Description

Vegas Vortex Gatherings have emerged from a call to come together and create a vibrant and joyous community focused on transformation and individual free expression. They are designed with a focus on night-to-dawn ritual fire circles where we co-create sacred space for exploration through chanting, dance, poetry, drumming, music, ritual theater, song, movement, art, rhythm, magic and ceremony. Each night will be filled with inspiration and transformation for all who actively participate..

Resources for Maximum Engagement

The following articles contain information and examples to help you to maximize engagement, fun, growth, and connection at the fire circle.

Who Can Attend

MayFire is an event for experienced fire circle participants. To attend this gathering, you must have gone to another ritual fire circle event, like FireTribe, SpiritFire, Celebrate the Spirit, SpringFire, BoneDance, or Mysterium. If you haven't attended one of these events, but would still like to come, you must be sponsored into MayFire.

What does it mean to "sponsor" someone into one of the Vegas Vortex events?

These are the expectations of a sponsor. A sponsor is someone who will be present at the event, for the entire duration of the time that their sponsee is present. A sponsor will make clear our policies about no drugs and no alcohol at our gatherings. A sponsor will take responsibility for making sure their sponsee knows about our community considerations, like taking conversations outside the circle, or not smoking in the circle, etc.... A sponsor will touch base with their guest periodically throughout the event, to see how they're doing and if they need anything. If you're not able to fulfill these agreements, please feel free to attend our gatherings but don't plan to bring someone who hasn't been to an ritual firecircle before. The whole point of the May gathering is to have a group of people who all know "the way we do things." We welcome new friends, if they are informed and sponsored in.

The Location

This Gathering will be held at Valley of Fire. The Valley of Fire is Nevada's oldest State Park. It is located only 50 miles northeast of Las Vegas. The rough floor and jagged walls of the park contain brilliant formations of eroded sandstone and sand dunes more than 150 million years old.

These features, which are the centerpiece of the park's attractions, often appear to be on fire when reflecting the sun's rays. There are a limited number of spaces for cars to park, and a limited number of places where we can set up our tents. Anyone who is planning to attend *must* register online at http://www.vegasvortex.com and pay their fee. Please plan to carpool and ride share so there will be enough room for everyone. Please see parking below for important information on additional parking restrictions and fees. Also, please be aware that there are challenges to surviving and enjoying the weather in the Las Vegas desert. Please look here for more information on how you can be prepared.

Additional Information

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Arrival Information

Full Festival participants are welcome to arrive:

Please Note: To minimize disruption of energies and to allow all participants and organizers to focus fully on festival activities, there will be no arrivals on Thursday before noon or after 5pm or Friday after 7pm

If you are parking off-site, you do not need to pay the entrance/parking fee. Tell the ranger that you will be unloading and removing your vehicle shortly.

If you are parking on-site, please tell the ranger at the gate that you want to pre-pay for your time at the park; get a paper for your windshield, and avoid the hassle of being woken up at 9am for $6. If there is no ranger on duty when you arrive, you will find envelopes and a drop box for your park fee.

Once you get to the group camp site, come find Lillith to check in and get your hug!

Lillith will also give you a wrist band that signifies your conscious effort to mindfully register and check-in with the community. She has informed us that her personal sense of humor has become completely entangled in this simple object. Apparently, if you are on site and are not wearing your wrist band, Lillith loses the ability to laugh, joke, playfully banter, snort, chortle, or giggle. Deprived of these basic emotional outlets, she will be seized by an overwhelming, irreversible urge to ask you to leave the Gathering. We admit that this is a bit strange, but then that's the family. Wear your wristband at all times. It's a tough job herding cats. We're all happier when Lillith is still giggling.

Please be sure to allow plenty of time to find the location of the Gathering, unload your belongings, park your vehicle, and set up your tent or bunk accommodations and fire circle "nest."

