Rap 121 Sexuality and Consent

This is a gathering based on love and respect.

Please help create a safe space for everyone.

 

Respect each other and do no harm.

 

Ask before hugging or touching anyone.

 

Nudity is natural, and not a sexual invitation.

 

“No” means NO! The absence of “Yes” means NO!

 

A sleeping or intoxicated person cannot consent.

 

A person under the legal age of consent cannot consent.

 

A person unable to competently consent for any reason cannot consent.

 

Consent at one time does not imply consent at any other time.

 

Consent for one action does not imply consent for any other action.

 

Consent given can be revoked at any time.

 

Respect yourself and trust your instincts. If you don’t feel comfortable being intimate or alone with someone, or with what someone wants you to do, you have the right to say “no”.

 

If planning on engaging in sexual activity, open and forthright sharing about sexually transmitted infections is necessary.

 

Love happens – protect yourself – use condoms! If you don’t have one, just ask.

 

If you observe what you believe to be a boundary or consent violation, offer support or get help.

 

If you see immediate danger of any kind, yell out “Shanti Sena!” and other gatherers will rush to your aid. If you hear someone yell “Shanti Sena,” approach quickly, carefully and peacefully.

We are all Shanti Sena – Peace keepers!

Spring Fever

Now that spring is here and the gathering is still months away, what's a home sick gatherer to do?

Now is the perfect time to start getting ready for the gathering.  So here's a random list of steps you can take now to create a positive gathering for yourself and others this summer.

Make sure your car is 100% legal. All brake lights, turn signals, seat belts, registration, insurance and nothing hanging from your rear view mirror.  The cops seem to like to pull people over and write mandatory court appearance tickets for the littlest thing.  Who needs the hassle of a mandatory court appearance ticket just because you forgot to fix that broken tail light?  (did you read this?)

Make sure your camping equipment is in good shape. Check your tent for leaks. I hope we'll see rain this summer and camping is much more fun in a dry sleeping bag.

Check out thrift stores, garage sales and swap meets for things you can share with others at the gathering: tents, 60 quart cooking pots, sleeping bags, cast iron grills, very large metal mixing bowls, hiking boots, digging shovels, pick axes, rain gear, etc.  Once you get to the gathering, ask around and someone will be sure to need what ever you brought to share.

Get in shape.  Yup, at the gathering you'll be walking for hours every day so now is the perfect time to get in shape.  Try walking an hour a day for starters if you're not in the habit already and plan to be up to four hours a day by mid-June.  You will have more fun at the gathering if you can experience it.

Plan a workshop or camp focused on your special talent.  Some ideas are singing, drawing, ocarina making, drum making, meditation, yoga, belly dance, Tai Chi, sewing, caring for dogs or cats (probably not a great idea to mix dog and cat camps),  massage, or beading.  Start getting your supplies together and your friends lined up to get there early and find a great place for your camp.  Then arrive at least  week or so before July 1st  (two weeks scores a better site for your camp) and start creating the camp.  You are the rainbow magic and the gathering happens because individuals like you share your unique talents with other gatherers.  Don't forget to announce your workshop at breakfast/dinner circle, post a notice on the workshop board at INFO, and maybe make some signs on the main trail informing people of when and where the workshop takes place.

Plan a fundraiser for Everybody's Medical, water crew, scouting, or the Magic Hat that you support.  Remember just because everything at the gathering is free, doesn't mean we get everything free. 

Get involved with scouting.  If you like to read maps and walk the land, email me and I'll hook you up.

Build a rickshaw or other fat tire wheeled device powered by human or animal energy to help transport mobility impaired gatherers and food supplies to kitchens -- you will be one of the most popular people at the gathering.  

Start a list of all media outlets in the consensus states (see top of blog) and get together with other folks and start contacting people with positive information on the gathering.

Get your first aid certification so you can help keep our family healthy.

Rehearse your best rainbow story for Hipstories on the night of July 5, than share your hard won wisdom with your family.

Starting going to your local circle (or start one if there isn't one already) and plan a camp like Muskogee, Oklahoma camp or whatever city you live in.  Get together with folks in neighboring cities and plan a regional camp.

Get a job and earn money (or set aside some money from your existing earnings) to donate to the magic hat on the land to feed your family or to buy a boat load of fruits and veggies and bring with you to share with the hardworking kitchens that are feeding you.

Learn how to play guitar and share your music with your family. Learn some of the Rainbow songs now and teach them to people on the land. Or become a wandering minstrel (trail musician) and share music in tense situations.

The most important lesson I've learned through my gathering experiences, is that the more I give to the gathering, the more the gathering gives to me and the more I grow and evolve as one of the amazing creatures on this miraculous planet. I can't wait to see your amazingness on display when I hug you on the land.

Rap 420 - Know your rights

 

RAP 420

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects against unreasonable searches and seizures shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons and things to be seized. (The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States of America)

 This rap sheet has been prepared to help you stay out of jail.

