Burning Man in the Age of Rick Perry: Revelation, Pluralism, and Moral Imperative
We cannot know his legendary
head with eyes like ripening fruit. And
yet his torso is still suffused with brilliance
from inside, like a lamp, in which his gaze, now
turned to low,gleams in all its power… You must
change your life. —Excerpt from Rilke, “Archaic Torso of
Apollo”
At this moment, over 50,000 people from
around the world are gathered, again, in a temporary city in
Nevada’s Black Rock desert. By now, I suspect most RD readers
have heard of Burning Man, though the nature of this temporary
city—please don’t call it a festival—remains elusive. Some call it
a Temporary Autonomous Zone devoted to radical self-expression and
radical self-reliance. Others call it a utopian experiment in
commerce-free living. Others, well, others call it a
festival.
Like any pilgrimage site, Burning Man is less a destination than a
pretext for the journey. These days, of course, flying into
Reno isn’t so hard—but actually opening up to whatever Black Rock
City has to offer… that journey can be arduous. If you go
looking for a festival with sex and drugs and dance music, that is
all you will find. But if you pause to wonder why there’s a
temple in the middle of it, why people come back year after year
even if they don’t do drugs, or, for that matter, how it is that
the art, community, and culture of Black Rock City is constructed
without a Them putting on entertainments for Us, much more can be
received.
Generally speaking, those who intend to be open in this way come
away changed by the experience. I’ve been to dozens of
“festivals,” and some of them have been very cool. But they
didn’t inspire me to change my life. Burning Man did, when I first
went to it in 2001. What it presents are ways of being that
most of us never imagine. It’s possible to be like this, it
says, to live so richly and creatively and expressively and
sensuously, to be this in love with life. And once one has really
seen that such a life is possible, one cannot go back to how one
was.
Torsten's playa bike
TORSTEN HASSELMANN (12 years at Burning Man)
Origin of bike: I built and welded it and myself out of the town dump when I lived in Wyoming. Among other things the handlebars used to be a shopping cart frame.
Accessories: Minimal, just the bike here, though I used to enjoy EL (electroluminescent) wire so I put some on the bars for lighting back in 2004 and still use it to not get run over.
Advice for last minute bike builders: Start earlier next time and make it fun for everybody.
Tips for riding on the Playa: Keep it upright.
Most important in a Burner bike: Hopefully it’s not just fun for you, but brightens other peoples’ experience as well.
More profiles at http://www.7x7.com/fitness-outdoors/burner-bike-diy-tips-playa-pros
Black Rock City 2010 Yearbook
Browse the gallery of all the freaky beautiful amazing Burners, or download a pdf version of the yearbook, here. Here’s a small sampling of what goodness is in store for you.... <3
Of course, this awesome project reminds me of another awesome project that I have been working on since my first Burn in 2007: The Playa Portrait Project!
"I have one life and I would be damned if I live as a fool "
Many, many more at http://www.sunflowerrobots.com/timelovememory
Defining Moments, 2009
This Burn was my third (nonconsecutive) pilgrimage to the playa and the most powerful by far. Seeking a way to ground my energy and emotions upon returning to my homeground in the Pacific Northwest, I headed out to the San Juan Islands last weekend to visit two dear friends at their home on a cliff above the wild shore. I told stories about my experiences at the Burn for hours; a few days later, one of the friends commented "you seem humbled by your Burn this time around." That is a perfect description of my current state: humbled. Also: in awe. thankful. blessed. in love. connected. pregnant with possibilties. floating in a state of grace, not fully existing in this world or that.
"Tell us about one of your defining moments on the playa this year …" is the question John Curley posted on the Burning Blog last week, and over 75 Burners fresh from their Black Rock City tenure answer with stories that are moving, hilarious, sacred, bittersweet, transformative and heartfelt. I connect to the thread of humility that is braided through the many impressions shared. I feel waves of playa-love pulsing through my newly-reinvigorated heart as I read these personal reflections. I hope you can feel them too, and I invite you to share your own defining moment in the comments at the end of the post.
