An ADF-style ritual follows a set series of steps prescribed by the ADF Clergy Counsel to ensure that, despite variations due to focus and location, all groups perform rituals that are consistent and uniquely recognizable as "ADF-style". Before a ritual held by Larrea Tridentata Grove, ADF begins, a member of the grove will take some time to brief everyone on the order of service, what songs/chants will be sung and in general what to expect. Below is a more in depth version of the pre-ritual briefing with many specifics that may sometimes be glossed over during the briefing just before a ritual begins.

Numbered steps are the actual steps required by all ADF groves to include while the alphabetic sub-steps explain how our grove interprets and presents those requirements.


1. Initiating the Rite
When the ritual is nearly ready to begin, the celebrants will gather on the west side of the house, farthest away from the nemeton (ritual space).

• A) Musical Signal – While the celebrants wait, the Presiding Druid (PD) will take a few moments to do a final cleansing and claiming of the ritual space. When this is complete and the PD is ready to begin the ritual, the prayer bowl will be rung with nine revolutions.
  
  
• B) Procession – When the ring from the prayer bowl has diminished, the celebrants will begin to process to the entrance of the nemeton, chanting continuously.
  Chant: We Approach the Sacred Grove -or- Come We Now as a People
  

2. Purification
The celebrants will be halted by the Presiding Druid (PD) at the entrance to the nemeton and given formal instructions which boil down to a reminder to set aside mundane matters and enter into sacred space in both body and mind.

After which, the PD will present each celebrant the opportunity to cleanse themselves in water and the words, "May you wash away all Earthly cares." The celebrant may dip into the water and use it to symbolically wash themselves. This may be done in many ways such as touching the water to forehead and lips, splashed onto face and body, scrubbing hands, etc. When the celebrant indicates they are finished, the PD will wave a stick of incense and invite them in with, "Then, may the Spirit rise within you."

Celebrants may then proceed into the nemeton and arrange themselves in a semi-circle around the hallows.

3. Opening Prayers

• A) Opening Prayer – The Presiding Druid (PD) will say a short prayer that ends with the announcement, "We are here to honor the gods!" to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  
  
• B) Earth Mother Prayer & Offering – The PD or another celebrant will say a prayer to the Earth Mother (either culture or locale specific) and give an offering. This is followed by a song/chant dedicated to the Earth Mother. The speaker finishes the prayer by calling out, "Earth Mother, accept our offering!" to which the celebrants will respond in kind (Note: "Earth Mother" may occasionally be replaced by the specific name of an Earth Mother goddess. Please repeat the phrase announced by the speaker).
  Chant: Earth Mother Chant -or- As One
  
  
• C) Bardic Inspiration Prayer – The PD or another celebrant will say a prayer requesting inspiration and eloquence from the culturally specific being(s) who deal in such arts.
  

4. Purpose & Precedent
The Presiding Druid will address the season and the reason for this High Day celebration as well as describe the Being or Beings of the Occasion {the guest(s) of honor who may be an Ancestor, a Nature Spirit or a Deity}

5. Recreating the Cosmos
The Presiding Druid (PD) or another celebrant will lead the celebrants in establishing the Hallows and connecting them to the Cosmos

• A) Fire, Well & Omphalos/Spear – The Hallows will be established and magically charged through the words of our chant as well as through the actual actions described in the chant.
  Chant: Portal Song using the cultural variant in the final stanza as directed by the PD.
  
  
• B) Grove Attunement Meditation – One or more celebrants, usually including the PD, will lead the rest in an open-eyed meditation which relies on visual cues as much as suggestive words to untie the minds present and link them with the Hallows and the Cosmos. This is also when the celebrants will attune to the powers needed to proceed with the rite.
  

6. Opening the Gates
The Presiding Druid (PD) will lead the Folk in establishing magical links between the sacred hallows and the realms defined during the meditation.

• A) Calling the Gatekeeper – Recognizing that human powers, even at their greatest, are less than the powers of the Deities, we call to a Deity well known within the culture of the ritual to be able to cross the boundaries of the Realms. Messenger gods and psychopomps are usually chosen for this role, such as Hermes, Iris and Mannanan MacLir. This will end with an offering to the called Deity and the PD calling out to the Gatekeeper, "Be welcome among us!" to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  
  
• B) Opening the gates – This is the first and main use of magic in an ADF-style ritual. Making use of the energies collected during the meditation and aligning them with the powers of the Gatekeeper, the barriers between the Realms which are connected to the Hallows, are thrown open to allow our offerings and praises to more easily travel to those who dwell beyond, as well as allow those from the other Realms who we invite to join us to more easily do so.
  
