These videos are from the first Oregon Rainbow Gathering in 1978.
Experience the Rainbow - Part 1- 1978 - Excerpt
Enjoy words of wisdom from some of the earlies when they were the youngers! See who you recognize.
But please servers, don't let folks hold their cups over the communal pot. (as you can see, some of our practices have evolved for the better).
Experience the Rainbow - Part 2 - 1978
Experience the Rainbow Part 3 with my favorite fiddler.
Experience the Rainbow - Part 4 - 1978
Experience the Rainbow - Part 5 - 1978
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Monday, August 29, 2016
It's an Experiment Folks
The social media world is full of criticisms of the gathering, arguments over who shoulda, woulda, coulda. There are people who think the gathering is full of criminals because they hear a rumor about something that happened, there are people who don't understand why we don't always walk our talk. Did I mention internet rumors?
I hear rumors about all sorts of things that never happened - and sometimes about things that maybe happened but have been blown out of proportion on-line. Have you ever heard of the Telephone Game? If you are not familiar with living in a non-hierarchical, direct-democracy community with no one in charge, the entire situation can be very scary.
You may be wondering what is this experiment and who is involved.
The way I see it, the gathering is an experiment in creating temporary community. The values we talk center on creating a peace focused egalitarian community that intends to create a safe and peaceful gathering and a safe and peaceful world. The values we talk include deep care and respect for mother earth and the land upon which we gather. This means that everyone contributes according to their ability and their desire. We provide free food, free medical care, and if you came without a tent or sleeping bag, sometimes folks have extra to share.
Does everyone come with this intention? Of course not. This is not a perfect world in which we live, nor is everyone who attends the gathering perfect. Although even the roughest, meanest folks who come home, are probably searching for something better then the culture in which they normally live. Does that mean that when we come home we are instantly transformed into kind loving people? Of course not.
So what's the truth? I can't speak for the truth as there is no "one" truth. Different people come home with different baggage and needs. We try to address issues like poor behavior, unequal access, differential abilities, and capacity to contribute from a place of love and compassion. Does that mean that every problem is met with love and compassion? Of course not. Does that mean that every situation is met with actions that you personally feel are appropriate? Of course not.
What it means is that the majority of individuals at the gathering are trying to help others from a perspective they feel is loving and caring. It might not be your perspective of love and care, but it is someone's perspective.
Can we do better? Of course we can. The more we teach and learn from each other, the better we get at this experiment. The more we remember to engage from a place of compassion, the more loving our actions become. Sometimes we focus on harm reduction -- preventing an individual from hurting her/himself or others. Sometimes we focus on triage. Sometimes we spend hours or days trying to diffuse a situation and nothing seems to change. Sometimes the relationship between cause and effect is not clear. The person you spent days trying to help may not change their behavior today or tomorrow. Maybe the change happens in six days or six months. I've seen plenty of situations with lots of kind loving energy put into them fall apart without any obvious effect. Then days later, the behavior problem suddenly resolves itself and the problem behavior has been transformed into wood chopping.
This is a love based endeavor. Sometimes love is keeping a two year old from putting a dangerous object in her/his mouth. Sometimes love is being strict with acceptable behavior. Sometimes love is taking care of someone when they are down. Sometimes love is food.
If you don't like to learn and grow as a human being, then this probably isn't the place for you. Every gathering I go to I learn more about how to be a loving and compassionate person while still creating peace and having boundaries. I am student of the gathering and the gathering is a tough teacher -- sometimes the lessons you learn are ones you have been trying to avoid. If you are looking for something that is already perfect, then this probably isn't the place for you. However, just cause this isn't the place for you, doesn't mean it's a bad place.
I hear rumors about all sorts of things that never happened - and sometimes about things that maybe happened but have been blown out of proportion on-line. Have you ever heard of the Telephone Game? If you are not familiar with living in a non-hierarchical, direct-democracy community with no one in charge, the entire situation can be very scary.
You may be wondering what is this experiment and who is involved.
