freedom of being able to explore the entire Indo-European spectrum.  I’ve been into Hindu-Celtic connections lately, so Vedism might be interesting to explore.  (I just want my Celtic feast days to remain Celtic.)
Who knows, this time I might make ADF my long-term spiritual home- my personal practice, whatever group I may be in.

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A Family Imbolc Ritual (ADF style)

January 23, 2010 at 2:30 pm (Holidays, spirituality)
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This is an indoor ritual- read “preparing for an indoor ritual” for a list of basic ritual supplies and explanations of ADF style liturgy. Advance preparations: clean and bless house and put up Bríde’s crosses above openings to the home. Make sure all Yule decorations are cleared/packed away (or if they were real greenery- burnt).

Additional supplies needed for this ritual:
~a Bríde’s Girdle,
~Bríde doll & basket with wand,
~have the basket for the Bríde doll on the ledge of the hearth or on the altar (and have someone designated to bring her in and place her in the basket after her invocation),
~white candles- one for each participant,
~non-alcoholic milk punch or mead are good choices for the blessing cup.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Beginning the Rite:
Purification: All pass through Bríde’s Girdle, after which someone anoints all with water on the forehead, hands, and feet.
A bell is chimed to signify the beginning of ritual.
Statement of Purpose  “We gather now as our ancestors did, to worship the Old Ones and commemorate the turning seasons of the year. It is the time of Imbolc. Away goes the hatchling mother of the cold. New life stirs in the belly of Mother Earth. We have purified our home and have made ready for welcoming the great goddess Bríde.”
Honoring the Earth Mother  “We begin by honoring the Earth Mother, sacred, ancient…” (All bend and touch the floor. An offering is made.) “We pray for your blessings and may you uphold this rite.”

Cosmos
Triple Center: chant the Portal Song while lighting a hearth fire or candle and making offerings to each of the hallows.  Do the Two Powers Meditation
then acknowledge the Three Realms: “As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be, we stand at the center of Land, Sky, and Sea.”
Opening the Gates  “By the bright magic of the Fire, by the deep magic of the Well, and by the World Tree that connects us all, Mannanan, accept our offerings and let the gates be opened.”

Inviting and offering to the Three Kindreds
“To our Ancestors, we give offering and welcome. To the Nature Spirits, we give offering and welcome. To our Deities, we give offering and welcome. Kindred Three, join with us as we honor the turning of the seasons to the time of Imbolc. May you bless and uphold our rite.”
chant: Gods and Dead and Mighty Sidhe

Candles are passed around, then a flame is passed around lighting handheld candles.

Inviting and Offering to Bríde
“We are calling upon Bríde- Queen of the Hearth and Flame,
Midwife and healer, Poet and Seer, Lady of the Mantles…”

“Bríde, Bríde, come thou in, thy bed is made.”

ALL CHANT SOFTLY THREE TIMES:
“Let Bríde come in, Bríde is welcome.”

The Bríde doll and wand are brought in and placed in the basket. All proceed to come to the hearth/altar to place their candles around and about the basket and give offerings.

Final Offerings and Prayer of Offering
Now is the time for personal offerings and praise offerings (songs, poetry, etc.).
Final offerings- give what is left of your offerings- you may choose to save one last thing for right after the prayer of offering.
“Kindred Three, may you accept our offerings. Gentle Bríde, we have welcomed you on your blessed day, may you accept our offerings, and may we always be under your mantle.”

Omen
Seer takes omen (by his/her preferred method) to determine the family’s blessings for the coming season, and shares results.

Calling for the Blessings:
“Bright Bríde, Kindred Three, we have given you offering, now we ask for your blessing…we ask for ______… Kindred, bless us with ______ as we drink from the blessing cup! Behold, the waters of life!”
ALL: “Behold, the waters of life!”
While the blessing cup is being dispensed/drank, all chant:
Pour the Waters (first verse)

Workings, if any

Thanking the Spirits (Call & Response)
“Let us give thanks to the Spirits of our rite.”
“Gentle Bríde, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“Kindred Three, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“The Hallows of Fire, Well and Tree, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“Realms of Earth, Sky, and Sea, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“Mother Earth, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“Mannanan, Gatekeeper, we thank you.”
All: “We thank you.”
“And may the gates of the worlds be closed. Our rite is at an end.”
All: “As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be.”
~Ring a bell three times.

