Laguna Full Moon Drum Circle Welcomes The Super Flower Blood Moon

LAGUNA BEACH, CA—Drum circle participants came early Tuesday to Aliso Beach to eat pizzas, fly kites and play frisbee. Dogs and children were settled on blankets, while a huge circle began to form leaving space to dance in the middle. The drummers just kept arriving, so that the circle grew ever larger as dusk became twilight then night.

May 26, 2021 was an auspicious date to attend the monthly drum circle. Not only was May's full moon a supermoon, but a lunar eclipse had taken place in the early morning hours.

Unfortunately, the skies remained overcast all along the coast, obscuring the viewing.

Djembe drums predominated, but percussion instruments of every kind materialized. Flutes, a guitar, a marimba-like setup and the human voice joined the rhythms. A welcoming atmosphere prevailed. One man offered each person in the circle freshly picked mulberries before unpacking his flute and 18-inch buffalo-skin hand drum.

A woman handed out sage she had grown to everyone who wanted a bunch, saying it took a month to prepare.

"Do you want to get saged?" asked another, who bathed anyone who said yes in cleansing sage smoke.

Because of COVID restrictions at the beach, there was no blazing fire ring to gather around this year.

During normal times, Aliso Beach is the only stretch of sand in Laguna where fires are permitted. Nevertheless, the drum circle must go on. A central box held four glowing lights on its corners, burning sage and incense, and a faux palm tree lit by colorful string lights.

The drum circle unfolds organically.

It's not quite clear when it begins or who starts it, but before you know it, something clicks along the ring. An awareness of time melts away and people are up and dancing with tambourines or glowing objects in hand.

An accomplished dancer arrayed in multiple skirts and swooping shawls mesmerized those present.

It's all about listening.

The drumming takes a journey, builds and suddenly comes to a finish without a conductor. After a brief silence, everyone applauds in recognition. Then someone starts a new beat, and the cycle rebegins.

The next full moon is on June 24. Bring a shaker, and don't forget to pay for parking.

For more about life in Laguna Beach, or to make a story suggestion, email Lisa.Black@patch.com.