Angels at the 1998 Arizona Rainbow Gathering

In 1998 I attended the Rainbow Gathering in the White mountains of Arizona. Rainbow gatherings are an interesting mix of people. In my opinion there is a lot of religious recruitment happening but most folks are there to have experiences and a good time. The Hare Krishnas, Hasidic Jews, multiple Christian faith based denominations, dudes that can do weird things with crystals and tons and tons of random folks come teaching their ways and beliefs. There are many kitchens that set up and offer free food and a giant dinner circle with a sort of parade every night giving out food to the crowd.

I found myself getting into different groups and studying what they had to offer with an open mind. I was very sober as things were intense enough for me without the use of any psychedelics or alcohol. Alcohol is actually frowned upon and they try and keep it out of the main part of the gathering in a place they call A Camp. There is however, obvious drug use going on. Much sorcery if you will. If you have ever taken psychedelics, you could easily feel it in the air.

I set my camp up near a small meadow, just inside the treeline. I had recently worked as a wilderness therapy guide and LOVE being in nature. I had some really decent camping gear and am still a super efficient outdoorsman. Across the meadow, about 100 feet from me, was a small, very primative, lean to. One night I went to bed and was awakened by a peculiar conversation going on across the meadow at the lean to. This is where it gets a bit weird.

This is what I heard, Man 1: "Jolelah, are you in there?" Man 2:"Yeah, she's in here but (inaudible) won't let her talk." Man 1: "Jolelah, are you okay?" Man 2: "She's okay but (inaudible) won't let her leave or talk to you." I thought to myself what the hell is going on? Was some girl in trouble? I got out of bed and walked over to the lean to to find a man (man 1) standing outside of it. I asked him if everything was okay in there and he said "there's nobody in there with him." I peered into the lean to and saw a shirtless, dirty man with a long beard and dreadlocks. To the right I saw what looked like an orange ember zipping back and forth. It scared me and I fell to my knees and began to pray in a way some pentacostals I met had showed me. I prayed under my breath for this entity to leave in the name of Jesus. The man inside asked "where are you going ?" to the spirit. I was compelled to stand and tell this man "that spirit is leaving in the name of Jesus." I don't know where this came from. He looked calm all of a sudden and said "ok".

Okay, so understand at this time all of this kind of thing was very new to me and I didn't really know what I was doing at all. I felt like I had some authority. I fell to my knees once again and began to pray for these spirits to just attach themselves to me and I would walk them out of here. Again I don't know where this idea came from. Probably a bad move lol. All of a sudden I felt very anxious. I began to shake and feel incredibly chilly. I thought to myself those pentacostals I met would know what to do and stood to walk to their camp. I asked the guy outside if he was okay to handle being there. He took a drag off of a cigarette and said, "I do this kind of stuff all the time".

Now these pentacostals were about a half a mile from me and I was going to have to walk through the main gathering to get there. On the way a man came up to me, stopped me, looked at my face and his eyes widened and looked fearful and stepped out of my way. I was passing the main fire pit and drum circle, up a trail by the pizza kitchen and saw what I percieved as a bull head on a platter. As I got close to it, it turned into a leather jacket.

I got to the pentacostal camp and all was dark. Everyone was asleep but I was frightened and asked if anyone could get up and pray with me. A man they called Dr. D woke up and took a look at me and said "oh, you got a bugger on you". Another man woke up and they laid hands on me, casting off what they percieved and I started to feel better. I asked them to pray for the man in the lean to. Dr. D said a prayer asking for angels to surround this man' s camp and end the drama that was happening there. I thought it was a strange thing to pray for honestly.

Feeling better, I walked all the way back to my tent. I was told to avoid going back over to the lean to. I was tired and went to sleep. I woke the next morning and decided to go and check on the guy in the lean to. I looked inside and he was digging with his hands in the dirt. I asked him if he was okay. He looked up at me and his eyes lit up and he jumped up. He asked "did you see them?" I said "see who?" he said "they were everywhere and came out of the forest. They were 15 feet tall with white robes and one of them had a LEATHER JACKET on! He came in here and let Jolelah go." He said some other things but he was hard to communicate with. He was still very intoxicated or seemed that way. Like a homeless guy on the street saying random things I couldn't understand. I told him what had occurred and the prayers we said a half mile from his camp. Not sure if he understood everything I was saying but he seemed very grateful. Anyway, this happened. Take what you will from it. Do me a favor and don't hate on God in your responses. If you aren't a believer that's fine with me, leave me alone. I do not want to discuss my current beliefs or theology. I would like to know if anyone else has had and experience with angels though. Here are some pics from that gathering. Thanks for reading!

www.johntarleton.net...

Great story. I used to go the Rainbow Tribe gatherings. The last time I went was (I think) in 1996. It was the national gathering in Tres Piadres (spelling) in northern New Mexico.

It was an amazing experience. Stayed for about a week.
Ate my meals at the Krisna kitchen.

Traded pounds of dried beans for good herb.

Met a lot of interesting people.

Entire families growing up in the Rainbow Tribe, with no 'papers', no SS numbers, just kids living free.

I hope this is still going on strong.

From your link:

A small cleanup crew of 100-200 people will stay behind in the following weeks to restore the land.

They came to Idaho in 2020, but the cleanup crew forgot to stay behind.

I was part of the clean up in AZ. Even still the land would take YEARS to recover. I haven't been to one since 2000 Montana. Sucks about Idaho. Might go next year if it's close.

originally posted by: xosephx
I was part of the clean up in AZ. Even still the land would take YEARS to recover. I haven't been to one since 2000 Montana. Sucks about Idaho. Might go next year if it's close.

I hear Colorado is slated for next year.

It looks like somewhere in the Appalachians. Close enough. I think the 2022 was in CO. See you there? rainbowfamilygatherings.net... a reply to: nugget1

originally posted by: xosephx
It looks like somewhere in the Appalachians. Close enough. I think the 2022 was in CO. See you there? rainbowfamilygatherings.net... a reply to: nugget1

Not a chance! I have an aversion to crowds.

We have something similar here on
Summer Solstice!
It’s Amazing
People can learn so much
If they just open up to it
And Everybody Prays To Some God
That’s Cool

Cool story. It's helps me with understanding on how to fight evil with prayer. I have a an aversion to asking the Lord for anything (esp. for myself) and pray mostly in thanks or praise. I find I have little patience with sinners and have a problem having any concern for them and their choices. This story makes me think about the hardness of my heart though so thanks.

Never drink the cool-aid on a rainbow gathering...

Ha! No doubt. My camp was close to the electric kool aid kitchen. I did not partake. Have a feeling the guy in the lean to might have though. a reply to: Terpene

Oh yeah. Never a good idea to possess spirits. They can be hard to get rid of and can stick around for years or decades.

Glad you got through that night in one piece.

The current Gathering in the Sierra Nevada Mountains of California got contentious, when the Counsel decided to hold it on environmentally sensitive land culturally important to the local Maidu Native tribe.
The Forest Service ended up closing that portion of the National Forest and convinced them to move it to another location the FS deemed acceptable.