feeling you are part
"They sure Love him!" I say to My Wife, waving the Spring 2016 Issue No.72 of OAK LEAVES open to the inside cover Thank you , full page color portrait of the Current Arch Druid leaving after six years.
I quickly look past that , curious to see who produced this particular Issue, having gotten no response about advertising in it, and having heard of Staff changes and questions about the subscription print publications continued existence in the future in a non electronic form.
I wasn't aware of the overlap of circumstance and situation at the time.
I had the inside front cover of ADF's Publication The Druids' Progress report number 16 Final Issue- twenty years ago .
I have a scribble black and white drawing with thanks and farewell, explanation of sorts as to the changes that took place while I was Chronicler of ADF, the transition from the original founding Arch- Druid to the vice arch Druid turned Second Arch- Druid to the first elected Arch- Druid who would be number Three Who's Wife would be re branding the publication as Oak Leaves.
The next Day
I suggest to My Wife that I want to walk over to Mirabai of Woodstock.
We run into two sets of three friends crossing the street past the village green, now stone.
I say something out loud about hoping there would be something....
To My Surprise there was,
The Solitary Druid,
Walking the Path of Wisdom and Spirit
by Rev, Robert Lee (Skip) Ellison ADF Publishing.
My Wife asks if We should purchase through ADF?
( $No!)
The fact that I found something that I had not ordered, not built up expectations about made this a special
Omen
I sat in the car and looked at the book while My Wife got groceries from the Health Food Store.
Ecstatic in the Parking Lot,
This work, The Book, much more than the name would imply.
It appears to be the best singular Druid Book on the Market.
Some how avoiding the condescending instructional tone of the
"How to be a Druid like Me school of publishing."
It is a abundantly sourced and credited ,
dedicated to solitaries in ADF and to the members of Muin Mound Grove ,ADF
Surprised ,but not surprised by the density and peculiarities of the Lore and knowledge contained in its pages given My old past with the Author.
There is a lot of passion and Love between the foot notes
The rituals and chants trans formative, Inviting,
It is more reflective of My ADF experience and practice than anything projected by its Officially constructed committee programs and medias.
The Books got Soul! Makes Me feel Welcome, part of Family.
Without calling itself " the real ADF", for Me,
It is.
My Wife spots something on Face Book, at home later that evening , asking Me if I knew him.
I did , I think I met Him the first Time at Wellspring when I was ordained, and a second time at the Clergy Retreat I attended
Strange and Unusual in the sense that I know so few in ADF, and remember less
Now in a Day, I pick up a Druid Book and It's credited Layout Artist becomes a Widow?
I think My new wallet sized Senior Priest of ADF card arrived with the next Days mail, from the Clergy counsel secretary from Michigan.
They have expiration Dates
The ADF elections are taking place now.
There are those that have twisted the concept of Sacred knowledge Quest into a mechanism for Editing,and manipulating Membership.
Using Our Necessity of a Religious Training System as a way to exclude and neglect the contributions of some, more than others.
Titles, Trinkets and Training are not what My ADF is about.
I do not pledge My alliance to the system or My Reliance on the Program as the Basis of My ADF.
I am revolted that students felt the need to progress and advance through rankings at others expense , that it is necessary to purge and cull.
Despite being one of the Oldest Members Of ADF Clergy Counsel and consistently critical of the moral- ethical- magical repercussions of taking away-separating- sacrifice in the name of ________.
I have no impact upon the opinions of the dominate officers who see the Heirarchy of " what do you think a ADF priest should be?" school as Our Religious Brand The righteous integrity of technocrats
Funny thing is it's not polite to cast doubt about the authenticity and motivation of others in this company.
To point out any cause and effect correlation between "Training" experience of study program enrichment and the development of Local Groves, Their expectations? Resentment, feelings of failure , loss or pressure.
Who are We to tell someone "I wont accept your work if it is not submitted properly on time when I say, in the form I say- cause that's the Way! Religion Brand,created by officers and rubber stamped by committee!"
The traffic on the clergy list is slowing,The Author, Arch-Druid number four for Nine Years is on his way to Tredara the place of Arch- Druid number two and his Wife,for the Memorial of Rev A J Gooch of Stone Creed Grove ADF,
