In a post-Axial world, why do we still make offerings?

If we don’t need to make offerings to recreate the cosmos and uphold the world, if we don’t need to make offerings to appease the gods, if we don’t need to make offerings to keep the sun and moon and stars in their proper places in the heavens, and if we don’t need to make offerings to make the growing things sprout and grow, because all the forces of nature just go on their own, why do we need to make offerings?

We make offerings because the symbolism of sacrifice as a means of keeping the worlds in order brings peace to the mind. Offerings made to appease the gods and keep the cosmic order were a part of what kept the people feeling secure in their place in the cosmos. If the gods are truly daemones who have little interest categorically in the affairs of humanity, then making an offering is likely one of the best ways to gain their interest. If the gods, daemones, spirits, angels, guides, or whatever words used to describe them do not exist, we make offerings because the shared sense of community restores our capacity to empathize with one another and experience compassion both as a giver and receiver of love.

Humankind is a social species. The practice of religion is one of the strongest avenues for social connection between us. When we create opportunities for shared experiences, we create opportunities for increased depth in our social connections, which aids in individual health and well-being. Human interaction increases the brain chemicals responsible for mental health, happiness, and harmony. The sense of connection between us is innate, biological, and necessary for living a good life, a life we enjoy. Even if we as individuals see ourselves as the most important thing in our world, the notion that each of us sees the individual Self as most important should elicit the response of empathy because of the mutual understanding borne of intellectual connection and shared belief.

Making offerings around the fire may not be what keeps the sun and moon in their proper place, it may not help the plants to grow, the animals to breed, or the seasons to turn, but it does provide the unique opportunity to participate in a tradition far older than any of the Ancestors in our lines whose names we can remember. It is an action that ties us via shared experience to the most ancient of peoples, teaching us the lessons of every age between the beginning of human time and now. It is the unbroken lineage neopagans long for and hope to find in the new age teaching whose books are available at Barnes & Noble. But the fact remains that the only unbroken line we have is the ability to tap into the current of behavioral practices of the ancestors and participate in the greater spiritual cycles of humanity. There may not be deities or even anything at all on the receiving end of these offerings—except our Selves, and that may be the best reason of all to continue to practice. In a world that doesn’t feed the sense of community we need to thrive, sharing the ethereal experience of offering-based spirituality may be the key to creating the mindful attitude we need to achieve inner peace and enlightenment.

The Three Kindreds and Magic

The Ancestors are a source of wisdom, having passed through this world and into the next. They have moved outside of the constraints of time and space, and from this vantage, they can grant us the gift of vision through not only forward-moving information but also the gift of retrospection. The Ancestors accept our gifts of coin and food that they may know plenty in their afterlife. In exchange for these gifts, they grant us insight and assist us with ideas and motivation to work on those things for which they have laid a foundation. In my personal practice, I call to them often for insight and love. I make offerings with the intent to remember their stories that they may live on. ADF Cosmology speaks of the Ancient Ones in the Deep of the Well, feeding potential to our new endeavors through the insights of the work they have done in the past.

The Noble Kin are our Nature Spirits, those beings with whom we share the middle realm. The Noble Ones provide omens and portends as well as inspiration and insight. We practice aligns closely with ADF Cosmology in that the beings of the middle realm work closely with us, since they are the closest to us in terms of proximity, and will aid and inspire us in our work in this realm. Many diviners will see animal kin as signs, particularly when they appear as though out of nowhere and grasp our attention fully away from our ponderings to fill our minds with a potential path toward accomplishing our goal.

The Shining Ones, Denizens of the Cosmos, are more likely to assist us in endeavors that affect our role and how we fit into the greater world and worlds. The number of touch points between one life and those of others, through things such as jobs or traveling, are important to the outcomes of all involved. Each thread of the web of life, when pulled, impacts all the others. When we call to any of the Shining Ones, we are inviting them to assist us in finding our footing on the path of our lives. The Norse refer to this as the wyrd of our orlog (fate and destiny, loosely). When I call to a Deity, it is with the intent to make offerings in the hope that they will give to me those things for which I ask. Spirit Arte is the word for this.  ADF tends to follow the same notion, as *ghosti is an essential part of working with the Shining Ones.

