RAINBOW GATHERING WELCOME CENTER, GUIDELINES,

TRADITIONS AND INFORMATION

“When the earth is ravaged and animals are dying, a new tribe of
people shall come to the earth from many colors, classes and creeds,
and by their actions and deeds shall make the earth green again.
They will be known as ‘the warriors of the rainbow’."

- Old Native American prophecy.

WHAT IS A RAINBOW GATHERING?

While everyone you meet here might have their own answer to that
question, it would be hard to disagree that we are a tribal, anarchist,
non-commercial event. We actively practice peace and respect and
cherish diversity and unity.

INTRODUCTION

Dear family, you are about to enter a different universe where peace,
respect, sharing and loving are actively taking place. Like any
indigenous tribe, civilisation, religion, community or anything involving
more than one person, we have certain ways of doing things. What
you are about to read are some of the basics of how rainbow
gatherings have been functioning for almost half a century. It will help
you to find your place in this new world and to avoid people telling
you "hey, you’re doing it wrong!". While we do not believe in rules or
limitations but in common sense and respect, here are a few simple
suggestions that will help create a harmonious and healthy gathering.
Pay attention to what you are about to read and help us bring
awareness to this world.

FOOD CIRCLE AND WORKSHOP CALLS

While strolling peacefully down the path you might suddenly feel
ambushed by a loud call - "fooood circle!!!" - repeated from camp to
camp. We call everyone for a communal meal three times: 1st "food
circle" when the family starts cooking, 2nd "food circle" when half-
finished and the 3rd call, "food circle now", when the food is ready and
waiting for you to come and eat at the main fire. Make sure every call
is repeated. This is our way to get everyone to come eat together, but
also to let everyone know when a workshop, ceremony or talking
circle is about to start, or when someone needs help. With a bit of luck
two communal meals will be served every day.

FOOD CIRCLE

After shouting “food circle now”, wash your hands, plate and spoon,
grab your sitting mat and maybe a headlight and walk to the main fire
- the food is ready, the family is waiting for you. When you get there,
keep your belongings safe and join the singing circle. If it didn’t start
yet grab a few hands and sing your favorite songs. Keep both thumbs
facing left so that one hand receives and the other gives in a big
circle, feel the love. We sing to celebrate being alive together in
nature, and also to wait for the family camping far away to arrive. If
you are not comfortable with the holding of hands and singing, please
don’t stay in your camp. We are actually waiting for you. Come sit and
chill with your friends at a distance you judge as safe from the singing
and dancing. Maybe join for the "om", if you wish. When we feel
everybody is present we start the "om", a powerful and positive
vibration which allows you to feel the universe and send good vibes to
all beings. Silence is really appreciated after the "om".

Grab your belongings and go back to sit where you were singing,
socialise and make new friends. You deserve to be served, the food
will come to you. When servers arrive place your plate close to the pot
to facilitate their job. The bigger your plate, the more food you get.
Small plates are hard to serve onto with food frequently falling on the
floor.

IMPORTANT - for reasons of hygiene and to avoid cross-contamination,

do not hold your plate over the pot, do not pass it to anyone
(especially not to servers who need to keep their hands clean). The
serving spoon shouldn’t touch your plate. If you have to stand or pass
your plate to get your food you are sitting in the wrong place.
ANNOUNCEMENTS

When service is done you will hear another strange call: "FOCUUUS".
This is when we stop chatting and making new friends and pay close
attention to the person about to announce something important to the
family. It will be about what’s needed for the gathering, workshops,
talking circles, help needed for projects and more… If you want to
propose something or you plan to share some skills this is the place to
announce it. Be precise about where and when your event will take
place if you want people to turn up. Don’t be shy, we are all here to
learn and share.

MAGIC HAT

Into the hat goes love and money, out comes a beautiful gathering full
of delicious, healthy food. That’s magic!

When announcements are done, a small parade will go around the

circle with music and what we call "the magic hat". Rainbow follows
the philosophy of gift economy. Give what you can to support those
who have less than you - it is our way to welcome everyone to our
gatherings no matter your financial situation. We encourage you to AT
ONCE give THE FULL AMOUNT you judge fair to cover your whole stay
with us, this will help the kitchen to plan ahead and buy in bulk. Then
hide and forget about your money, you won’t need it anymore. Being
a non-commercial event we highly prefer sharing and trading. The
only time you get money out of your pocket is for the magic hat. The
next time the hat passes, put love and kisses into it. The contents of
magic hat will be used to buy basic equipment for the gathering and
vegan food only – as local and organic as is available or as we can
afford. What is left in the hat at the end of the gathering goes to the
next one.

