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Author Topic: Differences between Druid Organizations  (Read 5722 times)

Geroth

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Differences between Druid Organizations
« on: March 02, 2012, 07:35:23 am »
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin
*Reformed Druids of North America
*Ancient Order of Druids in America

Having had a look at their websites, they all kinda seem the same to me although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization. But I'd like to hear what practicing Druids have to say on it. What are the major differences?

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #1 on: March 02, 2012, 08:17:31 am »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
*Reformed Druids of North America

The RDNA is only loosely a Druid organization. It's more of a generic Pagan group with Druid flavoring. It started as a "religion" at Carleton College in 1963 as a "protest religion" to meet the college's then requirement that students attend one religious service a week. That said, it had a number of Druid-like trappings from the beginning (based on literature available then) and has grown into it with time.  It's an interesting group. I'm actually a initiated RDNA Druid.
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asdfghjkl

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #2 on: March 02, 2012, 10:19:07 am »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin
*Reformed Druids of North America
*Ancient Order of Druids in America

Having had a look at their websites, they all kinda seem the same to me although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization. But I'd like to hear what practicing Druids have to say on it. What are the major differences?

Very generally:
  • Reformed Druids of North America - Kindof Druidry (Explained by Randall)
  • Ár nDraíocht Féin - Neo-Pagan Druidry
  • Ancient Order of Druids in America - Revival Druidry
  • Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids - Revival Druidry with a Mystic/Magical bent
Research on differences between those terms should help in determining differences between organizations. Google does exist for a reason.
« Last Edit: March 02, 2012, 10:20:20 am by thorsvin »

cigfran

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #3 on: March 02, 2012, 11:30:02 am »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin...


OBOD describes itself as a "Mystery School" and appears to function in a more traditional manner - with its distinctions between classes of the Order - than does ADF, which is largely a collection of study groups with some members working towards clergy.

I am a member of ADF myself, and will probably join OBOD. Joint membership is not uncommon.

Kara

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #4 on: March 02, 2012, 12:17:40 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;44646

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin

 
I'm not overly familliar with the other two organizations but there is a comparative article on the ADF wedsite about the difference between the ADF and OBOD, written by someone who is a memeber of both organizations. Hopefully that will help :)

Aynfean

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #5 on: March 02, 2012, 12:48:33 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
What are the major differences?

 
I was in the same boat as you when I was looking at different schools of Druidry. I settled on the OBOD because they have more of a Shamanistic feel to them. One of the women in an eclectic coven I belong to said that they had less of a scholarly bent and were more philosophical in nature. Sorry I don't know much about the other schools but I hope that gives you a bit of an idea about the OBOD.
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Finn

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #6 on: March 02, 2012, 01:01:57 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin
*Reformed Druids of North America
*Ancient Order of Druids in America

Having had a look at their websites, they all kinda seem the same to me although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization. But I'd like to hear what practicing Druids have to say on it. What are the major differences?

 
Well, they're really not.

I have a very useful article that I've trotted out a couple of times before that explains a great deal:

An Introduction to Modern Druid Groups
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Celtag

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #7 on: March 02, 2012, 07:54:59 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin
*Reformed Druids of North America
*Ancient Order of Druids in America

Having had a look at their websites, they all kinda seem the same to me although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization. But I'd like to hear what practicing Druids have to say on it. What are the major differences?
As a member of ADF i would say it is very Indo-European in context. Propbably more so than others who are more Celtic based.
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cigfran

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #8 on: March 02, 2012, 08:01:55 pm »
Quote from: Celtag;44707
As a member of ADF i would say it is very Indo-European in context. Propbably more so than others who are more Celtic based.


Yes, good distinction. The ADF study program is all about the ramification of Proto Indo European culture into its various variant forms.

SunflowerP

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #9 on: March 03, 2012, 06:59:30 am »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
... although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization.

 
IMO, it'd be more accurate to think of it as being more accommodating to those who favor recon methodology, rather than being more recon in itself.  Even then, it seems to depend on the local grove; the organization as a whole is recon-friendly, but I've heard tell of local groves being quite hostile to individuals who wanted to pursue a more reconnish approach.