The way I see it, the gathering is an experiment in creating temporary community. The values we talk center on creating a peace focused egalitarian community that intends to create a safe and peaceful gathering and a safe and peaceful world. The values we talk include deep care and respect for mother earth and the land upon which we gather. This means that everyone contributes according to their ability and their desire. We provide free food, free medical care, and if you came without a tent or sleeping bag, sometimes folks have extra to share.
Does everyone come with this intention? Of course not. This is not a perfect world in which we live, nor is everyone who attends the gathering perfect. Although even the roughest, meanest folks who come home, are probably searching for something better then the culture in which they normally live. Does that mean that when we come home we are instantly transformed into kind loving people? Of course not.
So what's the truth? I can't speak for the truth as there is no "one" truth. Different people come home with different baggage and needs. We try to address issues like poor behavior, unequal access, differential abilities, and capacity to contribute from a place of love and compassion. Does that mean that every problem is met with love and compassion? Of course not. Does that mean that every situation is met with actions that you personally feel are appropriate? Of course not.
What it means is that the majority of individuals at the gathering are trying to help others from a perspective they feel is loving and caring. It might not be your perspective of love and care, but it is someone's perspective.
Can we do better? Of course we can. The more we teach and learn from each other, the better we get at this experiment. The more we remember to engage from a place of compassion, the more loving our actions become. Sometimes we focus on harm reduction -- preventing an individual from hurting her/himself or others. Sometimes we focus on triage. Sometimes we spend hours or days trying to diffuse a situation and nothing seems to change. Sometimes the relationship between cause and effect is not clear. The person you spent days trying to help may not change their behavior today or tomorrow. Maybe the change happens in six days or six months. I've seen plenty of situations with lots of kind loving energy put into them fall apart without any obvious effect. Then days later, the behavior problem suddenly resolves itself and the problem behavior has been transformed into wood chopping.
This is a love based endeavor. Sometimes love is keeping a two year old from putting a dangerous object in her/his mouth. Sometimes love is being strict with acceptable behavior. Sometimes love is taking care of someone when they are down. Sometimes love is food.
If you don't like to learn and grow as a human being, then this probably isn't the place for you. Every gathering I go to I learn more about how to be a loving and compassionate person while still creating peace and having boundaries. I am student of the gathering and the gathering is a tough teacher -- sometimes the lessons you learn are ones you have been trying to avoid. If you are looking for something that is already perfect, then this probably isn't the place for you. However, just cause this isn't the place for you, doesn't mean it's a bad place.
Friday, August 12, 2016
Focusing Intentions - Potluck Circle September 3 in Eugene
A circle will take place on September 3, 5-9 PM in Eugene for focusing
our intents on the 2017 Rainbow Family of Living Life Annual Gathering
in Oregon. Please bring your visions, a dish to share, and your
blissware. Further details and location will be decided upon, and
announced, on a North West Rainbow Light Line August 30. 503-727-2498
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Scouting 101
As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary to participate and new blood is always needed.
Fall is the perfect time to go check out those spots in the consented to areas and see what they look like on the ground. It's hard to find sites for the Annual Gathering and it's important we use our collective wisdom in site selection. If you Facebook and want to get plugged into technical discussions on using on-line mapping tools or ask other people who have scouted if a particular site has been looked at, email me and I'll get you plugged into the FB page for scouting discussions.
If you've never been scouting, here's my short list of how to scout (based on the collective wisdom that has been shared with me and my own hands on experience). We generally gather on lands managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) but some areas of the country do have good land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
We don't gather in federally designated wilderness areas, national park, or national monuments as these areas are not compatible with our needs due to one of the following reasons: no cars, focus on protecting wild life and land, need to preserve sensitive ecosystems, and entrance fees to name but a few. If you are looking at state or county owned land, then you will also have to research regulations, laws, and permit requirements regarding gatherings on these lands.
Here's are the basic steps:
Step 1) Pick a gathering or gatherings that you personally attended.