  
• C) Dealing with the Outdwellers – In Wicca and other forms of magical workings, a circle is cast to protect the celebrants from the forces that might cause harm or distress (as well as to contain energies for specific workings). This magical circle also separates the celebrants from the greater world, putting them into a non-place where magic happens. In ADF, we bring all of the Realms together at the Gateways we've opened, linking us to everywhere at once. Rather than cut ourselves off from the forces that might be dangerous as well as those that might be beneficial, we employ our Gatekeeper to keep watch and ensure that those who would wish us harm are kept away while the rest are allowed to pass.
  

7. Inviting the Three Kindreds
In ADF rituals, three classes of beings are addressed and given honor, namely the Ancestors, the Nature Spirits and the Deities or Shining Ones (called such because nearly every name or epithet for a deity includes words that mean "bright" or "shining"). The evocations in this section are generic, open invitations containing descriptions of the class of beings without identifying specific individual entities.

• A) Calling to the Kindreds – The Presiding Druid (PD) will lead the Folk in calling to the Kindreds through a song which evokes the types of beings we conceive of when we think of the three Kindreds.
  Chant: Kindreds Three
  
  
• B) Offerings: Ancestors, Nature Spirits, and Shining Ones – The PD will usually invite a celebrant or grove member to give an offering to each of the Kindred, ending with the name of the Kindred "Be welcome among us!", to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  

8. Key Offerings
The Key Offerings section is the real meat of the ritual, when a Deity or Deities are called and given the place of honor.

• A) Calling the Deity(ies) of Occasion – The Presiding Druid (PD) or another grove member will lead the folk in evoking the named Deity(ies) of the Occasion, ending with the name(s) of those called as well as a descriptive epithet and, "Be welcome!", to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  
  
• B) Grove Praise Offerings – all celebrants are invited to make offerings, but they should be specifically for the named Deity(ies). There will be time later in the ritual for offerings to other beings. Larrea Tridentata usually has several items available for making offerings including incense, oil and alcohol. In addition, celebrants are encouraged to bring their own offerings according to the season and announced Deity(ies) of the Occasion.
  

9. Prayer of Sacrifice

• A) Prayer to the Deity(ies) of Occasion – When all of the celebrants have had a chance to make offerings, the Presiding Druid will offer a final praise poem and prayer followed by one last offering. This will be followed by a final call to the Deity and a request that they "Accept our sacrifice!", to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  
  
• B) Opening the floor to other offerings – As our celebrations are always open to the public, it's likely that we will have those among us who have religious patrons besides the named Deity(ies) of the Occasion. All celebrants are therefore invited to make offerings to any being (deity, ancestor, nature spirit, hero, etc) they feel they have a connection with or would like to form a connection to.
  

10. Return communications
According to the beliefs upon which ADF-style rituals are designed, not only may we humans speak to the Kindreds, but They may and do speak to us in turn. Often this communication is more subtle than the usual human to human conversation and this period in the ritual allows time for the celebrants to listen and hear the messages given in response to the ritual and offerings/sacrifices.

• A) Experiencing the Deity(ies) through story – A storyteller will help attendees connect with the named Deity(ies) by relating a bit of lore, often given from the point of view of someone present when the events happened.
  
  
• B) Receiving the Omen – When the story has ended, a seer will listen to the Kindreds' response to our ritual, usually through some form of divination (cards, disks, etc). While the celebrants wait for the seer to interpret the messages, they may join in singing the divination chant. The first time through, the words should be sung as written. For subsequent passes through the chant, the words "goddesses" and "all the gods" may be replaced by the names of specific deities you may wish to hear from.
  Chant: Speak to Me
  

11. Calling for the Blessings
Continuing with the Guest/Host relationship concept on which our druidic rituals are based, this marks the beginning of the next phase in the rite: Receiving the Blessings. The Presiding Druid (PD) addresses the celebrants, leading them in a brief recentering meditation, mentioning both the offerings given and the omen recently pulled. The PD then asks the celebrants two key questions and gives a final directive:

• Is it your will...? – Do the celebrants want the blessings of the Kindreds as described by the Seer's omen, to which the expected reply from all should be "It is"
  
