More about us

Chokecherry Grove is a branch of ADF.
ADF is short for Ár nDraíocht Féin: A Druid Fellowship, Inc.
It is pronounced arn REEokht fane, and it is modern Irish for "Our Own Druidism" (or "Druidry" or "Magic") and that's what we are - an independent tradition (denomination) of Neopagan Druidism. Since many people have trouble pronouncing and spelling our Irish name, we usually just say "ADF."

Chokecherry Grove is the third oldest ADF Grove in Colorado, and currently the largest chartered Grove. We are located in south Denver, where we hold public high day rituals eight times a year. Chokecherry was founded in 2014 to serve the spiritual and intellectual needs of the Colorado Front Range Pagan community through open and inclusive public rituals. Like all ADF groves, we have an Indo-European focus, but we also attempt to incorporate local Colorado elements in our rituals where appropriate, honoring the land herself and the spirits who make their homes here.

In ADF rituals, we do not include these things:

Elemental Cross Symbolism (the 4 Elements)
Casting Circles in public ritual
Calling Watchtowers or Elemental Guardians
Calling the dualtheistic "Lord" and "Lady"
Acknowledgement of one divine being with power over all
Blood Sacrifices
Non-Indo-European mythic and deity motifs

Our rituals follow what we call the Core Order of Ritual. It goes something like this:

1) Initiating the Rite ( May include: Musical Signal, Opening Prayer, Processional , Establishing the Group Mind)
2) Purification (usually with incense and water aspersion)
3) Honoring the Earth Mother
4) Statement of Purpose
5) (Re)Creating the Cosmos (Three Realms of Land, Sea, and Sky are acknowledged. Sacred Center is most commonly represented as Fire, Well and Tree)
6) Opening the Gates (Gatekeeper opens the gates between our world and the Otherworld)
7) Inviting the 3 Kindreds (Ancestors, Nature Spirits, Gods)
8) Offerings (may include: Invitation of Beings of the Occasion, Seasonal customs as appropriate, Praise Offerings)
 9) Prayer of Sacrifice (This has been called "the exclamation point on the whole offering section.". All the high spiritual energy and worship of the participants is gathered up and offered, along with a physical offering)
10) Taking an Omen (Runes, Ogham, etc)
11) Asking for blessings from the Kindreds
12) Hallowing the Waters (which is then consumed by the participants)
13) Affirmation of the blessing
14) Workings (if any)
15) Thanking the Beings
16) Closing the Gates
17) Thanking the Earth Mother
18) Statement of Ending


To learn more about us, join us at our next high day. You can also see our bylaws here (pdf).