Rainbow question

HANDING OUT chocolate? Handing out tobacco? What are we talking about? Being a fairy that runs around giving tobacco and chocolate away? That is quite different than telling someone to bring the things specifically to trade.

What...did they grow the tobacco specially organic and cure it themselves? Are they some master chocolatier bringing thier creations to trade? NO... we are talking about greedy people that stop off at some bulk stores and purchase boxes of candy bars and cartons of cigerettes... then prop themselves on thier bounty right in the middle of trading circle! (except for the sly trader that lays out only two candy bars like they are gold... and then looks around before wispering in your ear... I got as many bars as you need... wink wink) And they first thing they usually want is a drug trade! Then when business is not good enough for them.. they wander around trying to trade 2 candy bars for grams of pot treating them like they are gold, and turn down anyone that does not have what they want. But of course... they will always throw in that sales pitch of... I will sell you 4 bars for ten bucks... I really need gas money!....... TO GET TO THE STORE AND BUY MORE SMOKES AND CANDY BARS!

All you posters that disagree with what I said about candy and smokes... are right! I should be able to pull up to any damn gathering with a full on stocked little store in a bus. Everything from cotton candy and popcorn... to hot dogs and fountain drinks. A full on line of camping and trading goods. I wlll be sure to bring extra toilet paper to trade by the ply. Might as well throw in the 20 mexican blankets I bought for 1 dollar a peice....I should at least get back 20 times what I put into them... thats what gatherings are all about afterall! Fuck... I might as well bring in an extra bus that has its own full blown liqour store to trade off.... god only knows... its no different than candy and smokes!

So you can bring your cigerette copporation supporting asses to the gathering and spread some more cancer. Bring all your candy bars in support of whatever major coporation you choose to support! Keep commercializing the gathering however you see fit.

Funny how the a poster recommended others to go out of thier way to bring these things specifically to TRADE... yet all you folks jump in and start justifying it through saying that you bring these things to GIVE AWAY, defending his posting.

Last time I checked.... giving away is not TRADING AND BARTERING!

I'll be sure to remember to bring 24 cases of coca cola and 200 bags of chips to the next national. I am sure I can make hella trades of that! And... in support of all you smokers and candy eaters.... Ill stock up on 20 cartons of smokes and 50 boxes of hershey bars..... or would you guys prefer snickers? Hmmmm maybe I should only trade for those shiny little discs of metal and those pieces of paper with green ink on them... after all... they are just objects to be traded!

I am glad this shit is not an issue at the Canadian gatherings. Seems like people are more interested in gathering... than what they can bring to trade at the gathering!

Az

 

you need to take a bunch of huge deep breaths and try to relax. you are waaay too stressed out about absolutely nothing. I love chocolate. I am a super kind mama and peeps love me and i have a wonderful time lovin' them back.

Flashforward in time:
Absolutely Nothing??? Ok, this is where i go really wrong with poorphucker. it goes downhill fast from here. Note to self: don't disresect poorphucker ever, even kiddingly when you are being a silly....or suffer his wrath.
also, fyi
deleted my ganja joke, just too upsetting.

 

:H ps. my 15 year old daughter says "if he is so gddamned oppossed to corporations, why doesn't he go out into the forest and chisel his posts into a message board boulder? What does he think the thing he's TYPING at was produced by? Maybe microsoft? One of the most powerful companies on the planet? (Who I might add donates meelions of dollars to the poor that they're so supposedly offended by, and 'cannot bare to look' at. Kee-riste."

Flash forward again. Yes, i realized that was a *sassy* thing for Molly to say, but it sounded funny to us at the time. Sorry for seriously offending yu, we were just kidding around. sorry! Some of your views are great and insightful! Sorry brother! Hope you can forgive us someday.

 

Do people assume that another is "stressed out" because they speak an opinion?

Point? Not interested in any your "rainbow mattress" stories

I will make sure to let everyone through out the internet world know that there will be some person named otter at Ocala, that has lots of ganja and wants to trade for chocolate! What camp do I refer them too?

typical of a 15 yo to speak out about someone she has never met and knows nothing about. Is not fun is it? I can say, without knowing your 15 year old... I can honestly say she has not experienced as much as I have in my life. She should grow up some more and experience life a bit... before trying to be a bitch to others.

If you insist on wanting to attack me as an individual... and not what this topic is about... a discussion on chocolate and smokes being traded at a gathering... wander over to AGRO. I have not been there in awhile. I will start a thread named Dear Otter. There we can touch on your thoughts of me and your daughters. I will also have alot of other questions that I would like answers to from your hiholy self? Like your child's fixation on animals with human sexual organs!? Good parenting? Hate to know what goes on in your home!(in reference to your siggy... since you fancy criticizing siggys)

I am done with this thread

I will wait for a more intelligent one to come along.

