I was privileged to help organize the first Evolver Convergence which happened in Pittsburgh the weekend of June 1-3.
Since I'd been sporeganizing for the past year I thought I knew all about the wonders that can come from bringing together gorgeous geniuses. I figured that the Convergence would be lovely, I'd have a great time, meet some grand people, business as usual, etc.
What a vast underestimation. By the end of the Convergence on Sunday, our outpouring of love and wisdom synchronously brought us an astounding quadruple rainbow which we all rushed out to see.
So how did we do that?
Energetically speaking: with so much deep heart opening and harmonizing. I felt not only that we were talking about evolution, but actively bringing it about just by being with one another in such an environment of intention and deep thought and beauty. I've been to a lot of spiritual retreats and festivals and parties in my lifetime, but I've never experienced so much optimism, joy and thoroughly personal connection at an event (like: oh wow, these folks don't just love me because I'm a human being – they're like, uh, actually seeing and loving ME, Carolyn! Whoa, weird!!) From talking to others, I gather that this was a shared experience. I'm still so awe-struck.
Here's a loose summary:
On Friday at the Wherehouse (a freaky visionary art studio made extra-special with extraordinary and unique-to-the-Convergence art installations by Sophie Batchelor, Zev Rechter, Laurie Shapiro, Hannah Thompson and North Star), Jonathan Talat-Phillips activated our chakras and loosened us up with his own bold story of spiritual awakening and extra-terrestrial encounters. Then we heard the meltingly strange music of Ivory Weeds and Dean Cercone, Jr.
First thing on Saturday, Charles Eisenstein led us to speak freely and deeply to one another of our most cherished dreams for the more beautiful world our hearts tell us is possible and also to name our own gifts and the gifts of the person next to us. And all of this occurred in the auspiciously super-golden and angel-crowned sanctuary of the First United Methodist Church in Shadyside (a very progressive church and community center that we in Pittsburgh are so blessed to have). With this help, we were vibrating and resonating and open at all levels, most especially at the heart level.
Throughout the day on Saturday we enjoyed workshops and panels from truly gifted leaders, teachers and healers that continued to ground us in our bodies and sense of connection to the cosmos and each other.
Daniel Pinchbeck anchored the day with a talk on enjoying the transformation of our world. What I got from Daniel's talk was a momentous sense of possibility and inspiration.
On Saturday night we returned to the Wherehouse Art Studio decked out in eye-popping costumes for the Inner Divinity Costume Party. I saw incarnations of Kwan Yin, Venus, Sai Baba, Adonis, Freya, Odr, and Artemis. Also present were Kabuki demons, wild wolf-women, forest nymphs and glow-stick elves from the future. I was thrilled to hear a sumptuous spectrum of sounds throughout the night: everything from mind-bending electronica to progressive rock to conscious hip hop to psychedelic-gypsy-accordion brass. I was most excited by Lungs Face Feet (the gypsy-ish brass band) who performed in red Mandarin suits and took us fully into another dimension.
The talks and panels resumed on Sunday at a leisurely pace as we were all recovering from the grandness of the party. For me the highlight of the day on Sunday was getting to participate in the Evolver Network Roundtable wherein sporeganizers from around the country spoke about what they've been doing in their city and what Evolver means to them. It was beautiful to realize that so many of us doing this deep work are brilliant and powerful women. Daniel and Jonathan-Talat both mentioned the need for us ladies to step up and do speaking engagements in more places and I could very much feel the need for that.
We had a short closing ceremony wherein we joined hands in the sanctuary and breathed in and out all of the glorious connection of the weekend. We had a giant OM together – and then someone dashed in and told us about the rainbow outside! We all ran out to marvel at it, feeling its profound significance as an omen of hope and restoration – an affirmation that our work and play this weekend were so right on and worthwhile. Someone mentioned something about José Argüelles and rainbow bridge meditation – now I have to learn more about that and try it out!
On Sunday night after the Rainbow we sporeganizers managed to get ourselves over to the lovely Verde Mexican Restaurant for a fantastic meal together (we totally took the place over and Evolver'd it up! I loved our raucous toasts!) and then, by a miraculous feat of spontaneous organization, got it together to have a bonfire over on the other side of town at the magnificently beautiful Bandi Shaum Field. Bandi Shaum is a spot not many in Pittsburgh know about (the name of the place, as far as I can tell through the use of Google translator, is Hindi and means "Captive Sun.") It overlooks the city's downtown and it's also a quite glorious wilderness. Professional musicians from Chaibaba (the progressive rock band that played at the party) showed up and drummed for us.
Sitting on a blanket cuddled up with old friends and new ones I felt continually dazzled – between the beauty of the bright, brilliant full moon, the fire itself, the vista of the city, and the faces of the incredible, beloved Evolvers all around.
On Monday we gathered together once more, now just the sporeganizers, to talk about our dreams and get help with our challenges. That conversation was so energizing – and so glorious for me as the lucky Pittsburgh sporeganizer deluged with new, talented volunteers!
After the Sporeganizer's Summit I was treated to a dream massage by two pairs of loving and gifted hands (thank you, Jeanine and David!) Those of us still in town were treated to a beautiful dinner at Verity Grace's place in Highland Park.
The next day I quite unexpectedly and synchronously ran into Verity again while getting lunch in my neighborhood (she's a Pittsburgher but I'd never met her before the Convergence) and she took me to a Venus Transit viewing party.
I can tell the synchronicities are just beginning to super-speed up for me. I'm starting to feel that Terence McKenna was really, really, really right on when he talked about how the interconnections just start racing together in 2012. I can feel the shift evolving into presence – how about you?
I hope that everyone will write about their experiences with the Convergence – I've just scratched the surface with this summary; I could go so much deeper into my own personal reflections and processing, and I know I'll need to soon. I'll probably be doing that over on my blog, www.awesomeyourlife.com.
Oh, brothers and sisters, what a time!
Love!?
Carolyn
Photo credit: Tom Jefferson
