London Grilling: A Conversation with Kwali Kumara, Founder of Elemental Temple Festival
We sat down with Kwali Kumara to delve into the enchanting world of the Elemental Temple Festival, a unique celebration of healing, community, and ancient traditions. Set against the backdrop of East Hanney, this four-day journey promises a transformative experience filled with shamanic ceremonies, live music, holistic practices, and a deep connection with nature.
Join us as we explore the vision behind this magical gathering and discover what makes it a must-attend event for seekers of harmony and well-being.
We have heard about an incredible new wellness festival you are launching this summer, can you tell our followers more about it?
Thank you so much ‘London Living’ for this wonderful opportunity to share details about the ‘Elemental Temple Festival’ we are super excited to invite your followers to our launch. The experience will be a Magical, Mystical, Medicinal, Elemental Celebratory Festival.
A delicious shamanic four day long deep dive ceremony, fuelled by passion, purpose and Prayer. It will be a beautiful tribal gathering of some of the finest shamanic practitioners, musicians, Djs, Teachers and Energy Healers. Our motto is ‘Unity creating harmony through the power of community’. We are working together as a tribe to bring back the old ways, ancient traditions and transformational technologies to help alleviate some of the stresses and strains of the modern world.
So many people are struggling in life on so many levels at the moment so we are hoping to create a beautiful container of healing, love and learning where people can feel safe secure and comfortable enough to relax, recharge and rejuvenate, engage with new self-help tools and teachings whilst having loads of fun at the same time.
We understand there is a fundraising element to it, what is that side of it for?
I have been rescuing snakes for over twenty five years and currently I am guardian of thirty three of them in my ‘Plumed Serpent Sanctuary’ all the profits from the festival are going to their maintenance and building them a bigger space. My prayer is that we eventually have enough abundance to build the dream ‘Elemental Healing Temple’ that I have designed, we just need to generate enough funds to fully bring it to fruition. The festival is the first step on this ladder of generating awareness, manifesting the prosperity needed for the bigger space and showing the awesome concept in action.
There is also another exciting aspect to the fundraising in that the wonderful kind landowners give a huge amount of the site rental fee to ‘The Rainforest Trust’ helping to protect the most threatened tropical forests , endangered animals, plants and trees. They create rainforest reserves through partnerships, community engagement and donor support. Being able to help two very worth while causes feels like such a blessing to the festival.
There is a real sense of community, the tribe all coming together to produce an amazing offering for the greater good of all.
Does this mean there will be snakes at the event, and what would you say to anyone reading this who is scared of snakes?
Absolutely there will be snakes at the festival, but only at a designated time, just in case people are unsure of how they feel about meeting them. They will be coming to grace everyone with their beauty, to show their gratitude for all the support they are getting, to share their healing energy and bless the festival with their magical presence.
They will make an appearance on Saturday in our ‘Plumed Serpent Serenade’ which will be a Prayer performance including all of the serpents supported by individual guardians, the larger ones at the front, creating a human serpent in size order of people and snakes with the children creating the tail at the end holding the baby snakes. This will create a Chinese style dragon, with silk-fan dancers being the plumage at the side.
It feels like an incredible homage to the serpents and the fact that it is synchronistically the year of the dragon. My slogan for the sanctuary is ‘ Giving serpents back their wings’ so this moving prayer will be the literal embodiment of the sanctuaries mission. If anyone is really scared and not willing to face their fears yet then they can go have a sauna when this is happening or they can be bold and brave and observe the serenade from afar, I will be giving a serpent talk and healing meditation to help people to understand what the root of their fears may be and hopefully encourage them to overcome their phobias in a calm and gentle way.
So far to date I have not failed to get anyone over their fear so all it takes is the bravery to rock up and let the snakes work their magic and deliver their medicine.
The serpents will be taken home after their serenade by my hubby, back to the comfort of their Temple so we can all relax knowing they are safe and cosy.
