The other day there was a posting on one of the ADF discussion boards that I found rather disturbing. An individual brought up the issue of a crisis of faith in ADF. This crisis of faith was being triggered by the perceived mandate that all individuals must honor the 8 High Days regardless of their hearth culture. This is the furthest thing from the truth, at least for a solitary and non-Grove related practices.
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The ADF mandate for honoring the 8 High Days is for Groves, our form of Church service. This requirement is not there for Protogroves at all. As a
public religion we all perform rites and ritual cycles in loosely the same manner and times. This allows anyone from one Grove to go across country or the world and attend a ritual at another Grove and not be completely lost. But this is a requirement for
Groves!
There are some of the study programs within ADF that do require the observation of the High Days, and even that doesn't require ALL of the High Days be ADF ritual (Dedicates Program). But outside of study programs there are not many requirements placed on private practice. So if you are an ADF Druid that works as a solitary and you are say of a Hellenic hearth culture, there is no reason what so ever that you
MUST following 8 High Day rituals. Matter of fact if you are a solitary participation there is no reason you have to stick with the Grove mandate of Indo-European cultural deities either. ADF is not in the business of controlling what people do in their private practice, even in
Public practice there are only loosely controlled guidelines.
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So in the end, do not have a crisis of faith over what you may or may not be doing wrong in your
Private practice. You are free to work as your heart directs you. Of course there are limitations even with that, do not be offering blood sacrifices, for example, and calling it ADF. That is
WELL beyond being ADF.
Photo 1
Thomas, Kirk. Kirk-Fire.jpg.
The Druid's Progress. Google Image Search. 1/17/2013. http://www.druidkirk.org/photos/Kirk-fire.jpg
Photo 2
Crawford, David.Small-shrine.2010.
2 comments:
Rob's Rule: "In ADF, almost everything is optional." EWe need to publicize this more. >8)
I agree Rob. I think that is one thing that sometimes people get the wrong idea about. There is so little that is required in ADF.
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