* * * * * *
One evening early in the week, as the
sun was setting, I walked out into the desert alone, behind BRC,
where there was no one. I was utterly alone, no other humans near
by. I asked my creator what I should do. My creator informed me
that I must lose the costume first…and so away it went, layer by
layer, and then the jewelry, and necklaces…all of it off, I stood
completely naked, bathed in the blazing colors of the setting sun.
I walked away from my belongings, and my footprints appeared in the
cracks before me, before I stepped into them, the footprints
appeared. They were already there, waiting for me to fill them. My
body found a rhythm and I intuitively moved in a kind of slow
ti-chi-yoga dance, that let my joints crack and free themselves of
their restrictions. I have been in several accidents, have broken
many bones and have limited range of motion, but I felt freed of
all of it. Free of pain, regret, fear…..FREE. With my creator that
evening, I found myself once again. A child, an embryo, a man, a
woman, all together, all encompassing, a creative being of
light….free to BE… as I was gifted this life to be.
Later that evening, a fellow burner gave me a bumper sticker that
says ‘Fear is Funny’.
And I have not stopped smiling since.
* * * * *
*
I decided to trek to the temple alone
on Saturday afternoon after much debauchery. I was delivered into a
dust storm on the way, and couldn’t see a single structure or
living person at first. Rather than feeling worried it was the most
peaceful experience of my life. Later, I would come apon pockets of
people and art that would recede into the dust again like
apparitions. I finally made it to the temple and cried like a
little girl- for me, for loved ones, for everyone there. It was
like my soul was wiped clean for the very first time. It was so
stunning and surreal.
* * * * * *
Watching the temple burn with friends, we were awestruck when a
phenomenal cellist humbly played next to us. We listened for a half
hour while he drew all the sorrow, love, yearning and spirit of the
temple through his strings, and then moved on. I am so grateful for
that beautiful experience.
Also, I got to surrender to the moment many times this year – going
with the flow, against my programming and typical behavior or
responses, I got to experience immediacy more than I ever have
before in 10 years of participating in Burningman. Here’s to
playadipity!
* * * * *
*
2 years ago I was diagnosed with inoperable brain cancer. Last
November, after a year of radiation and chemo I was told I only had
‘weeks or months’ to live. Being at Burning Man again this year was
a triumph for me and an affirmation of life. When I put a message
on the temple I started to cry because I suddenly realized I had
changed from thinking about dieing to thinking about living. That
was a moment I will never forget.
* * * * *
*
"The Life Lessons of Burning Man"
Read the entire article, alongside many other first-hand reports and interpretations, on the "What is Burning Man?" page in our "About" section. Alright then.
"Yer goin' where? To do what?"
Photo by John Curley; The Man 8/26/2009.
Some
last thoughts before leaving for Burning Man
2009
1.) Camp dBM
location : Because of our
(hopeful) partnership with another larger camp that we're drawing
power from, we ended up involuntarily situated at the far edge of
Black Rock City -- 2:15ish and Lineage, or on the perimeter out by
walk-in camping. AKA, the Boonies, or as Torsten called it, The
Frontier. This is exciting for several reasons. First of all, I
wonder: what the
hell goes on way out there??? I've camped near Center Camp and the
Deep End (accidentally) and on the Esplanade, and so have always
been, for better or for worse, close in to the downtown BRC action.
What will it be like on the Frontier? Will there be periods of
peace and tranquility? Does anybody wander by out there? What's it
like trying to get around on bikes from way out there? And just
what exactly are those walk-in campers up to? With all of these
questions unanswerable until we strike camp and find out, I am
psyched to be getting a new perspective on the city. I can't fathom
that there's a "bad spot" to camp -- except for a few camps I
wouldn't care to be next to -- only different spots, providing for
different perspectives. Sounds like a good way to keep the Burn
fresh! Secondly, which leads me to...
