At Exodus:
Stories, Vision & Direction
Stories, Vision & Direction
A month ago we found ourselves, once again, turning west and exiting home territory for the local psychedelic, trance dance, arts festival known as Exodus. It was our fourth consecutive year. Each has been more interesting and enjoyable than the last; and the kids love IT. The event is a homemade exploration of art, community and post psychedelic consciousness that flourishes deep in the bush of Northern NSW. The children love to attend and beg each year to return because the adults are happy and relaxed while camping in the bush and music plays 24 hours a day. Also, there are the regular, surprising, outbreaks of artistic creativity that blossom in an increasing crescendo over three days. Exodus can be an experience that defines freedom and delight for the youngsters, and the many young at heart who attend its call.
It is, in part, a family affair with a number of the children’s school friends attending with their parents; who bring along bikes for the youngsters to zoom around the festival site on and explore the beautiful forest it is set in. Oh, and the food is great, both in camp and out on the midway; which specializes in excellent ethnic cuisine, as well as the usual hamburgers, hotdogs and other yummy offerings like gourmet baked potatoes.
Exodus is a collective vision of the possible, on a cultural edge, where anything goes, within an environment of tolerance and freedom. Nobody gets hurt and the rubbish gets picked up. The local Aboriginal mob are its hosts and a modern form of ceremonial and customary law sets the tone to the opening and closing ceremonies and a daily call to family, service and cultural solidarity. If you should like to experience a taste of Reconciliation and progressive cross-cultural integration in Australia than Exodus could be a nice way to start.
Now, this of course, is all very ideal but temporary and it does have some bumpy bits in being non-funded and homemade; existing mostly by an informal organization of artistic alliances. It is never known from year to year if Exodus will arise again from the ashes of the previous effort. Some how it does. This year saw alcohol arrive for the first time in a noticeable fashion with a large influx of 20 something kids intent on getting as loaded as possible as quickly as conceivable. This novelty was tolerated in true hippy “live and let live” fashion, as the majority of the festival attendees flowed around their childish antics and foul mouth attempts at communication with each other. While sad to observe, first hand, the excesses and confusion of generation Z+, they successfully blew themselves out in about 24 hours. Having experienced no true resistance or judgment to their sorry behaviors they simply went unconscious or left before the festival had gotten into full swing. As usual, at Exodus, very pure and lovingly crafted psychotropic substances ruled and the collective mindset expanded into an ever more mellow and transformative space. So IT goes.
So, with this contextual background in place we can come to the point, which is to share with you an exciting visionary experience of the direction in which such bold and experimental arts festivals can point. Indeed, it is a spiritual experience, in a shamanic sense, that is the culmination of many peoples’ vision and honest efforts at a co-creative expression of the future possibilities of human consciousness and collective integration; within a (however temporary) self selected community. IT surprised as well as delighted me to walk within this possible world for a few hours and I feel duty bound to share this expansive prospect with those willing to listen and entertain ITS healing potential and resonance.
One of the ironic facets of Exodus is its temporary nature. It is like a wild orchid that blooms in the forest for a few hours and then fades and disappears. You have to catch IT in action because the experience is alive and fleeting; like a cloud formation parting to reveal a glorious rainbow of pure delight before reforming and hiding the divine rays of light that make it possible. ITS like that …
The third and final day saw many people, lounging and swimming, in a deep, wild, river gorge about a mile from the main festival site. A few hundred humans of all ages and types experiencing wet, naked, sunlight delight on a hot mid summers’ day. IT was divine and bucolic and beautiful and sane. Nothing like what the dominate culture would expect or project in its sleazy fascinations and perversions of natural innocence and beauty. Pregnant ladies and old men, stunning maidens and ripening crones, children and babies, cultural warriors and wannabe Sadhus all mixed together with moms and dads in the goddess river enjoying an expansive joy of BEING IT.
This unplanned and deeply human experience of togetherness set the tone for the final evenings closing ceremony and dance party conclusion. I could share a number of insights on how this evening progressed musically and culturally but its time to get to the main magical revelation and allow its importance to flow. Words are a poor substitute for the experience that follows, yet, give your imagination permission to flower as I make an attempt to describe what my partner and I witnessed.
There were two stages at the festival, separated by 200 meters, and connected by a path that led down a hill, across a dam wall and up the other side. The Main stage had just closed after a beautiful set by a local band “Mystic Beats” (highly recommended) and a number of us were slowly migrating under a gorgeous Cancer Moon to the Trace Stage on the far hill. Along the way, as a kind of gate way, we came to a recently erected art installation (hadn’t been there two hours before) that consisted of a 10 meter high tripod from which hung two large mirror balls, one atop the other to form a 3D figure 8 (Infinity). To this was attached a wind catcher to help it slowly spin in the evening breeze. This mirror ball configuration was lit by a black light. The effect/ illusion created was of a large spiral swirl of blue stars upon the ground, an illuminated pathway, that also reflected off the light colored clothing of those who walked beneath it. It was a moving, swirling image of the Milky Way Galaxy; that could be traveled upon and play with while moving to the techno music coming from atop the hill 150 meters distant. Now, this was surprising, pleasing and pretty fun stuff; but actually, just a warm up for what was to come.
