[HeartOfNowhere] Opening & Closing Ceremony Proposals

[Ruby May]

Dear All,

After brainstorming on the forums with people and gathering ideas, I have a proposal for an opening and closing ceremony that I'd like the share. Feel free to respond with thoughts and feedback.

Opening Ceremony:

Pre-event, I (or someone else) will make a beautiful large portable post box that might look like a heart on a stick, decorated with trimmings and made to look sumptuously splendid. 

During the Wednesday, Day 1 a group of people will travel from pueblo to pueblo in a form of theatrical procession (potentially with cool costumes... will see how it unfolds)  inviting people to draw/write on fabric flags any dream/intention they would like to create and then posting the flags into the mailbox.

Before the ceremony later on that day, a volunteer or two will sew all the flags on to a long piece of string that measures the circumference of the Middle of Nowhere.

Later, perhaps during sun set, there is a big gathering around MON with drums, dancers, performances etc (see who wants to get involved nearer the time...). During the finale, the flags all float into the air above the Middle of Nowhere, lifted through groups of glow in the dark, helium filled balloons  that are spaced around the circumference of MON (carefully and securely attached so as not to float away).  So like the idea behind Tibetan prayer flags where peoples prayers are carried by the wind into the universe to be manifested, so too will our dreams and intentions. The balloons should hover for a few days and I think it will look quite spectacular.

The details of the ceremony can be decided nearer the time... i.e do we encourage people to wear white, have any organized dance or performance/ group Om/moo chanting etc. But the above would be the bit that would need a certain degree of prior organizing.

After having thought about it for a while I think the balloon idea should be done at the beginning because I think it will be awesome to see them suspended over MOn for a few days whereas they would all have to come down on the Monday if this was part of the closing ceremony.

Closing Ceremony

For the closing ceremony, we could have a light parade with lanterns and form a procession that goes from camp to camp collecting people and ends at the MON for some kind of drumming/ritual/dance/still to be decided and then every body simultaneously blows their lanterns out at the same time, signally the 'end' of the festival.

I thought I could organize some people to make lantern making workshops throughout the event in preparation. 

Potentially, to give it more meaning and give people the opportunity again to set intention, perhaps we can use Ellen's idea of a writing station throughout the week - just a simple one - and people are invited to write down anything hey would like to let go of. 

Then, without having a specific idea as to what will happen with the scroll of paper, we leave it up to Nowhere and see how it unfolds organically and spontaneously... but with the idea that something will be created from the scroll and then used into the ceremony. Or it's buried. Or burnt very carefully... etc etc. Perhaps on the Saturday we could have a HON meeting with anyone who wants to attend can attend and it would be a good opportunty to meet new faces, have HON gain some momentum and decide collectively what t do with the scroll.

So I am happy to try and facilitate this as much as possible... there has been some interest from people to get involved but not as much as I had hoped for or anticipated. So don't be quiet! Respond and say what you think, share ideas, constructive feedback etc!

Much love to you all from Himachal Pradesh from a hungry Ruby whose going to go and eat a banana pancake RIGHT NOW

xxxxx




 
"There's no use trying" Alice said, "one can't believe impossible things."

"I daresay you haven't had much practice" said the Queen.
"When I was your age,  I always did it for half an hour a day. Why sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast" 


      
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