Ár nDraíocht Féin
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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, Neopagan Druidic practice.
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF), pronounced /a:rn riːəxt fe:n/, means "our own 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. 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 several other countries also.
Despite the Gaelic name, ADF Druidry actually encompasses all Indo-European religions, which means that while most of the organization is focused on Celtic practices, there are also Norse, 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".
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[edit] History
Isaac Bonewits 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." Isaac wanted such a 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, 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 also a reaction to many of the cultish pseudo-religions (Neopagan or not) which Isaac was familiar with and (in a few cases) experienced. Therefore, one of the first "dogmas" he promulgated was the "Doctrine of Archdruidic Fallibility", which means that everyone, even the Archdruid, can make mistakes.
[edit] Beliefs
ADF promotes a neo-druidism in which worshippers perform rituals honoring three kinds of entities: gods and goddesses, ancestors (honored dead), and nature spirits. Examples of gods and goddesses worshipped include Lugh, the Morrigan, Thor, Freya, Apollo, Athena, Vesta, Ceres, and many other ancient, pre-Christian, Indo-European deities. Ancestors usually refers to the direct blood ancestors of the worshippers, 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 Underworld (associated with the ancestors), the Heavens (associated with the gods) and this world (associated with the nature spirits); these are similar to the Norse realms of Niflheim, Asgard, and Midgard. There are also three parts of this world; the Land, the Sea (including saltwater and freshwater bodies), and 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 Heimdall, Celtic Manannan mac Lir, Hellenic Hermes), and a treaty with hostile entities (e.g., Norse Jotuns, 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.
ADF practice straddles the difficult middle ground between pure reconstructionism (attempting to recreate ancient practices exactly) and the much more recently created neopaganism (a blend of traditions starting 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 for one's ancestors (who lived in agrarian societies and regularly killed their own food), it is not considered appropriate in modern society.
[edit] Organization
Local ADF congregations are known as "groves" (like groves of trees), and while group rituals are arguably 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, so by forming a protogrove are able to appear on the list of ADF groves and so attract potential new members.
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 covens which were limited in size to 13 members. In addition to promoting cult-ish behavior, such secretism in a larger sense only promulgated the "underground" (occult, hidden) nature of Neopaganism. By making ADF a public tradition, Isaac hoped to both prevent ADF from ever becoming a cult and also further Neopaganism's acceptance in broader society as a credible and sane family of religions.
As a result of all this, 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. 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). Also, anyone may join ADF, as membership is open to the public. The ADF web site (see External Links) has more information about ADF, including how to join.
