Symbiosis @ Woodward reservoir

[Drunk Monk]

I got home safely and have already taken my ecstatic bath, and eaten. I expect to collapse any moment, but must stay awake for the artichokes Stacy left me to tend to as she picks Tara up from her SAT prep class. I have been awake for 35 straight hours. Partied hard all yesterday until my shift started at 2 am. Worked 8 straight then said quick goodbyes to friends old and new, then escaped into another stupid symbiosis gridlock (there's not many roads and they are all totally mismanaged). Stopped in Dublin for coffee and a bagel which were really hard to get at because of dumb Dublin. I was grouchy and cursing madly at everything - flublin.

Will fill in story gals later. I seem to have lost both my new lightsaber bottle opener (missing since Thursday) and my iPhone power cord (missing since flublin - friggin flublin).

[Drunk Monk]

I checked your roll. Sadly, your instagram-fu is weak.

Better now, yes?

[Greg]

I liked the girl with the flaming hula-hoop. So, yes.

[Drunk Monk]

I liked the girl with the flaming hula-hoop. So, yes.

She was good - and I've seen many a hooper.

Thought the sword swallower would amuse - not quite a swordfight but at least there's a sword. Gotta keep yeti & me employed, ya know.

[Drunk Monk]

Symbiosis 2016 had me feeling like Lucy in Voyage of the Dawn Treader.  Last year was my first Symbiosis experience at Woodward; this year was the last as they lost the venue.  So like Lucy, who couldn't return to Narnia after that installment of the series, I knew going in this would be the last time here.  My two Symbiosis at Woodward were the ALPHA and the OMEGA.  The venue is so wonderful, a perfect setting for such chicanery.  I am very sad to lose it.

The journey started out rough.  I was going in solo, riding with Zendo, a psychedelic harm reduction group that spawned out of MAPS (Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies) and Burning Man.  Dr. David Smith, founder of the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic, had introduced me to the group a few years ago as a cross-org exchange, and I've been meaning to volunteer for them every since but their events coincide with RM events.  

I left the Cruz around noon on Wednesday - it was Holst's birthday, so I was blaring The Planets as I cut over the mountains, and then my lunch burrito went sour on me, demanding me to stop ASAP to expel it.  Nothing worse then having the runs at a festival, but fortunately it was just that burrito.  

I got there early enough, but the line in was RIDICULOUS, even for staff.  I was standing in the plebeian's line behind two burner-bikini clad gals who were slamming Red Bull and Tequila, until I realized I was in the wrong line.  The staff line was much shorter, but still took over an hour.  And it was for no good reason, just mismanagement.  For example, some crews got their wristbands mailed out prior, but no parking passes, so they had to be in line anyways.  So dumb.   Fortunately, I ran into a partner-in-crime, Chocolate, who was volunteering for RGX medical as a runner with his golf cart (more on this later) so I had someone to talk to while in line.  But once we got our passes, we lost track of each other in the stupid gridlock to get in. It took me longer to get from the venue gate to a camping spot than it did to get from the Cruz to Oakdale.  

I was forced to park way out of the camping area in a temp parking field that became a parking field because they couldn't enforce temp parking once the fest got rolling.  It was a bit closer, but still a hike.  I was scrambling to find the alleged Zendo camping cell, but all the directions were misguided.  There was no Zendo camping.  I was on my own completely.  It was dark and windy, and I had my tent and some gear, struggling to find a safe space.  As fate would have it, I befriended some Green Dot Rangers - they oversee psych issues in the field at Burning Man.  They let me join their camp, lent me a light while I set up my tent in the night wind, and we shared tales and libations over the weekend.  I got to the Zendo about 15 minutes late for set up.  I hate to be late, especially with a new group that I was trying to impress, but as it happened, everyone was stuck in that entrance snarl, so set up was postponed to the next day.  

So I walked the grounds a little, tried to get my bearings on people and resources, and then tucked in for the night.

