Minnesota / Wisconsin Gathering 2019

This year, we had a heart shaped meadow and many rainbows. Most of the people I met at the gathering were kind, loving people who were there to experience magic, healing, create love, and participate in a beautiful and mellow gathering. I met many people from the Midwest who came home for the first time or the first time in a long time.  Welcome home to all the new faces and those whom we haven't seen in awhile. The gathering took place at the site of a former hunting lodge and deer ranch that was purchased (or given) to the United States Forest Service about 15 years ago.   I found leftover irrigation pipe scattered around the gathering. Despite the rumor mill, I learned that the Forest Management Plan for the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest is currently being updated and the process will last three to four years. There will be opportunities for public comment. Until the plan is completed and approved, no logging should occur at the site of this year's gat...

Bosnia - 2007 Circles helps us focus our energy, ensure that everyone's voice is being heard, and create a grounding for the gathering as a whole.  When good strong circles happen, the entire energy of the gathering is changed. Not only the people who participate in the circle, but all those bellies hard at work around the gathering will pick up on the positive vibrations coming from the circle and we'll all be a bit more loving, a bit more peaceful and a bit higher in spirits.  Have a problem, call a circle.  Want to share your love, call a circle.  Want to focus energy in your area, call a circle.  Having cop issues, call a circle off to the side.  When you hear the call "C I R C L E,"  please participate. If world peace is what we're after, a circle never hurts and often helps. July 4 Om in California 2004 (photo taken by Greg Van)  

This comes from a wonderful sister Medicine Socks bit I will add my two cents. I never support duct taping of people. Sometimes we need to restrain people to prevent them from hurting themselves or others and then rolling them up in a blanket or sleeping bag is much more loving than duct tape. If for any reason, someone is being restrained, please have a professional medical person supervising the situation so that the person's vitals can be monitored.  ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ On to the guest post ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ it's been a while, i'm too old, poor and crippled to involve myself in rainbow gatherings nowadays, so this qualifies as something like armchair quarterbacking... but i was once all gung ho, a regular local folkielizer and all about dealing with the some major instances of weirded out shit that sometimes came up at the getherings i was part of...especially around kid village... so here's some shanti sena lessons i learned in the trenches first of all, ...

Some would say the phrase “Shanti Sena” means “peace army” from Sanskrit and has its roots in Gandhi’s concept of non-violent volunteer based peace keepers . While in gathering lore, some would translate the phrase as peace scene .  No matter the logical translation you wish to put on it, I translate it as being part of a family and looking out for my family in peaceful ways. In the years of the strife between gatherers and the United States Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers (USFS LEOs), the phrase came to spell trouble for the LEOs and by 2008/2009 many gatherers actually thought the cops were the Shanti Sena (so not true). Because of the many misconceptions floating around, I thought I would take the time to rap about my perspective on keeping the peace at a gathering. As many of my friends point out, “Shanti Sena” is a verb not a noun. In other words, no one “is” Shanti Sena, but many people “do” Shanti Sena. Most functions at the gathering are verb rather than ...

The Earth Is Our Mother For family who are more musically included, we have a long tradition of chants and songs not for performance, but for participation. Many of these songs are call and response or chant type songs. We use these songs to create community, help people be more peaceful and create the energy we wish to see in this world. If you do not already know some of the rainbow songs, there are on-line websites that have the information.  If you play an instrument or even if you do not, try to learn these songs.  Then when you are at a gathering, I'm sure you will find a moment that is calling out for family singing and you will be prepared. Thanks to family who have taken the time to make this information freely available.   Bliss Fire Website Welcome Home Website Singing is one of the best tactics to improve the vibration of the gathering. I've even seen people sing to break up hostile situations, calm the anxious, and create community among rando...