Newbie Perspective
So the question was posed to me: Would you want to write a newbie perspective article for the CMA paper/journal/thing? When stuck here in mundania I am required to sit infront of a phone and a computer for 9 hours a day, and wait for the phone to ring. Naturally I jumped at the chance to do something to relieve me of this rather dull task.
So, it's been about a month now in the return to mundania, and I'm still wondering, who told all these people they had to be so boring? Certainly no one I met at Beltane. And thus I shall begin.
Coming from New Mexico it took us well over 10 hours to get there, partially thanks to a tire that decided to lose tread somewhere in- between New Mexico and Spirithaven. Though I've been assured if that's the worst that happens on a trip, you're doing pretty damn good, so we kept chugging along in the car. As we finally passed through Austin, Texas and kept getting closer and closer, I could feel more and more tingles in the top of my head.
I was told as the sun was setting and we were getting there obviously late that the bridge trolls might not be happy to see us getting there so late. Well, comical me decided that if we were given any trouble at the border, I was going to make use of the sahasrara energy that wouldn't quit buzzing in my head and persuade whoever stood at the gates with some old jedi tricks I learned in a galaxy far far away. "These aren't the droids you're looking for." With complete jedi hand motions, and when I've got them off guard with that one I'd quickly follow up with the next sentence, "Let them pass." With another hand motion. Though the motion's not necessary, it adds to affect when you're finding amusement with something.
However much to my surprise, the bridge trolls were pretty friendly, and we went on in without me even having to use my jedi tricks directly. Shucks. Ever wonder how hard it is to put up a tent in the night hours without the sun to help you see? Well we found out, and while the tent was being put up by one half of the crew, the other half of us were fixing up the camper and making it sleepable as well.
For a person who's always considered themselves somewhat of a migrant wandering around, I've never come across a place like Spirithaven, and it felt like home from the very beginning. As soon as we'd finished getting camp set up, the mead was out, in glasses, and halfway down the throats of those involved. Three bottles in one night however, wasn't enough to satisfy some (insert cheeky grin), and I got to meet with the drummers at Pooh Camp. The first night was pretty fantastic, sat around a fire, playing a borrowed drum until too early in the morning when I stumbled back towards the camper to pass out and get some well earned (in my opinion anyways) rest.
Rudely did the morning come, and awakening with it at the ungodly 8am hour. Though I'd signed up to be a guardian, I was being told it was time to get up and go pitch in with the fire crew. Mind you I'm still spinning from the previous night's fun, scrambling to find a pair of jeans I pulled over my sweat pants, step out into the harsh morning sun (we hatesssss it preciousssssss) to find Peeps, standing there in all his fully uncovered glory. I met Peeps the night before, but he had a sarong on, and I stumble out of the trailer to find that someone's naked at this place. Talk about a complex awakening, I think spiritual awakening was easier to get on with rather than trying to figure out why this guy's naked, and it's so early, and I'm supposed to be tossing wood around.
Luckily there wasn't any time to ponder that whole series of thoughts, we had wood to go grab and so I hop into the back of a random truck and pretend I'm still asleep while we ride into god knows where of that town. I still couldn't tell you any of the names, but I'm also from Ohio, and until February, I'd never been west of Indiana. So cut me some slack.
No one ever warned me that fire ants are vicious; I had to find out the hard way. But by some merit of good fortune, those sweatpants that were causing me much grief with sweat and heat, saved me from having fire ants all the way up my legs. We had to make two trips to grab and toss wood all around where everyone wanted it, and all this while still feeling a bit tipsy from the night before.
However if you want to knock out your community service quickly, just sign on to play with wood, and you're done after the first day. I was released from having to do guardian duty so that was pretty nifty, but I still ended up doing a guardian shift anyways.
First time for Beltane, and I had signed up to give a workshop as well for Friday morning. Now I'm not much for a public speaker infront of people, but one on one, or even a small group I do pretty well for myself. My some grace of the Guru I had a small workshop group, but I've never given an explanation to meditation before for a group of people, let alone having to sit up infront of everyone. Luckily it went smoothly, I found out some people had very extraordinary meditation, some just felt very peaceful, and others said nothing, but walked away with a smile on their face.
That same day was also my birthday and walking up and down the merchant's row I was searching to find me something for my birthday. To what grace I owe this next bit I couldn't tell you, but I found a staff, one that reminded me of Gandalf's staff from Lord of the Rings. So I took it, I'd been wanting to get a staff for awhile by this point, and here's one that felt perfect in my hands and all, so I went back to camp to put it up, and for the rest of the day anytime I had to get any chatter from one of the camp people, I'd run grab the staff and shout "YOU SHALL NOT PASS!"
Yes, I am a complete goof ball when I find something amusing, I don't rightly care if no one else is laughing at it. However everyone else found it funny as well, so I wasn't the only one laughing at my own joke.
Well as with Beltane the next couple of days came and went quickly, through a couple of nights drumming away with the drummers of Pooh Camp (you guys rock by the way) until the wee hours of the morning, sleeping only a few hours before getting up and at it again, too soon came it to be Sunday. What a sad day, the return to mundania. No one told me that was going to happen, but I've decided to try and make the world a bit less mundane by taking all the fun I had at Beltane back with me, and spreading that light where I can.
Thanks for reading this rambling article from a newbie, you all are very wonderful people, and what few of you I got to meet, I hope to see again next year at Beltane. I'm currently planning to follow the next set of tingles that ran through my body and travel off to England, the motherland for us. I get a feeling I may end up living over there for awhile working, but I'm hoping to come back to Spirithaven for the next Beltane, and give another shot at that meditation workshop.
So here's to another wonderful year, the spreading of our light, and our aid in uplifting man back to the place we belong. Intune with nature, caring for the world and people around us, and pursuing something higher than the money it takes to buy this car, that house, or these sets of clothes. Luckily we know these things, and we're growing all the time, and in proximity to us, others begin to grow as well.
Blessed Be, Om Namah Shivaya, and Love and Light.