Step 2) Find those gathering sites on a topo map. I was taught to use 7 minute maps. Many university libraries have good collections of topo maps. Or visit topo zone maps online. There are many on-line mapping tools these days so feel free to use what works best for you.
Step 3) Once you find the topo map, correlate the parking lots, kitchens, main circle, and various camps you remember with spots on the topo map so that in your head you can see a gathering on a map.
Step 4) Pick a national forest or area under BLM management that you feel would be appropriate for a gathering - if you're planning on scouting for the annual gathering in 2017, we're looking in the
public lands of the in the state of Oregon.
Step 5) Look at the topo maps for that area. Try to find a site that has the qualities you liked about the previous gatherings you've attended. Some of my personal favorite features are a good hike in at least 1 mile, closer to 2 if it's an easy hike because I feel that the harder it is to get into a site, the more committed people are to staying and creating gathering reality. For a large gathering, having a main meadow and a couple of separate smaller meadows is a good thing, water is of course necessary. Places to hike away from the main part of the gathering for people wanting to get away. Two roads in and out to the gathering site (Front Gate/Back Gate). No roads into the gathering site proper or the cops will drive into the heart of our gathering. Places to park cars where the plants can handle it. A spot of Handicamp.
Step 6) Make sure the site is far away from civilization to minimize gatherer/non-gatherer conflicts and frequent runs into town.
Step 7) Go out and walk the site and see if it has what the maps showed and the above mentioned features, if it's workable and if it has the magic. In my experience, if you have done you're homework on five sites, maybe one is workable as there are always issues that don't reveal themselves until you are on the land.
Step 8) If you found a site in Step 7, research environmentally sensitive habitat in the area, endangered species, private property and water rights. Check for ranchers who may have permits for grazing during the gathering. If nothing turns up, we may have a winner. You'll want to share all your info to discuss further with more experienced scouts. If you don't know how to plug into that effort, reach out to me and I'll plug you in.
Thanks to all my family who are spending time and money scouting for this gathering! We Love You!
I Love Us!
Fall is the perfect time to go check out those spots in the consented to areas and see what they look like on the ground. It's hard to find sites for the Annual Gathering and it's important we use our collective wisdom in site selection. If you Facebook and want to get plugged into technical discussions on using on-line mapping tools or ask other people who have scouted if a particular site has been looked at, email me and I'll get you plugged into the FB page for scouting discussions.
If you've never been scouting, here's my short list of how to scout (based on the collective wisdom that has been shared with me and my own hands on experience). We generally gather on lands managed by the United States Forest Service (USFS) but some areas of the country do have good land managed by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM).
We don't gather in federally designated wilderness areas, national park, or national monuments as these areas are not compatible with our needs due to one of the following reasons: no cars, focus on protecting wild life and land, need to preserve sensitive ecosystems, and entrance fees to name but a few. If you are looking at state or county owned land, then you will also have to research regulations, laws, and permit requirements regarding gatherings on these lands.
Here's are the basic steps:
Step 1) Pick a gathering or gatherings that you personally attended.
Step 2) Find those gathering sites on a topo map. I was taught to use 7 minute maps. Many university libraries have good collections of topo maps. Or visit topo zone maps online. There are many on-line mapping tools these days so feel free to use what works best for you.
Step 3) Once you find the topo map, correlate the parking lots, kitchens, main circle, and various camps you remember with spots on the topo map so that in your head you can see a gathering on a map.
Step 4) Pick a national forest or area under BLM management that you feel would be appropriate for a gathering - if you're planning on scouting for the annual gathering in 2017, we're looking in the
public lands of the in the state of Oregon.
Step 5) Look at the topo maps for that area. Try to find a site that has the qualities you liked about the previous gatherings you've attended. Some of my personal favorite features are a good hike in at least 1 mile, closer to 2 if it's an easy hike because I feel that the harder it is to get into a site, the more committed people are to staying and creating gathering reality. For a large gathering, having a main meadow and a couple of separate smaller meadows is a good thing, water is of course necessary. Places to hike away from the main part of the gathering for people wanting to get away. Two roads in and out to the gathering site (Front Gate/Back Gate). No roads into the gathering site proper or the cops will drive into the heart of our gathering. Places to park cars where the plants can handle it. A spot of Handicamp.
