The American Vinland Association.
A non-profit association founded in 1995 for Northern European Tradition (the N.E.T.) members in Canada and the United States. The AVA exists to promote the re-establishment and practice of the Old Religions of Northern and Central Heathen Europe. Includes Ãsatrú, Vanatru, Romuva, Finnish, Baltic, and indigenous Siberian traditions. The association seeks to help support, encourage, network, and credential Heathenfolk of these traditions. “The AVA does not discriminate. Any Ãsatrú individual or group who supports this position can join.” Group and individual members: $20/year (U.S. funds only). Address: The American Vinland Association, Inc., PMB 2154, 537 Jones Street, San Francisco, CA 94102-2007.
The Ancient Keltic Church.
An organization dedicated to the rediscovery and revival of the Pagan Mystery religion of the ancient Celtic people. It was founded in 1976 as the Roebuck coven, which studied the work and writings of Robert Cochrane as well as other British traditionalists. In 1982, the Roebuck became associated with the Clan of Tubal Cain, Cochrane's original group, and was finally incorporated as the Ancient Keltic Church in 1989. It has since hived off five daughter groups, each with its own unique version of the Roebuck tradition. The Roebuck tradition is described as having a complex theology and a strict code of ethics. The church holds public seasonal rituals corresponding to the Celtic Fire Festivals and open full moon rituals that anyone may attend. There are also training programs and an apprenticeship program for those interested in the priesthood. Address: The Ancient Keltic Church, P.O. Box 663, Tujunga, CA 91043-0663. E-mail:
[email protected].
Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA).
Founded in 1912 as the American branch of the Ancient and Archaeological Order of Druids, AODA is a Druid church of nature spirituality, rooted in the Druid Revival of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. It offers an opportunity for modern people to experience the teachings and practices of traditional 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 is a church in the original sense of that word, a community of people following a spiritual path together. It welcomes men and women of all national origins, cultural and linguistic backgrounds, and affiliations with other Druidic and spiritual traditions. Ecological awareness and commitment to an earthhonoring 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, healing practices, and traditional esoteric studies are among its applications and expressions.” Address: AODA, P.O. Box 1181, Ashland, OR 97520: E-mail:
[email protected].
Ancient Riders.
Founded in 2005, Ancient Riders is a fellowship of Pagans who are also motorcycle enthusiasts. Membership is free. Regionally, members have begun organizing for rides and Pagan Bike-blessing events, as well as meeting up at secular motorcycling rallies. Links to the associated list-serve, as well as specifics for membership, are online at
www.ancientriders.org
.
Ancient Ways.
Ancient Ways is a store, a library, a center, a Web site, and a festival. Glenn Turner has run Ancient Ways since 1988, and the center and library feature Wicca, spells, Crowley, feminist spirituality, Afro-American spirituality, tarot, magic, astrology, and psychic development. Ancient Ways runs PantheaCon (see page 575) and the Ancient Ways Festival (see page 581). Address: Ancient Ways, 4075 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609. Phone: 510-653-3244.
Annwfn/Forever Forests.
Founded by Gwydion Pendderwen in 1977, Forever Forests on the land of Annwfn became the ecological branch of the Church of All Worlds. Friends of Annwfn sponsors tree plantings of cedar, pine, douglas fir, and redwood on logged-over land. Over twenty-seven years, more than 160,000 trees have been planted. There are also fruit trees, roses, and herbs. Over the years Annwfn has been the site of many seasonal rituals, handfastings, funerals, as well as other ceremonies, music, and entertainment. Gwydion's home, The Shaggy Mushroom, is now a temple on the land. The basic mission continues to be reconnecting people with the Mother through tree plantings, land stewardship, and restoration. Mailing address: Friends of Annwfn, P.O. Box 48, Calpella, CA 95418. Phone: 707-468-4661.
Appalachian Pagan Alliance (APA).
