10 ... Gabriel Morristhink to bring. Hundreds of people gather around the inner circle of
drummers, dancing with primal abandon. A space is generally left
between the drummers and the blazing fire for those who want to
dance close to the light and heat of the flames.
If one were to identify a symbolic representation of the root chakra
at the Rainbow Gatherings, then the drum circle would definitely be
it—a bright red inferno of flame, pulsing with energy and frenetic
activity in the valley of the gathering. No matter where you might
be in the nearby forest, from sundown to the early morning hours,
you can hear the constant pounding of the drums echoing through
the trees.
The pinnacle of the annual Rainbow Gathering always occurs on
the 4th of July. It’s a distinct alternative to the typical American cel-
ebration of Independence Day; but still celebrating the same ideals,
namely freedom and liberty, and with plenty of raucous commotion.
Thousands of people gather in the expansive main meadow,
around a medicine pole or simple rock design at the center of main
circle. Throughout the morning, silence is observed all throughout the
gathering site. Many people sit in meditation or else quietly go about
their business. A few wander through the converging crowd, burn-
ing bundles of sage and smudging (a ritual of clearing a person’s aura
with sage smoke) those who remain still. It is the one time during the
gathering in which the subtle sounds of the forest make themselves
known. All that is heard is the rustling of the breeze through the
trees, birds singing, feet padding along the dirt paths, and occasional
whispers of human speech.
Around noon, the silence is officially broken when a colorful pa-
rade of singing children from kiddie village marches into the mead-
ow. People rise from their seated positions to stand holding hands in
tight, concentric circles around the center point in the middle of the
meadow. At some point a low Om sound is begun, and all join in. A
profound, deep and constant hum fills the silence, vibrating through
the meadow and surrounding forest. Another huge circle of people
forms at the farthest edges of the meadow, encompassing the tighter,