Solstice/Ritual/Megameetups, 2013

[Raymond Arnold]

Note: This e-mail is sent primarily to the rational-ritual mailing list. I've also sent it to some individual people to make sure everyone's aware of what's going on. If you're interested in further discussion I recommend joining the mailing list. (I do not know how to join a group using the "New" Google Groups, but in the top right corner there's a button that says "revert to old groups", and then you can easily click on a link saying "join this group" to join).

-

Alright. It's been a few months, and I'm ready to get rolling for this year.

The Winter Solstice 2011 had been a bit of an experiment, and went well enough, but left us with a sense of "all right, now let's do that for real next year." I think the 2012 Solstice delivered on that. Our house was filled to the brim with 50 people, and I got a lot of profound thanks from people who described it as very emotionally affective, helping them deal with death and successful at community bonding in a way that few other things had been for them. 

A *huge* thanks to everyone who helped make the 2012 one a success. Notable shout-outs go to:

• Julia Wise and Jeff Kaufman, Glen Raphael and Phil Robinson and Ellen Weiss for providing musical accompaniment, 
• Geoff Cameron and Zvi Mowshowitz for coordinating food, 
• Aaron Davies for a lot of technical assistance
• Syd Leroy (and her intern Emily!) for helping me set up the Open Mic, which was an important point of preparing for the event
• Erica Edelman for throwing her own event in Ohio with basically no assistance.
• Geoff Anders, for believing in me and encouraging me to take this as far as I could.
• Ken Chen, who helped me maintain my sanity.
• Everyone else who provided valuable feedback, both before and afterwards, and helped out in various ways.

Now I'm gearing up for this year's work. I have a few main goals for this year:

• Have Solstices and Megameetups at a number of cities other than New York.

• Have one very large Solstice in NY (looking to seat at least 100 people and trying to seat 800 if I can, in a large auditorium), that caters to the mainstream skeptic/freethinker/humanist crowd. (There will also be a smaller, more intimate and transhumanist Less Wrong Solstice in NYC, but I'm leaning towards it not doubling as a megameetup)

• Create an official website that ties this all together, and makes it easier for people to get involved, share music/art, and find people to collaborate with. I want it to be distinct from Less Wrong  so that people who aren't interested in ritual don't feel put out, as well as give non-LW-folk a chance to discover it. 

For the first goal to be successful, we're going to need other other people doing some non-trivial logistical work. A few people had expressed interest in having Solstices or Megameetups in their city but weren't sure if they were able to take on that responsibility personally. Some people were interested in making a Solstice happen but hadn't actually personally experienced it and weren't sure they were qualified.

These are non-trivial obstacles, but I think they can be addressed. 

Summer and Fall Megameetups

At the Winter Solstice, there had been some interest in a Summer Megameetup near Boston. More recently, there's been interest in a Fall Megameetup in Columbus Ohio. I'd like to doublecheck that local people are still interested in running those. It's not strictly necessary that we stick to that plan, but I *won't* be able to do the major organizing for that myself, so we should figure out who can star planning those soon.

At the Summer Megameetup, I'd like to try and get everyone even tangentially interested in hosting a Solstice, or having their community host one, to attend. At some point during the Megameetup, I'll host a workshop on what specifically you need to do, how to prepare in advance, and what skills you need to either acquire for yourself or delegate if you want to run a Solstice successfully. 

I don't think we'll get a Solstice in every area where people want one, but I think we can reasonably get at least 1-3 other events running in places outside of NY. Each area will need at least one enthusiastic person taking point and doing some logistical work, but a lot of the artistic work can be parceled out to individuals. 

One thing I think would be cool is if different events had different themes and aesthetics. For example, people interested in more serious, "catholic-like" ritual can work together to produce one event, and people who want something more party-like can collaborate on that, etc. The Summer Megameetup workshop will be a good opportunity for interested people to meet face to face and see who they work well with, who has which skills, etc.

I *am* willing to do some traveling to help facilitate Solstices (especially doing song-leading, which requires some skill and familiarity with the material), but *won't* be able to be the primary organizer for anything other than the NY events.

I will be providing a template that people can use to run a ritual similar to the 2012 Winter Solstice, without having to spend time on their own creative work (this will not require musical talent to execute, but it will require enthusiasm and presentation-skill.) I do recommend that people who have the time put some effort into personalizing ritual for their own community (for example, the Ohio group did a Solstice last year that was completely different from NY one, which was more intimate focused on affirmations of friendship and included a wedding). 

I will not be preparing any ritual-stuff other than for the Winter Solstice (I already have my work cut out for me there), but people who find themselves inspired to do so are definitely encouraged to do so, and I'll more than willing to collaborate on that.

For now:

I realize it's pretty early in the year to be making a big commitment for later. For now, I'd like to get a sense of how many people are at least interested. Please reply (to the rationa...@googlegroups.com address) if any of the following apply.

(Note all the things that *do* apply)

• You would like there to be either a Solstice/similar-ritual-event in your area, and think there's a decent chance your area can hit the critical mass to make this happen (even if you don't think you can personally make this happen)

• You'd probably willing to travel to such an event, and/or think you may have friends who'd be willing to.

