2009-02-24

Presentation: Radical Faeries


Raven's Head Communications Presents
The Fairies Gather
Photo copyright 1980 Rita Rose
Calligraphy WM Stewart
An oral history of
The spiritual gathering for Radical Fairies
Colorado, August 11-15, 1980

the Tropical Paradise Gathering:

"For more than 25 years Faeries have been coming together in community to create magic. Faerie gatherings happen all over the world, principally in the United States. Faeries came out of a groups formed in the 1970s to bring gay men together in a space different from the bars and nightclubs. We come together to celebrate our distinctive and unique qualities and to let our true selves be free. Most of us are gay men, but we have had a queer woman attend our gathering. Ladyboys and toms are welcome. Anyone who is comfortable with gay people is welcome to join us.

The faeries are an opportunity to create abundance from our many talents and gifts. The faeries are also an opportunity to create a true classless society where no one is identified by their wealth or lack of wealth, and where no person has power or authority over another person."

The Radical fairies are a loosely organized group of gay men, who seek to explore what it means to be and its spiritual components. In accomplishing this, they attend gatherings and go to retreats at sanctuaries. At these places, they experiment with a variety of activities to better understand their qualities as gay men and to examine what is suppressed by living in a largely heterosexual world. This is both in terms of everyday life and of philosophical discussion.

Breitenbrush:

"Through ritual, workshops, socializing, heart circles, hugs, soaking, hiking, performance, sex, song, and solitude, Radical Faeries seek the beauty and passion within each of us, reflect those gifts to each other, and challenge ourselves to share them with the world around us. We go inside to come outside."

Tropical Paradise Gathering:

"Trips to nearby islands for snorkeling and swimming, Meditation, Exercise, Hiking, Rituals, Workshops , Community Building, Kick Boxing Lessons, Making Music, Drumming, Massage, Talent Show, Fashion Show, Manly Activities, Swimming, Boating, Reading, Poetry, Puppy Piles, Napping, Art Projects and Yoga"

This group consistently performs a heart circle at its gatherings. This is a discussion where the men discuss experiences and opinions and attempt to develop emotional connections between one another as homosexuals. In addition to exploration, this group is oriented towards establishing what is precluded by contemporary social structures, primarily the social and emotional links that are lost between homosexual men.

The group is closely connected to paganism, and frequently meets to celebrate on major holidays. A reconnection with nature and others is a central part of their aims. A major part of radical fairy philosophy is the concept of coming together and briefly forming a community of freely homosexual men. The group explores the spiritual elements of being homosexual, and their festivities are geared towards this inner energy. Many of their collective activities are closely related to their pagan influences; however, these ceremonies are freely adapted regardless of the gender of the participants, thus allowing traditional gender boundaries to be crossed and mixed even in the context of paganism.

Wolf Creek Sanctuary:

"Through our gatherings, circles and in the community at the Sanctuary, we develop and foster our shared ideals having to do with faggot-oriented spirituality, community and collectivity, living in harmony with the Beings around us, and subject-subject consciousness."

The Radical Fairies have considerable output, including art, collective activities, journal authorship, and the production of philosophy. They contribute to a number of other organizations, including gay wisdom and white crane. They also found sanctuaries for the year-long exploration of what it means to be homosexual, these often host retreats and workshops.

Breitenbrush Sanctuary:

"Breitenbush Hot Springs is located in the Cascade Mountains at the base of Pahtu (Mount Jefferson) near Detroit, approximately 60 miles east of Salem, Oregon. For thousands of years, the land has been a place for healing. On the property are a rustic wooden lodge, rock-lined meadow pools, spiral temperature soaking tubs, a quiet Sanctuary, workshop spaces, a greenhouse, a mineral spring sauna, geothermally heated cabins, labyrinth, and a resident community of workers who've welcomed Radical Faeries at least once every year since 1982."

http://www.radfae.org/breitenbush/

http://www.nomenus.org/aboutrf.html

http://www.asianfaeries.com/

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