The Grand Grove comprises of all volunteers in AODA. As AODA is a 501.C3 Non-Profit organization, the Board of Directors are comprised of the four Archdruids, who have oversight of the AODA.
Grand Archdruid: Dana O’Driscoll
Dana O’Driscoll spent most of her childhood in the wooded hills of the Laurel Highland region of Pennsylvania, making mud pies, building brush cabins, and eating berries. Thankfully, little has changed, and she can still be found searching out tasty mushrooms, gathering herbs, and playing her panflute for the trees. Dana enjoys various kinds of wildcrafting, earth skills, and natural arts and is often covered with paint, dirt, or both. She is a certified permaculture designer and permaculture teacher, and is living a resilient, self-sufficient lifestyle through land healing, perennial agriculture, animal husbandry, food preservation, herbalism, and natural building. She also serves as a community organizer to promote sustainable education, food security, and community empowerment using permaculture methods.
Dana joined the AODA in 2007 and, after completing her first and second degrees, earned the degree of Druid Adept in 2013. Her Druid Adept project explored connections between permaculture and druidry, the end result was published as Sacred Actions: Living the Wheel of the Year through Earth-Centered Sustainable Practices in 2021 and The Sacred Actions Journal in 2022. She has since completed the degrees of Bardic Adept (2017) and Ovate Adept (2020), making her the first Ollave Adept in AODA in 2020. She joined the Grand Grove in 2014 as Grand Pendragon and became an Archdruid in 2015. At the Fall Equinox in 2019, she stepped into the role of Grand Archdruid. She was the founding editor of Triilthon and served as Chief Editor of Trilithon: The Journal of the Ancient Order of Druids in America for issues 1, 2, 3, 4, and 8 as well as chief editor of the ongoing Druids Book of Ceremonies, Prayers, and Songs series, published by AODA. She is also a Druid-grade member in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids, and was chosen as the 18th Mount Haemus Scholar by OBOD for her work, “Channeling the Awen Within: An Exploration of Learning the Bardic Arts in the Modern Druid Tradition.” Dana holds a Bachelors Degree in English, a Masters Degree in Linguistics, and a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition, and by day, enjoys her job as a university professor. Dana is the illustrator and author of the Tarot of Trees, Plant Spirit Oracle and TreeLore Oracle. She is also the author of Land Healing: Physical, Metaphysical, and Ritual Approaches to Healing the Earth (REDfeather, 2024). She is committed to her bardic arts, practicing watercolor, leatherwork, and various natural arts with dedication. Her writings on druidry, regenerative living, permaculture, and nature can be found at The Druid’s Garden (www.thedruidsgarden.com).
Archdruid of Water and Mentor Coordinator: Claire Schosser
Claire Schosser has followed winding physical, vocational, and spiritual paths during her 60+ years of life. Born and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, she graduated from one of Pennsylvania’s small liberal arts colleges with a BS in chemistry. She then took herself and her scientific career plans to the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she earned a PhD in physical chemistry. After trying unsuccessfully to change herself to fit into the corporate world in suburban St. Louis, Missouri, she abandoned that effort and paid work in the sciences. She then satisfied her scientific itch as an avocation, taking up gardening and becoming a volunteer and mentor within the Missouri Stream Team program. She enjoys growing vegetables and fruits, native and ornamental plants and trees, and culinary and medicinal herbs. Her blog, Living Low in the Lou, documents her efforts to apply the scientific method and ecological concepts to vegetable gardening and her and her husband Mike’s work to reduce their negative impact on the earth.
Spiritually, she moved from a Presbyterian upbringing to an intellectual interest in mysticism and Zen as a college student. However, it was not until she was in her 40s that she began to practice Zen at a local sangha. Eventually, she realized that her longtime love of nature was calling her to a different, Earth-centered spiritual practice, but it was not until she encountered John Michael Greer’s writings on peak oil that she learned of the existence of Revival Druidry and the AODA. After reading The Druidry Handbook and lurking on AODA’s previous Yahoo e-list, she became interested in Druidry, joining AODA as a Candidate in 2012 and becoming an Apprentice in 2014. In 2017 she helped to establish AODA’s Mentor Program and became the Mentor Coordinator. She became a Companion in May 2018 and joined the Grand Grove as Grand Almoner in late 2018. In September 2019 she became the Archdruid of Fire, advancing to Archdruid of Water in March 2020. Her Druid path combines the ecological with the spiritual through her gardening practice, her Stream Team work with the local creek, and the Dolmen Arch practices she learned from taking the course. Having completed the Dolmen Arch course in summer 2019, she is qualified to teach it to others.
