Heartland Pagan Fest
May. 28th, 2007 12:55 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mijanI just returned home from Heartland Pagan Fest. Four days in the woods, on the most incredible piece of land, meeting some of the most wonderful people. I was shocked that such a thing could exist in Kansas, but seriously people... it was amazing. There were some workshops, and some group rituals. The field where I camped with fiona_fawkes and her friend Lari was gorgeous. Tree-lined, with a beautiful ring of trees at one end, and a large bonfire pit in the middle. We held a ritual there one night ourselves. Some of the people on our field were fire performers, and we had an amazing show, with more than half a dozen drummers. There were fireflies everywhere, sparkling. We had a few thunderstorms roll through, and after one of them, while we could still see the lightning in the distance, Fi and I took a walk in the moonlight, and with the light fog from the rain, and the fireflies dancing just above the grasses, with the lightning painting the backdrop... it was pure magic. I'm still in awe.
Every night, there was a giant bonfire and a dancer's circle. The drummers played, while people danced around the fire, many of them partly or f ully naked. I joined in, of course. The whole event was "clothing-optional". Some people walked around naked, most were at least partly clothed, but many women went topless. There was just a wonderfully freeing sense of "anything goes, just be respectful," and it was a wonderful sense of openness. There were a few people who were just a bit creepy in their nakedness, like a couple of the men who seemed more interested in the nakedness itself than in the pagan/spiritual experience, but most people were simply enjoying themselves. It was more of an appreciation for the human form, in a fun-loving, light-hearted sense, rather than creepy perving. Even the showers were literally co-ed naked, and nobody flinched.
The people up in First Field where we camped were wonderful, and invited Fi and me to join their group. There was just so much positive energy, you could feel it. People helping to set up tents for each other and pitching in to make sure that nobody's chairs were left out in the rain. Sharing stories and jokes and spiritual knowledge. Running around naked in the rain. Laughing and singing randomly. Everyone bringing food to the main bonfire and sharing with everyone else. Passing bottles of mead around the circle and making sure that everyone had some. Even the kids were great. You could tell they'd been raised with good morals, and a very balanced sense of who they were. It kinda gives me hope for the future. And I felt that I could really trust everyone there. Hell, I seriously felt that if I had dropped a hundred dollars in loose bills, with no way to identify that it was really mine, whoever found it would literally search the entire site looking for the owner, and nobody would falsely claim the money. I wished I'd been raised Pagan.
I attended Circle/Ritual called Women's Mysteries. My energy is far more masculine than feminine, even though I'm a woman, and I don't often work with Goddess energy. Still, it was a very good experience. The women were lovely people, and had a very deep understanding of their magic. The ritual was so nicely done, and I loved it. Next time, however, I want to make it to Herne's Hollow and work with the energies there. I think it will suit me more. I also went to a magical gardening thing, and enjoyed it immensely.
There's also a contingent of people who enjoy "fetish" stuff. I ended up doing an impromptu flogging demonstration out by the main bonfire, and the guy who owned the flogger was amazed. He said, "She uses that thing better than I can, and I made the flogger myself!" I don't think he knew how many ways there were to throw a flogger, but I hope to encounter him again. He and his wife were very nice, and he seemed sincerely interested in learning how to improve his technique. He also had a very healthy view of S&M, and how it's so much more than just finding ways to inflict pain. Either way, I'm bringing my whips next time.
Most of the fun, I think, was just meeting with new people, sharing, and learning. I can't wait until next year.
I think I'm going to like Kansas.
fiona_fawkes and her friend Lari was gorgeous. Tree-lined, with a beautiful ring of trees at one end, and a large bonfire pit in the middle. We held a ritual there one night ourselves. Some of the people on our field were fire performers, and we had an amazing show, with more than half a dozen drummers. There were fireflies everywhere, sparkling. We had a few thunderstorms roll through, and after one of them, while we could still see the lightning in the distance, Fi and I took a walk in the moonlight, and with the light fog from the rain, and the fireflies dancing just above the grasses, with the lightning painting the backdrop... it was pure magic. I'm still in awe. Every night, there was a giant bonfire and a dancer's circle. The drummers played, while people danced around the fire, many of them partly or f ully naked. I joined in, of course. The whole event was "clothing-optional". Some people walked around naked, most were at least partly clothed, but many women went topless. There was just a wonderfully freeing sense of "anything goes, just be respectful," and it was a wonderful sense of openness. There were a few people who were just a bit creepy in their nakedness, like a couple of the men who seemed more interested in the nakedness itself than in the pagan/spiritual experience, but most people were simply enjoying themselves. It was more of an appreciation for the human form, in a fun-loving, light-hearted sense, rather than creepy perving. Even the showers were literally co-ed naked, and nobody flinched.
The people up in First Field where we camped were wonderful, and invited Fi and me to join their group. There was just so much positive energy, you could feel it. People helping to set up tents for each other and pitching in to make sure that nobody's chairs were left out in the rain. Sharing stories and jokes and spiritual knowledge. Running around naked in the rain. Laughing and singing randomly. Everyone bringing food to the main bonfire and sharing with everyone else. Passing bottles of mead around the circle and making sure that everyone had some. Even the kids were great. You could tell they'd been raised with good morals, and a very balanced sense of who they were. It kinda gives me hope for the future. And I felt that I could really trust everyone there. Hell, I seriously felt that if I had dropped a hundred dollars in loose bills, with no way to identify that it was really mine, whoever found it would literally search the entire site looking for the owner, and nobody would falsely claim the money. I wished I'd been raised Pagan.
I attended Circle/Ritual called Women's Mysteries. My energy is far more masculine than feminine, even though I'm a woman, and I don't often work with Goddess energy. Still, it was a very good experience. The women were lovely people, and had a very deep understanding of their magic. The ritual was so nicely done, and I loved it. Next time, however, I want to make it to Herne's Hollow and work with the energies there. I think it will suit me more. I also went to a magical gardening thing, and enjoyed it immensely.
There's also a contingent of people who enjoy "fetish" stuff. I ended up doing an impromptu flogging demonstration out by the main bonfire, and the guy who owned the flogger was amazed. He said, "She uses that thing better than I can, and I made the flogger myself!" I don't think he knew how many ways there were to throw a flogger, but I hope to encounter him again. He and his wife were very nice, and he seemed sincerely interested in learning how to improve his technique. He also had a very healthy view of S&M, and how it's so much more than just finding ways to inflict pain. Either way, I'm bringing my whips next time.
Most of the fun, I think, was just meeting with new people, sharing, and learning. I can't wait until next year.
I think I'm going to like Kansas.
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 05:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 05:50 pm (UTC)You?
no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 06:56 pm (UTC)SONNY, WHEN I WAS YOUR AGE, WE HAD TO CARRY CEMENT BRICKS SIX MILES IN THE SNOW TO CAST CIRCLES. . .
And uh, yeah, I have been known to do some stuff. =P
no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 06:10 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 06:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-28 08:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 06:58 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 07:13 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 12:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 02:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 04:53 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-29 06:59 am (UTC)Glad you two had such a magical time. ;p