The APA is a large multitradition Pagan group based in the magical Mountains of Appalachia. Founded in 1998, the APA has grown into a large group of people from various Pagan paths, including members of covens and solitary practitioners. The APA has a massive Web site of resources for its members and other seekers, including an online monthly newsletter. The APA also has a children's group, the Witchlings Circle, which has Pagan kids' WebPages: coloring pages, children's spells, and activities. The APA hosts various local gatherings, including the Annual APA May Day Celebration, Yule Gatherings, several Ladies' Night Out events a year, and Vacation Witchcraft School for the Witchlings Circle group. The APA also hosts its online chat group at yahoogroups, which is used as a daily fellowshipping meeting. APA's leading Priestess: Ginger Strivelli. Address: APA, P.O. Box 450, Weaverville, NC 28787. E-mail:
[email protected].
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church (ATC).
The Aquarian Tabernacle Church is a legal, tax-exempt religious organization, founded in 1979 by Pierre C. “Pete Pathfinder” Davis. The ATC is a new tradition, although it is descended from English Traditional Wicca. An open-membership Pagan church with both local and worldwide membership of both independent congregations and solitaries, ATC also serves as the mother church for many autonomous ATC-affiliated congregations throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, South Africa, and Ireland. The Church has a Retreat House, a circle of standing stones (The MoonStone Circle), the Center for Non-Traditional Religion, and Pathfinder Press. ATC publishes a journal,
Panegyria
(see page 500) as well as Hecate's Horn, a members-only newsletter. The Church sponsors full moon and new moon rituals at the church, as well as several festivals held at larger retreat facilities. These include the Spring Mysteries Festival (see page 580) and Hekatee's Sickle Festival (see page 588). ATC has also created the Woolston-Steen Theological Seminary, which has ministerial degree programs (
www.wiccanseminary.edu
) and has also created SpiralScouts International, an alternative to mainstream scouting youth programs, with more than 120 groups worldwide in 2005 (
www.SpiralScouts.org
). Address: Aquarian Tabernacle Church, 48631 River Park Drive, P.O Box 409, Index, WA 98256. Phone: 360-793-1945. E-mail:
[email protected].
Ardantane.
An independent non-profit educational organization established to serve the Pagan faith and community and individual Pagan practitioners. A Pagan learning center and seminary on twenty-five acres in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico, Ardantane offers certificate programs of study in the areas of Pagan Leadership, Magickal Arts, Witchcraft, Healing Arts, and Shamanic Studies. Schools being developed include Environmental Sustainability and Bardic Arts. Ardantane fosters excellence in teaching, using a national pool of skilled and well-informed teachers who are committed to their own continual growth. Educational programs are of varying length and formatsâfrom halfday to weekend programs. Some programs are offered in cities around the United States, by arrangement. An annual calendar of courses and more information are available on the Web site. Address: Ardantane, P.O. Box 307, Jemez Springs, NM 87025. Phone: 505-469-7777. E-mail:
[email protected].
Ãr nDraÃocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship (ADF).
An international fellowship devoted to creating a public tradition of Neopagan Druidry. The name is Gaelic for “Our Own Druidism.” Founded in 1983, ADF is an outgrowth of the Reformed Druids of North America, an anachronistic movement begun by college students in the mid-1960s, and describes itself as the largest Neo-Pagan Druid organization in the English-speaking world. In developing an independent tradition of Druidism, ADF has been doing research about the ancient Celts and other Indo-European peoples, designing rituals, and developing artistic skills. It sees itself as a group of “polytheistic nature worshippers, attempting to revive the best aspects of the Paleopagan (original) faiths of our predecessors within a modern, scientific, artistic, ecological, and wholistic context, taking a nondogmatic, pluralistic approach.” The group was started by Isaac Bonewits and has a magazine,
Oak Leaves
(see page 499), which is published four times a year. There are more than 1,100 members of ADF located in nine countries, and about fifty-five congregations (groves) throughout the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada. Ãr nDraÃocht Féin has regional solstice and equinox gatherings, and publishes songbooks, pamphlets, and other works. A form for membership and/or subscription to Oak Leaves can be obtained online or by sending a request to ADF, P.O. Box 17874, Tucson, AZ 85731-7874.
The Ãsatrú Alliance (AA).