The main kitchen and the communal meals are strictly vegan.
However, the gathering is also vegetarian-friendly – for your own
camp please bring local, organic, free range, non-industrial products,
as far as possible. We are here to celebrate life, please do not bring or
consume dead animal products.
THE MAIN FIRE.

Our sacred fire is the heart of the gathering. It burns for 28 days from
new moon to new moon. It is lit and extinguished in ceremonies at the
beginning and end of the gathering. The sacred fire is a holy place for
many of us. We invite you to take your shoes off when entering the
stone circle around it.

Keep any kind of cooking away from it. Throw only wood, organic
offerings and good intentions into the fire. Cigarette butts and micro-
trash go into your pocket and is part of your personal garbage that is
brought to the outside world and disposed of by yourself (there is no
rubbish collection at the gathering).

We love and care for everyone. Keep smoking away from the main
fire, meals and communal places. When enjoying the warmth of the
flames make sure you are not blocking anyone behind you. If there is
no space in the circle for you to sit down, invite everyone to open the
circle by moving away from the fire. Step or sit one meter further back
when you hear "open the circle, please".

WHERE DO WE POOP?

Our communal toilets are called "shit pits". Find out where the shit pits
are before you have to go! We are all responsible for sanitation and
good health for all. A shit pit is a simple trench latrine to maintain a
sanitary environment, minimise impact on the land and water, and to
prevent sickness. Please, poop ONLY in those specially designed shit
pits. If you want privacy while pooping, bring a good friend to hold the
"invisible door" and keep anyone from coming in. If you cannot reach
the shit pit, dig a cat hole at least 30cm deep and bury your poop and
toilet papers or dead leaves. Never poop near a water source or old
waterways. It's everyone’s responsibility to bury any poop we see.

Dear sisters, hygiene products go in your personal trash, toilet paper

for pee has to be buried or collected by you.

HOW TO USE A SHIT PIT: First poop in the long narrow hole, then cover
your poop, toilet paper or dead leaves with wood ash or limestone.
This prevents flies from getting into the shit and carrying diseases to
the kitchen and other people. Sanitise your hands. If you see there is
no ash or limestone take the metallic bucket back with you to the
main fire or kitchen and fill it up. Leave it on the path to the shit pit. If
you see a bucket with ash on your way to the shit pit, please bring it
with you.

HOW TO WASH YOURSELF "INDIA STYLE": If someone convinced you

that this way is cleaner and you decide to adopt it please read
carefully. Have your own "poop bottle" of at least one litre. Do not
leave it behind. Use it only for this purpose. Keep it away from
anyone’s reach. The best place to wash is at the ends of the trench to
avoid too much water in the pit or to splash water and poop
everywhere we step. In the squatting position hold the bottle with
your right hand and with the left hand clean your butt. Wash your
hands with water and ash, or even better with biodegradable soap.
Use alcohol or vinegar to sanitize them before leaving. Keep your
hands free of dirt for the whole gathering. Make sure your nails are
short and also free of dirt. It happened many times that a person with
microscopic amounts of shit on their hands cutting veggies for a salad
made the whole gathering sick. Stay away from the kitchen if you are
not sure to be 100% poop, infection and sickness free.

HOW CAN WE PARTICIPATE?

In rainbow gatherings we have no leaders or organisers. The work is

shared by everyone. If you see a job, it’s probably yours. We invite
you to learn the esoteric secret of rainbow consciousness: everything
is more fun when we all pitch in. Help with the logistics: collect wood,
big logs at the main fire and smaller wood for the kitchen. Help dig
new shit pits.