In the past, Rainbow gatherings have been the target of police harassment, often illegal. Many gatherers who have been arrested could have avoided jail time and expensive court dates if they had known a few of their basic rights. This rap sheet is a tool. Read it and understand it, and YOU will have the upper hand in the situation.

Roadblocks, DUI checkpoints, etc.

When heading toward a gathering, always assume you will run into a roadblock on the way in. It is very important to know your rights before reaching it because this is where the most coercive tactics and encroachments of rights take place.

Make sure your car is road-legal. No broken windshields, tail-lights, headlights, objects hanging from your rear view mirror, etc. Any of these will give them an excuse for stopping you, and you will be cited for any violations. Your driver’s license, car registration, and proof of insurance should be up to date and easy for you to find on quick notice. You may not need all three, as laws vary from state to state, but always assume you’ll need all three, and you’ll never have a problem.

Never consent to searches. Law enforcement officers are trained to intimidate people into consenting to searches. They may ask you several times if they can search your car or person. Always refuse and you’ll be fine. This is your Fourth Amendment right. The only legal reason they have to search you without arrest is that they feel they are in danger of being attacked, which should not be an issue with Rainbows. At Rainbow Gatherings in the past, officers have been known to plant drugs in cars after consent to search is given. You can avoid this problem by refusing to consent. JUST SAY NO!

Never leave anything illegal “in plain view”. Anything inside your vehicle that is visible to an officer standing outside is considered to be in plain view. Although this does not give them the right to search your vehicle, they can confiscate the items and place you under arrest. They will still need to obtain a warrant to search the rest of your vehicle, but this will not be hard if they have found something in plain view. They may even attempt to say this is “probable cause” for an illegal search.

Always exercise your right of silence if you find yourself under arrest for any reason. Continue to refuse to allow any searches, and politely inform them that you will not say anything until your attorney is present.

Write down all the information you can about the incident: the officer’s name, rank, and badge number, and the date, time of day, and location, etc. Contact one of the organizations at the end of this page to pursue the matter, or file a complaint with the officer’s superior.

It is important to remember a few things about police officers. One is that they are aware of your rights and have been known to intentionally violate them. If you find yourself in a situation with an officer who is out of control, it is best to be submissive in order to avoid injury or even death. Remember that they are armed and dangerous!

By refusing to consent to a search of your vehicle, you are maintaining your position. They may still get impatient and search without a warrant anyway (which is illegal). If this happens, anything they find will not be accepted by the court because it was evidence obtained illegally.
Other Police Contact

If you are stopped by an officer while outside of a vehicle, your contact with him or her will fall into one of three categories: consensual contact, detention, or arrest. We are mainly concerned with consensual contact and detention, as this document is intended to help you not get arrested.

Consensual contact

Consensual contact means the officer comes up to you and says, “Can I talk with you?” If you say yes, you have consented to contact with the police.

This is not good. When you consent to contact, you waive some of your rights. If you think you may be guilty of anything, never consent to speak with an officer.

Reply with something like “I’m sorry, I’m in a hurry, and I don’t have time to talk right now.” If the officer insists, ask, “Are you detaining me? Am I free to leave?” You should ask this several times to make sure the officer remembers you asking if the encounter does result in an arrest and court case. If it is really a consensual contact, the officer is required to let you go on your way if you ask. If you don’t verbally ask to leave, the court will presume you consented to anything that follows.

Detention

The police are only allowed to detain citizens when there are “Specific and Articulable Facts (SAFs) supporting suspicion” that you are involved in criminal activity.

This means they can’t detain you “on a hunch” They must have observed something about your behavior or character that links you with specific criminal activity. If you are detained without SAF, you are detained illegally. If your encounter ever lands in court, you may be able to get off because their original detention on their part was illegal.

When you use terms like “detention” and specific and articulable facts”, the officer will usually back down a bit. The majority of a corrupt police officer’s power comes from intimidation and preying on the public’s ignorance of its own rights. It is crucial that you let the officer know that you are not consenting to talk with him, and that the only way you will talk to him is if he detains you, which he cannot do without SAF.

Arrest

If you find yourself under arrest, there’s not much left you can do. Your body will be frisked and your pockets and bags will be searched. It is important to consider refusing to consent to searching your vehicle (if there is one involved), as they will still need a search warrant for it. This, however, will not be difficult to obtain now that you are under arrest.

These are the basic rights you have when involved with the police. By exercising these rights and using a little common sense, you should be able to have a safe and happy gathering.

On Consent

Tea Consent 

Tea Consent

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Spring Council / Circle / Counsel

Spring council/counsel/circle

Spring council is when all potential sites for the gathering are brought to any people who want to be involved in selecting a site.

People talk about critical issues and plant the seeds for a positive and healing gathering.

