Crimson Rose, Envision Festival, And The Philosophy Of Fire
By Autumn Feldmeier
I was thrilled to be able to catch up with Crimson Rose before the Envision Festival happening this month in Costa Rica from February 23rd - 26th. Envision Festival is a celebration dedicated to awakening our human potential. Envision provides a platform for different cultures to co-exist in sustainable community, and inspire one another through art, spirituality, yoga, music, dance, performance, education, sustainability and our fundamental connection with nature.
Crimson Rose is an artist who has been living in San Francisco since 1971. She is co-founder of Burning Man, the Black Rock Arts Foundation and Burning Man Project. Her life passion and work have focused on the arts and artistic expression.
What can we expect from your workshop at Envision?
During the presentation I will dance my own fire ritual and talk about my philosophy of the Fire Within. The workshop will teach the actual handling of fire and will focus on the ability of letting go of ones ego, trusting in oneself and creating a personal fire ritual.
In regards to Burning Man, you talk about meeting Larry Harvey in the 90s and said, "in the beginning it was a camping trip," and then "it became bigger and people should recognize and take responsibility for their own evolution." How does this relate to the festival culture now?
Burning Man is not a festival. Black Rock City is an idea in a harsh environment. What started as a camping trip has grown into a city ... which has grown into a culture. A city where Creativity, Collaboration, and Immersion are the norm. A new lexicon has lit a path to a new way of thinking. Participant replaces spectator, temporal replaces permanence. It is an Oasis where everyone’s input is valued, where participation is the norm and yes taking responsibility for ones evolution is important. The environmental vastness has helped forge a community that goes beyond one week in the Black Rock Desert.
What is your version of fire energy?
Fire is the very heart and essence of all life. For it is more phenomena than substance that is revealed, seen and touched in ways of risk and ritual. It is the primordial energy of the divine manifesting in matter and we are all part of that primordial substance.
Fire has such a strong mythology tied to it. A gift that Prometheus gave to men, the ancient flame associated with the Roman goddess Vesta, the Hindu interpretation as Agni (or the essential energy of life in the universe) and even the bonfires the Irish used in wars.
We all have the ability to see the Spirit Within, the Fire Within
It seems to me that so many festivals are female dominated. What are your thoughts on this?
I am most familiar with Burning Man and it is managed equally by both male & female. In life we need both the yin & yang to stay balanced.
What is your hope for the future of Burning Man and the festival culture?
That we continue to grow, evolve and continue to question everything. Culture is a living-breathing organism and it will die unless all of us continue to stoke it, disturb it, set it on fire. Each person in their own way is keeping their Cultural Flame alive.
To learn more about how you can find Crimson Rose at Envision Festival click here>>>
To keep up with Envision festival you can follow them on their website, facebook and instagram. To learn more about Crimson Rose, you can visit www.crimsonrose.org and www.burningman.org.
