Ár nDraíocht Féin
Encyclopedia
Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc. (otherwise known simply as ADF) is a non-profit religious organization dedicated to the study and further development of modern, Neo-druidism
practice.
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ˈaːrn riːəxt feːn) means "our own Magic (Druidism)" in Modern Irish. ADF, also known as A Druid Fellowship, was founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1990 as a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization by Isaac Bonewits
. The organization's first public announcement and membership sign-up took place at the first WinterStar Symposium in 1984 at Burr Oak State Park
in Glouster, OH. ADF was originally organized as an Association, with Articles of Association signed by all Trustees on April 18, 1987.
ADF is a neodruidic
organization practicing a unique tradition of Neopagan Druidry and is mostly U.S.-based, with members and groups in most states and in several other countries as well.
Despite the Gaelic name, ADF Druidry actually encompasses all Indo-European religions
, which means that while most of the organization is focused on Celt
ic practices, there are also Germanic
, Hellenic
, Roman
, Slavic
and Vedic
religious practices in ADF. In that sense, ADF uses the term Druid
as "a member of the Indo-European intelligentsia, especially of the clergy" or even more broadly as "a worshipper of Indo-European gods and goddesses". Strictly speaking, members of ADF are not only "druids", but are also members of related Indo-European religions which may have other terms for people in such clergy roles (e.g., godhi for clergy of ancient Norse religions).
founded ADF with the goal of "researching and expanding sound modern scholarship about the ancient Celts and other Indo-European peoples, in order to reconstruct what the Old Religions of Europe really were." Bonewits wanted to focus on scholarship as a reaction to more revisionist types of Neopaganism
, such as those claiming direct descent from a "Great Matriarchy" of pre-historic times (see James Frazer's The Golden Bough
). The works of Georges Dumézil
on Indo-European social structures and mythologies were especially influential in Bonewits's thinking.
Related to the focus on scholarship, Isaac started the ADF Study Program with the goal of producing credible, knowledgeable Neopagan clergy
; actual druid priests and priestesses, who would be able to fulfill all the roles of modern clergy for other Neopagans, such as birth, marriage, and funerary
rites. Similarly, ADF's official motto of "Why not excellence?" is an expression of the desire to create a bona fide religious tradition, rather than a small group that few would take seriously and which would not be around in a few years. ADF's unofficial motto, "As fast as a speeding oak," is meant to remind members that excellence takes time.
ADF was a reaction to many of the cultish pseudo-religions (Neopagan or not) with which Bonewits was familiar and (in a few cases) had experienced http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html. Therefore, one of the first "dogma
s" he promulgated was the "Doctrine of Archdruidic Fallibility", which states that everyone, even the Archdruid, can make mistakes. However, ADF was also a reaction to the Reformed Druids of North America
, a freethinking religious group which Bonewits considered too loose and not neopagan enough.
in which worshipers perform rituals honoring three kinds of entities: gods and goddesses, ancestors (honored dead), and nature spirits. Examples of gods and goddesses worshipped include Lugh
, Cernunnous, the Morrigan
, Thor
, Freya
, Apollo
, Athena
, Vesta
, Ceres, and many other ancient, pre-Christian, Indo-European deities. Although various pantheons or "hearth cultures" are allowed, "mixing and matching" unrelated deities within a single rite is discouraged. Ancestors usually refers to the direct blood ancestors of the worshiper, but can include other honored dead (friends, mythological heroes, etc.), too. Nature spirits includes general animal (totem
) spirits as well as whatever spirits are present in the place of worship, such as a local river spirit. Most ADF rituals occur outdoors.
In ADF terms, the triad of deities, ancestors, and nature spirits is called the "Three Kindreds". There are other triads in ADF practice, such as the "three realms" of the Underworld (associated with the ancestors), the Heavens (associated with the gods), and this world (associated with the nature spirits); these are similar to the three worlds of the Celts, and to the Norse realms of Niflheim
, Asgard
, and Midgard
. There are also three parts to this world; the Land, the Sea (including saltwater
and freshwater
bodies), and the Sky.
