Explain why ADF has an Indo-European focus, and why we use the term “Druid” in our name. (200 words min.)
ADF has an Indo-European focus because back in the 1980’s when Isaac Bonewits originally tossed around the idea of forming ADF, the letter he sent out to colleagues to rally support for this new idea of a “real” Neopagan religion stated his desire to create a Pan-European form of Druidism (Bonewits’s Essential Guide to Druidism). He felt that encompassing the Indo-European culture and language would more closely resemble the Paleopagan Druids than any other combination thereof. Isaac’s vision for ADF was based off of excellence in scholarly knowledge. So his intention was to create an organization that was focused on this concept while also developing a solid spiritual foundation that would cater to many cultures that also work well together in accurate organizational and historical solidarity.
Additionally we use the term “Druid” as another historical portion of Isaac’s vision in that he saw “Druids” as the “artists and intellectuals, magicians and clergy, holders of the highest wisdom”, and that they could be this way again with the best scholarly research available . This coupled with his vision of how great ADF was to become in terms of solid scholarly knowledge and training helped consecrate the marriage between ADF developing into an Indo-European religion of Druids.
(Word Count: 200)
