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The Official Newsletter of the Temple Guardians Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 2

Happy New Year Guardians! (Is it not too late to say that?)

 

And a new year means a new burn is on the horizon! Although the holiday hangover means that we don’t yet have a fully packed newsletter for you today, we’re hard at work to create a new and improved newsletter and hope to share that with you soon.

 

In the meantime, we wanted to make sure that you were aware of some important dates and announcements:

 

Important Dates

 

January 24 – Pre-Sale Ticket Registration Opens

January 31 – Pre-Sale Ticket Sale Opens

 

February 14 –  Low Income Ticket Application Opens

 

March 21 – Main Sale Registration Opens

March 28 – Main Sale Starts

 

For more information on tickets/registration go to: https://tickets.burningman.org/

 

EVENT DATES: August 26 – Sept 3, 2018

THEME: I,Robot.

You can read more about this year’s theme here: https://journal.burningman.org/2017/10/philosophical-center/the-theme/i-robot/

The man burns in 227 days!

 

Announcements

 

GALAXIA: The 2018 Temple is Unveiled!

Burning Man Arts is thrilled to announce the selection the 2018 Temple: GALAXIA by Arthur Mamou-Mani!

 

Inspired by Gaia in Isaac Asimov’s Foundation series, GALAXIA celebrates the hope in the unknown; it is the ultimate network, the fabric of the universe connecting living beings into one entity.

 

In that same spirit of connecting people, please stay tuned for our next issue of the Temple Guardian Newsletter when we reveal more about the new and promising partnership between Temple Guardians and the Temple Build Crew!

 

Please consider making a gift to the Temple today. Visiting their fundraising site to make a tax-deductible donation: https://connect.clickandpledge.com/Organization/burningmanproject/campaign/temple2018

 

Thank you!

If you have any suggestions on how to improve this or other  Guardian communications, please reach out to the Temple Guardian Communications team at templeguardians@burningman.org.  

The Official Newsletter of the Temple Guardians Newsletter Vol 2 Issue 1

Greetings Guardian!

 

As the playa dust leaves our clothes- but never our hearts- we wanted to thank you all for your service this last year! It was an eventful year and we experienced some profound and memorable things so we wanted to take a moment to thank you for being a part of our community!

 

Important Dates and Announcements

 

August 26 – Sept 3, 2018: Burning Man 2018

Next Year’s Theme: I,Robot.

You can read more about this year’s theme here: https://journal.burningman.org/2017/10/philosophical-center/the-theme/i-robot/

 

The man burns in 267 days!

 

Personnel Changes

 

As the nature of the event and our community changes, so too does the needs of the volunteers and the leadership and support teams that aid them in their effort to hold the Temple space.

 

Thank you, Green Eyes! For the past 3 years, Green Eyes has graciously served on the Temple Guardians leadership team as your Volunteer Coordinator.  The Volunteer Coordinator assists in welcoming new Guardians, setting the schedule, making sure that it gets filled, and does the reconciliation of shift data after the event.. As this role has grown, we will be replacing our single VC with a team to split up the responsibilities and share the load. The design of the new approach is underway and we look forward to sharing it with you soon.  We will announce additional members as this team shapes up, but we want to thank Tonya for her years of service to the Temple Guardians community!

 

Another volunteer critical to our success and evolution as a team has been Farmer, although you might not even know it! For the last two years he has served a role that is as critical as much as it is behind the scenes: making sure that the on-playa sign-ons are correct, that we are using the correct set of Guardian communication lists, etc. We are happy to report that we are now formalizing his role as our “data czar” within the volunteer coordination team as he helps us to sort and maintain the data that helps keep this train on the tracks.  

 

Ranger Cherub, who has served as our Operations Manager for the past two years is stepping up to help fill the growing role of Temple Guardians manager, working with Carousel as  a peer co-manager this year. As co-managers, they will jointly oversee the workings of the year round team as well as sharing operational responsibility on playa.

 

Bonanza, who has been steadily taking on more responsibility from her multiple roles is stepping up in to the role of primary Volunteer Coordinator.

