ADF Liturgy part 9: What is the intention and function of the Three Kindreds invocations?

          The invocation of the Three Kindreds is designed to call out to them, to turn their attentions toward the ritual of worship being performed in their honor. The invocations also work as an invitation to the Kindred to join us once we have Their attention. Also the invocations themselves can be a way of honoring the Kindred. However there is a function of the invocations that gets overlooked at times. The invocations also help the ritual goers and celebrants create an emotional and spiritual connection with the Kindred by invoking the powerful imagery of Them.

          The Three Kindreds within our ADF cosmology are The Gods, The Ancestors, and the
Nature Spirits.

          The gods are also known as the Shining Ones. They are the oldest and mightiest of all the beings. They are the children of Light and Shadow that were born out of the chaos at the beginning of time. With their birth came all the great wonders of the universe. The Shining Ones are the forces that keep all the worlds in all the galaxies functioning as they should. From the gods come your patrons, the ones that take a special interest in teaching and guiding you. In some ways the Shining Ones can also be a type of parental figure for you. (ADF)

          There are many thoughts on who and what the Ancestors are. From my understanding they are all those who have come before us. They are the friends and family that have passed from this world into the Land of the Dead where they rest from their lives as mortals. They are the teachers, the healers, and the great minds that are the builders who created our present so that we would have a future. The Ancestors are also the Heroes, both men and women, who are honored within the world’s many cultures. They are the ones whose actions and suffering brought great change to the world around them. Whether Hero or relation, the Ancestors watch over us, protecting us, and lending to us their knowledge and experience when we ask for it or are in need. (ADF)

          The Nature Spirits are the non-human spirits or beings that share the Middle realm with us. They range from the squirrels that we see every day in trees to the spirits of rivers and streams, all the growing vegetation, even of the land itself. But the nature spirits also include what we today call Fairie or Sίdhe, like the noble beings of the Tuatha De Danann, deities from the Irish culture that were driven into the land and later viewed as land spirits or Nature Spirits. The Nature Spirits are the closest to us of the Three Kindred. They share this world with us on a day to day basis. I have always seen them as being more easily accessed than the others because of this fact. Many times we have Nature Spirits living with us, just think of your dogs, cats, even your birds and fish. How many of Them call out to us, asking to come be a part of our

          Invocations serve many functions within ritual and magic. The invocations of the Kindred within ADF rites serve to connect us on many levels with the Kindred, our groves, and