www.palenque2012.org

The Inner Journey
-preparing for The Inner Journey

“What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson

‘The journey is the destination’
-PeepShowMiniGolf

Life is a journey, or so they say.
With this in mind, i would like to share a few thoughts on ‘the inner journey’ aspect of The Palenque 2012 Mythic Adventure.
Even if you doubt all the woo-woo hype around 2012 as a year of apocalyptic portent, its pretty clear that theres a LOT of change going on right now in the world!
Theres a saying a good friend has taped to his front door-

‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’
-Ghandi

I like this because it implies a radical sense of accountability in how we approach our lives as conscious beings, immersed in times of change.
This sentiment puts you in the drivers seat of your own experience and suggests that instead of whining about the way things are, change yourself and then see what happens!
Quit projecting your shadow onto others and face it within yourself, right?
Is this not essentially the gist of our Hero’s journey in life?
To face our inner shadows and become positively transformed in the process?

So, onto preparing for ‘the inner journey’.
…but first, a bit of colorful exposition.

Into the breach, dear friends
Too many times have i arrived at The Burning Man Festival and made note of how much time people have put time into the vast complexities of their external preparations necessary for survival out in that harsh environment and so little time preparing thier ‘inner self’- intentions, gifts, psyche, agreements with partners, etc.
The vastness of all the external prep is consuming: camp planning, travel preparations, camp supplies, camp structures, food, water as well as endless planning meetings, email lists, email conversations, dealing with clashing personalities…it goes on.
Add an artcar, add another thousand hours of prep.
But wait there’s more: buying blinky toys, packing endless bins of costumes & fancy shoes that will soon be destroyed, searching for hard to find substances, printed lists of dj’s and parties and of course creating and preparing ART.
You might say that preparing ART for the playa can be a very reflective, inwardly focused experience…but most don’t create art to share.
Most people attend this ‘party / spiritual pilgrimage/ appointment with derangement’ having done little if no inner preparation.
Its a very special kind of psychically buggering apocalyptic experience that one suffers out there, one that really does benefit from some tending to ones inner needs.
But what on earth could you prepare you for this kind of journey?
How can you prepare for a jump off a cliff into the scary unknown?
A friend once called this festival ‘Kali’s Playground’, an apt description if you ask me.
If you are lucky, perhaps you’ll stumble across Jim Morrison’s ghost wandering the open playa muttering something about ‘prolonged derangement of the senses’.
If your really lucky, maybe you’ll even stumble out of a dust storm into a hallowed dome to join fellow dehydrated burners looking like Saddhu -HolyMen ghosts covered in fine white playa dust  huddled at the feet of some iconic subculture literary figure in an attempt to glean pearls of wisdom that might guide them on their journey.
Journeys which have now begun to remind them of that vow they made last year ‘to really take the time next year to set some intentions before their burn’
Intentions and vows which always get forgotten in the frenzy and hub-bub of pre festival preparations.
In the first few days of the event, after everyone has arrived and the camps have been built, after those first elated bike rides out onto the open playa to check out the ‘big art’…there sets in that universal question on the lips of every participant-
‘now what?’
Friends and community sitting around in various states of derangement, passing snacks and cocktails, murmuring the same old lines-
‘hey, do you know whos DJ’ing tonight?
‘hey, did you see that big metal art thingy, i hear its gonna blow up…

Embrace your fire consciously or get burned
And yes, though the ‘road of excess does lead to the palace of wisdom’ and i do love me some  big crazy spectacle as much as the next fun-loving trickster…i’ve also seen the destruction that comes from unconsciously courting Dionysian frenzy.
When we come across that ‘what now?’ moment in our journeys, do we simply pile on more substances, louder music, more crazy making spectacles and crazier costumes???
OR, do we do the ‘counter intuitive thing’ and remove ourselves from the fray and take a moment to still ourselves, be quiet, find a still point and reflect?
I can remember years ago, towards the end of my first Burning Man trip, literally RUNNING out into the empty desert driven to escape all the intense experiences i had piled one on top of the another.
My psyche was bent over backwards from the pressure of too much stimulation, too much emotional complexity, too much NOISE.
In a desperate need to retain some sense of stillness and sanity, i sought refuge ….and found myself sitting far out in the empty desert….and able to hear myself breathe again.
I remember that moment like it was yesterday, sitting in the cool evening air with the sun setting behind purple mountains, the festival glimmering miles in the distance like some weird mirage.
So amazingly, blissfully, quiet.
It was then, after letting all the noise and crazy chaos drain out of me, that i could see my inner journey that was unfolding, as if for the first time.
As i sat there,  i watched scenes of my insane week prior replaying, unfolding scene by scene, I saw how the consequence of my actions played a part in my play.

‘Quality of play is a direct reflection of HOW we play’
-James Carse, Finite and Infinite Games

I saw myself sometimes as a conscious player in my experience, but mostly stumbling about as a pawn being moved solely by the desire for more and more intense sensation, stimulus and novelty.
That day i became intensely aware of the value of tempering ones’ outer journey with that of inner reflection.
That day my personal journey shifted from being outwardly driven to  inwardly informed.
It was then that i was able to step back into my unfolding play in a much more conscious way.
This festival and many like it invite us, as Mythic Players, to step deeper into our experiences as Heros’, Shamans & Priestesses all…invite us to dive within our own mysterious depths and face what shadows and wonders await us.
It is a fact of life that we all have shadows to face, challenges to meet, Minotaurs to encounter in the depths of our labyrinthian psyches….
When we gather in the presence of such collective creative fire, it is absurd to think that the light that results will not reveal Gods, Goddesses, Demons, treasures and shadows.

