The outdwellers are the spirits that are not from our tribe, or that chaos is part of their make up. We make a small offering to them as a way to honor them, so as not to cause offense, but to also ask them to leave us alone as we do the work of ritual. I like the way I heard a friend describe it as a, “here take this and go away,” offering. I have often heard the idea of purification being a way to deal with the outdwellers who have traveled in with us. In many ways the outdwellers remind me of the darkness beyond our family fire while camping. Out in the dark where we have not staked our claim to own the space are things we can not, nor wish to try to control. When our grove is in a space we have done ritual in many times, we tend not to give offerings to the outdwellers, since it is felt that the land and space have already been well and truly claimed by past actions. Our past use of the space has set that boundary of darkness back even further by our fire and presence. Much like if we had brought a flood light in with us, instead of just a small camp fire. Where the light hits is ours, and beyond that is the wild of chaos.
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The three major symbols of ADF are the fire, well, and tree. I wanted to provide a quick look at what these symbols are all about (at least to me). Fire is truly a gift from the Gods. It gives the ability to see in the dark, and to cook our food. It transforms wood to ash, and heats our homes. The acquiring of fire is often considered to be what allowed humans to evolve as far as we have come. Fire has often been seen as a deity itself and examples can be seen in Agni, Hestia, and Bride. In Loki we have the trickster fire that can shape-shift and cause great havoc, but who also gives great gifts when in the mood. Fire seems to be a major component of most ancient religions. In the Greek religion it is said that the fire of sacrifice was a gift of Prometheus, who later negotiated on behalf of the humans for what parts of the sacrifice would be given to the Gods and what would be kept for human consumption. The fire was what transformed the offerings into something that the Gods could consume and enjoy. Mircea Eliade wrote in The Forge and the Crucible, “It is through fire that nature is changed, making it the basis of the most ancient magics.” (p. 170) . Fire was also used as a way to claim the land and space for either the nation or the family. The family fire was the place to gather for private devotions, while state fires provided the place where public rites would be held. Wells are the by-product of both human labour and of nature’s gifts. A human digs deep into the Earth to find this substance that makes life possible. Water is not something humans can make on their own, unlike fire. Wells have long been seen as places where spirits live, and this is not hard to understand when considering a deep echoey shaft that seems to go down into the underworld itself. In ADF the well is the doorway into the underworld; the land of our ancestors. Wells are also seen as a source of wisdom. I would argue this also comes from an association of the well going deep into the ground where the ancestors dwell. We can see this in the Norse culture with the well of Mimir when Odin offers his eye to the well in exchange for great wisdom. To me the evolutionary tree of life is the perfect picture of all of nature’s abundance and diversity. It connects every form of life on the planet into one huge family. This is why I see the tree as the perfect gateway for the nature spirits in ADF ritual. The roots reach deep into the ground where the ancestors dwell, while the branches reach high into the sky where the deities exist. The tree is also a type of axis mundi. An axis mundi is a symbolic pole or structure that proclaims a place at the center of the universe or at least the world. The axis mundi connects the heavens and the Earth. The tree is both an axis mundi and perfect picture of life on Earth. Our very first Grove retreat is over and man howdy am I a wiped girl. I am not a people person by any stretch of the imagination. I am a shy introvert who requires a great deal of time to myself to recharge my battery. Playing host to close to 30 people is not something I consider doing every day, but this event was well worth every ounce of energy put into it. It was so worth it, that I am already planning next year’s event in my head. Bigger, better, longer, and yes, I am talking about the next retreat and not something else.
