This ritual outline is an historical outline from Our Drudiry prior to 2006. Our current outline can be found in our Order of Ritual.

(Items in italics represent optional steps)

Preliminary Ritual Activity

• Briefing
• Individual Meditations & Prayers
• Lighting the Sacred Fire(s)
• Pouring the Sacred Waters
• Optional: Consecrating the Sacred Pole
• Optional: Consecrating the Altar & Tools

1st Phase
Starting the Rite and Establishing the Groupmind

Clearcut Beginning: Consecration of Time

• Musical Signal
• Opening Prayer

Consecration of Space & of Participants

• The Processional/Sigil Marking
• Purification(s) of Participants
• Optional: Purification(s) of Site
• Honoring the Earth-Mother

Centering, Grounding, & Merging

• The Grove Meditation
• Unity Chant/Song
• Specification of Ritual Purpose & Historical Precedent
• Naming Deity(ies) of the Occasion & Reasons for Choice

2nd Phase
Recreating the Cosmos and Preliminary Power Raising

Creating the Vertical Axis

• Planting the Cosmic Tree/Honoring the Sacred Pole
• Evoking the Gate Keeper/Defining the Ritual Center
• Evoking the Fire & Water Deities & Linking to Center

Gaining Assistance & Preventing Interferences

• Invoking the Bardic Deity(ies) or Spirit
• Acknowledgement of the Outsiders

Filling Out the Cosmic Picture by Invoking..

• Nature Spirits, Ancestors, Deities in Three Worlds or..
  Helpful Beings of each World/Realm or..
  Helpful Beings by Province/Function or..
  (Type and number will vary according to ethnic cosmologies.)
  (Possibly different invocations at each of five fires.)
• Settling and Focusing

3rd Phase
Major Sending of Power to Deity/ies of the Occasion

• Descriptive Invocation of Deity(ies) of the Occasion

Primary Power Raising

• Praise Offerings, Dance, Libations, etc.
• The Sacrifice
• Seeking the Omen of Return

4th Phase
Receiving and Using the Returned Power

Preparation for the Return

• Meditation upon Personal and Group Needs
• Induction of Receptivity
• Consecration Agreement

Reception of Power from Deity(ies) of the Occasion

• Consecration and Sharing
• Acceptance of Individual Blessings
• Reinforcement of Group Bonding
• Optional: Spell Casting or Rite of Passage

5th Phase
Unwinding and Ending the Ceremony

• Thanking of Entities Invited, in Reverse Order
• Thanking the Gatekeeper & Closing the Gates
• Affirmation of Past/Future Continuity and Success
• Unmerging, Regrounding & Recentering - Meditation
• Draining off Excess Power - The Restoration

Clearcut Ending: Deconsecration of Time and Space

• Final Benediction
• Announcement of End
• Dissolving the Sigil
• Musical Signal

This is the standard outline that we would like everyone to use for public or semi-public ADF ceremonies, at least for the eight High Days, for reasons outlined in DP. If its too "High Church" for weekly or biweekly celebration, then shorter versions may be created, but you should send copies of your scripts to DP for sharing with the rest of the membership, along with the reasoning behind your changes.

Remember, an enormous amount of thought and effort has been spent to make this pattern esthetically pleasing, historically plausible, magically powerful, and spiritually satisfying. Please don't casually throw pieces of it away without determining how you're going to get the same effects, or inject portions of non-Druidic rituals (such as "casting a circle," "drawing down the moon," "invoking the Watchtowers," etc.) that make no sense in terms of this liturgy's structure, esthetics, polytheology, or goals. Also remember that the "positions" of the ritual leaders can be combined in several ways, depending upon the individuals and talents available.

Detailed instructions on how to prepare and perform this liturgy will be found in the ADF Liturgical Handbook. [superseded by other efforts since]

A more filled-in version of the liturgy is also available.