Weekend Festival goers must arrive before 7 p.m. on Friday, May 13th when the gate will be closed. No one will be available to let latecomers in, and no refund will be granted to those who do not gain entry to the site because they arrive after 7 p.m. on Friday.

Directions:

From Las Vegas, drive north on Interstate 15 approximately 35 miles to State Route 169. The cut-off is well marked. There is a Paiute Indian Reservation Tobacco Shop and small casino at that exit. It is a great place to make a pit stop before you go on to Valley of Fire. You can get ice here. Drive east on Route 169 for approximately 15 miles. This takes you to the west entrance of the Valley Of Fire. The drive through is about 10 miles in length and take you to route 167, the North Shore road. We will be in the group camp site area, near the Beehives.

For Las Vegas Visitors

Accommodations

Many members of our community are open to housing out of town guests for our events. If you're planning on staying in Las Vegas for a few days either before or after the event, post your plans at our e-group, VegasVortex@yahoogroups.com and see what arrangements you can make. Otherwise, there are numerous hotels all over town.

Prices for budget hotel rooms fluctuate with demand, but deals can be found. We suggest using an online travel portal such as Yahoo! Travel, Expedia, or Orbitz to search for deals. Because travel to Las Vegas is heavy around the times of our Gatherings, make your reservations as soon as possible. Top

Transportation Information

No transportation arrangements will be made by the Vegas Vortex organizers. You are responsible for arranging your own transportation. We suggest you begin by posting a ride request on the Vegas Vortex Discussion eGroup's Mailing List.

Airport Shuttle: We suggest that you post your airline arrival time on the Vegas Vortex Discussion eGroup's Mailing List and organize a ride-share with others who have arrival times close to yours. Pre-arrange with your group to meet in the baggage claim area of whoever's flight comes in last, and then call the shuttle to signal you are all ready to be picked up.

Taxis: A standard taxi fare from the airport to the Gathering site will be about ___ for up to six passengers. Phone: (702-).

Car Rentals: Virtually all the major car rental agencies operate in Las Vegas. However the site has VERY limited parking, and we have been asked by the venue to limit traffic to and from the Gathering as much as possible. There is not enough parking on site! If you feel you must rent a vehicle, please consider offering to carpool with others to the Gathering.

Departures: After the fire circle closes on Sunday morning, we'll participate in cleaning and packing up the community areas. We encourage you to plan ahead and connect with people who have departure times that most closely match yours.

Pre- and Post-Festival Vacationing

There are endless strange and wonderful experiences to have in Las Vegas, and we wholeheartedly encourage you to plan your stay with some free time on one or both sides of the Gathering!

Parking at the Gathering Site

Although the on-site parking is inside a gated area, we suggest that you do not leave valuables in your vehicle. Especially please do not leave valuables in your vehicle if it is moved to remote parking.

Off Site Parking

• If you are not issued a ‘May Fire Parking Permit’ please try to find a ride to the site from Las Vegas if at all possible.
• Vehicles without parking permits will unload their gear at the site, and then we will organize periodic caravans to move cars to a remote parking location, with a designated shuttle vehicle giving drivers a free lift back to the site.
• We have a confirmed remote parking location about 20 miles from the site. We are attempting to find and arrange for parking closer but can not guarantee it will be available.
• Folks arriving in vehicles without ‘parking permits’ do not need to pay the park entrance/parking fee. If you check in with a Ranger at the gate, tell them you will be unloading and then removing your vehicle shortly.
• On Sunday morning we will run shuttles to the remote parking for drivers to pick up their vehicles. Please be flexible and able to go so that we can minimize the number of trips.
• If you are catching a ride with someone else to the site we highly recommend that you prearrange your return travel and site departure time.