Processing down the hill and out across the dam wall there was, to the right, a large, still pond of water; complete with lotus flowers and crocking frogs. This mill pond then backed onto a big hill covered in mature Gum Trees. The Full Moon was just rising from behind the hilltop, casting a soft diffuse light upon the pond below. Along the shore, and up into the trees, were numerous paper lanterns and art installations, lit by candles and LED lights and surrounding a large central lavender Star; a Merkabah.
Now, all of this mystical art was perfectly mirrored in the water before us. Indeed, so perfectly (due to the ambient moon light), that the reflection was actually of a higher resolution than the reality itself. Looking into the pool of water one was drawn deep into a watery illusion of the forest and lights and images. Down into “another world” like those spoken about in fairy stories and the legends of the ancient, mythical, Irish Tuatha Dé Danann.
There was information here, and feeling, and a deep, mysterious life force in this illusion that combined with the “outer” reality. The synergy of the mirrored illusion expanded beyond any previous experience, as it visually harmonized with the sounds of the music, lights and movement of hundreds of people at the dance ground. The resultant “reality” was truly awesome and amazing in a way that it is impossible to adequately describe (but hopefully you get the idea). The immediate effect was to immerse us in a 6 to 8, perhaps a 10 dimensional experience in real time. It did not diminish “normal”, rational, 3D reality, but supported and augmented it into an experience of the probabilities, possibilities and potentials of living within a ‘collective multi-dimensional consciousness’.
A merger of a holy trinity of Self, Other and Object transpired which informed the spirit in a similar way what experiencing a beautiful landscape, a dynamic thunderstorm and a natural child birth, all at the same time, could open to us. A visionary reality, of unity through multiplicity, that we, as an artistically and spiritually informed humanity are destined to travel. A quest, that we have been on since “time out of mind” within the firelight, drums, voices and paintings on the cave walls. A radical, yet traditional, call to our individual and collective imaginations and desires, to transcend what has gone before and to become IT.
The future of humanity may have always lived in its ceremonies and festivals devoted to service of the “Divine wOw”. The sacred synergy of passion and purpose focused through art and intention as a ‘skillful means” to empowering our being and growing, living and dying, loving and birthing of the god(dess) child within/ without, above / below and beyond.
I beheld a vision of the possible this night and a direction for action and transcendence of the looming challenges upon us. A conception sparked and a pregnancy of the spirit commenced. It tells me a wild child of the spirit world is gestating within us all and the dream is about to be born.
To be continued …
It is, in part, a family affair with a number of the children’s school friends attending with their parents; who bring along bikes for the youngsters to zoom around the festival site on and explore the beautiful forest it is set in. Oh, and the food is great, both in camp and out on the midway; which specializes in excellent ethnic cuisine, as well as the usual hamburgers, hotdogs and other yummy offerings like gourmet baked potatoes.
Exodus is a collective vision of the possible, on a cultural edge, where anything goes, within an environment of tolerance and freedom. Nobody gets hurt and the rubbish gets picked up. The local Aboriginal mob are its hosts and a modern form of ceremonial and customary law sets the tone to the opening and closing ceremonies and a daily call to family, service and cultural solidarity. If you should like to experience a taste of Reconciliation and progressive cross-cultural integration in Australia than Exodus could be a nice way to start.
Now, this of course, is all very ideal but temporary and it does have some bumpy bits in being non-funded and homemade; existing mostly by an informal organization of artistic alliances. It is never known from year to year if Exodus will arise again from the ashes of the previous effort. Some how it does. This year saw alcohol arrive for the first time in a noticeable fashion with a large influx of 20 something kids intent on getting as loaded as possible as quickly as conceivable. This novelty was tolerated in true hippy “live and let live” fashion, as the majority of the festival attendees flowed around their childish antics and foul mouth attempts at communication with each other. While sad to observe, first hand, the excesses and confusion of generation Z+, they successfully blew themselves out in about 24 hours. Having experienced no true resistance or judgment to their sorry behaviors they simply went unconscious or left before the festival had gotten into full swing. As usual, at Exodus, very pure and lovingly crafted psychotropic substances ruled and the collective mindset expanded into an ever more mellow and transformative space. So IT goes.
So, with this contextual background in place we can come to the point, which is to share with you an exciting visionary experience of the direction in which such bold and experimental arts festivals can point. Indeed, it is a spiritual experience, in a shamanic sense, that is the culmination of many peoples’ vision and honest efforts at a co-creative expression of the future possibilities of human consciousness and collective integration; within a (however temporary) self selected community. IT surprised as well as delighted me to walk within this possible world for a few hours and I feel duty bound to share this expansive prospect with those willing to listen and entertain ITS healing potential and resonance.