All of these triads are based on the common and pervasive theme of "threes" attributed to ancient Indo-European (and particularly Celtic) cultures. Similarly, ADF uses the common Indo-European themes of a sacred tree (e.g. the Norse Yggdrasil
), a "gatekeeper" or opener of ways (e.g. the Norse god Heimdall
, the Celtic god Manannan mac Lir
, or the Hellenic god Hermes
), and a treaty with hostile entities (e.g. the Norse Jotuns or the Celtic Fomorians
). In these ways, ADF practice is an attempt to reconstruct earlier Indo-European beliefs and practices by using the records we have of ancient Indo-European cultures, and looking for commonalities among them which can then be applied to current spiritual practice.
ADF practice straddles the difficult middle ground between pure reconstructionism
(attempting to recreate ancient practices as exactly as possible) and a less exclusive form of Neopaganism
(an umbrella term for the loose agglomeration of pagan-based religions which arose in the early to middle 20th century, the most popular of which is Wicca
). Thus, it attempts to be as authentic as possible given the realities of modern life. For example, ADF forbids any form of blood sacrifice in its official rituals, because even if it were appropriate in relation to one's ancestors (who may have lived in agrarian societies that regularly killed their own food), it is not considered appropriate in modern society.
One of ADF's cornerstone principles is the notion that it is a public form of Neopaganism
. Again, this was partly a reaction to the secretive religious groups Isaac was familiar with, such as closed coven
s which were limited in size to 13 members, or Masonic-style societies. In addition to promoting cult-ish behavior, such secretism in a larger sense was seen as unnecessarily promulgating the "underground" (occult
, hidden) nature of Neopaganism. By making ADF a public tradition, its founder hoped to both prevent ADF from ever becoming a cult, and to further Neopaganism's acceptance in broader society as a credible and sane family of religions.
As a result of these principles and intents, ADF groves are required to have open-to-the-public rituals on or near the eight "High Days" of the common Neopagan calendar such as Bealtaine, Lughnasadh
, and Samhain
(the holidays of the Wheel of the Year
). Such rituals follow an established "core order of ritual" and are expected to focus on one particular pantheon or "hearth culture" for that high day. ADF groves are also required to perform some kind of public service on a quarterly basis (cleaning up parks and other ecological activities are popular).
An annual meeting of ADF is held at an event selected by the membership. Thus far it has always been at the Wellspring Gathering, held at Brushwood Folklore Center
in Sherman, New York
in late May. This meeting originated as part of the Starwood Festival
in 1988 at Bear Creek KOA
in East Sparta, OH, but became a separate event in 1991 at Brushwood. ADF still maintains a presence at the Starwood Festival, holding meetings and offering classes and rituals, and often has more members attending there than at the Wellspring Gathering.
Anyone may join ADF, as membership is open to the public.
Neo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment...
practice.
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ˈaːrn riːəxt feːn) means "our own Magic (Druidism)" in Modern Irish. ADF, also known as A Druid Fellowship, was founded in 1983 and incorporated in 1990 as a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit organization by Isaac Bonewits
Isaac Bonewits
Phillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits was an influential American Druid who published a number of books on the subject of Neopaganism and magic. He was also a liturgist, singer and songwriter, and founded the Druidic organisation Ár nDraíocht Féin, as well as the Neopagan civil rights group, the Aquarian...
. The organization's first public announcement and membership sign-up took place at the first WinterStar Symposium in 1984 at Burr Oak State Park
Burr Oak State Park
Burr Oak State Park is a state park in the U.S. state of Ohio, located mostly in Morgan County, with part extending into Athens County. Its address is listed as Glouster....
in Glouster, OH. ADF was originally organized as an Association, with Articles of Association signed by all Trustees on April 18, 1987.
ADF is a neodruidic
Neo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment...
organization practicing a unique tradition of Neopagan Druidry and is mostly U.S.-based, with members and groups in most states and in several other countries as well.
