Ordination Ceremony and Images

In August of 2015 I was granted the honor of being ordained as a First Circle Priest with in the ADF tradition. This was the culmination of 5 years hard work. I wanted to share with you some of the photos from the ceremony. There were three of us being ordained this day; my fellow Druids Amy and Jan. I have added captions to explain the images a bit better. While some might not understand the journey this entailed others know fulling the hard work that was put into finishing this program of study. It compares with getting a bachelors degree in Druidry. Yes, there is that much work and dedication to complete it.   

At this point we are being presented to the people, the Folk and the Kindred.

Here I am making my offering to the Gate Keeper. The three of us who were being ordained decided to make the same type of offering for different aspects of the Gate Keepers which we work with.

Here I am making my personal offering to my spirit and godly allies. Each of us made these offerings, things which we crafted with our own hands in service of the Folk and Kindred.

Here we are making offerings together for the Earth Mother. Again we made offerings to the specific aspects of the Earth Mother we personally work with.

Here are more joint offerings we had.

After the personal offerings were made we each had to take our oaths as Clergy to the Folk and the Kindred. I was extremely honored to have been sworn in by Rev. Jon 'Drum'. This is one of the most wonderful and powered individuals I have ever met.

We each had to have a member of the Folk carry and present our Clergy Stoles. I was so blessed to have a person dear to my heart carry my stole before the Folk for their blessing then place the stole upon me. Thank you so much Bonnie.

It was an emotional moment when the stole was set upon my shoulders. I was not ready for the spiritual weight that it had. Bonnie and I both were in tears at this point.

After the service we took pictures with our fellow Priests. On the left is our Arch Druid, head of our Order, Rev. Kirk Thomas. Next to him is my beloved partner John who has supported me all the way. And to the right is Rev. Michael Dangler.

Core Order of Ritual Devotional Rite

This rite was written and recorded for the ADF Clergy Council as part of my application for ordination. It is a simple rite of devotion based off the ADF Core Order of Ritual (COoR). To be a true ADF rite and to be used as a public ADF rite all rituals must follow the COoR. I now present to you my devotional COoR Rite:

All text in Green are songs. All test in Blue are stage directions.

Ritual Briefing- several people will be attending this rite so well do a small ritual briefing.

Initiating the Rite:

Outsider Offering- (Ring bell 3 times)

Mighty Outdwellers, though your ways are mighty, they are not our ways! We give to you this offering and ask that you leave our working in peace. Mighty Outdwellers, turn from our rite!

Opening Prayer- (have those in attendance hold hands as to be one)

Through the Ancestors we gain courage. Through the Nature Spirits we gain peace. Through the Gods we gain wisdom. Through the Kindred we are whole. May the Kindred be ever in our hearts and homes. And forgive us any errors that we may do while honoring you in this rite.

    

Purification: 

(present the blessed waters to each person present)

May we be washed clean by the waters of the land so that we are pure before the divine.

(Pass incense over each person present)

May we be scented by the fires cleansing smoke so that we are pure before the divine.

Honoring the Earth Mother- (Place offering to the Earth Mother around the Tree)

Glorious Earth Mother, you who are the mother of all, you who sustain us with your breath, you who feed us with your life, you whose body is the ground upon which we stand, we come before you this day. Accept our offering oh Mother! Be with us now and always!

                Song-

    The river is flowing and it is growing.

                The river is flowing down to the sea.

                Mother earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

                Mother earth carry me down to the sea.

                Her sacred ground we walk upon , with every step we take.

                Her sacred ground we walk upon , with every step we take.

                The river is flowing and it is growing.

                The river is flowing down to the sea.

                Mother earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

                Mother earth carry me down to the sea.

                The earth is our mother, we must take care of her.

                The earth is our mother, we must take care of her.

                The river is flowing and it is growing.

                The river is flowing down to the sea.

                Mother earth carry me, your child I'll always be.