See also: Thomas, Rev. Kirk. “The Nature of Sacrifice.” Web. Retrieved from
http://www.adf.org/articles/cosmology/nature-of-sacrifice.html.

Key Offerings for the Norse Deities/Nine Noble Virtues

As we gather before their Sacred Tree, we call to the Gods and Goddesses whose strengths and attributes sing the songs of the Nine Noble Virtues. As we invite them to our Fire, may we reflect on the manifestation of each of these virtues in our own lives, filling our hearts with gratitude for the many blessings—those gifts given freely and those hard-won through our struggles and triumphs over adversity. Regardless of life path, the Gods hear our prayers and lead us by example, showing us the way to right living.

Nine Offerings for those who exemplify the Nine Noble Virtues

We begin by calling to Lady Idunna of the Golden Apples, she who tends the tree of immortality with loving care, maintaining its health and well-being that she may give those blessings to the Aesir and Vanir of Asgard. Idunna, who embodies generosity through her careful tending, and hospitality through her willingness to share. Idunna, we honor you.

Next, we call once more to Heimdalr, lays order to the world and keeps watch over the realms, he who takes not more than his fill nor more than his hosts are able to give without complaint, He of Stilled Mind that hears the wool and grass grow, he who sees all. Disciplined, sharp, ruler of his own destiny that he may serve others. Heimdalr, we honor you.

We call to Lady Freyja, Mistress of the Honored, Chosen dead; Brising-Magic Maiden of Seidhr and Foresight, She who loves without fear, She who makes no apologies for following her heart, Valkyrie, Mardoll, Strongest of Women, Lady of the Vanir, She who had the courage to fill Hrungnir’s Horn when no one would approach him. For courage and boldness, Freyja, we honor you.

We call also to Fertile Freyr of the fields of Alfheim, God of Bountiful Harvest, Rain and Sun, Bestower of Peace and Prosperity, Defeater of Beli with Antler for Sword. Teaches us to remember not to battle, to lay down our weapons, and to put our energy instead into cultivating the land and our relationships with one another through determination and hard-work, for the best rewards we receive are those we reap from what we have sown. Freyr, we honor you.

We hail Skadhi, who lives alone in her mountain home, the Woman who Runs with the Wolves; She who marched upon Asgard to demand recompense for her Father’s death, to demand respect be paid to her--and received it in Odin’s Hall. For teaching us responsibility and the art of respect, Skadhi, we honor you.

We give hail to Asa-Thor, Son of Odin, Ruler of Mjollnir, Jotun’s Bane, Slayer of Hrungnir, Geirrod, and Thrivaldi, enemy of the Midgard Serpent, Drinker of the Sea who runs against thought and challenges Fire to a feast. For your strength, endurance, and steadfastness, Asa-Thor, we honor you.

We pay homage to Frigga, Goddess of the Spindle Hearth, She who sees all and yet does not wag her tongue with idle gossip, Goddess of Hearth and Home, Keeper of the Fallen Children, Queen of Asgard. For fidelity and Frith, for loyalty and honor, Frigga, we honor you.

We give great tribute to Odin, Alfather. Lord of Wisdom, Keeper of Thought and Memory, He who outwits and outthinks even Loki, Lord of Wit and Trickery. Sacrificer who gives way to knowledge and vision, taking them up screaming! That he may be bathed in truth and wisdom. Odin, we honor you.

And we call to Lord Tyr, Leavings of the Wolf, He who sacrifices of himself for the good of the tribe at great cost to maintain order. Fenris-Binder, Gloved-Spear, North Star, Granter of Direction, and Keeper of Oaths. As the eye is sacrificed for vision, so, too, must the right hand be sacrificed for justice. Tyr, we honor you.