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preparing for an indoor family ritual

January 23, 2010 at 6:51 am (Holidays, spirituality)
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Setting Up an ADF Home Shrine
In Ár nDraíocht Féin, rituals center around what are called the triple center; the three hallows of fire, well, and tree.    These are considered our connection to the Otherworld.  They are also a conduit by which we make our offerings to the Three Kindreds; the ancestors, nature spirits, and deities.  You may also want to have representations of the Three Kindred on your shrine, though it is not absolutely necessary.

A Hearth Shrine
Ideally, the family shrine would be on a fireplace mantle and the hallowed fire kindled in the fireplace.  The fireplace is a threshold of magic.  The fire lit inside the fireplace becomes one of the three hallows for ritual.  A bowl or cauldron of water  may be used to represent the well hallow and placed in front of the fireplace or on the mantle.  The tree hallow may be represented by a stick, some kind of artistic representation, or even by a real miniature tree, and placed in the center of the fireplace mantle.
An advantage to having a fireplace shrine, is that you can toss offerings directly into the flames.  You will want to have an offering bowl on your mantle as well, to hold offerings that you’ll want to take outside later.
A Table Shrine
Not all of us are fortunate enough to have a fireplace, but setting up a shrine on a table or shelf is much the same as for a fireplace mantle.  The main difference is that you’ll need to add a candle or oil lamp to represent your fire hallow.  I use three candles, representing the Three Kindreds.  When using candles, you won’t be able to toss offerings directly into the flames, so you will need to have an incense burner as well.

Offerings
You will notice that the rituals I post here emphasize making offerings.  If you have read some of the articles on adf.org, you will notice that they call offerings “sacrifice”.  They mean the same thing I mean and vice versa.  Before you begin ritual, you need to decide what kinds of offerings you are going to use, how much of it you will need, and have it all ready and close to your shrine/altar.  For offering to the Earth Mother, I like to use a little grain, cornmeal, or seeds.  The hallows are offered to as well.  Usually its silver (like a silver coin) to the well, incense to the fire, and the tree is sprinkled with water from the well and censed with incense.  Offerings to the Three Kindred can be food (a portion of the feast to follow), grains, beverages of many sorts, and in addition to this- songs, poetry, or any other talents you can perform in honor of the Kindreds can also be given as an offering.
Omen
The purpose of the omen is to determine what sort of blessing the Spirits offer in return for our offerings.  Use whatever form of divination you are most comfortable with.  Some within ADF believe that the omen is also to determine whether or not the Spirits have even accepted our offerings- personally, I disagree.  Also, I feel that taking an omen isn’t necessary for all rituals, but I usually include it in the seasonal rituals that I write.
Blessing Cup
After a prayer for blessing, all drink in the blessing in the form of the ‘waters of life’.  This can be water, juice, mead… whatever is appropriate for the occasion and ritual attendees.  If you are concerned about getting germs from all sharing the same cup, you can have individual blessing cups for everyone and dip out the waters of life with a ladle from a large punch bowl or cauldron.   In the rituals I have written, I have left blanks in the “prayer of blessing”, so that it can be customized/ personalized. So you may want to think ahead about what to ask for.
Other Notes
~Read through the ritual carefully before you start to make sure you have all supplies ready- don’t forget the matches.  You may also want a bell to signify the beginning and end of the ritual.
~Divide up speaking/action parts among participants.  You may want to choose the youngest member of the household to be official bell ringer- if s/he has the restraint to ring only before and after the ritual!
~Learn chants ahead of time.
~Don’t forget the food!  Celtic rites are generally followed by feasting.

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House Purifications and Blessings

January 15, 2010 at 6:28 am (Chants & Songs, folkways, incantation, spirituality)
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The days leading up to Imbolc are traditionally set aside for thorough house cleaning and purification. To “sain” is to ritually purify and bless- usually with water and smoke. This saining ritual is based on Scottish tradition and was traditionally done on New Year’s day, but also seems to be a fitting way to prepare for Imbolc. You can go straight from the saining ritual into doing the house blessing & protection ritual.

