Rides for the national

[Exodus's Loki]

hey does anyone know where abouts the date is for the opening of nationals, and beyond that does anyone know how i can get a hold of a ride to get there, i hitched from ohio to florida and back but hitching thru wv makes me kinda scared, i'm a 6'5 gay goth hippie, people just don't understand me and that makes them angry so instead of getting my head blown off by some scary hairy redneck i'd much rather help pay fro gas and sit in the back with the kids lol

thanx loki

[WanderingturnupII]

As I am boycotting both KindRideShare,net and .org, mostly because I never can remember which one is the Evil Twin, I'll refer you to http://www.digihitch.com/

[Amanda's Shadow]

can someone tell me where and what nationals are? i am SO interested!

[WanderingturnupII]

Hi, Mandy! Welcome Home! Virginia/West Virginia, somewhere on that ridgeline. Nobody don't know nothin' right now, but follow this Forum, and other Rainbow Sources, and me, or somebody else, will post specifics as soon as somebody knows something. We are, after all, a Disorginization of Non-Members. Ignore All Rumors of Organiziation, Regardless of the Source.

[Exodus's Loki]

^_^

[Peasento]

I don't think I really understand the Rainbow Gatherings yet. How do thousands of people know where to go and when to be there if no one organizes anything? It is thousands, right? And what are the Rainbow Tribes or whateva and are they something like a lifestyle for the people in them? I think I need to just go to one and experience it. But only after some questions are answered!

[sodabandito]

Yeah, like where & when do I show up?;)

[gypsyd]

hey anybody out there can tell me if the az regionals are in page az and how I can find out how to get there?I'm in st. george utah and need a ride or will take the bus.

[yonosoymedico]

uhm yes. i would say youd have to go to a gathering to experience it..but you can read stuff online. just look up the un-official rainbow sites...
but personally i would recommend goin to a gathering outside of the US, before making too much of an opinion.... by all means, go to gatherings in the states...but try to travel around a bit and get to see the big picture.
lovin'light
Adam

[mungojelly]

"How do thousands of people know where to go and when to be there if no one organizes anything?"

Magic!

No but seriously, who told you no one organizes anything?? Gatherings are a lot of work! What you probably misheard was someone saying that no one's in charge. Another way of saying that is that everyone's in charge. A little clearer?

The general location of the next year's national is chosen near the end of the national by consensus-- the agreement of all-- at a circle called the Vision Council. It takes a long time, it's a lot of work, & it doesn't usually go that smoothly at all-- lots of emotions get raised-- but it does happen. Last year the consensus was for the "Mid-Atlantic Bioregion," & so mote it be.

After that comes Thanksgiving Council, round thanksgiving, & then in a month or so from right now will be Spring Council. These are events open to all peaceful people, & they have no authority to command anything, except that there are lots of people who are going to voluntarily go where they suggest.

Spring Council's job is to choose a site for this year's gathering. Once the site is chosen, a smallish group of people will go there to start getting ready-- this is known as Seed Camp. (You're welcome beyond welcome at Seed Camp, just please be advised that you may need to feed & even water yourself until things get set up.) No one is in charge of Seed Camp; it just happens. Councils (some call them "counsels," since they have no power to tell anyone what to do) happen: A feather is passed, who has it speaks & all else listen, consensus is sought.

The vast majority of people who go to gatherings have "day jobs"; they're not full-time rainbows. I'm writing this from my comfy chair in my own apartment. There are however people who make rainbow a lifestyle-- following gatherings around the country (or the world), hitching from one to the next. There are so many gatherings these days (regional & world gatherings as well as the national) that it's possible to jump from one to the next & spend hardly any time in Babylon inbetween. A lot of people on the "rainbow trail" go to other things too though-- festivals, concerts, hempfests, just bumming around cool cities, staying with friends, etc.

(One more note on rainbows' day jobs: some of the people cooking at rainbow kitchens are in their normal lives professional chefs. You can eat better for free in the woods than you do at home, if you know where to look!)

There is no one in charge of Rainbow. It is most certainly not a cult. It's way too disorderly & diverse & free to be a cult!! OTOH there are certainly cults that attend gatherings. The Hare Krishnas come, the 12 tribes, & probably others. There are also many mainstream religions represented. In fact I would dare to say that ALL religions are represented. So come with a mind open to the mysteries of the cosmos, but, ah, not TOO open. ;)

Most important thing to know: WE LOVE YOU. Welcome home. This is for real. We are building a new world, weaving it out of vision & love. This is not a paid endorsement. There is no Rainbow Family Inc. I'm just a regular old person like you, who heard about this funky "rainbow gathering" thing & went out into the woods & had myself a time & now I'm strutting around like I own the place. I can do that & ain't no one can stop me because Rainbow belongs to no one and that means

RAINBOW IS EVERYONE!

<3

[Daniel4-2-0]

BRAVO!!!!! Well done! I could not explain how i see it any better than you have!
Loving You!

Daniel

[measa420]

mungojelly~~~i have to say for a
quick run down that was put
very well all that are askin bout
rainbow need to read it cause with
out sayin to much thats what it is

very well done

love and light

all my blessin

[Barefoot Angel]

Wow, I definatly couldn't have explained it that well. As for reading about it-- reading doesn't do justice. You need to experience it to fully understand it.