 

Reflecting on the 2017 Event

 

For Temple Guardians, Burning Man 2017 was a milestone event in which our team went above and beyond expectations in the face of a series of challenges.  We spoke with Temple Guardians manager Carousel about the year and how his team responded:

TG: Most Burners are aware of the tragic event on the night of the Man burn, but can you tell us more about its effect on Temple Guardians and the Temple burn?

Carousel:  Operationally, our biggest concern was to just make sure that the Temple burn was going to be allowed to happen.  There were some serious doubts that the BLM had about our ability to keep the perimeter safe, and there were a lot of issues to manage.  Even with the full force of every department involved working hard to make things happen, we didn’t have approval to go ahead until 4:30pm on Sunday, cutting it really close.  Changes continued right up to the ignition, so the command team was managing details right up until the very end.

Of course we were also quite concerned with the emotional impact both on the community and specifically on the Guardians.  Emergency Services has a number of teams under MHB (the Mental Health Branch), and the entire Crisis Intervention Team was immediately activated after the incident on Saturday night.  CIT counselors were available 24 hours a day at the larger med stations until after the event was closed.

TG: Was there any impact on our ability to meet our Temple responsibilities?

Carousel: In some ways it actually had the opposite effect.  While there were a few Guardians who were not in a good place emotionally to hold space at the Temple, some of our most skilled and experienced Guardians added themselves to shifts just when they were needed most.

TG: What about the impact on the Temple burn itself?

Carousel: For the most part we worked as if the Temple burn would occur and we took actions commensurate with our faith in the process.  Our turnout rate was excellent, 103 Guardians worked the Temple burn this year, joined by just over 100 Black Rock Rangers.  In a show of the immense importance of this burn to the entire community, six hundred additional staff members from every single department on playa joined us to create a perimeter of just over 800 volunteers.

TG: So, did all of those changes put additional pressures on the team?

Carousel: Absolutely.  We deployed more resources earlier in the day than ever this year and the additional degree of hot weather this year was a real strain on all of us.  Fortunately the heroes from Center Camp Café were angels on our shoulders this year and put in a helping hand to make sure that we covered everyone.  This was a big effort to just keep everyone hydrated with Guardians, Café, the DPW fluffers, and Rangers Echelon all taking turns.

We also put pressure on ourselves on the perimeter.  At training Guardians always hear me say that we aren’t just protecting this Temple, that the work that we do as Guardians on Sunday protects all of the Temples extending out into the future.  I can’t see anything that could replace the release and completion of the Temple experience, so I always emphasize that our work protects the community’s ability to have the tradition of this ritual continue.

TG: Other than the uptick in security around the burn, were there other issues this year?

Carousel: We saw a lot of the same type of issues that we see in any year. This Temple was a bit more of a problem for climbing than some others have been, but our team managed each problem with professionalism and love.

TG: So, it turned out to be an eventful year for the Temple Guardians.

Carousel:  In many ways, it was not unusual.  We always experience a lot of emotional reactions at the Temple, and Guardians are trained to handle those situations.  The temptation to climb was a bit higher with this particular structure, so that added to our concerns. But I would have considered this year normal if not for the tragic death at the Man burn.  That event set in motion an uptick in wariness on our part, and put the focus of law enforcement and the entire Burner community on the safety of the Temple burn.  Fortunately, we were up to the challenge.

TG: Any changes for next year as a result of the events of 2017.

Carousel:  We are conducting very extensive and detailed reviews of operations this year both internally and with other departments that we interact with.  There will likely be some changes next year, but we are still in the beginning of this process.

 

Guardian Spotlight

NAME: Vic Webb

 

PLAYA NAME: Vic

 

YEARS AT BURNING MAN: 7

 

YEARS AS A TEMPLE GUARDIAN/VOICE: 6

 

CAMP: Brulee

 

WHAT IS A FAVORITE TEMPLE MEMORY OF YOURS?

 

Favorite memory is the one that keeps me coming back year after year. In February 2011, I lost my mom to an aggressive form of leukemia. I lived in Colorado, she in Florida. Because of finances and work schedules, I wasn’t able to make to her funeral. Not being able to make her funeral still stings to this day.