On Site Parking- Limited

• May Fire will issue official ‘parking permits’ for a selected number of vehicles to park on site. Contact Lillith@mcbridemagic.com to request a parking space if you meet one of the priority conditions mentioned below.
• Priority for the limited parking spaces will be given to people camping in their vehicles, riding multiple people (3-4 or more), hauling event gear, or who have other special needs.
• Attendees with ‘May Fire Parking Permits’ will be informed by email that they can park on site prior to May 1st.
• May Fire Parking Permit dashboard cards will be issued at the check-in desk upon arrival.
• Parking Permits must have your name clearly written on them and be displayed prominently on the dashboard of your vehicle at all times.
• Vehicles parking on site need to pay the $6 per night entrance/parking fee to the Valley of Fire upon entrance.
• If you do not arrive by the time the May Fire check-in desk closes, your parking permit will be released to someone else who is present and you will have to park off-site! Please see the event schedule for check-in desk hours.
• Please be ready and willing to move your vehicle when and where you are asked to do so. We have a lot of traffic to manage in a small space, including some very large vehicles which are difficult to maneuver.
• Folks with ‘parking permits’ are asked to be willing to give lifts to folks who do not have vehicles on site. If you are headed for the showers, please make an informal announcement, let others know, and take along people who want to go – it is a very long walk to the bath house and we’ll all be hot and dirty.

RV's - Recreational Vehicles

You MUST have a pre-confirmed parking permit if you plan to come in an RV. RV campers will NOT have a choice of parking spots. Event organizers will place RV’s in the available spaces as efficiently as possible so that we maximize parking space and minimize generator noise disruption at the fire circle. In general please try not to run generators at night during the fire circle.

Schedule

Click here to see the current tentative schedule.

Building the Village

Vegas Vortex Gatherings are participatory. All of the core tasks, including putting up structures, building the fire circle, packing up gear, and cleaning common areas before we leave, can only be accomplished if we all collaborate to do so. Our motto: The job is small if it's shared by all.

Creative Contributions

If you have a creative project or installation you want to bring to the festival that you'd like help with, you have at least three options:

1. You can simply assemble a team yourself, through whatever means you wish. Ask your friends to help, or make new friends at the Gathering and ask for their support.
   
2. You can post a message to the MayFire Discussion eGroup to explain your idea and to ask for help.
   
3. You can tell our coordinators what you'd like to do and present a labor "budget" so that they can help you find volunteers. Please contact at Spinner@mcbridemagic.com for more information.

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Facilities

We have rented all three of the group campsites. Each site has a shade structure, pit toilets and running water, which is potable. There are also pay showers a five minute drive from where we'll be camping.

Note for RV users: There are no RV hookups.  If you come out in an RV, you will need to run the generator to have power or air conditioning.

Camping

The rangers tend to be very sensitive about the placement of tents. We can set up tents within one hundred feet of the ramadas, on the side away from the road. Please check in with William, Jonathan, or Jeff before pitching your campsite. This will prevent the possibility of you having to pack up and move....

Weather Tips

Valley of Fire is a dry desert terrain with rocky sandstone outcroppings.

The temperature during the day in May can go up to 90 degrees, and the night down to 60 degrees. You will want to bring clothing for both chilly, and for hot daytime conditions. The humidity can be very low, so start drinking a lot of water a few days before heading out the desert. Continual hydration is important out in the desert. Have a water bottle that you can carry around all day, and keep drinking! The moisture gets wicked right off of you, so it's easy to get dry internally, as well as get dry skin. Be sure to bring sunscreen, lip balm, skin lotion, and sunglasses. Put on sunscreen every morning and repeat as needed during the day.

Please be fully prepared for sun and high-wind. From time to time in the desert, we have windstorms and rainstorms. When the wind kicks up, the sand gets into the air and when it hits your body, it can be rather abrasive. Just go for cover, and it will settle down after a little while. Some people like to bring goggles in case the sand gets intense. When it rains, it will often rain fast and furious for a little while, and then clear. You might want to bring along some rain gear, just in case.

