Here Be Dragons!
Have you wanted to get to know the NatureSpirit community better? Here's your chance to get a first-hand preview of what our group is all about!
We invite NatureSpirit members, and the local community to join us August 8th to August 10th, for our first annual themed campout. It will be an exciting weekend of rituals, workshops, skill sharing, leadership development and friendship.
 Our weekend will be guided by a powerful theme: Here Be Dragons. Cultures around the world have stories of dragons and dragon slayers, from the ancient east to the modern west; from the Serpent in the Garden of Eden to Marduk who cleaved Tiamat's body into pieces that become the world. As we step into our roles as leaders within our community, sometimes we are the dragon and sometimes the dragon slayer. Through our evening rituals we'll seek greater understanding of these aspects within ourselves as leaders and community members, and explore the relationship between power and fear, creation and sacrifice.
Site Details: We'll be at Hopper Creek Group Campsite in the George Washington National Forest. This is a primitive site. That means that there are no showers or running water (but there are showers nearby at Cave Mountain Lake). Heres what we do have:
- 3 large group tent pads
- wooden picnic tables
- fireplaces
- Group campfire circle
- Vault toilets
- Central garbage containers
- Parking space for cars, Not trailers
- A large tarp to cover community space if it rains.
You will be responsible for bringing your own tent and camping materials, water, and your own breakfast and lunch. Evening meals will be provided and will be vegitarian (not vegan). If you would like meat, or have special dietary needs then please feel free to bring your own, as well as cooking equipment (but please contact us if this is constitutes a significant hurdle for you).
If it is hot, we may spend most of the day at Cave Mountain Lake and come back to the camp for dinner and rituals. According to the weather report though, it looks like it's going to be just about perfect, 80-85 degrees and sunny!
 Registration: You may register online here, or by signing up at our July or August public meetings. For non-members, we are asking for a donation of $10.00 to $20.00 to offset costs for evening meals, materials, the site and other expenses.
Directions: From I-81 take exit 175 or 180 to Natural Bridge. Once at Natural Bridge turn onto Va 130. Follow 130 for 3.2 miles and turn right onto Va 759. Follow 759 for 4.7 miles to the campground.
What to Bring:
- Camping supplies:
- Food (Two Breakfasts, snacks, and lunch)
- Plate / Utensils
- Tent
- Sleeping bag
- Pillow
- Camping chair
- Water (at least 1 Gallon)
- Flashlight
- Trashbags
- Rope (if you have it)
- Knife
- Matches/lighter
- Rain jacket (just in case)
- Personal Care items (i.e. toilet paper).
- Etc.
- Ritual Items:
- Drums / instruments
- Your favorite Chants
- Topics to teach or share in mini-workshop form.
- Altar Decorations, including things for the Elements and the Dragon altar
- Craft Supplies (paints, glue, sparkly things, fabric, etc.) We may be making masks, so keep that in mind.
- Anything else that "calls to you.
Lend a hand? We could always use a few more hands in planning the campout, and the more help we get the more fantastic it will be. Non-members are welcome to be part of the process. We may even be willing to consider time contributions equivalent to a donation to cover expenses. (i.e. we acknowledge that time is money...)
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