Bianca's had some good music going and a coupla people dancing, many people talking or cuddling on the sofas inside and they were serving appetizers of fresh grapes and grilled cheese sandwich quarters. I stayed for a little bit, saw one of the guys from ARF there and talked to him for a few minutes. But it was basically boring so I wandered off in yet another direction. I think I may have dropped in and checked out Spiral Oasis Camp but that is not where I ended up spending much time on this night.
Where I ended up spending an hour or so talking to some nice folks was at the Rent-a-Kiva tent. The Rent-a-Kiva I had seen earlier in the day getting dug out. It was an oval shaped hole about four feet deep dug into the dried lakebed, covered with a canvas. It made an excellent shade structure in the day time, but it was a little damp inside so it wasn't so comfortable at night. The people inside were quite interesting though I don't remember all their names. I remember there was the German woman (whose camp it was) named Isabella; a student from the USC film school and a graduate of the same, both of whom were writers. Then there was the didgeridoo player. The didgeridoo player was a really nice guy and we talked at length about the instrument. He played for us some and helped create a contemplative mood inside the kiva. He explained to us the concept of circular breathing and how he was interested in the healing potentials of the instrument. The didgeridoo is really quite an amazing instrument; one that is holy to the aboriginal people of Australia. It is a gift they have made to the people of the world to help balance the world. In the past the Aboriginal shamans and elders who played the instrument would not let it be played for outsiders. Then they decided that they had to let its healing powers be released to the whole world or we would all suffer. So this guy mentions that he has learned how to align chakras with his didgeridoo. I said "sign me up!!!" He had me sit cross legged as comfortably as I could with my back turned towards him. He placed the didgeridoo's end near the base of my spine. Then he started sounding the instrument, puffing and purring out its magical effects. The vibrational frequencies resonated with my body cavity. My back straightened, my breaths deepened and I relaxed. I felt waves and waves of stress and anxiety leaving me. It was like a massage. I very much enjoyed the few minutes he aligned me. Just as good as (if not better than) the chiropractor. He also aligned a couple of the other folks in the kiva after me, so I was able to observe his technique. He moved the instrument up and down the back in spiral movements, from the base of the spine to the crown of the head, making seven loops along the way. Very soothing to be in the room while a good didgeridoo player plays. The Kiva party broke up soon after we'd all gotten out chakras aligned and I started heading for my tent.
That's when I noticed the moon. It was an almost new moon, just a slight sliver, and the stars were glorious. I decided to try to capture the moon and the Man on film, before the dawn. Well, it ended up taking me until dawn to find the shots I wanted, so I just kept on shooting till the sun was really up. Soon after the shouts that dawn brought about from the human roosters that hadn't slept all night I crawled into my sleeping bag.
