print

UNITED KINGDOM

Love, Bums and Drum Circles: Postcards from a

Modern-Day Hippy Paradise
November24,2016
PhotosbyDENISVEJAS

(/en_uk/author/denisvejas)

(whatsapp://send?
text=http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read
gatheringgallery
876)


TheRainbowWorldMeetinginGuatemalainNovember2012

ThisarticleoriginallyappearedonVICESpain(http://vice.com/es)

IfirstheardabouttheRainbowFamilyGatheringsabouteightyearsago.Whilehitchhikingaround
Europe,IwaspickedupbyagroupofItalianhippieswhotoldmeabouttheseannualhippiemeetups
thatrunwithoutrealrulesorcurrency.Atfirst,itwashardtofindanyinformationabouttheeventsonline,
butIfinallyfoundaratherbasic,tiedyecolouredwebsiteannouncingthatthenextEuropeanRainbow
GatheringwouldtakeplaceonthenewmoonofAugust2008,somewhereinSerbia.Theinvitations
wouldbesentoutviaemailassoonasthescoutshadfoundalocation.Iimmediatelysubscribedtothe
newsletter.

Abouttwoweeksbeforethatnewmoon,Ireceivedanattachmentinanemail.Itwasthescanofa
postcardwithahanddrawnmapdrawnonit,coveredwithpsychedelicflorals,heartsandthewords:
"WelcomeHome".

AttheRainbowRegionalRussianGatheringinKareliainAugust2011

TheRainbowFamilyisananarchist,utopian,newagecommunitythatcomestogetherduringRainbow
Gatherings.Theemphasisduringthosegatheringsisonfreedomandlove.Thereisnoentrancefee,no
hierarchyandnoactualorganisationbehindthegatherings.Everyoneisresponsibleforplanningand
settinguptheeventscoutingthelocation,cooking,providingfirstaidsuppliesandpeacekeeping.The
costsarecoveredbydonationsfromtheattendeesduringthegathering,whospendtheirdaysgivingand
takingworkshopsatthegathering,dancing,meditating,sittingincouncilcircles,women'scirclesand
drumcirclesordoingherbwalks,yoga,tantraorpsychedelicdrugs.

ThefirstRainbowGatheringin1972,inColoradowasattendedbymorethan20,000people.Itwasn't
meanttobethatbigtheideawasforafewpeopletogettogetherinaremotewildernessforfourdays,
toprayandmeditateforworldpeace.Butthatfirstgatheringgavewaytoabunchofannualeventsnow
heldallovertheworld.

Usually,thelocationsoftheGatheringsareabout20to30kilometresawayfromthenearesttown.From
there,Familymembersfollowcolourfulpiecesofstringhangingfromtreesorpilesofstonestofindtheir
waytothelocation.That'sexactlyhowIreachedmyfirstgatheringin2008afterafourhourhikeon
Serbiandirtroads.


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012

WhenIsteppedintothewoodsthatday,thewelcomewasslightlyoverwhelming.Nakedandhalfnaked
peopleranuptometohugmeandtellmetheylovedme,agroupofhippiessangKrishnasongs,and
othersweredancingtothedrumswhilesomeonepassedmeajoint.

AtmyfirstRainbowGatheringandeveryonethatfollowed,Imettraditionalhippiesandnomads,
alcoholicRussianpriests,hardcoreanarchists,hackers,selfproclaimedprophets,reincarnationsof
famousreligiousfiguresandartistsofallkindsallholdinghandsinacircle.

Itookthefollowingpicturesbetween2011and2014atdifferentRainbowGatheringsinMexico,
Guatemala,RussiaandMorocco.

MoreonVICE:
PhotosfromtheRealLifeVersionof'TheBeach'(http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/sexbeach
photostropicalbackpackerparadise876)

PhotosofNakedHippiesandStylishRadicalsinMilan(http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/photos
parcolabroparkmilan876)

TheDarkSideoftheRainbowGathering(http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/thedarksideofthe
rainbowgathering)

AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012

AttheRainbowRegionalMoroccanGatheringinAzilalin2010

AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012

AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012

AttheGlobalRainbowGatheringinPalenque,MexicoinDecember2012andJanuary2013

AttheRainbowRegionalRussianGatheringinKareliainAugust2011

AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012

AttheGlobalRainbowGatheringinPalenque,MexicoinDecember2012andJanuary2013

(/en_uk/)


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013


AttheRainbowWorldGatheringinGuatemalainNovember2012


AttheRainbowRegionalMexicanGatheringinOaxacainMarch2013
TOPICS:VICEInternational(/en_uk/tag/VICE+International),VICESpain(/en_uk/tag/VICE+Spain),photo
(/en_uk/tag/photo),photography(/en_uk/tag/photography),DenisVejas(/en_uk/tag/Denis+Vejas),hippies
(/en_uk/tag/hippies),Rainbowfamily(/en_uk/tag/Rainbow+family),rainbowfamilygathering
(/en_uk/tag/rainbow+family+gathering),RainbowGatherings(/en_uk/tag/Rainbow+Gatherings),gallery
(/en_uk/tag/gallery)