Figures you are going to be at ocala..... don't forget your pen!

See you at agro cosmic sister bear
Az

 

poster above:my goodness, you are an angry person.


flash forward a few days, poorphucker, now i have read some of your other posts, to other hipforum members, i realized that you have done this massive attack on some other posters, not as ferociously as myself however, luckily for them. I acknowledge your passionate feelings about rainbow, but in the future, it doesn't have to errupt into a verbal assault. As i said, i am sorry about the n.word joke.

 

Aside from the occasional ranting Gathering Nazi, (who, apparently, can't even come to an american gathering cause the are illegally in canada hiding out,) most peeps are cool and kind with great senses of humor and lots of love that has nothing to do with matresses!

Flash forward a few days: there i go again being a smart ass. this is gonna come back to haunt me.

 

I haven't been to a gathering yet, but I am hoping to go to the national this summer. I am planning to bring some things to trade. I think it's a neat idea and a fun way to meet people. I love to have yard sales here at home for the same reason.

But I have to agree with that poor phucker -it must be sad to see the bartering reduced to commercialism. But isn't that ultimately what trade is all about. It's not what we trade, but how we do it. Poorphucker pointed out valid examples of the wrong way to go about it.

I want to tell you about a christmas gift I got from my mother this year. It was a pair of scissors. Nothing special, no heirloom or anything. She was probably at the drug store and saw some good scissors on sale and picked up a couple while she was at it. She calls her gifts like that, "just something to open." It's fun to open a gift. Well, it's not like I can't afford to buy myself a pair of sissors. Others will say "it's the thought that counts." But I disagree.
It's the work.

If I needed a pair of scissors, I would have to go out, get to a store, find the scissors, etc. etc. etc. She saved me a trip to the store.

Sure people at a gathering could stop what they're doing. Walk all the way to the parking lot. Drive to the nearest town and buy a candy-bar, then haul ass back to the gathering. Why not? Or they could trade a pinch of ganja for a candy-bar that somebody has all ready made the effort to bring. They aren't trading for the candy, they're rewarding the effort and forethought. Same with smokes. If people didn't want the candy, traders wouldn't make the effort to bring it, or it would end up all melted in their back pack at the end of a hot summers day. From what I understand there isn't alot in the way of sweets at the cafes at a gathering. And I've yet to meet a vegan that didn't have a sweet tooth.

I am an excellent baker, if I do say so myself. I was planning on baking cookies and bars, making some candies and packing them in 11oz coffee cans I have been saving. I figure that after the treats are eaten, the cans will be useful for something. I may make packets of hot coca too, no preservatives! Some of these I will share at camp but I was planning on trading too. I'm fine if some ppl don't want to talk to me or trade with me, but those who do will be lucky. (belive me, you'd rather eat my stuff than a snickers any day.)

I have also thought of making some sewing kits. They would be made of cloth and hand embroidered. I would be buying needles and thread and fabric and scissors to include in the kits. And probably using antique buttons from my collection. A sewing kit is something I think many folks would forget to bring but realize they have a need for. You might say I was taking advantage of a need. Or you could say I was trading forethought.

But I can't imagine I'll want to spend my whole day sitting on a trade blanket! or even do it every day. But it would be a kick one day. I may bring some velvet and denim and offer to patch jeans while I sit there to trade. I am good at applique too.

 

my first gathering i was supposed to go with one of my ratdog tour kids and ended up hitting a show before going to the gathering. he ended up jumping out of the ride and i went to the gathering with 2 people i knew for a day!!! it was fun! i met sum great family and my friend ended up showing up for a few days after i'd been there a week or so.

i think i got more out of the experience than if i had gone in with sumone i knew!

 

Aaaaaw poor phucker. I'm Canadian. I've never been to an American gathering or experienced A camp. Lucky I guess. I'm in the states now though. The west coast is really nice. Hugs sweetie. I hope you're not too mad.

 

I just went to a Rainbow Potluck, and we had a small trade circle. My disappointment, when all there was offered where cast-off video- tapes and other commercial items, things I could find at a Good-Will.

I brought my hand-made items, things of natural fibers and crystals, beads and original jewelry. Things that you can't find anywhere but made from a Rainbow....

Those are the things that are fun to trade. And practical items are fun to trade too!

But please, donate your caste-off to the Good-Will or give them away on Free-Cycle (dot) org.

Use your imagination and CREATE to GIVE/TRADE~ya hewwww :sunglasse

 

It's easy to get distracted by frustrations and inaccuracies, but i will try.

I still say; i rarely spend a moment on the trade blanket, and i have never missed out on any good thing at a gathering. In my life i get plenty of what the city has to offer. I can get candy, and cigs, and elecricity, at the store. Or at burning man. or anywhere else. I have air conditioning at my fingertips, and digital pics of beautiful things on my computer, and gas burning water heating, and razors for the girls that are over 15. And chainsaws, and pavement.
But if i want all of those things in the woods, why don't i just stay in the city?

