WHAT'S NEW THE CALL
Shhh... listen.....
Entombed seeds crack open. Their insides burst up and open as the first flowers rise up from the earth, basking in the sun's warmth and light, giving senses delight. The hive shakes out those dead from winter's cold, as the bees emerge from hibernation to start work again on their sweet honey. Furry four-legged ones start to scurry. Birds take wing and start to sing. People are coming out and gathering, laughing and showing some skin.
There is a quickening in the pulse of all living things, as these signs manifest the promise of....
LIFE!
The Great Rite approaches! The mystic union of flesh and spirit, yin and yang, shadow and light, earth and air, fire and water, masculine and feminine. All these energies and all the spaces between them, all the powers we as magical queer people hold and express. Hear the call to share with full hearts all our burdens and our blessings. Heed the call to GIVE! RECEIVE! RECIPROCATE!
Let us gather as a community in love, respect, and shared abundance. Gather your intentions and willingness to see them through. Gather your registration and abundant donations, and send them in early! Gather your gear, your drag, your woo, your lovers, and your best friends....
The signs are queer
the time is near
for Wolf Creek Beltane 2009!
P.S. We invite the whole Radical Faerie community to celebrate with us. If you haven't been to the land in a while -- Welcome Home!
EVENTS
This gathering is what we make it. Whatever our hearts imagine or desire, we have full permission and empowerment to make happen. If you want to see a workshop, heart circle, dance party, dawn yoga practice, craft project, shamanic toenail painting intensive... you can manifest it!
Here are some events that are likely to occur (dates may vary):
Monday, 4/27: Opening Circle
Wednesday 4/29: Find the Pole
Libation Night
Thursday, 4/30: Dig the Hole
Beltane Eve Ritual: Walpurgisnacht
Friday, 5/1: Make the Ribbons
Maypole Procession and Ritual
Saturday, 5/2: Know Your Talent Show
Sunday, 5/3: Closing Ritual & Cleanup
Other activities being visioned for this year:
Temple of Love Play Party
Heart Circles
Sacred Circle Jerk
Permaculture Projects
MEALS AND DAILY CIRCLES All times are approximate, depending upon the Cosmic Flow. Listen for the conch to announce meals and other events.
9 a.m. Breakfast
10 a.m. Heart circle (after breakfast)
1 p.m. Planning circle/land meeting (during lunch)
7 p.m. Dinner
Three conches: 20 minutes until mealtime
Six conches: Mealtime
One conch: Some other event is starting
"YOO-HOO!!!": Something is happening right now, and people are done waiting for you!
NOTAFLOF and GAYAABAGS
DONATE ONLINE! Help raise $2K needed up front for groceries and propane by donating online now!
Use a credit or debit card -- no PayPal account required.
The requested donation for this gathering is $35 dollars per day -- more if you can, less if you can't.
One of the founding principles of the Sanctuary is: NOTAFLOF, No One Turned Away For Lack Of Funds. This year, we invoke a new spirit: GAYAABAGS! Give As You Are Able But Always Give Something!!!
Giving to the Sanctuary is a powerful act of abundance magic. By giving to support this sacred place, we place our money on the altar so Spirit can bless it and return it to us. This is especially important in a time when so many are worried about money. If you only have $10 -- kiss it with sparkly lipstick and give it with LOVE.
Thank you for your generosity, which strengthens this community and the magic that we share. May what we give come back to us 3 times 3 times 3!
ABOUT WOLF CREEK SANCTUARY
In the early 80s a group of
Radical Faeries on the West Coast started talking about establishing a Radical Faerie Sanctuary where they could hold gatherings instead of holding them in public forests or on private land. In 1984, they created
Nomenus. Nomenus is a non-profit religious organization founded to create, preserve and manage places of spiritual and cultural sanctuary for
Radical Faeries and their friends to gather in harmony with nature for renewal, growth, and shared learning.
Since 1987, Nomenus has maintained a
Radical Faerie Sanctuary in Wolf Creek, Oregon. The 80+ acre sanctuary has since evolved into the home of a small intentional community as well as a site for personal retreats, workshops, and various gatherings. The Sanctuary is a place to explore faggot-oriented spirituality and queer community on an ongoing basis. At Beltane we invite the entire Radical Faerie community and our friends to come home and collectively beautify, nurture, and improve our Sanctuary and ourselves.
HELP WANTED
This Gathering happens because we choose, for a time, individually and as a community, to take care of each other and the land we're walking on. To live like loving family on a living Earth. For this Gathering to be sustainable, for it to flow in a good way and be fun for everybody, each single person needs to do their share....plus a little bit more.
