Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship

Web site: http://www.adf.org
Contact: adf-office@adf.org

Ár nDraíocht Féin, pronounced "arn ree-ocht fane," is Modern Irish for "Our Own Druidism" and is as well, a play on word for "Our Own Magic." Most people just call it ADF. As an organization, we allow our groves to worship any of the Indo-European pantheons of deities from Irish to Norse to Roman to Vedic, as long as they are from the Indo-European peoples. We understand that the term Druid is a Celtic term, but we feel that all of the Indo-European peoples followed the Path of Druidry even though they had different names for their priests.

There are many ways to look at our organization; primarily, we are a church that follows the ‘Path of Druidism,’ a way of lifelong learning and worship of the Kindreds. As Archdruid, I lead ADF’s Mother Grove, which acts as its board of directors. The Mother Grove has the comparable function to any other Nonprofit Organization's (NPO) board of directors. Because the Mother Grove members live over an entire continent, the full Mother Grove normally meets online three times per year and once in person at the annual meeting.

During the rest of the year, an Executive Committee is charged with the running of the organization. This Executive Committee is composed of the Archdruid, Non-Officer Director, and Scribe as voting members. Also on the committee are the Member’s Advocate, Pursewarden, and the Administrator to help the committee deal with the administrative areas of the organization.

As well as the elected Directors of the Corporation, other officers are appointed. They are the Administrator, the Pursewarden, the Chronicler, the Regalia Manager, and the Office Manager, the only paid position in ADF. The Office Manager is the person doing the work of entering information into our member’s database and doing all the office work associated with the corporation at the International Office located in Tucson, AZ.

Solitaires, traditionally almost half of our members, are ADF members who live in areas where there are no other ADF members, where no one is interested is starting a proto-grove, or simply individuals who choose not to participate in the local groves in their area. Much of the activity in ADF is happening online, so solitaires with computer access do have a large support network online even if they do not participate in any grove’s activities. This support network can help immensely in your growth on the Path of Druidism.

An ADF member who is willing to try to find two other people interested in joining ADF and starting a provisionally chartered grove can form a proto-grove. The proto-grove is encouraged to find other people to join them who are interested in our form of Druidry to allow them to move to the next level, the provisionally chartered grove.

The Grove Organizing Committee (GOC) can charter a provisionally chartered grove whenever three proto-grove members who are also members of ADF are willing to sign a charter application and to do the work necessary to keep the grove active. Provisionally chartered groves are required to hold open public rituals for each of the eight high days and to meet at least twice monthly to study and practice our form of Druidism. They are also required to perform some type of community service in their areas at least once each quarter.

When a provisionally chartered grove has been in existence for three years, has at least nine voting ADF members, and has a member who is is recognized by ADF as a Clergy person, it can apply to become a fully chartered grove.

ADF is a Nonprofit Corporation registered in the state of Delaware and has 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status from the IRS as a church in the US. This tax-exempt church status has been extended to several of our local groves through a group exemption and these groves have qualified as private foundations and local congregation of our church as outlined in articles 509(a)1 and 170(b)1(A)(l) of the Federal tax code.

Most people within ADF share the following beliefs(1).
• We believe that divinity is both within and all around us, immanent and transcendent. We believe that it is most important to pay attention to the divinity within ourselves at this time in history.
• We believe in a multiplicity of Gods and Goddesses, equal in power and status, as well as in a host of lesser beings, known by names such as Nature Spirits, Fairy Folk, and Ancestors.
• We believe it is necessary to honor and respect the Earth Mother as the living being she is. Most members of ADF believe in the "Gaia hypothesis.” We also hold ecological awareness and activism to be included in our sacred duties.
• We believe that ethics and morality should be based on love, joy, self-esteem, mutual respect, the avoidance of actual harm to ourselves and to others, and to the increase of public benefit.
• We believe that humans are meant to lead lives filled with joy, love, pleasure, beauty, and humor.
• We believe that with proper training, we are able to perform most of the magic and miracles we are ever likely to need.
• We believe in the importance of celebrating the solar, lunar, and other cycles in our lives.
• Most of us believe in reincarnation, with a time of resting and learning in-between incarnations.
• We believe that members of society must give back to society through community service.

(1) Taken from the pamphlet “What Do Neo-Pagan Druids Believe.” Copyright ADF.

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