Deities, All, accept our offerings!

A Working for the Children Separated at the Border

Right Action. That is the crux of our religious practice. As a religion that prides itself on orthopraxy over orthodoxy, right action over right belief, the actions of the current administration must be viewed as reprehensible. We live in a country where our leaders thought it was in our best interest to remove children from their families at the border in the name of safety. Children, feeling from violence and deplorable conditions, who believed in the façade of the United States, “The Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave,” where they thought they would finally be safe. Regardless of political affiliation or formal stances on immigration laws, the act of separating children from their primary care givers cannot be our way of protecting ourselves or allowed to continue.

Right now, especially from so far away from the border and internment camps, it may seem like there is not much we can do, but we can put pressure on our congresspersons to intervene and reunite these families.

I ask you to join me, right now, in these prayers for those children, alone in a place they’ve never been and waiting for their families to be together again.

The Children of the Earth call out on behalf of our Neighbor’s Children,
Those little ones who are alone and afraid,
Those young ones who are separated from their support and strength,
That we may be their support,
That we may be their strength,
That we may uphold them until they are reunited with their families.

Young Ones, In a place where there is no love, we ask the Kindreds to shine love upon you,
Even if from the most unexpected places.
In a place where there is fear, we ask the Kindreds to grant courage to you,
Even in the face of uncertainty and foreign words.
In a place where you are along, we ask the Kindreds to make their presence known:
May the Gods of your people stand beside you.
May the Noble Kin of the places where you wait protect you.
May your Ancestors uphold and guide you.
May Humanity not fail you during this time of separation, loss, and sadness.
So say we all.

In a place where there is far too much silence, I ask you all now to raise your voice with mine that we may be heard across the miles. Send all the love and empathy, strength and courage you can muster to these gentle souls, our Neighbor’s Children, that they may be sustained and strengthened while we fight on their behalf to reunite them with their families. If tears come, let them fall as the Waters of Life for those who need these blessings.

[Proceed with toning]

Vocational Statement as a Consecrated Priestess of ADF

What calls you to become an ADF Consecrated Priest? How does this step fit with your calling as an ADF Priest?

Consecration, for me, is an initiation into the deeper mysteries of the clergy work we do on behalf of the folk of ADF and the polytheist community. I am oath-bound to continuing my studies in the programs of ADF, and this is but the next step is honoring my promise to the Kindreds and the folk.

How have the specializations you chose within the CTP prepared you for the deeper work of an ADF Consecrated Priest?

I completed the entirety of courses offered at this level. One of the things I feel drawn toward is mentoring, and in order to be able to speak intelligently to others, I must study not only the things that are important to me, but those that will make me a better servant to those with whom I study.  

Were I to choose two courses that I feel are the most representative of my personal calling, I would choose Leadership Development and Professional Helper. These courses cover the skillset that I see as my biggest strength. As an administrative priest, these courses are ideal for the demeanor of one who offers these services, and I am hoping to assist in developing additional courses for our priests in the area of Leadership Development with the potential to offer additional courses to the membership, as well.

What does your inner work look like? How has your inner work prepared you for greater outer work with the community of ADF?

My inner work is quiet—far quieter than one might think when considering how extroverted I am. One of areas I have developed since ordination is in my ability to remain quiet in the presence of the Kindreds and allow them to speak back to me rather than expecting them to listen while I make offerings and then leaving before there is time for us to commune. This practice in active listening has opened my world in terms of relating to others within the community.  

I have also been relating to local-centric beings, and this has allowed me to better connect to the Kindreds when traveling. A happy byproduct of this work is that my ability to connect with the allies of those with whom I am working has improved. I am more able to provide divination and healing through the allies of those who seek my assistance. 

What further skills would you like to develop as an ADF Consecrated Priest, and how will these skills help grow Our Druidry?

