Chat Host:

IF EVERYONE WILL SETTLE DOWN AND TAKE THEIR SEATS WE WILL BEGIN OUR CLASS

MERRY MEET AND WELCOME TO WICCA 101! Tonight's class is offered by Wise Witch. Her topic is "Mug Lite" an ADF short ritual.

Burningwolf:

{..............logging

Chat Host:

As a courtesy to our host, please keep all greetings, farewells and side conversations in IM until class is over.

Likewise, please hold all questions and comments until discussion is called for by our host.

Disrupters will be warned once by the Chat Host. If disruptive behavior persists their exclusion will be called for. When an exclusion is called, all are asked to do so WITHOUT comment either to or about the excludee.

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AND WITH THAT...I SURRENDER THE FLOOR TO WISEWITCH:

WISEWITCH:

Good evening, class!

Actually, I allow questions all through class - and i can't im you now, ID [g] Tonight's class is on the ritual format we use in Mugwort Grove of Ar nDraoicht Fein Druid Fellowship. While most ADF rituals done by other groves are LONG, like 2 hours {!}, ours run a short and sweet 45 minutes, and still accomplish our goals.

Herne:

how do you pronounce that?

WISEWITCH:

Herne, i'm not good at giving pronunciation info without being about to SPEAK it. That info may be on the ADF home pages, tho - Alta Vista search can get you there.

D8blue:

what exactly is that?

WISEWITCH:

ADF is one of the larger 'Druid' denominations in the US. There was a class on that some time back, and you should be able to find it in the Prodigy archives. Isaac Bonewits, our Arch Druid at the time, lead it.

D8blue:

thanx

WISEWITCH:

ADF ritual officially has something like 39 parts to it. We've simplified that. And, being a bardically impaired grove - stop laughing, TrollFrog! - we don't do much singing.

There are 6 major sections to a MugLite ritual, including Preparation. The ritual itself has 5 parts - Beginning, Opening the Grove, Main Offering, Blessing & Working, and Ending. The preliminaries - mainly that's set up of space, briefing new folks, and individual meditation.

Herne:

wow, sounds like a humongous working,

WISEWITCH:

All ADF official ritual, you see, it set up for 'big groups of strangers'. The aim of the organization is to serve the entire pagan community.

These do tend to be very complete workings, Herne.

So we figure that there will be many folks who don't have a clue to how our Druid group does things. Preparing the site also includes 'purification'. Now, since we usually meet out in nature and not indoors, this can be a debatable need. Our last ritual, tho, was at Free Spirit gathering. The site was already 'sacred' to the event. We purified anyway. It wasn't that there were 'negatives' to get rid of.

Annwyn:

Good idea{G}

WISEWITCH:

now, Annie! [g]

Top17:

why purify nature but not indoors?

WISEWITCH:

no, Top - the we would purify most indoor things, the issue i'm address is why to purify outdoors.

Top17:

oh

WISEWITCH:

lots of different rituals were being done all about us, and others had been done in that space in previous years. purification in this case is more like washing one's hands after making, say Curry and before making an apple pie. Curry is fine, as is apple pie, but you don't really want the spices to mix! [g]

Herne:

I don't understand the carry over of "negative" from New Age into Paganism anyway.

WISEWITCH:

I see it more as a focus thing myself, Herne. We also have our firekeeper start the fire during the preparation phase - nothing worse than having fire problems!

Herne:

the three directions are kinda neat.

WISEWITCH:

After the individual med, we have a 'musical signal' and process to the sigil site. For our last ritual, that was a steady drum beat. heck, for most of our rituals it is - drums carry well.

Annwyn:

One person as designated drummer?

WISEWITCH:

We then processed up hill, and processed and chanted DOWNhill, to the site - we'll discuss blocking later, if there's time!

One started, Ann, then others could join.

Herne:

like in stage blocking?

WISEWITCH:

i may get bounced again - my screen's been freezing. Exactly , Herne.

Chat Host:

will hold for you Wise {G}

WISEWITCH:

once at the site, there is an optional 'purification' of participants. We don't usually 'purify' as such, really, tho. We tend to 'challenge'.

Herne:

try a different fragrance

WISEWITCH:

For Samhain, for example, we had a special gate built. For this, we had 'dueling squirt-guns' that aspurged the participants.

Herne:

what did it look like?

WISEWITCH:

it was a hot day, and we were in full sun... Herne, have you seen a military married couple going under raised swords? It looked a bit like that.

Chat Host:

gauntlet

Herne:

beautiful, I love pomp

WISEWITCH:

It refreshed those who entered, encouraging them to leave cares behind and focus on the present. We then do an opening prayer and offering to the Mother Goddess - i expect that comes from Wicca, tho.

Herne:

you said it was day, how long was the thing, altogether?

WISEWITCH:

About 45 minutes, at 3 PM in full fun on a hot day.

Herne:

how come?

WISEWITCH:

how come what?

Top17:

what kind of offering

Herne:

day time WiseWitch Whiskey.

