55 Questions to Ask Before Opening a New Event

Event organization is an act of MAGIC!

A friend of mine from the festival community asked me and a few other event organizers what he ought to think about as he plans for a brand new event he is thinking of arranging. I've helped other friends with this, but I'd never made a list of basic questions -- until today.

These are the starting point. You will find others that are particular to your event, your venue, your community, your helpers, your state and its laws, etc.

Start with the venue. Do some fact-finding from your potential locations before you commit so you can get an idea of what your expenses and staffing needs are going to look like. 

1.       What does their fee structure look like?

2.       Do you get any free admissions that you can use for organizing staff or special guests?

3.       Do they handle registrations, or do you need to provide staff, cash to start the till, forms, waivers, etc?

4.       How is parking handled?

5.       Is sanitation included?

6.       Who is doing maintenance of the bathrooms/portajohns?

7.       Who is doing the maintenance for the showers?

8.       Do you need to purchase supplies for bathroom and shower maintenance?

9.       How is trash collection handled?

10.   Is there a fee for a dumpster pick-up?

11.   Is there food available onsite?

12.   If not, can food vendors easily set up?

13.   Are there grills, campfire rings, or a community kitchen for attendees to prepare their own food?

14.   Does the facility charge extra money for vendors?

15.   How many vendors can the site hold?

16.   What are the accommodations for disabled persons? (This includes ramps, handrails, and electricity for assistive devices, just to name a few.)

17.   How are the bonfires handled?

18.   Do they provide staff, or are you expected to bring your own firetenders?

19.   What about security staff and first aid staff?

20.   What are their requirements for people you provide who staff those areas? (special training, certifications, etc)

21.   Do you pay a fee for safety personnel, or are is their fee waived?

22.   What is included in venue’s overnight facilities? (primitive camping, electric and water, cabins?)

23.   What might your attendees need to bring with them?

24.   What do the presentation and performance areas provide in terms of space and equipment?

25.   Do you need to bring additional tents or structures to accommodate your vision?

26.   Are there are features of the venue that might be hazardous?

27.   Are pets allowed by the facility?

28.   Do you want to allow pets?

29.   If so, what are your rules regarding their supervision? (Tags, shots, leashes, poop, behavior)

30.   Are children attending?

31.   Are they allowed to attend with someone who isn’t their parent/guardian?

32.   Do you need wristband or tickets with stubs or badges (some way to identify people)?

33.   Does the facility provide those identifiers, or do you need to arrange printing?

The answers to these questions aren't as obvious as they might appear at first glance. You can't assume that anything is included. Joe and I have been responsible for every aspect of the above questions for Babalon Rising at both of our locations. Midian has a certain level of staff that CAN be available, but they can also bugger off if a festival doesn't need them. Chrysalis Moon, for example, came to Midian with all their own staff -- from gate to maintenance to security to first aid and beyond. We had our own people in the kitchen (because that’s how we run it), some of our firetenders stepped in to cover Midian’s basic requirements for fire safety, and we had a couple of Midian directors onsite to be a resource for the festival organizers. Other facilities may handle things differently, and very little is “standard” in this industry.

If you have an idea for an event, there are probably a few things you already know you need to cover. If you've ever presented or performed at an event, a few other logistical concerns will be evident. I'm going to assume that you're starting from scratch, though. You have a vision and a location. Here's what you need to think of next:

34.    How many and what sort of performances and workshops do you want?

35.   Are you working around a theme or concept?

36.   Is there a flow or feel you want?

37.   Who is communicating that line-up, flow, and culture/atmosphere to the presenters and performers?

38.   Who is communicating those things to the attendees?

39.   Are you providing a printed copy of the schedule?

40.   Are you providing a mobile version of the schedule?

41.   What about maps of the facility highlighting various event locations?

42.   Do any of the presenters or performers require payment?

43.   Do they need you to provide lodging, food, and travel?

44.   Do they have special needs based on their health?

45.   What set-up time, assistance, and equipment do they all need?

46.   Will they have a point of contact once they're at the event?

47.   Do you have someone who can fill in if someone doesn't show? (Someone ALWAYS bails at the last minute.)

48.   If children are attending, do you have activities for them?

49.   Are you providing supervision for the kids, or are their parents solely responsible for their entertainment and safety?