 

2011 was my first burn and I found it emotionally hard to approach the temple. I was afraid to finally say goodbye. On Thursday night, some friends and I went to a music show on the opposite side of the city and we got separated from each other. It’s Burning Man, it happens…

 

I had snacks, water, warm clothing, etc, and decided to venture into deep playa alone. I wanted to look at the stars, check out some art. A few hours later, I was standing at the threshold of the Temple of Transition. I wandered around a bit, looking for a good place to write what I wanted to say. Reading notes and stories of others’ loss overwhelmed me a bit and I was pulling my hat lower and scarf higher to hide the tears.

 

A woman approached, asking if I had a marker so she could write her offering. I did, in fact, have a pocket full of markers (I’d been saving them all week, never knowing when I might get the courage up) and let her take a color of her choice. Her eyes were red and glassy, evidence of her recent tears. I suppose she could see my eyes were in the same shape and asked if she could hug me. I agreed and we embraced. Just a simple, genuine hug between strangers on similar paths. It probably lasted a minute, maybe two at most, but made such a profound impact on how I viewed my experience at the temple. That hug let me know I wasn’t alone, that I wasn’t the only one wrestling with my emotions, my demons. It grounded me for just a minute, allowed me to get my thoughts together, and go write what I wanted to say to my mother. Turns out, my message wasn’t so much “Goodbye” as it was “I won’t forget you. I will return”.

 

On the night of the temple burn, I was among the mourners present. As the structure burned, I gained a bit of closure, but my promise was reinforced, that I would be back to say more. The wall I wrote on was the last bit of structure to fall before the perimeter was lifted.

 

That hug was like no other. Just pure love, pure acceptance of where we were at, and just the most touching moment I think I’ve ever experienced in my life. With a complete stranger no less. This feeling of raw emotion, of inclusion, is what keeps me coming back as a participant. Having the privilege of maintaining a space where others may share their own experiences is what keeps me volunteering with the Temple Guardians.

 

So yeah, short story long, my favorite temple memory is a hug with a stranger from 2011.

 

If you have any suggestions on how to improve this or other  Guardian communications, please reach out to the Temple Guardian Communications team at templeguardians@burningman.org.  

The Official Newsletter of the Temple Guardians Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 3

Hello Guardian!

 

“So what are those blue streaks in The Temple wood?”

You might hear this question a lot on the playa this year. And the answer might fascinate you.

 

Over 100 Million pine trees are dead or dying in California alone. The immediate cause is the Blue Stain fungus, spread by pine bark beetles. The underlying cause is climate change and human interruption of forest fire cycles and climate change.  PG&E has been asked to clear these dead trees from its power easements to reduce fire hazard. The Temple Crew has worked with a lumber mill in Richmond to transform approximately 100 of these Ponderosa Pine timbers into the lumber used to build the Temple.

The blue coloration in the wood is the direct result of the blue stain fungus (Grosmannia clavigera ), which interferes with the tree’s nutrient flow.  The fungus is carried by pine bark beetles (Dendroctonus ponderosae, amongst others).  Climate change has allowed the pine bark beetle to expand its range while drought has weakened the trees’ defenses against the beetle.


One can see these “blue stains” on wood throughout The Temple:

Important Dates and Announcements

 

TEMPLE GUARDIAN TRAINING LOCATION is at 5:30 and Esplanade next to Earth Guardians.  This will be the location for all trainings.

 

CHECK-IN and CHECK-OUT LOCATION will be at the Temple Guardian Outpost halfway between the Man and the Temple along the 12:00 promenade.  This year we will have our own separate outpost building and shade as part of the Outpost Zero complex – our outpost will be the small building closest to the temple.  We regret to say that while there was a promise to move the outpost closer to the temple, when we arrived on playa we discovered that it’s actually not moved!  We are already working to ensure this is corrected for next year.  The location, for those of you who are map oriented, is here.

 

THE WHITE PROCESSION The morning of Thursday August 31

Join fellow participants from 5-9am as we walk from our camps onto the playa to meet at the Temple at Sunrise. Dress to delight in White. Bring acoustic instruments, wind chimes, incense, or just a smile and watch the sun rise. No amplified sound please, as this is sacred Temple time. Thanks so much for allowing us this one morning of acoustic sound only.