How did you get into this line of work, can you tell us a little about your journey?
In my twenties I was a performance artist in the london Party scene, I used to work in corporate events, clubs, raves and the free party scene. I have a big background in dance music culture, festivals and shamanism. I think it would be fare to say that I found my spirituality on the dance floor.
After spending ten years performing I felt the need for something deeper and more profound. I trained in many holistic and shamanic practices and felt a powerful calling to become a kundalini yoga teacher after experiencing its potency and seeing it work it’s magic in my life. I devoted the next 15 years to teaching this incredible technology.
My Teacher mentored me to bring through my unique holistic modality called ‘Serpent Healing’ which is a beautiful safe and sacred way of helping students to release their fears and animosity around snakes whilst deepening their connection with spirit and the natural world.. This all takes place in the safe container of kundalini yoga.
The festival is a fusion of all my passions coming together, Raving, Shamanism, healing and Yoga, a big beautiful manifestation of all that I have learnt and taught over the years. All my favourite healing modalities, musicians, DJ’s and awesome humans all working together to raise funds for the serpents and the rainforest. It’s a dream come true.
What is it that you think makes your festival so unique and different to any other event on the UK’s festival and event scene this summer?
Aside from the fact there will be lots of live snakes making a guest appearance which has never been done before and the fact that we are fundraising for two amazing causes which is also pretty epic. I think it’s also important to mention that the festival is Alcohol free. We have a brilliant conscious bar called ‘’The Potion Shed’ that will be serving all sorts of yummy healthy drinks that give you a natural high.
Our family friendly vibes are also really important to us, so many festivals are not child friendly and we really want to encourage our little people to have as much fun as their parents. We have an ‘Elemental Kidz Temple’ as a base for all the children to gather and meet each other and organise their play for the day. We are inviting the Temple Tribe to dress up in Elemental costumes if they want to get involved on that level. If the parents dress-up it’s likely the kids will join in too which will be amazing ,we will have some magical Fae make-up artists to help everyone find their inner Elemental Spirit.
We are also encouraging communal eating by having an official break in the programme every day for Brunch and Dinner. This way we are all taking time out to eat together as a tribe. Festival goers can buy a meal ticket wrist band with ‘Hash Bowls’ that feeds them all weekend, or they can bring their own food If they prefer. We also have ‘Mamas kitchen’ that will be offering ‘easy peasy kids food’ and ‘out of hours eating’ if you feel hungry outside the designated meal times. We really want to encourage people to eat in the hours suggested so that everyone can return to the beautiful acts or being part of the workshops un/interrupted and with a full tummy. There is nothing worse for an artist than people chomping whilst they are delivering a sensitive performance or workshop. This definitely feels like a unique ‘ask’, it has the essence of a ‘retreat’ to it, we really want to create a ‘Tribe Vibe’ where we are all in community and oneness and eating together is one of the best ways to ensure this.
We are also asking people to bring their own plates and cutlery so that people take responsibility over their rubbish. It is a Zero waste site, so people are asked to bring their favourite mugs and drinking vessels so we don’t generate unnecessary rubbish with single use plastic. When people are held accountable for their waste and do their own washing up, it makes for a much more Concious gathering. It shows an appreciation to the hosts and a deep respect for Gaia our beautiful planet. ‘Leave no Trace’ is one of the best lessons we can give to our children and some of the adults who have forgotten how important it is.
What can lucky festival go-ers expect to experience?
An incredible wholesome family friendly weekend of ceremony, learning, dancing, relaxing and healing. The day is comprised of beautiful medicine musicians, ceremonies and performances to inspire and entertain in the main Air Temple. In the Earth Temple will be focused more on the embodiment practices, wholistic classes, talks and ceremonies. We have a ‘snake theme’ going on so all the offerings will lean towards serpent and dragon energy. After Dinner we will move into a party zone with our fantastic DJs and live acts.