50.   How do you intend to handle children who break the rules of the facility or event?

Most start-up events don't have great methods of receiving feedback from all the stake-holders, but feedback is critical if you intend to hold your event on a recurring basis. It’s better to consider it from the beginning, working it into the fabric of the event, rather than tacking it on as an afterthought after they’ve gone home. 

51.   What can the performers and presenters help you improve?

52.   What did the attendees love and hate in terms of facilities, content, etc?

53.   What did you staff notice working well or working poorly?

54.   What blind-sided you?

55.   What criteria are you using to determine that you were successful?

Most small, first time events consider themselves a rousing success if they stay in the black in the ledger, and that is valid. But maybe you don't care about that. Some folks care more about a particular aspect of the experience. Figure out a way to measure what matters to you.

On the Subject of Fair Compensation for Authors

Me showing some Aphrodite-ness
at the LHP Con in Indy 2014.

My friend and peer, Taylor Ellwood, posted this article that I thought several of you might find interesting. (This is the  second part of his open letter.) The condensed version is that Taylor has made the choice to respect himself and his work by expecting festival and convention organizers to pay him fair compensation (beyond free entry) for the events where he speaks. He makes the point that he is footing the bill for transportation, lodging, and food in order to present at and market these events. He further encourages event organizers to be clear in their expectations and compensation policies for featured speakers. Finally, he encourages all authors/speakers to take a stand and demand fair compensation, thereby changing the way these Pagan and esoteric events do business. (Please, please read the letters for yourself. I am only hitting the high points here.)

I applaud Taylor's decision as it relates to himself, and I have my own thoughts to share on the topic where my own presenting and event-organizing is concerned.



My Experience as an Author and Speaker

I have to admit, as much as my pride would like for me to seem more grand and in demand, that I have never been paid for an appearance at a Pagan festival or convention. I have never had my travel or lodging covered, either. The best that I have experienced in terms of compensation is free entry to the event and the ability to sell my books at no charge. That is the BEST, but I think it should be the standard minimum.

I'm not sure that I will ever be offered more compensation than this due to the nature of my writing and the somewhat limited audience to which my work appeals. I write about Traditional Witchcraft and Aphrodisian interests. Neither of those has a very broad base within the Pagan world. I'm a pragmatist, though, and I understand the principles of supply and demand when it comes to event organization. Mid-list authors (and actors and artists) just aren't compensated as generously as the "stars" of the genre.

My Observations of the BIG Conventions 

I'm talking here about the Comic Cons and genre-cons that pull in 20,000 - 80,000 attendees over the course of a single weekend. You know, those monstrous events with hordes of cosplayers. I've attended a few with my daughter (who loves anime), and I've even worked at one. (I was Naomi Grossman's personal assistant at the Lexington Comic and Toy Convention in 2014. At the time, she was pretty much only known for her role as Pepper in American Horror Story: Asylum. She had just been signed for AHS: Freak Show, but couldn't announce it yet.)

These conventions, if you haven't been, have a handful of honored and featured guests, a ton of other guests, some panel discussions, some workshops, and lots and lots of shopping. Pagan conventions, if you haven't been, also have a handful of honored and featured guests, lots of mid-list or unknown authors and speakers, lots of workshops, and a little shopping. Both types of events cost about $300 for the weekend (give or take).

I can tell you from up-close experience that the BIG cons generate thousands and thousands (and THOUSANDS) of dollars, and everybody gets paid something. I got paid to be a PA, even! But they have also monetized the ever-loving snot out of every aspect of the experience. The authors and artists and actors who were NOT Carol from The Walking Dead, Cpt. Kirk, or that voice-actor you love from Full-Metal Alchemist made pretty much all their money from autographs and photo ops. The more that people came to see them personally, the more money they earned. And I'm not sure that most of them made anything from the con's ticket sales. They ONLY made money from their fans.

I bring this up because Pagan cons/fests don't have the same dynamic in terms of monetizing the experience. Authors don't charge for book signings, let alone signed photos and other swag. They don't charge you $10 (or more) to take a selfie with you on your own phone. Indeed, you might just find Oberon Zell-Ravenheart sharing mead and telling stories at YOUR campfire. Pagan events have a culture that is relationship-based far more than it is money-based.

