Why We Gather (was Ocala Consensus)

Often friends & family will ask questions such as, "Why do you go to the middle of nowhere, where there is no running water, no shelter & no comforts? What do you do about showeres?" and my favorite, "You mean you have to shit in the woods?"
The answers to these questions are simple & obvious to the experienced Rainbow goers, but to the myriad of brothers & sisters out there who genuinely ponder why fully grown adults, seemingly in their right minds, would do such things as set up kitchens, build camps, volunteer work & resources, take leave from our lives & generally live on the land, let me just say one word - Freedom! Freedom from our usual world of commercialism, oppressive laws, & freedom from a crowded & sometimes cold society. At Rainbow, we also try to enjoy freedom of expression, not possible in the "real" or Babylon world. Where else can you walk around naked munching on a fresh sprout salad while watching a musical talent show on a homemade stage lashed together by hand with rope? Where else do total strangers welcome you with a bowl of organic soup & invite you to join their family of brothere & sisters, sitting around a fire, playing & singing their favorite "heartsongs"? ... where you can just just sit & meditate. read, go hiking or generally relax ... a taste of {group} freedom, so rare these days. Ain't Life Grand?
But folks, these freedoms & the very essence of Rainbow is being seriously threatened. We have always faced difficulties like irrate law enforcement, closed-minded locals in nearby towns, & forest service personnel bent on placing unnecessary regulations on us. We also face the usual problems like kids shoplifting in grocery stores & upon being caught, calling themsleves "Rainbow People"; or careless brothers & sisters generally acting in disrespectful ways, messing up restaurants, using toilets & not cleaning up afterwards, stiffing waiters & waitresses to save money, & impacting local facilities like coin laundries. All these things give the Rainbow Family a black eye, & make it increasingly hard to be welcomed to any community.
Remember folks, Rainbow people have to be held to a higher standard. Because of the way we look, & our general nomadic way of life, people expect the worst from us. We must prove them wrong by being a shining light of honesty, integrity & consciousness.
Even though these are serious issues & we have to deal with them, they are not the threat to our family that I wish to discuss here. The problem is much more subtle & destructive. Once again, the situation can pretty much be summed up in one word - ignorance! Rainbow rap sheets try to dispell some of the problems by laying out general guidelines for living on the land:
no soap in streams & lakes, digging & using shitters, no camping near springs, no cutting live trees, & other common sense things.
Yet they still do not address the most baisc & fundamental reasons of why we gather, the Rainbow Core Beliefs. These are the very essence of Rainbow & are the underlying theme behind all of our efforts.
It is very easy to step on thin ice here &, surely there will be those who feel singled out & offended, but in my heart of hearts, I believe that we must come to an understanding about these issues or the seeds of destruction will prevail, take root & ultimately bring down the whole family.
When we say that our family gatherings are free & open to everyone, are we inviting people to a "party in the woods" or does Rainbow stand for something a little more special? Do we want to continue the same behaviors & habits, or do we want to LEAVE AS MUCH BABYLON AS WE CAN IN THE PARKING LOT?
Kind Brothers & Sisters, I know from going to Rainbow for many years that things have & will continue to change, yet I feel that we have to get back to our Core Beliefs if we are to remain a whole & viable family in the future. Already, we are hearing folks suggest a split in the family. People say to me, "let's gather the serious & spiritual people in one spot, & let the kids play somewhere else". Remember in 1994, when there was two different gatherings {KY_AL}; this could cause a huge fracture in our family & send the wrong signal to the Babylon authority figures. We have to stand together as one family if we are to have power to resist the forces that want to stop us from gathering.
Remember, we all want to play & party; after all, freeedom means happiness & joy, yet when the emphasis shifts from "let's get together for healing, fellowship, music & good vibes" to "let's party", the gathering starts to lose it's wonderful magic & power. Experienced family have all encountered these things:
-brothers & sisters bringing hard drugs & alcohol, rude brothers in the parking lot, exclusive parking priviledges for a few "High Holies", meat being served in kitchens, & over zealous Shanta Sena ready to be a police force rather than a gentle & kind guiding light. It doesn't matter if we are in a good mood or not, we must try to speak & act with kindness to all of our brothers & sisters. Welcome all with a gentle & loving spirit that is the trademark of our family! There is plenty of time for disagreement & discontent when we return to Babylon, so please let your best side shine at Rainbow.
