Tuesday Night Ritual

Having just arrived that Tuesday evening, first embraces with my fest family shared, first laughter, first beer had, my friend C and I made our first magical journey through the land. I cherish this first visit each year, soaking it all in, the sites, the sounds of home, strangely familiar and yet new each year.Memories flood me of this tent or that set up previous years, they live in my mind like shadows.As we continued through the woods, past a rather ill-fated campsite from the year prior, laughing at the drama of the previous year, glad to be a year out from it all, the clouds overhead hung low and full, casting shadows upon everything as they held back, waiting until just the right moment to burst forth their cleansing showers.

We walked and laughed, breathed, shared, through the woods and out again, past the kitchen, past the Cuntry Store and ended up at night stage just as the Tuesday night ritual was about to begin. It felt amazingly wonderful and powerful to be there again, with so many familiar womyn. The ritual began, we called the spirits of the various directions as the spirits of the west made themselves known as the rain, gently at first, and it built as we danced our spiral dance amidst smiles, whoops, laughter, just simply joy. I feel joy to be safely among my sisters. Though I may not know every womon I see year to year at Fest, we gather here every year for this greater good that is Michfest, this community within the woods. Recognizing my sisters among these unknown faces year after year is comforting. Michfest is far from perfect, nothing in life ever is, and more importantly, it is not perfection I am looking for, but connection. I felt it under that rainfall in this clearing, surrounded by the woods. I feel it now, today, thinking back to all that is Fest, my sisters, my friends and family-of-choice. I am thankful every day for the pathways that converged to bring me to Fest, to my dear friends - you know who you are. I stood that night smiling, struggling a bit with my rain-soaked glasses, but finding the joy and wonder in it all.

The ritual ended - it felt quicker than previous - it could have been the rain, it could be my level of bliss. C and I decided to head back meandering towards our site out in RV, up the sacred-to-me Lois lane for the first time this year. We stopped by the nightly movie to see if we could seek a slight refuge from the wondrous downpour, but the rain had squeezed the event into a tent and it was quite crowded - I'm sure the weather was to blame. We laughed at the awe of it all, and headed on up the path towards home, joking of salmon swimming upstream, the small river flowing down Lois Lane was impressive. It was an amazing, cleansing rain.

We made our way out of the woods and out to RV, headed up to our (wonderfully borrowed) pop-up to get changed and into some dry clothes. As we both sat there laughing at all that had just transpired, the most unreal crash of thunder, lightning, just ENERGY literally flashed through the RV, causing both of us to jump a mile high, startled and again in awe of Mother Nature's strength and glory. We both commented how we FELT that just fly through us in the pop-up. It was probably NOT as amazing an experience for those in tents now flooded, their week worth of supplies now in a puddle. It was a nerve-wracking (to say the least) experience for those in the DART area, as we later found out, when that loud crash ended up being lightning striking a tree in their area, causing a power outage, and a terrifying experience for many (and thankfully no one was injured!!) From our safe distance, and unaware of the danger, I found it amazing. I was thankful for our cleansing, exhilarating welcome home.  

I love my time at Fest each year. I dream of it through the dark, cool winter. I miss you all, my dear fest family, but I am certain we will be home once again. Until then, I will dream of dancing under nature's showers, that drenched walk up the path. I will dream of sunny days, laughter, sharing a meal or a drink with my cherished friends. It warms me on this cool fall evening.