An extra popup canopy to cover your tent and/or "nest" is highly recommended. Having an extra tarp above your tent helps keep your sleeping space cool during the daylight hours when you'll likely want to grab some sleep!

Meals and Beverages

For Thursday, everyone is one their own for food. We will provide brunch and snacks on Friday. Friday night will be our potluck Movable Feast. Please bring a delicious dish to share, and contact Sheila Z scz@cox.net to coordinate what is needed. We will be providing Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner on Saturday and a Sunday morning Break-fast as well. Remember to bring your own plate, bowl, cup, flatware, as well as biodegradable soap, a scrubby cloth or sponge, and a drying towel for cleanup.

Please bring tasty contributions for the Food Altar of nonperishable finger-food treats such as crackers, nuts, chocolates, dried fruits, and cookies. We will share these with each other during the fire circles each night. This is a very important part of our ritual, and we hope you will participate!

Please leave alcohol and other intoxicants at home.

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Sleep

You are invited and encouraged (but not required) to participate all night in the fire circle. Consequently, it is important for you to plan and arrange your sleep schedule according to your personal needs.

A common approach is to take naps during the day, and occasionally at night, to help ourselves stay refreshed for the time we spend in the circle.

To allow people to sleep undisturbed, everyone is expected to keep Quiet Hours from dawn until lunch each morning, and from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. each evening. Even so, earplugs may help you sleep more soundly. Consider using a sleep mask to help you rest during daylight hours. Your own personal alarm clock will be invaluable in helping you keep to your chosen schedule.

Get plenty of rest before you arrive at the Gathering, and organize toward getting extra sleep on Sunday night. Many people find taking Monday off work to be very helpful as they rest, reflect, and ease back into their normal routines.

Nests

Your nest is a comfortable space you will prepare outside the fire circle, ideally with a good view of the fire and dance track. Your nest is a personal, nurturing place to go and relax, reflect, perhaps to stretch your muscles, or simply speak quietly with a friend.

Most nests include a beach chair, a blanket, a ground cloth, and a tarp in case of rain — in addition to such things as personal magical items, a journal, oils and incense, divination tools, etc. Everyone is requested to leave personal gear outside the ring defined by the tiki torches and prayer flags. Your nest is the place to keep all the goodies you might want for use around the fire, but don't want to return to your tent to get.

We have limited nest space around the circle at May Fire, so please plan to make a comfortable place inside the Temple at the Oasis.

Fires

A large fire will be lit and maintained at night during the festival. Precautions will be taken to ensure fire safety. Fire extinguishers, fire blankets, and buckets of water will be strategically placed in the fire circle. No additional ground fires may be built for cooking or any other purpose.

The site for this Gathering is in a high fire risk area.

No burning candles, gas lanterns, open flames or incense are allowed at any time except in designated installations when under direct supervision. We are required to enter tents or bunkhouses to immediately extinguish any fire source observed. Personal cook stoves in the designated cooking area must not be left unattended. All cigarette smoking must be carefully monitored and kept to brush-free areas only. Smokers: Please take care of your butts.

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Special Offerings

Temple at the Oasis : There will be a special area for participants to give and receive massage, energy work, and other holistic practices. This area is also available for meditation, yoga and quiet conversations. Feel free to bring a candle in glass to illuminate this magical place.

Prayer Tie and Crafts Installation: One of our shared altar areas features scores of candles — you are encouraged to add your own candle in a glass container tall enough to block the wind. This is an arts and crafts area for both adults and kids, where we create our prayers ties that will form the container in which we work and play.

Please let us know about other spaces and places you'd like to create by sending email to...

Chants

There is a Fire Tribe Chants eGroup you may subscribe to at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FireTribeChants. This group produces little or no email, but membership allows you to access MP3 recordings and the lyrics for nearly 100 chants you might like to participate in around the fire.

