High Summer Gathering 2013

26th Annual High Summer Gathering

Wednesday, July 31 at 1pm to Monday, August 5 at 3pm

on The Land aka Amber Fox

Ah, summer on the Land! Seventy-five acres of rolling hills and valleys, populated with maple, larch, wildflowers, birds, rabbits and Fae.

For over a quarter of a century, the High Summer Gathering has attracted diverse men from around the continent and beyond. These are the sunny carefree days to frolic through the forest by day, and dance under the moon with your Faerie brethren by night. Come swim in the mighty Mississippi, party in the Departure Lounge, roast by the fire and steam in the sauna.

Some activities are planned, and the rest is up us: crafts, spa treatments, mud wrestling, face painting, ritual & magick, drumming & meditation, anything we can imagine or desire.

The Gathering begins and ends in Circle with short administrative and longer Heart Circles each morning. Meals are communal, vegetarian and delicious! The Foxy Boutique has been restocked and stands ready to furnish all your drag and dress up needs. Clothing is optional but can be fabulous!

The work is shared and so is the play. The Meditation Hut's framework is built, and we hope to finish the roof at this Gathering.

As well as contributions with the chores that keep the Land running, we rely on contributions to the Purse for food, toilet paper and all our mundane needs. We use an honour system and ask that you pay what you can - nobody is turned away for lack of funds. The suggested donation is $15 to $35 per night, $25 on average, more if you can or less if you can't. For those attending the whole gathering, that works out to $75 to $175, average $125. For those coming for the weekend only (Friday to Monday), that works out to $45 to $105, average $75.

There is plenty of room for tenting along the Path of the Snake and in the May Pole field. There is also room for some to sleep in the Bunkhouse.

Facebook Group member? RSVP here!

If you are a member of our Facebook Group, you can RSVP to the Facebook Event. Otherwise, please E-Mail us to let us know you are coming.

Remember this is eastern Ontario in the summer, so bring your sun and bug protection!

Friday Night: Departure Lounge Alien Invasion

After the success of last summer's Departure Lounge Blast Off, you knew the aliens would be back!

We all come from the Spaceship,

And to it we shall return,

Like a blast of ectoplasm,

Shooting from our zapper guns.

Star Wars and Star Trek play nicely with Karen Carpenter and the Alien Baby as we enjoy drinks and dancing in the Departure Lounge.

Bring your spaciest outfit, your alien finery, glow sticks, dancing shoes and diamonds, and of course your zapper guns!

Saturday Night: Know Talent Show Extravaganza

Saturday night we will enjoy the many talents the Fae folk bring to the Know Talent Show. Can you sing, dance, recite a poem or play an instrument? Or do you have a flair for performance art? If so, we would love to have you join us on stage!

A bit shy but want to try? Talk to the show's organizers and they will be sure to find a suitable role for you. More of a watcher than a performer? An appreciative audience is the other essential ingredient for this ever-popular event!

Rumour has it that this year's show will be the biggest, baddest, bestest show ever, so don't miss it!

Sunday Afternoon: High Tea on the Lawn

Picture yourself in a warm forest glade, with colourful silks hanging there in the trees. A cocktail, some music, some dancing or croquet. The sun licks the glittering gown that you wear.

For many, High Tea is the highlight of High Summer. Don't dream it, be it, at High Tea.

What to Bring to a Gathering

"OMG, what am I going to wear at the Gathering?"

Ah, the perennial question. Well fae folk, here is the answer. Everything you need to know about what to bring to a Gathering on the Land aka Amber Fox.

What You Need to Bring:

• personal items (meds, toothpaste, earplugs, condoms, etc.)
• flashlight (and batteries silly one)
• sunscreen
• insect repellant (Ricky says it needs DEET, but suit yourself)
• cash for the Purse
• we use an honour system with a suggested contribution of $25 per night, more if you can or less if you can't - for example, for a long weekend (3 nights) we suggest an average $75 contribution, and we find most people give between $40 and $100
• no one is turned away for lack of funds, but we ask that you contribute something, even if you can only afford a few dollars per night
• it is also helpful if you can put your contribution into the purse near the beginning of the Gathering, as that is when most of the shopping is done
• the Purse covers food, fuel for the pump & lawn mowers, propane for the fridge & stove, paint, materials for repairs, paper products and all our other mundane needs
• American money accepted at par
• weather-appropriate clothes (you can get the forecast from The Weather Network)
• a towel or two
• sleeping gear (sleeping bag, pillow, blankets, sheets, etc.)
• your tent
• if you are not tenting, there is room for some people to sleep in the Bunkhouse
• there is also overflow space for a few sleepers in the Departure Lounge (but the DL is primarily a party space - so if you choose to sleep there you may be woken without warning at any time by late-night partiers)
• the willingness to pitch in
• there are no paid staff on the Land, so everyone needs to help out with a few chores each day to make the Gathering go smoothly
• washing dishes, preparing meals, chopping wood, mowing lawns, tidying and cleaning, repairs, new construction ... it's all up to us
• but the work becomes play when shared with your fae friends!

