Roll call!

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[Collinsky]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well. 

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

[Collinsky]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well. 

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

I'll go first -  I started out conservative Christian. Over a few years of searching, which is one of those long and winding stories, I ended up finding a home in Paganism. Once there, some more meandering happened, and then I decided to go ahead and join ADF. I liked what I read, agreed with much of it, and felt it would add a great dimension to my spiritual development. I will probably never call myself a Druid (which was one reason I put off joining any Druidry organization, because that seemed pretty impossible to me) but I'm feeling very comfortable on a druid path.

[Asch]

I'll go first -  I started out conservative Christian. Over a few years of searching, which is one of those long and winding stories, I ended up finding a home in Paganism. Once there, some more meandering happened, and then I decided to go ahead and join ADF. I liked what I read, agreed with much of it, and felt it would add a great dimension to my spiritual development. I will probably never call myself a Druid (which was one reason I put off joining any Druidry organization, because that seemed pretty impossible to me) but I'm feeling very comfortable on a druid path.

Heh, I suppose mine will sound similar to yours.

I was raised nominally Christian though when I was 12/13 was pretty sure it wasn't for me. As a teen/young adult I stopped attending Church unless my mother requested I come with her. I appreciated the congregation, the gathering together, the song and praise etc (it was a messianic Judaic congregation) but I felt like a pretender. I felt I was disrespecting the real faith and worship of my mother and others because I felt no similar pull. I started searching then but most of the neopagans I met were a bit flaky and kind of put me off it. The Eastern faiths and philosophies didn't really appeal either. Eventually I stumbled onto an awful forum but found a wonderful person there that initially recommended CR, an acquaintance of hers then suggested a Neo-Druid organization as I found CR admirable but not quite what I was looking for. Eventually I found the ADF and OBOD and went ahead and joined both. They're oddly complimentary but very different.

I too don't know that I'll ever feel comfortable with the title Druid. I don't mind describing myself as a Neo-Druid when asked as it's the best descriptor but yeah, not a Druid yet and not sure I ever will be.

A bit of a mundane bio, I'm in my late twenties, I'm ex-USAF, my father is English and I still have family there, my oldest brother lives in Japan with his wife and their new son, I have a twin brother in graduate school, I'm currently pursuing a B.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from Kaplan (work/income and health issues make an online school ideal) and I'm a partner and writer for Creator's Edge Press and independent comic book publisher. I'm also constantly looking for a new job 'cause CEP doesn't pay anything

[dragonfly_high]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well. 

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

Well, I grew up Agnostic.  My mother always said there was something out there, but wasn't sure what exactly it was and left it at that.  I tried several different churches over the years, but none really felt right, some warmer then others, but not 'right'.  About 10 or 11 yrs ago I seriously started looking into paganism, reading what I could, which was mainly Wiccian 101 books. I got involved with a group that started out as just a bunch of electics getting together to chat and exchange ideas.  The group evolved into rituals, but took a turn that I didn't like or feel comfortable with, we'll leave it at that. 

That group left a very bad taste in my mouth when it comes to anything wicca. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Wiccians, it's just not for me.  Druid doesn't work either, at least the way some like to describe Druids. (I DO NOT hug trees. LOL) But I do like Neo-druid.  While still with that other group I started looking into other beliefs and groups.  I discovered ADF and when I left that group went to my first ADF ritual.  Been there ever since.  I love their rituals and their approach to religion. 

Not sure what else to tell you. I'm in my early 40s, working in a factory but planning on returning to college soon.  I have a 19 yr old daughter that was basically raised pagan.  Our little family also includes 2 cats and a dog. 

[Ellen M.]

Hi everyone! You all probably know me already. I'm Ellen M. I've been a member of ADF since July 2010 and interested in Druidry for awhile before that. Currently I'm beginning (again) ADF's Dedicant Path program and spending my summer blogging, working on my Brighid book, and studying with an eclectic Wiccan coven. In my free time, I enjoy long walks on the beach and taquitos.

[Celtag]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well. 