The twice-monthly Sacred Arts Circle is another great opportunity to learn new chants between Gatherings. http://www.mythfits.com/d_dmed.html

Children and Teens

Children and teens are welcome at a Vegas Vortex Gathering. Please understand that parents are responsible for ensuring that their minor children are safe, are behaving appropriately for the Gathering, and have adult supervision. Parents must actively share child-monitoring duties. Parents and kids who do not fulfill these requirements will be asked to leave the Gathering, with no refund.

Please Note: All Vegas Vortex Members are requested to redirect kids who may be doing anything potentially dangerous, such as playing with fire without adult supervision.

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Health Concerns

Please be aware that, because this is a camping event held 12 miles from the nearest emergency medical services, you need to use your best judgment to determine whether you have any medical conditions that should prevent you from attending the Gathering. Please be sure to bring with you any prescription medications you may need.

In addition to the allergens present in the desert, please also keep in mind that sage and incense are significant part of the environments we co-create at the gathering.

Our friends at Burning Man remind us:

"Dehydration can cause headaches, stomach cramps, abdominal pains, constipation, or flu-like symptoms. It exacerbates both heat-related and cold-related conditions (i.e. both sunstroke and hypothermia), and makes it difficult for the body to mend itself. If someone you know complains of these symptoms, or shows signs of either severe overheating or (worse) a case of the chills under the mid-day sun, get them to shade immediately and seek prompt medical help.

Some signs that you may not be drinking enough water:

• You don't carry a water bottle with you at all times.
• You sip instead of drinking deeply.
• You wait to drink until you're thirsty (too late!).
• Your urine is anything but clear and abundant.
• You become cranky.

We will have a basic first aid kit available if you need it, but please do bring all your basic heath care products that you like to use, including band aids, ibuprofen, earplugs etc..

From time to time in the desert, we have windstorms and rainstorms. When the wind kicks up, the sand gets into the air and when it hits your body, it can be rather abrasive. Just go for cover, and it will settle down after a little while. Some people like to bring goggles in case the sand gets intense. When it rains, it will often rain fast and furious for a little while, and then clear. You might want to bring along some rain gear, just in case.

Disabilities

The Gathering will be held at a public campground. The buildings and terrain may pose substantial barriers to people with mobility challenges. If you have questions about the facilities, please contact us and we will gladly put you in touch with the campground administrators.

Safety and Security

Our intention is for our community to come together in emotional and physical safety. Should any dangerous or disruptive behaviors threaten the security or harmony of the Gathering, they will be addressed quickly and appropriately with the goal of restoring or maintaining safety. The venue's staff and the Vegas Vortex Gathering organizers reserve the right to expel any participant, without refund, due to unsafe or disruptive behavior.

Fire Circle Considerations

The fire circle is intended to be a sacred and safe space. For this reason, we ask that you:

• Do not smoke in the fire circle area or discard cigarette butts in the fire.
• Do not remove burning sticks from the fire.
• Do not put trash into the fire at any time.
• Do not jump the fire.
• Do not attempt fire walking.

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Clothing

We invite you to bring clothes that express and empower who you are and how you intend to be in this artful space. You may adorn yourself in a special way that, for you, manifests spiritual expression or powerfully evokes an archetype you wish to bring to the ritual. You can also change "costumes" during the night, experimenting with different possibilities. Some people may be working with masks and other kinds of transformational adornment. Explore your vision!

Suggestions: Bring comfortable ceremonial or ritual clothing that allows freedom of movement. Also bring costumes, jewelry, masks, magical implements, talismans for wearing or charging, a scarf or hood to use as a head covering, sarongs, bindis, body paint, face paint, etc.

Know that many of us will be going all out — no need to be shy! Note: If you bring your own fabric, you can learn some amazing wrapping techniques.

Of course, feel free to come as you are, in simplicity and comfort, without undue fuss.

