My happiest gifting experience: one night a girl was sitting down on the crowded playa with people zooming past, clearly a little freaked out like on a bad trip or had too much to drink or something, just clearly not feeling well, sitting with her head in her hands. I tapped her and gave her my bottle of water and she was SO STOKED. It made me feel like her guardian angel! I was glad I got to help her out because I have been there many times...
Thank you SO much for all the tips and tricks, not to mention the lessons we should all learn before stepping foot on the playa. Going to BM has always been in the back of my mind but it was brought out this past year and I can't wait to finally attend in 2012! I'm Trying my hardest to be a well-rounded virgin and you're helping answer a lot of my questions. thank you! Hope to see you in all your pink glory! <3
Im getting ready for my first burn in 2012 and I love your videos and all your tips! Thank you! This one tho.. this one is the one that touched me and will stay with me on the playa. xoxo
Lovely video, I added it to queerburners[dot]com as part of my 10 principles story line... I hope members check out your links because you offer a lot of great 411. Scott aka Toaster
This is so true.. I just give a gift out of love, that is my reward, your experience of my gift to you. Oftentimes though later, something, I need just shows up from out of the Universe. That is playa magic at its best. Gifting is simply something done with love. Thanks for posting this!
Excellent videos. Gifting is one of the best things to take away from the playa. Absolute generosity (giving without reciprocity) is rare in this world and can be done, as Halcyon says, with something as simple as a smile. This is an awesome habit to bring to the default world.
Very cool video. I remember my first experience with gifting - I was up early in the mornings on DPW work weekends and made coffee and put it in pressure pots for people when they got up. I was thanked for my gift and the little light went on - Ahhh... I get it! lol
Halcyon I can't tell you what a GIFT this video has been! I'm really involved with Alchemy, the Georgia regional burn, and I've linked to this vid (and many of your others) so many times on Facebook & in discussions where people were asking about gifting, be what to gift or trying to understand the gift economy...you've opened many minds! I had to cancel my 1st trip Home this year, but I hope to get to give you a hug on the playa next year! Happy burn & come join us at Alchemy sometime!
Since this is graduate level coursework: this concept of gifting is particularly pertinent in terms of this year's theme. Ethnographer Arnold van Gennep, author of "Rites of Passage," would pair nicely with fellow classic Anthropological text "The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies", by Marcel Maus. Thanks for helping us think this concept through!
Thank you so much for sharing what you've gathered from your experiences :)
As a burner virgin this year, I am taking a lot from what you've been so kind as to elaborate. I appreciate as much insight as I can take in, as do all of us new and old burners alike.
You are amazing!! I'm a burning virgin this year, and I've been doing endless amounts of research trying to prep. It's rare to find someone with such a fantastic ability to articulate not just the type of behavior that happens on the Playa, but also the real meaning behind it. I specifically really appreciated your point about how to 'receive' a gift, I'm someone that feels the need to reciprocate so the idea that it takes away from the 'moment' was very eye opening :) Thank you!
Well done, Halcyon! Sharing your thoughts with my sister who is going for the first time ever this year. I wish your videos were around when I went for the first time in 1997. Bravo!
Gifting is also a trade, it is a trade in energy - more often than not when you gift something it makes you feel good and you gain something that isn't necessarily a tangible and when you receive you have received more than the tangible thing you can hold, eat or use.
I wonder if i can give some treez as gifts .... :] i wonder if one could get in trouble for this as well?? is there like a presence of the police there i dont want to get in trouble for bringing my trees and sharing haha ... peace n love !!
fantastic video. gifting was the best part of my burning man experience, both receiving and giving.
for giving, my favorite was one day when a member of my camp gave me a plate of watermelon to gift (that was a gift in itself!). when i gave out the watermelon to the people on the street, i got the most amazing beautiful feelings from giving and the heartfelt thanks the people expressed. such a blessing.
for next years burn im going to make i think there called luminaries or i think floating candle bag things. well its a candle that heats up the air in the bag to make it float. so im going let people right notes or messages on the bags and then let it go and watch it burn. ima give you a pink floating candle bag.
I was at a business "happy hour" where a developer just completed her 2 year assignment, a big deal. She invited her multiple bosses including me to the happy hour. I noticed she got the bill which had to be about $300 or more. I objected and me and another boss got the money to pay the bill because after all, she was the one that did all the hard work and we are grateful to her. Then I saw her face sadden, and I remembered this video. I told everyone throwing money to... (continued)
@JetBurns (continues)... stop and take their money back. This was her "gift" to us. Her celebration that she wanted to celebrate that even though we were her bosses, she wanted to gift to us.
