Black Bear Protogrove, ADF

 
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  Upcoming Rituals
   Lughnassadh Harvest Festival
   Saturday, August 2, 2008;
Games of Lugh begin at 1 pm
Lughnassadh Ritual begins at 5 pm
    Hoosier National Forest, south of Bloomington, IN


You are invited to join Black Bear Grove in celebrating the beginning of the harvest and the Festival of Lugh, the Irish god of all skills.  We'll be kicking things off at 1 pm with our Games of Lugh, a modern twist on the traditional autumn games founded by Lugh in honor of his foster mother Tailtiu, goddess of the harvest.   At 5 pm, after our skills have been tested and our champion crowned, we'll begin our Lughnassadh rite, working with Lugh and Tailtiu.   In honor of Lugh's legendary skills, please bring a skill or craft of your own to demonstrate in the ritual.

If you wish, come with offerings for the gods, spirits, or ancestors, and any seasonally-appropriate items to add to the altars. We also encourage participants to bring drums and musical instruments to play throughout the night, chairs to sit on and perhaps an umbrella, just in case (though we will have an awning).  Finally, please bring a dish or drink to share for the ritual potluck-- beer, vegetable, and grain dishes are particularly appropriate at this time.

The ritual will take place in Hoosier National Forest, south of Lake Monroe and near the Deam Wilderness.   Directions to the site from Bloomington, IN, are as follows:

  • Take IN state SR 46 to the east side of Bloomington, IN
  • Turn south on IN SR 446 (there is a Bruster's Ice Cream shop at this corner).
  • Drive for approx. 7 miles and cross Lake Monroe.
  • Drive for approx. 5 more miles and turn left onto Tower Ridge Road. (There is a big white sign for the Deam Wilderness at this intersection. There is also a small Pentecostal Church near the corner)
  • Travel 4 miles and then pass Grubb Ridge Trailhead on the left.
  • Continue for another 1.5 miles and then pass the Hickory Ridge Trailhead with the fire tower on the left.
  • Turn right at the next road. There will be a sign for Camp Maumee at this intersection.
  • Drive for 0.7 miles and turn into a small dirt driveway on the left (look for a sign with a bear on it).
  • Park - you have arrived.

If you would like to carpool to one of these events, or would like to talk with us about our group, please email the Outreach Coordinator.