Where in the Appalachian Bioregion are we going?

Where in the Appalachian Bioregion are we going? The consensus was for the White Mountain National Forest (in the Northeast), or the Appalachian states of Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Georgia. Spring Council selected a site in North Eastern Tennessee.

If you're not familiar with the gauntlet on the road into the gathering, and want to avoid a mandatory court appearance ticket click here.

For the Howdy Folks and directions to the gathering, click here. For the United States Forest Service Incident Command website with groovy maps and updates, click here.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Where will the gathering be in 2012?

(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!
Please Copy and Distribute This Information Widely

23 comments:

  1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Please state in this notice the importance of the Peace silence of the 4th of July being ended with a communal OM of all the family gathered together. This OM is a sign of unity of body, mind, spirit and soul of the entire family and is the essential part and focal point of the entire Gathering,

    ReplyDelete
  3. I'm in NC where the gathering was in '86, I believe. I am now retired and have been clean almost 15 years. I have a new car and would like to do some traveling this summer. I may be interested in taking part in the Seed Council when it happens. Please feel free to contact me when the council is about to begin.
    Peace, Danny

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Danny, I think you might mean the one in 87? I have never been, but my cousin Tree is a long time family member. She's invited me several times, but up until this year I had other obligations. I'm just down the road from you I think. (Also toxin free.) Maybe I will see you there. Peace. ~Cat I found this link to the 87 gathering http://www.welcomehome.org/rainbow/graphics/nc87/nc87.html

      Delete
    2. Hi, Danny. appreciate your interest and folks have to take the initiative to get dates and stuff themselves. You come to Rainbow and Rainbow is open, but does not come to you. :)

      Delete
    3. Hello Danny I am Popeye. I was at the 87 gathering and it was a nice location except the (out of control cops) and a kitchen that refused to properly sanitize cooking equipment.I hope the location to be has more access roads for calm and others because in 87 some of the local cops (not the FS) dropped trees over the roads and were being Idiots.

      Delete
    4. nc was my 1st gathering it was 87 ..a mud pit everyone got sick but oh what a blast that was

      Delete
  4. Sat Nam- would anyone know where Spring council & when exactly, is. & any contacts for seed campers for Palenque networking is very important now too ~ thank you, Tushe Che, Namaste, Sat Nam ~ Waheguru Singh - whiterabbitdownahole@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. spring council will convene on june 2nd, then will take a few days to review sites before reconvening. The location can't be determined until scouts have looked at some potential sites and determined the approximate region of the gathering.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. To everyone wanting information,

      I keep this blog updated with all relevant information. Please check back from time to time or subscribe to it by entering your email address in the box labeled "Get posts emailed to you directly!"

      Delete
  6. ever since 1994 taos new mexico i been longing for another gathering. so many things are falling into place i was drawn to look into it again.can't wait to welcome home.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I am currently hiking the A.T. and will be available after 5-23-12 to go to the white mountains to live and begin work on the gathering for this year. I have never been to a gathering but have been living off the earth for the past several months along the A.T. I was told this gathering is a place i am needed and need. please contact 4107768403. thx. -Rabbit

    ReplyDelete
  8. "Seed Camp is about creating trails, building kitchens, digging shitters, taping springs and dealing with the United States Forest Service."

    Stay the hell out of the WMNF. We have trails, and don't need you building kitchens and digging shitters in our hills.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Amen to that. When can i send a check to the USFS as a donation to increase law enforcement during that week? Take your shit with you and leave our trees alone. There is NO spot in the WMNF that is large enough for you to possibly have his many people gather without drastically harming the land for years most likely completely closing down that area for quite a while for those of us that actually appreciate the wilderness and abide by the rules. Keep your gathering <100 people, and by all means come on up and enjoy. It is nice up here. 1000s or 10s of 1000s of people, stay the hell out.

      Delete
    2. Since no-one owns the "rainbow gathering" I can't speak for all gatherings, but the Annual Gathering of the Tribes doesn't take place in designated wilderness areas by popular consensus among gatherers. If there is not spot large enough for 10,000 folks then not to worry, we won't be there. I'm not personally plugged into this year's scouting efforts, so can't speak to anything specific. Much love, Karin

      Delete
    3. like you take such good care of the towns and cities? trails resseed themselves pavements are permenant you canj talk all you want about presserving nature but you live in a house you surround yourself in cement and steel you drive a car pumping out polution and throw your trash on the ground..who are you to tell us where we can and cant f]go? when you dont take care of the land you claim to own

      Delete
    4. You guys were just "here" in Cherokee National Forest in Eastern Tennessee. Who invited you to come here and leave PILES of trash bigger than my vehicle? Who invited you to come here and sit in the middle of a public road and smoke pot? Who invited you to come here and trample our wildflowers while THOUSANDS of you succumbed to the call of nature wherever you could? How would you like it if I came to YOUR back yard to relieve myself after eating 4 pounds of granola??? I didn't believe the stories I had heard, I didn't believe that humans could act the way I had heard . . . I drove through your "city" yesterday and I literally gagged. I've been here my whole life, my family has been here for almost 250 years and THIS is what you brought. Please DO NOT come back if this is all you can offer!

      Delete
  9. A National with under 100 people is unrealistic and will never be that low of a number.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I need to know where to head out to I'm coming from Wi.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Most essential is to pay attention, avoid being judgmental and endeavor to demonstrate kindness in word and deed. IT WON'T BE ANNOUNCED UNTIL AROUND JUNE 15. Patience.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Just got word from concluded spring council, this year's annual
    gathering to be held in Cherokee National Forest. The site is East of
    South Holston Lake between the lake and Holston Mountain in the NE
    corner of TN. N 36.50175 W 82.04347

    ReplyDelete
  13. I live in the area this gathering was held. South Holston Lake which was pretty much pristine is now contaminated with fecal matter. THEY ARE NOT WELCOME HERE EVER AGAIN AS FAR AS I AM CONCERNED!!!! I spent time and money cleaning up my part of the forest only to have it contaminated worse not far from me. THEY BETTER NOT RETURN!!!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. a large percentage of excellent environment historical past post ever before http://freeonlinecasinogamesx.webs.com online casino

    ReplyDelete