What You Might Want to Bring:

• swim stuff (for trips to the Mighty Mississippi)
• fun clothes (although there are *lots* of garments available in the Foxy Boutique)
• stuff for the Know Talent Show (instruments, etc.)
• anything you need for any activities that you are helping plan or know may be happening
• a mat, air mattress (and pump) or something else soft for under your sleeping bag (there are a limited number of foamies available but these are first-come first-served and they go fast)
• a tarp or two for your tent (in case it rains)
• alcoholic refreshments
• alien artifacts, probe results, flightsuits, glow-ware

What You Don't Need to Bring:

• cooking stuff 
• including food (all the meals are communal and there are lots of snacks available at other times, the food is paid for from the Purse)
• including barbecues (personal fires and barbecues are a fire risk)
• pets & children
• toilet paper
• other camping gear (there are axes, tools, etc already on the Land)
• things that need AC (there is limited electricity to go around if the days are cloudy)

Note that this packing list is specific to the Land aka Amber Fox. Different Lands have different policies, different infrastructures, and different climates, so make sure you know what's up for where you're going.  Radfae.org has a post covering What to Bring to the "Big Four" Faerie sanctuaries in the USA.

Grey Day, Green Land

It was a grey day but the Land was green ...

(open a 360° panoramic image below, then:
select the rectangle-in-rectangle icon for fullscreen,
click and drag to tilt and pan,
scroll to zoom)

driveway & Art Studio

future site of the Meditation Hut

the Tower

the Ancestor Stone

the Erection

DeeDee
July 2012
The Land aka Amber Fox

We can start meditating soon....

The Meditation Hut has been in the making for three years. We now are well on the way to completing it! We hope to put the roof during the Canada Day Gathering. That still leaves the screens and windows to complete the structure. 

If you have been waiting to donate to this project, now is the time. We need between $500 and $800 to finish this project off right! If you can help with $100 or 50 or 5 it will all add up and we could be using this Hut in August and for years to come! You can contact me privately to donate to this project...

Canada Day Gathering 2013

Canada Day Gathering

June 28 at 1:00pm until July 1 at 3:00pm

on The Land aka Amber Fox

Eau Canada!

How roam a neigh tough land?

Troop ate rot love-in

awl thigh suns come hand.

With glow ingots

We seethe here eyes

That rue north Strachan unfree,

Frum Faron why d'eau Canada

Wheeze tendon guard 'fore thee.

God key power land

Gloria's unfree!

Eau Canada, 

Wheeze tendon guard 'fore thee.

Eau Canada, 

Wheeze tendon guard 'fore thee.

(Mark M. Orkin, "Canajan Eh?")

Canada Day, often referred to as "Canada's birthday", marks the joining of the British colonies of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and the Province of Canada (Ontario & Quebec) into the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867. Originally called Dominion Day, the holiday was renamed in 1982, the year the Canada Act superseded the British North America Act as the country's constitution.

There is no standard formula for Canada Day celebrations. In various communities across the country, the day is observed with parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, bonfires, air & maritime shows, fireworks, free musical concerts, as well as citizenship ceremonies for new citizens. 

How will the Fae ones celebrate Canada's birthday this year? Come join us and help decide!

On Facebook? Sign up for the Event!

Many activities are scheduled and more will be planned when we are all on the Land.  Crafts, outings, rituals … the only limits are imposed by our imaginations.  The gathering begins and ends in Circle, with brief organizational followed by longer Heart Circles on Saturday and Sunday mornings. The Meditation Hut is half-built, and with enough carpentry-Faeries it can be finished this weekend. Late night fires and saunas will heat things up.

The Land is beautiful at this time of year, and provides many awesome places to be alone or together on its 75 acres of glorious wilderness. The weather will be perfect for tenting, and should be warm enough for swimming trips to the mighty Mississippi nearby. Don't forget your sun and bug protection!

