The tribes gather
Aug. 8th, 2006 09:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreaminghopeI suppose it started with Cora. As the Friday set-up of the biggest event of my Pagan year proceeded magically smoothly, Cora wandered up the path to the Temple where I was contemplating the lights that had to be strung back down the path.
It was her first year at the Gathering for Life on Earth. It was her first experience with the Pagan community. She was there alone. She was completely my opposite in all those things. I decided to play "adopt a newbie", and get some help with my lighting task at the same time. Cora, Jeff, and I strung lights for half an hour or so. When we were done, I think Cora was relieved to be dragged around the site and used in our opening ritual rehearsal. It can be hard to be new in such a tight-knit community.
This was my eleventh Gathering. I've gone every year since I was seventeen and had to have my parents sign a consent form. I'm definitely an old-timer in that little community; we could only think of three or four people who've been going as long and as consistently as I have. This year, I felt all those years as I guided Cora around and kept having reasons to tell stories about past Gatherings.
"At my first Gathering, I decided to take advantage of the clothing-optional option. I was laying on the docks feeling very brave because I was topless. Then Jay walks up. Jay's much older then I, male, overweight, and completely naked. Jay decides to make me feel welcome in the community with a little conversation. Now, picture this carefully: I’m laying down, propped up on my elbows. He is standing. It felt like the longest conversation I'd ever had."
"Let me tell you about why they don't have divided Men's and Women's Mysteries anymore. At my first Gathering, the women finished their ritual on time. They went to the fire pit and started the chant that was supposed to call the men down from their ritual. And we chanted and drummed, and drummed and chanted: Pan, Odin, Baphomet, Cerrnunos, Osiris. After twenty minutes, we moved closer to the men’s area to try to get their attention. And we chanted and drummed, and drummed and chanted: Pan, Odin, where are the men? Where are the me-e-e-en?. It was about forty-five minutes of constant chanting. And that's when they stopped doing the Mysteries."
It was my favourite Gathering so far, and I was deeply honoured to share with Cora and some new folks from my own Tribe the kinds of moments that were highlights for me in past years.
We did the opening ritual. I'd run one opening ritual before, in my third year. My tribe did me proud this year too. The lines were loud and clear. The drumming was energetic. That magic happened: as the spirals of people coiled around each other, the chant spontaneously became a call and response that echoed through the field: All life! / One tribe!
Around the campfire, the drummers were going, and we chanted (we all come from the Goddess, and to Her we shall return; like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean…) as![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
misselaineeous danced topless, firelight and moonlight. She was a beautiful Goddess, with the fire before her, the lake behind her, and the drum and the chant moving through it all.
I partied in the forest, in our Grotto. I sang with James to The Last Saskatchewan Pirate and kicked up dust doing kicks to the chorus. I taught Cora how to dance with her hips. I drank of Deb's strawberry vodka, which is simply the most heavenly beverage ever. I served out tequila shots.
I floated naked in the lake, watching dragonflies and damselflies chase and mate in the sun.
I listened while the elders of my community gossiped. Prudence calls the famous Starhawk "Mimi". She also knows the dirtiest, filthiest songs, and is very willing to sing them in exchange for sangria. And she reportedly knows 350 verses to That Old Time Religion, though she only sang about a dozen before we ran out of sangria to bribe her with.
We've watched Ryan grow from a bump to a very sweet and bright seven year old.xtalforge gave him a piggyback ride, after Ryan stole his sunglasses. As they trotted back across the field to us, Ryan let go to push the huge sunglasses up his little face. xtalforge said: "You should hang on! I'm not very reliable." For some reason, that struck edableme as so funny that she ended up spitting lemonade all over the people opposite her at the table.
I got to see wonderful people I see all-too-rarely outside of the Gathering, such asgerimaple. And I got to hang with my fellow Twinkies – we had t-shirts and everything!
I wish to publically thank my wonderful opening ritual participants, most of whom who also slaved away to load and unload the truck at both ends of the Gathering, and did more then their share of set-up and take-down:xtalforge, misselaineeous, cinnamonsqueak, bob_lazar, edableme, fruitkakechevy, grayson100, grinningthefool, rythos42, straw_berry_red, tareija, vcooke, paganjoy, Jeff, and Jamie.
I give up: there's no way to effectively summarize this magical weekend.
It was beautiful.
It was her first year at the Gathering for Life on Earth. It was her first experience with the Pagan community. She was there alone. She was completely my opposite in all those things. I decided to play "adopt a newbie", and get some help with my lighting task at the same time. Cora, Jeff, and I strung lights for half an hour or so. When we were done, I think Cora was relieved to be dragged around the site and used in our opening ritual rehearsal. It can be hard to be new in such a tight-knit community.
