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, ...

For those of you who want to help people impacted by Hurricane Florence, we have a Rainbow related relief effort moving into position.  If you want to help or just learn more, visit United Peace Relief . The FFRE Kitchen is the current incarnation of the relief efforts that started with Hurricane Katrina in New Waveland, Mississippi. If you haven't heard of the New Waveland Cafe, check out these links MSNBC Article "The un-organization" Read peoples' own perspectives of the New Waveland Cafe Or watch this video

Just an FYI, no one speaks for the gathering and there are as many different opinions as there are gatherers. Six years ago, a gatherer did a training for those new to the gathering. This is the video tape of that training called Rainbow Gathering 101 .

How to focalize what you want to see at the gathering. Depending on what you what to focalize, you will have to arrive early. If you want to focalize an art camp, probably arriving a few days after the solstice will work, but if you want to focalize something that requires prime real estate (main boggie pit, handicamp, CALM, etc) you will probably need to land on site within a few days of the site being known. This doesn't mean you have to do all the work yourself, but you n eed to be the person who is there, holding space, talking to everyone and anyone about your vision, making signs to gather workers to help you build your vision, etc. The focalizer is the person who communicates the need. If others agree with the need or you can convince others of the need, then people will join you in manifesting your vision. If no one else agrees, or they think their are more pressing needs, they will go do other things. From WelcomeHome.org "We don't have leader...

The annual gathering of the tribes, which takes place over the 4th of July, has a cyclical process. While various regions in the USA often host a get together over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend, this blog deals with the annual gathering. In Georgia this summer, vision council on the land reached consensus that the 2019 gathering will take place in Minnesota or Wisconsin. But then what? Because the Rainbow Gathering has no leaders, no board of directors, no staff and no one in charge of anything, we depend on people working together to do all the preparation for the gathering in the north east. So over the years a process has come together to make sure that planning is open to everyone who wants to be involved. The year starts off with Harvest / Fall Counsel / Thanks giving Council / T-Council or Circle, over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend of the same name. This is a time for people interested in plugging in, talking about visions for the gath...

In my humble opinion, the gathering is good at many things, but what we are best at is creating communities made up of diverse people.  One of my fondest memories is of the Utah gathering in 2003. Just across the dirt road from INFO and CALM was a small meadow that held three small camps sharing one bliss pit:  Krishna Camp, Jesus Camp, and a punk/anarchist camp. Evenings when I stopped by the bliss pit, people were discussing and sharing ideas, perspectives, and yes sometimes arguing a bit.  Communication and community were being created. When we gather in rural towns, many gatherers connect with many of the locals in sometimes strange but usually positive ways. Many locals plug into the gathering and give deeply despite disagreeing with some of our behaviors. On the surface, I feel this is what our entire country needs to do. Have those conversations around a bliss pit or coffee table, online, or via the phone. Talk about what we can agree on. Encourage those who...

Updated June 11, 9:45 pm California Time Usually when someone gets on my email list, this is the first information I send them. So to you out here in blogsphere, here's that same information. From the invite to the very first Rainbow Gathering in 1972: We, who are brothers & sisters, children of God, families of  life on earth, friends of nature & of all people, children of humankind calling ourselves Rainbow Family Tribe, humbly invite: All races, peoples, tribes, communes, men, women, children, individuals -- out of love. All nations & national leaders -- out of respect All religions & religious leaders -- out of faith All politicians -- out of charity to join with us in gathering together for the purpose of expressing our sincere desire that there shall be peace on earth, harmony among all people. This gathering to take place beginning July 1, 1972, near Aspen, Colorado - or between Aspen the Hopi Navajo lands - on 3000 ac...