Come help and have fun in the kitchen (if your hands are completely
clean and you are free from infectious wounds). Remember that the
kitchen is the best place to meet new friends and that music is always
really appreciated. Organise and participate in workshops or talking
circles. At gatherings, any imaginable skill is shared through
workshops, be it meditation, yoga, primitive skills, music, juggling,
and so on... Become a teacher or a student anytime.
Talking circles are an important part of the gathering: heart sharing,
women’s or men’s circles, morning councils and the vision council are
some of the talking circles you are invited to participate in. There are
many guidelines to run a successful talking circle, the main one is to
listen to the person with the "talking stick”.

Every decision is taken by consensus.

WHAT IS A FOCALISER?

A focaliser is not a boss or a leader. She, he or they saw a job and took
responsibility to carry it out… and they might need help. So a focaliser
keeps the focus on the task at hand when it is carried out by a group.
Their job is not easy in an anarchist community, so please give your
opinion only when asked, we all have different ways of doing things. If
you disagree or think you can do better you are more than welcome to
focalise it the next day.

WHAT SHOULD WE BRING?

Good vibes, instruments, juggling toys, a cup, a big bowl, a spoon, a

sitting mat, a knife, a headlight, warm clothing, rain gear, camping
equipment, a first aid kit, a water bottle, biodegradable soap, nail
clippers.

WHAT SHOULD WE LEAVE AT HOME?

- Violence. We actively ask any disputes to be solved in a peaceful

way. Help, or ask around for help to achieve it. For serious problems
loudly call "SHANTI SENA". Peace keepers will join hands around the
issue and find solutions. We are all peace keepers.

- Drugs. We are in favor of gentle herbal remedies. Any chemical

intoxication of any kind is considered dangerous to the spirit of the
gathering.
- Pets. We love dogs but rainbow is not a good place for a pet. We
often gather in national parks or places where dogs are forbidden or
have to be kept on leashes. Dogs fight with other dogs, scare and kill
wildlife, shit everywhere, eat human poop and then lick our faces and
plates. They can get stressed by the change of environment and
sometimes bite people or kids. If you MUST bring your pet, be REALLY
responsible for it. Keep them under watch 24 hours, on a leash, away
from the kitchen and food circles, clean up and bury any dog poop you
see even if not from your own dog.

- Electronics. Any kind of speaker or sound system is disturbing to the

sound of nature. The best social media is around you, give and receive
phone calls in the parking lot, then turn off your phone. Photos are
discouraged, please ask permission before taking them.

- Alcohol. This is a serious issue in every tribe around the world,

including ours. Rainbow is a great place to quit drinking. Help us keep
this poison away from the family.

WHAT IS A “DRAINBOW"?

A "drainbow" is someone who comes to gatherings with the sole

intention of eating, pooping, smoking your weed and tobacco, lying in
the sun and doing nothing for the entirety of their stay. They take a
real pleasure in draining other people’s energy, especially the ones
helping or focalising, with constant criticism. They love to challenge
the family by bringing what we all leave home, claiming that their
little selfish freedom is the most important thing there is. Be a rainbow
warrior, give more than you receive. Help as much as you can.

CAMPING

- We encourage everyone to share communal fires instead of having a

hundred private ones. This brings us closer together, improves fire
safety and minimises our impact on the land.

- Camp away from water sources and river beds.

- Bring your personal trash out when you leave – bring out what you
bring in. Don’t leave your trash in some pile in the parking lot.

- We encourage you to not cut any living trees or plants.

- Our water sources are our life blood and must be protected. No
campsites or latrines within two hundred meters of our springs,
especially uphill from them. If washing with biodegradable soap, fill up
a bucket and shower or wash at least 50 meters from the river. Never
wash with any kind of soap in a natural body of water.

- If you start to have stomach pain or diarrhea immediately start

boiling, filtering or purifying your drinking water and wash your hands
more than usual.

- Be really careful that any cuts you have don't get infected and are
covered during the day. Staphylococcus infections are common in
rainbow gatherings, extremely contagious and usually require
antibiotics to heal.

NUDITY

Nudity is our natural state and nakedness is welcome. Be aware that

law enforcement officers have been known to write expensive fines for
public nudity or evicted us for that reason. Being naked in certain
countries is taboo and unacceptable, please respect local cultures.
Nudity is not a sexual invitation. We interact with a naked person the
same way we interact with a clothed person. Stalking and unwanted
advances have no place here.

CLEAN UP

We leave the place better than we found it. Leave no trace.

WELCOME HOME!!!