Schedule
This year’s Sarapia Rite will be September 21st, 2024.
- 3:00 PM: Guests may arrive at CedarLight Center
- 5:00 PM: Zoom room will open and link will be posted
- 5:30 PM: Pre-ritual briefing will begin
- 6:00 PM: Sarapia ritual begins
- 9:00 PM: Doors close
- Cost: $20.00 suggested donation
Times are subject to change, please check our website blog, our Event Calendar or our Harvest Home Facebook event 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, however, if you feel sick regardless, the best choice for all is to join by Zoom.
Zoom Info
Join Zoom Meeting
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/
Meeting ID: 468 067 1478
Lore of the Season & Ritual Information
Prayer: Thanksgiving, Death begets Harvest
Pantheon: Hellanistic
Deities of the Occasion: Serapis
Seasonal Lore
At Lenaia (Imbolc) we celebrated the rebirth of Dionysos and the awakening of the Earth. But now at the Autumn Equinox we enter the dark half of the year, the time that the Earth sleeps. The Oak King, the Holly King the two faces of one god, Dionysos dies becoming Sarapis. So at Sarapia we give thanks to Sarapis the Lord of the Harvest and for the gifts that he gives.
What to Bring
The ritual feast will be potluck. Roast turkey and ham are welcome, please bring a Thanksgiving dish or side dish to share. Family recipes are encouraged! ** Please label dishes with ingredients out of respect for those with dietary restrictions. Index cards are provided.** Alcohol, in moderation, is permitted.
Cans of sodas and bottled water are available at the Grove for $1.00 each. Feel free to contribute beverages to the Grove!
The ritual will take place outdoors in the sanctuary, weather permitting. Fall themed garb is welcome and encouraged!
Children and Pets
Children are welcome to all CedarLight events. CedarLight Center is not child proof, and small children must be attended at all times. Service animals are welcome, however, pets are not allowed. Thank you for understanding.
Suggested Offerings
- Seasonal foods, such as homemade bread, baked goods, apples, corn, and grain
- Flowers, herbs, fruits and vegetables from your garden
- Incense, especially juniper, mugwort, and amber
- Libations of mead, beer, etc.
- Crafts, especially of the fiber arts
- Bardic works, poetry, songs (please see the Senior Druid or Chief Liturgists prior to the ritual if you will be performing a bardic offering)
Fundraisers: We will be collecting monetary donations for the Maryland Food Bank.
PLEASE NOTE: We take oaths very seriously. Please do not make any oaths during the rite or offer pledges for future service.
Ritual Etiquette
- Do not honor deities of different pantheons than those being honored at this rite.
- PLEASE KEEP YOURSELF MUTED ON ZOOM Zoom attendees may make offerings at their home but will not be broadcast into the ritual space. Attendees who continually disrupt the ritual with background noise because they are unmuted will be removed from the Zoom room.
- No cell phone or earbud use in the sanctuary. Smartphones and tablets may be used for reciting offerings only. Please keep all devices muted.
- If you have a bardic offering, please tell the Chief Liturgist prior to the rite.
- Do not declare any oaths during 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.