[yonosoymedico]

AMen
thIs bOdy has a belly bUttOn, dOes that One?
cOme jOIn the cIrcle Of lIght
spreadIng THE lOve
I=O=U

I have one Question, has there been any work to get rid of the A camp? is a legitamate concern? and does it only exist in the united states of north america? much appreciations and blessings
nAMaste, I respect the place in You where We Are One
AdAM

[Gr8fulyDeadicated]

AMen
thIs bOdy has a belly bUttOn, dOes that One?
cOme jOIn the cIrcle Of lIght
spreadIng THE lOve
I=O=U

I have one Question, has there been any work to get rid of the A camp?
AdAM
yes, we will hold them down and remove their bellybuttons, they are not deserving of our love. they are henceforth outcast, the unclean.

[WanderingturnupII]

And the Score is A-Camp 7, Yono 0.

[measa420]

hhhhhhhhhaaaaaaaaaa

a camp going somewhere

doubt it

a-camp are the pitbulls of

the gathering

but ill be sure to let

a-camp no you would like

to get rid of them

so have fun gettin
through front gate

[mungojelly]

There are certainly attempts to get rid of A-Camp. Some people dislike A-Camp very much. These attempts will always be unsuccessful, however. They made an amendment to the US Constitution once upon a time, if you'll remember, & even that didn't stop the juice from flowing. If the US government couldn't stop it with their guns & tanks & midnight raids, what makes you think some peaceful hippies could stop it by asking nice (or even by being rude)?

What's been done about the Alcohol Problem at rainbow is to attempt to contain it. A-Camp is the result of these attempts. It's an imperfect solution, but it does help; the fact that there exists an A-Camp means that you can come to the rest of the gathering & encounter much less alcohol energy than otherwise, than other kinds of gatherings & festivals, or even than society at large (though not, unfortunately, none at all).

There are ways that the present situation could be improved, absolutely. It's everyone's job to come up with those ways, & peacefully put them into practice. "Moving" A-Camp to a different location is often proposed as a solution, but I think that it's both impractical & contrary to our shared ideals of freedom & peace & cooperation. A-Camp wants to be near the alcohol, alcohol comes from Babylon, so A-Camp wants to be near the gate, & that's just not going to change.

I think a better approach to the problem-- & by "the problem" I mean the fact that A-Camp is a "gauntlet" & a disruption to the process of making people (especially 1st time gatherers) feel welcome & at home as they enter the gathering-- is to counterbalance their energy with a strong welcoming presence of helpful nondrunk people. IOW, a healthy front gate movie should be able to survive a couple drunks & still let people know for sure they've entered paradise. Anyone can help make this vision a reality by volunteering at front gate, either by helping with established rituals & proceedures or by inventing their own ways to create warm welcome.

Also, a note to those who've never been: A-Camp isn't as bad as it sounds. When we say that it's a "gauntlet" & so forth, it doesn't mean that anyone's in any actual danger. It means there are a few drunk people. They party; they play loud stereos. They'll ask you if you have alcohol, or money for alcohol, but they're not going to hurt you if you say no. They're not bad people; they're just a little drunk & a little rude. We talk about them as an issue so much not because they're really such a terrible terrible problem; it's just that we want to put our best foot forward & be welcoming & someone saying "hey you got any beer???" isn't what most of rainbow is about.

Also please do your best to arrive during the day. The earlier in the day you arrive, the less drunks there will be & the more helpful people there will be. (Also it's very hard to find your way into the gathering & down the trails & find a good camping spot in the dark.)

<3

[Gr8fulyDeadicated]

thanks mungojelly - sorry to be startin crap, but i love quite a few a-campers, good people can be found there too.

excellent advice on coming early in the day, a-camp can be quite serene in the morning, they can even play a mean game of chess if you get there early enough :) by nightfall (or therebouts) i agree it's not the place for the faint hearted

[yonosoymedico]

Yeah, I wasn't suggesting that I knew anything about A-campers, just that I've had some friends who have opinions after hoppin off the rainbow trail...
Regardless, Does anyone know about Acamps outside of the Us..that was my main point... cause I doubt they even exist elsewhere...
Love and Light in Oneness,
adam

[hippiehillbilly]

no,alchoholics are only found in the united states and nowhere else in the world..

so therefore without those pesky alchoholics with belly buttons there couldnt be a a camp anywhere else but the god forsaken united states...

[Gr8fulyDeadicated]

^^^^ hahahaaa! you always crack me up :)

i beg to differ a LITTLE with you though, alchoholics go to meetings, i don't see any meetings going on in a-camp... that would be aa-camp :D

[hippiehillbilly]

I dunno man,, ive seen some pretty involved discussions goin on in a camp,,although i must admit ive never seen one start with,

"hello my names (name edited out of fear of reprisal from a A camper or 6) and im a alchoholic".. ;)

I better stop there before i wind up with a ass whoopin...

[Daniel4-2-0]

ROFL agreed! It's A camp not AA Camp.. And they do have involved discussions and are great ppl when not drunk...

Loving you

Daniel

[measa420]

ROFL agreed! It's A camp not AA Camp.. And they do have involved discussions and are great ppl when not drunk...

Loving you

Daniel

are you an a-camp member

cause im sure i meet the qualifications

of one

but believe me im not

[sodabandito]

this was actually supposed to be about rides, wasn't it...
But thanks for the insight on alchohol....like any drug, it's meant to be enjoyed in moderation...I'm pretty sure that anyone who overindulges in anything becomes an ass.;)