Silver Branch Golden Horn Grove, ADF is a Provisional Grove member of ADF. We have just recently attained this status in the Denver Metro area. We are Norse- and Celtic-centric, alternating High Day celebrations for each culture (Quarters for the Norse, Cross-quarters for the Celtic, making for eight total ADF High Days in keeping with the greater Neopagan community "calendar"). In this way, we hope to serve a wide variety of Neopagans in the area.

Even should one not be a member of the Celtic or Norse Hearth Cultures, do not despair! ADF and its Groves and Protogroves are committed to providing open and public rituals for any Neopagan willing and able to join us for rites, and we include in our number members of other Indo-European cultures, such as Hellenic (or Greek), and even members of other language family groups (such as Kemetic, or Egyptian). While ADF requires our rituals to be Indo-European in origin and practice, and all of SBGH rituals will be Celtic or Norse, a time of praise and offering is provided during the ritual for a participant to honor whatever Gods and Goddesses they choose, though we do ask that these deities not be "invoked" or "called down". Thus, ADF is a religion more of orthopraxy, or "correct practice", rather than orthodoxy, or "right belief".

ADF rites follow a general set of guidelines known as the Core Order of Ritual, so if one attends an ADF rite, they can expect the next rite to display at least some basic similarities. This enhances the familiarity of ritual so one may quickly learn what happens when and not be lost. After ritual here in Silver Branch Golden Horn, we often have a "ritual feast" or potluck so members and attendees may have a chance for fellowship, networking, and community. ADF, and Silver Branch Golden Horn in particular, wishes to provide a place for the Neopagan community to gather and have fellowship with one another, as well as provide a place for scholarship and bardic presentation. At our feasts, dancing, drumming, songs, and stories are welcomed and encouraged, as is healthy discussion and debate on the lives and beliefs of the ancient Pagan peoples from which we draw our inspiration.

Silver Branch Golden Horn will not condone or tolerate prejudice based on race, age, gender, gender identification, sexual orientation, or size.

The current leadership council is as follows:

Tony (Grove Organizer)

Hello, I'm Anthony Fleming. My magickal name is Tony (I guess its more of a nickname really.)

I am a Denver native who has been a pagan for about ten years, and primarily follow the Celtic Gods. Like most of us, my initial path was Wiccan. about seven years ago I dedicated with "The College of Wicca and Old Lore" after a year and a day of study. In time I was more and more drawn to reconstructionist paganism. My beliefs place less emphasis on magickal workings and more on this path as a religion.

When I found The Ar nDraiocht Fein, it fit me like a glove. I have been a member for almost two years, and have just submitted my Dedicant work. I have been hosting rituals for a group of my friends for a year and a half to hone my group ritual skills, and am looking forward to serving as our grove liturgist. My favorite thing about ADF is that it has a loosely standard liturgy, so that you always know what is going on at a given point, yet it is loose enough that you can be creative within the framework. One of the reasons that I wanted to found a grove is that in the Denver area there is a lack of groups focusing on Celtic reconstructionism. Hopefully our grove will fill a need in this area.

My other interests include cooking, reading, Kundalini Yoga, spending time with my wife, and long conversations. Professionally I am a Massage Therapist.

Gaarik

Hi there! My name is JR Sprick, but most people among the Pagan community know me as Gaarik. I guess you could call it a religious or magickal name, but I don't usually. One may hear me being called Eduard (a Renaissance Faire moniker), Kerran, Jason, Jay... I have too many nicknames. ;)

I was born in Columbus, Ohio, and moved to Cleveland area for three years before coming out to Colorado in June 2008. I've been pagan for about ten years, and a member of Ar nDraiocht Fein since January 2007. I work mostly with the Norse and Celtic pantheons, and I like ADF because its focus is Indo-European, not limited to only one pantheon or culture set, such as Celtic or Greek.