My Experience as an Event Organizer

I organize events at Midian Festivals and Events near Bedford, Indiana, USA. I have been an organizer (now Director) of the Babalon Rising Thelemic Festival since 2009, and it is the largest event I help organize. (BR hasn't yet reached max capacity, but we anticipate that being about 500 people total --  including all organizers, presenters, musicians, dancers, volunteers, and paid registrants.) We are not a large event, and we don't particularly aim to be. We are a Thelemic event, and it is our goal to provide a quality festival experience for Thelemites of all ilks, orders, and inclinations.

I'm hesitant to share too much about BR's financial details, but I will share what I think is relevant for this conversation. We are a private, commercial (meaning that we are NOT "non-profit"), small business. Our directors and organizers have never taken a salary, and everyone who has ever had any major hand in the running of the festival has invested a fair chunk of money into its operation. We do it for Love (and certainly for Will) but not at all for money. The festival's main financial goal is to provide an amazing experience in the current year and have some seed money to get started for the following year.

We always offer free entrance to any presenter who provides 2 or more workshops (and only charge $20 -- which is the fee we pay for land usage per person) for 1 workshop. Furthermore, we always offer free vending to ALL attendees, which allows authors the chance to sell books. (Starting in 2015, we also offered all presenters the opportunity to sell their books at our HQ table. This is a free service provided by me and the admin team to help our authors.)

We have only ever been able to cover the transportation, hotel, food, and speaker's fees for ONE (and in some rare years, TWO) authors/speakers at a time. These are our keynotes or guests of special honor. We genuinely wish we could pay every presenter, but to do so would bankrupt us in the first year -- unless we also raised our rates to $300/attendee, but then we know we would see diminished registration (and I'm not sure that even that would give us enough funds to offer more than a token amount). It's a catch-22 for us, you see. 

What we end up hoping and needing is to have authors and speakers from the Thelemic community who enjoy the festival and want to share their experience with their fellow attendees. It's an intimate setting, and most of our speakers are long-time attendees and friends of the festival. Is that nepotism at work? Maybe so. But we aren't an exclusive club. We bring in new folks every year, and we offer everyone a seat at the table. 

We also do (or make space for) things that you won't see at many other events. Our attendees present their own games, performances, shenanigans, rituals, and impromptu discussions at all hours of the day and night.  We are a different sort of event, and I know that even if all mid-list authors/speakers boycotted BR and other events that can't offer compensation, BR would be only minimally affected. I don't mean disrespect to my fellow-authors by saying that. I know this without a doubt, just as I know that BR would continue even if the current organizers -- myself included -- stepped down en mass. (We needed to "take a break" in 2013, and a grass-roots, community-driven campout sprang up in the place of BR for that year! This festival demands to be had.) For us, maybe more than for other events, our attendees are the greatest power behind the festival -- moreso than the authors or the organizers or the musicians.

So, what does this mean for how BR compensates authors?

Well, it means that we would love to offer our speakers more money, but we just aren't always able. When we can, we do. We choose where our funds go based on a few harsh realities: 1) who our attendees ask for, 2) which authors bring in NEW paying attendees, and 3) who has been loyal to the festival. Yeah, I know that last one also smacks of nepotism, but it's a factor. If you've played or presented at BR for years, you're devoted to the cause, and THIS year you might not be able to make it without a little help, we have done what we can. Frankly, even then, we don't have much money to smooth over difficulties. Maybe a little money for gas -- or helping arrange a carpool. (We've done both.) Maybe we pick up your tab in the kitchen or offer you food vouchers up to a certain amount. (Again, we've done that.)

We will continue to offer free admission and vending to our speakers, too. I know that doesn't sound like a whole lot on the surface; but like Taylor mentioned, I too have had to pay for the privilege of speaking at an event. In February of 2015, in fact, Taylor and I were both at a well-known convention. Only one of my workshops was accepted for the schedule, so I owed fees upon my arrival. I shared a hotel room with a friend (and OTO Brother), and I carpooled with another friend (and OTO Sister). I packed a picnic basket and cooler full of food, and I ate out only once while I was there. (And my Brother picked up my tab, if I recall correctly.)  It was an expensive weekend for me, all in all, but it was a good experience, as well. I got to connect with a couple of my readers, I got to bond with some members of my fraternal order, and I saw a little behind the curtain of how a Pagan Con works.

Here are two things that I did find insulting about that experience. It's not that my food, transportation, and lodging were paid by me. The organizers didn't know me or my work, and it was my first year there. I saw my costs as an investment.

