Published Date 6/15/12 1:16 PM
The myths and traditions of Rainbow are not just decorative, they are the very essence of what a gathering is. People don’t simply come together; they come to enact these shared rituals and stories, whether consciously or unconsciously. Yet, these core elements are often neglected or forgotten.
To put an arbitrary measure on this: Most national Rainbow gatherings operate at around 10–20% of what we might call “Rainbow power.” By contrast, European gatherings often reach 40–60%, thanks to a deeper collective memory and stronger enactment of Rainbow values.
At the heart of every Rainbow gathering is a powerful, mostly invisible core of shared myth and tradition. These are not static rules, but living tools, designed to overcome and transcend the “#stupidindividualism” of the Babylon world. And where these tools are remembered and used, they work remarkably well – transforming groups of strangers and misfits into a coherent, caring whole.
The challenge is that this process works as a virtuous circle: If enough power is present at the beginning – meaning people arrive already carrying the stories, practices, and spirit – then the gathering tends to flourish. But if that power is lacking, and the myths are not held or remembered, then incoherence sets in. Fragmentation and conflict tend to dominate instead.
Rainbow gatherings, at their best, offer a glimpse of a different way of being – but only if we collectively remember how to make them live.
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