Archdruid of Fire and Preceptor of the Gnostic Celtic Church: Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell grew up surrounded by the fields of Iowa and now lives amongst the prairies of Kansas. Jack is a lifelong student and has earned masters degrees in both literature and writing. His poetry and fiction have been published in over two dozen venues, both online and in print. In his spare time, Jack is a black belt in Krav Maga, a music lover, and an unapologetic bibliophile.
Jack felt a calling to Earth-based religion in 2017 and immediately joined AODA. There he found his spiritual home in Druidry. He earned the degree of Druid Apprentice in 2018, Druid Companion in 2020, and Druid Adept in 2022. His Druid Adept project combined herbalism with sigil creation to create practical magic workings within the AODA grove ritual. In 2021 Jack was named Grand Almoner and then later consecrated as a Bishop within the Gnostic Celtic Church. That year he also took on the role of Curriculum Coordinator, assisting AODA Candidates with their self-study plans. In 2022 Jack was named Archdruid of Air and Preceptor of the Gnostic Celtic Church. He works with Novitiates and Deacons as they progress as GCC clergy and also oversees the service-oriented priesthood.
Jack is a Dedicant of Ár nDraíocht Féin, studying the Initiate and Clergy paths. His also an Ovate in the Druidical Order of the Golden Dawn and a Bard in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.
Archdruid of Air, Alisha Jondreau
Alisha grew up in Thessalon, along the shores of Lake Huron. She spent much of her time learning about the forest, animals, lakes, and waterways of the region, as well as learning to hunt, track, trap, fish, and live in harmony with the land. As a child, Alisha’s favorite activity was finding an isolated spot far in a forest, and simply sitting silently (usually in, or around a tree) to observe the wildlife. She’d often disappear into the forest for the day. In more recent years, Alisha has taken an oath not to hunt unless it is a matter of survival, and does not allow hunting/trapping on their rural/forested property.
Alisha is an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe “Nish”) Bard / Ovate / Druid Companion living in Powassan Ontario. She joined the AODA in 2019 because it allowed her the spiritual freedom to blend her family’s magical tradition within the AODA framework. She strives to live according to the 7 teachings and volunteers in any way she can to support the communities she’s a part of. Alisha is currently working to ensure the continued survival of her family’s magical tradition and researching its origins.
Abbess of the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery: Kathleen Opon
Kathleen has been a member of AODA since early 2015. Her personal spiritual journey began in Catholicism; traveled through the mysticism of Eastern religions; wound through the earthy wonder of Nature Based Religions; eventually arriving at her spiritual home in contemplative Druidry, the AODA and the GCC. As a Druid Apprentice Kathleen became an AODA Mentor. After advancing to the Companion Degree Kathleen developed and coordinated the AODA Member Outreach program and earned the title of Grand Almoner. A deep desire to serve the spiritual needs of the Druid community-led Kathleen to the Gnostic Celtic Church, where she became a Deacon in 2017, an ordained Priestess in 2019, and Preceptor of the GCC and Archdruid of Fire in 2020. As Preceptor Kathleen developed the concept of the “service” path for GCC priests/priestesses and became a consecrated Bishop in 2021. After proposing and developing a monastic path within the GCC, Kathleen became the Abbess of the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery, which opened its online doors at the Spring Equinox in 2022.
A Contemplative Druid deeply interested in spirituality, Kathleen earned certification as an Interreligious/Interspiritual Guide in early 2020, so she is uniquely qualified to provide Spiritual Guidance services to members of the GCC clergy, as well as to others who walk non-traditional spiritual paths. Kathleen has also completed the Dolmen Arch course, for which she is now a qualified instructor.
