Mystic Manifesto | Camp Mystic

Please read the following manifesto.

All Mystics must agree to abide by it before registering.

CAMP MYSTIC MANIFESTO

This is our public declaration of our shared aims and intentions, our paths and policies. It is our public declaration of who we are, what we value and what we commit to uphold as members of the Camp Mystic community both on the Playa and in the Grand Playa.

WHO WE ARE:

Camp Mystic has a 15 + year history as a theme camp at Burning Man.

We’re an intimate tribe of creative talent and energy expressed as artists, thought leaders, entrepreneurs, teachers, speakers, musicians, and healers. We’re all about ecstatic contribution, radical self-expression, and intimate connection.

Camp Mystic is an ongoing experiment in the power of love, artistic expression, community, contribution, collaboration, compassion and exploration into our conscious evolution and ultimately the evolution of our human civilization.

Inspired by a sense of mystery, wonder, and our profound inter-connectedness, Mystics encourage the exploration of a deeper connection not only to each other as a chosen family, but also to this planet and the Universe.

We gather physically each year at Burning Man and beyond to manifest these intentions and express the possibilities of collectively realizing the fullness of these potentials.

OUR VALUES:

These are the values that guide our choices and actions and guide how we treat each other. As members of Camp Mystic we are inspired to be iconic representatives of these values and agree to uphold them with our fellow citizens at Camp Mystic and on the Grand Playa:

1 Radical Contribution

We embrace ‘Ecstatic Volunteerism’ and look to enhance every environment we’re in and leave it better than we found it...the way art does that, the way science does that, the way human interaction does that and especially our dedication to Leaving No Trace.

2 Radical Compassion

Mystics understand that camp is a refuge, home, and an oasis for our tribe. Our intention is to always allow Love and Respect to be our guiding principles in the way we treat each other. Our commitment is to harmoniously resolve any types of challenges or conflicts that arise. We seek to compassionately understand and then be understood realizing the underlying positive intentions that drives our actions. We ask ourselves ‘How can love live through me now?’

3 Radical Collaboration

Together we make synergistic magic happen by setting clear intentions and then surrendering to the moment. Great collaboration happens when we focus on creating an environment that artfully maximizes the development of everyone inside it. We know that we can create so much more together than we can alone and seek to openly include the wisdom and diverse perspectives of our tribe when we are leading, interacting, and making decisions.

4 Radical Self-Expression (Beauty)

We celebrate beauty and creative expression in all forms. Mystic and Burning Man is a unique place that encourages us to come out of our shell, let go of our normal social contracts and explore what it might look like to become the enlightened child who interacts, plays, and expresses exactly who they are. We welcome creative expression in all its forms and have in fact created a stage for those with extraordinary skill and those with a fledgling talent alike to share their offerings with the playa.

5 Radical Evolution (Truth)

We have a profound curiosity about what empowers people and allows them to evolve. We look for and welcome opportunities to stretch our boundaries. This curiosity bonds our community together as we explore the new story of humanity’s evolution. We are pioneers seeking that leading edge. We do this through exploring evolutionary love, evolutionary relationship, evolutionary civilization, evolutionary entrepreneurship, evolutionary leadership, evolutionary sex, evolutionary masculinity, evolutionary femininity, evolutionary community, and more. Come be a beacon of humankind's evolution riding your own razor’s edge.

OUR OFFERINGS:

Visionary Art & Performance:
We bring together an incredible showcase of visionary art and performance from artists like Android Jones, Joma Sipes, Hans Walor, Phadroid, Susan Boulet, Michael Divine, and many more to celebrate creativity in all its forms.

Night Time Music & DJ's: Transmissions of Truth & Beauty
We present music and performances of some of Burning Man’s best artists including Phutureprimitive, Random Rab, Human Experience, Kaminanda, Kryston Pixton, Alia, NIMITAE, Dixon’s Violin, Eric Gilliom, and many others on our center stage in our large 3-story Mystic Theater. During the early evenings come hear soulful singers and acoustic jams that will open your heart and get you singing along. On Wednesday night our Mystic Theatre turns into the premiere spot for our electronic Artists and DJs to mix their tracks on Mystic's bassy and beautiful club-level sound system.