Despite the Gaelic name, ADF Druidry actually encompasses all Indo-European religions
Proto-Indo-European religion
Proto-Indo-European religion is the hypothesized religion of the Proto-Indo-European peoples based on the existence of similarities among the deities, religious practices and mythologies of the Indo-European peoples. Reconstruction of the hypotheses below is based on linguistic evidence using the...
, which means that while most of the organization is focused on Celt
Celt
The Celts were a diverse group of tribal societies in Iron Age and Roman-era Europe who spoke Celtic languages.The earliest archaeological culture commonly accepted as Celtic, or rather Proto-Celtic, was the central European Hallstatt culture , named for the rich grave finds in Hallstatt, Austria....
ic practices, there are also Germanic
Germanic mythology
Germanic mythology is a comprehensive term for myths associated with historical Germanic paganism, including Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon mythology, Continental Germanic mythology, and other versions of the mythologies of the Germanic peoples...
, Hellenic
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is a civilization belonging to a period of Greek history that lasted from the Archaic period of the 8th to 6th centuries BC to the end of antiquity. Immediately following this period was the beginning of the Early Middle Ages and the Byzantine era. Included in Ancient Greece is the...
, Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
, Slavic
Slavic peoples
The Slavic people are an Indo-European panethnicity living in Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe, North Asia and Central Asia. The term Slavic represents a broad ethno-linguistic group of people, who speak languages belonging to the Slavic language family and share, to varying degrees, certain...
and Vedic
Historical Vedic religion
The religion of the Vedic period is a historical predecessor of Hinduism. Its liturgy is reflected in the mantra portion of the four Vedas, which are compiled in Sanskrit. The religious practices centered on a clergy administering rites...
religious practices in ADF. In that sense, ADF uses the term Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
as "a member of the Indo-European intelligentsia, especially of the clergy" or even more broadly as "a worshipper of Indo-European gods and goddesses". Strictly speaking, members of ADF are not only "druids", but are also members of related Indo-European religions which may have other terms for people in such clergy roles (e.g., godhi for clergy of ancient Norse religions).
History
Isaac BonewitsIsaac Bonewits
Phillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits was an influential American Druid who published a number of books on the subject of Neopaganism and magic. He was also a liturgist, singer and songwriter, and founded the Druidic organisation Ár nDraíocht Féin, as well as the Neopagan civil rights group, the Aquarian...
founded ADF with the goal of "researching and expanding sound modern scholarship about the ancient Celts and other Indo-European peoples, in order to reconstruct what the Old Religions of Europe really were." Bonewits wanted to focus on scholarship as a reaction to more revisionist types of Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
, such as those claiming direct descent from a "Great Matriarchy" of pre-historic times (see James Frazer's The Golden Bough
The Golden Bough
The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion is a wide-ranging, comparative study of mythology and religion, written by Scottish anthropologist Sir James George Frazer . It first was published in two volumes in 1890; the third edition, published 1906–15, comprised twelve volumes...
). The works of Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil
Georges Dumézil was a French comparative philologist best known for his analysis of sovereignty and power in Proto-Indo-European religion and society...
on Indo-European social structures and mythologies were especially influential in Bonewits's thinking.
Related to the focus on scholarship, Isaac started the ADF Study Program with the goal of producing credible, knowledgeable Neopagan clergy
Clergy
Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
; actual druid priests and priestesses, who would be able to fulfill all the roles of modern clergy for other Neopagans, such as birth, marriage, and funerary
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
rites. Similarly, ADF's official motto of "Why not excellence?" is an expression of the desire to create a bona fide religious tradition, rather than a small group that few would take seriously and which would not be around in a few years. ADF's unofficial motto, "As fast as a speeding oak," is meant to remind members that excellence takes time.