What hurt my pride a bit was that there was no opportunity for me to offer my books for sale. They had a table with a few of the authors' works, which I understand was a courtesy service for a select group. I'm not sure what it took to be part of that group or why I didn't qualify. Other authors paid high fees for merchant space. Neither was an option for me. 

And ... I actually ended up presenting THREE workshops, which should have equaled free admission. Another presenter (and friend) couldn't make it due to illness. Her cancellation got lost somewhere along the way, and they still had her on the schedule. I stepped in and presented both of her workshops. I presented them very well, in fact, and I got great feedback on them. But, no, I didn't get anything knocked off my admission. I barely got a "thank you." That stung. I don't need to be paid, but I want to be valued.

In my mind, free admission and table space for book-selling are non-negotiable, and they are very easy to provide. Even if an event can't spare cash for an honorarium, airfare, hotel, or meals, they can at least  NOT CHARGE the author and give them a chance to recoup some of their expenses via book sales. 

What does this mean for me as an author and speaker?

I'm an A+ speaker. I really am. I get great reviews and feedback. As awesome as I am, I know that I will continue to be undervalued as a con/fest commodity.  In all of my presenting, I have never had more than one or two people (per event) say that they registered and paid to see me. I have had it happen, and it is a heady moment when it comes. But I am not bringing an event much money. I'm a "value added" sort of commodity. A "bonus feature."

I'm a mid-lister. Like Naomi Grossman when I sat at her side in Lexington, enough people know me to make it worth my while to show up and give them something of value. (And enough people don't know me to make it worth my while to show up and introduce myself.) I've got to work hard to promote myself and my writing. Fair or unfair, that's the commercial nature of writing and speaking.

Do I hope to some day be a shining star -- a darling of the Pagan/Magical speaking circuit? Hells yeah! The trends will have to shift for that to happen, though. Either Aphrodite or Traditional Witchcraft are going to have to get really popular for enough people to feel passionately about what I offer to make me a commercial draw for an event. For now, it's enough that I have that passion and get to share it from time to time with others.

I'm curious, though ...

What thoughts do you have on this topic? As both an author and an event organizer, I naturally see this topic from a couple of different perspectives. Where are you coming from?

Authors/speakers, do you feel disrespected if you only receive comped attendance to an event? What makes it "worth your while" to present at a fest or con? 

Organizers, could your event handle the financial impact of comping, transporting, lodging, feeding, and paying a stipend to more authors? How do you show your authors that you love and respect and appreciate what they provide to your event?

Attendees, how do you feel about possibly paying higher registration prices to ensure more speakers are receiving adequate compensation? Do you enjoy being exposed to new authors and new ideas at events enough to pay higher fees?

Maybe you have a suggestions for compensating authors in a different way? What "outside the box" solutions do you see?

Post in the comments!

Ready ... Go!

Come See Me!

I have FOUR appearances scheduled over the next month and a half, and I would really love to see  you at one (or all) of them.

Southern Indiana Druid and Heathen Event
July 18-20, 2014
Midian Festivals and Events -- Springville, IN

I'm organizing this one, but I am also on schedule to present. If you're into Celtic or Norse spirituality you will LOVE this event, but so will those with no particular ties to the Celtic or Nordic diaspora. We have rituals, workshops, games, and contests to delight and interest everyone.

I'll be presenting  Mythic Role Play: The Arthurian Mysteries.



International Left Hand Path Conference
July 25-27, 2014
Marriott East Indianapolis

The line-up for this event is incredible, and I'm excited to be a part of this work. Don't see me as a LHP type? Depends on your definition, I suppose. We'll be getting into that in another blog post. SOON.

I'll be presenting two classes.

Lucifer-Azazel-Qayin: The Devil at the Crossroads  -- The scapegoat of God, the bringer of enlightenment, the master of magic and the forge. Join Laurelei Black, co-founder of the American Folkloric Witchcraft tradition, in an exploration of the mythos and symbolism of Lucifer, Azazel, and Qayin. American Folkloric Witchcraft sees these names as three monikers of the same entity. Explore the mark of Qayin and the red thread that links witches to the potent and often misrepresented Man in Black -- the Golden Man, the Red God.

