This has been a difficult and snowy winter for many of us in the northern hemisphere, while the Southern has had a warm summer. But here in the North, the Land has slumbered as we coped with the weather, the long, dark days slowly growing towards the light, while memories of our winter festivals and High Days begin to fade from our minds. But now Spring is upon us, the days grow longer, and hope fills the Land!

The dark months, however, are an excellent time for getting things done. Though winter sports and other activities may grab our attention on occasion, the winter can be a productive time with fewer distractions. ADF has taken advantage of this time with a flurry of activity.

While we have long talked about background checks for our clergy and Mother Grove, now the process is well underway. Many of our study programs have seen a burst of activity, particularly those of the Bardic Guild, the Generalists, the Initiates and the Clergy. New Protogroves have been seeded in New Zealand and the USA, including one in New York City, a place where a truly urban Paganism flourishes. This teaches us that the worship of the Kindreds can thrive anywhere, that the Gods can be found as easily in the hum of modern urban life as They are found in the silence of a forest glade.

And soon the summer festivals will begin – events like Trillium, Desert Magic, and Wellspring are coming up! These are wonderful opportunities to put a face to a name you have seen on our lists or on social sites like Facebook and Twitter. For grove members and solitaries alike, our ADF festivals are worth the effort to attend, to get to see old friends and meet new ones, to come together to worship the Kindreds in beautiful settings, and to be part of the community that is ADF.

May the blessings of new growth, hope, and opportunities shower down on us all!