Step 6) Make sure the site is far away from civilization to minimize gatherer/non-gatherer conflicts and frequent runs into town.
Step 8) If you found a site in Step 7, research environmentally sensitive habitat in the area, endangered species, private property and water rights. Check for ranchers who may have permits for grazing during the gathering. If nothing turns up, we may have a winner. You'll want to share all your info to discuss further with more experienced scouts. If you don't know how to plug into that effort, reach out to me and I'll plug you in.
Thanks to all my family who are spending time and money scouting for this gathering! We Love You!
I Love Us!
Planning for Fall/T-Council/Counsel/Circle
Hi all,
If you want to help focalize the planning council/counsel/circle that happens over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, there will be a call on Sunday at 6 PM Oregon time.
There will be a conference call this sunday (8/7) to discuss planning for the fall counsel. Call begins 6PM pacific time 9PM Eastern
The phone # is 641-715-0700
Access code 185117
If you want to help focalize the planning council/counsel/circle that happens over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend, there will be a call on Sunday at 6 PM Oregon time.
There will be a conference call this sunday (8/7) to discuss planning for the fall counsel. Call begins 6PM pacific time 9PM Eastern
The phone # is 641-715-0700
Access code 185117
Sunday, July 24, 2016
Thanksgiving/Fall/T-/Council/Counsel/Circle
Updated 11/20/16 7:00 p.m. (PST)
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 Thanksgiving get together, this blog deals with the annual gathering. In Vermont this summer, vision council on the land reached consensus that the 2017 gathering will take place in Oregon.
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 Thanks giving Council, T-Council, or Fall Council/Counsel over the four day weekend of the same name. This is a time for people interested in plugging in, talking about visions for the gathering, discussing scouting, strategies about legal issues, etc. to get together. (see we don't even agree on the name).
T-Council generally takes place in the state or region where we will be gathering although sometimes it happens in other areas not to far from the consensed upon areas. It's usually a camp, cook, council, share heart songs kinda of thing. Often but not always, the people at T-Council pick the dates for the Scout Rendezvous and Spring Council. Some times a PO box is established for snail mail and a banking council is formed to deal with any donations.
As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate. Keep in mind this is not a gathering, it's a working council and the way this council unfolds sets the tone for the gathering.
I'm hoping that there will be a real mix of generations at T-Council. We need older people, we need younger people, we need more experienced gatherers and we need less experienced gatherers to come together to create a vision for a peaceful, healing and fun gathering in 2017. Be the change you want to see in this world.
Dear Family,
This year’s Fall Council will take place in the Eugene, OR , on:
• Friday, Nov. 25th, from noon-7pm
• Saturday, Nov. 26th, from noon-7pm
• Sunday, Nov. 27th, from noon-5pm
There will be a potluck feast and circle on Thursday, November 24th. Please bring food to share.
Remember, this is not a gathering, but rather a working council to plan for the 2017 annual gathering in Oregon.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Parking and camping space is extremely limited on site!!!! If possible, please carpool and plan for alternate accommodations. When you arrive, be ready to unload your gear onto the property right away. Family will be there to keep an eye on your stuff and direct you where to park within a close radius.
Pet owners are strongly encouraged to leave their pets at home; there is no place for pets to shit!
This is a private home in a suburban residential neighborhood in Eugene. Please be respectful and help to maintain the quiet neighborhood vibe.
The address is 119 Arbor Drive, Eugene, OR 97404. Directions from I-5: take exit 195 from I-5. Take a right at the Y to go West on Randy Papé Beltline (OR Rte. 569) for 4.2 miles. Get off at Exit 8, and turn left on River Road. Drive for 1.3 miles, then turn left onto Arbor Drive. The house is on the left, at the corner of Rome Lane and Arbor. If you are driving a bus or large rig, you MUST call before arriving. Tel. 541 915-1295.
