Ar Ndraiocht Fein (ADF)

[Pandoras]

Is anyone currently or formerly a member of this group? Would you share a little of your experience with them?

[DebLipp]

I am one of the original signatories of the Articles of Association and a lifetime member. What is it you'd like to know?

[Kern]

I am one of the original signatories of the Articles of Association and a lifetime member. What is it you'd like to know?
I just signed up,though I am not officially a member yet(Havent sent my membership dues in),so I couldnt be of much help sorry.

[shenanigans]

I just signed up,though I am not officially a member yet(Havent sent my membership dues in),so I couldnt be of much help sorry.

My stories similar... signed up last month, paid my dues, but haven't received the dedicant package in the mail, and I don't have any experience to share yet.

[Pandoras]

I am one of the original signatories of the Articles of Association and a lifetime member. What is it you'd like to know?

Oh I'm glad because I respect your opinion tremendously (gushes). Anyway, I've been considering joining this organization, but I have some doubts about whether it's a good fit for me.

I think the biggest problems are the ideas of Druidism and polytheism. I am neither of these. I have strong Wiccan tendencies and while I worship many gods and goddesses, I see them as different manifestations, aspects, or facets of One.

I know that I'm never going to find a group that exactly matches my beliefs, but the ADF (or what I gather from the website) comes close in many ways. For instance, I do believe that divinity is both immanent and transcendent, I have love and respect for nature, I value scholarship, religious freedom, and I embrace activism.

I don't know. I think I'm rambling because I'm unsure.

[DebLipp]

Oh I'm glad because I respect your opinion tremendously (gushes). Anyway, I've been considering joining this organization, but I have some doubts about whether it's a good fit for me.

I think the biggest problems are the ideas of Druidism and polytheism. I am neither of these. I have strong Wiccan tendencies and while I worship many gods and goddesses, I see them as different manifestations, aspects, or facets of One.

I know that I'm never going to find a group that exactly matches my beliefs, but the ADF (or what I gather from the website) comes close in many ways. For instance, I do believe that divinity is both immanent and transcendent, I have love and respect for nature, I value scholarship, religious freedom, and I embrace activism.

I don't know. I think I'm rambling because I'm unsure.

ADF is largely a polytheistic organization. However, groves have a good deal of independence in how they style their worship. Many groves have a strong Reconstructionist bent; there are Celtic groves (of course) but also Norse groves and groves of other ethnic flavors. ADF is decidedly Neopagan, choosing to bring its scholarship into the modern world. The emphasis on scholarship is similar to hard-core Reconstructionism, but ADF differs in that people are free to adapt to the 21st century.

In addition to specifically ethnic groups, many groves rotate their pantheons around the wheel of the year.

I don't think that anyone would object to you seeing an underlying One.

Don't forget that Paganism is pluralistic. You can choose to be a Druid AND a Wiccan. You can participate in two different kinds of ceremonies; neither demands exclusively; neither is The One Right Way.

For myself, I will always love Wicca best. I joined ADF to support its aims of publically accessible Pagan worship and focused scholarship.

[Pandoras]

Deb ---

For some reason, despite that I live in a large, diverse city full of Pagans, we're about as organized as a herd of cats. There is no ADF Grove here so I would be on my own, for a while anyway. There might be a bunch of solitary ADFers here, who knows.

Anyway, thanks very much. I'll keep thinking about it.

[ibonewits]

For some reason, despite that I live in a large, diverse cities full of Pagans, we're about as organized as a herd of cats. There is no ADF Grove here so I would be on my own, for a while anyway. There might be a bunch of solitary ADFers here, who knows.I'm not positive, but I believe you can ask the ADF Office to pass your name and eddress on to other local members. You can also post an announcement in the ADF-Announce elist that you'd like to meet other members and talk about starting a grove.

cheers,
Isaac

PS: What Deb said is true. She is one of ADF's original unindicted co-conspirators and knows a lot about the early years of the organization.

[countrywitch]

I dont know much about ADF in general,but seems that the Sassafrass Grove here where I live is well organized. Its leaders are well respected in all the pagan community,not just the druids. Also Hello and welcome to ibonewits.. I've met you several times at the camp of mutual friends at Sirius/Starwood right there at the blue bus.

[ibonewits]

I dont know much about ADF in general,but seems that the Sassafrass Grove here where I live is well organized. Its leaders are well respected in all the pagan community,not just the druids.Yes, Sassafras is one of my favorite groves in the whole organization! :)
Also Hello and welcome to ibonewits.. I've met you several times at the camp of mutual friends at Sirius/Starwood right there at the blue bus.Hi! :wave:

cheers,
Isaac

[Ladyvi]

last time i tried to get into an organized grove. well after message upon message and emails. no answer. then another time was given a very cold shoulder. this has been a few years but kind of sours one on groups.

[KellyP]

Excuse me LadyVi, but was the grove an ADF grove specifically?

I am an ADF member and a solitaire due to my location. However, I have found all of the ADF groves to be very accepting of questions I have posed to them and willing to help me in many ways. If you had a bad experience with an ADF grove I would be very surprised to hear it.

If anyone has specific questions about ADF that a member might be able to answer, feel free to PM me. I won't be able to answer questions related to organization issues but I can share my personal experiences.

Kelly

[DebLipp]

last time i tried to get into an organized grove. well after message upon message and emails. no answer. then another time was given a very cold shoulder. this has been a few years but kind of sours one on groups.

I am not active with the organization, but unless the rules have changed drastically, groves are required to do outreach within the community, and blowing off a friendly Pagan inquiry is not okay.

