Tossing up between ADF and BDO. Unsure which would be better suited to me.

[Aimo]

For a while now, I've been considering what type of Druid organization I'd like to join. I've narrowed it down to the British Druid Order (BDO) and Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). The OBOD didn't appeal to me and neither did the AODA.

I'm very interested in Germanic paganism but Heathenry has never felt quite right to me for reason's I cannot explain. I'm also interested in Kemeticism. I'd like a very earth based, animistic practice. I know that my Germanic tendencies would be welcomed among the ADF but my Kemetic practices would not. The BDO however seems very earth based but draws a lot from Celtic mythology and practices (Celtic deities have never appealed to me). Not to mention the cost of their courses varies considerably, the ADF is quite cheap whilst the BDO is very expensive. There are pros and cons to both.

I'm unsure of which direction to take. What would you recommend for somebody like me? I value any advice you could give me.

[Cabal]

For a while now, I've been considering what type of Druid organization I'd like to join. I've narrowed it down to the British Druid Order (BDO) and Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). The OBOD didn't appeal to me and neither did the AODA.

I'm very interested in Germanic paganism but Heathenry has never felt quite right to me for reason's I cannot explain. I'm also interested in Kemeticism. I'd like a very earth based, animistic practice. I know that my Germanic tendencies would be welcomed among the ADF but my Kemetic practices would not. The BDO however seems very earth based but draws a lot from Celtic mythology and practices (Celtic deities have never appealed to me). Not to mention the cost of their courses varies considerably, the ADF is quite cheap whilst the BDO is very expensive. There are pros and cons to both.

I'm unsure of which direction to take. What would you recommend for somebody like me? I value any advice you could give me.

If your looking at your Hearth culture being Germanic then I would say ADF! They are very open to non-Celtic hearths and I think you would benefit from being apart of ADF. Just my two cents!

[Sophia C]

For a while now, I've been considering what type of Druid organization I'd like to join. I've narrowed it down to the British Druid Order (BDO) and Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). The OBOD didn't appeal to me and neither did the AODA.

I'm very interested in Germanic paganism but Heathenry has never felt quite right to me for reason's I cannot explain. I'm also interested in Kemeticism. I'd like a very earth based, animistic practice. I know that my Germanic tendencies would be welcomed among the ADF but my Kemetic practices would not. The BDO however seems very earth based but draws a lot from Celtic mythology and practices (Celtic deities have never appealed to me). Not to mention the cost of their courses varies considerably, the ADF is quite cheap whilst the BDO is very expensive. There are pros and cons to both.

I'm unsure of which direction to take. What would you recommend for somebody like me? I value any advice you could give me.

I think BDO's druidry course is excellent - but, yes, they are strongly focused on Celtic and Brythonic deities. There's no reason why you couldn't work with their course with a Germanic focus, in principle, but you might find yourself having to adapt a lot. That's certainly going to be less of an issue in ADF, where there are 'special interest groups' focused on different hearth cultures.

A more relevant issue might be, what are you looking for from a neo-druid order? British druidry is very land-focused, and generally more of a spiritual path than a religion. ADF is more deity-focused, and is more like a religion (IMO). Have you tried out the sample material from each order?

[Aimo]

A more relevant issue might be, what are you looking for from a neo-druid order? British druidry is very land-focused, and generally more of a spiritual path than a religion. ADF is more deity-focused, and is more like a religion (IMO). Have you tried out the sample material from each order?

I guess you could say I'm leaning more towards the spiritual side of things. However, I would like to have a deity and ancestor focused earth based tradition. I have looked extensively at both organizations websites and I think both of them are fantastic in their own right but I'm just unsure of the type would be better suited to me.

[Jack]

I guess you could say I'm leaning more towards the spiritual side of things. However, I would like to have a deity and ancestor focused earth based tradition. I have looked extensively at both organizations websites and I think both of them are fantastic in their own right but I'm just unsure of the type would be better suited to me.

 
If I was you, I'd try the ADF first because you're making less of a commitment in terms of both money and effort (since you'd be able to work with the gods you're already leaning towards).

[Aimo]

If I was you, I'd try the ADF first because you're making less of a commitment in terms of both money and effort (since you'd be able to work with the gods you're already leaning towards).

I think you're right. Can I ask, Is the Dedicant Program quite difficult?

[Jack]

I think you're right. Can I ask, Is the Dedicant Program quite difficult?

 
I got through... about 2/3 of it, I think, before deciding ADF wasn't for me. The two big commitments are celebrating a year's worth of High Days and writing them up, and meditating regularly for five months. There's also a number of short essay and book review requirements. I was posting mine on my blog if you want to see what I completed; there are a number of other people working the program who are blogging it as they go as well.

I didn't find it hard, mostly because I'm used to both meditation and university coursework. YMMV.