The communal kitchen will serve dinner on Thursday, brunch and dinner Friday and Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Please bring food to contribute, such as veggies, fruits, grains, pasta, bread, spices, coffee, tea, dairy and dairy-substitute products, and zuzus.
What to bring: cup, bowl, and spoon; food to share; green energy to donate to the hat for communal food and porta-potty rental; warm clothing and rain gear; visions, ideas, maps, positive vibes, and every good thing.
Limited sheltered floor space will be available for sleeping.
Prepare for wet, cool days, and wet, cold nights (this is Oregon, folks!).
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 Thanksgiving get together, this blog deals with the annual gathering. In Vermont this summer, vision council on the land reached consensus that the 2017 gathering will take place in Oregon.
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 Thanks giving Council, T-Council, or Fall Council/Counsel over the four day weekend of the same name. This is a time for people interested in plugging in, talking about visions for the gathering, discussing scouting, strategies about legal issues, etc. to get together. (see we don't even agree on the name).
T-Council generally takes place in the state or region where we will be gathering although sometimes it happens in other areas not to far from the consensed upon areas. It's usually a camp, cook, council, share heart songs kinda of thing. Often but not always, the people at T-Council pick the dates for the Scout Rendezvous and Spring Council. Some times a PO box is established for snail mail and a banking council is formed to deal with any donations.
As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a willingness to participate. Keep in mind this is not a gathering, it's a working council and the way this council unfolds sets the tone for the gathering.
I'm hoping that there will be a real mix of generations at T-Council. We need older people, we need younger people, we need more experienced gatherers and we need less experienced gatherers to come together to create a vision for a peaceful, healing and fun gathering in 2017. Be the change you want to see in this world.
Dear Family,
This year’s Fall Council will take place in the Eugene, OR , on:
• Friday, Nov. 25th, from noon-7pm
• Saturday, Nov. 26th, from noon-7pm
• Sunday, Nov. 27th, from noon-5pm
There will be a potluck feast and circle on Thursday, November 24th. Please bring food to share.
Remember, this is not a gathering, but rather a working council to plan for the 2017 annual gathering in Oregon.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Parking and camping space is extremely limited on site!!!! If possible, please carpool and plan for alternate accommodations. When you arrive, be ready to unload your gear onto the property right away. Family will be there to keep an eye on your stuff and direct you where to park within a close radius.
Pet owners are strongly encouraged to leave their pets at home; there is no place for pets to shit!
This is a private home in a suburban residential neighborhood in Eugene. Please be respectful and help to maintain the quiet neighborhood vibe.
The address is 119 Arbor Drive, Eugene, OR 97404. Directions from I-5: take exit 195 from I-5. Take a right at the Y to go West on Randy Papé Beltline (OR Rte. 569) for 4.2 miles. Get off at Exit 8, and turn left on River Road. Drive for 1.3 miles, then turn left onto Arbor Drive. The house is on the left, at the corner of Rome Lane and Arbor. If you are driving a bus or large rig, you MUST call before arriving. Tel. 541 915-1295.
The communal kitchen will serve dinner on Thursday, brunch and dinner Friday and Saturday, and brunch on Sunday. Please bring food to contribute, such as veggies, fruits, grains, pasta, bread, spices, coffee, tea, dairy and dairy-substitute products, and zuzus.
What to bring: cup, bowl, and spoon; food to share; green energy to donate to the hat for communal food and porta-potty rental; warm clothing and rain gear; visions, ideas, maps, positive vibes, and every good thing.
Limited sheltered floor space will be available for sleeping.
Prepare for wet, cool days, and wet, cold nights (this is Oregon, folks!).
Thursday, July 14, 2016
Where will the gathering be?
For directions to the 2017 gathering, click here.
