Opening the Rainbow Gathering
31 January 14
From the time I joined the group of focalisers for this year’s Tasmanian Rainbow Gathering, I’ve been committed to contributing time, energy and materials to the infrastructure that is temporarily built in the Australian bush to welcome all the souls who gather together in temporary intentional community. We’ve driven onto the State Forest site at Tulunpunga before to deliver tarps, poles, food and other materials, but now we’re camped semi-permanently (which means our awning is open and the tent is out) for the next couple of weeks.


We’re improvising the opening ceremonies for this gathering, and individuals have volunteered to create activities for the group’s celebrations. We’ve agreed to follow the principles of the four elements: water, earth, fire and air.
First thing this morning, we gathered in a circle in the river and sang together to welcome the morning. We took a leaf from the forest into the water and individually placed positive intentions for Earth into the leaf before releasing it down the river to the ocean. Then we each found a rock and threw them together into the centre of our circle, creating a reverse fountain of splashes. Our cheerful circle soon morphed into a water fight before we swam together in the fresh mountain water and emerged to bask in the sunshine. It was a meaningful ceremony with bonding elements and not very much spiritual pontificating (which always bores me). I’m so glad I woke early to participate in it!
We’re all content to be living in community with our tribe again. Welcome home!



One of the principles of the Rainbow Gathering is “discreet photography by consent only”, so I’m putting away my camera for a time. It’s wonderful to relax among friends without feeling the need to document it all, and the memories that are made within this group of amazing people are significant enough to stick without photographic evidence.