 

THE DANCE OF THE DEAD: The Evening of Thursday August 31

On Thursday night of the Burn we are doing a procession from the Temple to the Pyramid based on Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Attendees will have the chance to be made up like a Mexican “Catrina” skull as is tradition here and join the festivities. The procession will be called Dance with the Dead, and will be supported by a united collective of Mexican based Burner projects including; The Mayan Warrior, The Axolotl – Earth Guardian, Maxa Camp and Xochipilli among others.We would like to personally invite all Temple Guardians,Workers and Volunteers to please join us!  

More information can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/pyramidofthedead

 

TEMPLE BURN TRAINING 1PM on Friday September 1

All volunteers signed up for Burn shifts must attend this mandatory training. Meet at the Temple Guardians camp at Center Camp- 5:30 & Esplanade

There is always a need for guardians on every shift on Temple Burn Sunday – new and veterans are most welcome! We invite you to sign up for a shift on Babalooey: https://www.babalooey.com/dept/19  

 

TEMPLE CLOSURE & BURN SCHEDULE Sunday September 3rd

9AM Temple Closure

3:30PM – Meet at Outpost

4PM- Burn Perimeter Operations Begin

8PM – Temple Burn Begins

 

If you find yourself unable to come to Burning Man this year, please take your name off  of the schedule or let us know so we can do it for you – help us make this space available to Guardians seeking the opportunity to serve!

 

Guardian Spotlight

NAME: Kirsten Bonanza

PLAYA NAME: Bonanza

YEARS AT BURNING MAN: 4

YEARS AS A TEMPLE GUARDIAN/VOICE: 4

CAMP: Duane’s Whirld

WHAT IS A FAVORITE TEMPLE MEMORY OF YOURS?

It is hard to pin down one, honestly.  I feel like every moment at the Temple for me brings its own unique magic.  I guess I would say that one of my favorites was also one of my most challenging.  It was a Thursday afternoon just before sunset last year.  The winds had kept us in whiteout much of the time, but as the sun began its descent the skies cleared.  As the colors began to trace the sky there was a flurry of action including 2 unmarked drones that needed to get called in, and 4 or 5 weddings simultaneously.  It was chaotic.  Emotions rise high even without the added events of that evening and all of us there got to face what it looks like to hold the space unobtrusively while at the same time managing issues as they arose.  There were moments where I thought to myself, Is this really happening?  But then I got to find within myself a well of calmness and presence, deeper than I imagined.

 

The temple burns in 13 days!

As such, this will be the Newsletter until after the 2017 event. We hope you have a wonderful burn and look forward to seeing you at Black Rock City!

 

The Temple Guardians

 

If you have any suggestions on how to improve this or other  Guardian communications, please reach out to the Temple Guardian Communications team at templeguardians@burningman.org

The 10 Principles: A Temple Guardian Practice

Hello Fellow Guardian,

The Temple burns in 26 days!

The Temple is no ordinary place and Burning Man is no ordinary event. Since the earliest days, the ethos and culture of our community has lived and thrived according to the 10 Principles.  As participants, we seek to emulate much of these ideals not only on the playa but in the default world as well.  And as Temple Guardians, we seek to infuse all our words and actions with the spirit embodied in them.

At the recent Voice Town Hall, we officially unveiled The 10 Principles, A Temple Guardian Practice, as a tool that we hope will help guide you as a Guardian both on or off your shift. We would like to share with you that document here, too:

THE TEN PRINCIPLES:

