POSTPONED - Shakti Lights Music and Cultural Festival 🪔

This event has been postponed. Please stay tuned for the new dates. Location: Roots to Sky Sanctuary Roots to Sky Sanctuary is a 125-acre BIPOC-led community farm and sanctuary at the headwaters of the Potomac River, nestled in the beautiful Allegheny Mountains. On this Indigenous Peoples Weekend, we invite allies of all backgrounds to gather on the Potomac, which is the mother river of the Piscataway and other Indigenous communities in this territory, just like the Ganges is for many Indians who celebrate Diwali and the divine mother energy of Shakti at this time of year. We welcome you to connect across these two traditions with similar intentions of celebrating our diverse lineages and deepening in allyship and relationship together. Date: 10/10 - 10/13 🌟 Shakti Lights Festival: Forest of Light Roots in the Sky • October 10–13, 2025 ✨ “Come as you are. Leave illuminated.” Have you ever wondered what it’s like to experience Diwali in India — the joy of lights, sweets, prayers, and firecrackers filling the night sky? This October, you don’t need to fly across the world to feel it. Rubaba with Ecstatic Dance DC invite you to a South Asian Fusion Festival where Diwali traditions merge with ecstatic movement, sacred sound, and soul community. Set in a living temple of trees, Shakti Lights Festival: Forest of Light is a radiant Diwali celebration unlike any other — a weaving of ancient ritual and modern expression: ✨ Safe Diwali Fireworks – witness the sparkle of lights that honor the festival’s spirit of joy and victory over darkness. 🍬 Traditional Diwali Sweets – share mithai and prasad as offerings of love, abundance, and sweetness of life. 🪔 Laxmi & Ganesh Puja – invoke blessings of prosperity, wisdom, and auspicious beginnings in a communal puja at the forest temple. And alongside these timeless traditions: 🎶 Ecstatic Dance Journeys – high-energy, non-verbal, heart-opening movement experiences under the stars. 🔥 Electric Kirtan – devotional chants infused with modern soundscapes, led by Rubaba. 🌊 Naad Yoga & Sound Healing – deep immersion in vibration and mantra to align body, mind, and spirit. 🪷 Dharma Talks & Ritual Circles – reflections on light, connection, and spiritual community. 🌳 Forest Ceremonies & Nature Immersion – Beautiful Fall Foliage, grounding, intention setting, and walking the sacred path among trees. This is a Diwali pilgrimage from shadow to radiance—a festival of light, sound, and soul designed to leave you illuminated. 📅 Dates: October 10–12, 2025 📍 Location: Roots to Sky Event Flow Shakti Lights Festival: Forest of Light “Come as you are. Leave illuminated.” Theme: A Diwali Gathering of Sound & Soul – A pilgrimage from shadow to radiance, from separation to connection, from noise to resonance, set in a living temple of trees. Festival Code of Conduct: Lighting Our Path Together To ensure a safe, respectful, and truly transformative experience for all participants and to honor the sacred space of the forest, we ask everyone to embrace the following guidelines: Substance-Free Environment: No Alcohol: Shakti Lights is an alcohol-free event. We encourage you to experience the natural highs of connection, movement, and sound. No Illegal Drugs: The use, possession, or distribution of illegal drugs is strictly prohibited. Responsible Use of Prescribed Medication: If you are on prescription medication, please ensure it is taken responsibly and discreetly. **Consent & Respect:** Body Autonomy & Consent: Always ask for clear, enthusiastic consent before engaging in any physical contact (hugs, hand-holding, etc.). No means no, silence means no, and anything less than a clear "yes" means no. Respect Personal Space: Be mindful of others' personal space on and off the dance floor. Inclusivity: This is a safe space for all. We celebrate diversity and welcome people of all backgrounds, beliefs, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, and ages (within festival age limits, if any). Discrimination, harassment, or disrespectful behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. Music & Sound: Ecstatic Dance Etiquette: The Ecstatic Dance space is a non-verbal, judgment-free zone. Please refrain from talking on the dance floor to allow for deeper personal and collective movement journeys. Open Jams & Creative Expression: We welcome spontaneous music and shared sound in designated areas! If you bring an instrument, please be mindful of the overall festival vibe. We encourage collaborative and harmonious jams. If your jam isn't resonating with the general flow or quality of the space, please be open to adjusting or moving to a more private area for practice. The goal is to uplift the collective sound. Quiet Hours: Please respect designated quiet hours, especially in camping areas, to allow for rest and reflection. Care for Our Sacred Forest Home: Leave No Trace: Please pack out everything you pack in. Dispose of all waste properly in designated bins. Leave the forest more beautiful than you found it. Respect Nature: Stay on marked paths, do not disturb wildlife, and do not pick plants or flowers. Our forest is a living temple. Fire Safety: Absolutely no open flames outside of designated, supervised fire pits. Be extremely cautious with any heat sources. *Come Weather Prepared* This event is for prepared festival-goers. The temperatures in the mountains at night will be quite chilly, so bring what you need. We have limited indoor accomodation and heated glamping options, and we plan to keep the dance "tent-mple" open through the night, but please come prepared for cold temperatures. This is the finale of the season! Photography & Social Media: Mindful Photography: If you take photos or videos, please be respectful of others' privacy. Always ask for consent before photographing or filming individuals. Avoid flash photography in dimly lit areas or during meditative sessions. We believe that by consciously co-creating this space, we can all experience the deepest magic and illumination of the Shakti Lights Festival. Thank you for being a part of our illuminated community