Overview
In 2005, The Flaming Lotus Girls present Angel of the Apocalypse, a gigantic, elegant sculptural environment that rises from the ground in the form of an abstracted bird. The story of the Angel beautifully conveys a cycle of change, growth and discovery, and the large-scale installation invites Burning Man participants to explore this process as well.

The Angel installation will be built of wood and metal, measuring 50' x 50' on the ground and reaching a height up to 20'. The body of the bird will be a 30' x 10' x 5' driftwood fixed sculpture. Two concentric sets of wings measuring from 8' to 20', jutting from the earth like claws or fingers, will arc around the body. The head and beak will serve as a wood burning cauldron and chimney.

Each night the steel wings will be lit by burning ambient gas and liquid flame for several hours, and will be spaced so that people can walk through and amongst the flaming feathers. The head will house a wood fire which will burn all night, bringing warmth to the night. By day, participants will be able to climb on and into the 30' driftwood body in quiet contemplation and joyous celebration.

This year we wish to create a large wood burn spectacle at the end of the week, signifying the transformation of the Angel. As the flames subside, a finale of white fireworks (yes we said the 'F' word) sparks will shoot into the sky from the belly of the beast, signifying the ascent and rebirth of the Angel phoenix. The next morning, to be discovered in the ashes, steel eggs left behind in the wake of transformation.

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In 'What is the Archetype of the Apocalypse all about?', William Van Dusen Wishard relates this particular archetype with C.G. Jung's exploration of the psyche. He states: "The word 'Apocalypse' (revelation) is from the Greek meaning 'uncovering what has been hidden', in other words, the revelation of new truth. This process operates in four phases: revelation, judgment, destruction, and a new birth." As the apocalypse runs in these cycles, it describes the awakening of the psyche to a collective unconscious. This awakening is manifested in the Angel of the Apocalypse.

Part I: Revelation
The Angel, a traveler of unknown regions, has crashed before the start of Burning Man. Its open beak juts into the sky from its long, supine body. Participants arrive at the site to witness its towering feathers aflame, its massive head alive with fire, its woven wooden body open to exploration. The Angel's crash is necessary for its rebirth.

Part II: Judgment
As visitors move among the standing feathers and climb into and onto the Angel's body, they are invited to take part in this larger-than-life allegory. The bird, a symbol of freedom and thought, appears to be both rising from and falling into the ground. It embodies realization and intent to embrace change. Our current political and social times require conscious release of our destructive patterns (or that which brings us down), for our greater survival. The Angel symbolizes a passage through the nadir of a cycle, exhaling fire from the ground, clawing the sky with the effort to rise again.

Part III: Destruction
As destruction is necessary to continue into rebirth, the participants are necessary to help redefine the life of the Angel. By playing in the angel's body and manipulating the flame effects in its wings, the participants change the physical appearance of the archetype, and therefore its energy. After much exploration and introspection, the twisted woven body of Angel of the Apocalypse will be burned.

Part IV: Rebirth The final stage of the Apocalypse is transformation. When the body of the Angel of the Apocalypse is burned and the fire is out, it continues on its journey. As witnesses to the huge burn, participants release their own fears, hopes, dreams and creative energy and continue on their journeys lighter, with new perspectives and new energy. As the fires of the Angel subside, its soul, a vertical shower of white sparks, will rise from the belly of the bird. Returning to the site of the burned archetype, explorers find the silent steel bones of the Angel, and in the warm ashes, new silver eggs of possibility. In the end, the dreamer will take this artifact, and what they have experienced and associated with the angel.

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The large wood burn is a shared experience for all present: heat, light, transformation. The next day, seekers will discover a gift of metal egg in the ashes of the Angel.

And as usual, everyone gets stickers!