In my next phase of study, I would like to work more to develop my ability to speak with the clergy of other faiths. I have done a small amount of interfaith work, but without a degree in religious studies, there is quite a gap between us. In order for us as polytheists to be taken more seriously as peers by those with a Master of Divinity degree, we must be able to speak to them at that level of education. Studying comparative religion and theology are the two items to which I am looking forward the most.

Beginning Trance: Building the Inner Grove

As Rev. Ian Corrigan points out, the skills of seership, of perceiving and moving in the Otherworlds, are seated in the human imagination. To the Ancients, the human mind was part of the spiritual world, and the spiritual world directly impacted the material world.  The Otherworld was the place where the stories lived, the home of the Deities and the Ancestors. As Professor Dumbledore said, “Of course this is happening in your mind, Harry. That doesn’t make it less real.”

In order for us to move freely from our world into the Other and back again with success and control, it is helpful to begin by creating a safe place, a place within our own minds, where we are in control of where we go, with whom, and for how long. This space is our inner temple, our inner grove, our inner nemeton. It is deliberately constructed and can be modified at any time to suit our needs.

The idea is that we can train ourselves through several “waypoints” to enter the mists and arrive in these spaces, travel to wherever we need to go (or host guests), and move back through the mists to where we began in our waking minds.

The inner grove, threshold locale, is near to where we begin; we just need to build a path to get from here to there. We begin by conjuring the Mists of the Between. Literally, these are mists that arise for you when you need to travel to another location. The path through them may always be the same, but the location will be defined by your purpose. 
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In your minds eye, see before you a swirling fog, swirling mists reflecting light in tiny rainbows, thick and obscuring your vision entirely. Before you, one of these waypoints begins to materialize. What is it? Is it a sign? Is it a landmark? Keep track of what you see and where as you walk along the path.

As the Mists of the Between begin to part, you find yourself in your inner grove.  Here, you must build your own space. Much like creating your shrine at home, you create your personalized inner grove to reflect the nature of your work in this place. Look around and find a place the Fire. Build and light the Fire. Now, find a space and dig the Well. Find the Tree you want to build relationship with as your World Tree. If you need to, move it, or plant one and watch it grow to maturity right before your eyes. Later, this Tree may be a Gate through which you travel to other realms. 

With your hallows completed, you have some decisions to make, but we will save them for another time. Take a good look at what you have built today that you may arrive and find everything where you left it.

Call the Mists once more, and follow your path back.
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You will need to complete this work at least three times on your own to finish building and designing your space. You have a space and all three Hallows. You will need an altar or working space for your nemeton. You may wish to give your nemeton a different name.

You may need to take a step back and practice conjuring the Mists. These you may do at the beginning of your work every time, and use the mists as the method for entering into trance. You may arrive at your nemeton and practice conjuring the mists there to be able to watch them grow and ebb as you call them.

After you have completed construction and successfully made it to and from your nemeton alone through the mists at least three times, you are ready to use this method to move between the worlds. You may wish to begin by inviting your allies to meet you in this space so that they can find you there. You may want to call a spirit kin to travel through the mists of magic with you to get to your nemeton that this ally may always be able to guide you through the mists. It all depends on how you frame your practice.

Remember, when you enter into a trance space, at any time, you can conjure the mists and follow the path to arrive in your nemeton, safe and secure. And from there, you will always be able to find your way home.

Now, you are ready for full-blown trance journeys. Don’t forget to keep a journal!

The Sacrality of the Bees at Beltaine

The Sacrality of the Bee has long been celebrated.

The Ancient Egyptians believed that the bee was created out of the Tears of the sun god, Ra.  At the temple of Aphrodite, the priestesses were called the “Melissae”, which means “honeybees,” and Aphrodite herself was called Melissa, the Queen Bee. Pythagoreans worshipped bees as Aphrodite’s sacred creatures, who in their honeycombs create perfect hexagons; their endless symmetry exemplified the underlying order in the cosmos. In Lithuania, the goddess of bees is Austeja. She was responsible for fertility and growth and was also the patron deity of families.