Siren, Succubus, Seductress: The Devil's Bride  -- Come close. Closer. Let me whisper a secret in your ear. It's a Mystery, my love. Are you ready? The God of alchemy, of magic, of enlightenment, of witchcraft has a Bride -- and she is the Lady of Love (and sacrifice). She is the golden star from whose iron he crafts the blade. She is the whore to whom he tells his secrets. Of old, she was Venus, Ishtar, Aphrodite -- the Morning and Evening Star. Her daughters are the sexy and seductive women of magic -- witches, succubi, sirens. Enticing, alluring, powerful ... and dangerous. Join me (Laurelei Black) in an exploration of the mythological waters that bore these temptresses and a discussion of the experience and application of being such a woman in the world of magic.

Cunning Folk Faire
August 1-3, 2014
Midian Festivals and Events

Come join a band of witches in the woods of Southern Indiana for a Lammas fest! This is another that I'm organizing and also presenting two classes. We welcome witches from all Traditions to celebrate the Red Day with us, to learn about practical and esoteric magic, and perform transformative rituals in the limestone hills of Southern Indiana.

The Witch's Familiar  -- Witches have a long and storied relationship with the Unseen World and with spirits of many types, abilities, and personalities. Those spirits with whom we are most familiar have a special place in our lives and our magic. This discussion will cover historical familiars -- including those found within the Legion and those named during witch trials -- as well as the contact, care, and keeping of familiars for modern witches. 

Flying Ointment and Sabbat Wine -- Learn the art of herbal astral travel. Come and discuss with us the historical ways in which the Witches of old flew to the Sabbat at the Mountain, leaving their bodies safe at home -- or how they went out into the night as hares. Laurelei  will discuss the theory and history behind the very toxic plant poisons used in the past and also explore some safe (but effective) non-toxic alternatives for modern spirit flight.

Indiana Homesteaders Festival
August 15-17, 2014
Midian Festivals and Events

This is a completely secular -- and very practical -- event designed to educate and inspire folks about homesteading, self-sufficiency, and traditional arts/skills. Whether you just want to learn to rely a little less on the big box stores, reduce your carbon footprint by incorporating alternative energy into your home, or genuinely hope to prepare for the Zombie Apocalypse, this fest is for you!

I'll be presenting two classes -- Basic Quilting Techniques and ... Five Must-Have Herbal Teas for Health.

Big Things are Happening!

I haven't posted much lately, but that is largely because I have been so incredibly busy for the last few months. HUGE projects are in the works with me, and I'd love to share with you about them.

Liber Qayin -- A New Gospel for Witches

First off, Glaux and I released a book in August called Liber Qayin. It is a channeled work that we received in two sessions. We were told by Tubal Qayin, the Witchfather and deliverer of magic to mortals, that we were to open ourselves up to this work. Then, we each received the words of the Black and White Goddesses. A few days later, I received His message.

Skeptical? I would be, too. I WAS, in fact. I often tread very carefully around folks who claim to be the mouthpiece of the Gods. I tend to be cynical and wonder how much of their own filters are coloring the words. Like a true skeptic, though, I accept that anything is possible.

Reading back over the words that came through Natalie and I, not much seems like a personal agenda of either of ours. Several of the sections challenged both of our perceptions, but ALL of it rings True to us. This is the message of Magic -- and of Love. It is the story of our souls. It is the Genesis of the Craft.

This book is available in print and PDF versions from Asteria Books. (And I want to extend a special thanks to my friend John Birkel for supplying the *gorgeous* cover art!)


The Witches' Key to the Legion: A Guide to Solomonic Sorcery

I have to thank John again for his amazing artwork. He not only created the cover art, but he also illustrated 10 of the spirits described within this work.

The Witches' Key to the Legion is a project that Natalie and I have been working on for a little over a year now. We each work with familiar spirits who hail from within the ranks of the Legion (the spirits that are often collectively called the Goetia). In talking with my familiar, we became increasingly aware of their hatred of spirit abuse as advocated by most of the authors who write about demonic magic. (I've written here before about daemons and the misapprehensions that most people harbor on that topic.)

We were both moved to explore the Legion further -- to discover better ways of working with the spirits listed there and to get a good understanding of who they were. To say that my familiar was enthusiastic in leading us into this research would be an understatement. We (Natalie, my familiar, and I) proceeded to embark on a four-month-long series of talking board sessions in which we discussed each of the 72 spirits, the creation of the Legion, the meanings behind the seals, and the nature of God (and His Adversary). We had now idea how much our worldview would change when we started this project -- or how fierce we would become regarding the treatment of these spirits.