For opening ritual I wanted to give people a chance to turn their intentions for the day into some form of physical action. I personally feel that more can be gotten if clear goals are stated up front. In this case, the folk lit candles and whispered their intentions to the flame. We asked as a community for Hephaestus to take our thoughts and ideas, and make them into reality. I am unsure how well this ritual was received, and will freely admit it was not my strongest work. I am not normally nervous about standing up in front of people, but this opening made my belly do flips flops, and then add a jump rope trick or two just to be sure. I didn’t get any complaints, so it must have been somewhat decent. The first workshop was fantastic. Michael covered all the different types of prayer, including: Adoratory prayers, Thanksgiving, Petitionary/ Supplication, Expiatory prayers (prayers that ask for forgiveness), Loving, and Meditative prayers. Michael made sure to expand upon Expiatory prayers, and when and why they might be needed, even though we do not really have a concept of sin in Paganism. The part that stood out most to me was the idea of writing prayers down. Good prayers are best when they are able to be used again. Drum then took over and gave us ideas on how to take the different types of prayer and use them in a single hearth culture. He gave wonderful examples of how he uses them with his own Irish hearth. The hands on activity of writing our own prayers was very helpful, and I hope others enjoyed doing this as much as I did. The second workshop was the one I was looking forward to the most. I have a very hard time connecting with my ancestors, mostly because my relationship with my living family is nearly nonexistent. Drum did such a brilliant job of explaining who the different types of ancestors are, and how they play into his personal druidry. He talked about the ancestors of the bone, those who had lived on this land before we came, and I truly think I have a better relationship with them than I do with ancestors of the blood. One thing I am going to work on is asking my blood ancestors for help in how to deal with living relatives. Maybe, with their help, I can improve both relationships with them and those living. The last workshop was ritual basics. This is where Amanda screwed the pooch. I lost track of time hanging out with folk, and didn’t get the workshop started till way late. Poor Michael probably had a huge amount more to say, but I cut him off so that ritual wouldn’t start way late as well. This was a very important workshop, full of great ideas for how to do good ritual. Too bad I promptly ignored it all when we did the full ritual right afterwards. Just kidding! Well, mostly, but in my defense the ritual was written well before hand, and wasn’t gonna change it minutes before we used the script. Michael spoke about how to arrange the altar and people so that everyone could hear and see what was going on. He also talked about intentional movement, something I tend to be bad at. If you read this, I should add that I am so very sorry Michael. I wish I hadn’t started so late, so that we could have heard more. Last came the full ADF COoR rite in honor of Athena, Metis, Prometheus, and Epimetheus. I truly feel that they felt honored and pleased with the ritual. I led a real quick path working so that people might have a chance to meet these wonderful deities that don’t get the love they deserve (not that I am biased or anything). Afterwords, Michael and Drum talked about how we do some things differently in our Grove, and that there might even be stuff that they might steal. I really wished I had asked what was different and what they were taking (this way I’d know what bits we were doing well enough to consider taking). I don’t get a lot of feedback generally, so I am hoping that anyone who was there will leave some thoughts in comments. I really would like to know what we do well, and what could use some work. In general if you went and would like to leave a quick note for what you’d like to see for next year, I’d greatly appreciate it. I would also like to add that I am grateful for those brewers willing to share their wonderful yummies. Next year can only be better. To the stars we go! Ad Astra! This is the ritual we did for the first ever Ad Astra Druid retreat in honor of Metis, Athena, Epimetheus, and Prometheus. In the end we had some very good omens. The ancestors gave us, "let two become one." The Nature Spirits gave us, "wash away your burdens." The Theoi gave us, "time to reflect." I feel ritual went extremely well and that the beings of the occasion were very pleased.
