ADF Liturgy part 14: Understanding of the Blessing Cup, Or “Return Flow”

          In all religions there is some way for the divine to send blessing down onto the worshipers. In ADF this is done through the Blessing Cup and the Waters of Life.

          Offerings are made to the Three Kindreds in the form of invocation offerings, praise offerings, and then through the main ritual sacrifice creating a reciprocal relationship between Kindred and mortal. With the reciprocal relation formed ritual-goers request blessings or help for different reasons from the Kindred in return for the offerings made to Them.

         The Omen is then taken to see how the Kindreds have taken the offerings and if They
will give the ritual-goers help or blessings for what they have asked for. If the Omen is good the
celebrants then call for the “return flow” or for the Kindred to give their blessings through the
Blessing Cup changing the liquid in the cup to the Waters of Life. The Blessing Cup itself is not
the important part piece with the Cup Litany. It is actually the ‘return flow’ which transforms
the liquid contained in the vessel into the Waters of Life through the blessings of the Kindred.
Without the ‘return flow’ the liquid would remain a mundane substance leaving the people
without Their blessings.

          The Blessing Cup is passed around to all in attendance to partake in the Waters of Life.
By partaking in the Blessing Cup we are opening ourselves to receiving the help and blessings of
the Kindred that are contained within the Waters of Life as well as what They will send our way
in the future.