Who We Are:
As it says on our home page: We are an official Protogrove (congregation) of Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF); an international fellowship devoted to creating a public tradition of Neopagan Druidry. There is a lot there in that one little sentence but what does it mean?
Neopagan Druidry is a group of religions, philosophies and ways of life, rooted in ancient soil yet reaching for the stars. We are part of the larger Neopagan movement, one of the world's most vital and creative new religious awakenings. Like much of that movement we are polytheistic nature worshippers, working with the best aspects of the Pagan religions of our predecessors within a modern scientific, artistic, ecological and wholistic context using a nondogmatic and pluralistic approach.
We call ourselves Druids, and we look to the ancient Druids - the priests, priestesses, wise ones and magicians of the ancient Celts - for much of our inspiration. Like them, we're people who value excellence - physically, intellectually, artistically and spiritually.
Although our name implies an inclination toward things Celtic, we seek to understand all of the currents within the Indo-European spectrum of religions. In addition to those who follow Celtic ways we welcome Norse, Hellenic, Baltic, Slavic and Latin Neopagans, and encourage each to take up the worship and magic of the old ways.
An ADF grove is a group of members of ADF, who live in the same general geographical area, who gather together to study and practice Druidism within the context of Ár nDraíocht Féin, and who are chartered by the Mother Grove (the Board of Directors) of ADF as a local congregation. An ADF grove provides open worship ceremonies, study groups for various Druidic arts and sciences, fellowship, hard work, and lots of fun.
A Protogrove is a probationary Grove, chartered for three years, and working towards becoming fully chartered by the Mother Grove of ADF.