Initiating the Rite Establishing the Group Mind Purification - This must take place prior to Opening the Gates Honoring the Earth Mother: Gaia, great mother of us all. You allow us to walk across your back, to dig into your skin, and benefit from your great wealth of gifts. We wish to offer back to you. We wish to show how much we appreciate everything you do for us. Mother Gaia accept our sacrifice. Statement of Purpose: We come as a community to put into practice what we have learned today. We wish to honor our dead, to connect to the spirits of this land and place, and to create relationship with the Theoi, those worthy of worship. We bring the bonds of our community in this act of piety and worship act as a first offering to our mighty Kindreds. Well: Water running deep into the soil and rock, doorway to the land of Ploutōn who is the ruler of all the is under the ground. Here is where our dead rest and are protected by him, till they might deep from the river and be reborn into this world. You act as a gate into this land where our might ancestor dwell. Accept this offering of silver as our way to honor you as you open the way for our dead to join us for this rite. Fire: Bright flame, shining up to the heavens where the Theoi dwell. You are a beacon that can guide those worthy of worship to our side. You take our sacrifices and transform them into what is acceptable, and wish to honor you for the service you give us both mystical and mundane. Tree: Might tree, you whose branches reach into the heavens, and whose roots dig deep into the Earth. You stand between all worlds and are the structure of order for all. Our own evolution is a refection of your shape. You act as a connection to all life that walks on Gaia’s back. Act today as a doorway for those spirits that share this land and space to join with us. Accept this offering as our way to honor you. Opening the Gates- Hermes Ancestors: Mighty dead, whose shoulders we stand upon. Your sacrifices and lives are what make our lives possible. You watch over us, your children, and give wisdom and guidance when needed, linking us to you, and to each other. You are blood of our blood, bone of our bone, spirit of our spirit. We offer you bread from our table to honor, feed, bless, and please you. Come through the gate of the well and join us for this rite. Ancestors accept our sacrifice. Nature Spirits: Sprits of this land and of this place, you who share space with us, we wish to live in harmony with you in the bonds of Ghosti. Please came to us through the gate of the tree, and join us here as we share community with the Kindreds. Nature spirits accept this offering of seeds and may it honor, feed, bless and please you. Nature spirits, accept our sacrifice. Theoi: Shining Theoi, worthy of worship and praise. Your gifts feed our souls and our bodies. You are the beings we long for as our days progress. Let the fire call to you, and lead you here. Come share this space and create community with us. With wors and gifts we offer to the Gods, calling them here. Accept this gift of honey wine. May it honor, feed, bless, and please you. Theoi, accept our sacrifice. Key Offerings Invitation of Beings of the Occasion: Metis: Metis, Titaness of wisdom and deep thought, whose craft and wit excelled among the mighty ones, Goddess of magical cunning married to deep wisdom, mother of Athena and Porus, God of creative ingenuity. We do know you as well as we wish. Please make yourself known to us during this time. May all your mysteries surround us and be made known. May we open ourselves up to your many gifts. With this sacrifice, we establish hospitality with you. We act as host today, that you may be host for us another day. Metis, accept this sacrifice. Athena: Athena, illustrious goddess with sharp grey eyes, daughter of Zeus and Metis. Crafty one, mother of art in all your abundance, catalyst of progress! Patron of war and wisdom, mother of democracy and protector of the people, please come to the fire and and join us in this space. Your blessings fall on those whose work is of the mind--friend of the philosopher, the scientist, the student. Advisor of kings, patron of clever heroes and bold-hearted adventurers, defender of the thinker, mistress of reason and understanding We wish to honor you, to know you, and to be known by you. With this sacrifice, we establish hospitality with you. We act as host today, that you may be host for us another day. Athena, accept this sacrifice. Prometheus: Prometheus, whose name means fore thought, you worked with your brother Epimetheus to create the human race from clay. You are anticipation that brings awakening. You gave us the gift of fire that we might have technology to survive, but also that we might have a means to give sacrifices and be in relationship with the Theoi. You are the one who negotiated how the sacrifices would be offered, and have always stood as an advocate of the human race. Champion of humanity, intelligent trickster, please join us here in this space. We wish to honor you and your gifts. With this sacrifice, we establish hospitality with you. We act as host today, that you may be host for us another day. Prometheus, accept this sacrifice. Epimethus: Epimetheus, your name means after thought, and you are the co-creator of the human race. You are Awe, forever lingering in the moment, giver of wakefulness and understanding of the gifts that have been given. You teach us what is of most value. You are the gift of reflection, of learning form our past, and you are experience that continues to create who we are today. You are what makes community possible, and what makes it grow strong and healthy. You teach us what it means to be human. We wish to honor you and your gifts. With this sacrifice, we establish hospitality with you. We act as host today, that you may be host for us another day. Epimetheus, accept this sacrifice. Praise Offerings Prayer of Sacrifice Omen Calling (asking) for the Blessings Working: Pathwork Thanking the Beings Closing the Gate(s) Thanking the Earth Mother Closing the Rite Ms. Amanda Godwin has been kind enough to take my rather horrid scratches for a Grove Logo, and turn it into something amazing. With a Huge waves, smile, and much deserved, "Thank You!" I give you, the new Grove Logo!