A TEMPLE GUARDIAN PRACTICE

  1. RADICAL INCLUSION. As Temple Guardians, we welcome all to the Temple. No prerequisites exist for individuals to participate in the experience of the Temple.                         
  2. GIFTING. Our gift to the Temple is grounding, serenity, and love. Our gift to Temple participants is a safe and sacred space, a catalyst wherein they can experience profound movement through personal challenges towards a deeper inner peace. An essential part of our gift is to keep the sacred space free from any individual guardian’s personal material or opinion, regardless of its intrinsic value.                                    
  3. DECOMMODIFICATION. We seek to create an environment unmediated by transactions, therefore we do not expect anything from others in exchange for our service. Service is its own reward.                                                                                                           
  4. RADICAL SELF-RELIANCE.  Temple Guardians proactively rely on our own inner resources to ensure that we are on-time, fully prepared and present for our shifts. We arrive physically, emotionally, and mentally prepared to fulfil all our duties & responsibilities and ready to manage our own needs. We do not assume others will assist us; we do not rely on others to take care of us during our shifts.                    
  5. RADICAL SELF-EXPRESSION. Our most radical expression is powerful but subtle: we make small pushes from a great distance. Our expression is consciously and distinctively unique from that of our fellow participants. We do not seek attention and we do not seek to provoke a reaction. We carry in our hearts the sacred space of the Temple.                                                                                                                                                   
  6. COMMUNAL EFFORT. While we may practice our art in silent solitude while on shift, we do so together as a community of Temple Guardians. We communicate with other guardians and are available to them. We work together to address problems. We courageously stand for peace and harmony, directly resolving any conflicts without gossip, judgement, or complaint and without inciting division. We understand that unresolved conflict distracts from and pollutes the sacred space. We cooperate and collaborate with one another so that, together and as one, we can hold the sacred space of the Temple.                                                                                                               
  7. CIVIC RESPONSIBILITY. Temple Guardians are committed to holding the sacred space of the temple and being aware of any risks to safety. We effectively communicate with and cooperate with our close counterparts, the Rangers, in a partnership that creates invisible solutions that do not draw attention or distract Temple participants from their experience.                                                                                         
  8. LEAVE NO TRACE. Temple Guardians respect the sacred space and leave no sign of our own personal presence. We are in the background and invisible when not needed. We do not add our own material, impose our own ego, or assert our own self on the sacred space or on those participants who are in it. We stay focused on keeping the sacred space clear and unpolluted, open and available to all.                                                
  9. PARTICIPATION. We participate by invisibly creating the space in which miracles can happen and being witness to those miracles. We do not seek to participate as a character in other people’s experiences. We are committed to allowing all to deeply and personally participate in the Temple experience and allowing them to take actions that open hearts and unleash transformative change. We realize and appreciate that it is people’s participation that makes this beautiful edifice become a Temple.                                                                                                                                                           
  10. IMMEDIACY. Temple Guardians are present and calm. We recognize and respect the space participants need to process and feel that which they have come to the Temple to experience. By bringing the powerful presence of an open invitation to each and every participant who shares this profound space, we silently witness the miracles that unfold and transform people’s lives within the Temple.

Thank you for your service.

-The Temple Guardian Leadership Team

Guardian Watch Volume 1 Issue 2

The Official Newsletter of the Temple Guardians Newsletter Vol 1 Issue 2

Hello Guardians!

The temple burns in 35 days!

Here are the latest happenings in our community!

Important Dates and Announcements

OMG Sale: Wednesday August 2nd at Noon
The last batch of official tickets sold by Burning Man go on sale tomorrow at noon. As mentioned in last week’s newsletter, you must have pre-registered for this sale last week. Remember to set an alarm and don’t miss out!

T-Shirts and Hoodies Available for Sale!

T-shirts and Hoodies are available for just a few more days, order now so that you don’t miss the shipping deadline to get yours before playa!  https://store.templeguardians.net/

Scheduling Update: Help us fill some shifts!

Thanks everyone for signing up for shifts.  While we’re doing well overall, there are a few shifts that need to be filled by veteran guardians before we can consider opening up more spaces in popular times.  Please help us be able to make this call by signing up for one or more of the following tough to fill slots:

Sunday 8/27 11:00pm – 3:00am (3 veterans needed)

Saturday 9/2 7:00pm – 11:00pm (1 veteran needed)

Saturday 9/2  11:00pm – 3:00am (3 veterans needed)

Sunday 9/3 3:00am – 7:00am (2 veteran needed)

There is always a need for guardians on every shift on Temple Burn Sunday – new and veterans are most welcome!

