Burning Man. The utopian Black Rock City that emerges once a year from the playa dust, home for one week to thousands from all over the world. An experience that transcends words.
On the first morning on the playa, the epic sunrise lights the sky and brings with it a clarity and awareness that is profound and moving. Nature in its stark perfection. Streets of a pop-up city lined with tents, RVs, and swarms of people buzzing . . . excited, hopeful, ready. A palpable and primal energy pulses through the air, at once inspiring and intoxicating.
Burning man is a magical experience of the spirit. People come to completely and honestly express who they are, to have their authentic selves supported, loved and encouraged by 50,000 kindred spirits. They share, give, receive, love, cry; there is exultation, rage, joy, pain, fear and peace. There is no right or wrong, no good or bad, just a sublime sense of equality.
There are no rules on how to express spirit, no dogma or expectation. The playa is the greatest of teachers because it brings to each one that which they need to experience, and there is no choice but to truly surrender.
Desert weather, too, can be challenging: thunderstorms, 50 mph winds, scorching heat and biting cold. It is this intensity that makes the experience so exhilarating.
There is rarely violence, crime, or acts of hatred. In this “gifting” culture, people truly find a way to harmoniously coexist in celebration of life, freedom and creativity.
Burning Man is also a huge and amazing outdoor art gallery of sculpture, photography, installations and otherworldly moving vehicles known as “art cars.” But perhaps the greatest artistic expression comes from the people dressed in fabulous attire that reflects their unique sensibilities and most elaborate fantasies.
The energy builds as the burn draws near. The man is symbolic for everyone, and as the fire swallows him, thousands cheer. But while the man is the symbolic core of the burn, the temple is the spiritual center, the holy place, where people come to reflect, pray, and scribe their deepest thoughts on its sacred walls. Its burning marks the end of a journey.
The city vanishes and the desert is left pristine. All is restored to its natural state.
Story and Inset photos: Natalie Avakian at badassjackson.com
Flash Photo: Paul “Big Phreeky” Neumann
