The Promised Lands – A Journey to Firefly

What is the point of life? What is the meaning to all this here? What Legacies of the past are herewith recorded? (…and it opens up. I am filled with the essence of the world simply by speaking these words, if this is not magic, then there is none)
What grand meaning am I thus to take?

It has been a question in my mind, since I was 18 years old. A friend of mine shot himself and I was suddenly accursed with the question: What is the point of life? Always depressed about the past and worrying about the future, I could (read: can?) hardly enjoy my life for damning existential questions. So when my business partner and I traveled up the road after violently vomiting, roadside camping, and a forgotten wallet, to the world renowned “Lightning In A Bottle”, I was stricken with questions about grand meanings and taking lessons.

But there is no meaning. There is nothing to take. In fact, especially here in this gathering of magic and music, this may be the meaning: that you leave all of yourself; all of your cares, worries, suspicions; leave it all behind, & be happy, here.

Lightning in a Bottle was Heaven on Earth and it lasted but three days.
Before the familiar dread of post-festival depression set it, we blazed ahead into finding this next bit of holy ground.

“Far from the bustling west coast festival scene, high in the sacred canyon lands of Northern Arizona, where Hopi and Navajo have long gathered before them….emerges a magical gathering of sparkling light. Founder Laura Day Rivero and her thriving community welcome you to Firefly Gathering for an experience well worth the journey.”

Perfect.

There is a conscious movement of people across the entire western seaboard and spreading rapidly east across the world. Messages of Peace, Love, Unity and Respect are becoming full lifestyles and actual sustainable festival grounds as the ravers and candy kids carry their passion into power. These are a people gathered in force that believe the entire world can and should live like they do. An aggressive stance, to be sure, but this is Heaven. This is Heaven on Earth and God promised it would be more than three days.

We spoke to the founder, Laura, and she believes much the same. From “FireFly: The Seed”, we shall see the main stage inside an Earth Tree. “We truly feel that Firefly is emerging as a living and breathing entity, one that evolves and inspires positive evolution in all who participate and attend.

Even her school experience was designed around this feeling. “When I graduated from college, I wrote my thesis on the Evolution of Human Consciousness, specifically focusing on the common elements shared by healthy, sustainable communities through history, versus the symptoms of unhealthy communities around the world. After graduating, I attended my first “transformational festival” followed by Burning Man. I felt that these unique events offered something that stirred the soul and showed how human ingenuity can be used for creativity and positivity. I believed that if we could create a microcosm of a tribal village that embodied each of the common elements shared by healthy and sustainable communities (such as value for artistic expression, shared ceremonial experiences, celebration, healthy eating, tight families of tribal members, sacred spaces, and expression through movement), that this experience would touch the attendee’s soul.”

What a beautiful sentiment: that there is a life in these shows, these shows that haunts our dreams for the year that we must wait; that there are career paths and fully sustainable capabilities inside these holidays of Heaven; I must Play a part of this.

Play your part with me.