Schedule
This year’s Lughnasadh will be August 3rd, 2024.
- 4PM: Doors open for guests.
- 4-6PM: Feast, Lughnasadh games & Drumming.
- 6 PM: Zoom room opens.
- 6:15 PM: Pre-ritual briefing.
- 6:45 PM: Lughnasadh Rite.
- Cost: $20.00 suggested donation
Times are subject to change, please check our website blog, our Event Calendar or our Facebook page for the most up-to-date information on the ritual. All High Rites are open to the public, so feel free to bring a friend 🙂
Times are subject to change, please check before you leave.
NOTE: We follow all Maryland and Baltimore City COVID guidelines. Currently, no masks are required.
Zoom Info
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 468 067 1478
Lore of the Season & Ritual Information
Prayer: Healing Protection for our Sacred Earth
Pantheon: Gaulish
Deity of the Occasion: Epona
Gatekeeper: Lugus
Lughnasadh Games:
The games will be both inside and out from 4-6 PM.
Charities for this rite are:
The Assateague Island Alliance for the wild horses https://assateagueislandalliance.org/; and
The Chesapeake Bay Foundation oyster seeding program https://www.cbf.org/index.html.
If you wish to donate to these please include a note with your donation or put it in the Dagda’s Cauldron.
All CedarLight high rites have a suggested donation of $20 per person.
Seasonal Lore
In ancient times, the Celtic world celebrated a festival on (or around) 1 August. This was a festival included in the last cycle of four feasts, denoting the final phase of harvesting, especially the cereal grain crops, before the coming of fall. This ritual also honored the cutting of the first corn crop, which was a staple crop for their herds of animals. This ritual likely occurred in various forms in regions that the Celtic peoples inhabited – from ancient Gaul (modern France, Belgium, parts of Austria and Germany), to Britannia and Eire (modern UK) – during this time of the cycle of the cosmos, understood by our ancient ancestors. While evidence across the UK is more abundant, ancient chroniclers and archaeological discoveries can help us imagine our ancient ancestral Gauls on continental Europe.
The Feast
Lughnasadh is a time where cereal grains are undergoing reaping and consumption. Our gardens should be producing nicely by this time with an abundance of locally-grown fruit and vegetables. It will be hot so light and summery sides and desserts are very welcome. (Corn is a bit later in most of the northern hemisphere but we also celebrate the coming and going of the Corn King.)
The main part of the feast will occur prior to the ritual. There are Folk who will arrive later, and Folk who will not eat much prior to a ritual. Please manage your portions accordingly.
-See more ideas to the right.
Dress for the Weather
If you are joining us from an outside location. The High Rite will be done outdoors, and it may be hot. If it rains we will be under the pavilion. Be prepared and bring some cooler clothes, sunscreen or a hat and bug-spray. If you have a chair you’d like to sit in during the High Rites, we suggest bringing that too.
Children and Pets
Children are welcome to all CedarLight events, but small children must be attended at all times because our center is not child proof, there are stairs, fires, candles and small items that could be swallowed. We do not yet have children activities planned for this event however that can change if we know they are coming.
Pets, however, except for registered service dogs, are not allowed because we have learned from past mistakes that not everyone knows how to approach an animal and not every animal will behave predictably with many strangers around. Thank you for understanding.
Suggested Offerings
- Poetry or songs in praise of the Deities, or Cedarlight Grove
- Cards with prayer for healing of the Earth and pledges of what you will do towards that end.
- Incense, Flowers, & Herbs to place into the offering basket.
- Food made from seasonal items (cornbread, home brewed beers, etc)
- Hand-crafted items for Epona and Rosmerta.
PLEASE NOTE: We take oaths very seriously. Any oaths given as an offering MUST be cleared with the Senior Druid prior to the High Rite. Please see Sean-Paul upon arrival if you plan on giving an oath.
What to Bring
Other than what was discussed above, you may want snacks and something to drink with the folk after the rite. ** We have folks with severe allergies and food sensitivities so a list the ingredients if available is much appreciated.**
Suggested Seasonal Food:
- Cold dishes such as salads due to the heat
- Fresh fruit
- Grain dishes of all kinds (don’t forget our gluten-free folks!)
- Anything Seasonal!
The food will be available available during the afternoon games and desserts for after the rite.
There are cans of sodas and bottled water available at the Grove for $1.00 each. Feel free to contribute beverages to the Grove!
Ritual Etiquette
- Do not honor deities of different pantheons than those being honored at this rite
- PLEASE KEEP YOURSELF MUTED ON ZOOM unless you are giving an individual invocation as part of the liturgy or performing a praise offering. Group call and responses should remain muted unless otherwise requested by the Chief Liturgist. Attendees who continually disrupt the ritual with background noise because they are unmuted will be removed from the Zoom room.
- Offerings will be mainly given in silence as a group, but if you have something you wish to say, sing, or recite, let the Chief Liturgist know ahead of time so they can make time for your offering
- Do not declare any oaths during the rite without expressed permission from the Chief Liturgist well before the rite
After Ritual
If participants wish to hang out after the rite, the Zoom room will remain open for socializing. Feel free to bring dinner and make it a virtual potluck! We won’t even nag you about washing the dishes!
Cost/Donations
All CedarLight events have a suggested donation of $20 per person. This can be contributed to Dagda’s Cauldron either at the Grove, or online via paypal to cedarlightgrove@gmail.com. All donations go towards CedarLight Center bills and upkeep.