[Drunk Monk]

The next morning I was up early and shuffled over to help set up the Zendo.  It was all about shaking out playa dust.  I hate playa dust.  It's fine and white and gets everywhere.  And it's like herpes - you never get rid of it.  That keeps me away from Burning Man.  There was a training meeting for Zendo where everyone attended and a lovely group photo was taken (no idea when they will post that or where).  The meeting was more of a discussion of the Zendo philosophy, which entail four points: 1. Safe Space, 2. Talk Through, not Talk Down, 3. Sitting, not Guiding, and 4. Difficult is not bad.  I agree with this in theory, and at a festival like Symbiosis or BM, you have the time to do this.  But RM and JM are medical orgs first and foremost, so our mission is just to get the patient to friends and family without the unnecessary involvement of the hospital or the law.  We don't have that luxury of time.  So we talk down and guide - it's a matter of efficiency.  Anyway, the leaders kept saying they were open to chatting with me, but they dodged me all weekend.  That was a bit of a slight, but I didn't take it personally.  I tried my best not to be intimidating, but that's never been my strongest suite when I'm 'sitting plush with a royal flush'.  I know there are a lot of CYA things I could share, and still hope to share, if they are open to listening.

The first patient (I mean 'guest') came in before Zendo had even staffed anyone, so I was happy to sit with him.  I was there charging my phone (I set up a charging station - it's an old trick for keeping vols in the Dub Lounge that I applied to Zendo covertly) so I had plenty of time as I didn't want to abandon my phone.  Mr. R was Indian, a Sikh who had a change of faith and now followed Kabbalah.  He was having the religious trip, my favorite talkdown (I mean 'thru').  So we stormed the gates of heaven, chatting about all sorts of theological issues, until he finally said "you know, I'd just like to sit and meditate."  Now, as a Zen disciple, I've had issues with the name Zendo.  I mean they could have called it Synagogue or Mosque for that matter.  But then, sitting there (not guiding), I figured, "well heck, I might as well sit too."  We sat for over an hour.  As a zennist, I have good sitting skillz, and Mr. R was fidgety and crumpled eventually, but I think he got some decent meditation in.  I had a great sit, and was completely aware and on top of it.  After the sit, Mr. R was cool to go.  And I was cool with the name Zendo.

Then, after that, the evening was open.  I was free until Friday morning, when I was to work an 10AM-6PM shift.  I hooked up with one of my ol' partners-in-crime and a stalwart member of the JediNiteKrew, Raven.  Raven is a security head at festivals, leader of the Night Hogs, but here, he was the +1 of Amanda, an RM/JM nurse volunteering for RGX (and another JNK PnC).  So both me and Raven were completely unleashed.  We were both trippin over not having to bear radios.  That hasn't happened to me at a festival in like two decades.

So as the sunset, DM emerged to party with Raven for the evening...

[Drunk Monk]

Truth be told, this part is a little blurry.  DM walked laps around Woodward in some sort of irie haze, eating, dancing, admiring art and people.  Hung out with Raven for a while, until he felt the need to check on Amanda and vanished into the crowd, leaving DM to explore on his own.  It was wonderful.  Symbiosis is the perfect place to trip - a wide range of activities from big concerts, wicked dancehalls, intimate shows, and tons of psychedelic art.  It's very complex.  Entertainment everywhere.  Heck sometimes you are the entertainment.  There are also workshops (dance, yoga, hacking, art, etc.), presentations, talks, circus acts and rituals.  DM did none of that.  He just went bass fishing, looking for places that weren't too crowded were he could get his skank on.  The main stage, the Fringe, wasn't open on Thursday, and DM found himself mostly at the Family Circus Tent or the Juke Lagoon.  The FCT was a classic big top that featured music and acts.  The acts were vaudeville, burlesque strippers, knife throwers, freak show geeks, tissue, loop, hoopers, sword swallowers, contortionists, acrobats, and a stunningly beautiful skin suspension act (having worked on Folsom street, DM doesn't usually go for B&D&S&M acts, but this one was particularly tasteful and artsy).  The JL was a soundstage that leaned towards reggae riddems.  It had this bayou theme, ramshackle stage with two small buildings that had benches, and rooftop observation areas.  One was decorated like a voodoo lounge.  The JL got taken over by pirates - srsly, a band of pirate cosplayers.  There was a bar.  They were giving out free beer - a tasty IPA - for free - you just had to don this rainbow wristband.  Dm was out late Thursday night.  Activities go pretty much all night long.

