Burning Man 2013 – The Cargo Cult
Once a year, tens of thousands of participants gather in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert to create Black Rock City, dedicated to community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. They depart one week later, having left no trace whatsoever. Burning Man isn’t your usual festival, with big acts booked to play on massive stages. In fact, it’s more of a city than a festival, wherein almost everything that happens is created entirely by its citizens, who are active participants in the event.
I’ve been wanting to go forever and almost went several times. 3 years ago I was gonna go when a voice came into my dream and calmly informed me I was gonna die in a car crash very soon. I was surprised and asked for more details. It said the accident was gonna happen in a white or silver bus, they weren’t sure yet.
Next day telling about this to my friend, he said:”You might wanna rethink going to Burning Man then. Our friends just got a white bus and they might paint it silver but they’re not sure yet.”
So I didn’t go.
This year I FINALLY went.
So…how was it?
Some of it was absolutely amazing<3
I found a couple of amazing camps which felt “right”. One of them was called sacred spaces. It was a huge complex with 5 different tents inside and at any hour of any day there would be lectures and workshops of spiritual nature. I found it my 3rd day and sat in different lectures all day. That was probably my favorite day of them all. I wish I would have known about it in the beginning cause I would have just spent all my time there.
I started the day learning about energy transfer and releasing trapped souls, then did some breath work (my favorite), then learned about true intimacy in a tantric workshop which was amazing and tear jerking, then a lecture about psychedelics, and to top it all off, I watched a Tibetan monk of 30 years speak about life.
There was also another camp called “the fractal planet” which I found on the last day while cruising the playa by myself.
They had built a stunning art gallery and showcased tons of incredible spiritual art. They also had a stage with the sickest DJ sets and performers. I wish I would have known about this camp earlier cause I would have spent a lot of time there. I made friends with an incredible artist Matt Elson once at party and was stoked to find his art made of mirrors in the gallery there.
Another cool thing about the festival is the art cars…people spend months and months before the festival to build the most insane mutant vehicles. Everything lights up and night and you’ll find yourself hopping on and off giant golden dragons and pastel unicorns. Amazing. Imagine the sickest rave in the world times a hundred. Everyones bikes and costumes all decked out in LED lights, glowing temples everywhere you look. Absolutely epic!
Besides that…
One thing that really bothered me was the constant talk of “default world” where everyone supposedly lives on a day to day basis. Well I definitely live in every other world besides the “default world”. During the very first conversation with a stranger I was told how much this experience is gonna free me up and change my “shallow and boring” life.
But I already live my dream. And it blows my mind when people don’t. WHAT IS STOPPING YOU? The way things “work” is just someone else’s idea of how things work and why do I care? My body is a vehicle and the world is my playground. Every day, not once a year at Burning Man.
I also already give away things all the time and feed a hungry person on the street whenever I can so the ideology of selflessly giving is just natural, not a new thing.
I was handed this letter of “advice for a virgin” that besides telling me to disconnect from the “default world” also urged me to fornicate. Thanks, but I believe some things in life are sacred. I choose to not share my body with every random person because I am precious about my energy and having sex is the closest 2 people can get. I wanna share this utmost intimacy with someone I love and respect. Not everyone deserves to get in. I fail to understand how being “spiritual” and “free” equals being promiscuous.
To me, solid connections and sacred unions is what I wanna create with my freedom.
Maybe I’m wrong but I feel that people who were the originators of this event created it to be a celebration of spirituality and art and since it’s gotten so big it has changed form to something that is different from what it started as. I have the utmost respect and love for the beautiful brothers and sisters that started Burning Man and have stuck with the community. Their heart still shines through and I know a lot of people come back transformed. It is amazing what these guys have created, I just wish it was less “trendy” and less raunchy. Of course everything is what you make it, but I got really tired of seeing cocks drawn everywhere and drunk people yelling. Also was expecting people to wear more truly creative stuff and transform themselves into exciting characters. Seemed like “radical self expression” means wearing brown tattered leather and smelling like patchouly.
I guess the most important feeling I took from the whole Burning Man experience was that I don’t need a special event to have amazing connections and express myself. That’s what LIFE IS FOR.
However, it’s definitely something that one should experience at least once in their life. There is nothing else like this out there. I really wanna take my mom.
Hope to spot some Moon Babies on the playa next year<3
Integrity/Love/Unity
k
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