I’ve lost friends to the other side via the destructive forces that attend these celebrations and paths.
I myself have suffered needlessly through lack of proper preparation and respect for ‘the journey to come’.
I’ve hurt others by wandering blindly on my journeys and been hurt by others also smashing into me.

So now what?
After all the immense preparations, time, energy and resources attendees expend to make these sort of epic journeys…to then sit around asking the question of ‘now what’…is one that begs addressing.
I’ve been in this position too many time to count and every time…i’ve always thought to myself-
’what tools could keep the adventure moving forward and inward, could assist us right now in tapping the mysteries & moments we’ve come seeking?
How can we prepare ourselves to have the most deeply meaningful and rewarding journeys possible?
At the BMAN fest and in many other creative communities, we are encouraged not be spectators, but rather-players on a playing field, participants in ‘the play’.
I believe that the BMAN festival and many of these participatory, creative, gift sharing experiences exist as a manifestation from our collective desire to embody our inner heros, shamans, priests, goddesses, magicians, poets and whatever magickal avatars you feel waking up inside you!
These festivals, as celebrations of the creative spirit, challenge us to step into the  mythic aspects of our lives.
THROUGH play and the sharing of our gifts, we are coming into a greater mastery of what it is to truly LIVE as embodiments of unlimited possibility.

The Mythic Adventure aspect of Palenque 2012
At Journeys end, when we’ve all returned from our adventure to the jungles of southern Mexico, what stories will we bring back?
Sure, we might have some great trinkets we found at the markets, but what of the true gifts, the soul discoveries, triumphs and epiphanies that want to flow through us?
Are these not the gifts that will inspire and fuel us and others on yet more EPICALLY MYTHIC ADVENTURES?
The Mythic Adventure Totem areas and Mythic Questions are designed to help each of us in diving deeper into our own journeys.
The 7 areas of Mythic Adventure, each with their distinct vibe and focus, provide a landscape for our inner journey.
They create an intentional container for our inner experience to occur.
Mythic questions in these areas will further assist  in preparing our stories, intentions, gifts and anything else that might be pushing on us from inside, that might want to be faced..or shared…or celebrated!

“An important part of any sacred activity is marking a boundary between the sacred and non-sacred. It’s important to build a container so the action is conducted inside sacred space,”

-Lewis Hyde, author of The Gift and Trickster Makes The World

So here’s an example of how the Mythic Questions could work:
In The HUMMINGBIRD area, which focuses on VISION and INSPIRATION, the MYTHIC QUESTION CARDS might ask something like-
‘What inspires you? How do you court inspiration? What activities help you to feel inspired? What blocks you in receiving inspiration? Have you found ways to face these blocks?’

It is our hope that these questions will generate more questions of Mythic Inquiry, as well as inspire deep sharing and spirited group exploration.We will be making these questions available o the website and at the event.

Everyone that participates will probably feel drawn to one or more specific Totem areas, this is welcome as it will help to create a diverse playing field!
In the preparation for  inner journeys, we are humbly invited to consider wisdom held by mystics, alchemists, shamans, elders and so many traditions informed by those that have gone before us down these roads…
There are some really sound and helpful tools that can assist us on our journey!

In closing
I am deeply grateful to the many elders, guides, mentors and tricksters that have patiently offered their wisdom to me over the years. Wisdom that more often than not fell on the deaf ears of this incredibly egoic and unwilling fool.
Wisdom  that can aid and guide us on our inner journeys as we explore the bewildering worlds of Mythic Adventure.
Lets share what works for us, lets share what has been gifted to and through us, with the intention of supporting each other in having the deepest, most meaningful and rich Mythic Adventures possible!
These shared experiences,  which ‘support the flow of gifts freely amongst one another’,  remind us of the true meaning & value of community and enliven us in ways that feel really, really good.
On these sorts of expeditions…and perhaps in life in general, It seems that when we balance tending to our inner journey equally to the outer adventure, both enliven the other.

Will we be dragged, kicking and screaming, like ignorant petulant children, refusing to embrace the realities of the journey that stretches before us?
or,
Will we take the time to prepare our Mystic Fires, enter the gates of Mythic Adventure consciously and thus be filled with the strength to venture forth – warmed by compassion’s imagination and the light of dawn light on our brows?

Together then, let us celebrate and support the inner journeys of each of our fellow Heros-Heroines, fools, priestesses, poets, shamans and mystic dandies…and see how good OUR COLLECTIVE Story can get.

…..

Notes:
Here’s an interesting breakdown of The Hero’s Journey step by step:

http://www.mcli.dist.maricopa.edu/smc/journey/ref/summary.html

The Palenque 2012 Experience Designers Notebook presents tips, techniques and reflections on how to create your own inspiring social experiences from Professor Violet, one of SF’s most illustrious Puppeteering Mustachioed Dandy experience designers and proponents of CREATOR CULTURE.
In this ongoing series of posts i will sharing my love for experience design, relate behind-the-scenes observations on PALENQUE 2012 and explore what makes for awesome, inspiring, life-changing, wildly creative, participatory, surprising and TRANSFORMATIONAL experiences!