ADF was a reaction to many of the cultish pseudo-religions (Neopagan or not) with which Bonewits was familiar and (in a few cases) had experienced http://www.neopagan.net/ABCDEF.html. Therefore, one of the first "dogma
Dogma
Dogma is the established belief or doctrine held by a religion, or a particular group or organization. It is authoritative and not to be disputed, doubted, or diverged from, by the practitioners or believers...
s" he promulgated was the "Doctrine of Archdruidic Fallibility", which states that everyone, even the Archdruid, can make mistakes. However, ADF was also a reaction to the Reformed Druids of North America
Reformed Druids of North America
The Reformed Druids of North America is an American Neo-Druidic organization. It was formed in 1963 at Carleton College, Northfield, Minnesota as a humorous protest against the college's required attendance of religious services. This original congregation is called the Carleton Grove, sometimes...
, a freethinking religious group which Bonewits considered too loose and not neopagan enough.
Beliefs
ADF promotes a neo-druidismNeo-Druidism
Neo-Druidism or Neo-Druidry, commonly referred to as Druidism or Druidry by its adherents, is a form of modern spirituality or religion that generally promotes harmony and worship of nature, and respect for all beings, including the environment...
in which worshipers perform rituals honoring three kinds of entities: gods and goddesses, ancestors (honored dead), and nature spirits. Examples of gods and goddesses worshipped include Lugh
Lugh
Lug or Lugh is an Irish deity represented in mythological texts as a hero and High King of the distant past. He is known by the epithets Lámhfhada , for his skill with a spear or sling, Ildánach , Samhildánach , Lonnbeimnech and Macnia , and by the...
, Cernunnous, the Morrigan
Morrígan
The Morrígan or Mórrígan , also written as Morrígu or in the plural as Morrígna, and spelt Morríghan or Mór-Ríoghain in Modern Irish, is a figure from Irish mythology who appears to have once been a goddess, although she is not explicitly referred to as such in the texts.The Morrigan is a goddess...
, Thor
Thor
In Norse mythology, Thor is a hammer-wielding god associated with thunder, lightning, storms, oak trees, strength, the protection of mankind, and also hallowing, healing, and fertility...
, Freya
Freya
In Norse mythology, Freyja is a goddess associated with love, beauty, fertility, gold, seiðr, war, and death. Freyja is the owner of the necklace Brísingamen, rides a chariot driven by two cats, owns the boar Hildisvíni, possesses a cloak of falcon feathers, and, by her husband Óðr, is the mother...
, Apollo
Apollo
Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology...
, Athena
Athena
In Greek mythology, Athena, Athenê, or Athene , also referred to as Pallas Athena/Athene , is the goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, warfare, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, justice, and skill. Minerva, Athena's Roman incarnation, embodies similar attributes. Athena is...
, Vesta
Vesta (mythology)
Vesta was the virgin goddess of the hearth, home, and family in Roman religion. Vesta's presence was symbolized by the sacred fire that burned at her hearth and temples...
, Ceres, and many other ancient, pre-Christian, Indo-European deities. Although various pantheons or "hearth cultures" are allowed, "mixing and matching" unrelated deities within a single rite is discouraged. Ancestors usually refers to the direct blood ancestors of the worshiper, but can include other honored dead (friends, mythological heroes, etc.), too. Nature spirits includes general animal (totem
Totem
A totem is a stipulated ancestor of a group of people, such as a family, clan, group, lineage, or tribe.Totems support larger groups than the individual person. In kinship and descent, if the apical ancestor of a clan is nonhuman, it is called a totem...
) spirits as well as whatever spirits are present in the place of worship, such as a local river spirit. Most ADF rituals occur outdoors.
In ADF terms, the triad of deities, ancestors, and nature spirits is called the "Three Kindreds". There are other triads in ADF practice, such as the "three realms" of the Underworld (associated with the ancestors), the Heavens (associated with the gods), and this world (associated with the nature spirits); these are similar to the three worlds of the Celts, and to the Norse realms of Niflheim
Niflheim
Niflheim is one of the Nine Worlds and is a location in Norse mythology which overlaps with the notions of Niflhel and Hel...
