One of the things that sets ADF’s form of ritual apart from the average Wiccan ritual is that we do not cast circles, or the call quarters.  In Wicca, as I understand it, the circle is cast to hold energy in, as well as to keep certain influences out.  The quarters are called as a way to re-create the cosmos and acknowledge the elements that are part of all life. 

We in ADF do indeed re-create the cosmos, but in a different manner.  Instead of the directions, we call the three worlds and Kindreds. We light the fire, honor the well, and acknowledge the Axis Mundi. We do not cast a circle because we do not wish to keep anyone out, and do not need to keep anything in. 

Every ritual includes the Axis Mundi for several rather important reasons.  The Axis Mundi is the center of the world for the space and time of the ritual, and as the center it becomes sacred space around which all others revolve.  It is usually represented as a tree, but can also be viewed as a mountain, or pillar.  I have done a Hellenic ritual that used a stone as the omphalos, or navel of the world. 

The advantage of living on a globe is that every spot on the surface of the Earth can be declared the center of that surface, with all truthfulness and honesty.  There is nothing wrong with declaring several places at once as the center of the surface of the world when you’re on a globe. We can see this in how the ancient Greeks declared the center to be in Delphi, while at the same time having a sacred cosmic tree1 as well as Mount Olympus as centers of the cosmos. Any space can be declared sacred, and in the end there are no off-limits, outside of the local laws, or no-trespassing signs. 

This is something I love about our ritual form.  Being married to a man who studies the universe as a profession, I see the big bang slowly expanding out from a center, while there is no center to the universe, but everywhere is the center, reflected in how we establish the sacred space for our rite. 

We use the Axis Mundi as a connecter to the underworld, upper world, and to this space we inhabit.  It becomes a doorway in which we can cast our voice and call to the Kindreds.  This is not an action to be taken by oneself!  This is why we call a gate keeper to help in the effort it takes to create that bridge. We set our altar, and the fire that burns on it, on the strong back of Mother Earth.  She upholds our actions, just as the fire carries our prayers.  The well, which waters the tree, acts as a gate to the dark underworld, but it is the Axis that connects them all.

Some traditions view the human body as the Axis Mundi.  This can be seen in some forms of Tai Chi and Yoga.  The Chakra system that many have borrowed for their magick workings from Hinduism is a type of human-body Axis Mundi2. Is it any wonder that the Buddha gained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree? Or that in the Old Testament, Jacob met God next to a ladder that was itself an Axis Mundi?3  The Axis connects us to everything, and everything to us.



1.http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Tr-Wa/Trees-in-Mythology.html#b

2.Mircea Eliade (tr. Philip Mairet). 'Indian Symbolisms of Time and Eternity' in Images and Symbols." Princeton, 1991. p.76

Our family has been working on creating sacred space for some time now.  Spaces that allows our souls to grow and be at peace is extremely important to me. I have always encouraged the children to build their own shrines in their bedrooms, but since those are personal to them, and a bit defunct at the moment, I will leave pictures of those two out.  


We have had two separate family shires in the living room over the past few years.  Originally, our family shrine was located in the non-working fireplace.  It was a placement that made sense, since the fireplace has traditionally been the heart of the home, and this was the spiritual heart for our family. The children loved to pray in front of it when the candles were lit, but after the baby came, it was no longer safe to have small shrine objects in such an accessible space.  We have since moved it, in small part, to the fireplace mantle.  The other part has been moved into the kitchen, but more on that in a moment.

On one end of the mantel is where I have pictures of my children, as well as a statue to represent our female ancestors.  I like the idea that they are watching over the children and for me the placement of the pictures are a way to ask for that help.  Next to the pictures and Mothers statue, I have my daily devotional space.  

The daily devotional space is equipped with a three wick candle that is used to start my morning. I begin by lighting a single wick.  I pray first to my Ancestors, “Flesh of my flesh, blood of my blood, bone of my bone, I honor you.”  I light the second wick and pray, “Nature Spirits, Spirits of this land and of this house, I honor you.” The last wick is lit, and I pray, “Great Gods and Goddesses, you who are worthy of worship, I honor you.”  I place my hands, palms facing toward the fire and pray, “May this light feed you, may it honor and strengthen you, may it draw you close to me and my family, that we might grow our relationship, and know one another.”  After this I pick up my prayer beads and pray to honor the Olympians.  The prayer beads have been a very useful and powerful addition to my morning practice.

I also have a shrine in the kitchen space next to the stove.  The remains of what was once the fireplace altar have since migrated here. This is my personal druid shrine, and is complete with a well, tree (the small metal circle as well as three small cuts of a fallen branch), and flame.  From time to time I will add a statue of a deity that I am working with at the moment, but many times I do not keep one there.  Also, I like to add small objects that remind me of nature spirits, or of my ansestors.  In this picture is a candle I made and adorned with a rune, in honor of my Danish Ancestors.  I have feathers from blue jays and cardinals to remind me that I share this space and land with the nature spirits. This is the shrine I like to use as I cook the family meals.  It feels right to include this space as I prepare sustenance for my family, as if it were feeding their souls at the same time as I make what will feed their bodies.  Someday I hope to add something to represent all of the Theoi, instead of singular deities, but I have yet to find the right image or object. 

Outside, we have the family altar under the cedar tree.  When we do ritual as a family, we take our well out and place it on an iron stand.  My husband made this altar with local rocks that were gathered from an obliging river.  It is small, but gorgeous when the fire is going under the shade of that most wonderful evergreen.  We have done several rituals as a family to honor the High days.  I am not sure if I would feel right doing ritual there with anyone who was not family.

Lastly, we have our changing holiday shrine.  We have eight flags, one for each of the different high days.  We also add little trinkets and symbols of the holidays.  Three things do stay on the holiday shrine despite what holiday we are celebrating.  We have a Kachina, who represents the land, we have Athena, who is my patron, and a small statue of Pan who, in my mind at least, bridges the gap between the spirits of this land, and the spirits of the land where my hearth culture comes from.

Each of these places in our home provide a space to grow in our spiritual practice, as well as remind us as a family that there are bigger things that bind us together.  We use these spaces to find peace, comfort, growth, and ourselves.