The Lily Dale Assembly Environmental Committee cordially invites you to our Annual Sacred
Butterfly Release Ceremony
Friday, June 23, 2023, at 12:30 PM
At the Butterfly Garden across from The Lily cafe
$15.00 advance payment recommended
Developing through a process of metamorphosis from egg to larva (caterpillar) to pupa (chrysalis) to adult, the butterfly serves as a metaphor for our own existence. As Spiritualists, we believe we enter the world in human form and transition to Spirit through the change called death.
The release of newly awakened butterflies is an opportunity to remember the souls of loved ones, who are with us always and perpetually experience our love and prayers.
If you wish to join us and release a butterfly, a $15.00 advance payment reserves a butterfly for you. Though butterflies may be available for purchase on the day of the event, there is no guarantee, and you are strongly encouraged to reserve your butterfly in advance.
Pre-registration opens at 12:00 noon on Friday, June 23. Our butterflies will be awakened and released promptly at 12:30 pm. If you are not present for the12:30 pm release, a committee member will release the butterfly on your behalf. We urge you to arrive early and thank you for understanding if a butterfly must be released in your absence.
Open Sweat Lodge Ceremonies
Beginning Sunday, July 2, 2023, at 7:00 am
Scheduled on various dates with different leaders
Meet at Lily Dale beach (rain or shine)
First Come, First Served – No Registration required
Sign-up begins 2 hours BEFORE the scheduled start time. Sign up directly at the lodge area at the beach. No text or e-mail requests allowed.
Lodge ceremony is one way to connect with the Spirit Realms and the Divine. Lily Dale’s lodge is a structure made of saplings bent over to form a small dome high enough to crawl into and sit up inside. Usually, about 22 people are able to squeeze in to form 2 circles around the center. Red-hot rocks from the outside fire are brought into the center "Stone People’s pit." Water is poured onto them, creating a "sacred breath," which helps to center us and pray.
The lodge ceremony can last between one and several hours, depending on the leader and the needs of those attending. No two ceremonies are alike. Appropriate attire for Lily Dale’s lodges includes shorts and a t-shirt, although some leaders prefer women to choose the more traditional long (below knee) skirt and a t-shirt that covers the elbows. Please bring a towel and a dry change of clothes. No bathing suits please.
Attendance is "first come, first served" for a maximum of 22 participants. We reserve the right to turn away anyone whose presence may be considered disharmonious to the group. If there are enough "latecomers" after the first 22 participants, and there is interest, there may be another lodge about 2 hours after the first one.
There is no fee to participate, though goodwill offerings to defray costs are gratefully appreciated.
Please note: It can get very hot and crowded inside the lodge. Most leaders do not permit women on their “moon-time” (menses) to go inside. Please ask the leader when you arrive. If you have concerns about your ability to withstand the lodge or about the contagiousness of other participants on your health (e.g. HIV, Zika, etc.), please discuss this with your physician before participating. Participation is open, voluntary, and "at your own risk."
Dates and Leaders
Sunday morning, July 2, at 7:00 am: Neal
Monday evening, July 3, at 7:00 pm: Steve
Saturday evening, July 8, at 7:00 pm: Mark
Sunday morning, July 9, at 7:00 am: Mark
Tuesday evening, August 1, at 7:00 pm: Teresa
Saturday evening, August 12, at 7:00 pm Women’s Healing Fire: Spider
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This is a healing ceremony done at the fire circle where we put prayer sticks in the fire for healing ourselves, others, and the earth. Bring a rattle or drum. Females only, please.
Saturday evening, August 19, at 7:00 pm: Neal
Sunday morning, August 20, at 7:00 am: Neal
Wednesday evening, August 30, (Blue Moon) at 7:00 pm: Teresa
Arts and Crafts Festival
SATURDAY, JULY 1 and SUNDAY, JULY 2
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Vendors located throughout Lily Dale
Enjoy a leisurely walk around Lily Dale and enjoy the creative talents of our vendors. See you there!
Woman’s Day Event: Spirit Rooms & Songs for Women
Friday, July 28
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
Join the Lily Dale Woman's Day Event committee for an evening of celebration and entertainment in our historic auditorium. The evening will begin with a showing of the committee's award-winning film, The Spirit Rooms of Lily Dale, which showcases the connection between the women's rights movement, Spiritualism, Lily Dale, and some very notable women in history, including the Fox Sisters, Susan B. Anthony, Flo Cotrell, and even Mae West! The film will be followed by a short Q&A. Part II of the evening features a wonderful concert, Songs for Women By Women starring Latin jazz artist Saranaide. Join us for a magical soulful performance layered in love and harmony to honor the divine feminine within us all.
Saranaide is an accomplished vocalist, songwriter and musician based in Buffalo, NY. With parents from Panama and Puerto Rico, Saranaide has dipped into her DNA to embrace and celebrate the pulses and sounds of Latin America and has exploded on the Buffalo Jazz Scene with a new vigor. Inspired by the legends of soul and jazz riding on the rhythms of the world, Saranaide's unique sound is sweet honey dripping over a spicy stew. A lifelong learner, she has traveled the world to better inform her process, whether studying Maracatu in Canada and Brazil or traveling to Ghana to immerse herself more fully in West African drumming and dance. Saranaide beautifully blends and reflects her Afro-Latino roots. She writes songs in both English and Spanish, and most recently added Portuguese. Her songwriting is universal yet highly personal; her stage presence ethereal and earthy. Saranaide wraps up her audience in each story told using sultry vocals, a willowing flute, and jazzy guitar riffs.
Saturday Night Live!
Saturday, July 29
8:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Featuring Lily Dale registered mediums, guest mediums, and sing-along karaoke!
Come and get your groove on! Join Lily Dale's registered and guest Mediums, along with our Master of Ceremonies, Mr. J Groove, for a frolicking, fun night of sing-along songs and audience readings. Rock to the tunes of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire; Garth Brooks' Friends in Low Places; Beatles' Yellow Submarine, Here Comes the Sun, All Ya Need is Love; Simon Garfunkel's Here's to You, Mrs. Robinson and many more. And if you want to rock it out yourself, how about a little karaoke! But watch out for the hook!
In between our joyful and rocking singing, our registered and guest Mediums will connect with the Spiritual Realms to bring spirit greetings from the other side of life. Spirit loves laughter and fun, and to show you that love never dies! Please join us for a heartfelt night of song, laughter, and connections from the other side. We promise you'll have a great time!
Our Master of Ceremonies, Mr. J Groove, aka Mr. John Robinson, began his career as a drummer at the age of 15. John first found his singing voice in church and has been crooning ever since. John is a retired registered nurse, a self-taught musician/singer, a resident of Lily Dale, and founder of Unity: A Journey of Hope, changing lives of terminally ill patients one wish at a time.
Afternoon Tea
Sunday, July 30
3:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Leolyn Hotel
Tickets are $40 for the Tea, $35 for The House and Garden Tour,
or $65 for a Combo Ticket!
Take a break from your busy day and enjoy an Afternoon Tea. Sit with your friends or meet new friends around a table of treats and finger sandwiches. You will have a selection from a variety of teas. How can we drink tea without receiving a tea leaf reading? Yes, each of you will receive a reading from a trained tea leaf reader!
Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended!
Home and Garden Tour
Sunday, July 30
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Lily Dale Grounds
Tickets are $35 for The House and Garden Tour, $40 for the Tea,
$65 for a Combo Ticket!
End your day with a fascinating tour of some of Lily Dale's most beautiful homes and gardens!
Meet in front of the Maplewood Hotel.
Space is limited so pre-registration is recommended.