My pagan education began as somewhat ecclectic, but then moved more towards a reconstructionist point of view. I have been gradually becoming more active in the Pagan communities I have been a part of since 2005. I was a member of Cleveland State Pagans and I worked with that organization in the Lake Erie SpiralScouts for a while. It was during this time I was introduced to ADF, and their emphasis on scholarship and proper training of both dedicants and clergy intrigued me. I joined and began working on the Dedicant Program the same year. I believe it to be an excellent way to educate new pagans in their path, and it served me as a wonderful refresher course.

Outside of ADF, I am a School Bus Driver with Douglas County; I aspire to eventually teach (social studies) in that district. My interests include writing fiction and poetry, reading, games of all types (from card and board games to video games to roleplaying), playing guitar and singing, historical studies, Renaissance and medieval faires, and symbolic magic (such as Runes and Ogham).

Jorja

My name is Jorja Fleming, I am a Denver Native but have also lived in Kansas and Boston. I have been Pagan for about 12 years now and have been a relatively active member of the Denver community for about six years.

I first came to Paganism, through Wicca, at about the age of 18. I spent the first 6 years along the spiral path as a solitary witch, with some very loose ties to other witches in the Boston and Salem areas. When I moved back to Colorado, I found a group called COWL. I was with them for about 8 months, but it was too much like a coven, and I left.

I have studied both Celtic and Norse but for the last four years I have been on a Kemetic (Egyptian) path, and I tend to focus on reconstructionism of ancient ways, rather than the purely UPG. I do believe that Person Gnosis has an important role in personal spirituality, but I also believe in using tried and true methods of praise and worship.

When not working with SBGH I like to read, cook, make incense and have lively conversations.

Alyssa

Hello, everyone! My name is Alyssa O'Callaghan, but I've also got a handful of nicknames that you can hear at any given time, although you can hear anything from Rachel, Brigh, Dahlia, Vris or Lyss to "hey you". Most of those come from my renn-faire seasons and gaming sessions, where I end up inevitably acquiring more call-names. I don't have a pagan, magical, or use name.

I was born in Cleveland, Ohio, but was raised in Erie, Pennsylvania. When I was 11, my mother and sister and I moved out to Mentor, OH, where we lived for a year. I graduated from Chardon Highschool-in Chardon, Ohio, and shuttled around various places in the Cleveland, Ohio area till this past June, when I moved out here to Denver.

I was raised Christian, which became Atheist at around age 8. I've been pagan for two years since age 19, and involved (though not a member of, till recently) in Ar nDraiocht Fein for approximately one. I'm cross-culture, working with the Celtic, Norse, and Hellenic (Greek) pantheons. ADF really appeals to me because of the acceptance of all those cultures, as well as others-it's adaptable. And the community aspect is wonderful, as well, especially as I've not been incredibly active in the pagan communities and am progressively changing that.

My studies and learning with paganism has been a bit of a zig-zag, learning some here, some there from many of my surrounding (and much more experienced) pagan acquantainces and friends. It's also been slower than desired-but faster than expected-as I'm one that stumbles a bit when approached with change and a paradigm shift, but I gained my feet pretty quickly and have gotten far in getting out to deeper water. I'm most versed with the Norse, and after that pantheon the Celtic and the Greek, and am looking forward to getting more reading and learning accomplished.

Outside of ADF, I frequent renassaince and medieval faires, and I do various types of roleplaying games such as NERO, White Wolf, and Dungeons and Dragons. I also love to bake and cook, sing, read, dance (particularly bellydance), spar, hike and be outdoors, ride horseback, and to indulge in various forms of fine arts. I'm fond of many, but my favorite types are silkpainting, jewelery-making, and costume, garb, and subculture garment sewing, with a focus on bead and detailwork, and that is in the process of being transformed into a supplication to my current living in the Denver International Airport, as a cashier at Schlotszky's.

John

Greetings, My name is John also known as Rune. I have been a practicing asatru for over 13 years. I am a child of the ancient gods who applies old time values in the modern world. I am not a native of Colorado, but a transplant from IA. I quickly adapted to my strange new surroundings. I was really drawn to ADF because of it’s scholarly approach and practical application. I am fairly eclectic in my studies including, but in no means limited to Norse, Greek, Shamanism, Celtic, Wicca, and of course Runes.