Founded in 1988 to more efficiently promote the religion of Ãsatrú on a national and regional scale. Today, many of the followers of the Norse Gods and Goddesses have banded together in groups that are known as kindreds. The Ãsatrú Alliance provides kindreds with a means to work together to promote common ideals and goals. The Ãsatrú Alliance hosts the National AlThing every year, where kindreds work together to provide for the continued growth of Ãsatrú in Vinland. The Ãsatrú Alliance also publishes a quarterly magazine known as
Vor Tru,
now in its thirtieth year of publication. Its publishing arm, World Tree Publications, established in 1986, provides a wealth of information about the religion of Ãsatrú. Address: The Ãsatrú Alliance, P.O. Box 961, Payson, AZ 85547. E-mail:
[email protected].
Ãsatrú Folk Assembly (AFA).
Formed in 1994 “to honor the spiritual Way of the Germanic peoples (to include the Scandinavians, the Anglo-Saxons, and the Germanic tribes on the Continent).” Although Norse names are used for the Gods, the actual breadth of practice and interest reaches well beyond the Viking Age. The ancestors are given honor second only to the Gods and Goddesses. While the AFA honors the ways of its ancient forebears, the AFA believes in living in the present century. AFA gatherings do not feature the historic garb and weaponry favored by some groups. The AFA seeks to present Ãsatrú to a mainstream audience and is family friendly. “Social interests include the preservation of our traditional freedoms (which originate largely in the pre-Christian Germanic cultures), the protection of the environment, and issues pertaining to the survival of traditional peoples and cultures, including those of Europe.” The AFA also holds gatherings and encourages local activity around the country. Address: Ãsatrú Folk Assembly, P.O. Box 445, Nevada City, CA 95959. E-mail
[email protected].
The Assembly of the Sacred Wheel.
A legally recognized Wiccan non-profit religious organization based in the Mid-Atlantic region. Keepers of the Holly Chalice, the founding coven of the Assembly, began in February 1984. The Assembly was incorporated in the state of Delaware in 1993. The Elders of the Assembly are Helena Domenic and Ivo Dominguez, Jr. The Assembly sponsors open educational events and rituals as a tradition and as individual covens. As of 2006 there were six covens in the Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania area. Larger events include the annual Spring Magick and Autumn Magick festivals, as well as the periodic Between the Worlds conference. The Assembly also sponsors the New Alexandrian Library project (see page 546). The Assembly practices a syncretic form of Wicca and draws inspiration from Astrology, Kabala, the Western Magical Tradition, and the folk religions of Europe. Religiously, the Assembly is dedicated to the health of Mother Earth, and to all of her children. “We recognize that every human carries the divine spark of God and Goddess, a gift that carries the obligation to make manifest this divine heritage. Divinity itself, source of the Universe, is a single and incomprehensible force that emanates as the God and the Goddess. Divinity is immanent, inherent in all that exists and transcendent, supporting all that existsâwhole, distinct, incorruptible, and outside of time.” The structure of the Assembly was designed to encourage the formation of a magical community that is close-knit and yet gives individual covens room for growth and experimentation. Address: Assembly of the Sacred Wheel, 14914 Deer Forest Road, Georgetown, DE 19947. Phone: 302-855-9422. E-mail:
[email protected].
Association for Consciousness Exploration.
An Ohio-based organization that provides services in the fields of magic, mind-sciences, alternative lifestyles, comparative religion/spirituality, holistic healing, and related subjects. Founded in 1983 in the Cleveland area, ACE has provided educational, recreational, multicultural, and spiritual programs to Northeast Ohio and the public at large. ACE is best known for sponsoring the Starwood Festival (see page 585) and the WinterStar Symposium (see page 576). ACE maintains the Starwood Center, a storefront headquarters in Cleveland, complete with mind-science equipment, seminar space, and a bookstore, and shares space with a complete recording studio, Audio Kreme (run by Regis Sedlock), providing the center with terrific audio-visual facilities. ACE holds and hosts events in the community, including drumming circles, meetings, and ceremonies by Stone Creed Grove (the local ADF group), concerts, classes, and parties. ACE also produces a line of books, tapes, and CDs for sale, featuring music, lectures, and guided meditation by many past Starwood and WinterStar presenters, and the ACE/ Llewellyn Collection. Mailing address: ACE, 1643 Lee Road #9, Cleveland Hts., OH 44118. E-mail:
[email protected].