by Rev. Michael J Dangler, originally published on his Patreon

Over the last year or so, I have been working on new ways to help people work through ADF’s study programs. Over the last 21 years or so that I have been doing work within ADF, and encountering its study programs on my own, I have seen that not everyone’s Study program experience is the same. Some people need schedules, some need direction, some need source information, and some just need a simple walk through of the information. We all learn differently, and that’s okay. There are no additional points for struggling with the work, nor is there extra credit for reinventing the wheel.

I’ve been a senior priest in ADF for 12 years at the time of this writing, and I was instrumental in the creation of some of our study programs. There are a lot of places where the study programs need some additional work, but a key one that is identified over and over is resources, and easier access to information to complete the courses.

And that’s where this short work comes in.

Originally designed at the request of one of my patrons on Patreon (thanks, Traci!), this will go step-by-step through every question in Magic 1 for Priests and provide information from a variety of sources (including where to find it), from a variety of Indo-European cultures, to answer these questions directly. Find the originals on my Patreon, and we’ll be sharing one each week here on the ADF Blog for the next 10 weeks. (If you’re interested in my Patreon, you can find it at patreon.com/chronarchy)

I started this project in September of 2021, so it’s been about 14 months in the making. Interspersed into that was a return to the office for my dayjob, a trip to Europe, and the normal things that get in the way of the work. But it’s done, and it’s gathered into a single spot, and now… it’s yours to do the work with, friends.

If you’ve joined ADF in order to study, don’t worry: this work is designed simply to whet your appetite and leave you thirsty for more information on interesting topics. There is still plenty of study to do as you work your way through this course. But this handy guide to each question will help give you a place to start, a way to get organized, and let you fill in the answers with your own voice.

And because not every one learns in the same way, I recorded fully accessible videos to go with each question, complete with transcripts and accurate captions. Most are about 15-20 minutes long, and they’re available on my Patreon. And with the postings of this blog, they’ll become available to ADF members on the ADF website at no further charge. And, of course, you can pick up physical copies of this book at The Magical Druid (the best place, because the sale supports me very directly) or wherever else you find books. Check it out at magicaldruid.com or at a festival near you!

Magic 1 for Priests is 10 questions; the first five cover historical magical practices, and three ask you to take historical practices and turn them into modern, relevant work. Questions 5 and 10 ask you about your personal practice.It’s worth noting that most of the first six questions have direct analogs in other ADF Study Programs, especially the Magician’s Guild Study Program, the Generalist Study Program, and the ADF Initiate’s Path.

Most of the questions look for culturally-specific, documented practices; finding these can be difficult, and locating information from the culture you’re interested in can often be even harder. To that end, I’ve tried to answer the questions from a variety of cultures, digging a little deeper into the source material to help launch you down a path to find more information about these practices.

You might be able to find everything you need in one video, depending on which ancient culture you’re interested in, but more likely than not, you’ll need to do a bit more research. My hope is that this both narrows down the places you have to search, and ignites an interest in something new and different.

The cultures covered in each question are:

• Question 1: Greek, Roman, Pan-Indo-European
• Question 2: Proto-Indo-European, Persian/Indo-Iranian, Greek, Roman, Celtic, Norse, Vedic
• Question 3: Greek, Hellenistic, Celtic, Norse, Vedic
• Question 4: Norse, Greek, Celtic, Roman (with nods to why Vedic and Mycenaean/Linear B don’t fit)
• Question 5: Greek, Roman, Hellenistic, Romano-Celtic, Hittite, Persian/Anatolian, North Europe, Celtic, Norse, Slavic
• Question 6: This is a question about your magical practice; cultures are not discussed in depth
• Question 7: Celtic, Greco-Roman, Hellenistic, Pan-Indo-European, Vedic, Greek, Gaelic. Example working is based on Gaelic practice.
• Question 8: Icelandic grimoire tradition, Hellenistic, Roman, Mycenaean (Linear B), Greek, Roman Libya, Medieval northern and western Europe, Norse, Vedic, Example working is based on Icelandic grimoire tradition.
• Question 9: Celtic, Indo-Iranian, Roman, Greek, Gaelic, Anglo-Saxon, Hellenistic. Example working based on ancient Roman and modern British practice.
• Question 10: This is a question about your personal magical practice; cultures are not discussed in depth

So, as you can see, I’ve tried to touch on concepts in as many cultures as possible. I even occasionally step slightly outside the Indo-European world where I think there is a useful point to make, but the aim was to make sure that there was an attempt to make sure that no matter where your interest lies, an example could be found.

Some got more love than others: Slavic, Anglo-Saxon, and Hittites appear in one question each, but the aim of these is not to be exhaustive, but rather to help you locate leads and cultivate a starting point.