As ADF druids, we work with and give offering to beings who we honor in three broad and at times blurred kinds of spirits: The Three Kindred.
The Tylwyth Teg — Nature Spirits
Druids differ on many topics, but one thing we all share is a reverence for nature. Nature spirits can be flesh and blood animals, or living plants, or they can be the spirit of a specific animal or plant, or the spirit of a whole class of natural beings, like the spirit of the wolf or the oak or the west wind. They can also be Otherworld beings such as fae and elementals.
The Beloved Dead — Ancestors
Ancestors are honored in druidry and we call to them in our rites. At Red Oak Grove, we honor three main kinds of ancestors; ourgenetic ancestors (e.g. your great grandmother), the ancestors of the land we live on (e.g. the Lenni Lenape), and the ancestors of the hearth culture we follow (e.g. the Celts).
The Shining Ones — Gods
The Gods are the most powerful of the kindred, the bright and shining ones who created the worlds and guide us as we travel through them. Maybe some gods are also our ancestors, or maybe some of our ancestors became gods. And maybe some gods are also spirits of nature.
Many gods from many cultures are welcome at Red Oak Grove, but the patron gods we specifically honor at every ritual are selected from Welsh and Irish mythology.
The Fourth Kindred — Our community
Like many other ADF groves, we also recognize our attendees as a vital part of our spirituality. Our members are the beating heart of Red Oak Grove, and we come together to celebrate the magic of community and fellowship with at least as much enthusiasm as we practice any “real” magic.
All of our events include ample space to socialize as people, not just druids, and our community rituals in particular recognize that honoring each other is as holy as honoring the gods.
Red Oak Grove 