Recreating the Cosmos
The Hallows & The Realms
In ADF rites we perform our rituals and worship at the Sacred Center. For us, this means from a place that is centered between the three worlds (the under-, middle-, and upper world) and the three realms (land, sea, and sky). This Center of the World is created in order to bring the focus of the Kindreds to us, and to allow our focus to extend beyond the mundane world. We typically create the Sacred Center of our cosmos by hallowing (to mark as holy) a Fire, Well, and Tree to mark them as our center.
As we create the Center of the World, marked by the Fire, Well, and Tree, we are aligning the Center of our world to the Center of all worlds. It is this alignment that allows us to Open the Gates and communicate more easily with the spirits in all realms.
The Fire
The Fire is often associated with the Shining Ones and the Upperworld. It is a great power that brings light in the darkness and warmth in the cold. Most importantly, the Fire transforms our offerings into smoke that rises to the Heavens, carrying it to the spirits who dwell above. The Fire is also what brings the power of the Deities down to us, to bathe us in their wisdom, light, and warmth.
The Well
The Well is often associated with the Ancestors and the Underworld. It contains the sacred waters and connects us to the dark cosmic and chthonic powers below. The Well allows our offerings to sink into the depths, carrying them to the spirits who dwell below. The Well also connects to the underworld and allows the wisdom of our Ancestors to flow up through the blood of the Earth to fill us, sustain us, and nourish us.
The Tree
The Tree is often associated with the Nature Spirits and the Middleworld. It is the crossroads between the worlds. Its roots stretch deep into the Well and travel out through the world. Its branches reach up into the Heavens, where the primal fire dwells, and cascade around us here in the Mid Realm. The trunk is the center of the universe, connecting the fire and the water. The tree is like a great line of communication that connects us to the Ancestors below, the Nature Spirits here, and the Shining Ones above. It transverses the worlds and connects us to all beings. In ADF we use the tree as a piece of our sacred center because it is what holds the other pieces together.
Sacred Space
In ADF ritual we recreate the cosmos to bring the attention of the Kindreds to us. Most often in our rituals a boundary is loosely defined, sometimes visually by the formation of the people standing or by the light that extends out from the Fire. But, while this helps with visualization of the Center of the World, it is not a locked out boundary. It is more permeable than that. In ADF ritual people (and spirits) can come and go as they please.
