ABSTRACT
For those that experience Rainbow Gatherings as a spiritual event, the natural environment is an important object of spiritual significance; for many gatherers, the natural world is sacred. Rainbow land is itself in a natural setting without transmission lines, telephone poles, asphalted roads, or permanent buildings of any kind. Rainbow land is referred to as a church by many gatherers, who use phrases like “Keep guns out of the church!” and “No alcohol in the church.” At the 2012 National Gathering, I saw several bumper stickers on cars in the parking lot that read, “Nature is my church.” Also at that Gathering, I saw the satirical “’test’” posted on a sign by the information booth that identified both “exploration of our National Forests” and “Religious group that travels to the cathedral of nature to pray for world peace July 4th” (as well as “Preparation for living in the wild so we'll be ready when society collapses”) as accurate (although not comprehensive) descriptions of the Rainbow Family and their Gatherings. Many of the people who gather share the belief that nature serves as a sacred site for these spiritual events and that the natural world more broadly is a sacred place to be treated with love, care, and respect.
