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its largest it had three branches and twelve Groves across the United States, its membership has rarely exceeded two hundred members participating in grove-activities at any given time. Shortly after it was ford, the RDNA under- went a schism of sorts in that it developed a number of branches. During the 70 s, the missionary grove of Berke- ley (California) took their Reformed Druidism onto a new pathway; in effect they chose to primarily borrow ritual elements and customs from modern neo-Pagan and an- cient Celtic sources. There were New Reformed Druids of North America (NRDNA), Norse Druids in San Diego, Zen Druids in Olympia, Wiccan Druids in Minneapolis, Hassidic (Jewish Mishmash) Druids in St. Louis, and Eclec- tic Druids in Oakland, Berkeley, and Los Angeles. By 1985, however, most of these branches of RDNA had disap- peared leaving at least four active groves; Carleton, Berke- ley/Bay Area, Seattle, and New Hampshire. One of the reasons that many of the groves of the RDNA have faded away was the short term nature of most groves. The RDNA has never espoused itself as the true 383 future scholars who decide to begin their study of the RDNA with Appendix E: this tempting resource. Because of DC(E) s between-the-lines view of Reformed Druidism as mainly oriented (and fated) to become a part My Review of Other Essays of the Neo-Pagan community (with a Celtic focus), this book is a biased source (but thus very valuable for presenting the later-NRDNA Having read this Epistle, you should better be able to appreciate & SDNA sides of the debates). DC(E) has never been widely printed, this review of previous research and information published on Re- (perhaps 300 copies) but it appears often as the source used by re- formed Druidism. searchers for obtaining RDNA documents. DC(E) has long served as the collection of primary resources for those RDNA and NRDNA Inadequacy of Previously Published Studies on Inadequacy of Previously Published Studies on Inadequacy of Previously Published Studies on Inadequacy of Previously Published Studies on Inadequacy of Previously Published Studies on groves that were without access to the Carleton archives. DC(E) s the RDNA the RDNA the RDNA: the RDNA the RDNA resulting authority in the bibliography of researchers has probably Unless you come to the International Druid Archives at Carleton led many scholars to the conclusion that Isaac was the main (if not College, your investigation of Reformed Druidism would be lucky to tacitly, the only) inspirational leader of Druidism. The truth is that have found the resources in Appendix D. While I should be grateful there were many leaders, in different ways, at different times and in for the relative abundance and accessibility of small printed refer- different senses. ence materials on Reformed Druidism, I fear that this material is While DC(E) does not overtly claim to be the only resource for likely to lead to hasty prejudices or simplifications that have not been studying Reformed Druidism, it is very attractive because it brings substantiated by my research. Appendix D contains a copy of all the together in one tome what used to be very difficult-to-obtain written studies267 that I could find. You may wish to read through the previ- materials from the many branches of Reformed Druidism. Although ous field of research, before reading my evaluations.268 DC(E) possesses a long introductory chapter and another quick dis- In summary, these reference materials falsely imply Isaac Bonewits claimer in the beginning: to be the sole influence or the most important Reformed Druid,269 Indeed, many of the members of the original RDNA ac- that the RDNA is obviously defined as or destined to be Neo-Pa- cept only these Books [the first five] as relevant to Re- gan, that philosophy & religion are easy labels of difference be- formed Druidism and consider other written material of a tween the RDNA & the NRDNA, that Reformed Druidism became Druidic nature to be either irrelevant, optional or perni- a religion that replaced the previous religions of all members, that ciously heretical.271 ritual attendance in a Grove defined an active Druid, that the unfa- many reviewers have assumed or implied that the whole book is vorable reactions to Isaac s initiatives only came from fuddy-duddy pertinent to all of Reformed Druidism. Because of the local Celtic Carletonian members, and finally that the RDNA has died away ethnic emphasis amongst the Berkeley grove,272 many of DC(E) s since 1979. sections are very heavily Celtic in focus, the exception being the sec- tion on Hassidic (Jewish) Druids in the back. The DC(E) leaves a Real Magic false impression that Celtic sources of inspiration prevailed in the [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ] |