WISEWITCH:

We be Druids [g]

Herne:

mad dogs and Englishman

WISEWITCH:

it was a Midsummer ceremony - it seemed appropriate!

Herne:

thought the Welsh had better sense

WISEWITCH:

We then establish the Sacred Center - the fire, the well, and the bile - pronounced Bee-Lay, the world tree.

Herne:

isn't that an Ash tree?

WISEWITCH:

ADF ritual does much with the World tree concept, tho I'm of the opinion that it's more Norse than Celtic.

WISEWITCH:

yes, Herne.

Herne:

do you have three world concept?

WISEWITCH:

We see the tree as connecting the underworld/mundane/overworld, the 3 worlds, 3 kindreds, etc.

Herne:

you have dragons then, cool.

WISEWITCH:

it works for me, but, again, my leanings aren't fully Celtic while most of the group is. Go figure.

At the end of the Beginning [g], we invoke the invoke the Barding Deity EVERYTIME - we are Bardically impaired and need the help.

Herne:

aren't you like American WW?

WISEWITCH:

only in the physical, Herne.

Herne:

What's the diff?

snowchild:

that deity have a name?

WISEWITCH:

Having set up the world tree, we move on to opening the rest of the grove, starting with a Tree meditation. We become parts of the grove, and move into the 'astral'.

Chat Host:

Herne....let her get a word in edgewise please

WISEWITCH:

That will depend on the working, snow. usually Brighid.

Once attuned to the Otherworld, we again state our purpose, then make an offering - again of whiskey - to the outsiders.

Herne:

Brighid is lovely,

WISEWITCH:

The outsiders. Spirits who would disrupt the ritual. I often make this offering, have so much experience with them. I've been known to suggest they visit the Asatru camp [g]

Cloudburst:

{G}

Herne:

are they bad?

Top17:

are they joyful?

snowchild:

what's the Asatru camp?

WISEWITCH:

That depends on your POV, Herne. I don't think that they are bad - but they 'stand against the Gods' and would distract us in our work. We put them aside and our internal demons aside.

Asatru - Norse pagans. Traditional problems for Irish!

Cloudburst:

{G}

Herne:

sorta like anti Pagans, how weird.

WISEWITCH:

At the end of opening the grove, we finally open the gates to the otherworld and invoke a gatekeeping deity. Now the gatekeeper doesn't have innate control over the gate, but is just a deity that can help us control what we contact. I expect that in time the most experienced of us can skip the gatekeeper and do that ourselves.

Valkyrie:

what about the guardians of the watchtowers?

WISEWITCH:

Val, that's not Celtic, that's Wiccan, and they got it from Ceremonial magick. Celts work in 3's, for the most part, have 9 elements, 3 worlds/kindreds/etc.,

Valkyrie:

{-- ceremonial

WISEWITCH:

We now move on to the Main Offerings.

Herne:

I thought that watch towers were Paleolithic.

WISEWITCH:

nope, Herne, not at all. Ancient Gaelic didn't have anything like 'em. no words for 'em gives us a clue about attitudes.

Herne:

can we just see the tape?

WISEWITCH:

now we invite the 3 kindreds, seen either as nature spirits/ancestors/pantheon or as land/sea/sky. And, bringing in the last of the High ones, we then invite the Deity of the Month! [g] now, we don't usually use a male/female pair for our Patron of the event. Usually we bring in just one deity appropriate for the working.

Herne:

lunar gods, sounds very interesting.

Annwyn:

according to season or Sabbat WW?

WISEWITCH:

exactly, Annie.

Valkyrie:

as in moon gods, instead of goddesses?? sounds weird to me

WISEWITCH:

no, Val, that was a joke. We just pick the appropriate deity or two for any event. For Free spirit, since the theme was 'getting back to our roots', we did do a male/female pair, but OLD ones. We did the Mother of Waters and the Lord of the Wildwood.

Top17:

what do the kindreds bring to the ritual?

WISEWITCH:

The kindreds bring ALL the world tree and Goddesses/powers to us, while we don't work with them all in the main working.

D8blue:

kindreds? As in vampires?

Herne:

tree gods?

WISEWITCH:

All our invited guests being there, we make our offerings to the Matrons/Patrons.

Cloudburst:

Scroll back, guys. Kindreds and world tree both discussed earlier.

WISEWITCH:

magick, for us in ADF, and worship, too, for that matter, is an exchange of energy. We give to the Gods, and they return blessings to us. I like giving impressive offerings. Like hand-made cloaks, right, Froggie? [g] or dive rolls over the fire. But bardic offerings are SOP, or baked goods, or flowers, etc.

Herne:

I like bringing food.

WISEWITCH:

once we've offered, a divination is done to see in what form the return will come. And the Gods, stubborn as they are, always seem to give what we need, not what we want! [g]

Valkyrie:

{-- likes offering works of leather art that i make

WISEWITCH:

sounds wonderful, Val.

Valkyrie:

well, wise, the leather does come from the cow,

WISEWITCH:

Now, we move on to the 'blessings and working'. We med on the omen and the working to come. And then share the blessings as focused on the 'waters of life' - usually whiskey - do you sense a theme? [g] For this ritual, tho, we used water at this point.