I told everyone that we must learn to receive without reciprocation, and that is new, and hard to understand. I emailed them this video link. Thanks Halcyon for a great video explaining a wonderful concept. She paid the bill, and we were all happy. Win+Win+Win.
@JetBurns: I like that story. You gave them the gift of this wisdom.
Graciously accepting a gift, genuinely showing gratitude, is in itself a gift.
I was fortunate to have learned these lessons a year or two before I discovered Burning Man. I dated a moderately wealthy woman for awhile, and she would pay for dinners and occasional airfare and hotels. Nothing crazy extravagant, but a lot more than I could afford. Learning to accept her gifts was one of the best gifts I ever gave her.
The best time we had on the playa was when we went around just randomly giving out candies :) It was quite a thrill when we sat on an art car with all these people biking up and chasing us for more twizzlers :-P
Thank you so much for your videos, they helped me out so much with my virgin burn last year- I can't wait for my trip home! This (gifting approach) works outside of the playa of course but so many people don't see it that way.. I'm going to link this in my blog and send it to some friends about gifting and giving and hopefully it helps them see things from a different angle...even for just a minute! hehe
Thanks for the great reminder! I'm going to link this to the Burning Man virgins tribe on Tribe.net, so all the newbies can learn! It's definitely more a Thing that people need to learn to Accept gifts!
*HUGS* :)
amoyal 5 hours ago
@amoyal ((HUG))!
halcyonstyn 5 hours ago
My happiest gifting experience: one night a girl was sitting down on the crowded playa with people zooming past, clearly a little freaked out like on a bad trip or had too much to drink or something, just clearly not feeling well, sitting with her head in her hands. I tapped her and gave her my bottle of water and she was SO STOKED. It made me feel like her guardian angel! I was glad I got to help her out because I have been there many times...
hyacinthegirl 1 week ago
@hyacinthegirl Nice! <3
halcyonstyn 1 week ago
This is why i hate christmas. Giving is so much more fun than receiving!
hugostabiloboss 3 weeks ago
Thank you SO much for all the tips and tricks, not to mention the lessons we should all learn before stepping foot on the playa. Going to BM has always been in the back of my mind but it was brought out this past year and I can't wait to finally attend in 2012! I'm Trying my hardest to be a well-rounded virgin and you're helping answer a lot of my questions. thank you! Hope to see you in all your pink glory! <3
Brinshayne08 1 month ago
@Brinshayne08 I'll look forward to a dusty hug!! ((HUG))
halcyonstyn 1 month ago
I think I saw you in the dr seuss video, this is actually how I discovered burning man, it waked a dream in my head, I cant wait to go there one day
nicolas95MVP 1 month ago
@nicolas95MVP Yep! That was me skipping away at the end. :) ((HUG))
halcyonstyn 1 month ago
@nicolas95MVP did you buy your ticket because of the dr. seuss video?
habraify 1 week ago
@habraify I dont actually have a ticket, I'm 16 and also from europe, so it's kind of tough, I guess I will have to wait
nicolas95MVP 1 week ago
Im getting ready for my first burn in 2012 and I love your videos and all your tips! Thank you! This one tho.. this one is the one that touched me and will stay with me on the playa. xoxo
chica044 1 month ago
@chica044 I look forward to meeting you in the dust! ((hug))
halcyonstyn 1 month ago
Lovely video, I added it to queerburners[dot]com as part of my 10 principles story line... I hope members check out your links because you offer a lot of great 411. Scott aka Toaster
scotters1964 1 month ago
@scotters1964 Thank you, Toaster! <3
halcyonstyn 1 month ago
I just have to say it again... this is why I go to Burning Man..
mwitty100 2 months ago
This is so true.. I just give a gift out of love, that is my reward, your experience of my gift to you. Oftentimes though later, something, I need just shows up from out of the Universe. That is playa magic at its best. Gifting is simply something done with love. Thanks for posting this!
mwitty100 2 months ago
@mwitty100 "Gifting is simply something done with love." Yes!
halcyonstyn 1 month ago
This actually changed my life !
