Existing Druid Organizations
An open question or all these organizations is what should be the role of historical information on present day spirituality?
Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA)
(June, 2022) The following is copied from their website:
The AODA is a traditional Druid order rooted in the Druid Revival movement of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. We walk a path of nature spirituality and inner transformation founded on personal experience and reconnection with the living earth. Our work offers an opportunity for modern people to experience the teachings and practices of Druidry in today’s world.
AODA understands Druidry as a path of nature spirituality and inner transformation founded on personal experience rather than dogmatic belief. It welcomes people of all national origins, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, races, genders, abilities, and affiliations with other Druidic and spiritual traditions. Ecological awareness and commitment to an earth-honoring lifestyle, celebration of the cycles of nature through seasonal ritual, and personal development through meditation and other spiritual exercises form the core of its work, and involvement in the arts, natural sciences, and traditional esoteric studies are among its applications and expressions.
Founded in 1912 as a branch of the Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids, today, AODA is a 501(c)3 religious non-profit organization based in the United States that serves to benefit its members and the living earth.
Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF)
(June, 2022) The following is copied from their website:
Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF) is a Pagan church based on ancient Indo-European traditions expressed through public worship, study, and fellowship.
We are a modern tradition of neopagan Druidry. Although our name is Irish, we incorporate practices from ancient and modern Indo-European cultures including the traditions of Celtic and Norse cultures, Slavic, Baltic, Greek, Roman, Persian, Vedic, and other cultures.
Our modern practices include elements from historical documents and studies along with modern components to create a practice that works for this age while respecting and honoring the past. Together, we are creating a non-sexist, anti-racist, inclusive, publicly available religion for this, and future, generations.
Founded in 1983 by a group of Druids influenced by the New Reformed Druids of North America (NRDNA) from California and New York State, we have worked to create a tradition of group and solitary practices with members around the world.
Our groves offer regular public rituals to local pagans as well as online. There are regular online rituals where solitary practitioners can gather and worship together.
Our trained clergy as well as our experienced members offer weddings, funerals, child blessings and more to their communities.
We encourage individuals who wish to develop skills in the arts, in ritual, in scholarship, and more. And we welcome all who are interested in working within our paradigms.
British Druid Order
(October 8, 2024) The following is copied from their website:
BDO Druidry is a contemporary living spiritual tradition based on the earliest native spirituality of Britain and Europe of which any written record survives. Druidry developed during the European Iron Age that began almost 3,000 years ago, but grew out of an even earlier stratum of practice and belief.
Earthspirit
(October 10, 2024) This group defines Paganism as most define Druidry as the ancient earth-centered spirituality originating in Europe.
The following is copied from their website:
EarthSpirit is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization founded in 1977, dedicated to the preservation and development of Earth-centered spirituality, culture and community; we particularly focus on the indigenous traditions of pre-Christian Europe, known collectively as paganism, which have survived in varying degrees to the present day.
At the core of the pagan traditions is a sense that the Great Mystery (or the Sacred, as some would call it) manifests throughout the natural world; that we can experience it directly through communion with Nature; and that the Spirit of the Earth unites all beings in a vast and varied web of interdependent connections.
The pagan traditions incorporate attitudes of veneration and respect for the Earth, and shape a way of life that reflects the patterns and wisdom found in Nature, inspiring us to honor diversity, to value tribal, cooperative community, and to live in harmonious balance as an integral part of the natural world.
The EarthSpirit Community provides services to a nationwide network of pagans and others following an Earth-centered spiritual path. Based in the Massachusetts area, our membership extends across the United States, and also to several other countries.
Paganism is a spiritual path rooted in ancient European traditions which have as their core a respectful awareness of the sacredness of the Earth. We experience ourselves and everything that exists as vital parts of the whole of Nature, understanding that all things in the universe interact in both a physical and spiritual relationship. Paganism has experienced a dramatic resurgence in the last few decades as many thousands of people have sought a spiritual context through which to address the current environmental crisis.
EarthSpirit was founded with the goal of helping to create an active pagan community in New England. Once that was accomplished, EarthSpirit turned the primary focus of its work toward helping develop pagan concepts and attitudes for living in the present age, to encourage communication and understanding among people of different traditions and ideologies, to provide opportunities for shared spiritual experience, and to help educate the general public concerning Earth-centered spirituality.
Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD)
(June, 2022) The following is copied from their website:
OBOD – The Order of Bards Ovates & Druids – is a mystery school, a community around the world, who love nature and want to follow a magical, spiritual way that respects and protects the natural world in all its beauty. Members work with spiritual teachings that combine the inspiration of the ancient druids and the old stories with contemporary scholarship and insights into the relationship between human beings and the world of plants and animals, stars and stones. On this site you’ll find hundreds of articles on Druidry and Druid Lore, Nature Spirituality, Gods & Goddesses, contributions from members, and much more.