I’m so excited, honored, and humbled! The past few weeks have brought two wonderful Druid milestones for me.

The First:
On July 16, I was initiated into the 2nd Degree of the Reformed Druids of Gaia and the Order of the Mithril Star, the Druid organization which I am a member!

The Second:
I received my Golden Oak Award with the Reformed Druids of North America for the Best Poem of 2009 for my submission of “The Labyrinth” to The Druid’s Egg.

It’s also worth mentioning that I recently moved to Minneapolis, and I now live on Oak Grove Street! A fitting street name for a Druid (thanks to Mike the Fool for pointing this out to me!).

For your enjoyment, here is The Labyrinth:

Come walk with me
Through forests and meadows
We can wind around trees
Turning ever inward
Spinning ever outward

Come walk on the edge with me
Far from everything we know
We can stretch our legs
Run and play
Sit and relax a while

Come walk with me on a spiral path
Returning to people and places we love
We can revel in our greetings
Mourn our goodbyes
Cherish every memory

Come walk with me on a sacred journey
Through the labyrinth of life
We can find the center
Take the final turn
Loving our forever path

This past weekend was the graduation of my cousins, Katlin and Shelby. They are the daughters of my mother’s two brothers, and even though I’m 23 years older than they are, I still feel young!

Both ladies are quite involved and very smart! I wish them the very best as they go on to college next year!

Enjoy the photos in Flickr!

Yesterday, I took some photos of the office I’m working in at Meridian Bodywork in St. Louis Park, MN.

So far it’s been just a wonderful experience. Since I have another business, doing web design at my company, HolisticGeek.com, I decided to work at an existing clinic, so I had more time to focus on web design. Yes, I know, this defies all of my past conventions of being a self-starter, total-control entreprenuer, etc. But it’s really working out! Andrew Raak at Meridian Bodywork is completely on track for building a very strong integrative clinic for alternative bodywork!

Sometimes giving up lots of control has a ton of benefits. The clinic provides all of the furnishings, linens, and LAUNDRY! You have no idea how much of a time saver this is!

There are currently three of us working at Meridian Bodywork – Andrew, Mary, and Me. Come check us out!

I’m going to let a big cat out of the bag with this post. My partner and I are going to be moving to Minneapolis at some point this summer. We’ve been longing to be near friends and family, and to be in a place that genuinely supports us as a Car-Free couple.

Yes, we’ve been without a car for well over a year now! I sold my car in February of 2009, when I realized I was driving it once a week to the other side of the street, and weighed a car payment and insurance payment against what Michael and I were making in income at that time. I’ll admit, it was a bit difficult at first, but around the 8th month, the goal of a year being car-free was just too tempting for us to go back and “buy a car.”

So, while Michael’s been interviewing for transit-related jobs, I’ve set up shop two days per week at Meridian Bodywork in St. Louis Park (a first ring suburb of Minneapolis). Every Sunday, I hop on the afternoon Jefferson Lines bus to travel to the twin cities, stay with a good friend, and do massage and Reiki on Mondays and Tuesdays.

The sweet part – my “commute” only costs me $24 round-trip on Jefferson Lines, and I can take MetroTransit EVERYWHERE in the twin cities. I don’t even think that gas in a car would be that cheap for the ride from Duluth to Minneapolis one way! Definitely a good exploit of the system!

But yes, I’ve already spent the $20 on my GoTo Card in the last 3 weeks in Minneapolis with not only going to and from my office, but to the MayDay Parade, coffees and lunches with friends and clients, and just some general explorations of the city again. All worth that $20 though!

I miss having a bike down here though! The Cedar Lake Trail passes right near my office building in St. Louis Park, and I just long to hop on it to go back to Minneapolis. From the looks of the direct path it takes, I’m sure it’s faster than my bus trip between St. Louis Park and Downtown Minneapolis.

I’ll have to look into transporting my bike on the bus…

Happy Commuting everyone!

A very well-deserved hiatus has helped me to re-think and re-frame the NorthernDruid website. In the coming weeks, there will be some radical changes to this site! I’m taking a page out of the principles of Permaculture , where I will “integrate rather than segregate” the sharing of my passions, skills, and learning with you all.

NorthernDruid.net will become my playground as a Reformed Druid, Blogger, Musician, Artist, Healer, Bicyclist, Bus-Rider, Unschooler, Reiki Master, and Person! Because I believe that we come to this world as integrated, whole people, with a MULTITUDE of talents, thoughts, and aspirations, it only follows that I should present this project as an integrated unfolding.

It’s time to make radical change, and to experience the multitude of “what is alive in us” and for all of us to explore how we are all just a thin veil away from becoming the BEINGS of greatness that we are destined to be. This is the notion that I will build this site upon.

It’s time to go on a journey!

Many Blessings to you all!
-Scott

Greetings!

The Northern Druid Podcast will be on a small hiatus this winter, because I will be busy rehearsing for the Duluth Playhouse production of The Secret Garden.  The winter has been a busy one, and I need to be realistic with my time and focus.

Rest assured, after the show (which takes place between February 17 and March 7), I will bring you more interesting news, music, and druid meditations from the North Woods!

Also, if you live in or near Duluth, come to The Secret Garden.  I have a very interesting role as the father of Mary Lennox (the lead youth character).  I die early in the show, but come back frequently as a ghost who sings and narrates with a company of other “relatives” of Mary’s.

Good news today!

You can now subscribe to the Northern Druid Podcast in Apple’s iTunes!

Here’s how:

1) Just go to the iTunes Store inside iTunes
2)Select Podcasts
3)Search for the words “Northern Druid”

Thanks to everyone who listened to the premier episode!

The premier episode of the Northern Druid podcast will be available Sunday, October 18! My goal is to have bi-weekly podcast episodes which will feature the following:

• Information, talk, and resource sharing about Druidry and holistic healing
• News and events from the North Shore of Lake Superior and the Lake Superior bioregion
• Observations and reflections about Nature, the Lake, the Waters, Woods, Prairies, and People of the Northland
• Music from local musicians
• A “meditation of the moment” to close each podcast
• And much much more… the lid is off!

My ultimate goal with the upcoming podcast is to do nothing less than have listeners fall in love with Minnesota, the North Shore, and the natural environment of this very magical place. This follows the basic tennant of Reformed Druids, which I follow:

“Nature is good. Likewise, Nature is very good!”

Sunday, October 18 marks the time of the New Moon, and I’ll be talking about the book, New Moon Astrology: The Secret of Astrological Timing to Make All Your Dreams Come True, by Jan Spiller. We’ll even take some time in the meditation to make some wishes under the new moon!

Hope to have you listening! More information on subscribing via iTunes and other methods will be forthcoming!

-Scott Schumacher