With electricity and WiFi compliments of this Dillon, Montana laundromat ---whose machines are now busy scrubbing the clothes soiled from an amazing nearly two week camping sojourn with two thousand 3HO/Yogi Bhajan/Kundalini yogis attending their Summer Solstice Gathering (which ended Saturday afternoon) in the Jemez Mountains of northern New Mexico …. and, after 30+ hours of northward transcontinental driving to arrive here, I am now preparing to enter the world of the Rainbow Gathering for the first time since 2008. This year it is being held in the Montana Rockies a hour west of here…
I truly apologize for missing the past two weeks journals… I was intensely involved at the Solstice site, and I found it impossible to use my iPhone or laptop aircard there. As there are no accidents, I am sure the deletion of technology from my life was divinely intentional, and that it will be somehow beneficial that it happened that way. As for myself, the evolutionary process that I was participating in left little room for detached analysis. That will come to you soon, I sense….but I am not yet ready to commit my experience to print.
Also just so you know, it is likely that I will not create a Journal next Sunday either, as the Rainbow Gathering will not be over, and as it is in the wilderness, with probable poor cellular connectivity. So I expect to write a report about that experience upon re-entering 'the world'.
OK, that's a sketchy summation of my circumstances… now, let's see if I can go deeper...
Contextually, I went to Solstice on the energy that the April attendance of Shakti Fest had opened up for me…. but even so, in many ways I was completely unprepared for certain aspects of the experience (and I will get to that material in a later Journal).
However, while at Solstice, I was part of a large working service/seva team. We were responsible for all the audio… loudspeakers, microphones, wires, mixing, etc… for all the various large tents and stages that served as seminar rooms, yoga studios, and various ceremonies and concerts. I had originally applied for the team because I knew I would learn a lot more about sound, particularly--- producing my own musical productions. I found I loved my teammates (for the most part) who were from many parts of the world (as were all the attendee's too). I say 'for the most part' because one of my biggest lessons came in the form of a young woman who was my superior, in terms of team rank. We hooked negatively on each other over a being right about something issue in a way that infuriated her so much that she threatened violence against me. For me, it was shocking, and I also reacted. Luckily we were quickly separated and 'sent to our corners' to think about it. I was privately told I had unknowingly just 'poked the beehive'.
As I quieted my mind, I heard the inner suggestion that I invite this very upset at me woman to be my partner in the White Tantric processes that were to start the next day (The 3 consecutive White Tantric days are central to the Solstice, and very intense. It's the stuff that came up there that I am still integrating and therefore not yet sharing). I didn't desire to do that, but the suggestion persisted--- so I knew my ego's goose was cooked, and I surrendered. I was prepared for another attack as I approached her, but she allowed me to approach and speak…. "would you be my tantric partner?". As she heard the words, her face softened. "No, I already have partners arranged--- but I would like a hug…". We hugged for several minutes, with bouts of tears and sobs. It was a beautiful reversal, and it stayed permanent. From then on we were great with each other. I am so glad I had the courage to walk back to her fire and speak my request.
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Another important part of Solstice for me was that I was successful at offering The Love Declaration to many of the people there.
At first I was hesitant, as soon after I arrived I recognized I didn't really know what was going on… meaning, the space that most attendees apparently shared in common was somewhat of a mystery to me at first. Then I received the inspiration to tape a copy of the Declaration on the plastic walls inside the 100 or so porta-potties that were distributed everywhere across the grounds and tenting areas. It turned out to have been a brilliant idea…. I was attending a class in my off-duty time, and suddenly as part of the class process (we each had partners and were looking into each others eyes) the facilitator read the Love Declaration to us (Yes, he had found it in the porta-potty). That it was a truly beautiful and touching moment for everyone was clearly apparent. From then on, I (and some recruited assistants) passed it out freely, receiving many comments about how much they had loved it when they had first seen it in the porta-potties. Yea, God. See, as ACIM says, it is not our job to be concerned about where a miracle goes… it is only our job to offer it.
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That is also why I have come to this Rainbow Gathering…. to offer the people gathered here The Love Declaration (and hopefully to paint some too…). This mission is growing in my life… and my guidance is assisting me to not be afraid to let it grow. I will give you a report next Journal on how it went…
For now, I thank you for your love and support… it is tremendously empowering to me.
Namaste, & Sat Nam,
David
(who, btw, also often uses his Sufi name "Daud" (the arabic form of David), and who experienced at this Solstice the re-activation of his Siddha Yoga name 'Umacharan' [given to him in 1975 by Swami Baba Muktanada]…. In fact, the two merged into one… at Solstice I became "Daud-Umacharan". Daud means 'the singing prophet', and Umacharan means 'the feet of the divine mother'…) Don't know why I am mentioning that, but that's what I heard suggested. So, there's a reason. I'm thinking I might produce some chanting albums under that name…. you know… like a writer with various pen names expressing different personality aspects…. Anyway, love to you all.
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"Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser." etc.
…. well, the word 'browser' is a clickable hyperlink that will open this email as a webpage…
which you can then copy and paste anywhere (like to share it on Facebook, or elsewhere).
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