[Aimo]

I got through... about 2/3 of it, I think, before deciding ADF wasn't for me. The two big commitments are celebrating a year's worth of High Days and writing them up, and meditating regularly for five months. There's also a number of short essay and book review requirements. I was posting mine on my blog if you want to see what I completed; there are a number of other people working the program who are blogging it as they go as well.

I didn't find it hard, mostly because I'm used to both meditation and university coursework. YMMV.

Thanks for that. I'll definatley take a look at your blog. I got to say, I'm a terrible meditator. I've tried and tried but cannot seem to get into 'that space' so to speak. Do they send you the books you need to review? The reason I ask is I live in a very small town with an even smaller library that does not have a Pagan/New age section.

[Sophia C]

I think you're right. Can I ask, Is the Dedicant Program quite difficult?

Jack makes a good point.

I'm enjoying the DP - it's more work than I expected, but I'm fine taking more than a year over it.

[Jack]

Thanks for that. I'll definatley take a look at your blog. I got to say, I'm a terrible meditator. I've tried and tried but cannot seem to get into 'that space' so to speak. Do they send you the books you need to review? The reason I ask is I live in a very small town with an even smaller library that does not have a Pagan/New age section.

 
They do not, though at one point I made a list of which approved books were available on Amazon as ebooks. You can read, for example, the Eddas for your Norse culture requirement. You will have to find at least one in hardcopy, though. Do you know if your library does interlibrary loan?

[Aimo]

They do not, though at one point I made a list of which approved books were available on Amazon as ebooks. You can read, for example, the Eddas for your Norse culture requirement. You will have to find at least one in hardcopy, though. Do you know if your library does interlibrary loan?

Ah, that's a bugger. Unfortunatley my library does not offer such a thing but I might try and see if I can buy a few on eBay or Amazon or something.

I think the ADF, at this stage anyway, would be the best one for me but I'll keep searching. Nobody seems to know a whole lot about the BDO and their courses which is a shame. Other than the stuff on their website, information about them is scarce. The only thing I know is that they take a more Shamanic approach to Druidry and are quite Welsh influenced.

[Sophia C]

Ah, that's a bugger. Unfortunatley my library does not offer such a thing but I might try and see if I can buy a few on eBay or Amazon or something.

I think the ADF, at this stage anyway, would be the best one for me but I'll keep searching. Nobody seems to know a whole lot about the BDO and their courses which is a shame. Other than the stuff on their website, information about them is scarce. The only thing I know is that they take a more Shamanic approach to Druidry and are quite Welsh influenced.

I can tell you a fair bit about them, if you're interested. (I've met the guy who runs the order and I know members.) In brief, they're the order that Emma Restall Orr used to run, before she split off to join the Druid Network (also a good British group - their online courses are varied and totally free). I have the sample material that they send to people considering the course, and I'm always happy to scan that and email it to people, since it saves postage time. If you've ever read Emma Restall Orr's books, they'll give you a good idea of their approach. I wouldn't call their approach shamanic, myself (they talk about cultural misappropriation and work hard to avoid it), but they are very experiential and focused on the land and its spirits. Lots of work with local gods (hence the Bythonic deity focus, given that they're a British order, but you can adapt that part) and ancestors. I find them much less 'out there' and weird than OBOD - I belong to OBOD, mainly as my grove is one of theirs, but I'm thinking I'll do the BDO course when I've finished the DP, as they're far more earthy and grounded than OBOD, and that works for me.

I love ADF, but (as you can probably tell) I'm missing the British approach to druidry at the moment, which is quite different in style. I'm taking a little course with my local teacher, though, who is a Druid Network member, so I'm getting some input from that side of things.

Whichever course you take, you can be a member of several orders if you want. The membership fees for BDO and the Druid Network are not expensive (you don't have to take the BDO course, you can just be a member, and still get input). It's OBOD that costs silly money to join - but even then you're a life member after starting their first course. Being a member of a couple of groups for a while, before you start their courses, is a cheaper way to see if you get along with their style.

I hope whichever choice you make, you enjoy it!

[Aimo]

I have the sample material that they send to people considering the course, and I'm always happy to scan that and email it to people, since it saves postage time.

Thank you so much Sophia Catherine, you've been an amazing help. I know it's a bit of a favor but if you wouldn't mind, would it be possible for you to send the sample material that you have to me? I can PM you if you like.

[Sophia C]

Thank you so much Sophia Catherine, you've been an amazing help. I know it's a bit of a favor but if you wouldn't mind, would it be possible for you to send the sample material that you have to me? I can PM you if you like.

That's no trouble at all, but I'm away for the next week - I can send it after that, though. If you can PM with your email address, I'll sort it out when I'm back. Hope you find it useful!

[Aimo]

That's no trouble at all, but I'm away for the next week - I can send it after that, though. If you can PM with your email address, I'll sort it out when I'm back. Hope you find it useful!

Thanks so much. I just PM'd you my personal email address.