Saturday night we will enjoy the many talents the Fae folk bring to the Know Talent Show.  Can you sing, dance, recite a poem or play an instrument? Or do you have a flair for performance art? If so, we would love to have you join us on stage! A bit shy but want to try? Talk to the show's organizers and they will be sure to find a suitable role for you. More of a watcher than a performer? An appreciative audience is the other essential ingredient for this ever-popular event!

As well as supplying costumes for the show, the Foxy Boutique is available for all your dress-up needs. The Fae certainly enjoy a good outfit, so bring your gayest apparel! Boy drag, girl drag, animal drag, tree drag, baby drag, alien drag, even alien baby drag! Or in the naturist tradition, un-costuming can often be the best. It's your call.

Our communally-prepared vegetarian meals are quickly earning us a reputation as the Gourmet Gathering. Cooks, bring your favourite veggie recipes. Not up to preparing a full dish? Don't worry, there's always lots of chopping and prepping you can help with while you learn from the kitchen divas! And dish washers are always appreciated!

We do not charge a fee to attend the Gathering; instead we rely on voluntary donations of cash and labour. Suggested contribution for the Purse is $45 to $105 for the weekend (average $75 based on $25 per night, more if you can, less if you can't), or $35 for a single night. 

Equally important is your willingness to contribute in other ways: building, cleaning, shopping, cooking, etc.  If you don't know what to do to help out, just ask. One of the most enjoyable aspects of our created community is working on projects with your fellow Faeries.

So join us for Canada's best birthday party ever!

Victoria Day Gathering 2013

Victoria Day Gathering

May 17 at 1:00pm until May 20 at 3:00pm

on The Land aka Amber Fox

It's Vicky's birthday and the queens are celebrating!

The Victoria Day long weekend marks the unofficial beginning of Canadian camping season. The Land will be coming awake with greening leaves and grass, and a multitude of spring flowers. All that is missing is you.

As always, this will be an activity-filled weekend, with communal work and play. The Foxy Boutique is fully stocked for all your dress-up needs, and the ever-popular Know Talent Show will be sure to thrill. Meals are vegetarian, communally-prepared and delicious! 

The gathering begins and ends in Circle, with brief organizational followed by longer (optional) Heart Circles on Saturday and Sunday mornings. 

On Facebook? Sign up for the Event!

Suggested contribution for the Purse is $45 to $105 for the weekend (average $75 based on $25 per night, more if you can, less if you can't), or $35 for a single night.

It may be a bit chilly, but don't worry, the Land will keep everyone warm. The Erection is heated, bonfires will make us toasty and the sauna is always steamy. Tenting may be cool and some will opt for snuggling in the Bunk House.
   
   
 

2013 Gathering Schedule

Beltane Gathering (all gender)
May 3 - 5, 2013

Victoria Day Gathering
May 17 - 20, 2013

Canada Day Gathering
June 28 - July 1, 2013

26th Annual High Summer Gathering
July 31 - August 5, 2013

Blue Heron Gathering
We join our fae friends at Blue Heron Farm in upstate New York, the week preceding Labour Day weekend

AmberFox in the City (Toronto)
September 29, 2013

Thanksgiving Gathering
October 11 - 14, 2013

LumBearJack Work Weekend
November 8 - 10, 2013

A Very Faerie Solstice Party (Toronto, all gender)
December 21, 2013

Beltane is as old as the fracking hills and a radical faerie stand-by

Beltane May 4 to 6th

Beltane is as old as the fracking hills and a radical faerie stand-by. Traditionally it's a celebration of Spring, fertility, good fortune and good harvests to come, though for those of us this far North it's also something of a victory party for Spring and life over our longest season by far, Winter. (Not that we're the only faeries partying- trust me.)

This will be our second Beltane gathering at Amberfox and an inclusive gathering (Amberfox hosts gay men identified gatherings throughout the year). All are welcome to join us and we are hoping for many visitors from near and far. Suggested donation is 25$ per day. That includes meals- delicious ones hand prepared. It may be a bit chilly, but don't worry, the Land has enough infrastructure to keep everyone warm, and the bonfires will keep everyone toasty. And unless something drastic changes, things seem pretty end-of-the-world Summer-esque anyways! So I don't imagine we'll be holing up inside.

Beltane is known for it's great bonfires and fire-play, especially on the eve beforehand, and has countless manifestations and names, though most include fire in their festivities. May 5th there will be a bonfire party and purification of the cavity where the may pole will stand. The next day at noon, May 6th, we will have our Beltane ceremony and raise the maypole (oh yes, you know we weren't going to leave the cavity unfilled darlins').

If you wish to camp you are more than welcome to and there is plenty of space. The Land is beautiful and spacious and we hope to share it with you.