The clergy are coming! The clergy are coming! One serious disadvantage to being in a minority faith that requires a great deal of training before a person is allowed to call themselves “clergy,” is that the clergy are a bit few, and far between. There are no ADF clergy members in Kansas. The clergy training program is very intense, and even once clergy status is obtained, continued education is required to maintain that status. Needless to say, it is a huge commitment of time and energy. This means we have clergy who know what they are talking about, but it also means that many people are without clergy in their area of the country.
ADF has a traveling clergy program that helps small Groves like Ad Astra have a chance to experience time with clergy. The program provides a small amount of money to help the clergy pay for travel costs, but I suspect that a great deal of money still comes out of pocket. Ad Astra is extremely blessed to be having two priests coming out for our retreat. They will be spending time hanging out, answering questions, doing ritual, as well as leading workshops. Since we do not have paid clergy in ADF, these wonderful folk have had to take time off from day jobs to come out to see us. The sacrifice of time, energy, and money that our priests are putting out amazes and humbles me. “So, who’s coming?” you ask. Rev. Jean (Drum) Pagano, is the current Vice Arch Druid, ADF ListMaster, Manager of the ADF Store, and the reason that our Grove exists at all. I met Drum while up at a festival in Michigan, where he proceeded to talk me into starting a Proto Grove (even though I was the only ADF member in Topeka and the next closest member was in Missouri). I’m still not quite sure how he did that. He has been an ADF member for 28 years. He is currently a reviewer, and advocate for the ADF Study Programs; and an ADF Journeyman Bard (soon to be Master Bard). Drum has written a number of articles for Oak Leaves, has written a book of poetry entitled “Arise from Vapours”; and has studied and worked with the ogham for 23 years. Drum is also currently a member of Cedarsong Grove. Rev. Michael J Dangler has been an ADF member for 11 years. He is currently an ADF Senior Priest; Preceptor of the ADF Clergy Council; a Past Senior Druid and Grove Priest of Three Cranes Grove, ADF, in Columbus, OH. Anyone who has ever thought about doing the study programs that ADF offers all its members, knows his name. He has written a great deal to help people learn what Druidry is all about and his work appears in Our Own Druidry, the handbook for the ADF Dedicant Path. He runs a Druid shop part time, has a regular day job, is a priest, and runs tons of workshops for ADF. I have met Michael a few times at various festivals and one Pagan Fire Seminar (that he co-founded and led). To say I am excited to have these two here is a bit of an understatement. I was asked by a friend if I felt nervous to have the clergy coming out, since they will be seeing my ritual writing skills first hand. Honestly, I find it weird that I am not. I guess I figured they are coming to help us grow and stretch. I will learn while they are here, and hopefully by the end of our time together, I will put what they are teaching to good use in ritual and make them proud. About a year ago, the University of Missouri put out a guide describing the various religions that could be found on campus and when their holy days occurred. The on-line version of the guide can be found here: http://diversity.missouri.edu/get-involved/religion/holidays.php
47 holidays are listed from a variety of religious traditions. The guide describes how observances of the holiday of any given religion could affect a student’s performance. One example is fasting during Ramadan; the guide recommends: “If possible, avoid scheduling major academic deadlines during this time. Be sensitive to the fact that students and employees celebrating Ramadan will be fasting during the day (continuously for 30 days) and will likely have less stamina as a result. If planning an evening event, provide food accommodations if requested (Islamic dietary restrictions apply).” First off, Mizzou, I want to applaud you. To take note of the holy days of minority religions, as well as the major ones, is a step in the right direction. The university is a place of diversity and to acknowledge that in an official guide, designed to help professors and others know when students may not be at top form for tests and other activities due to commitment to their religious obligations, just makes my heart glow. You are showing how much you care about your students, and how much you want them to succeed in their education. The Pew Research Center and the most recent US census estimate the Pagan population to be between 900,000 to 1.2 million. Growth of Pagan religions over the last decade was close to 28%, as compared to the 3% of Christendom as a whole, and the negative growth of Protestantism here in the US. Many Pagans still