Kathleen is an active member of Spiritual Directors International, The Theosophical Society of America, The Parliament of World Religions and is a Bard in the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, where she is currently studying the Ovate grade. She lives in Homer Glen, Illinois with her husband, their two sons and two cats.
The Grand Herald: Adam Milner
Adam has been called to a spiritual connection in the natural world since childhood. After searching for ways to explore that connection through the lenses of Christianity, Taoism and Paganism he eventually found a home in Druidry. After a long Candidacy, he was initiated into the AODA First Degree on Alban Hefin, 2015 and is currently working on his Second Degree.
Adam grew up exploring the canyons, deserts and wide open skies of New Mexico. He currently lives in Oakland, CA and is exploring urban sustainability, pollinator protection, and the streams and forests of his adopted home.
Grand Pendragon: Robert Pacitti
Robert Pacitti was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and has been drawn to the spirit of the forest since he was a young boy. Trained as a classical musician, Robert spent many years as a music teacher and show designer before moving into the private sector.
Robert has been a member of AODA since 2013, feeling a deep calling after reading John Michael Greer’s The Druidry Handbook: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Living Earth. Since then, he has been an active member of the U.S. Druid community in several facets, serving as the Deputy Editor for the online magazine Druid Magazine and recently completing his first publication with AODA as Layout Editor for the Trilithon Journal. He has served as Event Manager and now Director of the MAGUS Druid Gathering in Gore, Virginia, and also serves as a council member for the Becoming! Awakening! Manifesting! (BAM) Druid Gather in Western Massachusetts.
In his free time, Robert enjoys cooking, studying magic and astrology, and spending time on his homestead in Western Pennsylvania with his extended flora and fauna family.
AODA Discord Administrator: Branos Carnutodrûidon
Branos Carnutodrûidon lives in the mountains of Western North Carolina where he studies and crafts his life. He has been on the Druid path for around 20 years He became an Apprentice in AODA in early 2020.
Branos is one of the leading members of the Gaulish Revival. He is the Ueleð (seer) of Galatîs Litauiâs, and a founding member of Bessus Nouiogalation (A Gaulish Tradition).
He is finishing Celebrancy school for funeral practices, also working his way at priesthood. Many of the things he studies range from alchemy to astronomy and philosophy to folk-magic and ritual.
He is very devoted to his path and his communities.
Grand Historian and Archivist: Grant Davis
Grant Davis, Grand Archivist & Historian Grant Davis has a background in academic research and is a member of multiple esoteric fraternities / orders. His hobbies include genealogy and researching early 20th-century esoteric orders.
AODA Outreach Coordinator: Avallach Emrys
Avallach Emrys is a Druid Companion in the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) and a Committed Monk in the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery. In addition to his spiritual pursuits, he is also an aspiring author and currently focuses on the relationship between the non-locality of human consciousness and the survival of the soul after physical death. Avallach serves as the Dean of Curriculum at a Pagan seminary that teaches traditional Paganism and magickal practice, and is also a Bard in the Order of Bards, Ovates & Druids (OBOD) and a member of Ár nDraíocht Féin (ADF). In his free time, Avallach enjoys hobbies such as aviation and software engineering.
AODA Land Healing Coordinator: Breanna Hite
Breanna grew up in rural Alaska and Montana, and could always be found in the forest, reading a book, or (often) both. She has lived in a variety of ecosystems all over North America and now resides in Central Texas.
Breanna joined AODA in 2019 after practicing independently for a number of years. She finds AODA the perfect synthesis of nature spirituality, intellectual tradition, and artistic inspiration. She is currently an Apprentice whose primary interests are magical practice, artistic creation, and tending living things. She launched the Land Healing Working Group to focus healing on particular locations after being inspired by the Order-wide rituals for general healing of land, water, sky, and hearth.
AODA Groups and Events Coordinator: Tyler Vanice
Tyler Vanice is a Companion in the Ancient Order of Druids in America who lives in Northern Virginia next to Washington, D.C.. He is also an Ovate in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD) and is a charter member of Potomac Protogrove in the Reformed Druids of North America (RDNA). He works in museums and volunteers his time supporting various nonprofits in his community. Coming from a Catholic background, he searched a path that had fit him more spiritually. He first joined OBOD 2020 but was walking down the path of Druidry in 2016 when he initially found books and articles relating to Druidry.