One of the ironic facets of Exodus is its temporary nature. It is like a wild orchid that blooms in the forest for a few hours and then fades and disappears. You have to catch IT in action because the experience is alive and fleeting; like a cloud formation parting to reveal a glorious rainbow of pure delight before reforming and hiding the divine rays of light that make it possible. ITS like that …
The third and final day saw many people, lounging and swimming, in a deep, wild, river gorge about a mile from the main festival site. A few hundred humans of all ages and types experiencing wet, naked, sunlight delight on a hot mid summers’ day. IT was divine and bucolic and beautiful and sane. Nothing like what the dominate culture would expect or project in its sleazy fascinations and perversions of natural innocence and beauty. Pregnant ladies and old men, stunning maidens and ripening crones, children and babies, cultural warriors and wannabe Sadhus all mixed together with moms and dads in the goddess river enjoying an expansive joy of BEING IT.
This unplanned and deeply human experience of togetherness set the tone for the final evenings closing ceremony and dance party conclusion. I could share a number of insights on how this evening progressed musically and culturally but its time to get to the main magical revelation and allow its importance to flow. Words are a poor substitute for the experience that follows, yet, give your imagination permission to flower as I make an attempt to describe what my partner and I witnessed.
There were two stages at the festival, separated by 200 meters, and connected by a path that led down a hill, across a dam wall and up the other side. The Main stage had just closed after a beautiful set by a local band “Mystic Beats” (highly recommended) and a number of us were slowly migrating under a gorgeous Cancer Moon to the Trace Stage on the far hill. Along the way, as a kind of gate way, we came to a recently erected art installation (hadn’t been there two hours before) that consisted of a 10 meter high tripod from which hung two large mirror balls, one atop the other to form a 3D figure 8 (Infinity). To this was attached a wind catcher to help it slowly spin in the evening breeze. This mirror ball configuration was lit by a black light. The effect/ illusion created was of a large spiral swirl of blue stars upon the ground, an illuminated pathway, that also reflected off the light colored clothing of those who walked beneath it. It was a moving, swirling image of the Milky Way Galaxy; that could be traveled upon and play with while moving to the techno music coming from atop the hill 150 meters distant. Now, this was surprising, pleasing and pretty fun stuff; but actually, just a warm up for what was to come.
Processing down the hill and out across the dam wall there was, to the right, a large, still pond of water; complete with lotus flowers and crocking frogs. This mill pond then backed onto a big hill covered in mature Gum Trees. The Full Moon was just rising from behind the hilltop, casting a soft diffuse light upon the pond below. Along the shore, and up into the trees, were numerous paper lanterns and art installations, lit by candles and LED lights and surrounding a large central lavender Star; a Merkabah.
Now, all of this mystical art was perfectly mirrored in the water before us. Indeed, so perfectly (due to the ambient moon light), that the reflection was actually of a higher resolution than the reality itself. Looking into the pool of water one was drawn deep into a watery illusion of the forest and lights and images. Down into “another world” like those spoken about in fairy stories and the legends of the ancient, mythical, Irish Tuatha Dé Danann.
There was information here, and feeling, and a deep, mysterious life force in this illusion that combined with the “outer” reality. The synergy of the mirrored illusion expanded beyond any previous experience, as it visually harmonized with the sounds of the music, lights and movement of hundreds of people at the dance ground. The resultant “reality” was truly awesome and amazing in a way that it is impossible to adequately describe (but hopefully you get the idea). The immediate effect was to immerse us in a 6 to 8, perhaps a 10 dimensional experience in real time. It did not diminish “normal”, rational, 3D reality, but supported and augmented it into an experience of the probabilities, possibilities and potentials of living within a ‘collective multi-dimensional consciousness’.
A merger of a holy trinity of Self, Other and Object transpired which informed the spirit in a similar way what experiencing a beautiful landscape, a dynamic thunderstorm and a natural child birth, all at the same time, could open to us. A visionary reality, of unity through multiplicity, that we, as an artistically and spiritually informed humanity are destined to travel. A quest, that we have been on since “time out of mind” within the firelight, drums, voices and paintings on the cave walls. A radical, yet traditional, call to our individual and collective imaginations and desires, to transcend what has gone before and to become IT.
The future of humanity may have always lived in its ceremonies and festivals devoted to service of the “Divine wOw”. The sacred synergy of passion and purpose focused through art and intention as a ‘skillful means” to empowering our being and growing, living and dying, loving and birthing of the god(dess) child within/ without, above / below and beyond.
I beheld a vision of the possible this night and a direction for action and transcendence of the looming challenges upon us. A conception sparked and a pregnancy of the spirit commenced. It tells me a wild child of the spirit world is gestating within us all and the dream is about to be born.
To be continued …
1 comment:
Jim, Thanks for the delicious experience of accompanying You, Abby and the Children to Exodus via my computer as I sit warm inside watching a squirrel on the snow through the window. Capturing and distilling the experience, the magic, then sharing the essence through your 'word medicine' is a gift of yours that I give great thanks for. Blessed Be, JaneMoon
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