I dont really know a lot about this group and have never been to the gathering. Could somebody perhaps break it down for me what you do, and also your relationship with Anarchist philosophy and spirituality?
posted by:
|
California
|
-
Re: Anarchism
Sun, June 8, 2008 - 9:01 PMSomeone post if I am wrong, but as far as I know, SAB was created by some of the Elders in the Pagan community. It was created in a way where no one is specifically in charge. There are no leaders. The only thing there is in way of a leader is when the May Queen and King are chosen, they are in charge of next year's main ritual, the schedule and such. No organization runs anything. People do as they will. The only thing you have to pay is the parking fee for the camping area.
I'm not sure there really is a relationship with Anarchist philosophy and spirituality. The King and Queen usually show up about a week before the main weekend to clean things up and get the site ready. Then during the weekend, the men go out and harvest a tree (usually fallen) for the maypole, and the women create the hole for the pole to go into. There is a choosing of a new May Queen and Consort, the Maypole is danced, and then merriment ensues. I think that about wraps things up.
Anyone else want to chime in?
-
Re: Anarchism
Sun, June 8, 2008 - 10:48 PMi wouldn't get too wrapped around the concept of anarchistic philosophy, at least not in it's more common political sense. this is SPIRITUAL anarchy we're talking about, with the idea being just as Mama Gaea posted.
i believe the festival was started as a direct reaction to the many festivals that required payment up front in order to cover fees, permits, insurance, etc, an idea very far removed from the motivations of our ancestors, imo.
and since these other festivals were usually at government run sites (State, Federal, whatever), someone needed to interact with these angencies, and that almost by necessity made this person the default 'leader'.
the SAB was an attempt (and i would have to say a very successful attempt, as it turns out) to circumvent all this red tape and the restrictions inherent within the system. and that, my friends, smacks of anarchy... good, healthy anarchy! -
-
Re: Anarchism
Tue, June 10, 2008 - 3:06 AMDear Friends,
I really do appreciate the discussion. Larry, George and I started SAB just as you said. We used, for example, the article in Gnosis Magazine "Caliban's Masque" Spring 1992, which detailed the continuing underground influence of the "peasant" servants of the Puritans, the anti-establishment religious who were persecuted by the Puritans and Establishment, and folks who escaped to live with the Native People. Hakim Bey's "TAZ" ( temporary autonomous zone) and implications also influenced us.
Unless people are really tuned into being responsible for their own actions and non-actions it does not work. The whole idea behind the festival is to approach diety/energy/mystery directly. FOR EXAMPLE:Take the idea of your soul as an organizing field of energy surrounding and manifesting your body. It is connected to the overarching Anima Mundi (Soul of the World) in reality and consciously felt when you connect to Nature such as to sleep out under those remarkable stars and hear the River all the time. The merriment is a biproduct, so to say, of being alive.
Love,
Auntie Suz
PS: Don't forget my art show "Forbidden" at
Laurie Sonnenfeld's Cascade Homes Gallery
on SE 13th near the Sellwood Library,
August 1st, Friday, at 6PM. Live music! -
-
Re: Anarchism
Fri, June 13, 2008 - 10:20 PMThat was expressed about as well as it could possibly be. I strongly advocate for viewing your art show.
Larry
-
-
-
Re: Anarchism
Tue, July 8, 2008 - 9:44 AMHey, folks!
I came into the Anarchist scene through my studies about nomadic Native Peoples of the High Plains. An anthropologist wrote a great book about the Comanches (who inhabited the area where I grew up), and constantly referred to the anarchic make-up of their society. It was only later in life that I began to read the works of the Anarchist organizers, revolutionaries and writers. To tell the truth here, I'm pretty much done with caring about what most dead white men had to say about anything, and I'm getting back into a nature-based anarchism, with the Earth as my teacher and All My Relations as my comrades.
Ya'know -I'm fairly new to this web community and haven't made many friends yet - how about an add?
