Hunderparkost: Shamanic Rituals in the Center of Kyiv

Jorge with his previous post spurred memories - of my personal experience of psy-trance music and culture. I recalled one nice piece of text I wrote back in 2001, after one of the very cool trance parties that took place on a woody river island in the very heart of Kyiv, capital of Ukraine. The party was called Hunderparkost and the story was Shamanic Rituals in the Center of Kyiv.

So here it goes...



A casual passer-by which would barge into the place of the party would think, that it is a gathering of some secret sect, or new "tribalists". And all, that takes place, is the mass shamanistic ritual of unity and creation of new senses, with liberation of vast amount of energy. Among the trees, under nightly sky, surrounded by bonfires, people, lighted up only an ultraviolet lamp, dance under the reckless rhythms of trance. The white fragments of their clothes mysticly shine among trees, moving in unison with a rhythm.

The small edge of a forest, which became a place for a ritual, took us all back in the days of most ancient paganism, when in the same nights the tribe was gathering around the fires and submerged in the real trance, in order to understand (or rather to feel) the real sense of life and get closer to the transcendent, let in the spirits of nature, tribe and ancestors.



Freeing energy of body, a trance unites body and mind in one. You hear music, you see it, feel, and a body creates music in space. It is extraordinarily interesting and strange feeling. You start to dance - how you got used on ordinary "discos", but understand afterwards, that consciousness does not need to be compelled to command the body to make those or other motions.



I observe how some people stubbornly and unprinciply move in the dance circle, - releasing the body to the mercy of fate - and others simply take a rest : either right here alongside on a grass, devoured by darkness, or on the bank of Dnieper, spreading blankets and enfolded in warm plaids on a beach. Certainly, there is certain circulation - ones go to dance, other go to rest.



Absolutely different public, from different backgrounds and social groups. People who, it would seem, can have nothing in common, except for the secret understanding and sense of "trance". A maximally "easy-going atmosphere" dominates here. Everything is so easy and simply, clear all for all, that there is no necessity "to get acquianted" with anybody. Here is not a single aggression (even casual), absolutely benevolent attitude toward people practically unknown to each other.



Somebody is already unable to undergo unendurably interesting trip within different worlds of sounds and appearances, and continues dance on the river bank. The ship tied down to moorage becomes new impromptu dance floor. What can be better than continuation of happy dance ("damn fucking cool, there am I on shipboard!" - some fellow screams out) under star sky, near water, in distant space there are lights of bridges. Took off the clothes. Jumped in water. A new environment wrapped me in a fresh heat. I am a fish.

Can float so deeply, as I would want, and so long, while it's funny. On the depth of 3 meters I twirled spirally and submerged yet deeper, turning around the axis. Under water it is possible to to hear a music rhythm on a bank. I begin slowly to rise up (it is quite not desirable, but the the mind reminds in semi-indifferent manner, that it is needed to take a sip a bit of air). Water is soft and reminds cool and a little bit condensedair. Climb up on a wooden moorage.



Return back to the dance circle. White outlines of people, them rhythmic motions, ultraviolet lamp as totem, DJ as shaman. Mystic pictures on linens between trees represent the signs of tribe. Old "volga" car, which stands with its shark nose very close to dancing people, ideally complements the picture and reminds about post-apocalyptic times, when a new people emerges - which speaks to spirits with help of technical devices.



PLUR - peace, love, unity, respect. This is their slogan, kernel of their brainware (brain software).

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It was done by all people in all times. And depending on what doors collective consciousness opened, such became by collective representations of a tribe. Fact is a fact - people traditionally travel to the "changed states of consciousness". And depending on what states they go to, their consciousness depends in everyday life...

A body moves by the laws known only to itself. Dark sunglasses protect from ultraviolet. Shut eyes completely - and see the sounds... Again hours of motion, rest, bathing, dances...



It began to grizzle. Soon it became quite bright. Night of wonders was over, but a new day in which all entered renewed began. Physically tired, but with renewed hope and positive charge, people began to quietly go away...

Original text and pictures: www.psyshine.org.ua