Rev. Jan Avende has been a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin since 2009, and is an ADF Initiate and Consecrated Priest belonging to Three Cranes Grove, a local congregation of ADF Druids.  They serve their local community by running High Days, Moon Rituals, and specialty rites, as well as providing pastoral care and assisting in the day to day running of the grove. They have also deliberately focused on broadening their service to meet the needs of the wider ADF and pagan community, working to build a strong online community that all can feel like they are a part of, no matter their physical location or ability to travel. Rev. Avende has been meeting the needs for virtual worships and community long before the 2020 Pandemic forced a change in the way we practice. They’ve been crafting inclusive and engaging methods of reaching out to members and the public with everything from the #PrayerADay challenge to live-streaming a Blessing Rite in Animal Crossing.

Jan is a talented Bard, Liturgist, and Spiritworker, and active as a member in many of ADFs subgroups. They are currently the Coordinator for the Children’s Education & Parenting Special Interest Group, as well as the Preceptor of both the Initiate Path and Magician’s Guild. They have a passion for helping folks work through some of the more hands-on work, experiences, and Study Program requirements that are present in Our Druidry, such as Trance, Magic, and Divination. Using their talents as a certified teacher to aid in mentoring folk, building resources for pagan families, and making the details of Our Druidry accessible to all, they hope to engage with the community and help keep this a thriving religion.

Jan’s early work as a Hellenic pagan has informed their work within ADF, as they currently blend much of their personal neo-pagan practice with research in Hellenic Reconstructionism, making their hearth practice “ADF Druidry with a flavor.”  They have a fascination with finding a place in modern society for documented practices within Ancient Greek society.  This involves everything from hearth worship and magical charms to rites of passage and divination.  Because the practices of the ancient Greeks are fairly well documented, Jan’s adaptations are well researched and backed up with both scholarly evidence and personal experience and experimentation.

Mostly, Jan enjoys writing rituals and prayers on request, being a sounding board to help others work through struggles, and talking with others about how they practice paganism and Our Druidry. 

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To further support Rev. Avende’s work, join them over on Patreon.