ADF Cosmology and Liturgy, week 3: The Purpose and Function of Ritual : ADF Cosmology and Liturgy, week 3: The Purpose and Function of Ritual Presented by:
Rev. Jessie “Medb” Olson
What is a Ritual? : What is a Ritual? According to Rev. Kirk Thomas:
‘ritual’, comes from the Latin ritualis, and means a ‘set form or system of rites’.
‘rite’, means ‘a ceremonial or formal, solemn custom, as in religious use [marriage rites]’.
What is a Ritual? : What is a Ritual? According to Rev. Isaac Bonewits:
ritual is, “any ordered sequence of events, actions and/or directed thoughts, especially one that is meant to be repeated in the “same” manner each time, that is designed to produce a predictable altered state of consciousness within which certain results may be obtained” (Isaac Bonewitz).
What is a Ritual? : What is a Ritual? According to Michael Dangler:
Ritual itself is usually described in active terms.
One does ritual.
It may be an order in which things are done (what ADF usually calls "liturgy"), or it may be a written body of rites.
Ritual is plural, indicating that more than one is done (the singular is actually "rite", generally speaking).
What is a Ritual? : What is a Ritual? According to Rev. Jessie Olson:
Ritual is a set of symbolic behaviors that are enacted in specific ways for a specific purpose.
Ritual has continued to serve the same basic functions, primarily that of strengthening the beliefs and cohesion of the community.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual Not only are there many religious reasons to hold a rite, but there are countless interpretations about why rituals are held.
In the end, the purpose of any ritual will depend on what the ritual is designed to accomplish.
Usually, this is somehow related to a reconnection with the sacred.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual The purpose of ritual largely depends on what the occasion is being celebrated.
High Days are not the only rituals performed in ADF.
Rites of passage: like marriages, deaths, births, and puberty rites.
Rituals can also be conducted for other specific purposes like healings, consecrations, protection of the folk or the land, to offer our service to the kindred, and purification.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual Even daily routines can be a form of ritual.
For many, public rituals are the only rites they participate in during the year.
For these people, rituals can serve the purpose of reconnecting them to the roots of their belief and renewing their spiritual center.
By providing an outlet for healing, it can also serve as a valuable social support network for people who are in crisis.
Additionally, it provides a forum for direct communication with the Kindred and for the making of oaths in the presence of witnesses that could assist you with upholding the pledges you’ve made.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual The purpose of High Day ritual is to do as the Gods did, to recreate the Cosmos and the foundation of the World.
Humankind normally exists in profane space, that place and time which has no center, but which exists as a series of neutral spaces in which we live and move, driven by the needs of the society in which we live.
Non-religious people never really leave this paradigm.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual However, the experience of sacred space creates a ‘center’, a fixed point that can provide an orientation from which to recreate the cosmos.
This point is the center of the worlds, that place where we can experience our world and the other worlds simultaneously.
The Purpose of Ritual : The Purpose of Ritual In this sacred center there is neither here nor there, past nor future, for all is one.
From this place we can experience a connection with all the spirits of the three worlds.
The Function of Ritual : The Function of Ritual The function of ritual is to help the participants reach those altered states mentioned earlier, and by doing so, enable communication between the participants and the Kindred.
This communication is based on the concept of reciprocity, the great bargain made between the Powers and humankind.
The Function of Ritual : The Function of Ritual The Gods and other spirits need us as much as we need them.
When we offer to Them, when we worship Them, we feed power into Them.
After a time, these Powers may return the favor, releasing power to us in the form of inspiration, healing, or other blessings.
The Function of Ritual : The Function of Ritual The "function" of ritual, or why we do these weird things, is equally murky.
We might do rituals in order to provide closure (as in a funeral) or to celebrate the continuation of our ancestral line (as in weddings and baptisms).
A ritual's only function might be to provide familiarity and thus connect us with something that we cannot access in any other way, or it might serve to take us out of what is normal and force us to connect to new experiences.
The Function of Ritual : The Function of Ritual The primary function of ritual seems to be to strengthen the spiritual beliefs of those who participate in it.
It provides a common purpose and reinforces the shared values of a culture.
It also helps participants to change the level of consciousness, raise awareness and connect to the higher self.
Types of Ritual commonly found in ADF : Types of Ritual commonly found in ADF Seasonal Holy Days (only ones currently required to adhere to the COoR)
Rites of Passage
Other worship rites
Rites of unity
Magical work
Atonement/expiation and purification rites
Oaths of allegiance
Initiatory rites
Dedication ceremonies (which may include oaths)
Inaugurations/installations of officers (which may also include oaths)
Works Cited : Works Cited Agnes, Michael. Editor in Chief, Webster’s New World College Dictionary (Fourth Edition), (New York: Macmillan & Co., 1997), page 1238.
Bonewitz, Isaac. “The Basic Principles of Liturgical Design – ADF Neopagan Druidism”, (July 7, 2005),
Bonewitz, Isaac. Rites of Worship – A Neopagan Approach, (Earth Religions Press, 2003), pp. 49- 50.
Brooks, Arnold. "Goals of Group Ritual." ADF. Web. .
Corrigan, Ian. The Intentions of Drudic Ritual. 2008 Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. .
Dangler, Michael. Liturgy 1. .
Eliade, Mircea. The Sacred and the Profane, (New York: Harcourt Inc., 1987), pp. 21-24.
Olson, Jessica. Liturgy 1. .
Thomas, Kirk. Liturgy 1. .