If you find yourself unable to come to Burning Man this year, please take your name off  of the schedule or let us know so we can do it for you – help us make this space available to Guardians seeking the opportunity to serve!

Today’s Top Three

The Top Three Places You Should Know as a Temple Guardian

  • Temple Training Area (Temple Guardians @ Center Camp 5:30 & Esplanade). The spot  is where all our volunteers, new and veteran, will be trained on how to be an awesome Guardian. All Guardians are required to attend a training shift. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up on out scheduling tool Babalooey: https://www.babalooey.com/dept/19
  • Temple Guardian Outpost (At Outpost Zero, off the 9:00 side  of the promenade about 600’ before the  Temple ) . This is where you’ll be checking in and out for each of your shifts. Limited support resources also include some water replenishment supplies, etc.
  • Nearest ESD Location (at Outpost Zero). The medical support tent that is closest to the Temple is a resource for emergency situations. Please note: Minor cuts and scrapes? Please take care of these through your own first aid supplies or go to your Voice to get access to the first aid kit that we keep in the Guardians Outpost.

Do you know what to do if someone gets hurt or sick?

Read through the new Black Rock City first aid booklet  https://burningman.org/wp-content/uploads/BRC-First-Aid-Booklet.pdf and what you need in your playa first aid kit: https://burningman.org/event/preparation/health-safety/first-aid-kit/

Guardian Spotlight


NAME: Leslie Foster

PLAYA NAME: Ghost

YEARS AT BURNING MAN: 6

YEARS AS A TEMPLE GUARDIAN/VOICE: 5

CAMP: Gigsville

WHAT IS A FAVORITE TEMPLE MEMORY OF YOURS?

During my second year as a Guardian, I was on shift around 2 am Sunday morning. The space was packed as people poured into the Temple for the last time. I’ve often experienced a range of emotions in the space, all mixing together in that special way I’ve only witnessed in the Temple, but that night was different. The overwhelming emotions were heaviness and grief. Someone started to sob loudly and it was as if something broke open. People across the Temple began to cry. And then the most incredible thing happened; Burners reached out to each other and began comforting their neighbors, holding space for whatever they were feeling. In that moment, the power of the Temple seemed to shine out. Everyone in the Temple was transformed into a Guardian and took that role willingly. I spent the rest of the time knowing that I wasn’t on shift with just a handful of other Guardians, I was there with hundreds.

 

If you have any suggestions on how to improve this or other  Guardian communications, please reach out to the Temple Guardian Communications team at templeguardians@burningman.org.  

Guardian Watch Volume 1 Issue 1

Greetings Temple Guardian team member!

 Welcome to the first issue of The Guardian Watch, our new community newsletter. We hope you will find this to be an informative and helpful guide to preparing for and getting the most out of your Temple Guardian experience and our Temple Guardian community!

 The Temple burns in 40 days and there is much to do in that time!

 Important Dates and Announcements

 Temple Voices Needed!

If you have served as a Guardian in past burns and are ready for more responsibility, we encourage you to consider becoming a Temple Voice. As the shift leader, the Temple Voice holds the space for the other Guardians on duty, manages resources, handles emergency communications, and carries a radio to call for additional support if needed. There are still some Temple Voice shifts are still available this year To learn more about being a Temple Voice, please click here:

 To get added to the Voice group, email templeguardians@burningman.org

 Pre-event Guardians Needed!

We still have a few Work Access Passes (formerly known as Early Arrival) for returning Temple Guardians who are available to volunteer a few pre-event shifts. If you have flexible travel plans, please email templeguardians@burningman.org and we will do our best to match your availability to the shifts that are still open. Thank you!

 Sunday Closure Volunteers Welcome!

The Temple closes to the public on early Sunday morning to allow the crew to make preparations for the burn that evening. Temple Guardians establish a closure perimeter and compassionately escort the last remaining participants out of the Temple. After the Temple is closed to the general public, Temple Guardians will assist the Temple crew by protecting participants from dangers associated with the burn prep. Some Guardians designated as Offering Carriers will be allowed to carry last minute offerings to their final resting place in the Temple, safety permitting. Would you be interested in serving as a Guardian in either of these roles? We invite you to sign up for a Sunday Closure shift on Babalooey: https://www.babalooey.com/dept/19

 T-Shirts and Hoodies!

