Minnesota / Wisconsin Gathering 2019

The raps are collective wisdom for gatherings that have been written down. Some of the raps were written 30 or more years ago. Other raps are more recent. One convention is to give the raps numbers. For example Rap 107 is called "Gathering Basics" and is designed for a someone coming home to learn the most critical ideas concepts. Sometimes, folks at the gathering print the raps on paper and pass them out. For example the "Rap & Map" we often pass out at the gathering with a site map on one side and Rap 107/701 on the other. Rap 107 Sometimes,  people paint fabric with colorful renditions of one or more of the raps and then hang them at the gathering -- combing art and information. Sometimes, people post the raps online in various places for people to read before they come home. When Butterfly Bill was alive, he made a great collection of raps available on his website . That being said, the raps aren't set in stone and evolve as the times change....

When the gathering happens, we all come together from our scattered lives to form one big, messy community. But how does that work?  How do we create a community of equals from all the individual "I"s that show up? Here are some musings on how I and others I know have created community. You may have different ideas. Find your tribe. The annual gathering over July 4 is a "gathering of the tribes."  There are many tribes with different vibes. While all the tribes are my family and I love them all, I like some of the tribes more than others. Finding a tribe can be random: you bump into someone on the trail, a conversation starts, and you feel connected in the heart. Finding a tribe can be intentional: wander around the gathering, stop in at different camps and talk to people, feel the vibe in that camp and fall in love or at least connect with people who grock you. Finding a tribe can come out of shared workshops, late night drum circles, Shanti Sena movies...

Editoral note: Harvest Counsel is discuss Fall/Thanksgiving/Harvest Counsel/Council/Circle. Howdy Folks! Sunday, October, 21st, at 7pm Central time; there is a conference call to discuss Harvest Counsel in Minnesota or Wisconsin. We are still looking for options for a Harvest Counsel site. Anyone with warm space for 40-100 people to counsel, in Wisconsin or Minnesota, during Thanksgiving weekend, is encouraged to call in. 1-712-770-8022 Access Code 261613 Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization. Love & Light!

Today's guest post comes from a friend who sometimes goes by Scott Sowka but you may know him by other names as well. **************BEGIN GUEST POST******************** I have a lot of sympathy for what B....  was feeling in the OP. Sometimes, being the resident adult can stretch a person thin and drain the tanks. Definitely been there on more than one occasion. Having said that, ... I'm going to push an alternate rap here. Gatherings aren't safe. They aren't fun. They never have been. Their purpose was never to be an escape with your friends, and their reality has always been less than ideal. If you were under the false impression that they were those things, it was because you were caught up in the magic, temporarily blinded by the mind-blowing experience of existing in a real community built on unconditional love, and coddled by our elders, who selflessly worked behind the scenes to craft the culture. The truth is, there have always been cops, violent people, ...