SHARE

RECOMMENDED

COMMENT

Photos from the Real Life Version of 'The Beach'

(/en_uk/read/sex-beach-photos-tropical-backpackerparadise-876)

The Dark Side of the Rainbow Gathering (/en_uk/read/thedark-side-of-the-rainbow-gathering)

Photos from the Demolition of Copenhagens Cannabis

Supermarket (/en_uk/read/photos-demolition-ofcopenhagens-cannabis-supermarket-876)

COMMENTS

I Left My Taxidermy Workshop to Become a Nudist at 74

(/en_uk/read/at-74-i-left-everything-behind-to-become-anudist-876)

9Comments

Sortby Newest

Addacomment...

MiloEllaitchOldskool
Arethesepeople"hippies"........nah.
LikeReply1hr

MarkHoultramLeeds
Guatemalalookslikeitwasasausagefestbutthatdudesjointlooksnextlevel
LikeReply

33hrs

RickEichWorksatFedEx
PortandOregon24/7yourwelcome
LikeReply

45hrs

RicardoMondEazyNinilchik,Alaska
Eugenemoreso.
LikeReply4hrs

WmBurtWhiteCoOwneratTheCanvasLadyN.J.
i'llneverforgetthetimeIwascampedoutinUnionGroveNorthCarolinaatthefiddlersconventionand
therewasalargerainbowcontingentthere.Wellwesataroundourfireanakedwomanwalkeduptous
andaskedusadrinkofwater.I'llneverforgetthelookonthefacesofthementhatweretherelookingat
her.itwasgreat.
LikeReply

16hrs

ArthurHullHeadElfatVillageMusicCircles
Imadeittothefirstgatheringincoloradoandto5moredurringmylifetime.Thesegatheringsoflove
peacecommunityanddrumminghaveinformedmehowIhavelivedmy70yearsoflifewitha"whatif?"
gleaminmyeyeandpersonalmission.ThankeyoutotheLovefamily.
LikeReply

68hrs

AlejandraSolano
Wherecanyoufindinformationforthegatherings?
LikeReply

37hrs

ChrisMcEvoyCofounderatMaiThikHoo
Hereyougo!RainbowGatherings
LikeReply3hrs

Load4morecomments

FacebookCommentsPlugin

MORE PHOTOS

Dirty Birds: Thanksgiving Food Porn, Literally

(/en_uk/read/thanksgivingfoodpornliterally)
LazyMom(/en_uk/author/lazymom)

Jesus Christ Is Now Ofcially the King of Poland

(/en_uk/read/jesuschristkingofpoland876)
PaweMczewski(/en_uk/author/pawelmaczewski)

The Beauty and Timelessness of Rural Colorado

(/en_uk/read/trentdavisbaileynorthforkcoloradophotoshome)
TrentDavisBailey(/en_uk/author/trentdavisbailey)

Photos of Adele, Dev Hynes and the Horrors Before Their

Careers Took Off
(/en_uk/read/backthenwithbenraynernovember2006vs2016)
BenRayner(/en_uk/author/benrayner)

Photos of the Gulf War Fires That Turned Kuwait's Oil Fields into
Hell
SebastioSalgado(/en_uk/read/adesertonfirekuwaitphotobookexcerptsalgado)

Photos of What's Left of the Refugee Camp You Never Knew

Existed
(/en_uk/read/grandesyntherefugeecampfranceleftbehindphotos)

Athens Welcomed Obama With Molotov Bombs and Tear Gas

ThanasisKamvisis,Words:PavlosToubekis(/en_uk/read/obamaathensnovember2016riots876)

Photos of Polish Policemen Looking Bored and Cold

PawelStarzek(/en_uk/read/photosofboredpolishpolicemenindependencedaywarsaw2016876)

Thousands Protested Against Swedish Neo-Nazis in Central

Stockholm this Weekend
(/en_uk/read/neonazicounterdemonstrationstockholm1112)
CaisaEderyd(/en_uk/author/caisaederyd)

Salvia Velada: Experiencing a Traditional Mazatec Shaman

Ceremony
(/en_uk/read/salviaveladamazatecshamanceremonyportfoliov23n8)
DaniloParra(/en_uk/author/DaniloParra)

This Couples Camper Van Road Trip Shows Off Nature at Its Best
StephanieFoden(/en_uk/read/thiscouplesrvroadtripshowsoffcanadaatitsbest)

How Last Night's Anti-Trump Protest in London Unfolded

(/en_uk/read/antidonaldtrumpprotestlondonusembassy)
JakeLewis(/en_uk/author/jakelewis)

2016VICEMediaLLC