The Three Kindred

There are three categories of entities in the ADF cosmology based on the Indo-European lore. They are the Shining Ones or gods; the Mighty Ones or ancestors and the Noble Ones or nature spirits. The gods are the greatest of all, the ancestors are humans who have gone before us and the nature spirits are our connection to the land and otherworld.

The Shining Ones or gods are an interwoven group of great and wise spiritual beings who form the fabric of cosmos and sustain the worlds. They are our strongest allies, they guide and protect us and deserve our worship. Most pantheons form a family, each deity with their own specific function and domain. They are independent free agents with mighty magic rather than aspects of greater archetypes. We make offerings to the gods because we believe they interfere with our lives, for better or for worse. We want to thank them and propitiate them so that we achieve the maximum good from our interactions with the gods. This reciprocal relationship is one of respect and reverence. The gods are associated with fire, the bright gate in ADF. Its flickering light can alter consciousness and its flames can burn up offerings and other tokens, both allowing us to communicate with the gods. It is my personal belief that the gods work in us and through us. I have been touched by the power of several gods from different pantheons. My matron deities are Hestia of the hearth and Ma'at of the scales. I have learned a chant to Hestia which I sometimes sing as I cook. I have held a ritual involving the negative confessions of Ma'at. I have worked with Ra, god of the sun and learned the sun salutations of the pharaoh. I have danced and drank with Dionysus of wine and revelry. My work with deities has been Greco-Egyptian in flavour, and I will continue my work with these gods on an individual basis. However, I think that to come to understand the gods further, adopting a single pantheon and familiarizing myself with the mythology and culture is key. To this end I am beginning to work with the Celtic gods, of whom I have had little exposure. I have been to rituals where Brigid, lady of poetry, smithcraft and healing is called, and I have become fond of her. I have heard stories of the Dagda, of the Calleach, and Cu Chullain. These stories open me up to a receptive mode where I am more aware of the possibilities that a relationship to these divine personalities can hold. When I am aware of the symbols and associations that the gods have, I am more able to see them at play in the world around me.

The Mighty Ones or ancestors are any of a number of humans in the realm of the dead. They are our family members and beloved friends who have passed on, our teachers and leaders, and those on the path of Paganism who have gone on before us. They are the wise and talented of the past, our folk heroes and celebrities, our war heroes and national forebears such as presidents and queens. As pagans we believe both in reincarnation and continued existence in a realm of the dead where spirits rest and become refreshed. As such, our relationship to the ancestors is one of seeking wisdom and advice and giving offerings to sustain them and appease them. The ancestors are associated with the deep gate in ADF, which is the well with its properties of memory and inspiration. Keeping out photos of loved ones who have passed on and sharing their stories are ways I stay connected to the ancestors. I sometimes recognize them briefly in the faces of strangers, or meet them in dreams where they may or may not look like themselves. I have set up an ancestor shrine in the past, decorating it with flowers, photos and objects of remembrance.

The Noble Ones or nature spirits are beings of many different kinds. They are magical, crafty and cunning. There are animal spirits, many of whom are domesticated allies and others who we consider wild. There are plant spirits and weather spirits or natural phenomena. Some are mortals, other are never-born. There are magic races from many lands who walk between the worlds. We honor them and occasionally ask them for help with our magic. Some of these allies are important to our spiritual development, such as spirit guides and totem animals, others are not as interested in us as we are in them and would rather be left alone. It is necessary to develop an understanding with those beings who are paying attention to you, a sort of reciprocation to show respect and foster positive interactions. Many of these spirits existed long before us, and will continue long after we are gone. As we dabble in the otherworld, it is important to have allies to help keep us safe and oriented. It is essential to give thanks and praise to these spirits, to let them know that they are honoured and that our gratitude for their involvement in our lives is sincere. There are also outdwellers, quite the opposite of allies, who would do us harm, cause chaos, play tricks on us, disrupt our rites and meditations and so on. It is important to appease these beings with offerings to show that we would respectfully like to keep our distance. Finally, there are also the allies who nourish us physically, our food. We must always be mindful that the plants and animals we consume have had lives of their own, and have given these lives for our sustenance. Although we do not have traditions such as Kosher or Halal in Paganism, where prayers are said over animals as they are slaughtered and butchered, I would hope that when hunting or culling a herd, modern pagans take the time to thank the animal spirits for their sacrifice.