The electronic music will finish at 11pm to ensure the kids can sleep. We will have a sound journey from 11pm until midnight to settle everyone down for a good nights rest.
We believe that sleep is the number one factor in wellbeing so we are encouraging everyone to get a good sleep.. If you like to party into the early hours then we have a silent disco happening at the ‘Water Temple’ or songs around the fire if you want to gather under the solstice moon. Our schedule starts in the morning at 8am so we hope that everyone will wake up feeling refreshed and ready to enjoy all the amazing offerings throughout the day.
Why do you think wellness, holistic and shamanic festivals and events are growing so quickly in popularity?
I think people have realised that the old paradigm is unsustainable. I think people have realised that getting trashed all weekend is just not good for mind, body and soul. It takes a week to recover after a hedonistic festival and I think people just can’t justify it anymore. This New Earth vibration that is happening at the moment in the form of a global Conscious ascension is affecting people in a really positive way. People are waking up to the fact that there are other ways to enjoy yourself which are non toxic to themselves and the environment. Many ‘Old Skool ‘ ravers are now parents and wanting to show their kids how we used to party but without the toxins. These types of festivals are the way forward, good clean family fun with some deep teachings and earth wisdom thrown in.
If you had to give one top tip to our followers about keeping calm, happy and content in the chaotic world that we are living in right now, what would it be?
I would suggest finding a spiritual practice, a guide that you trust in a modality that inspires you. There are many ways to bring healing to Mind Body and Soul. So many modalities and ways to find calm in the storm. In my opinion I believe Kundalini yoga to be the most all encompassing spiritual practice, hence why I teach it, but there are many different modalities out there. Something to suit everyone. Our aim with the festival is to showcase lots of these different modalities in the hope that they will resonate with our festival goers enough for them to consider incorporating them into daily life.
What inspired you to create the Elemental Temple Festival?
As I mentioned earlier the bigger picture is to open a healing centre with the same concept and core values. The festival is a mini version of the bigger dream. We aim to bring all the tribes together under one cosmic roof. There are very few places where people of all faiths and cultures can come together in harmony and unite.
We are all about celebrating everyone’s unique cultures and beliefs in one glorious gathering. Everyone is welcome.and everyone is seen for who they are on the inside and out. Our slogan ‘Unity creating harmony through the power of community’ I think sums us up pretty well. The more we come together and celebrate our uniqueness, the more powerful we are. ‘The sum is always greater than the parts’.
We are all a perfect and necessary petal in the beautiful flower of life.
Can you tell us more about the concept of sacred ceremony and earth worship at the festival?
In my original design for the bigger picture, The ‘Elemental Healing Temple’ has six distinct circular Temples, surrounding the seventh central Temple that altogether creates the sacred geometric shape known as the Metatrons cube. This sacred symbol is said to hold the keys to the universe. It is made up of the six platonic elements, Earth, water, fire, Air, Ether and the void. Spirit is the central hub where all the energies unite. The festival is a microcosm of the bigger manifestation.
We have all the different modalities that suit each of the elements in the relevant areas devoted to the energies of the elements.
For example, the Earth Temple is the physical practices, The Water Temple is the bar and socialising area, The Fire Temple is our Sacred flames. The Air Temple is our main stage for expression and inspiration, the Aether Temple is where all our sound healers are working and the Void Temple is our quiet contemplation space where our Grief Altar is. The idea is that we are creating a sacred geometric shape, rather like a spaceship for us all to fly away together in for the solstice weekend.
The land has already had a crystal activation, so festivals goers should feel the healing vibrations of both the sacred geometry and crystal grid when the enter the space. If you look at our fabulous logo you can see a visual. representation of the energetic site map. We are trying our hardest to work in alignment with Mother Earth, making all our efforts an act of worship to our beautiful planet that nourishes and sustains us. if you check out our website you will see the ‘Ten Native American commandments’ which are our foundation and inspiration for a huge amount of this concept and our core values.