  
• Will you accept...? – Do the celebrants understand that they are part of a relationship through the exchange of gifts and their turn has come to accept whether they like it or not, to which the expected reply from all should be "We will" or "I will"
  
  
• Then ask... – This is one of the few times when the Presiding Druid doesn't speak for all of those celebrants assembled. As a delivery method for blessings, the Waters of Life are a common theme in many Indo-European cultures. These waters are often in a form of alcohol (the word Whiskey comes from an Irish word relating to sacred or magical water) and so we, too, usually use alcohol as a delivery method - though spring water is also on hand for those who prefer to refrain from alcohol. When the PD issues this directive, the expected response would be "Give us the Waters!"
  

12. Hallowing the Blessing
The Presiding Druid (PD) holds the drinking vessel out to the gates and begins softly chanting, “give us the waters.” The celebrants should join the chant, slowly raising their volume and speed as the PD slowly raises the drinking vessel. When the PD senses that the vessel is fully imbued, an announcement will be made, "Behold! The Waters of Life!" to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).

13. Affirmation of the Blessing
The Presiding Druid (PD) will thank the Kindreds and accept the Blessings on behalf of the celebrants, then offer a first portion to the ground for those who are unable to be in attendance. Finally, the drinking vessel is passed among the celebrants. When attendance is large, a chant may be sung as celebrants await their turn.
Chant: Share the Waters

14. Other Workings
The grove sometimes has other special or magical work to do during a ritual. Confirmations of membership, handfastings, healings and any other such work would happen during this portion of the rite.

15. Thanking the Beings
When all other workings are complete, the Presiding Druid (PD) will begin the process of winding down the ritual. Starting with the Beings of the Occasion, then working through each Kindred in reverse order from their invitation, each guest is given a parting gift/offering. These parting gifts are given specifically without the usual gift exchange obligation. The PD will finish each offering with Kindred, "we thank you!" to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).

16. Closing the gates
Continuing with the process of reversing the ritual, the Presiding Druid (PD) will address the Gatekeeper's work and disestablish the magical links between the sacred hallows and the realms beyond.

• A) Paying the Gatekeeper – In addition to opening and holding open the ways between the Realms, the Gatekeeper was earlier asked to keep watch, to protect the ritual. The PD will now thank the Gatekeeper for this work with an offering in payment. As this is a payment, there is no expected gift exchange obligation (or, rather, this completes the already established exchange).
  
  
• B) Closing the Gates – The magic of the ritual ebbs significantly by this point in the ritual and the PD works with the Gatekeeper to close the opened Gates, severing the magical connections the celebrants had formed with the Hallows at the beginning of the rite.
  
  
• C) Thanking the Gatekeeper – With the gates closed and the ritual nearly finished, the Gatekeeper may also depart. The PD will give a final offering, specifying that this gift does not carry the usual gift exchange obligation, finishing with Gatekeeper, “we thank you!” to which the celebrants will respond in kind (repeat).
  

17. Thanking the Earth Mother

• A) Final Meditation – With the ritual nearly complete, the Presiding Druid (PD) will lead the celebrants in a final meditation to ground out any remaining energies while nominally maintaining the connections established during the rite. This meditation, like the one at the beginning of the ritual, is intended to be experienced with the eyes and mind open.
  
  
• B) Thanking the Earth Mother – As Our Druidry is an Earth-based religion, our rituals begin and end with the Earth Mother. Here, the PD gives a final acknowledgment and offering to the Earth Mother, finishing with, “Earth Mother, we thank you!” to which the celebrants respond in kind (repeat). (The words “Earth Mother” may be replaced with a locally or culturally specific Earth Goddess. Please repeat the name as spoken.)
  

18. Closing the Rite

• A) Benediction – The Presiding Druid gives a final, parting prayer to the celebrants ending with “So Be It! This rite is ended!” Celebrants may respond as they are moved to; a hearty 'huzzah' 'woohoo' 'yay' or other less exuberant response are equally appropriate.
  
  
• B) Recessional – Druid rituals usually end with a round of hugs (or handshaking for those less comfortable with the tradition) which helps to cement the feeling of human spiritual connectedness established during the rite.
  Chant: Walk With Wisdom -or- Celtic Blessing
  
  
  
  
  
  
  **All chants chants/songs can be found in the orange Grove Songbook**