2020 Rainbow National Gathering in Idaho

So it's going to be somewhere in Idaho, follow this blog for updates:

Idaho 2020 Rainbow Gathering: Vision Counsel/Council Consensus

 

Thats great news, beautiful area. Im sure Useless will be very busy. Missin you guys!

 

When I think of Idaho, I think of right wing hate groups: Christian Identity groups like the American Promise Ministry out of Sandpoint, the Neo-Nazi Aryan Nation around Boise, the militia-style Oath keepers in Bonner County, the Northwest Hammerskis (Skinheads), the anti-Muslim American Guard and G 416, and many more. Idaho ranks with Montana and South Dakota as one of three states with the most hate groups per capita. These folks are armed, dangerous, and nuts. Good luck!

 

Hate Map

 

We know about the Forest Service Police . Very few regions are friendly to hippies in the woods .

 

Very few regions are friendly to any large gathering, no matter how peaceful, that doesn't have leaders they can drag into court and throw in jail. Peace is never on the court's agenda.

 

I've never been to a rainbow gathering. What's it like?

I've always been scared of it tbh. It's usually in a remote location, right? I have some friends that are into that sort of thing. They go to Slab City, California - Wikipedia.

 

There are region, national, and international gatherings around the world which are all organized and decided upon by tradition, without any leaders. Nobody wanted leaders, so we decided to organize without them, and it makes it impossible for them to embarrass us or be thrown into prison without the rest of us. Since national gatherings used to get as large as 30,000 people, its a little difficult to throw them all in jail. Our traditions include no recorded music, no money transactions, only barter trade, and we have ways of policing ourselves peacefully that are best experienced first hand, because violence is downright taboo, and you will be escorted away from the gathering and not allowed back. Alcohol used to be banned by tradition, because it is widely recognized among us as a violent drug, involved in most violent crimes and auto fatalities. However, the gathering finally decided to allow one alcohol camp, at the end of the trail where nobody has to go if they don't want to, because many alcoholics were just drinking in their tents, and we'd rather they stay at the end of the trail if they get obnoxious. At least, that's my opinion.

The gatherings aren't what they used to be, but you will find people from a number of communes and intentional communities who are regulars. They are a great place to start to get a feel for alternative lifestyles, and I've heard the SCA, society for creative anachronism, is a great alternative for people who have government security clearances, who must avoid our gatherings, or risk losing their clearance. However, unlike the Rainbow, they charge at the gate, while even street people and busnicks are always welcome at any gathering, and we will feed them and get them high. Mostly hippies running around the woods half naked or better, dancing in the moonlight to drum circles and playing acoustic guitars. We have a stage now with amplified music, but only for putting on shows.

 

The only things to be scared of are the Forest Service and the locals. Somebody described the Rainbow Family as the best non-organization I've ever been a non-member of. That about sums it up. As wikipedia puts it, "Rainbow Gatherings are temporary, loosely knit communities of people, who congregate annually in remote forests around the world for one or more weeks at a time with the stated intention of living a shared ideology of peace, harmony, freedom, and respect .. en.wikipedia.org One might quibble with the word "ideology" since that may suggest some kind of systematic body of doctrine. Shared values might be a better way of putting it, and everybody is welcome regardless of what beliefs and values they hold. Superficially , it's something like Woodstock, only not oriented toward entertainers. It was originally held in response to the Kent State killings during the Vietnam war era, and was centered on a prayer for world peace. On the Fourth of July, tens of thousands of gatherers join hands in the Ohm to pray for peace and celebrate their interdependence. The silence is broken when a noisy group of children reach the center of the circle, and people break into celebration. Yes, it's in a remote location in a national Forest, and there's always a go around with the Forest Service about signing a permit for the gathering, without which it's illegal, leaving it to the Forest Service to decide how to proceed if the permit isn't signed and people show up.

Woolee mentioned SCA as an alternative, but I've been involved with both and see little resemblance, except that fantasy events aimed at reliving the Middle Ages are an escape from conventional pursuits. The Rainbow Gatherings aren't role play. You're quite an idealist and mentioned you've had a history of schizophrenia, so I'd recommend you really get yourself grounded before going to a gathering, lest you be swept away by irrational exuberance. I know I'll be in big trouble for that remark, so I'll quit and prepare to take my lumps.

 

I think of like cults, Charles Manson, Jim Jones, all that shit when I think of it. I don't why, but I'm super paranoid.