                Mother earth carry me down to the sea.

Statement of Purpose

We come before the Kindred this day to honor as did our ancestors before us. We come to keep our Druid way.

(Re)Creating the Cosmos:

Sacred Center-Fire, Well and Tree

By Fire and by Water, between the Earth and Sky
We stand like the World-Tree rooted deep, crowned high. (repeat once) 

(Place silver into the Well)

Come we now to the Well, the eye and the mouth of Earth,
Come we now to the Well, and silver we bring,
Come we now to the Well, the waters of rebirth,
Come we now to the Well, together we sing: 

CHORUS

(Place grain around the Tree)

Gather we at the Tree, the root & the crown of all,
Gather we at the Tree, Below & above,
Gather we at the Tree, Together we make our call,
Gather we at the Tree, In wisdom & love. 

CHORUS 

(Pour drink onto the Fire)

We will kindle a Fire, Bless all, and with harm to none,
We will kindle a Fire, and offering pour,
We will kindle a Fire, A light 'neath the Moon & Sun,
We will kindle a fire, our spirits will soar. 

CHORUS 

Opening the Gates

Gate Keeper- (make offering at each gate as invocation is spoken)

Bright Lady of Torches, She who holds the keys to every door and every world, She whose power is of land sea and sky, we call to you!

Lady Hekate, keeper of the keys, aid us in opening the way!  Aid us in holding open the Gates! Accept this offering and open the way!

Let this well be no longer a simple well but all the Wells of all the Worlds and all the seas. Let it be the foundation of all the Worlds! Spirit of the Well; flow above, below, and within us! Let the Gate be open.

Let this tree be no more a simple tree but all the Trees of all the Worlds and all the lands. Let it be the Axis Mundi, the Center path between all the Worlds. Spirit of the Tree; grow above, below, and within us! Let the Gate be open.

Let this fire be no longer a simple fire but all the Fires in all the Worlds and  throughout all the skies. Let it be the Crown of all the Worlds. Spirit of the Fire; burn above, around, and  within us! Let the Gate be open.

Let the Gates be open!

Let the Gates be open!

Let the Gates be open!...

The Gates are open!

Inviting the Three Kindred

Beloved Ancestors, kin to us all;

You of hearth, blood, and bone;

You who have gone before creating the path we walk;

We call to you!

Beloved Ancestors accept this offering and be at our rite! (Make offering to the Well)

Mighty Nature Spirits, mortal and spirit alike;

You of fur and feather and scale and skin;

You of land, sea, and sky;

We call to you!

Mighty Nature Spirits accept this offering and be at our rite! (Make offering to the Tree)

Glorious Shinning Ones, Gods from times of old;

You who are the immortal and deathless ones;

You of the three worlds and the three realms;

We call to you!

Glorious Shinning Ones accept this offering and be at our rite! (Make offering to the Fire)

Song-

Gods and Dead and Mighty Sidhe, Powers of earth and sky and sea, By fire and well and sacred tree, Offerings we make to ye!

Main Ritual:

Key Offerings -

     Invitation of Beings of the Occasion-

                Gentle eldest and youngest daughter of Chronos and Rhea, we call to you. (ring bell)

                Virgin maiden of fire, tender of the Sacred Fire on Olympus, we call to you. (ring bell)

                Sister to the Great Father Zeus, teacher of human society, whose altar lives in every 

                hearth on earth, we call to you. (ring bell)

                As in days of old we call onto you and ask that you be always in our hearts and homes.

   Great and Glorious Hestia, you who have no throne upon Olympus, you whose true  

   throne lives in the hearts and homes of all human kind, hear our call! (light Hestia lamp)

               Accept this offering and be with us now! (Pour offering to Hestia)

     Praise Offerings-

                Let us now give offerings to those Kindred who give aid us in our daily lives: (praise offerings)

     Prayer of Sacrifice-

           We come to you as in days of old to share this sacred meal and give libations as our                               ancestors once did. We do this to honor, to show our love, and to bring balance to the  

            cosmos!