[Ladyvi]

to be honest i dont recall what the grove's affiliations are or where. it was in texas. but be that as it may. this area is fairly devoid of a grove. the only thing is a long 2 hour drive and certainly dont have the resources for that.

been doing quite well solitary. in my mercurial ways. ~ slight chuckle~ be nice i suppose but would be very wary.

[Ron]

I am a member of AnDF, and I do not plan on renewing my memebership. The Protogrove in my area is much to my distaste (they are elitist Pagans - wretched creatures). I joined AnDF before the organization to which I belong now, y Gyfeillach, was fully formed. Y Gyfeiilach has many more members in my area than AnDF, and it has a different governing format - one which I perfer much more than AnDF's.

Don't get me wrong, I love ADF. It's an amazing organization - started by amazing people. Y Gyfeillach is just a better choice for me, since it's what I want.

[Pandoras]

I'm not positive, but I believe you can ask the ADF Office to pass your name and eddress on to other local members. You can also post an announcement in the ADF-Announce elist that you'd like to meet other members and talk about starting a grove.
Over the last year, my best friend (Loopaleigh on MW) and I have considered starting something, but neither of us feel up to the task. Combined, we have been Pagans for 25 years, but primarily as solitaries and group work is quite different. Perhaps after a year or two of group work, we might venture to start our own.

I still think about ADF. I think it might be a good fit for me.

[Avens]

Deb ---

For some reason, despite that I live in a large, diverse city full of Pagans, we're about as organized as a herd of cats. There is no ADF Grove here so I would be on my own, for a while anyway. There might be a bunch of solitary ADFers here, who knows.

Anyway, thanks very much. I'll keep thinking about it.

"about as organized as a herd of cats".

...never a truer word spoken.

I enjoyed my time in ADF... I was never an official member, just the daughter of one. My family left ADF in the early 90s after Mum resigned as Preceptor (I believe she was temporary Arch-Druid for a little while too whilst Isaac was dealing with medical stuff). My mother wanted to bring primary focus back onto Druidism and the scholarly aspects (she felt ADF's attention to such things was lacking - her opinion), so when we made our cross country move (from Seattle, WA to New Hampshire where we currently reside) she co-founded Druidic Association of North America. She retains a membership to ADF, and I plan on joining soon, just to stay connected.

But I definitely recommend ADF. Though I'm sure by the other testimonials on this thread, you probably realized they were good by now.

Avens

[DebLipp]

Oh! I didn't realize you were that Avens! I haen't seen you since you were 4! :D

[Avens]

Oh! I didn't realize you were that Avens! I haen't seen you since you were 4! :D

It's been far too long.

How are things? The family says hello.

Avens

[Cathubodva]

Do you think they'll accept people from European Countries?

[DebLipp]

Do you think they'll accept people from European Countries?
Yes.

[Ron]

groves are required to do outreach within the community You mean like what the Jehovess Witness do to my my neighbourhood? ahaha! hehe sorry I couldn't resist. The idea of ADFers doing outreach in the same form as the Jehovess Witnesses (in my area, at least) is amusing (since they would never do something so vile.)

_twohorns_

[ibonewits]

Do you think they'll accept people from European Countries?I believe they have a grove organizing in Vienna, Austria and possibly one in England, so, yes. :)

bright blessings,
Isaac

[DebLipp]

You mean like what the Jehovess Witness do to my my neighbourhood? ahaha! hehe sorry I couldn't resist. The idea of ADFers doing outreach in the same form as the Jehovess Witnesses (in my area, at least) is amusing (since they would never do something so vile.)

_twohorns_

I don't know what the current specific requirements are. It involves having holidays that are open to any friendly members of the community, i.e. any Pagans or Pagan-friendly folks who want to attend can attend, and some effort is made to ensure that people know about it, like an announcement on a local Pagan message board. Also charity in the community at large is required, such as volunteering at a foodbank. One grove did a local "adopt-a-highway" mile under their grove name, which was cool.

[Ben Trismegistus]

PS: What Deb said is true. She is one of ADF's original unindicted co-conspirators and knows a lot about the early years of the organization.
So what you're saying is that we should be wary of the indicted ones, eh? ;)

I've been meaning for about 6 months to visit the weekly "Rites of Caffeina" potluck at the Cedar Light Grove outside of Baltimore, but it's an hour drive and thus far I've been too lazy to drag my behind out of bed on a Sunday morning.

I'll make it tho, soon enough.

[squerrik]

I am currently a member of ADF and of Shining Lake Grove in Ann Arbor, MI ( www.shininglakes.org (http://www.shininglakes.org) )
My wife is on her second term as grove administrator and scribe, as well as being involved with the healers guild and the Eastern Kin.
I was just elected to PR for the grove, so if you are in the area check out the website to see if anything is doing while your here. We are always looking for new faces at our events and will be glad to answer any qiestions you may have.
A good place to meet us is at our montly coffee hour in Ann Arbor. Check the website for times and place (usually the Arborland Borders)

If you come to Wellspring in May, look us up. My wife and I plan to be there again this year and hope to drag some grovemates along with us.

[ibonewits]

So what you're saying is that we should be wary of the indicted ones, eh? ;)So far, in 20+ years of ADF, we've only ever had two members indicted for anything (don't ask, they are both long and sad tales).
I've been meaning for about 6 months to visit the weekly "Rites of Caffeina" potluck at the Cedar Light Grove outside of Baltimore, but it's an hour drive and thus far I've been too lazy to drag my behind out of bed on a Sunday morning. I'll make it tho, soon enough.They are really nice folks! Give 'em my regards when you see them. :)

bright blessings,
Isaac