Day Time Speaker Series: New Story For Humanity's Evolution
Thought leaders, entrepreneurs, authors, speakers, healers and teachers present daily on our main stage in the Mystic Theater and inside our nearby 31ft Healing Dome to offer their wisdom to the Playa regarding the New Story of Humanity’s Evolution. Topics range from evolutionary love, sex and relationship, regenerative civilization, the divine masculine and the divine feminine, awakened entrepreneurship, post-modern spirituality, the Burning Man ethos, and more.

Healing Sessions: Mind-Body Connection
Many of our healers provide meditation, dance, yoga, movement practices, and various awakening experiences in our healing dome and theater.

OUR DUES:

Everyone pays dues, including all the council members and founders, all the leadership, and all the artists and speakers. We offer a few scholarships for those in financial need but other than that, ONE of the ways everyone contributes is through paying dues. Paying dues are not an entitlement to not participate at Camp.

We want to make sure you understand that we are not a turnkey camp where your dues represent your purchase of amenities and services that you expect to be provided to you such that everything is already taken care of for you. We value radical self-reliance and radical contribution.

So although we do provide an incredible atmosphere to radically expand your Burning Man experience --including things like a communal kitchen and serving tent stocked with all the cooking utensils you need to prepare meals in pods with your campmates, a professionally catered vegan food plan, enough fresh spring water to drink all week, cool bamboo showers you can use to get clean, shade structures for some of our tent campers, a massive chill space and healing dome to congregate in-- your dues are for the privilege of camping together with our tribe and the joy of contributing to creating the beauty and offerings to everyone on the playa. Your dues are NOT in lieu of participation. This is not a "plug and play" camp. This is a 'joyful participation party' camp.

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RULES OF ENGAGEMENT

PARTICIPATION:

One of the things that makes Burning Man and its culture so different is the fact that there are no spectators. Everyone participates.

There are no vendors (other than ice and coffee). Everyone must be both radically self-reliant and also radically collaborative because burning man takes place in one of the harshest conditions on the planet so we all must band together and rely on each other during our time together at the burn.

There is a special alchemy that it creates which makes it an incredibly transformative event like no other.

Leave No Trace starts well before you arrive on the Playa with being conscious about the purchases you make to limit consumerism, packaging, and educating yourself on how to do so.

Remember that many hands make light work and AFTER build is over we venture to make participating in camp easy, fun, and an experience of ecstatic volunteerism for everyone. Your participation is what makes this possible. We have a few agreements we want EVERY Mystic to make with respect to your participation:

I agree to be a full contributing participant and NOT a spectator. I realize that I’m part of co-creating this home and the magic at mystic and I agree to contribute my unique gifts from a state of ecstatic volunteerism, giving joyfully.

I agree to join at least one of Mystics 40 teams and to work with my team leader (if that’s not already me) to participate.
I agree to accurately and fully complete my Mystic Survey and Profile with all requested information in a timely manner. Each piece of information requested is needed to make sure I can be placed, watered, fed, and connected with a team.

I agree to participate in the opening circle, closing circle, and strike unless I've let the leadership know in advance that I won't be on playa. These times are the only events that are mandatory at camp. They form the beginning and ending bookends of our Mystical experience and the only time everyone at camp comes together. Right after closing circle is strike..EVERYONE is on the strike team. Strike is a way to see give back to the playa after it's added so much to your experience. You'll see your contribution in action and get the immediate gratification that comes from working together with people you love. Opening circle is on Tuesday at 12:00noon Closing circle begins at 1:00pm Sunday before the Temple Burn.
I agree to show up to all shifts I signed up for. Many hands make light work and most Mystics have only 1 or 2 shifts that are often only a short period of time during the whole week. It's part of the priviledge of camping with Mystic - participating in giving our gifts to the playa. It's a time to be in ecstatic service to your fellow mystics and the rest of the burner community. Mystic has a strong history of people showing up and doing even more than their share. I agree to be a part of bringing this reputation further into the future.
I agree to Leave No Trace. Before packing up and leaving camp I agree to meticulously MOOP (removing Matter Out Of Place) and take it with me to throw away. Burning Man is a Leave No Trace event - every article of trash, every sequin, every shard of wood, every hammer, every nail is picked up and the land is left in a better condition than we found it and is restored to a pristine condition. Camp Mystic has had a perfect Green record every year of its existence because we take this value seriously except for the last 2 years...we are working to bring back our GREEN record. I agree that to participate in making sure my camping area is completely spotless and clear of Moop.

