Lughnasadh 2022
City Creek Canyon held space for us so beautifully for Summer Solstice, we decided to return to the same location for Lughnasadh! We felt welcomed and protected during our time there.
Once everyone arrived and made their way through the fairy portal (a bowing branch which encircled the staircase to the gathering site), we began straight away with introducing the Swedish practice of ‘kulning.’ Channing led us through a grounding exercise before teaching the basics and purposes of a kulning practice. Afterward, we discussed the more ancient Nordic practice of ‘galdr,’ a repetitive, meditative magical practice based on the Nordic runes. We broke out into small groups and worked with a single rune, intuiting their meanings and listening to the songs they inspired in the group. Afterward, each group shared their songs and interpreted meanings.
Our communal meal was full of delicious breads and light salads. Again, we split into small groups and distributed recent news reports regarding the decline of Great Salt Lake, encouraging everyone to read and discuss what they had learned. Once everyone was finished eating, we gathered as a group to discuss the importance of the issues Great Salt Lake was facing, and what our ability and responsibility to respond both individually and as a group looked like.
After our discussion, we moved into crafting herb bundles from the abundance of our gardens. Fresh mint, lavender, chamomile, and lemon balm were wrapped with twine to take home to dry. We talked about the Northwestern European practice of ‘saining,’ or cleansing with herbs, and how it was a counterpart to the Native practice of “smudging” or “saging.” We discussed the importance of deepening into our ancestral practices rather than appropriating Native practices, and brought awareness to the importance of honoring our Indigenous neighbors by choosing not to use their sacred (and endangered) plants such as white sage, palo santo, and sweetgrass. We discussed helpful alternatives that are either steeped in European tradition (like pine) or who welcome new relationship.
After our time together was complete, we gathered our belongings and made our way down the canyon. Some in attendance happened to see a mountain lion on the drive out, adding a sense of mystery to this gathering and a healthy dose of respect for future ones.