What Else to Bring

• A blanket, beach mat, or chair for sitting on while attending playshops, eating, or resting outside the fire circle.
• An extra tarp to be used for creating shade or rain shelters for the community.
• A sturdy clip to securely close your tent against unwanted creepy-crawlies.
• Blankets or a sleeping bag.
• Linens and a pillow.
• Comfortable clothes, including a windbreaker or sweater in case of a cool wind.
• A small flashlight with fresh batteries for making your way at night.
• Battery- or solar- powered light sources for your tent and nest areas.
• Electrolytic beverages to drink.
• A cup, chalice or mug.
• A plate, bowl, fork, knife, spoon, etc. (and a mesh bag to hold them in while they're drying).
• Biodegradable dishwashing liquid, scrubber, and drying towel
• Skin protection — from sun, mosquitoes and wind.
• Rain gear/umbrella.
• A garbage bag or two to for cleaning up whatever you need to clean up.
• Towel, wash cloth, and personal hygiene items, including earth-friendly soap.
• A pair of earplugs — and an alarm clock, in case you want to nap or simply wake in time for the sunrise and solar salutation.
• Food and snacks, including a contribution to the Food Altar, a canned food donation for the Fans With Cans Food Drive, and any special dietary items you want or need.
• Any medications you may need.
• A caffeinated beverage or two to maintain your alertness for the drive home on Sunday.
• Comfortable footwear to wear while dancing.

Special Items and Requests

• White Sage: please bring a contribution to our sage reserve so that we are sure to have an abundant supply on hand.
• A specific personal intention for growth and transformation in your life. What kind of focus do you want to magnify or develop in your life? What aspect of your being are you currently nurturing? How might you use art to integrate and explore this intention at the sacred circle?
• Your chants, magical poetry, spoken prayers, ritual theatre pieces and invocations for offering around the fire. As we will be working toward the creation of our own shared mythology, we prefer offerings in English.
• Your journal or notebook to record thoughts, feelings, dreams, and special experiences.
• Decorations such as flowers, ribbons, prayer flags, soap bubbles and magical stuff to add to the fire circle, temples, altars, and general atmosphere.
• A candle in a glass container tall enough to block the wind.
• Rattles and shakers, bells, claves and other percussion instruments. We welcome all types of drums — congas, doumbeks, dunduns, frame drums, stamping tubes, other hand drums, etc. We also invite you to bring other sacred sound makers such as didjeridoos, singing bowls, and other trance or drone instruments.
• Covers for your drums.
• An offering for the fire, such as a small branch or log, prayer bundles, wood or wicker weavings, and/or clean burnable art with no nails, wire or plastic all are welcome.

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What Not to Bring

• Pets — NO dogs are allowed at this site.
• Firearms, explosives, or fireworks.
• Illegal substances of any sort.
• Alcohol.

Photography

Please do not use cameras, recorders, or other audio/visual recording equipment at any of the fire circles. At other times, please be sure to get permission from anyone you might like to photograph or record. Remember: Feeling safe is the foundation of freedom. We will have designated official photographers onsite to document select portions of the event. Please let the photographers know if you do not want to be photographed.

Cleanup

It is our intention to leave the site cleaner than it was when we arrived, so please be sure to clean up after yourself completely. All participants are expected to contribute their fair share in cleaning up.

Departing

Assuming everyone helps out with cleanup, we expect to complete our formal activities and clean-up by about noontime on Sunday. Following this, you are welcome to linger, enjoy the day and each other's company, or nap before heading home. We all need to depart the camp site by 3pm. We are guests — let's not overstay our welcome!

Questions

Be sure to check our FAQ page for answers to the most frequently asked questions. If you still have questions about the Vegas Vortex Gathering, please direct them to the person who invited you to the festival, send email, or call Abbi Spinner McBride 702-450-0021

Discussion Group

An online forum has been created so we can connect with each other and talk about our experiences at the Gathering. You may join the discussion group by sending a blank email message to MayFire-subscribe@yahoogroups.com, or by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/MayFire/

Thank you! Enjoy the Gathering!

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