Episode 131 - Uncle Mike's Rant: Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG)

Episode 131 - Uncle Mike's Rant: Unverified Personal Gnosis (UPG)

Author: Three Cranes Grove, ADF April 9, 2026 Duration: 17:55
Rev. Avende and Mike Bierschenk were traveling home from Trillium 2024, and started discussing that tried-and-true experiential lore: Unverified Personal Gnosis, or "UPG" for short.  Mike's general point is that we should re-evaluate how we think about religious knowledge that individuals discover on their own. If we are going to suggest that talking to deities and spirits is normal, how do we deal with the information we receive when it comes to us? We talk about the pitfalls associated with those experiences, and how we manage to work through that in our communities. This is the last episode from our previous hiatus (we think), so going forward, we're hoping to have some slightly more timely content to share :) Find us on Facebook, check us out at threecranes.org/podcast, and consider supporting us at threecranes.org/donate.

Ever wondered what Druids talk about on the long drives to and from gatherings? That’s the heart of Druids In Cars, Going To Festivals. Hosted by Revs. Jan Avende and Michael J Dangler of Three Cranes Grove, ADF, this podcast captures the unfiltered, meandering conversations that happen between rituals and workshops. It’s less a formal lecture and more like being a passenger in the car, listening in as two experienced practitioners delve into the practicalities and philosophies of modern Druidry. You’ll hear them unpack topics like ritual design, personal magical practice, and the broader Pagan experience with a focus on real-world application. The discussions are rooted in their ADF tradition but are accessible to anyone with an interest in earth-centered spirituality. The charm of this podcast lies in its casual, conversational tone-it’s the audio equivalent of those invaluable talks shared over a campfire or in a vendor’s booth, now preserved for anyone to enjoy. It offers a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the living tradition of Druidry, straight from the people who are actively shaping it. So, find a comfortable seat and join the journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Druids In Cars, Going To Festivals
Podcast Episodes
Episode 99 - Finding Joy In Ritual and Druidry [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:57
Druidry is not drudgery, and there is an element of joy to all of the work that we do with and for others. We speak of Rev. Dangler's initiatory experience, where joy was gifted to him as a tool of his work. Rev. Avende…
Episode 98 - Druidry and Our Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:42
Today we're talking about what Druidry is, and discuss the impacts of using the word "Druid" as ADF members. Spoiler alert: Rev. Avende hates it. We talk about the terms we could use instead, working both forward from ou…
Episode 97 - Finding Nature In Our Nature Religion [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:36
How do you find nature to put in your nature religion? We look at both the mundane and the spiritual aspects everyone has access to, consider that ancient Pagans didn't find a deep issue with lack of access to the "natur…
Episode 96 - Working in Unfamiliar Hearth Cultures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 32:01
Because of the way that ADF is structured as a pan-Indo-European organization, it's entirely possible to come to ritual at your local Grove and experience ritual in a culture you're unfamiliar with, or (if you're clergy…
Episode 95 - Managing Imposter Syndrome [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:43
Have you ever felt that you were in over your head with this whole ritual-and-magic thing? Do you feel like an "imposter" about to be found out? We all have, but it can seem like it's a lonely place to be. You might be s…
Episode 94 - A Wellspring 2022 Review [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 15:53
On the way home from Wellspring, though they were not driving together, Rev. Avende and Rev. Dangler stopped at a rest stop and caught up to remember the event. Held each Memorial Day weekend in northeast Ohio, The Wells…
Episode 93 - Gesture and Posture in Ritual [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:21
Today we're chatting about the things we do with our hands and bodies during ritual, focusing on gesture and posture in particular, and how we've developed them for use in our personal and Grove-centered work. We'll also…
Episode 92 - Making Group Rituals Work [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 27:51
Today, we talk about how we've made group ritual work, including some tips about both online rituals and in-person rituals. We've had a lot of different strategies over the past 20 years here in Three Cranes Grove, ADF,…
Episode 91 - Pets and Their Place in our Practice [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:27
CW: This episode discusses pet loss and grief surrounding it. One of the strange things about owning pets is that they become an integral part of our lives, our practice, and the spaces we inhabit. And, with limited exce…