...and we danced, prayed, and played..finding joy

jillian and me upon our arrival and the Red Marine Trance Dance Festival....

Trance dancing is good for us!!!
Jillian and I left on Friday afternoon...turned off of the main highway to Lake County in Northern California onto a dirt road that would take us the the Red Marine Festival...we were probably a little silly, but jillian put the top down on her convertible...not realizing how many people would want to go faster and dust us on the way past...It was a beautiful drive through a huge, huge, cattle ranch...over funky little bridges, through steams...we were on the little dirt road for almost an hour..

jilly, first hooping of the day...see how it just floats around her...she has so much fun..I love it and her!!

I must admit my first response was not one of overwhelming joy at the location...lot's of dry land...a lake with long dead trees surfacing fomr the shallow water...the stage areas in the dirt and 10 or so oak trees that were the only natural shade for 1000 campers..

Some of the available space if you weren't lucky enough to arrive early and get a sacred tree...
We pulled in and were greeted by the Russians...the Russian army...they took our money and directed us to parking...far from shade trees...We didn't mess around...the rush was on...lot's of people coming in at the same time were were...our camp site was important to me...I had been warned about the blasting loud music...actually been told to be a 15 minute walk away...but that meant no shade...shade vs. loud music Shade won out, and we were blessed with a space under a mid sized gnarled old sacred oak tree...
only a minutes walk from the main stage..eck....the music was close by time we got our tent up and our beds made it was dark...
really dark...
the only lighting came from the two stages...
the nights music was Russian trance and the voices around us were Russian and Eastern European with some Turkish thrown in.
it was like being dropped into a foreign land as we went out to get the lay of the land....
we decided to call it a night around midnite so we would be fresh for the day...
We got ready for bed, ate a little fruit, hummus and chips...talked til around 1:30AM and then lights out..
My first test...would I be able to sleep
...our tent was actually vibrating...boom, boom, boom of the constant base...fast or slow, it is always there underlying everything else ....the music never stops...24 hours...two stages..one close but I could also hear the other fainter music coming from the 2nd stage....
the earplugs my Bear provided for the trip muffled it some...
I decided to focus and the fainter beat...closed my eyes and didn't open them until 9:30 in the morning... I SLEPT!!!
longer than I ever do at home...and the music was still playing... English speaking dj's now...

...still hooping

Francesca, the little gypsy woman...
of course I took a lot of pictures of my little hoop artist...she can dance with that hoop...sometimes it seems to be spinning around her like some sort of mystic ring around a shining star....at one point she had the circle almost to herself...photo opp for mom. I also took a few photos of this beautiful gypsy girl from another land who had been dancing with and watching jillian...she eventually came to me for a hug...and as soon as I took her into my arms she began to cry..(that happens to me a lot)... I held her for quite awhile as she cried... when I let her go she was smiling....and making clear eye contact... she told me she is from the Earth...how the Earth is part of her ...we talked a little about the mess we humans are making of our home ...then she took my hand and asked that I pray with her... we moved a little out of the dance area.....and with loads of people milling about....she got down on her knees in the dirt... she was so earnest and true I couldn't resist...so I got down in the dirt with her...facing each other, knees to knees, holding hands...she asked me to speak, saying I was a goddess, oh my..... we shut out the sound of people and music... heads bowed. we asked that people wake up and take responsibility for Mother who has birthed us all, giving us a home with abundant gifts...enough for everyone..We prayed that all manner of miracles come into play to heal Her.. .it was an amazing moment.. .one I will always remember.. when we where done praying I got up..Francesca brushed the dust from my pants...and cuffed them? Do all young women think we older ones need a little fashion help..lol....then she got up, took my hand and we went into the circle to dance... lovely, lovely feeling to connect with the little free spirited gypsy girl..

heart connection

...creative camping

I also met a young man who thought it was so cool I would bring my daughter to a trance festival...he said it made him happy that I brought mother energy to the event...made him feel it was ok to be there...like a mom seal of approval...
I've been in touch with him since coming home..I like that...
another connection in this often disconnected world.

...a new magical, mystical, friend...says I'm hardcore because, 'I danced with crazy people in a field, under the blazing sun to blasting music"...Hardcore...who knew?

joy

...the magic bus
I have to share some amazement on my part...I did not hear a single swear word or see any kind of aggression or discord..pretty amazing considering the many people ...and the primitive place we had gathered...no running water, hot, dusty and dry...I saw no drug use and no alcohol and it wasn't the kind of place where there would have been an attempt to hide it...pretty cool...everyone was filled with the spirit of the music and the joy of coming together...a family...food sharing...hugs...love.

my Cosmic Cowgirl...

Would I do it again...? I can't wait...I would travel almost anywhere in order to spend time with with either of my daughters......and maybe I'm entering that second childhood, maybe, does it matter? I wasn't the oldest person there but there weren't many of us elders...I love young people...their energy...they have so much to share...Being welcomed to experience the things that make them joyful is a gift I highly recommend...if you get a chance to dance....dance...