314near 3 months ago
@314near I'm so glad it resonated! <3
halcyonstyn 3 months ago
nice one. receiving is also super important, thanks for the vid. i learned this in improv acting class
GoggleEyedOne 3 months ago
People always talk bad about the bible but what this guy is talking about is what the bible talks about: It is better to give than receive.
spicecrop 5 months ago
Excellent videos. Gifting is one of the best things to take away from the playa. Absolute generosity (giving without reciprocity) is rare in this world and can be done, as Halcyon says, with something as simple as a smile. This is an awesome habit to bring to the default world.
urbanmonkhk 5 months ago
Very cool video. I remember my first experience with gifting - I was up early in the mornings on DPW work weekends and made coffee and put it in pressure pots for people when they got up. I was thanked for my gift and the little light went on - Ahhh... I get it! lol
h00kahdude 5 months ago
Thank you for this awesome Gift. My first year on Playa 2011
coastsj 6 months ago
Halcyon I can't tell you what a GIFT this video has been! I'm really involved with Alchemy, the Georgia regional burn, and I've linked to this vid (and many of your others) so many times on Facebook & in discussions where people were asking about gifting, be what to gift or trying to understand the gift economy...you've opened many minds! I had to cancel my 1st trip Home this year, but I hope to get to give you a hug on the playa next year! Happy burn & come join us at Alchemy sometime!
branwyn32 6 months ago
@branwyn32 That is so wonderful to hear! I would LOVE to join you. <3
halcyonstyn 6 months ago
Thank you halcyon....I get it....I am now even better prepared for the Playa...for the first time...Ow! (hug) Ash-Bash-Ley NZ
dohp 6 months ago
Since this is graduate level coursework: this concept of gifting is particularly pertinent in terms of this year's theme. Ethnographer Arnold van Gennep, author of "Rites of Passage," would pair nicely with fellow classic Anthropological text "The Gift: The Form and Reason for Exchange in Archaic Societies", by Marcel Maus. Thanks for helping us think this concept through!
FirehoseMe 6 months ago
@FirehoseMe Whew! you just stretched my little mind. Time to hit the library. :) ((HUG))
halcyonstyn 6 months ago
Thank you so much for sharing what you've gathered from your experiences :)
As a burner virgin this year, I am taking a lot from what you've been so kind as to elaborate. I appreciate as much insight as I can take in, as do all of us new and old burners alike.
AreinaChan 7 months ago
You are amazing!! I'm a burning virgin this year, and I've been doing endless amounts of research trying to prep. It's rare to find someone with such a fantastic ability to articulate not just the type of behavior that happens on the Playa, but also the real meaning behind it. I specifically really appreciated your point about how to 'receive' a gift, I'm someone that feels the need to reciprocate so the idea that it takes away from the 'moment' was very eye opening :) Thank you!
freshtoastynuts 7 months ago 2
@freshtoastynuts Yay! So good to hear. Hope to get a dusty hug. :)
halcyonstyn 7 months ago
Well done, Halcyon! Sharing your thoughts with my sister who is going for the first time ever this year. I wish your videos were around when I went for the first time in 1997. Bravo!
x24isis 7 months ago
I think Im in love with you, halcyon. Thanks for all your awesome videos. See you on the Playa!!! Love Bella Las Vegas
badgirlnvegas 8 months ago
@badgirlnvegas I love you, too! See you at Home. ((hug))
halcyonstyn 8 months ago
very philosophical. Thanks! ;-)
VJFranzK 9 months ago
what song is used in this video?
yzarc64 10 months ago
@yzarc64 The song is by "Pretty Lights"
halcyonstyn 8 months ago
Gifting is also a trade, it is a trade in energy - more often than not when you gift something it makes you feel good and you gain something that isn't necessarily a tangible and when you receive you have received more than the tangible thing you can hold, eat or use.
latuka316 1 year ago
Please can we create a french subtitled version?
Merci pour ton excellent travail! ;-)
See you soon on the playa!
Hugs from the swiss mountains ;-)
goanimalarts 1 year ago
@goanimalarts That would be awesome! Alas, I know no French. err... "Non."
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
@halcyonstyn so i'll keep you updated with the translation work!!!
We'll teach you some french on the playa ;-)))))
Hugs! (=Calins!) ;-)
goanimalarts 1 year ago
Thank you for the great gift of Burning Man Wisdom!
