(no subject)
Jun. 1st, 2004 01:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
featherynscaleSurvived Heartland, despite all attempts to the contrary, both on my part and the parts of the gods, who provided us with several lovely thunderstorms complete with high winds over the course of the weekend. I have to say, Casa de Superman (the tent of the Entropic Trinity) has proved its worth once again - not only did it not blow over, but also it did not admit a vast quantity of water, even though we forced it to contain a king-sized air mattress for which it was not really rated, and which caused its front face to bulge out about 3 inches. It's also worth mentioning that this is the second rainy outing in Casa de Superman, and still we have not seam-sealed the thing. So that's on the to-do list, but I suppose not all that urgently.
Also performing in a stellar manner was the new screen house, which withstood aforementioned winds, even though![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kittenpants and the rest of the bold set-up crew failed to, well, clip the tarp to the poles. So there.
Performing in a less than stellar manner was yours truly. I didn't manage to make it to any workshops (in my defense, the only ones I was really interested in going to happened before I was able to get to camp), or, in fact, any official rituals. I did participate infinnchu's Mead Hall ritual and subsequent debaucheries, where I met finnchu and lexpendragon, among other folks whose names I no longer recall (bad crow!). Anyway, good times there.
Had a fine time hanging out with the whole crew of friends - I'd like to come back next year. I'd really like to do some ritual out on the site, as well. I understand that the festival itself is not known for the quality of its public ritual, and I don't see any way to change that in the near future that would not involve way more time and energy than I personally have, but there's no reason why our group couldn't go out there and do its own thing during the festival - there seems to be a need within the land for some magical clean-up of some sort. Or I'm just making that up, possibly. You make the call.
In other news, I'm just remembering that I was supposed to talk toteross50 the other week about his book project.... Argh. Brain like sieve. Must talk to him about that soonly...
Also performing in a stellar manner was the new screen house, which withstood aforementioned winds, even though
kittenpants and the rest of the bold set-up crew failed to, well, clip the tarp to the poles. So there. Performing in a less than stellar manner was yours truly. I didn't manage to make it to any workshops (in my defense, the only ones I was really interested in going to happened before I was able to get to camp), or, in fact, any official rituals. I did participate in
finnchu's Mead Hall ritual and subsequent debaucheries, where I met finnchu and lexpendragon, among other folks whose names I no longer recall (bad crow!). Anyway, good times there. Had a fine time hanging out with the whole crew of friends - I'd like to come back next year. I'd really like to do some ritual out on the site, as well. I understand that the festival itself is not known for the quality of its public ritual, and I don't see any way to change that in the near future that would not involve way more time and energy than I personally have, but there's no reason why our group couldn't go out there and do its own thing during the festival - there seems to be a need within the land for some magical clean-up of some sort. Or I'm just making that up, possibly. You make the call.
In other news, I'm just remembering that I was supposed to talk to
teross50 the other week about his book project.... Argh. Brain like sieve. Must talk to him about that soonly...
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
missing workshops
Date: 2004-06-01 11:33 am (UTC)Then again, I needed the rest and the break more than I needed workshops, and I got that.
I'd love to do something along the lines of our group doing a ritual or 'clean up'. There's also the possibility of using the camp for ritual at a time other than Heartland.
Re: missing workshops
Date: 2004-06-01 12:15 pm (UTC)Pennsic War, 1997 or so (whatever Pennsic XXVI was), I went and managed to get to one or two classes there (including my first thrown weapons class, muahaha). But I had a good time in camp with our Barony (the 15-20 of us who traveled from OK to PA) and enjoyed the whole thing. I did get some fabulous things from the Merchant's Row too...
I guess my point is, if you've got workshops to go to, you'll go to them. If you don't, and you have other things to do, you'll do that. Everything's about getting out of it what you need to, right? And the nice thing is, the fest/event/party will be back again next year, in slightly different form.
Oops
Date: 2004-06-01 12:16 pm (UTC)Re: missing workshops
Date: 2004-06-01 12:47 pm (UTC)Man proposes, apathy disposes. If there had been anything that I was hot to see that happened when I was there, I'm certain I would have seen it. Still, I hate to come home and go, "Well, I went to this thing all weekend and didn't learn a damned thing."
I suppose it's more appropriate to say "...and didn't learn a damned thing about what the experience was supposed to be about," though. Eh.
book project?
Date: 2004-06-01 11:44 am (UTC)Re: book project?
Date: 2004-06-01 12:08 pm (UTC)Re: book project?
Date: 2004-06-01 12:42 pm (UTC)Re: book project?
Date: 2004-06-02 05:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 12:16 pm (UTC)Last year, the druids stomped around the fire until sunrise... I was utterly amazed at the tenacity and conviction. It was 32 degrees out, and sweaty naked druids were still at it. Not sure what they did this year, as I didn't have the safety graveyard shift. ;-)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 12:52 pm (UTC)And yeah, large-scale public ritual almost always ends up to feel somehow lacking to me. I think Gaia does some damned decent ritual, but we're not dealing with 500 people in circle. You may have heard this from me before, but I suspect that there's a reason why most practicing pagan groups keep to the 13-or-less rule, that being that it's a hell of a lot easier to write awesome ritual for 13 than for 1300.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 01:27 pm (UTC)On the historical side, it has been stated by some of the elder vets that Heartland used to be more spiritual gathering, less festival (actually the disparraging term was 'orgy of the altered minds' or something like that) but now there are multiple venues at Gaea throughout the year. Some don't even have much crossover. Some simply hit the Festival of Tara, some only hit triple G. Yet others just come out there monthly for coven meetings. Heck, a few people live out there all year 'round. All sorts of niches to hit. The idea is you get them all together once a year, and perhaps some people will find a niche they are happier with. Sometimes we meet up with people we really like, and form our own groups doing our own thing. (the Elvendrums saga)
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 07:14 pm (UTC)also Aslin is an awsome HPS with Drake as HP. it was a truly moving combination.
The other thing was the fact that more people weren't able to do vision quest. Everyone that came through said it was truly moving.
I guess I think if you are unable to go to ritual or any other or the spiritual gatherings you shouldn't bother and stay home!
just stay home!
Date: 2004-06-01 09:18 pm (UTC)We did. That is to say, we stayed in our camp or other camps if we weren't going. It's not like we walked by and said, "What a stupid ritual" and left. As someone said elsewhere, Heartland is a festival, not a spiritual retreat; I don't think the rituals are the biggest focus for most people, nor should they probably be (IMO).
That being said, there's another reason I didn't go; it was my first major pagan festival, and I don't generally relish going to Gaia Community's 50 man rituals. Going to a non-participatory ritual with hundreds of people in circle isn't my cup of tea...I'm glad you got/get a lot out of it.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-02 09:12 am (UTC)Again, this is the difference between a spiritual retreat and a festival. If you go to Rockfest, is it mandatory to sing?
Frankly, if it is a 100% spiritual thing, I don't go unless I am their for child wrangling. Because in my opinion, if you can't secure childcare, you "shouldn't bother and stay home." 8-P (Again, negativity breeds negativity)
I'm not into spirituality, so I don't hit half the stuff Mik likes. But Heartland is much more than ritual. I was busy the whole time, and contributing, without ever stepping foot in a ritual.
no subject
Date: 2004-06-01 07:04 pm (UTC)