2.) the natural vibes of the Black Rock
Desert. I expect
the Frontier positioning, with our camp facing outward towards open
playa and the hills, to allow me, for the first time, to try and
discern some aspect of the natural vibrations of this special
place. I typically move through the world attuned to the natural
world around me, noticing the birds and plants, reading the
landscape. Down at Burning Man, this hasn't really been a part of
my experience -- in part because there doesn't seem to be anything
living for several miles, as well as because the humanoid stimuli
is so overpowering! Imagine bird-watching during Carnival or Mardi
Gras, netting butterflies on the Las Vegas strip, Id'ing fungi in
Alice's Wonderland. Not likely. I do remember, in 2007, taking a
personal timeout one night and biking out to the trash fence on the
edge of Deep Playa, sitting down and gazing out at the desert. I
felt an electric charge when I slowed down and focused on the
vastness of open space out there, how far the playa stretched on to
the horizon, how incomprehensibly vast the cosmos above was and how
many stars it held. I think that it is the only time I've dialed in
to the natural powers of the Black Rock, and I look forward to
making more of an effort to do so this year. Another way to keep it
fresh.
Speaking of nature...
Burning Man iPhone app
I found a very cool new iPhone app featuring sumptuous photos from the playa, plus a how-to playa photography guide, links collection and other swag, made by Seattle's own Matt Freedman and available at www.monkfishlabs.com. It'll costya $3.99, but then you'll have the playa in your pocket for any time you need a quick escape!
Are you ready to Evolve?
Thoughts on the forthcoming Burn from www.examiner.com:
"For this year's theme, Burners are asked to contemplate three questions: What are we as human beings? Where have we come from? And how may we adapt to meet an ever-changing world? There is perhaps no better moment in time to ask these. We stand at a unique epoch, amidst a world in turmoil that is transforming literally before our eyes. How will humans evolve to meet the challenges of a world besieged by war, overpopulation, economic depression, climate change, and over-consumption, yet one that has never been more consciously aware and interconnected? A world daunted by convergent crises, yet equipped with tools and ideas unimaginable to generations past? Will we find a collective pathway out of the morass, or will we end up our own worst enemies and seal our own fate?
For Burners and the vast culture they have spawned, the key to surfing the apocalypse (from the greek meaning "lifting of the veil" or "revelation") is creativity and community, and the endless ways that each are continuously reinvented...."
More here.click here for more...
Adam Lambert : Bringing the Burn to mainstream America
On Jun 10, 2009, at 9:38 AM, moontroll wrote:
Subject: "I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen."
I don't know this guy, never even seen "American Idol" once, but can appreciate his awakening at the Burn: NY Daily News.
* * * * * * * * *
On Jun 10, 2009, at 10:09 AM, Edub wrote:
Subject: Re: "I realized that we all have our own power, and that whatever I wanted to do, I had to make happen."
"Drug fueled" Yeah, that's there, but we all know there is more to the Burn than that! Through portal we come face to face with the Pure Power of Potential. How we choose to harness it - on the playa and in the default world, is up to us. In the immortal words of Master Yoda, "Choose, but choose wisely."
Onward toward the Burn. May the Force (i.e. the Pure Power of Potential) be with us.
~ Master Doobsauce
* * * * * * * * * click here for more...
Burning Bookshelf: Books about Burnign Man
In less three weeks, the Man will burn. Over 45,000 revelers, seekers, artists and freaks will gather around an effigy on a remote, desolate, dry lake bed in a forgotten corner of Nevada to drum, dance with fire and lose their minds to the magic of the moment. The energy of Burning Man 2008 is growing in strength daily, and Burners the world over can feel the pull to the playa.
In 2007, I went to Burning Man with a large group of Bellinghamsters organized under the Boogie Collective umbrella. We built a 40-foot tall Boogie Pyramid, threw all-night dance parties and lived communally beneath a billowing green parachute for ten days. While it has long been obvious that I wouldn't be returning to participate in The Event in the Desert this year, I have to admit that with the arrival of August, Black Rock City's invisible, inevitable gravitational forces are agitating my soul. I have other projects I am dedicated to this year, but that doesn't negate my natural affinity for ritual and release, intentional gatherings, inward reorientation and creative pranksterism.