AODA Trilithon Chief Editor: Leah Pellegrino
Leah Pellegrino has been on the pagan path since 2002. She is currently studying at the Ovate Level in OBOD, and the Apprentice Level in AODA. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking in nature, knitting, reading, and attending AODA and other pagan community events. She also enjoys spending time with her cat Freya, and her dog, Bodhi.
AODA Trilithon and Druids Book Copyeditor: Karen Fisher
Karen Fisher, a Druid Apprentice in AODA and an Ovate in OBOD, has been a professional freelance copyeditor since 2003. A longtime pagan who cherishes the forests and streams and seeks sacred places, she lives in a big old house in Pennsylvania.
AODA First Degree Coordinator: Jamie McMillin
Growing up and living the military family lifestyle for most of her life, Jamie has moved all over the United States, from the Atlantic to Mountains West and Pacific (including Hawaii), from the Gulf of Mexico and north to Alaska. Now she calls Oregon home. The amazing opportunity to live in so many beautiful places inspired her pursuit of nature-based spirituality, and she joined the AODA in 2012. Now an Ovate Companion and a Deacon in the GCC, Jamie’s current study is how to develop a spiritual connection to the land we live in even without an ancestral connection. Her day job is technical editing of engineering reports, but she would prefer to write weird fiction.
AODA Mentoring Program Coordinator: Stonebear
Stonebear grew up in rural Indiana. After school he joined the Air Force and spent the next two decades travelling the world. He took full advantage of the opportunity to experience other cultures, faiths, and natural environments. Stonebear is a lifelong learner. He recently completed a certificate in community ministry from the Cherry Hill Seminary and he is currently studying and practicing the art of sound therapy. Stonebear has been deeply connected to nature-based spirituality since the early 1990’s. He joined AODA in 2010 and the GCC in 2017. He is a Bard in OBOD and an ordained Priest in the Order of Melchizedek. In his free time, he enjoys spending time in the mountains and microbreweries around Asheville NC. He can often be found accompanied by rescue dogs Penny and Junebug.
AODA Apprentice Chat Coordinator: Mason Davenport
Mason is a fellow seeker and aspiring mystic following a winding path of Druid wisdom and intuitive magic. Seminary taught him how to translate various faith ideas into sacred language he can understand. He possesses few answers but relishes every question, certain only that he is blessed as a queer and trans individual. Waypoints along his spiritual journey thus far include Druid Apprentice in the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA), Ovate in the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids (OBOD), serving as a spiritual companion through Seek Sincerely Spiritual Care, and offering community ministry as a Steward of Wilderness Between, a Druid-inspired, nature-revering collective in the DC area. When not in the forest or in his head, he can be found in the joyous company of his spouse and cats in their little home between the Anacostia and Potomac rivers.
Assistant Abbess of the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery: Roxanne Coates
Having grown up in the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia, Roxanne gained her lifelong appreciation of nature in all its forms. All through life she has embraced the mountains, forests and rivers as both her personal and spiritual home. Much of her life has been spent mountaineering and hiking in various locales which has brought her more closely into nature’s raw presence.
Roxanne is a Druid Companion and Committed Monk in the Gnostic Celtic Church Monastery (GCCM), and has been with the AODA since 2019. During this time she filled the role of GCC Assistant Preceptor as well as mentoring fellow AODA members and GCC clergy. Having spent a period of time on a solo spiritual journey, she answered the call to join the GCCM in early 2023 where she feels supported to carry on her eco-spiritual, mystic calling. She continues to mentor others in the monastery who are traveling their own contemplative paths.
As Assistant Abbess in the GCCM, Roxanne sees herself at the service of the community of monks and its Abbess in helping to nurture an environment where each monk can freely explore and develop their individual contemplative spirituality by following their own Awen. She appreciates that all this takes place within the peace and support provided by the community of one’s brother and sister monks.
Outside of the GCCM, she is a student of the Fraternitas Rosae Crucis and is a long-time certified professional life, turned spiritual, coach, offering personal interfaith development to individuals as they explore their own spiritual lives more deeply.
