Fire Tribe Gathering

Well... that was... WOW!

Kaaawa Valley is spectacular. Soaring vertical cliffs, mists and clouds, breezy and cool. Think of the valley that the dinosaurs run through in Jurassic Park... 'cause it IS that valley. Many of us have long dreamed of somehow finding a way to hike back there...

...the stream bubbling near the Circle... wild fruit trees, laden with blossoms.

12 didjeridoos, many of them excellent players. Some very deep moments of didje-only polyrhythmic pulsation...

...massaged and accented by sparse, sensitive sounds of all sorts from the percussion altar. A place for people to play when "the instrumental focus (group jam, West African, congas and cowskins, singing bowls or didjes) is on an instrument you didn't bring with you".

Some of the percussion instruments found their wonderful ways into orbiting the Circle. The decision to select percussion toys which didn't have too much "cut" was fortuitous.

Spoken word offerings still rare - and, those that did emerge were sweet!

Delightfully, a few new chants never heard at Fire Tribe before also arrived - much to our great pleasure!

Experimenting with ways to nurture musical variety...

...the congas, cow skin ashikos and bougaraboos were placed on one side of the dancers "V", with the dunduns and djembes on the other - we migrated and played on one side or the other. Djembes and dunduns laid out when the congas were happening, and vice-versa - with a couple rockin' exceptions where all were played together. Having the dunduns and congas far from each other allowed the dunduns to play softly, but without fear of drowning the congas, and a few djembe players sat and played quietly between.

There were 4 large crystal singing bowls set at the cardinal points, just outside the rattle track. Sometimes it was bowls only, sometimes the didjes joined in. May we all be so fortunate to be in the presence of such sonic blessings more often!

Clapping jams!

A long listening to the morning birds, as people continued to circle, dancing to that song.

There was a shrine inside the Circle where people brought photos and sacred items to honor their ancestors (blood, friends, teachers, guides).

A water altar evolved mid stream, the candle shrine blazed in the night. There was a hammock garden! People made and learned to play didjes and frame drums. Endless raves about the catered gourmet, vegetarian food. Children ran around dressed like angels...

It rained hard Friday night. 8 people never arrived, 2 left Saturday. At about 9:00 pm Saturday we encouraged everyone to relax and maybe nap - and right after we departed group, it poured again. I wondered how many of them I'd see again that night. Many physically and emotionally exhausted people, tearing themselves away from very demanding work scenes. We hope people will soon begin choosing that extra day off they so deserve.

The village cooked up an opening procession for Saturday night led by Pan and the Green Man... followed by the 10 children, most of whom were by now quite ecstatic, this being their first Gathering. Following were two people smudging, the community at large, then the didjes, a drummer and the Moon Maidens bringing up the rear. The procession began as we blew out the flame we'd saved from the previous night's fire, symbolizing the extinguishing of hearth fires. A new flame was lit (the damp weather ended the quest to light with a bow for now...) and passed to a new torch.

The procession wound through the village area, singing people awake to join us. The Moment. In addition to the fine costumes, there were also many people who had adorned themselves with leaves, flowers and "wrapped" garments. Arriving at the edge of the village, the group crossed over the stream into the festival area. We Are A Circle Moving. A broad, grassy meadow with a corridor of candles marked a serpentine path through the glistening grass.

Just as we arrived at the circle, the rains came again.... we breathed deep and accepted the blessing - and prayed for clearing skies one more time...

From the rear of the procession, the 10 Goddesses of the Moon from the Trance4Dance playshop - carrying vessels of water and adorned in white, blues and silvers - filed silently, with eyes closed, through the double corridor of well-wishers. As we guided them past, we blessed them on their journey and honored their beauty and strength. Smudged as they arrived at the Portal, they entered the circle.

The didje players followed, again with closed eyes, receiving blessings and admiration. After they were smudged they surrounded the entrance to the portal and added "sonic smudging" to the smoke. The community then passed through the gate - eyes closed - to be awakened by the touch of a flower dipped in water on their forehead. Eyes opening, all were guided to their places in the Circle by the Goddesses of the Moon.

Once all had arrived, the chant We All Come From The Goddess accompanied a dance whereby the Goddesses poured water into the singing bowls - tuning them to each other! The Circle was cast - and the directions called by the children! The fire was lit - Spirits of the Fire Come to Us - and the spiral began.

Pan spent most of the night rolling ecstatically in the grass and mud.

The skyclad crew finally found home.

No one got bit by centipedes.

...and not a drop of rain the rest of the Gathering!