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. Spring council goes until a decision is reached by consensus or by foot.

Until spring council process determines a site, there is no home.  This being said, spring council is usually but not always in within 100 miles of the area of where the best potential site(s) for the gathering are located. 

Spring council takes as long as it takes to reach a decision. If you want to have a voice in the decision making process, please be there on the land. Once Spring Council reaches a decision, then we move to the land and start building the gathering aka Seed Camp.  If you are not a self-sufficient gatherer and are not willing to do the work of preparing the gathering for family coming home, please don't show up until at least June 20th.   Even then, water systems will be under construction,  kitchens may not be prepared to feed anyone but their own crews, and engagement with government entities will be ongoing. 

Everyone is welcome to participate in the spring council process!

When does Spring CCC start?

 This year the council/counsel/circle starts June 10th. Check back about a week to ten days before June 10th for details.

Music as Magical Peacekeeping Tool

The Earth Is Our Mother

 

For family who are more musically included, we have a long tradition of chants and songs not for performance, but for participation. Many of these songs are call and response or chant type songs. We use these songs to create community, help people be more peaceful and create the energy we wish to see in this world.

If you do not already know some of the rainbow songs, there are on-line websites that have the information.  If you play an instrument or even if you do not, try to learn these songs.  Then when you are at a gathering, I'm sure you will find a moment that is calling out for family singing and you will be prepared.

Thanks to family who have taken the time to make this information freely available.
 
Bliss Fire Website
Welcome Home Website

Singing is one of the best tactics to improve the vibration of the gathering. I've even seen people sing to break up hostile situations, calm the anxious, and create community among random strangers. Be the magic!

So you want to focalize a kitchen?

In my humble opinion, the gathering needs more kitchens like it needs more dogs, but for some  reason, everyone wants to focalize a kitchen. That being said, being part of the kitchen provides an amazing growing, learning experience on working collectively and provide safe and healthy food in the woods.

However.....

The reality of focalizing a kitchen goes something like this.

Main Supply won't provide all the food for cooking if you're feeding the gathering at large - either off-the-rails or at dinner circle. This means you provide much of the free food in the woods. While some kitchens have a donation can on the counter for after people have been fed, in reality most of the cost of food is born by those running the kitchen. Bring 500 to 1,000 pounds of food to get started. You'll need to provide pots and pans for cooking, 5-gallon water buckets for dish washing, filtered drinking water for you and your crew and hopefully for all gatherers. You'll need to chop wood, haul water and wash dishes in addition to cooking. You'll need to make sure you provide sanitary cooking and serving facilities, keep sick people out of your kitchen, deal with late night movies and work your ass off.

If you've never plugged in with a kitchen at a gathering before, you might think about joining your energy with a well established kitchen to get a sense of how hard cooking in the woods can be before you strike off on your own.

If you're ambitious enough to serve main circle, make sure to be at kitchen council so your kitchen gets some of the supplies - check at INFO or with other kitchens for council days/times. But keep in mind that even those kitchens serving main circle only get a portion of the food they serve from main supply.

Sure late night zuzu cooking is fun, but it also is hard to work around all the tripping hippies -- especially those who need baby sitting at 2 AM.

You'll also need to have some serious shitter movies going down. Not only for your crew but for anyone who is attracted to your camp. This can mean digging one or two new shitters every day from June 28 to July 3 when the gathering population swells.

When the gathering is over, you get to disappear your kitchen so no one knows it was ever there. You get to haul your trash out, bury your compost and fill in your shitters.

What do you get for focalizing a kitchen?

More personal growth than you ever imagined possible in a couple of weeks. More stress than you can imagine and more people smoking you out that you could ever wish for if you're kitchen is dank. You get to move your kitchen three times because the US Forest Service keeps changing the rule on how close to surface water the kitchen can be - play it safe and go 500 feet if you want to avoid the move your kitchen game.

You get people bugging you at all hours of the day and night because they're hungry or thirsty. You get random dogs digging through your supply tent and eating the food you just hiked three miles on your back. If you leave your kitchen unsupervised by trusted kitchen crew, you come back to a kitchen missing pots or oranges or a tarp.

The wonderful tarps you strung over your kitchen collapse from rain in the middle of the evening meal. And above all, you get to have a complete temper tantrum when your nerves snap because no one wants to help wash dishes or dig the next shitter.  Of course, you can plug into an existing kitchen and learn from experienced family how a great kitchen works. (Try the Ovens, Kiddie Village, Iris, Instant Soup, Fat Kids, or Montana Mudd to name but a few of the great kitchens. Ask at Info when you get to the gathering).  Most kitchens welcome new people who are willing to work.

It's a wonderful magical crazy ride and worth every second if you survive! But please, please, please read the Kitchen Mini Manual so you don't get your family sick due to lack of proper hygiene.

If you've every plugged into a kitchen, please share your words of wisdom.