The Witches' Key is about to be released (as soon as I've reviewed the proof) in the next several days. It, too, will be available in paperback and PDF versions. Look for illustrations by John Birkel and Natalie Black as well as alternate sigils for almost all 72 spirits.


Aphrodite's Eyes: A Cowrie Divination System

Some of you will have seen my last blog post in which I share the basics of a divination system which I've been developing over the last year and a half. I posted the basics, and that is certainly enough for interested readers to begin with. However, I am working on writing up a full booklet that will provide some insights into the verses and a few sample readings.

Once it is done it will be available through Asteria Books in (you guessed it) paperback and PDF.


Midian Festival and Event Grounds

On a non-publishing note, my family and a group of close friends have been working like mad to get a new event venue up and running for the 2014 festival season.

Here is the press-release we posted a couple of weeks ago:

Midian, a new festival and event venue located in Lawrence County, Indiana, is currently in preparations to open their gates for their 2014 festival season.

The grounds of Midian cover 21 acres of primitive woodlands in South-Central Indiana. By the time of the venue's first event, scheduled for early/mid June 2014, Midian will feature hot/cold rinse stations, a performance stage, several temporary pavilions, electricity in the main event areas, a bonfire ring, several acres of shaded campsites, and well-maintained restroom facilities.

Midian's owners intend to implement a staged development plan. Such developments will likely include several permanent indoor and outdoor meeting facilities, a fully operational kitchen, a lending library, permanent restroom facilities, and more.

The gates will open to the public in April 2014, with the first event being held June 12-16, 2014.

For more information, or to book your event at Midian, please email admin@campmidian.com.

 

PBP - F is for Festivals

The following is excerpted from the Occult & Witchcraft Learning Series: Eclectic Witchcraft -- Wheel of the Year by Laurelei and Natalie Black, copyright 2011. The full text is available in PDF at Asteria Books.

Beltane at Our Haven. (My daughter is the one in the fabu hat.)

Every year hundreds of Pagan festivals take place all over the U.S and around the world. At these occasions, usually centered on or near a Sabbat, you will be able to camp and network with other Pagans, Heathens, Wiccans, Witches, Shamans, and general out-of-the-mainstream folks. Many of the events center around large group rituals, but some don't. Be sure to contact the event organizers in advance for information regarding fees, activities, workshops, and rules. Often you will find that a discount is provided if you sign up to attend early.

For a list of festivals near you, we suggest you explore the highly useful and exhaustive listing of Circles, Festivals, and Events at the Witches' Voice (www.witchvox.com). The Witches’ Voice also offers reviews of most festivals provided by its members.

Festival Tips

Your Noise Preference – Some parts of a festival ground are going to noisy (like near the areas designated for large bonfires and drumming) and some are going to be quiet. Choose a camping location that suits your needs and those of your family or companions. We also suggest that you take some earplugs in case you find that you’ve chosen poorly.

Rules and Laws – Know the regulations and laws for both the festival and the state where things like magical weapons and alcohol are concerned. Your athame and wine may not be welcome at all, or there may be certain restrictions on them. Then again, they may be perfectly fine. Best not find out by having them confiscated, which the authorities will be within their rights to do if you have violated the local laws.

Plants – Learn what poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac look like, and then scout your campsite for them before setting up. Keep an eye out for them while exploring the wilder areas of the festival ground, as well. Nothing ruins a great festival quite like learning your herbalism the hard way.

Bugs – Ticks and mosquitoes aren’t just irritating, they carry some serious diseases. We’ve known people who’ve actually contracted West Nile virus and lime disease at festivals. Protect yourself.  

Beasties – You should attempt to know something about the wildlife in the area where you’re camping, particularly the animals that may pose problems. You may only encounter raccoons, which can be a special sort of treat as they root through your festival gear and refuse if you don’t take proper precautions against them. However, your festival grounds may also be the neighbor or home of poisonous snakes, coyotes, cougars and bears. Each of these demands respect and different camping preparations, so try to inform yourself about the potential non-human festival attendees.

Companions – Whether you bring friends or make them at the festival, don’t plan on going it alone. Festivals are much more fun with a group. The process of camping is easier with a partner or group campsite, as well. You’ll have someone to share in the tasks of setting up and tearing down, cooking, tending the campfire, etc.