Temple Guardians shirts and hoodies are now on sale, you can find them here: https://store.templeguardians.net/

 The OMG Sale Starts Soon!

Still need a ticket to Burning Man? The final batch of tickets will be released for sale on Wednesday August 2nd at Noon PST. In order to be eligible to purchase one of the nearly 2,000 remaining event tickets, you must first register for the sale between Noon PST Wednesday July 26th and Friday July 28th. Go to your Burner profile in order to register for and purchase tickets! More information about the sale can be found here: https://ticketsupport.burningman.org/customer/en/portal/articles/1391809-how-do-i-register-for-the-omg-sale-

 

Today’s Top Ten

 The Top Ten Ways to Be Prepared for Your Shift

  • Be sober and rested. You are our eyes and ears on the ground. We count on you to be awake and alert, mentally and physically able to hold the space and ensure your safety and the safety of all participants.
  • Wear proper clothing. Daytime volunteers should wear lightweight clothing that breathes and should consider wearing a hat or other covering that offers protection from the sun. Nighttime volunteers should bring extra layers to stay warm. All volunteers, as representatives of the Temple, should wear their bandana and wear reasonably modest attire.
  • Wear proper shoes. Make sure you will be able to comfortably stand and walk for long periods of time.
  • Be ready for the given light conditions. Daytime volunteers should bring sunscreen and apply it often. Nighttime volunteers should make sure they have enough light to see and be seen- bring lights, extra batteries, and make sure your clothing is properly lighted, particularly when traveling to and from the Temple. Also, consider how the light and temperature conditions will have changed by the end of your shift when making your preparations!
  • Bring snacks and extra water. While we will have limited water for volunteers at the outpost, you should be ready and radically self-reliant to be able to safely spend at least 5 hours in harsh desert conditions away from your camp.
  • Go Potty Before You Start. Of course you are always welcome to heed nature’s call as needed (just let your Voice know first!) but please try to maximize your time serving as Guardian by hitting the porta-potty before your shift commences. Portas are available at the outpost before check-in.
  • Arrive 15 minutes early. Early arrival at the outpost will allow you time to check-in, meet your Temple Voices, and familiarize yourself with any unusual situations at the Temple.
  • Know your team before you need them. Acquaint yourself with your Voice, Rangers that are working at the Temple, and the other Guardians on your shift so that you can identify them quickly and work seamlessly with them should an emergency arise.
  • Consider and Take a Breath.  Guardians are always calm and restrained.  Be sure you are prepared to respond to all circumstances without excessive emotion or anger and that sometimes the best thing to do is nothing at all.
  • Act Skillfully – Intruding into someone’s space at the Temple is a break in your invisibility as a Guardian. When you have taken the time to fully understand a situation and action is necessary, move, speak, and act in a way that is designed to cause the least interruption of the space and the participants in it.  Remember that small pushes from a great distance is the heart of our work.

Guardian Spotlight

 

NAME:  Steve Cabrera

PLAYA NAME:   Cherub (aka Angel)

YEARS AT BURNING MAN: 11
YEARS AS A TEMPLE GUARDIAN/VOICE:  7

CAMP:  Do More Now 7:30 & C

WHAT IS A FAVORITE TEMPLE MEMORY OF YOURS?  I was working before the Temple was finished, when we protect the space for the Temple builders by keeping curious participants from entering the site.  A participant cycled up to the perimeter and asked me what the building was.  He was a virgin burner and knew nothing about a Temple and was just riding around checking out the playa for the very first time, fresh from the gate.  I briefly explained what the Temple is and why we have a Temple.  He then found himself talking to me about his life.  Painful and intimate stories came up for him and he regularly stopped to say, “I don’t know why I am talking about this, I don’t even know you, but it feels important for me to say.”  A lot of pain was revealed to him mainly from difficult situations with his parents, much of which he had buried within himself for years.  Both of us in tears, we were present to the power of the Temple even before it was open.

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