Join us to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Reformed Druidism!

We're arranging two separate events to celebrate the 60 year legacy of the RDNA. The first event is the weekend of May 5-7, 2023 to celebrate the 60th Beltane at Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota. There is also the opportunity to celebrate during the weekend before the Midsummer Solstice, June 17, 2023 at the same place! Carleton College and the Arboretum can be a confusing place and is easy to get lost in. A helpful resource is this campus & arb map.

Contents

The Midsummer Gathering Schedule 

What to bring

Lodging in Northfield

Air Travel

Minnesota Climate and Habitat

The Midsummer Gathering Schedule

Saturday June 17th, 2023 coincides with the annual alumni reunion at Carleton College so that druids from the days of yore can attend, and there's the potential to learn more history of the RDNA movement. If there are Second Order druids who arrange in advance to have their All-Night Vigil, that will commence at sunset, and ordination would be immediately upon Sunrise Sunday morning. Otherwise it's just a daytime event. Want to vigil? Contact us regarding eligibility and planning, then watch this space! We also have a Facebook Event listing for this so you can get a reminder or notification leading up to the 17th.

  • 12:00 PM – Rally near Arb Kiosk in front of Recreation Center, meet & greet
  • 12:30 PM – Group hike to Monument Hill for history of the Reformed Druid movement
  • 1:00 PM – Procession to one of the vacant druid sites (TBA day-of) for the Midsummer ritual
  • 1:45 PM – Conclusion of ceremony, site cleanup, Q&A, guestbook signing
  • 2:00 PM – Optional pilgrimage to other sacred sites in Arboretum.
  • After Dark (?) – If we stay out after sunset we'll probably see lightning bugs!

What to bring

This is all optional, as anyone may attend and merely be present. All attendees are invited to participate to the extent which they are comfortable.

  • Chalice or ceremonial cup - before the pandemic, it was customary that we all shared the Waters-of-Life from a common chalice. Now for improved health and safety purposes, we ask that attendees bring their own cup, and all will be served from a common pitcher.
  • Plant-based offerings - an offering to the fire or to the Earth. Animal or blood sacrifice is forbidden in the Reformed Druid movement. That's part of what makes us Reformed.
  • Bardic offerings - because not all sacrifices are physical. Some people feel encouraged to recite poetry, music, or performance art.
  • Ritual garb - some people find that ceremonial clothing helps put them in the right mindset.
  • Sunscreen - it's Midsummer at solar noon... need I say more?
  • Hat - maybe a wide brimmed hat for extra shade if we're at the Mai Fete Island fire pit
  • Bug repellent - If we're in the shade, there will be mosquitoes
  • Water - to stay hydrated

Lodging in Northfield

The Archer House Inn is sadly no more. They bulldozed the ruins last year after the 2020 fire. It was an iconic building and a block away from the edge of the Carleton College campus. It was a great haunt for the druids, and had superb restaurants in it. Prices for lodging in Northfield are current as of 05/18/2023, sorted nearest to farthest from Carleton College:

Air Travel

The Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport is abbreviated MSP and is located 40 miles north of Northfield. If you fly in you may want to arrange a rental car or hire local transportation. There is a bus service that runs a few times per day that goes directly between MSP and Carleton College starting at $35 one-way.

Minnesota Climate and Habitat

Weather Patterns:

Minnesota has a continental climate with very cold winters and hot and humid summers. Thunderstorms and severe weather are a distinct possibility in June. The humidity of summer is usually here to stay by mid June as well. On dry spring days you can have warm clear weather that plummets down to seeing your breath at night and early morning. The last frost advisories usually taper off by May 10th. Keep an eye on our forecasts, and bring a good hat for shade. Sunscreen and insect repellent are a good idea, too.

Critters:

  • Snakes in the area include common garter snakes and bull snakes. Bull snakes are non-venomous. Rattlesnake sightings occur extremely rarely in the Mississippi River Valley near Red Wing, 45 miles away from Northfield.
  • Mosquitoes are out in relatively low numbers around Beltane, and are a strong presence around Midsummer.
  • Ticks such as dog ticks and deer ticks are common, the latter of which are tiny, with bodies a bit larger than a Sharpie dot. Up to half of deer ticks carry the bacteria that can cause Lyme disease.
  • Black bears are very uncommon in Northfield. Most sightings in Minnesota tend to be north of (or sometimes in) the Twin Cities
  • Cougars exist but in occurences so rare, they're virtually mythological and stick to the Mississippi, Saint Croix, and Minnesota River Valleys or the Arrowhead region near Lake Superior.
  • Wolves hide way up north. Nowhere near the Twin Cities or Northfield.
  • Moose, ditto.
  • Coyotes are common and tend to move in packs at night. They really don't want to be around humans and will sooner shy away.
  • Raccoons and skunks are common and can carry the rabies virus, though the prevalence of rabies is relatively isolated.
  • Snapping turtles can remove a finger. Other turtles will sometimes "snap" as well, but are less dangerous. You're completely safe as long as you just don't try to pick the turtles up.
  • Canada Geese will hiss at you. They might even bite with their spiky bills but they'll usually back away first.
  • Ghosts - the Arboretum is an enchanted place, with more than one "something" in it.
  • People - there are almost six million people in Minnesota, don't cha know! Luckily lots of them are "Minnesota nice." Could be worse, though eh?

Mean Plants:

  • Stinging nettles are common, especially off-trail in sandy soils. They can grow in full sun or shade. I might advise long pants if you are going off-trail. Primary and secondary trails are well maintained.
  • Poison ivy is the most common of the poisonous plants, though relatively well controlled. Poison sumac and oak are also allegedly here though I've never seen any.
  • Giant hogweed allegedly exists though I've never seen any here.
  • Buckthorn is invasive but not noxious the ends of twigs tend to be spiny like thorns and are strong enough to catch and sometimes tear clothing. More of a minor nuisance for those who go off-trail.
  • Burs, stickers, thistles: exist.
  • Pollen: lots.