So if you see something that needs attention (garbage needs taken out, a mess in the parking lot that has been there for three days etc.), don't just trip on down the trail like it's some other queen's job. Take the initiative!
A lot of love and work goes into this gathering. Meals need to be cooked, propane hauled and firewood cut, shitters cleaned and stocked, fire stations ready, circles and rituals led, trash hauled. The Maypole needs to be felled, the Mayhole dug, the Ribbons cut. Gardening, repair, and project love are needed to keep the Sanctuary thriving.
What's your part?
Where's your give-back?
How do your skills align?
What's your super-power?
your highest bliss?
something you want to learn about or call into your life?
HERE ARE SOME JOBS. WHAT'S YOURS?
Before the Gathering (email wolf.creek.beltane@gmail.com):
•
Planners: Help hold the vision for the gathering. Show up for the conference calls where the REAL fun happens.
•
FUN-Raisers: Organize delightful events to raise energy and money for the gathering and the Sanctuary.
•
Kitchen Queens: Help the kitchen flow smoothly. Plan menus, help with ordering, manage the kitchen, support the cooks.
Ideally shared by several people. Be Kitchen Queen for a Day!
•
Flowmeister: Help people hook up with jobs needing to be done. Be the logistical lubricant that makes the whole gathering run smoothly.
•
Transportation Coordinator: Organize rides to & from Greyhound Grants Pass, Medford airport, Klamath Falls train station, and beyond.
•
Zombie Surgeon General: Make sure the first aid kits are stocked and organize other Zombie Nurses (first aid / emergency response).
At the Gathering (see the Barn door for signups):
•
Registration: Hang out at the Qiosk or the Barn to greet and orient new arrivals.
•
Templekeepers: Help clean and tend the Garden House, Barn, and Temple of Love
•
Firewood Czar: Organize woodcutting parties while looking all butch with a chainsaw.
•
Fire Tenders: Help with firewood and keep our tribal fires burning.
•
Cooks: Sign up with a couple of friends to cook a meal. Nourish your Faerie kin and make their tummies happy.
•
Dishwashers: Dishwashers eat first and get blowjobs.
•
Garden/Greenhouse: The Sanctuary can always use help with permaculture projects. Please check with land fae before helping out.
•
Ritual Planning: Help hold the container and guide the energy for our communal magic.
•
Shitter Patrol: Keep our trusty shitters clean and well-stocked. A humble yet vital job.
•
Trash Hauler: Carry trash and recycling off the Land so we leave ZERO TRASH FOOTPRINT.
•
Zombie Nurses: Be a clear and grounded presence to safeguard your fellow Faeries.
FUN-RAISERS
Wednesday April 8th! Portland's LOVOLUTION Queer Extravaganza at the Fez Ballroom (318 SW 11th-- around the corner from the RedCap) A soul-shaking FUN-raiser for the Beltane Gathering at Wolf Creek! Featuring Live Performers, DJs, Flipbook Photobooth, and a Raffle! Doors open at 7pm and goes until late... $5-20 suggested sliding donation (all donations gladly taken... registration for the gathering will also be available) This is a 21+ event
Saturday April 11th! Portland--A Pre-Beltane K(NO)W TALENT Show at 3 Friends Coffeehouse (201 SE 12th Ave) Noon-4pm. Wind down your Satyrday morning Faerie Coffee experience by Winding UP for Beltane's Faerie Experience! Get on stage and perform-- fine tune your act for the land or try out that new outfit... Again, all donations welcomed (even 5gallon buckets!) and registration will be available. This is an all ages event.
WORK PARTY
Come to the LOVE THE LAND project skill-share the week before the gathering for a more intimate experience as together we prepare the land.
Check out
this list of projects and decide which one you're drawn to. Check in with Earthen at the Sanctuary and let him know how you want to plug in.
Project leaders and coordinators are greatly needed, as is a Kitchen Queen for the work party. Planning ahead for tools and supplies greatly increases project effectiveness!
Contact: Earthen Ribbons at 541-866-2678 (at the Sanctuary) or Nyna Luna Love (Portland contact) at 503-288-0399 (home), or 503-839-0235 (cell).
Ride-sharing saves fossil fuels and money, while making the trip so much more entertaining; it starts your gathering early! Do speak up if you have room for gear, or if you need lots of room for gear; it can make the difference for somebody being able to fit one more passenger.
For the Seattle area and points north, Work Party or Beltane, contact Quetzal, quetzal.gubidxha@gmail.com, until Apr 26.