remain in the closet about their religious beliefs for fear of persecution in the form of loss of jobs, housing, and children. This makes it extremely difficult to find out exactly what our numbers really are. While Paganism, as an umbrella term for a host of different religions, is far from becoming even one of the top three largest religions in this country, we are steadily growing and we are not going away anytime soon. I should also add that “Pagan” does not necessarily equal Wiccan, though Wicca is the largest portion of the Pagan population (just as Evangelical Christians are larger in the Christian population than Catholics, but still get lumped together as Christian in polls). With all this said, here enters Fox News. They had both an on-line article as well as a segment on “Fox and Friends” where they addressed the guide that Mizzou had put out. If you want to be sure I am not making this up, you can read the on-line article here: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/02/17/university-missouri-guide-asks-professors-to-accommodate-wiccan-pagan-holidays/ , as well as watch a clip of the “Fox and Friends” show here: http://mediamatters.org/embed/static/clips/2013/02/17/28929/fnc-fnf-20130217-wiccan Tammy Bruce, radio host of the nationally syndicated “Tammy Bruce Show” and Fox News contributor, said she found the guide to be indicative of an unbecoming societal shift. “It almost seems as though we’re looking for excuses for people to not have to take their commitments seriously,” Bruce told FoxNews.com. “It’s beyond political correctness; it’s almost like an excuse to do nothing. It’s like societal nihilism, where nothing matters.” Tucker Carlson adds, “Every Wiccan I have ever know is either compulsive Dungeons and Dragons player or is a middle aged, twice divorced, older woman, living in a rural area who works as a midwife.” Forget the fact that the accommodations listed for the Pagan holidays equals zero recommendations. Not even a single, “Don’t schedule tests on these days.” Forget the fact that only 8 holidays are listed for Pagans, and not the 20 they seem to pull out of thin air on “Fox and Friends.” Lastly, forget that in the UK police are allowed to take the 8 Pagan holidays off (so, yes Fox, this does happen in other countries), or that Christians have only one less holiday listed than Pagans (coming in at 7 holidays for the year). The fact they can’t even be bothered to do basic journalism, and then claim in the clip that they are, in fact, journalists, boggles the mind. The break down for the holidays is as follows: Wiccan/Pagan: 8 holidays Hindu: 5 holidays Buddhist: 3 holidays Baha'i: 3 holidays Shinto: 2 holidays Sikh: 2 holidays Jain: 1 holiday Taoist: 1 holiday Confucian: 1 holiday Jewish: 11 holidays Christian (Protestant/Roman Catholic): 7 holidays Christian (E. Orthodox): 4 holidays Islam: 3 holidays So, the highest number of holidays are Jewish. Somehow that didn’t seem to even register with our friends at Fox news. I honestly would have been just as upset if it had. The number of Pagan holidays should not be an issue, just as the number of Christian and Jewish ones shouldn’t. Religion is a very personal, very powerful part of the human experience. We take that experience as little, or as far, as we need or want. That doesn’t mean my religion is any less important to me than it is to my Christian counterparts. This is NOT an attack on Christianity by the “liberals,” nor by the University. This is treating people of minority faiths as fully human people, just as committed to their religion as any one from a more recognized faith tradition. Mizzou, keep up the great job! Fox news, hire real journalists who know how to do a little background research before spouting off, please. There are currently several on-line petitions asking Fox news to apologize. One can be found here: http://www.change.org/petitions/fox-news-make-a-public-apology-for-the-statements-made-about-the-pagan-wiccan-community Another (with 20,000 signatures when I last looked) can be found here: http://www.causes.com/actions/1733105-demand-fox-news-apologize-to-pagans-and-wiccans Our first retreat is quickly approaching, and I am beginning to feel the painfully sweet excitement that comes with anticipation. We will be doing two rituals during the day, that I am writing and rewriting as we speak/ type. The first will be a bit of a down and dirty quick opening for the day. The second will be a full ADF rite to close everything down; a way to incorporate all the workshops of the day into physical action. I think I am more excited for the rituals then I am for the classes, but those are going to rock as well. In preparation I am making daily devotions and meditating on the deities we will be honoring on retreat day. I thought that maybe others would like to do this as well, so I figured a quick introduction to those we will be honoring might not be out of order. Let us start with Metis, (Μῆτις), whose name