I guess I just feel like other people's misconceptions of what a like-minded culture is all about leave ample room for error. I guess I just am not trusting enough for that sort of thing.

EDIT: The above makes no sense, but my point was that I'm paranoid about it, being that it's in the wilderness away from the relative security of my home, and that I don't trust the intentions of other people. lol sorry for the lame post above

 

I think you're being rational, which is a good thing! Quite a variety of groups show up at the gatherings, and you should be cautious there as you would anywhere else. The Krishnas , for example, are always there, they are a cult, and they've been accused from time to time of pressuring vulnerable gatherers. But you wouldn't have to go near them. My own experiences have been positive, but I'm cautious and on my toes.

 

I've only been told that the SCA is a place where people with government clearances can keep in touch with alternative lifestyles. It makes sense, considering that the venders in particular at such events tend to live alternative lifestyles and often attend Rainbow Gatherings. The government mostly just pays attention to what events they might attend, not every person they talk to. Its sad but, then, the billionaire mayor of NYC arrested 26 reporters in one day, and Donald Duck keeps insisting the justice department and congress are all liars, and he should be declared emperor of the world. I'd say better safe than sorry.

If anybody knows of a better place for them to go, please, make a suggestion.

 

Yeah, I can see that extensive involvement with the Rainbow family could be a problem in getting a government clearance. I understand there have been SCA events on aircraft carriers, so it apparently doesn't carry a stigma. But to me it's just like playing civil war dress up games. It doesn't go very far into actual alternative lifestyles and values.

 

The military is not doing much better than the rest of the country, and is still struggling with old issues including rape and racial tensions. The more crazy things get in DC, the worse it is for anyone working for the government, because Donald Duck gives way too many assholes too much encouragement. He's just got to go ASAP before he totally trashes the country and incites a civil war. I'm a military brat and, for all its flaws, every country must have a military or someone else's to protect them. If it has to be civil war, Donald Duck and the Libertarian party may both be labeled terrorists.

People are used to the whole country bending over backwards for Libertarians, but they have broken the back of the entire country and ruined our economy twice in a row now. That's what the South did, before attacking the north. They made one outrageous demand after another, then thought they could easily bully the north into allowing them to secede. They've gone way over the fucking line, and neither congress nor the justice department can tolerate that kind of threat any longer. The majority of Americans know it too, and are talking about it right this moment, and posting every single absurd demand the man has made, because they are preparing for war. He is insane people, any doubt of that is gone, as is any doubt the people backing him would still support him if he starting killing babies live on camera.

Without a congress or a judicial system that can stop him, we have no government, while the white supremacists will likely resort to terrorist tactics, but our next democratic president is sure to put Homeland Security to work giving them all a prostate examine. You can bet it will be very public too. Film at 11:00 on Fox. Either the republican party implodes, or we lose it all. And, either way, Donald Duck leaving office is not the end of what he represents, and we no longer have even the pretense of a two party system. Fox News turning against the man when he is still popular, is their way of saying the republican party needs to get its shit together.

From what little I know of their membership, its not terribly hopeful. They made their bed, but that also means we don't have two functional parties.

 

The next step in the process of landing on a site is always the fall get-together. This year Harvest Counsel (formally known as Thanksgiving Council/Circle or Fall Counsel/Council/Circle) will take place from October 24th to October 27th, 2019 . This is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2020 gathering. If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps.

 

The fall council was in or near Boise . Some attention was given to re-organizing banking council . The scouts
will meet in the spring as usual . The forests of Idaho are lovely . I plan to be there . Look for First Earth kitchen -
coffee , biscuits and playing together at the wheel of First Language .

 

Idaho is cool. I remember coming to a gathering years ago in Idaho from Aussie. There are heaps of natural hot springs and the peeps at the gatherings are always sweet. Might make an effort and get to this one and see who is still coming to Rainbow after all these years. Fun times!

 

Is this gathering still on? I know "ignore all rumors of cancellation", but COVID-19 is something new. Social distancing at a Rainbow Gathering seems like mission impossible. Let's hope the virus has been licked by then. Otherwise, the gatherers may get an even chillier reception than usual.

 

Spring Council will begin June 13 . The State of Idaho is forecasting large groups will be permitted at Gathering time - yet to be
determined though - a schedule for relaxing restrictions is in place .

Conference Calls log : insane informal family chat
Idahoish 2020 Rainbow Gathering: Conference Calls