Bees are the foundation of a healthy ecosystem. Flowers that are visited more often by bees will produce larger and more uniform fruit than those visited less often. This beneficial effect of pollination is most obvious in tree fruit. More than 100 important crops are pollinated by honeybees. 80-95% of the plant species found in natural habitats require animal-mediated pollination.

Bees also provide health benefits. Bee pollen is known to ward off infections and is typically present in raw, unfiltered honey, but absent from filtered/processed honey. Raw honey can counter pollen allergies and contains natural antioxidants called polyphenols, which help block free radicals and reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. It heals ulcers and promotes healthy sleep by fostering the release of melatonin in the brain.

Royal Jelly, a secretion bees use to provide nutrients to their larvae and adult queens, is said to boost fertility and help women become pregnant. Recent research has shown that royal jelly improves short-term memory in Alzheimer’s patients by combating the free radicals that plague the fragile, unsaturated fatty acids that compose brain tissue. It also helps with menopause symptoms and improves collagen in the skin.

In ancient times, honey was also used to treat burns and wounds because of the observable healing properties. We now know that by reacting with the body’s fluids to make hydrogen peroxide, raw honey creates an inhospitable environment for bacteria thus sterilizing wounds.

Bee colonies are divided into groups based on jobs: drones, worker bees, nurse bees, etc. Each bee has an important job that must be performed as part of their unit or the whole hive with suffer. Jobs are assigned based on ability and have nothing to do with gender. For example, the nurse bees, who secrete the royal jelly and care for the young, are not all females. Worker bees are not all males. Gender, in the social hierarchy of bees, is not a concern. The only bee that has to be female is the Queen. Out of the millions of bees in the colony, only one has a gender-role—and that is the one whose job is tied to physical procreation.

Fertility is not about gender. Traditional Beltane festivals that celebrate copulation (and make children’s rites very awkward) are focusing on that one job: but the entire ecosystem relies on the efforts of many, many more. Mirrored in our own society, we have long been fighting for equal rights and equal pay for equal work. There is a gross misconception that some genders are better suited to certain types of work. The bees teach us that this just isn’t so. Gender isn’t a box that we must live in, limiting who we can become as we evolve as humans. Gender doesn’t define our strengths and weaknesses.

What about bees and the ways they relate to one another can we hope to apply to our communities? In addition to acceptance of the gender spectrum, bees are very organized, laborious, disciplined, and tireless. Bee spirits have a strong work ethic and are capable of high levels of productivity. They are social creatures that live within communities, all working together for the health of the colony. These are traits we can and should strive to espouse.

When a new queen is ready to take over, the old queen leaves with a large portion of her offspring to form a new colony. The swarm is the mobile colony with the queen at the center in search of a new place to call home. It is this behavior that has led to the Wiccan/Pagan practice known as “hiving off.” As the new High Priest/Priestess completes their training, it is expected that they will create and foster their own “colony” and continue to practice and begin to teach on their own. Swarms are highly misunderstood and often seen as a threat, but they are actually a natural part of the healthy growth of the community. New covens, groves, or practicing groups are not a threat. New groups need to coexist along side the groups with more tenure so they can learn and be prepared to continue the work when the Elder group has reached end-of life. This is what is supposed to happen, and we need this diversity and room to expand.

Beltane is about the fertility of the land, and there is no greater symbol of the healthy ecosystem, all aspects in balance, than the bee. The hive is the symbol of community and harmony. The fruits of their labors are beneficial to all. During this time of heightened awareness of the growing and changing landscape around us, remember the lessons of the bees. You can follow your dreams and be who you want to be. You can work together with your neighbors and friends to keep your community healthy. And your healthy community will improve the health of the world. New hives will arise, and instead of viewing this as a threat, give them room to grow and feed the community in their own way. We don’t have to all be the same. How much different would it be if we were each given the freedom to succeed? Listen to the bees.