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

I started as a Southern Baptist, growing up, then became Catholic about 10 years ago. The about 3 years ago I started to discover my heritage, and found out that i had a lot of Celtic heritage and starting researching all of that. This led me to the religion of the Celts, and as I read more and more I just began to feel more and more drawn to the ancient ways. So I started by looking into Druidry, and all that goes along with it. So about 6 months ago, I made the decision to devote myself to this path and quest. it has been a eye opening, wonderful experience. Learning what I've learned and getting back to nature, and just educating myself as  Druid, has been like an awakening in myself. I feel like a new person. I finally feel this is where I belong. I'm a member of the ADF, and I'm working on my dedicants path work right now. I have discovered many things, such as my Matron Goddess, and Patron God, which basically came out of the blue. The journey has started, and its starting to get really good.

[Ali]

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

Hi, all! I've been on the Druid path for close to ten years now, though officially/formally for only about seven or eight.

I was raised Catholic by my father, and my family on my father's side is of the large, Irish and poor kind - he grew up in relative poverty in Pennsylvania coal country and owes his college education (not to mention the clothes on his back and food in his belly during some times of his childhood) to the charity of the local Catholic community... so obviously, he has deep gratitude for that tradition. But being too poor and out in the middle of nowhere for the movers and shakers in the Catholic Church to be bothered with them, his Catholic community was also quite liberal, with an emphasis on social justice, appreciation for nature and even a bit of mysticism thrown in... so I inherited that from him.

In high school, I began studying mysticism from many of the world religions (including Buddhism, Taoism and Sufism), and I continued that study formally in college. My freshman year, I randomly picked up a copy of Ross Nichols' Book of Druidry on a whim in a used book store, and that's when Druidry was kind of planted like a seed in the back of my mind. I grew increasingly interested in nature spirituality and in my Celtic ancestry, but still considered myself at least nominally Catholic. My junior year, I used a student research grant I won to do academic research into Paganism, including attending a Wiccan ritual at a nearby college (as observer, though, not as participant). Soon after that, I took the plunge and started studying Paganism as a practitioner, though I was in the "Christo-Pagan" or "Christian Druid" camp for a few years after that.

I finally formally joined AODA on my birthday back in 2006 - which I guess means my five year anniversary is coming up of being "out" as a Druid. More recently, I've joined a smaller Druid Order (DOTR) that seeks to combine aspects of Revival Druidry with some aspects of "Neo-Druidry" and CR, and focuses particularly on the importance of the Three Realms.

Though I did some exploring of Wicca and Witchcraft while in college, that approach just never felt quite like the right fit for me... but Druidry... just.... does. I love the focus on scholarship, poetry and "bardic craft," philosophy, peace and justice work, and the more public presence that many Druid groups have in trying to reach out to non-Druid and non-Pagan community, especially when it comes to environmental concerns and issues of preserving the ancient heritage of sacred sites. The aesthetic of Druidry speaks deeply to me, with so much of its Celtic overtones (though I also like that many modern Druidry groups embrace a broader (P)IE approach).

--Ali

[Asch]

Hi, all! I've been on the Druid path for close to ten years now, though officially/formally for only about seven or eight.

I was raised Catholic by my father, and my family on my father's side is of the large, Irish and poor kind - he grew up in relative poverty in Pennsylvania coal country and owes his college education (not to mention the clothes on his back and food in his belly during some times of his childhood) to the charity of the local Catholic community... so obviously, he has deep gratitude for that tradition. But being too poor and out in the middle of nowhere for the movers and shakers in the Catholic Church to be bothered with them, his Catholic community was also quite liberal, with an emphasis on social justice, appreciation for nature and even a bit of mysticism thrown in... so I inherited that from him.

In high school, I began studying mysticism from many of the world religions (including Buddhism, Taoism and Sufism), and I continued that study formally in college. My freshman year, I randomly picked up a copy of Ross Nichols' Book of Druidry on a whim in a used book store, and that's when Druidry was kind of planted like a seed in the back of my mind. I grew increasingly interested in nature spirituality and in my Celtic ancestry, but still considered myself at least nominally Catholic. My junior year, I used a student research grant I won to do academic research into Paganism, including attending a Wiccan ritual at a nearby college (as observer, though, not as participant). Soon after that, I took the plunge and started studying Paganism as a practitioner, though I was in the "Christo-Pagan" or "Christian Druid" camp for a few years after that.

I finally formally joined AODA on my birthday back in 2006 - which I guess means my five year anniversary is coming up of being "out" as a Druid. More recently, I've joined a smaller Druid Order (DOTR) that seeks to combine aspects of Revival Druidry with some aspects of "Neo-Druidry" and CR, and focuses particularly on the importance of the Three Realms.

