(Originally published in Druid's Progress 11)

Taken at the Wellspring Festival in 2010, former ADF Archdruids talk about what our church is to them. Speaking are Rev. Kirk Thomas, Rev. Robert "Skip" Ellison, and Rev. Jeff Wyndham (Ian Corrigan).

A Druid ritual may appear complex and confusing to an outsider. This primer will cover some of the basics so that you will be able to get the most out of rituals that you attend.

[This article is an excerpt of materials included in the ADF Dedicant Path, which is included with ADF Membership. Members can access the information on the members site.]

[Note: This article first appeared in ADF's quarterly journal, Oak Leaves. The ADF Dedicant Path is included with ADF Membership.

© Isaac Bonewits
Originally published in Druid's Progress #2

While I've never personally been involved in a so-called "12 Step" program of recovery, I've always felt that there are valuable life lessons to be found within the steps.

Before all there was the Frost
Wide and Deep, without end
Undifferentiated - the Chaos
Deep That frost was a Goddess
Domnu was her name, and she slept.
Into her sleep crept a dream,
A fleeting thought, a sudden spark

[Note: This article first appeared in ADF's quarterly journal, Oak Leaves. The ADF Dedicant Path is included with ADF Membership.

Fall migration season is a great time to see North American raptors.

The Reform Druids of North America is a classic example of what can happen when creative, yet generally rule following, college students are forced into a situation that goes against their own moral understandings of the world.

Originally published in News From the Mother Grove, November 1995

In the midst of our concern with corporate structure, bank accounts and member services, I offer a vision of the spiritual, and of the Spirits.

What we mean by Our Own Druidry.

From our developing training program to our rituals honoring the Gods and Spirits, our motto remains the same: Why not excellence?

This article was written in September of 2004, and much has changed since then.

The following are some articles describing the basics of ADF, including our fundamental beliefs, goals, visions, etc. If you have any questions that these pages don't answer, feel free to Contact Us with your questions!

Bylaws of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. (Last Modified July 15th, 2020 C.E.)

Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc., also known as "ADF," is the legal structure for a Neopagan Druidic religion based on the beliefs and practices of the ancient Indo-Europeans, adapted to the needs and sensibilities of modern people.

The Wiccan ("Neo-Pagan Witchcraft") movement includes the vast majority of the 100,000 to 250,000 people involved in Neo-Paganism in North America. About three-quarters of Our Fellowship are or have been followers of Wicca, and ADF is inclusive of their beliefs as well.

In 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast of the US, Archdruid Emeritus Rev. Isaac Bonewits, the founder of ADF, pledged to recognize the Groves, Guilds, SIGs, or other ADF subgroups that provided relief for the disaster.

This article originally appeared in the past print version of the ADF Membership Guide, and as such is rather long.

Where does ADF style ritual come from?

ADF's ritual style (liturgy) is unique among various druid and Neopagan rituals because we developed it from scratch.

In the 1980s and 1990s, there was a single "ADF Study Program", but since 2003 ADF has a number of different training programs, starting with the work of the Dedicant Path and branching out from there.

The following pages describe ADF in more detail as an organization or, in the case of the Founder's Awards, showcase the organizational community service and charity work of our groves (local congregations).

There are several challenges specific to Solitaries when it comes to completing the Dedicant Path.

In ADF, one of the three Kindreds we worship is the Ancestors. This includes our relatives and other honored dead, such as close friends and even the great heroes of old. The following articles relate to the Ancestors:

We call to our Beloved Dead, the blessed Ancestors, to join our feast and receive due offering.

Come to the Gates, honored ones; hear our call, we your children who remember. We offer you our worship, our reverence and our love.

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 11)

The following is a brief timeline of the history of the "Celts", drawing on information from Brittania and other online resources.

The following articles are about nature, herbs, plants, seasons, etc.

The following sections contain articles on the various gods and spirits we worship on a daily basis in our home shrines, and eight times a year at our High Day rituals.

To modern pagans, Asklepios is almost a forgotten god. Even among Hellenic pagans, his aid is not commonly sought and he receives few honors.

When we were children, many of us learned about Greek and Roman mythology as if they were the same. Perhaps our parents alternated reading to us at bedtime watered down versions of classical mythology and Grimm's Fairy Tales.

When Isaac Bonewits founded ADF, he wrote in his Vision statement that:

(Originally published in Oak Leaves #2)

Maypole, flowers, Queen of the May
dance for us, dance for us, dance for the day

Weave ribbons and roses and daisies galore
round staffs, and young heads, then cover the floor.

This page lists books published by ADF members. These books are not officially endorsed by ADF, but are nonetheless reflective of how some of our members approach and integrate Our Druidry into their lives. Listed by author.

(Originally published in Oak Leaves #2)

As the best of the skalds, Bragi is a perfect deity to call upon for Bardic inspiration.

She who brings forth water,
she who feeds the fire,
helps them live together,

Better than live together.
What is water in fire
or fire in water but us?

Each living cell a drop of water
burning inside, as do we all,

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 12)

Tracing the roots of the goddess and saint.

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 12)

Of the first fire, she sings -
of the first fire of Spring, she sings,
Her voice ringing clear in the cold winter air,
as she rises and gathers her things.

Browse Articles by Category

You can also Search by Title to find the articles you're looking for.

Let us call to Manannan to guide us, lest we be lost in the mists of change:

(Conch shell is blown, if available.)

The Druid Liturgy
A.D.F Standard Outline
Summer 1991 C.E.

Adopted by the Mother Grove on 15 February, 2012. Last modified on 15 February, 2012

Intent:

By Rev. Kirk S. Thomas

Note: This essay is based on my workshop of the same name, and I hope to create a video version to accompany this.