Saining
 Preparation:
~A few days ahead of time, gather juniper branches and lay out to dry. Then gather together and tie into a bundle. Find a flameproof dish to have ready for catching ashes and sparks.
~Gather water from a spiritually significant source. (Be sure to thank the guardian of the spring/stream etc. and leave an offering of silver.) Make sure the water is safe to drink, if opting to drink it as part of the ritual.
~Do a thorough physical house cleaning. (Clean like the Mother of the Gods is about to pay you a visit.)
Ritual:
~Gather the family around the household hearth/altar.
~Pass the water around sunwise for everyone to anoint their face and/or drink.
~Take the water around the house and sprinkle in all the corners of every room of the house.
~Light the juniper branches and get them to smoking. Fan the smoke around each member of the household and in all the corners of every room of the house.

House Blessing
 Preparations: This rite is to take place in the heart of the home. You will also be walking around to all parts of the home with a candle to do the blessing. Ideally, the family shrine would be on a fireplace mantle and the sacred fire kindled in the fireplace. If there is no fireplace, use candle(s) or a oil lamp instead. The shrine/altar should have representations of the other two hallows as well- the tree (represented in art or as a wooden stick), and well (a bowl or cauldron of water). Read over the ritual and determine what offerings are needed and how much. Also have a bowl on the altar to place offerings in, to be taken outside after the ritual. If the ritual is to be done around a fireplace, some of the offerings may go directly into the fire. You will also need Bríde’s crosses or other house protection talismans to hang over all entrances to your house.  Divide up speaking parts among participants.
[Do a simple purification with water if not doing a saining just before this ritual.]

~Ring a bell to signify the beginning of ritual.
~Statement of purpose: “On this day we gather to ask the gods and goddesses to bless and protect this house and all residing herein. We pledge to honor them and keep the old ways in exchange for this protection.”
~Honoring the Earth Mother: “Anu, Earth Mother, our foundation, living and strong, we honor you this day and give you offering.”
~Chant the Portal Song for the Triple Center while lighting a hearth fire or candle and making offerings to each of the hallows.
~Two Powers Meditation and honoring the Three Realms: “As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be, we stand at the center of Land, Sky, and Sea.”
~Gatekeeper invocation and offering: “Mannanan, Guardian of the Gates, hear our call. Accept our offering to you. May the Triple Center of Well, Tree, ad Fire open as a gate between the worlds.”
~Three Kindred Invocations and offerings:
“Blessed Ancestors, welcome. Accept our offerings and watch over us.”
“Guardians of Nature, welcome. Be at peace with us and accept our offerings.”
“Shining Ones, gods and goddesses of old, welcome.  Bríde and Dagda, welcome.  Accept our offerings and may we be under your protection.”

Light a candle and bring it to the doorways, hearth and the corners of each room while reciting this blessing:

“May Bríde give blessing, and the Dagda give protection
to the house that is here-
Both crest and frame, both stone and beam,
Both clay and wattle; both summit and foundation;
Both window and timber; both foot and head;
Both woman and man; both young and old-
May this house and family be under the protection of the gods and goddesses.
Banished are all malevolent spirits and disruptive forces.”

Place Bríde’s crosses above all entrances to the home.
Recite this Celtic house blessing:

“May this house be founded
On the goodness of Mother Earth.
May the walls of this house be blessed
By the four winds of the heavens.
May the roof of this house be guarded
By the heights of the stars above.
So that all who live in this house, all who seek shelter in this house,
All who strive, protected by this house, find hope and strength to live,
Find love and joy to give, find faith and meaning in their destiny.”

~Thanks and ending:
“We offer our thanks to Dagda and to Bríde.
We give thanks to the Kindreds Three.
To the Fire, Well and Tree, and to the Earth, Sky, and Sea, we offer our thanks.
To the Gatekeeper, we offer our thanks, and may the gates of the worlds be closed.
We give thanks to Mother Earth upon which we stand. Our rite is at an end.”

All say as candles are put out:
“As it was, as it is, as it evermore shall be.”