Though I did some exploring of Wicca and Witchcraft while in college, that approach just never felt quite like the right fit for me... but Druidry... just.... does. I love the focus on scholarship, poetry and "bardic craft," philosophy, peace and justice work, and the more public presence that many Druid groups have in trying to reach out to non-Druid and non-Pagan community, especially when it comes to environmental concerns and issues of preserving the ancient heritage of sacred sites. The aesthetic of Druidry speaks deeply to me, with so much of its Celtic overtones (though I also like that many modern Druidry groups embrace a broader (P)IE approach).

--Ali

May I ask what DOTR stands for?

[Ali]

May I ask what DOTR stands for?

Sure! It stands for "Druid Order of the Three Realms". They have a website here with a little bit of information about them.

--Ali

[Asch]

Sure! It stands for "Druid Order of the Three Realms". They have a website here with a little bit of information about them.

--Ali

Sweet! Thank you! I'm always interested in other orgs, for reference if nothing else

[Cannaid]

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

I have lived a colourful life.  For the first 30 years (or so) I spent too wrapped up in myself to even consider spirituality.  In terms of "colourful" perhaps a better descriptor would be "unhealthy".   

I am half Anishnabe (Ojibway) and half Irish.  I spent a great deal of time either blaming one or both of my ancestral lines or exploiting them.
 
Twenty years ago I committed to sitting at the feet of Anishnabe Elders both within my community and across the continent and spent 15 of those years learning from my Elders/mentors/teachers.  Clearly I had (still have) a lot to learn. 

Five years ago I made a decision to honour both sets of ancestors and having spent fifteen years with my Anishnabe relatives I began my study of Indo European Celtic mythology and theology (what there is) with an Irish Celt focus.  I consciously sought out mentors and teachers and dare I say Elders within this area of study.  Simultaneously, my focus has been on spiritual practice. Both mine and the community at large.  I am not enrolled in any Druidic schools and have no intention of joining at this time.  Many of the Druid schools/groups carry curriculum that is invaluable to neo-Druid path and I respect and honour those that choose to incorporate the teachings within their own path. 

I walk a path of Druidry because I am of nature.

I find that many of the teachings and "ways of walking" from both heritages are extremely complimentary although my personal struggles are found within the areas that are not similair or supportive to each other.  I.e. alcohol as an offering. 

I am deeply immersed in the my pagan community which carries folks with diverse spiritual and devotional interests, backgrounds and committments.  We work, love, laugh, cry and celebrate life together.   

All of my spiritual experiences are and will be based in our/my relationship with creation (read: nature).  I can call it Druidry. I can call it Walking the Good Red Road.  Whatever it is called I am based within myself, my family, my community, my territory and my universe as a humble helper whom seeks to learn.

I am Cannaid, Daughter of Bride, Flamekeeper, Priestess of the Gauls, Gzhe Mshkode Biizhiiki Kwe (running buffalo woman),  Waabzheshi Doodem (martin clan)

Pleased to meet you.....

[Arynn]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well.  :)

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

Hi! I'm Arynn. I've poked around on several of the other SIGs before (mainly the Hellenic one), so you may have seen me there...I've explored a lot of things, mostly because I'm still on the path to finding what kind of spirituality fits me the best...

I was raised a conservative Jew, but monotheism was never really my thing, though I did not leave Judaism with any hard feelings...in fact, I'm still very close with my family and we share spiritual thoughts, ideas, etc. all the time. The Jewish community I grew up in was extremely open-minded and accepting. I loved the holidays and community-driven aspects of Judaism (such friendly, loving people), though some of the deeper, serious beliefs were always kind of...not right for me (though when I was young I did not care enough to question it).

At the end of high school I started dating an agnostic type who I've been with for 5 years now...he sort of started my whole "what do I really believe?" mindset when we began attending university together in 2007 (he's very logical and would always question my beliefs...it was good, because I realized that I truly didn't know what I believed). For about three years after that I wasn't really anything...I did some Jewish things with my family, but I was pretty much devoid of any kind of belief or "true" spirituality.

Then in the Fall of 2010 I went to Japan and discovered Buddhism and Shinto and a world where religion and spirituality were so intricately and beautiful interwoven with everyday, secular life that I was extremely moved and inspired to find my own spirituality again. I began researching world religions and reaching out to various Spirits and Deities. Buddhism, while lovely and inspiring, did not end up fitting me perfectly, and neither did Shinto...I tried Wicca, Heathenry, and Shamanic Judaism and all had nice points, but aspects that didn't fit with me quite right either. I did fall in love with the Wheel of the Year holidays, which I celebrate now, and I also, around Samhain (Halloween) of 2010, decided to begin a Wiccan-style "Year and a Day" to help focus/organize my spiritual search.

