(Updated 6/11/12)
Directions to the gathering are available 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:
- 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 &p; 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 truth is no one knows where the gathering will be at this time.
In July 2011, Vision Council on the land in Washington called for it to be in the White Mountain National Forest (in the Northeast), or the Appalachian states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia.
Thanksgiving Council
The next step in the process of landing on a site is Thanksgiving Council (T-Council) which takes place over the four day Thanksgiving Holiday in or near the area for the following gathering. This year T-Council happened in the consensed upon region. This is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2011 gathering. If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps.
Thanksgiving Council took place in Virginia over the 4-day holiday. A set of notes are posted
here.
Scout Council(s) or Scout Rendezvous
T-Council picked dates for one or two Scout Councils. The locations were announced one or two weeks before each date (here and all the usual places). 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.
The dates picked for 2012 are as follows:
- Scout Rendezvous Phone Calls - April 18. If you don't have the call in information, call (904)274-2012.
- Scout Rendezvous - Scout Rendezvous Monday April 9th at the site of the Piedmont Regional Gathering. Call (770) 662-6112 for directions. Note - this is a one day rendezvous. After April 9, people will be out scouting and on the move.
- Other calls are happening from time to time. Check the upper right hand corner of the blog.
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 site. T-Council picks a date for Spring Council but the exact location for this council generally isn't determined until one to two weeks before Spring Council starts.
T-Council determined that Spring Council will start on June 2 and continue to approximately June 9 (or a few days later).
Until Spring Council reaches a decision, there is no location for the gathering. I do not know how long after June 9 a site will be announced so check back after June 9.
Cranberry glade IS in black bear territory so be careful w/ your food stuff there.
Check back then. Often, but not always, the Spring Council location is within 100 miles of where the gathering ends up. Although this year it's seeming like it might be further, but only time will tell. I will post the directions as soon as I get to the bottom of a bunch of stuff. You can also call the lightlines listed on the right hand side of this blog. I know one of the goals for this year's Spring Council is for people in attendance to go look at the sites under consideration.
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. People are out scouting (see above) and could use help if you want to plug in.
Keep in mind that weather
conditions (which are unpredictable) play a part in all of this. So
let's say someone found a great site in September 2011 (and I have no
knowledge that anyone did), for all we know come the first week of June
that site is still under snow, then what? Keep in mind that 4 feet of
snow at a gathering is rough and last year Washington had far heavier
snow than normal and much later in the season than normal. Snow levels played a part in where we landed.
Drought and
high fire danger can have the same effect. A great site that was nice
and wet in August 2011 can be dry as a tinder box in June 2012. 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 gathering.
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.
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 the rougher things with the Forest Service are. 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.
Until spring council reaches a decision, there is no answer to the question "where will the gathering be?"
Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!
Live lightly with the Land and People!
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