INCLUSIVITY:

The culture we want to encourage is one where you move towards inclusivity with your fellow Mystics. Simple things like making eye contact, a warm hello, an invitation to join you during meal time can go a long way towards creating an inclusive vibe. After all, the best friend that you haven’t met yet is likely at Mystic right under your nose. This has been the case for years and years and Burning Man has played a central role in bringing us together to form some of our closest and deepest relationships.

As a registered interactive theme camp, Mystic is given a specifically sized plot of land to co-create our infrastructure, art, public offerings, and camping spaces. We also have arrived at number of campers for that plot of land that creates enough space for everyone AND allows for a feeling of connection and intimacy.

This number was selected as Dunbar's number (150) - the number of people with whom one can maintain deep and stable social relationships.

These are relationships in which an individual knows who each person is and how each person relates to every other person. Since intimacy and closeness are important, we can not accept an unlimited number of people registering and camping with our theme camp.

We consciously curate those members who have been sponsored by other veterans at camp who they believe will positively contribute to the experience of everyone at Mystic and on the playa at large. In general we have between 25-35% new people each year such that you will always encounter new people.

DISAGREEMENTS / CONFLICT RESOLUTION:

We aim to create a radically high-vibration experience for camp members and our visitors. In the event that you do end up in a conflict with someone at camp we wanted to address this topic.

Every conflict is an opportunity to up-level our self awarenes and evolve. Any conflict resolution should be in the context of pursuing evolutionary growth for yourself and all other people involved. Any requests for assistance should be requested, received, and provided in this context.

Camp Mystic isn't interested in finding out who's to blame, who's right, who’s wrong, participating in punishments or judgements, or even in facilitating apologies. We're interested in experiences, including conflicts, being used to pursue the most direct path of growth and to reflect our highest selves.

Here is a recommended sequence of remedies. You agree to start at the top and work your way down the list if each earlier step doesn't help you restore your desired state and achieve equanimity with those involved:

1) Drink some water: Many conflicts on the Playa result from the basics….not properly nourishing your body so that you are fully resourced. If you find yourself rubbing people the wrong way or being rubbed the wrong way by others, stop immediately. Go drink some water, get out of the sun, feed yourself, take a break or even a nap. Get your body restored and then see how your mood is entirely different. It’s a harsh environment which takes its toll...don’t take that for granted.

2) No gossip / Go To the Source: Only speak about your upset with those that can resolve or move the situation forward. Resist rallying support of others and seeking validation. This creates polarization, amplifies and spreads the negativity and does nothing to resolve the conflict. After you're in a resourced state, go address your conflict with the person directly involved using the evolutionary context above to have a conversation that's about your development and theirs. Do not use public platforms to take down, smear, or pubically shame or humiliate each other...we have a zero tolerance policy for this at Mystic as it is neither truely healing or restorative.

3) Check-in with your sponsor: If you are a newbie at Camp Mystic, you will have a sponsor. This is the person who invited you to camp. They're vouching for you, saying you are a person who shares our stated values in this Manifesto. If after trying #1 and #2 above your conflict isn't resolved, go to your sponsor. Just having an outside perspetive can give you a more empowering frame. Camp Leaders work all year and then intensely at Early Arrival and Strike so PLEASE go to your sponsor FIRST and allow the Camp Leaders to enjoy Burn week.

4) Counselor Resolution Process: If you've done #1-3 and your conflict remains unresolved, you can seek out our camp counselors to help you resolve the conflict. Our counselors are gifted at holding space for conversations like these. They will draw on your best values, your highest-selves, create a space for deep listening and understanding, and offer new perspectives. You MUST first have done #1 - #3 above before escalating your conflict to our Counselors. Counselors make themselvse available each night during the dinner hours from 7:00 pm - 9:00pm. Please be considerate of their time.