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adapting the ADF ritual format to a family-style setting

January 13, 2010 at 6:28 am (Holidays, Pagan Parenting, spirituality)
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Those of you have been reading along since the beginning know that I have a few idiosyncrasies concerning the details of Pagan ritual. I have come to dislike the set up of Wiccan rituals. (“Casting circles” has no meaning nor purpose for me, and I’m ambivalent about “calling directions”.) My ideal preference is for Celtic Reconstructionist rituals, but there are a lot of things I like about ADF rituals. I became a member of ADF because I identify with their worldview and cosmology, I am inspired by much of their liturgy and chants/songs, and its easier to find fellow ADF members that it is to find other CR Pagans locally- and having Pagan community is very important to me.

Having said that, there are a few things about ADF-style rituals that I have seen fit to adapt for “home rituals”- that is, rituals where it is just the family, or family and friends. According to the “ADF Core Order of Ritual”, there are just three things absolutely necessary for a ritual to be considered “ADF style”, and these are #1 Purification (and it must take place before Opening the Gates), #2 Establishing a Sacred Cosmos including: Three Worlds/ Realms, and establishing a Sacred Triple Center, with fire being an essential component (most common set-up is fire/well/tree), and #3 calling a Gatekeeper to open the gates between the worlds.

Much to my surprise, the Core Order does not include a propriation to the “outsiders”- which is something that most ADF rituals have. For those who are unfamiliar with this, in ADF rituals, an offering is commonly made to the outsiders- any spirit beings who are unfriendly to our deities/spirits. Essentially, it is a bribe to leave us alone while we do our ritual. I have always had reservations about this aspect of ritual. If you leave food out for the dogs, won’t they keep coming back? And if malevolent spirits really want to disrupt our rites, are they really going to be appeased with some ale poured out on the ground for them? Offering to the Outsiders just seems like another addition to an already elaborate ceremony. I think family style rituals should be simple, with an emphasis on the customs of the holiday being celebrated, and deities being worshipped. I prefer this alternative to appeasing the “outsiders”– do a blessing & protection ritual on the ritual area (the whole house and/or area of your yard) that you use on a regular basis. (In Norse tradition, this is called a warding.) Doing one of these warding type of rituals once a year should suffice, and can be reinforced through simple prayers on a regular basis. (I will include an example of a house blessing and protection rite in my next post.)  If doing a spontaneous ritual in an unfamiliar place, I would think that a simple purification and protection prayer would suffice instead of an outsider propriation- the blessing and protection rite isn’t just for your house or ritual space but also works as protection on yourself and family.

Other adaptations of the ADF format to more simplistic family style rituals would be adapting the nature of the language used in liturgy. References to “our grove” would naturally be changed to “our family (and friends)” or “our household/hearth”. Simple and short invocations would be used, and songs/chants that appeal to all ages strategically placed. Favorite phrasing, call and response, classic elements memorized for each ritual would add special significance for younger members. This is the type of liturgy framework I’ve been working on, and which I will share with you, my readers, during the course of this year.

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a new start – with Ár nDraíocht Féin

November 2, 2009 at 1:43 am (spirituality)
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Well, for us Celtic Pagans, the new year is finally here! For me, this season is one of changes.

Back in July, and for various reasons, I started feeling like I was drifting away from the (loosely Wicca-based) group that I’m in. I won’t go into all the reasons for that here, but if you really want to know, you can call me up for a chat over coffee. I suspect that I will still play some kind of part in WOL from time to time, but probably not like I have in the past.

You may remember me writing about my struggle between Celtic Reconstructionism and Wicca, and my brief stint as a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF) in 2001. (Due to all the changes occurring in my life at the time, plus the reality that there was no other ADF members in the area at the time, I didn’t renew.) Through the years since, I have often referred back to the ADF website for inspiration in writing ritual invocations, and finding useful chants. More and more, I found myself going back to that website, especially over the past year. Then I found that the few things that I didn’t like about ADF before (like previously unfamiliar parts of ritual like “outsiders offering” and “gatekeeper invocation”) began to really click with me and I seem to understand them in a way I didn’t before. I rediscovered the deep meaning of the Triple Center- Well, Tree, and Fire. And the “Three Kindreds” is a way of thinking of the Spirits that has stuck with me ever since I learned of it from ADF back in 2001. I began to realize that there is no other Pagan “denomination” that fits my beliefs as well as ADF.

So a couple of weeks ago, I decided to rejoin. I am really excited about it! I have begun work on the dedicant study program, and went to my first ADF ritual on Samhain. The ritual was very powerful and meaningful.

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