I'd concur with Thorsvin's classification of it as neoPagan druidry, as distinct from revival druidry (I'd count OBOD under neoPagan as well, because Ross Nichols' leadership moved it away from "classical" revival druidry, which wasn't at all pagan as we understand it, to an influential place in the proto-neoPagan parts of the UK occult scene - though perhaps that's a distinction between flavors of revival druidry, rather than having anything much to do with neoPagan druidry per se).

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cigfran

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #10 on: March 03, 2012, 08:19:21 am »
Quote from: SunflowerP;44739
IMO, it'd be more accurate to think of it as being more accommodating to those who favor recon methodology, rather than being more recon in itself.  Even then, it seems to depend on the local grove; the organization as a whole is recon-friendly, but I've heard tell of local groves being quite hostile to individuals who wanted to pursue a more reconnish approach.


Yes. Whereas heathen recon presents itself as explicitly trying to recover and inhabit a worldview, ADF recon is limited to favoring scholarship in the discovery and construction of practice.

I'd not heard of recon-hostile groves, but I'm not well acquainted with the broader ADF (or druid) culture.

RandallS

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #11 on: March 03, 2012, 08:26:33 am »
Quote from: cigfran;44755
Yes. Whereas heathen recon presents itself as explicitly trying to recover and inhabit a worldview, ADF recon is limited to favoring scholarship in the discovery and construction of practice.

At least part of reason for this is probably that the druids did not keep written records and there are few outsider written descriptions of actual druid practices. Therefore, scholarship cannot be used to recreate the beliefs and practices of the druids, the best one can do with available scholarship is to use it to inform the construction of a druid religion.

Heathen recons have the (outsider) Christian records of heathen practice and the copies of the sagas and such that monks recorded. Greek, Roman, and Egyptian recons have actual writings from the era to use.  Druid recons have nothing like this.
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darashand

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #12 on: March 04, 2012, 11:10:08 pm »
Quote from: Geroth;44646
I've been interested in Druidry for some time now and have thought about giving an organization's courses a try. However, I'd like to know the differences between these organizations.

*Order of Bardes, Ovates and Druids
*Ár nDraíocht Féin
*Reformed Druids of North America
*Ancient Order of Druids in America

Having had a look at their websites, they all kinda seem the same to me although I know the ADF is more of a Reconstructionist organization. But I'd like to hear what practicing Druids have to say on it. What are the major differences?

 
Isaac Bonewits wrote a pretty good book on the various Druidic paths called _The Essential Guide to Druidism_which talks about most of the groups mentioned above and their origins.  ADF's website also includes an article written by John Michael Greer (of OBOD) on the differences between ADF and OBOD.

Hope this helps.

dragonfaerie

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #13 on: March 05, 2012, 10:59:13 am »
Quote from: darashand;44905
Isaac Bonewits wrote a pretty good book on the various Druidic paths called _The Essential Guide to Druidism_which talks about most of the groups mentioned above and their origins.


I've read this book, and I agree. It's thorough, and Bonewits manages to avoid pushing his concept of Druidry (ADF) as the best or right way to do things.

I got the book out of my local public library system, as it wasn't one I figured I'd want to keep around, but it did give me a better grounding in the types of Druidry that are out there.

Karen

Asch

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Re: Differences between Druid Organizations
« Reply #14 on: March 27, 2012, 09:43:16 pm »
Quote from: dragonfaerie;44931
I've read this book, and I agree. It's thorough, and Bonewits manages to avoid pushing his concept of Druidry (ADF) as the best or right way to do things.

I got the book out of my local public library system, as it wasn't one I figured I'd want to keep around, but it did give me a better grounding in the types of Druidry that are out there.

Karen

 
It's probably worth noting as well that the book is a few years out of date now. I'm not sure how/where/if it's efficacy as a comparative work is impacted by that but it wouldn't hurt to do some 'web snuffling about the orgs now to ensure the broader points are still accurate.

IME OBOD = wiccish and very spiritual and invididual in focus  while ADF = IE/PIE focused and definitely scholarship focused and very orthopraxic but not necessarily hideboubd but YMMV particularly with regards to individual groves. But the e-lists are great for fact checking and verifying as well as fun discussions etc.

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