               

Unto the Gods we give their due, the fat and bones of the Sacred Meal. Blessed Hestia, receive first your due and then for all the Gods, that which is Theirs! (place fat and bones in the fire)

And unto the Gods we give these libations, gifts to  honor and soothe. Blessed Hestia, receive first you due and then for all the Gods, that which is Theirs!

To you all that have come, to all that heard our call we give you these gifts;

White milk, sweet to drink from the animal sacred Hermes, the cow;

(Pour Milk)

Golden honey, the distillation of the bees that work on sweet Persephone’s blossoms;

(Pour Honey)

Holy water brought from the source a pure spring, domain of the Nymphs;

(Pour Water)

This refreshing, unmixed drink from the ancient vine, its mother Demeter the Goddess of all growing things, the gift to human kind from Beloved Dionysus;

(Pour Wine)

And the fragrant fruit of the pale green olive that lives its abundant life among the leaves and light of Helios, the gift of Athena to her people;

(Pour Olive Oil)

These gifts we give to you in love and in respect, in friendship and kinship.

Might Ones accept our sacrifice!

Song-

                Let our voices arise on the Fire,

                Let our voices resound in the Deep,

                May the spirits accept what we offer,

                As we honor the old ways we keep.

Omen:

Blessed Apollo guide my hand and guide my sight, let me see what it's true and right: (cast die three times for Omen. First for Ancesters, second for Nature Spirits, and third for the Gods. Have enough offerings set aside for a second round if required by Omen.)

Blessing Waters:

     Calling (asking) for the Blessings-

Offerings we have made, offerings you have received!  Blessed Kindred please release the Waters of Life! Bring your Blessings unto the people!

     Hallowing the Blessing-

Ancestors bless these waters so that we can share in the warmth of your knowledge! (To the Well)

                Nature Spirits bless these waters so that we can share in the love of your kinship! (To the Tree)

                Gods bless these waters so that we can share in the light if your wisdom! (To the Fire)

               

                (To the People – intoning together)

     Affirmation of the Blessing-

                (To the People) Behold! The Waters of Life, Gift of the Kindred to the people!

                (To the Well) In the name of memory, the preserving shrine.

                (To the Tree) In the name of the earth, our common mother.

                (To the Fire) In the light of Truth, the light that has no beginning and no end.

               

(To the People) Do the people accept this blessing, this gift from the Kindred, in the spirit in which it is given? (Wait for response from all attending)

     Sharing of the Blessing-

May we never have thirst or need while in your service! Awen! (Present to the people gathered to share in the Waters of life)

Ending Ritual:

     Thanking the Beings

                Being of Occasion

                Gods

                Nature Spirits

                Ancestors

   

     Closing the Gate(s)

Lady of the Ways, She who is the keeper of the Keys, aid us now in releasing the Gates.

               

Spirit of the Fire, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we call. Let  

the Gate be closed.

            Spirit of the Tree, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we call.  Let 

            the Gate be closed.

            Spirit of the Well, we thank you for being with us this day. Be with us when next we call. Let 

            the Gate be closed.

Mighty Hekate, Let the Gates be closed.

   

Bright Hekate, we thank you for being with us this day. Carry with you our offerings and prayers. Be with us when next we call. Accept this final offering in thanks for your aid. (Make offering to at the three Hallows)

     Thanking the Earth Mother

    

  

      Closing the Prayer/Blessing -

Walk with wisdom from this hallowed place.

Walk not in sorrow our roots shall ere embrace.

May strength be your brother and honor be your friend.

And luck be your lover, until we meet again.

Return the Blessings and Offerings Given to the Earth Mother- (Bury in soil of garden)

We return the Water of Life and our sacrifices so that the land will be better for us having been here. Hail great giving Earth! Keep safe always the sacrifice, keep it ever holy!