Each Step a Prayer for Peace
TIPI CIRCLE circa 8:30pm—A lone bird high in the canopy is repeating a long trill while a trio of counselors near the firepit perform a song of their own. A guitarist and a banjo player strum and sing in harmony while a flautist interjects with flourishes and counter melodies. The audience of campers and counselors listen quietly from the large circle of benches. A breeze from the west guides the campfire smoke up at an angle. The song ends with a long trill of the flute and the audience gives its enthusiastic applause.
“Turquoise Tipi!” shouts a counselor from near the Costume Barn. In the brief transition between acts, the members of Turquoise Tipi leave their seats to gather for a group Labyrinth walk. Another performer is introduced to the fire circle as the counselors of Turquoise count their campers and lead them away. I tag along to document the excursion.
We slip outside the Tipi Circle and to the left of the Costume Barn where we find an earthen staircase supported by boards and stakes. The descent to the creek bed is lit by a rope light woven through the posts of the handrail. Crossing a small plank bridge we enter a dark wooded area. Here the path zig-zags for about 100 feet, the sound of the fire circle fading as we go. The path then opens out into the palatial Sports Field, home of Camp’s labyrinth.
Another tipi group is preparing to leave the Labyrinth as we arrive.
“Welcome to the Labyrinth!” says Camp Founder Wavy Gravy. He sits on a camping chair next to his wife and Camp Co-Founder Jahanara Romney. “The Labyrinth is a sacred place; it goes back centuries. Think of each step as a prayer for peace.”
The Turquoise campers and counselors remove their shoes and enter the sand-filled path. Wavy rings a singing bowl as each person enters. Clowning instructor Riley Soloner stands nearby holding a burning bundle of sage in an abalone shell. As Turquoise Tipi members reach the center of the Labyrinth, they sit to admire the central garden of crystals and flowers.
Wavy then labors to his feet and, with the help of Riley, walks a short way into the entrance so that he can address the campers over the garden. He gives a short spiel about the Labyrinth’s history and some of the features of the garden. All the while a steady stream of saccharine, new-wave, world music floats out of a small portable speaker nestled among the rocks.
Wavy returns to his chair and Turquoise begins to make their way back out. Wavy again rings the bell as each person exits. As Turquoise puts their shoes back on, another tipi group arrives for their turn in the Labyrinth. In this way all the tipi groups will get an opportunity to participate in this Winnarainbow rite, half of the tipis tonight, and the rest on Saturday evening.
I follow Turquoise back downtown and continue to my blog lair to review today’s notes of camper quotations.
“The best part of Camp Winnarainbow is the socialization; I have monophobia,” said Edgar, 12, Blue Tipi. “Friends are awesome. This is my first time at Camp but I’ve already made friends with all of Blue Tipi, plus four extra ones. For example, this guy,” he said, motioning to the camper sitting next to him. “What’s your name again?” he asked.
“Liam,” said Liam, 11, Blue Tipi. “I laughed really hard with Edgar today. And I played Magic the Gathering. I mostly used Eldirazi. They’re like alien creatures—very powerful.”
“I’m an alien; I’m a Martian!” added Edgar.
“Today I took silks and it’s a lot harder than it looks,” said Alex, 10, Lime Tipi. “I weigh 54.6 pounds, and it was still hard to pull myself up. I really liked climbing and doing tricks. Even the simple ones look really cool. Overall, just a great day.”
“I did silks and stilts and acro and unicycling,” said Indie, 12, Purple Tipi. “I got a little tired, but it was worth it. The first day was really overwhelming but by the second day it all made sense.”
“I’ve always wanted to learn front and back walkovers,” said Eleni, Red Tipi. “I love anything that improves my flexibility and stamina. My dream job is to be an animal prosthetist. I used to make wheelchairs for my barbies. It’s the intersection of my craftiness and my love of animals. When I go to college, I’m going to study animal medicine during the school year and go to Camp Winnarainbow in the summertime.”
Stay hydrated,
—J. Payseno, Editor