Earlier, I spoke of Core Beliefs {I find this to be one of the most difficult issues to discuss). Noone really wants to tell others how to behave, so try to understand that my intentions here are simple - I just want the best for our family. So, here goes:
1} Do unto others as you would have done unto you! Sound familiar? Sound trite? Sound simple, but difficult to do? This is easy & can solve most of our problems. Rude, bossy, talkative, threatening or uncooperative are manners that should be left in the parking lot. These are the ways of Babylon ... leave them in Babylon. Be happy & of good cheer
2} Hard drugs and alcohol are inappropriate at Family Gatherings.
Folks, the amount of trash & litter generated is already overwhelming & difficult t deal with. Beer cans, wine bottles & other containers really make the problem a lot worse. Alcohol tends to really get in the way of things spiritual & brings Babylon & all it's unconsciousness to our doorstep. This is a growing problem brought on by the perceived image of "party in the woods" attitude! We can only solve this by our concerted efforts. If you see brothers & sisters drinking or bringing alcohol in, gently remind them of the dangers they are causing. Send them love in hopes that they can free themselves from the slavery alcohol brings. Also, as much as we can our dollars should support businesses that promote kindness & goodwill to families everywhere.
3} Vegetarian meals only!
Folks, this is a health issue as well as a philosophical topic. Meat is the food of Babylon. Killing & oppression of animals is the backbone of the Babylon economic structure. This cruel & wasteful industry is responsible for most of our planet's water pollution & deforestation. Free yourself from unhealthy fat-laden meals, if not forever, at least while your at the gathering. Meat is heavy & spoils fast, expensive & requires more trips to town for things like ice; because of traffic, police & gas consumption, we should minimize our trips to town. Meat contributes to more chaos & general confusion by creating deep emotionally charged controversies within the tribe. Gatherings, traditionally, have always been begetarian for good reasons, both spiritual & practical.
4} Find your tribe! Plug into the camp you feel most akin to. Become a helping hand. Leave your ego behind & volunteer to carry water, cut wood, dig shitters or whatever else needs doing.
In between joy & happiness there is always something that needs doing! Be there to serve & to help. You will be amazed at how wonderful the gatherings can be if you decide to "plug in" rather than just "party".
5} Make health & happiness your main concern. If you don't care for yourself, someone else will have to. Being in the woods can be dangerous, especially at night when you can fall or trip. Have & keep your own flashlight. Become aware of poisonous plants. Bring your own water filter so you can be sure & self-sufficient. Tobacco is unhealthy & hard on the temple (our body houses our spirit}. One of the keys to freedom is good health. Bathe, sleep & don't drink from anyone elses cup.
Folks, obviously these words alone cannot have a great impact on the direction of the future gatherings, only we the people can do that. It is my sincere hope & prayer that we can come together as one family to face these challenges with love & understanding. In closing, I would like to invite your heartfelt comments on these thoughts & extend an invitation to all who seek refuge from Babylon to come & commune with us at Instant Soup Kitchen. We seek to create a whole section of forest dedicated to these principles. Bring your instruments & good vibes & we will be glad to welcome you to a family where you can find sincerity & love.
REVIVE PEACE VILLAGE!
Peace, Summer
--
Love Everyone Unconditionally,
including Yo'self!

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Relevant Pages

  • Re: Why We Gather (was Ocala Consensus)
    ... Freedom from our usual world ... At Rainbow, we also try to enjoy freedom of expression, ... > not possible in the "real" or Babylon world. ... when there was two different gatherings; ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: reprint from the Vail times
    ... My preconception was an enormous forest with tents and camps ... Big Red Park was transformed into a temporary city. ... Night time was like a bucolic Mardi Gras, or as one Rainbow ... gatherings and camped in between, ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: reprint from the Vail times
    ... talking about the gatherings, he spoke of the Forest Service almost as ... Before I got to Big Red Park, Gerry's group had been forced to move ... I picked up a Rainbow and four of his ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: Regarding Missouri Rainbow-
    ... I dont think you have a clue what my "agenda" is or if there is any ... So your Rainbow Family. ... Folks who are all about love, respect, ... the high holies who want to parent the gatherings that I do not like. ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)
  • Re: Movement to create a "rainbow" organization
    ... Rainbow in some eyes is about community, peace, jubilation, ... and the gatherings as political soap boxes. ... tolorance and peace be the championed resolve. ... The fact that several recent gatherings were obviously co-opted by the permit ...
    (alt.gathering.rainbow)