Catharsis…

Tap tap, tap, is this thing on? Hi, everyone!

Well, I wasn’t going to send out an issue this week because I’ve been at Burning Man. But, what the heck, I had some time/interest and decided to slap one together. (Yes, I know, it’s a day late.)

Soooo… this year’s Burn was hands down my best! I feel so jazzed by my experience this year. I’m really glad I went. It wasn’t too hot. The art was impressive as usual. I landed well. I had good times with good friends. I could go on and on but what really struck me was the Temple and its Burn.

The Temple is a place to say goodbye and its vibe cannot be fully explained in words. I believe it must be experienced in person to truly grok. People leave photos, altars, and other mementos, generally as a way to pay tribute to loved ones who have passed. People also scrawl messages all over the structure itself.

It’s generally quiet but sometimes you’ll hear people crying or even wailing. The energy is thick and solemn.

The Man itself burns on Saturday night. That’s a loud and raucous Burn.

When the Temple burns on Sunday night, the playa goes quiet.

Sunday was my last full day on playa and I was at camp when the Temple went up in flames. I had left some personal things in the massive volcano-like structure — some items from my past that I was ready to let go — and watching it all burn moved me to heavy tears. I wasn’t sad per se. It was more like a deep primal catharsis. I just stood there, with my hands on my hips, sobbing. Despite the waterworks, I felt strong in the moment. And, afterward, I felt euphoric.

This day will certainly be counted as one of the best of my whole life (and I’ve had some pretty good days, folks!).