It is hard to explain to those of you who have never experienced what i'm talking about by using words that you will just hear through your filters. But if you have never went 14 days without thinking of where you would eat, or when or if you would get a candy, or cig, or nug, then i can only say; i have tried it your way, will you try it mine?

There is, btw, plenty of candy at the kitchens at the gathering. It is brought by folks who intend to share it with everybody, regardless of whether they have tradegoods, or have worked, or are known. There is NOTHING that you need to trade for at the gathering, anything from cold beer to gold baubles to WHATEVER will be given for free by folks who realize that MORE IS COMING.

Let me tell all of you this to be clear. If you think that the gathering happens because anybody wants to trade, you have another think coming. The gathering is the product of thousand of folks GIVING. ! I feel to trade at the gathering, when you can trade anywhere and anytime in your life, is to not clearly see the gift of the people who TRADED NOTHING and gave everything freely. Without them the question of how to fill whos addiction is answered, drive to the corner and pay cash to 'the man'.

If you are not sure what i mean, i hope you will try to find out, by looking for what the gathering can give you that you can't get anywhere else.

namaste' #

 

namaste' brother rastapatch. i just have to tell you that i agree with you on the philosphy of giving at the gathering. The trading is done in the spirit of creativity, and just the lighthearted silliness of peeps bringing their little treasures and minerals and arrowheads or knittings or whatever it is they have been collecting up over the year. It is sooo not commercialized and it is a relief i know, to get free from all of the consumer crap we contend with daily in babylon.
Your post is feels written with a loving heart and you are totally right about the fact that the lesson of abundance is what we leave with, if our hearts are open to it. It can really have a huge impact on the senses to realize that our needs are met by the generosity of others in the family, and for a few sweet weeks, it's pure magick. I would never expect to have to actually trade for anything at a gathering, my comments were meant in total jest to make a point about sharing chocolate! It's funny how they get all twisted around! In the past gatherings, kids and peeps and everybody has been so kind to me, i am never without anything, and i can't wait to get to Ocala and just be in nature again.
lovin you'
otter

 

rastapatch,
You present a picture of the trade circle I have yet to see before this thread. I am unsure which of my filters I used to hear what you have to say. But you're right, there is nothing I would need to trade for. I had thought of that.

I don't know how I can explain this so that you might understand. Most of the reports I have read mention the trade circle. It seemed like the thing to do. I don't collect crystals for barter. I don't make drums or hemp bracelets. I have palmistry, story telling, sewing and baking. What I do have for trade, I would gladly offer for free.

Like I mentioned, It would be dreary to sit at a trade blanket everyday. There must be those who do it because they do need to enrich their material selves. Luckily, I don't.

Thanks. I have one less thing to plan and worry about.

 

You have nothing to plan or worry about.
You could walk out your door on the 28th of june in your short sleeves, and check which way was southwest by the sun, and stick out your thumb, and you would be at the gathering before sunrise on the third day. By then your life would be forever different. You would have met new folks with magic stories about giving freely. you would be fed, smoked, and rolled in chocolate.
Folks who think tradecircle is cool are not seeing how true, or truely rare and important that is. Frankly, the gathering would run just fine without it. For years there was little if any trade circle, now it sometimes looks like a flea market. I try to spend my time making the gathering better.
And by the way, there is plenty of trade to be done at the gathering in the spirit of love and giving, just not food, and not citygoods, and not at the trade circle. Just place your blanket at and corner, or in front of your camp, and trade away. Trading with strangers at the gathering is like; hmmm, well let's just say some things are better when done with friends in private.
I try to see the gathering as utopian as the visionaries that bring it to us do. Folks give their lifes work to make this utopian vision, and there are so many good parties in the world, why come to this utopian vision and not enjoy their work the way it was intended?
namaste' #

 

rasatapatch...thanks brother, (your name reflects your calming effects and wisdom.)

 

I don't understand. Why do you now suggest we trade? How is that done in the spirit of giving? I should set out a blanket to trade? Please explain.

 

To clarify ~ The National Gathering is not focused on trading. It's just one of the things that may/may not happen at any given moment. And sooo many things are going to happen!

My History ~ I've been only to 1 National (paonia, colorado) and 3 Regionals ~ all colorado. (I guess I don't travel much-hee hee)

I've yet to be at a trade circle at a National. But I have had some good trades, or have been gifted things. Just because.

But the knowledge that I do have ~ Rainbows are creative spirits, whether it's manifesting material creations, or manifesting spiritual creations, manifesting food creations, manifesting -- you fill in the blank!!

