Kundalini and the Art of Being ... 99That afternoon, a big circle formed in the meadow for people to
say their goodbyes and to express their enjoyment of the gathering.
It had clearly been a powerful experience for many. People began
standing in the center of the circle to share their gratitude for such
a profoundly loving gathering and to share their heart-songs of the
present and for the future. Some sang, some simply spoke, some
shared a joke or two, but they all helped to bring the gathering to a
close on a very pleasant note.
Before leaving, I went around the circle to where Jeffrey was sit-
ting on the opposite side, to say goodbye. I gave him a big hug and
then sat down and listened to what a few more people had to say,
not wanting to go but knowing that my ride was packing up and get-
ting ready to hit the road.
Just as I was about to leave, he pulled a large green stone from his
pocket and placed it in the palm of my hand. “Sad Eagle,” he said, nod-
ding with a kind of inner realization. “I’ve been giving people names
lately, based on how they feel to me. You seem like Sad Eagle.”
“Thanks,” I said, smiling. “Hopefully next year I’ll be Happy Eagle,
or maybe Playful Otter.”
“I guess we’ll see.”
I gave him another hug, saying that I would see him soon. Then
I left the circle, grabbed my pack from a nearby tree, and walked
down the path towards the parking area. Dream, Marie, Forest, and
Bethany were all there at the Ford van, finishing up the packing, and
were glad to see me arrive. Within a half-hour we were back out on
the dusty road, headed towards the 199 National Rainbow Gather-
ing near Taos, New Mexico.
Since all of us were pretty broke, we spent that night—all five of us—
crammed together on a double mattress at the back of the van. Bethany
and I were next to one another and ended up cuddling a bit. But none
of us slept all that well, squashed together in the back of the van as we
were. We decided we had to come up with a better plan if we were going
to get any sleep over the next three or four days of traveling together.