• If you aren't that interested in ritual, but would still like there to be a Megameetup in your area (any time this year)

• You are interested in collaborating artistically (whether or not you think you can attend or host an event in person)

• You are interested being a primary logistical organizer (whether or not you consider yourself to have musical or even presentation-talent. Logistic work includes promoting the event with e-mails/announcements, making sure people have places to sleep, make sure you have a venue with enough space for people, finding people to delegate tasks like food and managing projector screens and such.

• You are probably not willing able to be primary coordinator, but might be willing to have smaller tasks delegated to you.

• You have ideas for bigger-picture ritual building (i.e. themes, style, atmosphere, etc) and are either interested in being main-artistic-visionary on an event, or collaborating closely with someone on it.

Thanks again to everyone who helped make last year a success. I basically went double-or-nothing on it in 2012, spending the whole year preparing for one event in December, and I was really proud of how it turned out and humbled at how strongly people responded to it. I'm hoping to do at least that well for my own community, and give the experience to as many other communities as I can manage.

[Raymond Arnold]

Oh, and one last addition to the "speak of if you're interested in helping with X" section - I could use people to collaborate on the website. The current splash page is available at humanistculture.com. By the end of the year, I'd like it to be a solid, go-to spot for secular, inspirational music and artwork. Whether you'd be willing to contribute a song or two as seed content, help with graphic design or web development, let me know.

[Jeremy Groom]

I am still interested in writing and recording songs or arrangements- I have had many ideas, but have been focused on preparing for current engagements. More than willing to contribute music :)

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[Nisan Stiennon]

I want to help make a Solstice happen near San Francisco (probably Berkeley). But I can't be the primary coordinator, so I need at least one other person to be in charge.

-Nisan

[Thomas Eliot]

I have no relevant artistic capabilities myself, but if music composition is something useful, I am willing to commission my friend Brent Hengeveld (the guy I commissioned to write the theme music for Professor Pugnacious) to compose something. Here's some of his work: http://m.soundcloud.com/ironclad_music

I apologize if this is inappropriate for some reason that I can't think of, for some reason a hunch is telling me it is but I can't figure out why.

Also, Allison and I are currently planning to move to New York before the next Solstice. She in particular is insistent that we make it there in time. I've forwarded this to her and will get her on the rational ritual list soon :)

[Daniel Speyer]

I'm interested in collaborating artistically. I don't know how much
time/energy I'll have in the near future, so I don't want to take on
responsibility yet, but I'd like to do what I can.

Would it be appropriate to start a thread for summer solstice brainstorming?

[Jeff Kaufman]

I'm willing to do whatever I can that's useful except be an agenty
organizer. Musicianing, finding musicians, being delegated to,
singing, leading contra dancing, cooking.

[Jay Feldman]

I'm willing to organize a small part of this if it happens in the Chicago area, and if I were in DC at the right time, would go to a Solstice/megameetup there.

I realize it's pretty early in the year to be making a big commitment for later. For now, I'd like to get a sense of how many people are at least interested. Please reply (to the rational-ritual@googlegroups.com address) if any of the following apply.

[rit...@googlemail.com]

Hi, I'm Daniel, and I'm all in.

I will do a solstice ritual in Leipzig, Germany. Translation of the ritual into German, logistical work, leading the ritual. I have years of experience with all of these things, but I haven't been part of atheist ritual at this scale. I loved the write-up of your 2012 solstice. This kind of thing is EXACTLY my cup of tea. Thanks for starting this. When I say I'm all in, I mean I'm offering many work-hours and serious personal expenses.

Are you looking for help in designing the actual ritual? I claim a high degree of expertise. I'm a doctoral candidate in the psychology of religion and have designed, performed and led many rituals, including weddings, meditations, initiations.

But I'm alright with just doing it by thee book you wrote, too. After I translated it into German.

This feels like the start of something huge.

Cheers,
Daniel

[Raymond Arnold]

>

I apologize if this is inappropriate for some reason that I can't think of, for some reason a hunch is telling me it is but I can't figure out why.

Really important thing I should mention:

If you have an idea for this that interests and excites you, say so!

I won't be able to include everything in the events I'm personally organizing, but at least stage I want to explore every possible resource and idea I can before I start having rein myself in, starting around September.

I will respond to individual people in a few days, probably in a separate thread.

[Aaron Tucker]

I'd be happy to do the logistical parts of winter solstice organization in Boston, but am less enthused about the more artsy parts. Jeff, want to talk about this sometime at a meetup, or at tonights dinner if you're going?

Cheers,

Aaron

[Jeff Kaufman]

On Thu, Mar 21, 2013 at 1:34 PM, Aaron Tucker <aarond...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I'd be happy to do the logistical parts of winter solstice organization in
> Boston, but am less enthused about the more artsy parts. Jeff, want to talk
> about this sometime at a meetup, or at tonights dinner if you're going?
>

Happy to talk at a meetup or elsewhen; won't be there tonight.

Jeff

[Marcel Ackermann]

Hi Daniel,

I'm interested in participating in your event. Do you have a mailing list or other way to stay informed?

Thank you,

Marcel

[Frater Fäustchen]

Hi everyone,

the Leipzig solstice event is now registered as a meetup on LW:

http://lesswrong.com/meetups/u6

Cheers,
Daniel

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[Raymond Arnold]

Thanks for putting so much work into this! Look forward to hearing how it plays out.

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[Taymon Beal]

Is there any existing collection of information about Solstices in places other than New York? I'm in the Boston area and would like to attend one if it existed.

Taymon