Who Are you?
Spirit Valley Protogrove, ADF is a Neopagan Animist group devoted to promoting fellowship and support in the practices of our members. We have been performing public rites in Western Cuyahoga County and Lorain County since 2013, and have been an official Protogrove of ADF: A Druid Fellowship since March of 2020.
What Do You Believe?
Whatever we personally choose to. Our group and our organization are concerned more with how you practice than what you believe. It is our opinion that if you come to our rites and you work with us in the style we use, then you are most welcome.
That said, we approach ritual from a polytheistic and animistic standpoint. This approach assumes that there are many Goddesses and Gods, that they are individual beings with their own personalities, opinions, and agendas, and that they can and do have an impact upon our lives. This approach also recognizes that everything in nature has a spirit, and that they can become partners, allies, and friends in the great work of Life. Our approach includes ancestor veneration, understanding that we come from a long line which stretches back to the first human beings, and that this line can be a source of wisdom, aid, and support.
Finally, we at Spirit Valley agree that, whatever you think of the Gods and Spirits, you are a representative of all those that you work with. If you are part of one of our ceremonies, your allies among spirit-kind are also represented by your presence, which makes them welcome in our rites. We once named our group “Summit of the Gods” after this approach.
Since we have this approach to ritual practice, we ask those who join us for our rites to work with us in this way while the rite is performed. This ensures a common mindset by which we may perform our holy work.
What Are Your Rites Like?
Our rituals follow a standard ritual outline set forth by our parent organization. It usually starts out with a meditation and getting splashed by water. Sometimes we process into the main space, sometimes we don’t. We offer to the Fire, Well, and Tree on our altar, our symbols of the cosmos. We call a variety of deities to help us out with our rite, including the Earth Mother and someone to help us open the way to the spirits. Once the way is open, we pass a drink and call for our Ancestors, Spirits, and Goddess and Gods to join us, and we offer gifts to them for coming, usually including incense, grain, and drink.
(Photo courtesy of Gaarik Hamr)
In our rituals, our focus is each of us calling our own spirit allies; as stated before, we feel that each visitor to our rites also brings their Goddesses and Gods, Ancestors, and Spirits with them, and so we welcome them in our rites. We then pass the drink a fourth time in a round of Oaths, Toasts, and Boasts, where we can share with our allies and fellows the celebration of our own lives.
We draw some marked disks from a bag to determine the blessings the Gods and Spirits offer to us in return for our offerings. This blessing is called into more drink, which is then distributed among the gathering. Once this is done, it is time to thank everyone for coming, close the way to the spirits, and end the rite until the next time. If there is time enough after the rite is ended, we like to have a pot-luck and spend time with our fellow participants, talking, playing a few games, and just generally having a good time.
(photo courtesy of Gaarik Hamr)
During these gatherings, occasionally you will hear humorous comments or the odd errant noise; unlike some groups, we do not shy away from these occurrences. We feel the Gods and Spirits want our mirth, our joy, and our fellowship, and these little moments allow us to include that in our rites. When one of these slight disruptions comes during ritual, our training focuses on bringing us back to a ritual mindset, letting the moment pass and reconnecting with the Land, the Sea, and the Sky before continuing.
Why Public Rites?
Long story short, because we are called to. We recognize that not every Neopagan will want to work with us, and that our order of ritual is very different from other forms of Neopaganism, such as Wicca. However, hospitality and community are major aspects of the work we do: we provide a place for those who might otherwise have no coven, circle, grove, or kindred to come and meet others of similar mind, to honor the Gods and Spirits as a group, to learn and grow within their practice, and to be connected to the greater Neopagan community.
Public rites are also a part of our organization’s identity. ADF’s bylaws state that, “Since one of the primary duties of the ancient Druids was to lead their tribes in magical and religious activities, ADF advocates and practices, as an integral part of our faith, open, inclusionary, and public ceremonies to worship the Earth Mother and the Old Gods and Goddesses, rites of passage to mark the cycles of our lives, and magical rituals to accomplish our other goals in an honest and ethical manner (ADF Bylaws Article 1:2).”
We work hard to be accessible to the community of Greater Cleveland. When we were based in Lorain, we organized carpools and crowdfunds to ensure those who wanted to join us could. Now that we are more urban, we try to ensure the majority of our rites are held within walking distance of major bus lines.
Why Don’t You Just Call Yourselves Druids?
Some of us do, actually. However, we do not enforce this moniker for two primary reasons.
First of all, while what we practice is ADF Druidry, there is some contention as to whether we should call our adherents “Druids.” The historical use of the name referred to those of the priest caste of the Celtic cultures, specifically the Gaulish, Irish, and Britannic. In Ireland, members of a settlement were just called tuath, the tribe. ADF includes several different cultures (what we call Hearth Cultures) within our organization, and many of them have their own words for both their priests and their people.
Second, our group has always had pride in our plurality. While members are usually also members of ADF and we use ADF’s order of ritual, not all of us practice ADF Druidry at home. We leave that choice to each individual member to decide for themselves. That said, ADF has one of the better training programs for new Pagans, and we both encourage and offer support to anyone who wishes to complete the ADF Dedicant Program and deepen their Neopagan work.
Photos courtesy of Sinann Photography, except where noted elsewhere.
Spirit Valley 