One Man's
Experience
by Mark Moore, Fall '97
It was a dark and stormy night... Actually, it was a dark and stormy night as I raced to
get to the Men's and Women's Gathering Wednesday night. I was totally focused on my
driving, and completely unaware of the amazing symbology that was streaming past me as I
drove forward into the dark, wet folds of the Calistoga Valley where the Rainbow Ranch
would hold us for the next four days. Fortunately, the Temenoid process would again shake
the scales from my eyes before the weekend was over. Trying to catch the feeling and power
of the Men's and Women's gathering in a few short paragraphs is going to prove impossible,
but the essence of the weekend was transition, awe, community, connection and
vulnerability.There is an unavoidable sense
of community that seems to be created with any camping or skiing trip. The Gathering has
this same feeling, and it permeates the entire experience. It starts with jockeying with
others for shower position in the morning, or the smell of coffee brewing and breakfast
cooking in the kitchen. It continues straight through the late night discussions with your
roommate, which feel more like the important childhood talks you had across a dark room
with a brother or best friend. This sense of community provided the foundation for the
"temenos" that would allow the work of the weekend to unfold. Amazingly, this
work would include the exploration of Rage and Vulnerability as well as Ferocity and Fear.
That these energies could coexist and be explored without overwhelming or destroying one
another is a very powerful experience, and simply awe inspiring to behold. It is also a
testament to the amazing amount of care and energy invested by Tina, Tim, Connie, and Bob
in creating and holding the space for the workshop.
The fundamental material for the workshop - OK, for me -
was the exploration of "archetypes," or behavior patterns. I have a tendency to
classify different modes of behavior as either "good," or "bad." For
instance, I understand the beneficial sides of Compassion, or Rationality. Even Warrior,
or Self-centered Jerk I can understand although they may be harder for me to reach and
easier to see their detrimental aspects. But, when would I ever want to go back to that
sophomoric, conceited and naive space so comfortable to frat boys and high-school jocks?
Well, the answer is "only occasionally, and then very carefully." The point is
that these archetypes, or any archetype, are neither good nor bad, and that they have very
little care for how any particular individual might classify them. They've been around for
a long time, and they are likely to be around a lot longer. I've begun to realize that
these "bad" behaviors are a lot more useful than I ever gave them credit for.
These insights, along with many others, helped me to form a
new perspective, and as I climbed back out of the Calistoga Valley, now bright, sunny and
vibrant, I felt totally alive and in touch with the beauty that was all around.
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