This was my eleventh Gathering. I've gone every year since I was seventeen and had to have my parents sign a consent form. I'm definitely an old-timer in that little community; we could only think of three or four people who've been going as long and as consistently as I have. This year, I felt all those years as I guided Cora around and kept having reasons to tell stories about past Gatherings.
"At my first Gathering, I decided to take advantage of the clothing-optional option. I was laying on the docks feeling very brave because I was topless. Then Jay walks up. Jay's much older then I, male, overweight, and completely naked. Jay decides to make me feel welcome in the community with a little conversation. Now, picture this carefully: I’m laying down, propped up on my elbows. He is standing. It felt like the longest conversation I'd ever had."
"Let me tell you about why they don't have divided Men's and Women's Mysteries anymore. At my first Gathering, the women finished their ritual on time. They went to the fire pit and started the chant that was supposed to call the men down from their ritual. And we chanted and drummed, and drummed and chanted: Pan, Odin, Baphomet, Cerrnunos, Osiris. After twenty minutes, we moved closer to the men’s area to try to get their attention. And we chanted and drummed, and drummed and chanted: Pan, Odin, where are the men? Where are the me-e-e-en?. It was about forty-five minutes of constant chanting. And that's when they stopped doing the Mysteries."
It was my favourite Gathering so far, and I was deeply honoured to share with Cora and some new folks from my own Tribe the kinds of moments that were highlights for me in past years.
We did the opening ritual. I'd run one opening ritual before, in my third year. My tribe did me proud this year too. The lines were loud and clear. The drumming was energetic. That magic happened: as the spirals of people coiled around each other, the chant spontaneously became a call and response that echoed through the field: All life! / One tribe!
Around the campfire, the drummers were going, and we chanted (we all come from the Goddess, and to Her we shall return; like a drop of rain, flowing to the ocean…) as
misselaineeous danced topless, firelight and moonlight. She was a beautiful Goddess, with the fire before her, the lake behind her, and the drum and the chant moving through it all. I partied in the forest, in our Grotto. I sang with James to The Last Saskatchewan Pirate and kicked up dust doing kicks to the chorus. I taught Cora how to dance with her hips. I drank of Deb's strawberry vodka, which is simply the most heavenly beverage ever. I served out tequila shots.
I floated naked in the lake, watching dragonflies and damselflies chase and mate in the sun.
I listened while the elders of my community gossiped. Prudence calls the famous Starhawk "Mimi". She also knows the dirtiest, filthiest songs, and is very willing to sing them in exchange for sangria. And she reportedly knows 350 verses to That Old Time Religion, though she only sang about a dozen before we ran out of sangria to bribe her with.
We've watched Ryan grow from a bump to a very sweet and bright seven year old.
xtalforge gave him a piggyback ride, after Ryan stole his sunglasses. As they trotted back across the field to us, Ryan let go to push the huge sunglasses up his little face. xtalforge said: "You should hang on! I'm not very reliable." For some reason, that struck edableme as so funny that she ended up spitting lemonade all over the people opposite her at the table. I got to see wonderful people I see all-too-rarely outside of the Gathering, such as
gerimaple. And I got to hang with my fellow Twinkies – we had t-shirts and everything!I wish to publically thank my wonderful opening ritual participants, most of whom who also slaved away to load and unload the truck at both ends of the Gathering, and did more then their share of set-up and take-down:
xtalforge, misselaineeous, cinnamonsqueak, bob_lazar, edableme, fruitkakechevy, grayson100, grinningthefool, rythos42, straw_berry_red, tareija, vcooke, paganjoy, Jeff, and Jamie. I give up: there's no way to effectively summarize this magical weekend.
It was beautiful.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2006-08-09 03:00 pm (UTC)Glad you had a great weekend.
Lisa
x
no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 01:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 11:37 am (UTC)Lisa
x
no subject
Date: 2006-08-09 03:06 pm (UTC)Certainly sounds like a unique experience. I think it's great that you sort of took the newbie, Cora under your wing. I know how difficult it is to enter a new situation where everybody knows everyone and I'm alone. It's amazing how little it takes to make one feel welcome yet how infrequently people make the effort to do it.
Hope you have just as much fun at your next Gathering.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 01:17 am (UTC)I remember my first year so well that I definitely sympathize with those showing up for the first time. Like Cora, I was meeting fellow Pagans for the first time. It was overwhelming and crazy, and I was pleased to be able to help someone else out.
no subject
Date: 2006-08-09 06:48 pm (UTC)http://www.paganpath.com/cgi-bin/wit/ikonboard.cgi?s=ce8dc0213ac3910148fac2ac8d34acf7;act=ST;f=25;t=315
http://library.thinkquest.org/28111/the.htm
no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 01:19 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-09 06:54 pm (UTC)~hugs
no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 01:20 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 07:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 01:21 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 04:39 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-08-10 09:35 am (UTC)And as they say "better out than in!"