ADHDAmerica 1 year ago
I wonder if i can give some treez as gifts .... :] i wonder if one could get in trouble for this as well?? is there like a presence of the police there i dont want to get in trouble for bringing my trees and sharing haha ... peace n love !!
thuff420 1 year ago
fantastic video. gifting was the best part of my burning man experience, both receiving and giving.
for giving, my favorite was one day when a member of my camp gave me a plate of watermelon to gift (that was a gift in itself!). when i gave out the watermelon to the people on the street, i got the most amazing beautiful feelings from giving and the heartfelt thanks the people expressed. such a blessing.
sness23 1 year ago 2
@sness23 Fantastic!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
for next years burn im going to make i think there called luminaries or i think floating candle bag things. well its a candle that heats up the air in the bag to make it float. so im going let people right notes or messages on the bags and then let it go and watch it burn. ima give you a pink floating candle bag.
TheAustinKurtz 1 year ago
I was at a business "happy hour" where a developer just completed her 2 year assignment, a big deal. She invited her multiple bosses including me to the happy hour. I noticed she got the bill which had to be about $300 or more. I objected and me and another boss got the money to pay the bill because after all, she was the one that did all the hard work and we are grateful to her. Then I saw her face sadden, and I remembered this video. I told everyone throwing money to... (continued)
JetBurns 1 year ago
@JetBurns (continues)... stop and take their money back. This was her "gift" to us. Her celebration that she wanted to celebrate that even though we were her bosses, she wanted to gift to us.
I told everyone that we must learn to receive without reciprocation, and that is new, and hard to understand. I emailed them this video link. Thanks Halcyon for a great video explaining a wonderful concept. She paid the bill, and we were all happy. Win+Win+Win.
JetBurns 1 year ago
@JetBurns - that's fantastic. Win-win-win!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
@JetBurns: I like that story. You gave them the gift of this wisdom.
Graciously accepting a gift, genuinely showing gratitude, is in itself a gift.
I was fortunate to have learned these lessons a year or two before I discovered Burning Man. I dated a moderately wealthy woman for awhile, and she would pay for dinners and occasional airfare and hotels. Nothing crazy extravagant, but a lot more than I could afford. Learning to accept her gifts was one of the best gifts I ever gave her.
NobodobodoN 8 months ago
Very insightful! I hope to go to Burning Man after college.
CakadaOokamiko 1 year ago
The best time we had on the playa was when we went around just randomly giving out candies :) It was quite a thrill when we sat on an art car with all these people biking up and chasing us for more twizzlers :-P
Shirley20Kwan 1 year ago
@Shirley20Kwan Mmmmmmmmm- Giftlizzers!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
Beautiful! Thank you. Losing my virginity in just a few days!
travelingvegetarian 1 year ago
This made me feel better about not having actual things to give out. I'll just respond with thanks thanks thanks when i get somethiing.
crooksnchase 1 year ago
you rock man thanks for the great tips and vids
andrew0169420 1 year ago
36 days tell i lose my virginity to the playa cannot wait i truly hope i am blessed to meet you i absolutely love these videos! :) (hug)
supersev33 1 year ago
@supersev33 Thank you! See you at Home!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
Thank you so much for your videos, they helped me out so much with my virgin burn last year- I can't wait for my trip home! This (gifting approach) works outside of the playa of course but so many people don't see it that way.. I'm going to link this in my blog and send it to some friends about gifting and giving and hopefully it helps them see things from a different angle...even for just a minute! hehe
atthegrindstones 1 year ago
@atthegrindstones - Awesome! It took me a few years, but Gifting has definitely changed my default world - beyond my dreams. :)
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
@halcyonstyn oh yeah, I still get nervous and feel like I need to "gift" back sometimes.. I still have many years of work on that I am sure..
I hope to run into you on the playa this year! :)
atthegrindstones 1 year ago
Thanks for the great reminder! I'm going to link this to the Burning Man virgins tribe on Tribe.net, so all the newbies can learn! It's definitely more a Thing that people need to learn to Accept gifts!
heatherlynrue 1 year ago
@heatherlynrue - Awesome! Thank you!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
I really enjoyed this vid :) Thank you Halcyon! See you out there on the playa :)
dylanakre 1 year ago
@dylanakre - DYLAN!!! Can't wait to see you soon!
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
You have such a beautiful soul.
ryroluver 1 year ago
@ryroluver <3 ((hug))
halcyonstyn 1 year ago
see you on the playa
mikehedge 1 year ago
@mikehedge Hell. Yes. :D
halcyonstyn 1 year ago