Building a fire at Our Haven's Women's Goddess Retreat

Work Shifts – Many festivals require that you volunteer a couple of hours of your time during the event to attend to grounds maintenance, set-up, tear-down, gophering duties, or other tasks that help the festival run smoothly. You can also very often make arrangements to do extra work to reduce the cost of your admission. Not only does this genuinely help the festival, but it is an opportunity to become a more integral and involved member of the festival community.

Perfect Love & Perfect Trust – When you come into a festival experience, you are often entering a complete magical community and possibly even consecrated magical space. When you enter a ritual circle, you are required to enter in “Perfect Love and Perfect Trust.” Though you will rarely be asked directly for this commitment at a festival, the concept is still sound. Treat your festival neighbors with love and trust and expect the same in return. Be a courteous camper, observing quiet times as designated, maintaining your campsite, and offering assistance when you see it is
needed.

There is a more intimate aspect of Perfect Love and Perfect Trust at play within the sphere of a festival, as well. A festival setting can be a time when the sacrament of sex is enjoyed rather freely among consenting adults. It is a time and a space of freedom with like-minded people, and it isn’t uncommon for festival connections to occur. Just be sure to engage in all intimacies in the same spirit of Love and Trust that you would enter circle. Protect yourself and your partner – physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Psyche Station – Many festivals will offer a designated area for attendees to ground, center and even heal their energies. Psychic and emotional energy can run very high at a festival. You are experiencing magic and sometimes even enlightenment on a grand scale. Though this is empowering and wonderful, it can also be confusing and disorienting. Furthermore, your experiences at the festival may bring up old psychic and emotional wounds that demand healing. If the festival offers a place of recuperation for attendees, locate it well before you need it and don’t feel shy about going there when you do need it. It may be an unattended grotto where you can ground, center and meditate in solitude, or it may be staffed with healers who can help you work through your experience and get you back on your feet.

Packing Tips – We have found that packing our gear in plastic tubs with lids works very well for transporting your items. Critters stay out, everything stays dry even in a downpour, and they’re easy to organize and stack. Pack for all kinds of whether: hot, chilly, wet. We attend several festivals in the Midwestern United States, and the same event can manage to be hot, cold, dry, wet, and humid within a three day span. Bring your own shade. A canopy over your tent will keep it from being a hot-box and may spare you some of the onslaught of a terrible rain. A canopy to sit under while you’re relaxing will help keep you cool. An umbrella or parasol becomes portable personal shade to reduce your chances of heat exhaustion. Even if you’re hoping for a great wooded camping spot, you may not arrive in time to claim it. Having tarps and canopies to rig your own shade will make a huge difference. Futons do not deflate. Air mattresses travel compactly and are relatively inexpensive, but they have a fairly short lifespan. Before we switched to futons, we found ourselves sleeping on the ground several times due to air mattresses deflating in the night. You also may not have access to electricity for inflating your air mattress at many festival grounds, making them even less convenient. Hammocks, futons and cots are all comfortable, long-term alternatives to the air mattress problem.

911 – We hope you never experience a personal or family emergency while you’re attending a festival. However, preparing for the worst is often a great method of banishing it. To that end, make sure that the members of your camping group, or a neighbor camper if you’re attending the festival alone, have your emergency contact information and any medical alerts that might need to be relayed to First Aid in the case that you experience a problem. The festival organizers almost always collect this information as part of registration, too. If not, you should make sure that First Aid is aware of any drug allergies or medical alerts. In the event that you are unconscious, you really want this base well-covered.

Gaia Love – Most festival grounds don’t have the garbage pick-up budget to finance rubbish removal for hundreds or thousands of people. You’ll undoubtedly need to pack out your trash and dispose of it yourself. A good rule of thumb is to leave your site better than you found it. This includes things like cigarette butts, too. You also shouldn’t hunt, fish, or forage at the festival grounds without the express permission of the groundskeepers and festival organizers. These activities are usually forbidden. Whatever firewood you need for your campfire should be available on-site or at a local store just before you arrive. (Know the event’s policy on firewood before arriving so you can plan accordingly.) You should also ask permission before harvesting or planting at a festival site. Even well-intentioned unapproved plantings can endanger the ecology of the site.

