Your hosts: Alex Ouston and Simon Thomson

Event Venue: Faenua, Ruapuke Beach

Duration: 8 days

RADFANZ Easter Gathering 2024:
Elementals : We are Matter
www.radfanz.org.nz
The Call / Kooo-eee

We of the Five Elements; each atom of our bodies gifted to us by this living world.

Wood. Each day we take the plant world into our body, through leaf, root, flower, and grain, or indirectly through the gift of meat and milk. It is our sustenance and our fuel. The great act of photosynthesis; the biochemical wonder transmuting radiation, carbon dioxide and water into solid substance, into food and shelter. Wood is the condensing of sunlight into stored energy to be released back to us in the cold of winter, warming our home and soul.

Fire. Our star, the orb that heats us, grows all life and food, drives all weather and tides, that giant nuclear reactor harvesting hydrogen in its path through space, and dragging our blue green globe in its wake. The heat of the deep Earth that erupts through volcanoes, that recycles whole tectonic plates anew, recycling every element. The fire of combustion in our own cells, animating our life.

Earth. From which all life is drawn, the home of the largest beings on the planet, the mycorrhizal fungi; those who dissolve and eat rock in order to grow plant and animal, the great cycle of life. The great breath of respiration as the soil inhales and exhales life twice a day under the path of the moon.

Metal. Earth condensed into the the manufactured. The tools and all the wonders of human civilization with which we have both the benefit of, and hold the candle of responsibility for rightful and respectful use.

Water. Since the beginning of time the water in your veins has ascended into cloud, condensed into rain, frozen into snow, crept for thousands of years through glacier, awakened through melt, has traversed the great oceans. Numerically 99% of the molecules in your body are water. Walking within you are every stream, every lake, every ocean of this planet. Each day water flows through your heart that once coursed the veins of a dinosaur, a blue whale, has been to the oceans greatest depths and the atmoshphere’s greatest heights, it has been the dew drop that has sustained life through drought, it has been the torrent of flood tearing the landscape anew, and it transports heat from the planets surface up into the upper atmosphere and back into the cold dark of space.
- - - - -
These five elements — Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water — are believed in Chinese culture to represent everything in nature between which interactions occur, and our ‘twin-spirit’ or ‘queer-soul’ ancestors were often the shamans: a conduit for the voice of this nature to speak to the human world. We were the story tellers, the soothsayers, the conduits of spirit, the magicians and jesters. These elements spoke to and through us: the plant, animal and insect peoples of the world spoke, and we listened.
This is a ‘Dragon-Wood’ year (year 4722), so the element of Wood is the most powerful, please know your birth element before arrival, it is associated with the year of your birth (and will include one of the animal signs of the Chinese Zodiac).

What is a Gathering?
As faeries we come together to listen, to speak, to laugh, to play, maybe to shed a tear of empathy, to create, to feast, to indulge and to allow the business and technology of the modern world to wash away for some days. Let this be our gathering, our grouping of selves in the shortening days of late summer to forge ourselves anew in the fires of community to stride strongly through the rest of the year ahead.
* It’s a time of creating community, a time to connect with the land and the seasons, a time for ritual and meditation, a time for sharing and expression. We embrace each other as friends and lovers. We embrace ourselves as exceptional queers. We embrace the world we inhabit and this planet that gives us life.
* The retreat is based on international Faerie traditions of co-creation, so anybody can propose and lead whatever workshop, ritual or activity they like. Whether physical or cerebral, structured or chaotic, serious or downright silly - we cherish your varied contributions.
* Heart Circles, usually held each morning, are spaces for the sharing and active listening that are integral to the Faerie experience.
* We welcome all the genders that gather under the rainbow tree: be ye them’s and their’s, cis-him’s or her’s, trans this way and that, expansive genders of indigenous norms from the pacific and beyond, queer and inter, hear our call...
* The ‘Talent/No-Talent’ (TNT) show (a gala in the loosest sense) provides a stage for displays of genuine prowess, earnest expression or shambolic spectacle.

When?
The gathering will straddle Easter, you are welcome to arrive on Wednesday the 27th March, and stay until the Wednesday 3rd April, the opening ritual will be first thing on the morning of Thursday the 28th March, and the closing ritual will be on Monday 1st April for those who have to travel long distances, and the gathering will complete on Wedneday the 3rd.

You’re welcome to arrive any time on Wednesday, or if you’re available to assist with setup in the week prior to the gathering please message Muppet or Tinker directly. For those who don’t need to rush away, we like a long tail on the gathering and so welcome you to stay for those days afterwards.

Where?
Again we welcome you to gather at Faenua, a farm and dedicated faerie space near Raglan, Waikato. Faenua is a dedicated faerie space situated on 260 hectares of farmland. It’s a 20 minute walk across the paddocks and down to an effectively private beach. We will be sleeping in the tents we set up around the house and permaculture garden. We will have some tent space available for those who do not have their own tents. As well as the house there’ll be several marquees as gathering/workshop spaces, outdoor showers and bathing facilities, compost toilets and outdoor fire baths. Vegetarian food is provided and we will do the cooking communally.