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:
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 acres of land that we hope to purchase or acquire for this gathering -- to hold open worship, prayer, chanting or whatever is the want or desire of the people, for three days, but upon the fourth day of July at noon to ask that there be a meditative, contemplative silence wherein we, the invited people of the world may consider & give honor & respect to anyone or anything that has aided in the positive evolution of humankind & nature upon this, our most beloved & beautiful world -- asking blessing upon we people of this world & hope that we people can effectively proceed to evolve, expand, & live in harmony & peace.
The 2016 Vision Counsel of Rainbow Family of Living Light on the land in Vermont has consensed to invite all peoples, out of love and with respect, to gather peacefully for silent meditation on the morning of July 4th, 2017 until noon; and a peaceful assembly of free speech and expression from July 1st through the end of Vision Counsel; in the public lands of the Oregon.
Thanksgiving council
The next step in the process of landing on a site is always Thanksgiving council (T-council) which takes place over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2016 gathering. If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps. Directions to T-council usually come out in the first half of November. Check back then. If you're not familiar with T-council, read more here.
Scout Rendezvous
T-council usually picks dates for one or two scout councils. Scout councils/rendezvous is a time for people out scouting to connect up, share information, talk about scouting efforts. As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a desire to walk, learn, teach and share. If you come, please be self sufficient - have green energy for gas, food, etc. You don't need your own vehicle if you can be a positive traveling companion, but $$$ are always in short supply for scouting, so please bring enough for yourself and some to share with the person whose vehicle breaks down.
Spring council
Spring council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site. The council usually takes one to seven days and normally ends with either a consensus by silence among people at the council or an exodus of the majority of people heading to the preferred site. Spring council goes until a decision is reached by consensus or by foot. The exact location for this council generally isn't determined until one to two weeks before spring council starts. Until the spring council process reaches a site, there is no home. For more information on spring council, click here.
For those of you who think the site is picked in advance and want to get the 411 now so you can book plane tickets. I'm sorry, but there is no site picked at this time.
Keep in mind that weather conditions (which are unpredictable) play a part in all of this. So let's say someone finds a great site during the summer of 2016 (and I have no knowledge that anyone did or will), for all we know come the first week of June, 2017 that site is still under snow, then what? Keep in mind that 4 feet of snow at a gathering is rough (anyone remember Washington 2011?).
Drought and high fire danger can have the same effect. A great site that was nice and wet in August 2016 can be dry as a tinder box in June 2017. If the Forest Service has a no open fire ban on that site that looked so great last year, guess it's not looking that great this year. Available water can change year to year as well depending on snow melt. Conditions change all the time. The family needs to find the best possible site for the health and safety of gathering participants and the land on which we gather.
Seed Camp
Once Spring Council reaches a decision, people move onto the site and start Seed Camp. Seed Camp is about creating trails, building kitchens, digging shitters, taping springs and dealing with the United States Forest Service. Historically, law enforcement harassment is highest during Seed Camp so if you are planning on being there, take the necessary precautions to keep your self out of the system if you so choose or need to. Bring your own food and drinking water. Bring first aid kits.
The Gathering
The main day of the gathering is July 4 when we observe silence from dawn until high noon and put our energy into manifesting world peace, the positive evolution of the planet and other good things. Many people observe this with a prayer or mediation for world peace. Others do Yoga for world peace, blow bubbles for world peace, etc. Basically, if it's a silent, gentle energy then it fits in very well. As to when the gathering starts, that's dynamic. It's usually one day during the last week of June when some friends and I look at each other and say "today it's a gathering." (of course you may pick a different date than I do when it feels like a gathering and not like seed camp).
The earlier you come the more self sufficient you need to be and relationships with the Forest Service can be rougher. On the other hand, showing up for seed camp allows you to influence the way the gathering goes. If you show up later, say after June 27, then most (but not all) of the drama has subsided. Traditionally the dates are listed as July 1 to 7, but most years people start leaving in droves on July 5th.