means, "wisdom," "skill," or "craft". This powerful Titan of cunning wisdom is often times tied to Prometheus, as well as Zeus. Metis was the one who gave Zeus a potion to cause Kronos to vomit out Zeus' brothers and sisters. She is mother of Athena and Poros (creative ingenuity). We are honoring her in hopes that she will grant us wisdom and the skill to apply what will help us most. She is a skilled councilor to whom all the Gods listened to (well, before Zeus ate her), and I know I always need her help. The second Deity we will be honoring is Prometheus (Προμηθεύς), whose name means forethought. Another Titan of clever thought, he is known for his intelligence, and as well as being a champion of humanity. In some stories, he and his brother, Epimetheus, worked together to create humanity out of clay. Prometheus loved humans and wanted to give them the best he could. When it came time for the Gods and humans to agree what part of the sacrifices would go to the Gods and which to humans, Prometheus tricked Zeus into taking the inedible portion and leaving the good meat for the humans. Zeus punished the humans and Prometheus by taking away the gift of fire. This meant that prayers could not reach the Gods, for it was through the sacrifices to the fire that prayers reached the Divinities. The fire was also symbolic of technology and learning. Prometheus once again stood up for humanity and stole the fire from Zeus, returning it to the humans. The punishment Prometheus received for this action was severe, but not eternal. Eventually Zeus relented and allowed Herakles and Chiron to release Prometheus from the rock he was bound to. Next, we have Epimetheus, (Ἐπιμηθεύς), whose name means hindsight, or after thought. Epimetheus is best known for his part in the Pandora story (in which his part is mainly to wed Pandora, and thus allows evil to enter the world through his wife), but he is also the co-creator and co-representative for humanity before the Gods. Les Amis, in his book, "Commemorating Epimetheus", speak of how it is Epimetheus that is credited with gifting with our knowledge of our dependency on each. It is through the gifts of Epimetheus that we humans understand the value of sharing, caring, meeting and dwelling and loving one another. It is through hindsight that we can see what is of most value, each other. This retreat is mostly about community, even as we build that community through the act of learning and celebrating together. I can not think of a better God to ask for help as we do this. Last, but not least, we come to Athena (Ἀθηνᾶ). Athena has so many roles that sometimes it is hard to not to include her in everything I do. She is Goddess of crafts, women's work, democracy, war, and most importantly, reason combined with intelligent activity. She is the daughter of Zeus and Metis, born fully clad in armor and screaming a battle cry that shook the heavens. Although, there are some myths out there that have her as the daughter of Cronus, and thus the sister of Zeus and Hera (This is based on a recorded myth written by Sanchuniathon, as saved for posterity by Eusebius). I will admit that Athena holds a very special place in my heart and on my private altar space. She is the Goddess who opened the door of the Gods to me. She has always taken a special interest in me and we have a fairly powerful relationship. If we think of the ritualist as the axis mundi, then the three-world cosmology is perfectly recreated by the presence of the water (underworld), and fire (upperworld), and this is why these elements are the basic requirements of re-creating the cosmos for ritual purposes. Just as heat and water allow a tree (a common representation of the axis mundi in art and ritual) to survive and thrive, fire and water are two main elements necessary for humans to survive. Without heat and water, many die quickly. Fire and water are also powerful natural phenomena that transform whatever they touch. Water over time cuts through rock, and can create new biomes for life to thrive. While fire acts more quickly than water, its ability to transform is no less impressive. It is thought that the ability to harness the power of fire to transmute our food into something easier to digest was what allowed humans to evolve as rabidly and as far as we have [1]. In ritual, fire transforms our words and sacrifices into structures that are acceptable and accessible to the kindreds. Water acts as a purifier as well as the gateway to the dark underworld of our Ancestors, whose water, in the form of blood, flow through us. It is through fire and water that we connect with the three worlds in a manner that allows for meaningful communication.
1. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/06/invention-of-cooking-drove-evolution-of-the-human-species-new-book-argues/ |
AuthorAmanda Thomas is the Grove Organizer for the Ad Astra Grove. She also serves on the Topeka Interfaith Council. Archives
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