, Asgard
Asgard
In Norse religion, Asgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is the country or capital city of the Norse Gods surrounded by an incomplete wall attributed to a Hrimthurs riding the stallion Svadilfari, according to Gylfaginning. Valhalla is located within Asgard...
, and Midgard
Midgard
Midgard is one of the Nine Worlds and is an old Germanic name for our world and is the home of Humans, with the literal meaning "middle enclosure".-Etymology:...
. There are also three parts to this world; the Land, the Sea (including saltwater
Seawater
Seawater is water from a sea or ocean. On average, seawater in the world's oceans has a salinity of about 3.5% . This means that every kilogram of seawater has approximately of dissolved salts . The average density of seawater at the ocean surface is 1.025 g/ml...
and freshwater
Freshwater
Fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in ice sheets, ice caps, glaciers, bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Fresh water is generally characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved salts and...
bodies), and the Sky.
All of these triads are based on the common and pervasive theme of "threes" attributed to ancient Indo-European (and particularly Celtic) cultures. Similarly, ADF uses the common Indo-European themes of a sacred tree (e.g. the Norse Yggdrasil
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
), a "gatekeeper" or opener of ways (e.g. the Norse god Heimdall
Heimdall
In Norse mythology, Heimdallr is a god who possesses the resounding horn Gjallarhorn, owns the golden-maned horse Gulltoppr, has gold teeth, and is the son of Nine Mothers...
, the Celtic god Manannan mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir
Manannán mac Lir is a sea deity in Irish mythology. He is the son of the obscure Lir . He is often seen as a psychopomp, and has strong affiliations with the Otherworld, the weather and the mists between the worlds...
, or the Hellenic god Hermes
Hermes
Hermes is the great messenger of the gods in Greek mythology and a guide to the Underworld. Hermes was born on Mount Kyllini in Arcadia. An Olympian god, he is also the patron of boundaries and of the travelers who cross them, of shepherds and cowherds, of the cunning of thieves, of orators and...
), and a treaty with hostile entities (e.g. the Norse Jotuns or the Celtic Fomorians
Fomorians
In Irish mythology, the Fomoire are a semi-divine race said to have inhabited Ireland in ancient times. They may have once been believed to be the beings who preceded the gods, similar to the Greek Titans. It has been suggested that they represent the gods of chaos and wild nature, as opposed to...
). In these ways, ADF practice is an attempt to reconstruct earlier Indo-European beliefs and practices by using the records we have of ancient Indo-European cultures, and looking for commonalities among them which can then be applied to current spiritual practice.
ADF practice straddles the difficult middle ground between pure reconstructionism
Polytheistic reconstructionism
Polytheistic reconstructionism is an approach to Neopaganism first emerging in the late 1960s to early 1970s, and gathering momentum in the 1990s to 2000s...
(attempting to recreate ancient practices as exactly as possible) and a less exclusive form of Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
(an umbrella term for the loose agglomeration of pagan-based religions which arose in the early to middle 20th century, the most popular of which is Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
). Thus, it attempts to be as authentic as possible given the realities of modern life. For example, ADF forbids any form of blood sacrifice in its official rituals, because even if it were appropriate in relation to one's ancestors (who may have lived in agrarian societies that regularly killed their own food), it is not considered appropriate in modern society.
Organization
Local ADF congregations are known as "groves" (like groves of trees), and while group rituals are often regarded as more powerful than rituals performed individually, ADF also has many solitary members; some by choice, and some because there are no groves within easy traveling distance. There are also ADF "protogroves", which are usually one or two people who would like to start a bigger grove. By forming a protogrove, they are able to appear on the list of ADF groves in the organization's online and printed literature, and so attract potential new members.One of ADF's cornerstone principles is the notion that it is a public form of Neopaganism
Neopaganism
Neopaganism is an umbrella term used to identify a wide variety of modern religious movements, particularly those influenced by or claiming to be derived from the various pagan beliefs of pre-modern Europe...