SENSUALITY & RADICAL SELF EXPRESSION:

Camp Mystic and Burning Man welcomes and encourages Radical Self-Expression in a variety of forms. We at Mystic actually value Burning Man for its ability to create an inviting space to push our own edges and come out of our shell in ways that are perhaps novel in our regular life. We encourage you when you see this happening to have an air of having that be ‘Right on!’ for them and then form your own opinion on what feels good to you.

This calls on us all to be conscious and responsible both in our giving and receiving of offerings, gifts, and expressions. Especially if it comes in the form of sexual self-expression.

We strive to be a tribe that creates a stronger, safer container for all of us to delight, play, explore and express inside of. We celebrate being radically self-expressed while upholding and respecting "the rights and liberties of the recipients" in our wake.

GIVING:

We encourage a culture of consciousness where ANY interaction (with or without sexual overtones) only occurs without any 'push' energy or assumed permission or consent.

We are sensitive to, and keep a conscious eye out for any signals including eye contact, body language and even subtle energies that a person, group or space doesn't want the gift (sexual or otherwise) being offered. We respect dynamiclally changing boundaries, edges, desires, moods, emotional states, physical states, levels of openness, etc. Consent occurs moment by moment through exquisite attention to heart, body, and mind in real time. Consent is not only hot, it is REQUIRED. "Yes means yes. Nothing less."

There is something for everybody on the Playa so if you gift is not wanted there, it's best to notice that early and give it somewhere else where it is welcomed whole-heartedly.

RECEIVING

Factoring in the Burning Man principle of Radical Inclusion, 'Burners' will express an array of vastly different aesthetics. From wild costumes (or lack thereof) to bizarrely themed camps of all shapes and sizes, to the incredibly varied art and music to sensality and sexuality...self-expression is prevalent!

Chances are you'll be exposed to a wide range of self-expression that may not be your 'cup of tea.'

Be curious and accepting of self-expression with as little judgment or blame as possible. Inquiry cures judgment, so ask questions. Realize that those expressions don't need to encroach on or negatively impinge on your soveriegn preferences.

In the spirit of the Burning Man principle of Radical Self-Reliance, be responsible for generating your own experience, to connecting to what you want (and removing yourself from what you don't), to going where you feel what you want to feel and be near who you want to be near. You are in charge of your own happy.

These agreements help us foster this environment at Mystic, on the playa, and in our lives at large. By doing so we can avoid miunderstandings, conflicts, unconsciousness and fear.

I agree to be utterly devoted to feeling what others person are feeling in every interaction and using that to determine how best to engage. I agree to help create a culture of consciousness and attunement. Consent is not only hot, it is REQUIRED. “Yes mean yes. Nothing less.” I agree to look for that YES not just in a person’s words, but in their body, heart, and mind. If there’s a NO, however subtle, I agree to honor and respect it.
I agree to be accountable for asserting my personal boundaries while also always seeking out and respecting the boundaries of others. I agree that it’s up to me to be clear and empowered and to communicate my boundaries with the people I interact with. I agree I won't blame or shame someone for 'doing it wrong' if I haven't first let them know how I'd like to be interacted with.

FEEDBACK

We LOVE getting feedback and end up implementing 80% of what we receive. It’s how Camp Mystic continues to get better and better every year.

The best place and time for feedback is the Facebook Forum and the Post-Burn Survey unless you are asking for support or permission to improve something at camp, all other feedback is better given at a time when it can be fully considered.

We encourage all opinions, including those that are different from our own. We want to hear from you especially if it comes from a generative-tone of an ‘even better if….’ rather than a blame-filled complaint.

Remember camp is not created to handle everything for you. It’s meant to be an environment that fosters our values and a truly transformative experience, so any feedback that leads us toward that direction is whole-heartedly welcomed.

I agree to use the Post-Burn Survey to give organizers feedback, both about what I liked and what I’d like to see more of. I realize my opinion matters and is welcomed and that my feedback is incredibly valuable in making our camp experience better and better every year.

I embrace this Camp Mystic Manifesto and commit to do my best to adhere to its vision, values and agreements.

Sincerely,

X ___________________

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