Describe some of the roles individuals might take on within the context of ritual. (minimum 100 words)
Within CedarLight Grove, ADF, we have our own variety of individuals that have important parts in creating a ritual. They occasionally differ from what I’ve seen across other Groves within ADF, but it’s always interesting to learn how other people organize their liturgists.
To start with, the main person is our Chief Liturgist who is pretty much in charge of the entire skeleton of the ritual. They perform the pre-ritual briefing, they help assign out parts to the ritual team and those that wish to volunteer to help and take roles, they offer the main sacrifice, and help to hallow the waters. They fill in any roles that are abandoned or empty, they make sure the ritual continues through any nuances and derailing circumstances.
The Ritual Team consists of the volunteers that help to fill in roles within any ritual. Whether they are just honoring the Outsiders, whether they are opening the gates between worlds, they are the very appreciated and necessary volunteer liturgists that act as assistants to the Chief Liturgist.
The Bard has the important role of making sure all of the music and drumming stays consistent and on task. They usually are in charge of the procession, recession, any chants sung during Waters of Life or Opening of the Gates. They keep the rhythm going and prevent it from going off-course. To me they are the heartbeat of the ritual that keep it flowing in sync with the intention and its energy.
The Seer is assigned to read whatever message or omens the Gods want to send us after our praise has been given to the Kindred. They pay attention to signs and omens throughout the ritual as well and help determine what message from the Gods throughout the entire ritual, not just during the time we take in the omen and accept the blessings into the waters. Sometimes we have multiple seers that are assigned to different realms of the cosmos to read the different energies that they provide. One may be assigned to the sea, the well, and the ancestors. One may be assigned to what the nature spirits have to say. It can vary and provides interesting and new perspectives on what message we are supposed to receive.
The Firewarden is one of the most important roles, but also the most mundane and often under appreciated roles in our High Rites. They make sure the ritual space is set up how the Chief Liturgist wants, they tend the fire throughout the ritual and make sure none of the praise offerings are going to float off in a heap of crimson ash and light things on fire. They make sure everyone is safe during the pouring of their offerings. Essentially they make sure everything is as it should be in the physical plane for the Chief Liturgist while they make sure everything is as it should be in the spiritual plane.
The Circle Dragon is not something we use all that often in CedarLight, but it is essentially the “warrior” who protects the rite. They help disperse any negative influences or participants, they provide support towards parents that have rowdy children or even giving warning to those parents that are not exactly paying much attention to their children’s actions. They help protect the Rite from mundane outside influences and outsiders.
(Word Count: 555)
