Consensus Reality: Impressions From PSG

Everyone who passes through the festival gate accepts this safety and harmony as PSG reality, and therefore it becomes a real part of the experience. Everyone behaves in accordance with the principles of the festival’s consensus reality, and those who don’t can be asked to leave by the Guardians.

There were moments during Pagan Spirit Gathering that I took a deep breath and thought about the fragility of this shared reality. It seemed as if we all felt that one person stepping out of bounds and behaving inappropriately could shatter the beautiful community we had created. It felt as if everyone was consciously maintaining the shared reality, making sure each interaction strengthened the community.

The fact that this consensus reality was built and maintained for 8 days by over 900 people was quite impressive. Some groups have difficulty creating sacred, intentional space for the space of a few hours with a dozen people. I wonder if the sheer numbers and length of the festival aided in the endurance of this community spirit? Is that the secret? Or has a PSG egregore formed, that holds the sacred boundaries and strengthens year after year?

Often magic can simply be the process of changing your own perception, and then your perception informs the reality of your life. Changing the world can be this simple. People agreeing to a sacred reality and then actively creating that community in their daily lives. I think this is the challenge of PSG, to bring that community spirit home and integrate it into our mundane lives.

Who knows? If we keep the practice up and pass it on, then we may be planting the seeds of peace, joy and freedom for future generations.