Then, when I returned home from Japan, around January of this year, I had a moving experience with the Goddess Persephone (I prayed to Her and She answered me, essentially, which had never happened before when I'd tried praying to other specific Deities), strong enough to convince me to pursue a relationship with Her. I thought that meant I was supposed to be some kind of Hellenic Recon or Hellenic Revivalist...but reconstructionism did not work for me, either, though Persephone led me to a whole new level of appreciation for nature, a relationship with the Green Man and other spirits of nature, and an interest in natural remedies, teas, herbs, and other such wonderful things.

Around February, I joined a Pagan club/spiritual group at my university. That club reminded me how much I loved having a religious community when I was younger...recently (like last month - April) I asked them for advice in finding a right path for me, and many of them (upon hearing my beliefs and feelings so far on religion) recommended I look into neo-Druidry/Druidry, despite my relationship with Persephone, and I began to get interested in groups like ADF (a friend of mine mentioned that ADF was open to followers of various other European Gods, not just Celtic ones - I had always thought Druidry meant "only Celtic stuff"...). Though I've researched lots of groups, that one has spoken to me the strongest so far and I have since started pursuing their dedicant program. I have opened my heart to the Celtic Gods, as well as any others out there Who might need me or Who I might need, and I've prayed to Persephone for guidance in this matter as well. So we'll see what happens! Any help/guidance/advice on neo-Druidry/ADF/etc. I can learn from this SIG would always be helpful!

I have since graduated college, and I have a whole summer ahead of me to discover more about myself, before I move and start working. I'm looking forward to that. Nice to meet you (if you didn't know me already)! :)
 

[Bree]

I was raised Jehovah's Witness and attended a little country church with a Southern Baptist preacher in high school. In my early twenties I started reading about religion. To this point, I've only read, except for one Ostara ritual I attended at a UU church three or four years ago. The ritual was Wiccan, and while I've read the obligatory Wicca 101 book, it never really resonated with me.

I joined ADF in March because I need structure and am completely clueless when it comes to rituals. So far, I've read the DP Manual and Rev. Dangler's guide. I've also started on one of the books. Unfortunately, I still haven't been able to get started. I can't seem to find any time to myself to focus (I have a 10-month old). Hopefully having an online community will help - the nearest Grove is in Huntsville, AL, so not really a group I can regularly participate in.

[darashand]

It seems the other SIGs have a roll call thread for introductions, so I thought it would be nice for us to do one as well. 

Let us know a little about you, your path, and your interest in Neo-druidry!

Geesh.  I haven't even checked in.  Um, about me:

(From my fb profile, because I'm feeling unoriginal)

I have been a pagan for about seven years now and have studied various traditions before settling on a somewhat Irish Reconstruction path. Recently, I have been taken on yet another shift into a completely different direction, causing me to re-evaluate what I have previously known. For now, I have borrowed the phrase “seeker of truths” to define myself. I feel the pull toward the Druid path, still rooting myself in the Irish culture, but I understand that I need to learn more.

My studies, both religious and ordinary, involve the developing of my skills as a writer. My interest in the Creative Arts has been a constant in my life. Currently, I have been writing mostly poetry and fiction, but I have aspirations of writing liturgy and other religious writing.

In my non-religious pursuits, I consider myself an amateur chef, lay photographer, novice knitter, and (pardon the pun) budding gardener. I am someone who loves to be near water and does not feel right living in a place without mountains.

--
I joined ADF a few years ago, so that I could have a more structured path with credentials when I finished the program.  I have only recently worked through the DP in earnest, but I am finding that this is the place I should have been in for some time.  I still am unsure as to whether ADF is the true fit, but I know that my path will always have one foot on the Druid Way.

[Asch]

I am someone who loves to be near water and does not feel right living in a place without mountains.

ME TOO

When I was in military I spent four or five months in Northern Texas and the lack of mountains seriously bothered me. Same with Phoenix when I went there for trianing but less so 'cause there *are* mountains there they're just not what I was/am used to. Happily my permanent base had a really similar look to the Seattle area (oddly as it was in Northern Japan ><)

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