It's a giant experiment of Giving ~ and Receiving. Sometimes that hug is what a person needs, sometimes it's a crystal, sometimes is a sleeping bag.

Just be open.

I do know, a good story sometimes is just the right touch! I heard a good story at the TGC, called the Magic Bowl. Maybe some of you heard it?

Tarot readings and Palmistry are heavy pitchers for a good trade! I know I could use a good massage right now.

Let me say this~ one time at a gas station I stopped in, I happened to run into a Truckdriver hauling a load~ he saw me eyeing a Snickers bar. He said~ if I were you, I'd pass on it. I'm hauling a load of "protein" to the Snickers factory. Do you know what he said that protein was? White blood cells. He said that they separate cows' blood (by spinning it out) and use the white blood cells as an ingredient on the nougat of the snickers bar. EWWWWWWW! I believe it. Labeling laws allow this type of ingredient listing.

Never have touched a snickers since then, I don't care how long I've been in the woods. Yucky.

 

I don't mean to be difficult. This seems to have developed into a somewhat philosophical discussion on trading at a gathering, if not a dogmatic discussion. I know it's just one of many things that happen at a gathering. But I am interested at this point in learning more about this one thing.

I hear some folks suggesting trade, and others admonish it, and still others who's views are ambiguous.

I don't see how trade is part of a "giant experiment of Giving ~ and Receiving." Maybe I don't understand the context of the word, but I have always felt that Trade is not Giving, no matter what your spirit tells you.

Hypothetical situations:

If I were to drive to the gathering and my car stalled in the parking lot, I wouldnt' be surprised if someone would be there to help me. That person may even be a mechanic who works in a repair shop. Should I expect that that person would want some sort of trade for their services?

Now I might charge for my palmistry, I mean I have been paid money to do it at parties. But, I wouldn't think of setting up shop reading palms in order to make a great trade at the gathering.

What if that same mechanic were to repair an old beater and drive it to the gathering -would it be bad if he tried to trade it with somebody? I mean, if the only reason he brought the car to the gathering was in hopes of scoring a good trade. How is that different than somebody making and trading a hemp bracelet?

If I bring crystals to trade, I most likely didn't mine them myself. I bought them from a stone shop or dealer, or I am a dealer and bought them wholesale. How is that any different than buying a box of snickers candy bars to trade?

I don't know everybody at a gathering, but if all are my brothers and sisters, how is it different trading with any of them than trading with someone who happens to pitch a tent next to mine?

I am not trying to be a pill, I'm just confused by what people are saying here.

 

Sorry that you are so confused... let me try to address each "hypothetical situation"--but I can only go by my experience.

One regional I drove my first car- a 1963 bug. What a friggin' beater. Towards the end of the Gathering, my breaks went out & other stuff ( I can't even remember exactly what went wrong) and a kind Brother towed me out of the NF to the highway. He didn't have any expectation for reimbursement. He did it out of the kindness of his heart.

Before the tow, he tried to fix the problem. He just saw a young Sister in distress and tried to help out.

I. personally have only one "expectation" when I head out for the National- that I'll receive a whole lotta love and that I'll give a whole lotta love.

I don't think that a person does something out of the kindness of their heart for an "expectation" of the Material.

I do think however, that if you plan to charge green energy for your palmistry, you most likely won't be making any at a trade circle. I believe that trading wares for green energy is held outside of main-gate.

I would totally appreciate a talent of palmistry and would most likely offer a trade. I for sure won't be offering any green energy for it, I can do that around here, so why wait?

It's your choice if you "set-up" on a blanket and offer out your talents, or just spontaneously practice on someone....if you choose to share at all! Just listen to your Heartsong Brother.

What if, what if... I'm not a real good Remote Viewer to predict that type of scenerio regarding a mechanic fixing up a beater to trade with someone, I wouldn't even know if it's been done. I've heard people trading cars for tents.... who knows, is it good, is it bad?

I believe if the both parties feel like it's a fair trade, who am I to judge it. Sometimes people have their own ideas about why someone would trade say- a crystal for a car.

Trading is not the primary purpose of the Gathering. The primary purpose of the Gathering is to PRAY FOR WORLD PEACE & HEALING.

I'm not put off of the idea that you didn't mine that crystal yourself. I've traded for crystals, and have been gifted crystals, and have gifted crystals. Personally, I smudge a lot of "things" that I use for my personal spiritual use. To me, that's good enough, for someone else, it may not be.

To me, there's a difference between a crystal and a box of snickers, but I guess thats my flavor.

I don't know everybody at a Gathering either, but then you have a bellybutton and I have a bellybutton, and I except you as a human being with sentience. I'm just trying to lessen the load of suffering that we are all walking around with.

The difference between a trade circle and trading with someone next to your tent...is it that hard to figure out?