New Holistic Camp: Seeding a New Reality

The Flaxley site is large and spacious

We arrived late Saturday afternoon. Crossing the river Severn added excitement, leaving one realm for another, a good metaphor for camp. Everyday life is suspended in lieu of entering a world of magic and adventure. A temporary Utopia with participants actualizing a shared dream.

The UK summer is just right for this: between May and September our countryside is pervaded by a mystical magical quality that Shakespeare understood and was muse to his tale of love and play: A Midsummer Night's Dream.

There is an aliveness of hedgerow and forest, an almost tangible presence of spirit beings, tree folk and fairies. Long, light evenings are an invitation to play outside and share space and ceremony. Our beloved islands are cold, wet, chilly and dark for much of the year and we know instinctively to make the most of our time with the sun.

Woodcraft tuition

There is a  wide choice of camps and gatherings in the UK, reflecting the strength and diversity of the sub-cultures within the green and alternative movements.

It means we can hone in and attune to our individual vision.Last weekend for we might equally have attended Croissant Neuf,  Healing Field Gathering, Rainbow 2000, Rainbow Circle, Dartmoor Music Camp and  more besides. 


I would usually be at Healing Field Gathering, local to Glastonbury and full of familiar faces and good friends. This year I was travelling further afield. A fresh landscape, the beautiful and mystical Forest of Dean.

Workshop space loaned by Tipi Jean

New Holistic camp is in now its third year, re-energising a site with a great pedigree: the former summer home of the UK Rainbow Circle.

I respect and admire all those who take on the role of camp organiser. In this case Starcus Baal, a kind and generous friend with years of practical experience and festival know how.

The countless hours of hands on work and months of pre-planning will never be compensated in financial terms. Truly an offering from the heart.

The whole camp is a powerful seminar in living beyond money. As per Rainbow tradition; commercial activity is limited or bypassed, so that a free circulation of energy exchange can take place.



The experience for me was virtually money-free. A friend gifted me the ride and caravan tow from Glastonbury as a part thanks for some bodywork. I was a crew member by virtue of giving workshops, with an entitlement to free entry and meals prepared in the central kitchen and announced with the sounding of a conch shell. I eat high raw in the summer and travel self-sufficiently with sprouts and a manual juicer, nonetheless I was tempted into the convivial atmosphere of the cafe for some robust and tasty vegetarian meals.

Forest School in session

Workshops were free, and there was plenty to do: woodcraft, tarot, amulet making, poetry, singing and crafts. Individual sessions with healers and astrologers were also offered at no charge.

I found this particularly powerful and loving and it raised the vibration of the experience. We were living a new reality of abundance, sharing and receiving, close to nature in an open community, established on an ethos of caring and trust.


The principles of Rainbow are not new; and yet how fresh, radical and relevant they are today as we witness powerful world economies struggling to survive. The choice is on offer: what kind society do we prefer?  What are our values and can we dare to live them into reality?

At home in an ancient Oak grove

One of the unexpected gifts of camp was night after night of deep, prolonged sleep and dreaming.  A blessing in itself.

My companion, knowledgeable in druidic traditions and earth lore suggested we set up by an ancient Oak grove. The roots below and branches above forming a cosmic cradle holding us in safety.

We witnessed misty sunrises, scarlet sunsets and the fat golden August Harvest full moon. During the chilly evenings we warmed ourselves around the central fire and took turns getting blasted with wonderful wet heat of a steam bath constructed ingeniously in a bender and manned by a youthful, energetic crew.

The compost loos were well maintained; workshops took place in loaned teepees, yurts or outside in the bright steady sunshine, which kept us company most days.

Voluntary simplicity is good for the soul; we left after five days feeling revitalised and relaxed.

See more photographs of camp on my facebook page: 

If you would like to get involved for 2012 visit the website: www.new-holistic.co.uk

Directory of smaller camps and gatherings in the UK www.campscene-directory.co.uk