Other areas, like Portland and California, still need ride coordinators; let wolf.creek.beltane@gmail.com know if you'd like to volunteer.
The Yahoo group wolf-creek-rides is where you can share ride-offered/wanted messages, if there isn't somebody organizing carpools for your area.
WHAT TO BRING
***Natural fabrics and sheets to make ribbons for our Maypole ***
***Gifts for the Sanctuary -- see the Wishlist ***
Tent, tarps, sleeping bag, pad
Flashlight
Water bottle
Warm clothes and hat for chilly nights (nighttime temperatures may dip into the 40s)
Umbrella / rain gear
Sun hat
Towel
Biodegradable shampoo and toothpaste
Biodegradable sunscreen such as Bullfrog (remember, all water drains into the Creek!)
Tote bag for carrying things when you are away from your tent
Fabulous outfits and drag to share
Drums and musical instruments
Condoms, gloves, lube
Floggers and other toys for the Temple of Love
Tarot cards, tools of magick, altar objects
Body paint, glitter, nail polish
Art supplies and craft projects
A clearly divined Intention
Good personal boundaries
An idea for a circle or workshop
Songs to share
Poetry to read
A sense of humor
A kind and open heart
Appreciation for our differences
Willingness to pitch in
A number for the talent show
Your most delightful and fabulous friends
WHAT NOT TO BRING
• Please NO dogs (see below)
• NO violence or bigotry
• NO entitled consumers, "drainbows," or do-me queens
• NO tightly wadded panties
Don't bring a mess * Don't leave a mess * Don't be a mess
FOOD
If you can bring food for the gathering -- such as day-old bread or other healthy yummy food to feed 75-100 people –- that is simply fabulous! Please bring cases of things if you can (not just groceries for a dinner party). Call the Sanctuary and let us know what you're bringing so we can adjust our shopping list.
Vegans, vegetarians, and people with food allergies: the cooks will make every effort to accommodate you, but please remember: you are ultimately responsible for your own health. If you require certain types of food, a good way to get your needs met is to help plan menus and sign up to cook.
SPECIAL NEEDS
We have very limited indoor space reserved for those with SERIOUS health concerns or disabilities. These spaces are for those who would otherwise be unable to participate in the gathering. If you are able-bodied, please Camp It Up Honey!
Garden House is for community use, NOT individual lodging. Garden House kitchen is for special needs only.
To reserve special needs space for the gathering, please contact Earthen Ribbons or Piwacket (
nomenus@hughes.net or 541-866-2678). Let us know what your special needs are and how we can help you meet them.
DOGS
Dogs roaming free cause problems for the gathering. No matter how lovely and well-behaved your dog may be, a pack of uncontrolled dogs on the land tends to bark, fight, poop, and sometimes bite. They harass the land chickens and chase away wildlife.
For the comfort and safety of all, we ask: PLEASE DO NOT BRING YOUR DOG TO THE GATHERING. A kennel is available in Merlin, the next town south, where you can board your furry loved one for $10/day. It is called Creekside Boarding, (541) 471-7144, ask for Donna.
If you do choose to bring your dog, please keep your dog ON A LEASH in the parking lot or with you AT ALL TIMES. (Mary, the land dog, lives here, and the rules are different for her.)
Thank you for respecting these requests!
SAFETY
• NO fire, smoking, candles, or incense on paths or at campsites.
• WASH YOUR HANDS after using the toi-toi and again before eating.
• WATCH OUT FOR POISON OAK (there's lots -- if you don't know what it looks like, get someone to show you).
SUBSTANCE USE
Illegal drugs are not condoned at the gathering, and alcohol is restricted to the parking lot (except for Libation Night).
Visitors possessing or under the influence of illegal substances may be asked to leave.
For community intentions and agreements regarding substance use, please see the Qiosk in the parking lot.
TRASH AND LAUNDRY
There is no dumpster or trash service on the Land. We are responsible for taking out any trash we generate. We have left behind a lot of garbage on the land during gatherings in the past. Our goal for this gathering is ZERO TRASH FOOTPRINT.
Please be responsible for everything you bring to the Sanctuary. If you pack it in, pack it out.
Please leave your camping space and our whole Sanctuary in a better condition than you found it.
If you have room, please load up some recycling or trash when you leave.
THERE IS CURRENTLY NO WASHER AND DRYER AT THE SANCTUARY, so please don't plan on doing laundry at the Gathering.
WHAT'S NEW
4/12: Transportation section added.