Attunement – Take some time when you first arrive at the festival grounds to ground, center, and attune to the energies of the land and people. You’ve probably had a long car ride, and you’ve just shifted your reality from a world riddled with business concerns, bills, traffic, politics, and whatever plagues you each day to a world of magic, spirituality, nature, and the ideals you aspire to. You need a moment to adjust. Building your campsite can wait the few minutes you might need to do that. Feel this new place. Sense what magic is like here. Watch the people interact for a few moments. Take time to be still and attune to the rhythm of this world within the world before you build your new little home.

My kids playing with some of their best festival buddies -- first night they met, in 2008.

Little Witches – Children are welcome at most festivals, but you should always make sure that you have reviewed the festival’s policies carefully before planning to bring your child. Some festivals are strictly for adults, after all. At many festival grounds, you’ll find playground facilities, daycare programs for little ones, and activities for children of all ages. That being said, please keep in mind that children and minors are always the responsibility of their parent or guardian while at any festival. Children should not be left to wander unattended or unsupervised. If your child is being kept in a festival daycare program, you should take a volunteer shift at the daycare during that festival.

Touchy Tool Taboos – Please be respectful of other people's items, especially drums and other instruments around the main fire or ritual gear in ritual areas. Please do not play other people's drums without permission, and do not set items on drums. Drums are not tables, and can be damaged by pressure, moisture, and rough objects. Most Pagans feel about their drums, didgeridoos, Native American flutes or other instruments the same way that they feel about their athames and other ritual gear. All of these sacred items are infused with a Witch or Magician’s personal energy, and it is considered the height of rudeness to touch or play with them without permission.

Starwood's Saturday night bonfire is MASSIVE.

Sacred Fire – Almost all festivals will have a group bonfire on one or more nights of the event. The size and intention of the fire varies from festival to festival. Drumming is common to them all. Dancing is also popular. Some have a magical or alchemical focus. Some are geared toward trancework. Some are bardic opportunities with singing and poetry. Some are massive while others are over-sized campfires. Many central bonfires are tended only by designated personnel, while others are a community effort. All tend to be viewed as sacred, though. Generally, it is considered taboo to dispose of rubbish in the sacred bonfire, though it is quite common to do so at one’s own smaller campfire.

Laurelei & Natalie enjoying a post-ritual snuggle at Babalon Rising

Nakie Pagans – Many festivals are clothing optional or have areas that are designated as clothing optional. If this is the case, it will almost always be posted somewhere on the festival’s website or registration information, so you shouldn’t be shocked when you arrive. However, in the event that the festival failed to mention it, consider yourself forewarned that many Pagans take comfort in knowing that they can walk about au natural in this little magical world outside of the mainstream. There should never be any pressure for anyone to disrobe beyond their level of comfort, but you should brace yourself (and your kids, if they’re attending the festival with you) for the possibility of seeing the entire human form in all of its varied manifestations – young, old, Venusian, Willendorf, and so on. Gawking at the parts that are so often concealed is considered impolite, and being uncovered only means that the person wants to be free of their clothing – not that they’re looking for a date.

Laurelei & Natalie at Festivals

Are you near Indiana? Maybe you'll run into us at one of these festival locations:

Our Haven Nature Sanctuary, French Lick, IN – www.ourhaven.info – This is our second-home. We actually organize some of the events that happen at Our Haven, and we are among a devoted core of members who help care for the land. You can always catch us at Babalon Rising Pan-Thelemic Festival and the Women’s Goddess Retreat (the two events we currently help organize).

Lothlorien & Elvin H.O.M.E., Inc., Needmore, IN –www.elvinhome.org – Lothlorien is the longest-running festival grounds of its kind in Indiana, and it is literally right down the road from us. Nestled in the hilly woodlands of South Central Indiana, it is a beautiful location with a rich history.

Indianapolis Pagan Pride Day, Indianapolis, IN – www.indypaganpride.org – This isn’t a camping festival, but it is an all-day Pagan event. The Pagan Pride organization was actually begun in Indianapolis (long before we got involved). Still, Laurelei has been a Coordinator in some capacity with the event for several years, and you can find us there at the end of September showing our Pagan Pride, networking with the area’s Witches, Pagans and Heathens, and celebrating Laurelei’s birthday (which invariably falls on this auspicious weekend)!

Sometimes we are invited to speak at events, as well. Check out our schedules to see if we'll be in an area near you! (Mine is here, and Natalie's is there.)