On Friday, I did my first shift for Zendo and it was completely unremarkable.  Most of the Zendo clients are what the JNK call 'softballs'.  They are oriented X3/4 and just need a cool mellow spot to chill.  That was super easy.  There were like half a dozen of us on shift and we each took clients as they came.  We'd lay them down, give them a stuffed bear and water (snacks and electrolytes were options too) and just let them lie.  Some would want to talk.  I had another religious trip but the client wasn't very literate so he couldn't really express his experience beyond a face filled with awe.  He was totally fine within the first half hour, and the JNK would have kicked him back out into the crowd, but Zendo coddles a little more, so he was there for hours.  

After that shift, I was completely obligation free until early Sunday morning.  From Friday 6PM to Sunday 2AM, DM was completely unleashed.

[Drunk Monk]

Dm did a few laps around the venue and then wound up back at the Juke Lagoon as it was the dubbiest, the most central, and not very crowded.  A DJ named Psy Fi was deliciously bottom shaking.  Then some redneck character (srsly, in overalls and a trucker's hat, so caricature that he might have been a cosplayer) sat down next to DM in the Voodoo room, leaned over and asked DM, 'Want some medicine?'  Symbiosis was in the wake of a new festival - 9/20 - similar to 4/20 for mj, but this is a different kind of medicine entirely - it's more mycological.  So this kindly redneck hands DM a massive pawful of 9/20 party favors and vanished in the air.  Now despite Dm's psychedelic braggadocio, it's mostly just for show, mostly to maintain appearances nowadays.  There's a reputation to uphold.  Over the past decade, it's been more about microdosing, as the trendy hipsters say.  And Dm really only indulges at festivals and has to keep it together enough because he has a radio and responsibilities.  But not here.  So soon after, Symbiosis became much more colorful.  The sun was setting and it was magical.  Symbiosis sunsets just glow.  Dm thinks it's due to the reservoir, which reflects light in a gorgeous way.  And as the sunset, Dm ran into his old pardner-in-crime Chocolate again.  Choc was headed back to camp to get his night gear and to decorate his choco cart with light wire, so DM gleefully hopped a ride, because he needed his night gear too.  Once outfitted, dm rejoined Choc and assisted with the chococart lighting, which was so fun that dm had to quickly confess to choc about his state of bloodstream, to which choc gave a delighted smile.  He had been running errands for RGX all day and was off to play, but hadn't seen the venue really beyond the campgrounds and the medical stations, so it was a match made for the night.  Choc needed a tour guide and someone to watch his back because when you have a cart, especially one lite up so psychedelically, it's like a bug-lite for trippers.  Dm was grateful for the ride.  Srsly, dm couldn't ask for better.  So for the rest of the evening, Dm & choc drove about, giving rides to those in need or scantily-clad party girls (they have needs too).  It was delightful.  The DJs were bumpin all across the venue and the circus acts were over-the-top in the big top, accompanied by a Tom Waits like band which really worked for such performances.  The pinnacle of the evening came with a showing of SAMSKARA.  This was in a large dome, where everyone lay upon the astroturf inside and the screen was projected above - very immersive.  It featured the work of Android Jones, one of the leading psychedelic artists now, all in glorious high def CGI.  THIS IS THE BEST DEPICTION OF A TRIP YET.  If you ever get the chance, see this.  The unexperienced will get a taste.  The experienced will resonate.  Here - check it: http://androidjones.com

Dm wound up going to bed just after midnite.  It had been an extraordinary evening, but sleep beckoned.  Choc kindly dropped DM off near his tent, and DM slept for like 7 hours. That's more than he usually gets at home.

[King Bob]

DM wrote: "Now, as a Zen disciple, I've had issues with the name Zendo."

That's sort of what I thought when I saw it on Instagram. It seems that Zen and psychedelics are antithetical. And if needed to be talked through more than just sat with, wouldn't that be the compassionate thing to do, rather than following a philosophy? And wouldn't following a treatment philosophy as a routine be opposed to the whole "Beginner's Mind" thing?

Maybe I am overthinking this and they are just using the debased meaning of the word Zen that is common in our culture.

[Drunk Monk]

I woke up and got breakfast at the pop-up cafe.  Lou Reed's Walk on the Wildside was playing on the high fidelity sound system and it hit me like a hammer.  Luv that song.  A true masterpiece.  An ecstatic trip often leaves one emotionally raw the next day and that song brought me right back to my NY trip with Stacy (an operatic Italian version was playing at the first amazing pizza joint we hit) and all my interactions with Lou (I still can't believe I didn't visit him when he asked me to meet him in his hotel room again, the day after we met at Yang Sing for dim sum).  I didn't have to come on until 2AM Sunday, so Saturday was all mine.

