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Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Where Will the 2013 Gathering Be Held?


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.





In July 2012, Vision Council on the land in Tennessee called for the 2013 gathering to take place in Montana. ""We all celebrate that we feel the unity of the spirit and we recognize the oneness of heart as we have the desire to follow spirit calling us to beautiful Montana for the Annual Gathering of the Rainbow Family of Living Light in the Summer of 2013."

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 is a time of people to council and share their hopes and dreams for the 2013 gathering.  If you have potential sites you think are worthy of scouting in the spring, bring topo maps and forest service maps.  Directions to T-Council usually come out in the first half of November. Check back then.



Scout Council(s) or Scout Rendezvous

T-Council usually picks dates for one or two Scout Councils. 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.

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 preferred 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.  Directions to Spring Council are available here.

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. That's being said, there aren't many commercial  airports in Montana.

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 August 2012 (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 2011 in 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 2012 can be dry as a tinder box in June 2013. 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 health and safety of gathering participants and the land on which we gather.


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.


Directions to the 2013 gathering are available here.


Ignore all rumors of cancellation or organization!
Live lightly with the Land and People!
Please Copy and Distribute This Information Widely

21 comments:

  1. When does the spring counsel meet?

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  2. I really want to go this year to the gathering in MT. I'll be traveling for some time before hand on the east side of the states but don't know exactly how I'll be going to MT. I was thinking about going to Portland and then get a bus... But still don't know. I was wondering once you have info if can email me.:-) :-)
    Much thanks.

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    1. Unless you want to wind up in a cowboys jail, I'd advise to stay away!

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    2. unless you wanna miss out on greatness i suggest you go <3 lovin you

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  3. where in montana is the gathering this years

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    1. if you find out please let us know

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  4. Awesome i hope to be attending the Montana gathering this year i will be traveling arround colorado so if possible send me up to date info on this years gathering at
    maizijuana_oizigin420@yahoo.com

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  5. Usually the exact place isn't released until beginning to mid range of June guys...heads up to those asking about where. They're {the council} also still scouting and figuring out the best spot at this point in time I believe. Mountain climates change dramatically and they want to try their best to stay lower elevation this year too. I actually live in Colorado now in fact, so I know all too well how that climate change is btw which is why I mention it. Other than that jazz I felt i should bring up...I'm personally super stoked for for this years gathering as my most memorable one I ever attended and my 1st ever was in Montana back in 2000! It was the best experience ever and this year I get to bring my whole family with me too...husband, kids & dogs all!!! Yay...

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    1. My first was in Montana in 2000! looking forward "my most memorable"

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  6. I believe its in Billings, Montana.

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    1. Billings is a large city, not a good spot for forrest type activities. There are lots of areas off the beaten path north of I-90 and West of Billings that I am sure the Spring Council folks will be checking out. I am sure much of the Family will be traveling though Billings, but I can tell you right now the actual Gathering will not be IN Billings (but Billings might be the closest large airport).

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  7. I appreciate all this information. I think Molly the first blogger addressed my concern about the information without really saying so. My concern is that all the reference to "Councils" making "decisions" we stray from the true meaning of the disclaimer at the beginning of this site that "As with all things related to Rainbow Gatherings, this is not an official source of information and represents my thoughts and opinions only. Other people will have different ideas."

    I think it is important to be mindful that all actions related to rainbow gatherings are the fruit of individual autonomous choices by each individual about where to go or not go that is based on information from wise people who we trust are paying attention; but not "decided" by any "Council" or any other authority. I think we should choose our words carefully in accord with this core principle of rainbow experience by either referring to these information sharing forums either as "circles" such as Thanksgiving circle, scouting circle,spring circle, vision circle, etc.; or as Molly referred to in her message and as most folks here in the Ozarks have referred to these forums for the past 15 or so years since confronting the issue of whether there is anyone in authority enough to be capable of designating a representative to sign a permit--as "counsels" that is to say Thanksgiving counsel, scouting counsel, etc. ...

    This distinction is significant if you study the historical ancient roots of the words "counsel" and the more recent roots of "Council". The later word was invented over a period of time from early post-Christ and on into the European dark ages as a corruption of the earlier word as part of the Roman Empire's efforts to institutionalize the egalitarian followers in the wake of Jesus' lifetime by converting their counseling processes similar to the voluntary cooperation resulting from rainbow gatherings into what is the more authoriarian formal Church Councils and City Councils and other such forms of collective authority rather than autonomous voluntary cooperation.

    So I ask that Karen and others consider the significance of the words we choose and to consider voluntarily cooperating with the wisdom of the Ozark tradition of counsel and the peacetribes tradition of circles and choose words that leave no room for illusion that any rainbow "Council" makes any decisions whatsoever so that we tell it like it is.

    Tony Goodwater

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    1. Spot on Tony! Good primer for those who do not understand the difference and the power of words. Rainbow counsel circles are more then conversation but the root of that circle is still to understand through counsel among those who come to share.

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  8. am scouting presently in Montana, we are looking a few sites areas with more focus including the ElkHorn mountains where Scout council is... but also the Yaak of nw montana and my favorite the Crazy Mountains... just snowed here in Missoula now a week ago soo... lv u family,
    Llama

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    1. The Elkhorn Mountains are full of rattle snakes, dry sage brush & "law abiding" rough cowboys that do things their way, no place for women & children!

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  9. theres some scouts by crow creek falls in the elkhorns by nine miles west townsend mt

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    1. The Montana Milita is up in that area.

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    2. Tell em' ya know John Stokes. :-)

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  10. Elkhorns are also prime hunting area so expect hunters scouting for the early bow season.

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  11. Spring Council is being dragged out by some people for over a week now!!! The council is now sitting there blocking two different sites, while the kitchen buses are rolling out of there to make a site happen... see at seed camp.
    an anonymous Montana Family scout

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  12. Rumors of a possible split Gathering this year in Montana 2013 are based in reality... Reality being of this site was not consciensed upon, and that local family and many others are NOT comfortable with occupying that land which still needs to heal from the 2000 gathering. To the point of NOT goin there & are talking about the other lower elevation site (for a 2013 Montana Regional); which was blocked by those whom wanted the olde site, because 'the trails were already built'. Since i will be here for Clean-up but NOT Seed camp, please be careful where u dig ur shitters this year... peace

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What do you think?