Lion’s Song–Cacao & Kirtan New Moon Ceremony

Name: Lion’s Song–Cacao & Kirtan New Moon Ceremony
Start: 2025-08-22T18:00:00-04:00
Location: Summit Presbyterian Church

Schedule

Fri, 22 Aug, 2025 at 06:00 pm

UTC-04:00

Location

Summit Presbyterian Church | Bala Cynwyd, PA

✨ A heart-opening, soul-stirring new moon ceremony of joyful devotion.
Join us for a radiant new moon gathering that invites you into the heart of Bhakti—loving devotion—through the ancient, ecstatic power of song. Lion’s Song is a heart-opening, soul-stirring ceremony where cacao meets chant, emotion becomes devotion, and every voice becomes a living prayer. 🦁
🌑 Rooted in the Leo–Virgo cusp, this new moon is a sacred threshold: a union of fiery expression and grounded service. We gather in this potent portal to open our hearts, raise our voices, and remember who we truly are—together. 🕯️
What began as intimate song circles in our home now expands into a wider ceremonial container—honoring the intimacy of the original space while amplifying the vibration of community, connection, and sacred joy. 💗
Through grounding meditation and a shared ritual of heart-opening cacao, we attune to the body and prepare the heart to receive the sacred current of Kirtan and song. Expect devotional roots, global rhythms, and melodies inspired by spiritual lineages and the timeless call of the soul. 🌍
Whether you're roaring your heart’s prayer into being, dancing with the rhythm, or soaking in the soundscape—you are welcome here. This is a living transmission of joy, reverence, and remembrance. 🎶
👉 JOIN THE CEREMONY:
https://events.humanitix.com/lions-song-aug2025
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🪷 What to Expect:
• Sacred arrival & communal drop-in
• Guided grounding meditation & intention setting
• Heart-opening cacao ritual
• Soulful live Kirtan with John Flynn, Aaron Craelius & friends
• Closing circle to seal the prayer in love and presence
Held in sacred space by Elana Stern, founder of Tantra Collective, this evening is a co-creation of heart-opening ritual, mantra, and song—led by John Flynn, Aaron Craelius, and friends. 💫
🕊️ All are welcome. No experience with Kirtan, cacao, or singing needed—just bring your truth, your heart, and your presence.
🌟 Come as you are. Leave with your heart full—singing with joy, pulsing with presence, and resonant with remembrance.
🌿 How to Prepare:
Bring:
• A cushion, backjack, or something cozy to sit on
• A water bottle
• An item for the altar (optional)
• Your authentic self, and if inspired—an instrument (drums, shakers, kartals, etc.) 🪇
Wear what feels good on your body—something comfortable or ceremonial that supports your full expression.
For full presence, embodiment, and reverence, please avoid alcohol and intoxicants, and come lightly nourished.
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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.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION & TO JOIN THE CEREMONY:
https://events.humanitix.com/lions-song-aug2025