I was back at the Juke Lagoon for Nicola Cruz and more circus at the big top for the morning, both very enjoyable.  Then Gaudi in Dub rocked the heart of my bottom, again at the Juke Lagoon.  I've heard Gaudi many times before - he plays SNWMF dancehalls and adds a theremin to his ones and twos.  Well, this time, he nailed it.  It was a gorgeous day.  Everyone was skanking and shaking it and Gaudi threw it down, made me his slave, with a brilliant mix of old reggae standards, dancehall riddems, and EDM bass drops.  Took all I had not to give it all up right then and there and just follow his soundsystem until there was nothing left of me but a skid on the asphalt.  I blame it on the theremin.  

There were these sketchy bamboo bridges crossing some of the lagoons.  I got on one and it was wall to wall traffic jam.  That bridge could've collapsed at any moment.  It was long, several hundred feet, and only wide enough for two across, one coming and one going.  It was amusing nonetheless.  After some people hugged in front of me (jamming the traffic jam even more) and then separated, the woman started screaming 'You're caught on my nipple!' - it was a prank actually, but just as well because no one really stopped.  Actually, a lot of the structures were sketchy, especially the voodoo houses at Juke Lagoon, but I couldn't resist hanging out in them and on top of them.  There were points when the bass shook the structures so hard that I really had to pause and wonder, but then a reggae fairy would share her spliff and all was irie. 

I went back to do a pre-load of my car - all the non-essentials - while the sun was still up and discovered, much to my dismay, that I was blocked in again, just like RotR, despite planning a decent exit strategy.  It was a van and the occupants were there, some young Asian burner, his gf and his buddies.  I patiently explained my situation, wanting to exit Sunday.  They said they would move as soon as I had to leave, which left me with great trepidation.  What if they weren't there when I came back?  

In the big top, I caught Delhi 2 Dublin, another old fav - a fusion between Bhangra Indian drumming, celtic fiddle and dancehall rap.  They've moved me in the past, but this time not so much. Gaudi already wrecked me.  Their drummer is still great.  Caught Balkan Beat Box there later - it was too packed and the tent became a big dust bag because it was such a stomp in the dirt.  I had run into an old friend, Monica, a gemstone seller, and was hanging out with her and her brother outside.  She had this football sized quartz crystal she was carrying around like a purse dog and she let me carry it for a while, which was surprisingly fun because people get into a big ass crystal like that and ask you to energize them with it in a euphemistic and literal way.  I caught Santigold at The Fringe, but that was so packed I could barely see her.  She struck me as a Euro-EDM version of J-pop at first.  I might have enjoyed that more if I had stayed longer but the crowd was too exhausting.  

I pulled my all-nighter shift easily, except for the fact that there weren't enough places to sit and nap.  All the clients were dozing and it seemed wasteful for all of us to stay awake, but the way Zendo was set up, it was hard to cop a little snooze.  Still I managed.  In the morning (10 AM is too hard - they should cut the shift earlier, closer to dawn) a big IPR came in, and everyone helped to try to contain him.  He wound up groping this cute vol and then running away.  Some gave chase.  I didn't.  I knew I could catch him, but he was big and I would've needed help to restrain him.  Besides restraint isn't part of the Zendo protocol.  So I stayed back and observed, and made sure the cute vol was okay (she was fine).  

After my shift, I knew I was awake for enough hours to make it home so I packed up my tent and made for my ride.  The kids that blocked me in were there and happy to move and I was on my way in a matter of minutes, that is, until I hit the exiting traffic, which took another half an hour, for no reason whatsoever.  I was home before nightfall.  

Next year, Symbiosis is combining forces with Rainbow Serpent (from Oz) and Universo Parallelo (from Brazil) for the solar eclipse in Oregon.  It'll be two weeks after RotR.  Zendo will probably do that.  If they do, I'll have to think about it.  A lot can happen in a year.  I doubt they can swing that AND Symbiosis next year.  But I'll follow Symbiosis if I can.  It has been a truly magical event.  Despite the hassles, it opened that holy space for ecstatic experiences to which I am so addicted.  Not many events give me that kind of bandwidth anymore and that's really what keeps me in the scene.