Alternative Accommodation
If staying in a tent simply isn’t you, then just 10 minutes’ walk across the paddocks on the same property is a B&B run by Tinker’s brother Dave. If you want to stay there you’ll need to make your booking directly through AirBnB at:
www.airbnb.co.nz/rooms/54214787

Transport
We’ll send you instructions and a map of how to get there when you register. We encourage people to car share as much as possible and this is best co-ordinated via the event page on facebook.
If you’re using public transport, you’ll need to get to Hamilton and then take the bus to Raglan. In weekends and public holidays there are 3 buses per day, school holidays 4 buses per day, and term time 6 buses per day. The School Holidays begin at Easter, so be aware of the timetable change between arrival and departure. The current bus schedule is here, https://busit.co.nz/regional-services/raglan/ From Raglan we will be able to organize to pick you up.
Faenua is a clothing optional and body positive space. Our buildings aren’t set up for wheelchair accessibility, and while the property is relatively flat there are steps into the house. We can’t allow anyone to bring dogs, but there will be two farm dogs on the property, Rio and Spud.
The gathering is an opportunity to leave the concrete jungle behind and be present with each other and on the land. We rely on solar power for lighting – so can’t operate high-wattage appliances, and mobile signal is variable. Camper vans can be accommodated but there are no powered sites.

Cost
The registration fee for the gathering is $35/day for food and other costs (this equates to $175 for Thurs through Monday, or $245 for Wed to Wed). We’ll publish a statement of accounts for the gathering on our website after the event. If there’s any surplus over $500 we’ll reimburse that pro-rata to registrants.

Faerie Fee Fund
We operate a ‘NOTAFLOF’ (no-one turned away for lack of funds) policy. If the registration cost is a problem please contact your Queen Roosters.
Also, if you would like to contribute to our Faerie Fee Fund you are most welcome to do so. To make a contribution, include the extra funds when you pay your registration fee. Your Queen Roosters will sort the payment to those in need. Your contribution will be very much appreciated.

Helper Roles:
Queen Speaker: News and house keeping before heart circles to manage the groups activities daily.
Chime ’n’ Time Faeries: A faerie for each day that can keep an eye on the clock and provide timely alerts for workshops and rituals, enabling people to make the most out of scheduled offerings.
Tidy Faerie: Someone to keep an eye on the various spaces and recruit others into cleaning action when the chaos and clutter gets a bit much! Abandoned costumes, suspicious towels and wayward drinking vessels will all be in your domain.
Kitchen Witch: 1 or 2 people with experience catering for lots of people, that can make sure each meal team knows kitchen logistics, supplies available, food allergies etc, but they won’t be resonsible for cooking every meal...
Breakfast Faerie: A reliable early riser to ensure breakfast is on the table by 7.30am and dishes done by 8.45am so we are ready for morning heart circles or workshops.
Lunch and Dinner Cooking Crews: Will be taken part in by all faeries by volunteering, great way to meet and have laughs with other faeries!
Fire-bath faerie: Someone that can keep the fire-baths running smoothly and well stocked with fuel.
TNT – ‘Talent – No-Talent’ Team: To make the TNT run smooth (ish), MC and sexy co-host, stage props and decorating, sound, lighting, make-up and costumes boxes.

Alcohol Policy
We operate a sober space and ask you to abstain from alcohol and drugs in order to remain present and respectful to ourselves and to each other. Mainstream gay community spaces typically include alcohol, and part of the goal of the faeries is to provide a space that is alternative to this. There will be a separate smoking space for tobacco users and we ask you to not smoke anywhere else around the house and gathering spaces.

Food
Included in the price are 3 vegetarian meals a day, and these can be adapted to suit vegans too. If you have any food allergies/special diets please let us know in good time and we will do our best to accomodate you.

Covid
We do have test kits around if someone does become ill, there is plenty of space to isolate onsite if necessary. Please inform QR’s if you become unwell.
What to bring
Most people will be camping – so please be aware you will need to bring everything to make your stay comfortable.
- Tent (if you haven’t got one, contact us—we’ll come up with something).
- Bedding: pillows, sleeping bags, blankets, mattress
- Outdoor clothes and footwear (there are thistles if walking around the farm) and cold weather gear (just in case!)
- Torch/head torch with batteries/charge
- Eating utensils: cutlery, plate, bowl, cup
- Swimwear and towels for the beach
- Biodegradable hygiene products
- Suncream and sun hat, umbrellas are also good for shade
- Home baking and snacks to share
- Costumes, drag
- Musical instruments
- Games, decorations and art supplies
- Anything for the altars (crystals, candles, lights, whatever you feel is right!)
- Anything needed to run your own workshop!
We are a 30-minute drive from any shop so bear this in mind before you arrive! Any questions, contact your Queen Roosters!

Pre-registration is essential for food purchases and menu planning. Your Queen Roosters and points of contact for this event are Muppet and Tinker:

Alex / Muppet : alex_ouston@hotmail.com / 0273492114
Simon / Tinker : si.matawha@gmail.com / 02102486593

A registration form link will be put on the event page in the days ahead, please complete the form to register for the event!

Welcome.