. Again, this was partly a reaction to the secretive religious groups Isaac was familiar with, such as closed coven
Coven
A coven or covan is a name used to describe a gathering of witches or in some cases vampires. Due to the word's association with witches, a gathering of Wiccans, followers of the witchcraft-based neopagan religion of Wicca, is also described as a coven....
s which were limited in size to 13 members, or Masonic-style societies. In addition to promoting cult-ish behavior, such secretism in a larger sense was seen as unnecessarily promulgating the "underground" (occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
, hidden) nature of Neopaganism. By making ADF a public tradition, its founder hoped to both prevent ADF from ever becoming a cult, and to further Neopaganism's acceptance in broader society as a credible and sane family of religions.
As a result of these principles and intents, ADF groves are required to have open-to-the-public rituals on or near the eight "High Days" of the common Neopagan calendar such as Bealtaine, Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh is a traditional Gaelic holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas.-Name:...
, and Samhain
Samhain
Samhain is a Gaelic harvest festival held on October 31–November 1. It was linked to festivals held around the same time in other Celtic cultures, and was popularised as the "Celtic New Year" from the late 19th century, following Sir John Rhys and Sir James Frazer...
(the holidays of the Wheel of the Year
Wheel of the Year
The Wheel of the Year is a Neopagan term for the annual cycle of the Earth's seasons. It consists of eight festivals, spaced at approximately even intervals throughout the year. These festivals are referred to as Sabbats...
). Such rituals follow an established "core order of ritual" and are expected to focus on one particular pantheon or "hearth culture" for that high day. ADF groves are also required to perform some kind of public service on a quarterly basis (cleaning up parks and other ecological activities are popular).
An annual meeting of ADF is held at an event selected by the membership. Thus far it has always been at the Wellspring Gathering, held at Brushwood Folklore Center
Brushwood Folklore Center
Brushwood Folklore Center L.L.C. is a family-operated spiritual center that runs events such as festivals, concerts and seminars, and hosts such events held by other organizations. It is a campground which accepts day passes, night passes, and seasonal camping sites. The facility is located in...
in Sherman, New York
Sherman (town), New York
Sherman is a town in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The town is an interior town in the county, west of Chautauqua Lake. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,553...
in late May. This meeting originated as part of the Starwood Festival
Starwood Festival
The Starwood Festival is a seven-day Neo-Pagan, New Age, multi-cultural and world music festival presented in mid- to late July. Approximately 1,500 people attend including staff, speakers and entertainers. The Starwood Festival is a camping event which holds workshops on a variety of subjects...
in 1988 at Bear Creek KOA
Kampgrounds of America
Kampgrounds of America is a franchise chain of nearly 470 campgrounds throughout North America based in Billings, Montana, USA. The current CEO of Kampgrounds of America Inc. is James D. Rogers. The President is Pat Hittmeier. - History :...
in East Sparta, OH, but became a separate event in 1991 at Brushwood. ADF still maintains a presence at the Starwood Festival, holding meetings and offering classes and rituals, and often has more members attending there than at the Wellspring Gathering.
Anyone may join ADF, as membership is open to the public.
Archdruids
- 1984–1996: Revd Phillip Emmons Isaac BonewitsIsaac BonewitsPhillip Emmons Isaac Bonewits was an influential American Druid who published a number of books on the subject of Neopaganism and magic. He was also a liturgist, singer and songwriter, and founded the Druidic organisation Ár nDraíocht Féin, as well as the Neopagan civil rights group, the Aquarian...
(Fundator; EmeritusEmeritusEmeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
) (b. 1949 – d. 2010) - 1996–1997: Revd Ian CorriganIan CorriganIan Corrigan is an American Neopagan writer, teacher, musician and ritualist whose work has influenced both the Wiccan and Neo-druidic branches of the Pagan movement.- Training, teaching and contributions :...
(Jeffrey L. Wyndham) (Emeritus) - 1997–2000: Revd John "Fox" Adelmann (Emeritus) (First elected Archdruid)
- 2000–2010: Revd Robert Lee "Skip" Ellison (Emeritus)
- 2010–2012: Revd Kirk S. Thomas