I might seek for a vicarious Burn instead, browsing the many different books about Burning Man published in recent years.
Jessica Bruder's "Burning Book: A Visual History of Burning Man" (Simon Spotlight, 2007) is a dizzying piece of artwork, a shuffle-play of favorite Burning Man deliriums throughout the years, designed by the venerable collagist Martin Vensezky. It features photo contributions from hundreds of playa snapshooters and loads of playa ephemera, like reproductions of tickets and maps from past Burns, stickers and buttons from different theme camps and all the little trinkety stuff that are gifted out and circulated throughout Black Rock City.
The trajectory of the book is shaped to represent the journey to and through Black Rock City, and thus early chapters include drives through Gerlach and the first burns in San Francisco before introducing you to playa legends like Thunderdome, Dr. Megavolt, Contessa and the Belgian Waffle. There are chapters on music, vehicles and costumes/identity before the reader is brought face to face with the Man and his many inflammations. The end of the ride lands softly with a retrospective of David Best's temples and closes with a look at the city's dissolution in the chapter "Leave No Trace."
Dale Pendell's "Inspired Madness: The Gifts of Burning Man" (Frog Ltd., 2006) is a loose interpretation of the tribal, post-pagan gathering told through short, abstract episodic vignettes and sketches, which could be hell to read if Pendell wasn't such a interesting storyteller wading up to his eyeballs in the spirit and joy of each moment.
"This is Burning Man" by Brian Dogherty (Benbella, 2004) is much less abstract and subjective, and less fun too. It seeks to tell the story of what BM is, where it came from and why it is what it is from a journalist's perspective, though Dogherty claims no impartiality: he has been burning for over a decade. Warning: knowing *too* much about the people pulling the levers behind the curtain can spoil the fun and dull the mystery. Mostly, Dogherty does a fine job of translating the untranslatable and he has a deeper grasp than most on what draws so many diverse people to the desert gathering year after year.
What happens when a bunch of academics go to the Burn, drop acid and start taking notes? You end up with the book "Afterburn: Reflections on a Burning Man" (Univ. of New Mexico Press, 2005), offering essays like "Utopia, Social Sculpture and Burning Man" and "Fires of the Heart: Ritual, Pilgrimage and Transformation."
Finally, I love the exquisite collection of black & white photos presented in A. Leo Nash's "Burning Man: Art in the Desert" (Abrams, 2007.) Nash's is an unusual look at Burning Man – his colorless, arid photographs focus on the diversity of art that is brought to the party. His camera is trained on the sculptures, interactive installations, vehicles and structures that populate the empty playa on the outskirts of the city. Nash has a natural gift for composition and capturing detail, though it is unsettling to view these otherwordly, fantastical dreamworks frozen in time and outside of their original dusty context. Rich and mysterious.
If you are a Burner left behind this year, you might consider buying or borrowing something from this reading list to keep your soul in alignment in the dim days of the Default World.
How to enjoy the Burning Man Experience from the Comfort of your Own Home
Burning Cartography
Here's an amazing hand-drawn map of Black Rock City 2005 by Lisa Hoffman.
and here's a map of Black Rock City 2006: Hope and Fear done in "Acid Deco" style.
I found both via the website info gargoyle. The guy who wrote the posts is very serious about his cartography -- it is the gift that he brings to the community: "This year, I'm seeing more and more people come together with their interest in cartography than ever before. The sponsored mapping group, PlayaInfo is also expanding their geographic reach by supporting a GPSDrive friendsd server so that participants with art cars can broadcast their location to the main map. Seems like a perfect fit for cyborgs and technomads alike!"
He's got an interesting slideshow too right over here.
Green Man icon
click here for more...