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 acres of land that we hope to purchase or acquire for this gathering -- to hold open worship, prayer, chanting or whatever is the want or desire of the people, for three days, but upon the fourth day of July at noon to ask that there be a meditative, contemplative silence wherein we, the invited people of the world may consider & give honor & respect to anyone or anything that has aided in the positive evolution of humankind & nature upon this, our most beloved & beautiful world -- asking blessing upon we people of this world & hope that we people can effectively proceed to evolve, expand, & live in harmony & peace.
The 2016 Vision Counsel of Rainbow Family of Living Light on the land in Vermont has consensed to invite all peoples, out of love and with respect, to gather peacefully for silent meditation on the morning of July 4th, 2017 until noon; and a peaceful assembly of free speech and expression from July 1st through the end of Vision Counsel; in the public lands of the Oregon.
Translation: The 2017 gathering will take place in Oregon.
Thanksgiving council
The next step in the process of landing on a site is always Thanksgiving council (T-council) which takes place over the four day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. This is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2016 gathering. If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps. Directions to T-council usually come out in the first half of November. Check back then. If you're not familiar with T-council, read more here.
Scout Rendezvous
T-council usually picks dates for one or two scout councils. Scout councils/rendezvous is a time for people out scouting to connect up, share information, talk about scouting efforts. As with all things Rainbow, no experience is necessary, just a desire to walk, learn, teach and share. If you come, please be self sufficient - have green energy for gas, food, etc. You don't need your own vehicle if you can be a positive traveling companion, but $$$ are always in short supply for scouting, so please bring enough for yourself and some to share with the person whose vehicle breaks down.
Spring council
Spring council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site. The council usually takes one to seven days and normally ends with either a consensus by silence among people at the council or an exodus of the majority of people heading to the preferred site. Spring council goes until a decision is reached by consensus or by foot. The exact location for this council generally isn't determined until one to two weeks before spring council starts. Until the spring council process reaches a site, there is no home. For more information on spring council, click here.
For those of you who think the site is picked in advance and want to get the 411 now so you can book plane tickets. I'm sorry, but there is no site picked at this time.
Keep in mind that weather conditions (which are unpredictable) play a part in all of this. So let's say someone finds a great site during the summer of 2016 (and I have no knowledge that anyone did or will), for all we know come the first week of June, 2017 that site is still under snow, then what? Keep in mind that 4 feet of snow at a gathering is rough (anyone remember Washington 2011?).
Drought and high fire danger can have the same effect. A great site that was nice and wet in August 2016 can be dry as a tinder box in June 2017. If the Forest Service has a no open fire ban on that site that looked so great last year, guess it's not looking that great this year. Available water can change year to year as well depending on snow melt. Conditions change all the time. The family needs to find the best possible site for the health and safety of gathering participants and the land on which we gather.
Seed Camp
Once Spring Council reaches a decision, people move onto the site and start Seed Camp. Seed Camp is about creating trails, building kitchens, digging shitters, taping springs and dealing with the United States Forest Service. Historically, law enforcement harassment is highest during Seed Camp so if you are planning on being there, take the necessary precautions to keep your self out of the system if you so choose or need to. Bring your own food and drinking water. Bring first aid kits.
The Gathering
The main day of the gathering is July 4 when we observe silence from dawn until high noon and put our energy into manifesting world peace, the positive evolution of the planet and other good things. Many people observe this with a prayer or mediation for world peace. Others do Yoga for world peace, blow bubbles for world peace, etc. Basically, if it's a silent, gentle energy then it fits in very well. As to when the gathering starts, that's dynamic. It's usually one day during the last week of June when some friends and I look at each other and say "today it's a gathering." (of course you may pick a different date than I do when it feels like a gathering and not like seed camp).
The earlier you come the more self sufficient you need to be and relationships with the Forest Service can be rougher. On the other hand, showing up for seed camp allows you to influence the way the gathering goes. If you show up later, say after June 27, then most (but not all) of the drama has subsided. Traditionally the dates are listed as July 1 to 7, but most years people start leaving in droves on July 5th.
Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!
Live lightly with the Land and People!
Please copy and distribute this information widely
Please copy and distribute this information widely
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