ADF Cosmology part 8

          There are several meanings that can be applied to ‘purified’ in ADF rituals. The first is to remove or suspend undesirable beings, energies, or disruptive thoughts and behaviors.This could be through ritual cleansing baths, sprinkling with blessed waters, or through use of incense. The second is to ‘add’ to the sanctity to an area, objects or items. This can be through the use of sacred items or through fumigation with incense. And the third is to simply ‘set something aside’ as being special and having a special use.

          Purification prepares people, items, and places for interaction with the divine. It also helps to put people participating into the proper mindset for this divine interaction. There are no specific rules on whom or what needs to be purified, nor are there any specific rules on who needs to do it. Though it is common practice to purify participants, the purification is done any point before the opening of the Gates.

          For my personal rituals, I have items that are set aside as sacred. These items are only used for rituals. Otherwise they are kept in a ritual box so that they do not come into contact with the rest of the profane world. I do not purify them before or during each ritual because of this separation. However, I due perform a monthly cleansing, blessing and charging ritual for these items. As for the purification of sacrificial items, I will sprinkle them with blessed water and fumigate them with ritual incense before ritual begins. This helps cleanse them of any unwanted energies that might be passed along during their offering.

          On a personal level, I perform a modified fasting three days prior to the ritual. As a diabetic I cannot completely fast , so I only eat a vegetarian diet those three days. Then just before I dress for ritual I take a cleansing bath. I use a special soap made from Dragon's Blood, Frankincense, and Myrrh. with the use of the special soap and a meditation I perform during the bath, this becomes my sacred purification ritual.