Herne:

do you use sheep or people?

Death Death:

no

WISEWITCH:

And we move on to the Formal working - for this one, we drank of the summer, in the form of Mimosas! While dehydrated, no less.

Herne:

what are Mimosas?

WISEWITCH:

We took in the Sun in the OJ, and last year's crops in the champagne.

WISEWITCH:

OJ and champagne, Herne.

Herne:

thank you

Valkyrie:

OJ?????

WISEWITCH:

Filled with the blessings of the Gods, we moved on to the Unwinding and Closing.

Herne:

Orange Juice

WISEWITCH:

We affirmed success. We thanked the Patron and Matron, the 3 kindreds, the gatekeeper. We closed the gate

Valkyrie:

oh.....of course Orange Juice.. lol

WISEWITCH:

Here we GREATLY disagree with ADF standard - they close down their 'otherworld' connection before closing the gate. That doesn't sit well with us. Once the gate was closed, we reversed the Tree med and left the Otherworld, thanked the Bardic Deity, and declared the end. And we finished off the champagne.

D8blue:

who's the us?

WISEWITCH:

it took less time to do than to type.

Herne:

Did you feast afterwards?

WISEWITCH:

Mugwort and the folks that came to the ritual.

Top17:

that's quick.

WISEWITCH:

yes, Herne, a simple feast.

Annwyn:

I may have missed it...did you discuss the reason that you do not work in a closed circle WW?

WISEWITCH:

i made my usual great desserts.

Ah, thanks, Annie, i'd not discussed that.

Herne:

what did you experience WW during the rite?

WISEWITCH:

We don't see that as being 'original material', but feel that it comes from Ceremonial magic.

Herne:

Ceremonial without the circle, without angels and demonic.

WISEWITCH:

official ADF stance is that we establish the Sacred Center, back in the Opening of the Grove part, instead. We don't work 'between the worlds' but at the center of all creation.

D8blue:

is the class still in session or can we ask any kinds of questions?

Cloudburst:

I like that formulation, WW

Herne:

isn't the center a nexus where all the worlds meet?

WISEWITCH:

I think I'll end here - blocking, selecting folks for roles, and rehearsal can be done as a more general liturgy class sometime.

right, Herne.

Annwyn:

and that you work from that center and the energy emanates outward

WISEWITCH:

Right, annie.

Annwyn:

See I listened{G}

Herne:

sort of like billiards

WISEWITCH:

now, a 'working' is considered optional in our group. i disagree on this, personally. i can't see getting all this energy flowing and not focusing it somewhere. But that may just be that i

Death Death:

thank you for the teachings WW. BB

WISEWITCH:

don't ground as well as some others.

Anytime, DD.

Herne:

what did you get out of the ritual WW?

WISEWITCH:

Now, as you see, this is a pretty different format than many other groups have, with some different POV's involved.

Annwyn:

WW do you only work as a "grove"? Do you also take an individual approach?

WISEWITCH:

Other than start my drunk for the day? [g] I connected very well to Lady of Waters.

Annwyn:

LOL

Chat Host:

LOL Wise

Herne:

how so, visual experience?

Death Death:

lol

Cacodemon II:

Hmmmm

WISEWITCH:

yes, Annie, I work alone as well. in my never humble opinion, unless you are with a group 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, most of your work you do alone.

WISEWITCH:

no, Herne, she populated some of my dreams over the next week.

Cloudburst:

Can we jump back to where someone asked why you don't work in closed circles? You said this one was at PSG, but maybe you could expand on ADF thinking on this...?

WISEWITCH:

So, not a visual there, but after.

Herne:

how wonderful, do you record your dreams?

Chat Host:

Wise Witch, thank you for tonight's offering!

WISEWITCH:

not PSG, Free Spirit G. A circle encloses energy in, until you let it go. Working from the World Tree, the center of Creation, with the Gate open, there is constant flow of energy. no big buildup and release.. A different dynamic.

Chat Host:

very informative for those of us not familiar with Druid workings

Herne:

so is there with the circle

Death Death:

indeed

Chat Host:

like me

WISEWITCH:

Chatty, i'd not call it 'standard druid'. Just ADF druid.

Chat Host:

{G}

D8blue:

hard to understand for those who r just beginning to study witchcraft :)

WISEWITCH:

I don't know how Keltria or other Druids work.

Mazed1:

yes

Death Death:

but good to know none the less D8

SittinNaked:

It is my understanding Druids were part of the lost 10 tribes of Israel that were scattered. Can anyone expand on that?

Top17:

Thank you! WW

D8blue:

I agree

WISEWITCH:

That's crap, Sittin. The Celts moved out from the Caucus Mts. before 900 BCE. The Tribes were scattered in 550 BCE.

Cacodemon II:

lost 10 Tribes?

Death Death:

like WW said, crap

Chat Host:

{----logging off now

RedStar:

the druids were around long before the Hebrew doctrines.