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Join us for a radiant Autumnal Equinox ceremony that invites you into the heart of Bhakti (Sanskrit for “loving devotion”) through the ancient, ecstatic power of song. Harvest Song is a heart-opening, soul-stirring ceremony where cacao meets chant, movement becomes prayer, and every voice becomes an offering of love.Back by popular demand after our premiere Lion’s Song—which participants called “one of the best kirtans ever experienced”—we invite you into an evening of devotion, joy, and heart-opening community.
Rooted in the balance of light and dark, the Autumnal Equinox is a sacred threshold: a time of gratitude, abundance, and surrender. We gather in this potent portal to open our hearts, raise our voices, and celebrate the great harvest—within ourselves, in community, and in the turning of the seasons.
This family-friendly event brings the warm, welcoming spirit of our beloved living room kirtans into a more spacious, expansive container—honoring the intimacy of home while widening the circle, raising the collective vibration, and attuning to the rhythms of Earth. Through grounding meditation and a shared ritual of heart-opening cacao, we prepare the body and spirit to receive the sacred current of kirtan and dance. Expect global influences, devotional roots, and rhythms inspired by world travels, ancient spiritual traditions, and the timeless call of the soul.
Our sacred song circle includes a rich blend of Sanskrit mantra, devotional chants, and medicine music drawn from a variety of spiritual lineages and heart traditions—woven together with movement and prayer into one unified field of love.
Whether you’re singing your heart’s prayer into being, dancing and celebrating with the rhythm, or simply soaking in the soundscape, you are invited into this living transmission of joy, reverence, and remembrance.
JOIN THE CEREMONY:
👉 https://events.humanitix.com/harvest-song-sept2025
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💗 What to Expect
✨ Warm, soulful welcome into sacred space
🌿 Communal drop-in & opening circle
🧘 Guided grounding & intention-setting meditation
🍫 Ceremonial ritual of heart-opening cacao
🎶 Live Kirtan with beloved musicians John Flynn, Aaron Craelius, & friends—offering a rich, rhythmic journey through chant, music, & dance
💞 Closing circle to integrate the vibration & seal the space in love
Elana Stern, founder of Tantra Collective, opens and closes the sacred space with devotional presence—guiding the group in grounding meditation, intention setting, and integration. With intuitive insight and reverence for ritual, she invites you into embodied transformation and deep remembrance through the sacred technologies of Tantra and collective ceremony.
John Flynn, Aaron Craelius, and beloved musical collaborators bring the heart of the Kirtan alive—offering a soul-stirring blend of mantra, medicine music, and ecstatic rhythm rooted in global spiritual traditions. With the support of cacao, they open the heart space and create an atmosphere where joy becomes prayer, and every voice helps carry the vibration higher.
More than an event, this is a ceremonial homecoming. A place where voices rise, hearts open, and joy leads the way.
All are welcome. No experience with Kirtan, cacao, singing, or dance is needed—just bring your authentic self.
✨ Come as you are. Leave with your heart full—singing with joy, pulsing with presence, and resonant with sacred remembrance.
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🌿 How to Prepare
This is a sacred celebration—come as you are, and get ready to be moved by song, to soften your heart, and to reconnect in joy.
What to bring:
🪑 A cushion, backjack, or something comfy to sit on
💧 A water bottle and anything you need to feel at ease
🌸 A small item for the altar if you'd like—something that holds meaning or reflects your intention
🎤 Your voice, your presence, your dance, and if you’d like—an instrument to join the musical magic (drums, shakers, rattles, etc. are welcome)
What to wear:
Come in whatever makes you feel most radiant, comfortable, and you. Whether it’s ritual attire, flowing fabrics, or cozy clothes—there’s no dress code here, only authentic expression and a shared reverence for the sacred space we create together.
Tending your inner temple:
This is a space for aliveness and intention—so come lightly nourished, clear-minded, and open-hearted. For the most vibrant experience with cacao, we suggest arriving well-digested (a light meal two hours before works beautifully). Please avoid alcohol, intoxicants, and heavy meals beforehand to help you feel grounded, radiant, and fully present.
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🙏 Giving Back
With the costs of this gathering tended, we give forward—offering to Raise a Village Foundation to honor the lineage of Kirtan and support children and families in need in India. By joining us, you are not only nourishing your own heart—you are also helping uplift lives across the world.
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🔥 Your Facilitators
John Flynn is a man of many paths—a physician in hospice and palliative care, a world traveler shaped by encounters with indigenous traditions, and a lifelong lover of music. From childhood folk songs to medicine music and devotional chanting, his musical journey has been wide and rooted in deep feeling. Music is a tool through which he connects with the heart, and guitar and voice are the primary channels through which he expresses that deep longing. His Kirtan offerings draw from diverse lineages but are rooted in a simple yearning: to remember what is sacred, together.
Aaron Craelius is a guitarist and cellist whose love of music began in childhood and has deepened over decades of exploration. With a passion for diverse musical traditions and world cultures, Aaron brings a mindful presence, sensitivity, and humility to every note he plays. He is devoted to creating heart-centered spaces for Kirtan and devotional music, and regularly hosts song circles with his family as part of their sacred communal practice. A longtime student and teacher of Tai Chi and meditation, Aaron weaves embodiment and stillness into his musical offerings—inviting others into connection, harmony, and inner peace.
Elana Stern is a devoted guide in Tantra Yoga, walking the path of love and supporting individuals, couples, and groups in cultivating sacred connection, embodied presence, and lasting transformation. She was drawn to meditation as a teenager, studied Eastern Philosophy and Religion academically, trained with celebrity fitness icons in NYC, and earned Yoga Teacher certifications in both Vinyasa Yoga (Cindy Lee lineage) and Restorative Yoga. Her foundation is further enriched by training in Tibetan Buddhist, Transcendental, Vipassana, Mindfulness, and Sonic Meditation modalities, as well as Pranayama breathwork and Reiki techniques. Her journey expanded through advanced certification with Yoga Chitta—a Black-owned yoga school serving the BIPOC community-where she mentors yoga teacher trainees. After a life-altering kundalini awakening opened the portal to deeper energetic and tantric realms, she became a certified facilitator of Tao Tantra Arts (Mantak Chia and Osho lineages) and a graduate of the International School of Temple Arts (ISTA). With a vision for evolving consciousness in Philadelphia, Elana founded the Tantra Collective—producing monthly offerings for embodied spiritual connection—and ONE LOVE HUB, the city's co-created community for conscious events. With decades of practice in movement, meditation, and energy healing, Elana's teaching bridges the physical and the spiritual. She invites you into a deeper relationship with your body, your breath, your heart, and each other—where love becomes the path home to your divine nature.
FOR FAQS & TO JOIN THE CEREMONY:
👉 https://events.humanitix.com/harvest-song-sept2025
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
Summit Presbyterian Church, 6757 Greene St, Philadelphia, PA 19119-3508, United States, Bala Cynwyd
