Day 247 of 365 Days of Silver ~~ Grateful to Be Going Camping

And I’ve been too long in these shadows
And so I step into her light
And she whispers and the wind blows
And the truth is mine tonight

I am the moon
I am the mystery
All that the moon is moves through me
This is my view
Oh, and it’s a beautiful thing
Just to watch the world shimmering
I am the moon
~~ Christine Kane

So when R and I hadn’t even been together a year, we went to our first big event at Camp Gaea—the grounds where Midwest Men’s Festival takes place. We’d been out there camping a few times ourselves and saw all the ads for Laid Back Labor Day Weekend —Camp Gaea’s biggest money maker—and it sounded fun.

The problem was it takes place the same weekend as one of the biggest balloon festivals in the country—and it actually launched from Brookfield. You’d get up in the morning and step out R’s back door and there they were, practically looming over you. They weren’t lifting off from his backyard, but close, and as big as those balloons are, they still, well, loomed.

It was pretty amazing. But then we began to think about Laid Back. Why not go? We could only go Sunday night before we really decided to go, but heck, why not? So we left Brookfield a day early and headed to camp.

And we had a blast!

It was the weekend I found out all about sarongs and fell head over heels in love.

There were so many people there! We missed the talent show the night before, but the big charity auction was so much fun and the Sister of Perpetual Indulgence—Sister Clara Cum Passionata—was a scream. She has raised untold amounts of money for the camp and helped–along with all those attendees!–to get the land paid off early!

But something else very powerful happened that weekend. Something I will never forget.

R and I had our camp set up in the same area as the huge pavilion where the auction was taking place, and we would take turns going to the car to get cocktails. I would guess our site was about a half a football field away. Anyway, I was walking to the car and suddenly found myself in the middle of magick.

I mean this.

With all my heart.

It was a full moon that night and it was high in the sky. Everything, the trees, the fields, the big grassy area where we were camped, was all awash in silver light. I looked up and I could scarcely breath. I was in awe. The moon looked close enough to touch. I quite suddenly and completely knew what throughout history, mankind has worshipped the moon.

I was stunned. It looked magick! Think of what that floating orb must have looked like to people who had no understanding of what it was!

What’s more something happened, pure coincidence I am sure, that put something in a pure peripherally perfect location.

I had a statue of Thoth sitting on top of the car. He’s the Egyptian god of the moon and writing. He was a fun little “patron” of mine. I mean, come on, the god of writing!

Anyway, we I stood up after leaning in the car to make our cocktails, and looked up, the moon was sitting exactly on top of Thoth’s head. For those who don’t know, the Moon is Thoth’s crown. Take a look at a good picture of him and the moon is always sitting exactly on top of his head.

My breath was taken away.

Then before I even knew what I was doing, I cast off my sarong and danced naked under the moon.

I danced and I felt my ancestors dancing around me. It felt like I was floating above the ground. I felt like the wind was lifting me in the air.

It last for several minutes even though it seemed like a life time.

I will never forget it.

For all those reasons and many, many more, R and I have bone to Laid Back Labor Day for years now. I think this will be our fourteenth.

To say I am excited is an understatement.

I can’t wait to see what this year gifts me!

Surely it will be magick!

Namasté,
B.G. Thomas

Full Moon picture by Dodgerton Skillhause at morgueFile