An important and ancient portion of the magical art is the making of signs of power, and their use in consecrating objects of power.

(Note: This article is an excerpt, copied with permission, from the author's book Sacred Fire, Holy Well.)

This short article is an effort to outline some of the basic concepts of Pagan theology on which ADF's work has traditionally been based.

Cosmology is the study of the structure of the universe, the cosmos, or a description of that structure. "Cosmos" is related to the word "cosmetic," which tells us one thing right off - the cosmos that is described is beautiful in its structure.

Pine Cone Wreath

Pine cones are excellent material for making art and crafts. They come in lots of shapes and sizes. When collecting, it's important to leave behind the cones that haven't opened.

Last night, I was reading Mark Twain's fascinating book, Following the Equator, and came across the following description:

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 11)

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 11)

Last week I was speaking with my friend, Marie, about our experiences with epiphany. She told me about one of those precious, golden moments of absolute enlightenment she once experienced upon disembarking from a commuter train in Boston.

The following are some frequently asked questions about ADF's Dedicant Path (DP). If you have a question that is not listed here, please feel free to contact the ADF Office.

The following is a list of online Dedicant Journals people have chosen to make available to the public. A Dedicant Journal is part of the ADF Dedicant Path, a year-long introduction to ADF Druidry.

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 14)

[Note: This article is a transcript of a discussion that occurred at the Muin Mound Madness festival in 2004.]

As we all know, ADF is committed to public ritual. That commitment impels us to consider how we may best serve the community. As Chief of the Seers Guild, I presented a workshop on Divination in public ritual at Desert Magic Festival.

Although the name Slavs appears to be all encompassing, it does little to give a person the full understanding of the vast area these people inhabit.

In the season of darkening, the Lord of the House of Death receives the Spirits in his Hall. He is Donn the Dark One, called Cernunnos the Horned One. He is the First Ancestor, the Torc Bearer, The Guardian of the Cauldron of Plenty.

These are articles published in mainstream publications (and Pagan blogs) about ADF members and groves. Please note that we are going to try to start archiving these in PDF format. Over the years links change and articles can get lost to the wind.

From the recent film Sinbad to the Principia Discordia to the Theogany of Hesiod, the Greco-Roman Goddess of Chaos, Discord, and Strife has been showing up a lot recently.

The following articles explain various aspects of ADF ritual and ritual performance.

Dionysus is one of several deities whose popular worship was practiced throughout Greece. Commonly known as God of wine and vegetation, he is spatially associated with both Athens and Thebes, while mythology also links him to Crete and other islands.

In order to understand the religion and magic of the Pagan Celts it is important to comprehend their basic symbols and cosmology. Every culture has a basic map of the universe, physical and spiritual, that allows its people to understand their place in the cosmos.

(Originally published in Druid's Progress 12)

by Seán ÓTuathail

ADF rituals often include a few Irish phrases, so the following guide to Irish for Druids is copied on our site for easy reference.

All translations and spoken phrases are by Alexei Kondratiev (right).

Collection of various prayers and devotionals towards Gaulish gods and goddesses.  Any prayers that come in multiple languages will indicate that they do.

The following information is a basic primer to get people started with Gaulish Polytheism within ADF.  As time goes on, we will modify and add to this information as our Hearths grow and develop.

Déví Nemetoni: The Gods of the Grove

The following articles are about gods and spirits in general, or which cross specific cultural boundaries:

This ritual was written and performed prior to the development of our current Order of Ritual in 2006. It is archived here for historical reference only, and does not reflect a current ADF ritual.

This odd looking word, *ghos-ti, is the Proto-Indo-European word which refers to the reciprocal relationships of hospitality.

Look in any ditch along any country road in the Eastern part of the United States and Canada, and you'll find Great Burdock Arctium lappa. Look in many back yards and you'll find it there, too. Burdock is one of the most common medicinal plants.

(Originally published in Oak Leaves #2)

ADF's Study Programs offer a main advantage to the student seeking training: members are not tied to the same track as everyone else for advancement. As the Druids of old were not only priests, neither are our members.

The following pages are about Hellenic (aka "Greek") gods and spirits:

The following articles are historical documents: most of them no longer reflect exactly how we do ritual today, but can provide a deeper, more full understanding of how our ritual style and structure have developed.

Thoughts from the Ecology SIG

When Cormac mac Airt was king of Ireland, he was a good king and wise, his people prospered and he was greatly loved. And if he was well loved, his children is wife was adored. And if his wife was adored, his children were cherished even moreso.

by Wayne Keysor on 6 August 2020

I. What is a Good Source?

© Isaac Bonewits
Originally published in Druid's Progress #3

Words by Isaac Bonewits, music traditional (Lagan Lad/Quiet Joys)

-- for Sally --

Organizational Announcements

Mother Grove Minutes/Discussion Logs: https://www.adf.org/members/blogs/mg

© 1984 P. E. I. Bonewits
Originally published in Druid's Progress #1, 1984

When I came to ADF, I came at the behest of a group of eclectic pagan friends who would roll their eyes at my constant theological and cosmological questions, and who ultimately suggested that I would be happier with "those Druids" because Druids think about such things.

I came to ADF after about five years of searching for a place where I could learn about spirituality and how my ancestors lived and worshipped.

As an organization, ADF continues to expand at an amazing rate.

Establishing a Sacred Space

For those wishing to begin a Roman mode of worship, probably the best place to begin is in creating a suitable worship space - the lararium[1] and the hearth.

ADF has only three dogmas, which I announced during my tenure as the first Archdruid: The first is the Doctrine of Archdruidic Fallibility (all members are required to believe that the leadership messes up from time to time).