How does the festival incorporate sonic healing and cosmic transformation into its offerings?
We have a huge array of very experienced sound healers, some of the best in the business, those that have been practicing this modality for over a decade. The level and experience they bring is a real treat, many of the musicians have been working with the power plants for many years so they bring an array of sacred music from all corners of the earth. Music that is played in plant medicine ceremonies carries a different vibration to commercial music, it is passed down through the tribes with healing frequencies that can only be felt in live transmissions. I’m proud to say that we have many of these incredible otherworldly offerings on our main stage but also in the private healing ceremonies you can book with our on-site practitioners and massage therapists.
Having so many incredible tools for transformation on the line-up, we are pretty sure that providing people dive into the offerings they will leave feeling very different to when they arrived. The combination of phenomenal healers, first class musicians and Djs, master teachers and shamans all together in the sacred Metatrons cube etheric spaceship, we hope it is going to be extremely cosmic and very transformational for all involved.
What role does sacred geometry play in the experience, particularly within the Mandala of the Metatron's cube?
Metatron’s cube is made up of thirteen circles that are connected by straight lines. Together they’re believed to form all the shapes in existence.. According to sacred geometry, Metatron’s cube represents the blueprint of creation. It symbolises balance and harmony, illustrating how all life is connected.. The six Platonic solids are contained in the cube, which are sacred geometric shapes that are thought to be the building blocks of the Universe. According to sacred geometry, Metatron’s Cube shows you all the geometric shapes found in life on Earth and across the Universe. These shapes form everything from the strands of your DNA to the patterns found in snowflakes. This gives you a glimpse at the architecture of creation, helping you comprehend the connection between the divine and physical world. The cube represents Harmony, Balance and Peace. It is said that the lines that connect the circles together symbolize the flow of energy between Heaven and Earth and across space and time. This shows that all life is interconnected. While there are distinct patterns in the cube, they are all linked together to create one harmonious shape, symbolizing a complete unity that reflects the balance of nature. The way I see it, we are creating a living breathing Mandala that can be witnessed from the heavens like a crop circle, but one that is alive and dancing to the beat of life. A moving prayer of peace and gratitude for the beautiful miraculous gift of life that we are all so blessed to enjoy at this time of global awakening in the New Earth that we are all creating together.
What makes the summer solstice such a significant time for spiritual practice and celebration?
Sumner Solstice is the longest day of the year, it has been celebrated by our ancestors for thousands of years as one of the four symbolic gates of the changing of the seasons. These four gates each have a unique energy, I like to think of them as mystical portals that we step into at the turn of the wheel, celebrating them is a magical way of staying in tune with the cycles of Mother Earth. A reminder that we are all one in the ever changing landscape of our beautiful planet. There are eight points in total on the Wiccan wheel of the year, these landmarks offer us an opportunity to let go of that which is no longer serving us and sew new seeds in the form of positive intentions that are in harmony with mother nature. These times are potent and full of possibilities and opportunities, they give us energy and vitality helping us to manifest our dreams and fulfil our true potential.
How do you envision attendees benefiting from the yoga, meditation, and other spiritual practices offered?
We have such an array of different modalities on the menu that there really is something for everyone no matter your experience. All of our teachers and facilitators are expert in their field and bring with them a wealth of wisdom and skills. Our well-being area includes a healthy mix of spiritual practises and fun festival activities. We have a few different styles of yoga and meditation, various dance workshops including how to dance with Silk fans, we have a Mud ceremony, Art and sensuality workshop, Shamanic Dragon Journey, Ancient Egyptian Serpent Shamanism, Sound healing, shamanic song circles, Kirtan, therapeutic drumming and so much more. I’m pretty sure we can satisfy the more advanced spiritual warriors, the well-being newbies and everyone in-between.
What types of live music performances and DJ sets can attendees look forward to experiencing?
Our line up is Epic, we have the most incredible collection of medicine musicians coming to play from all over the country. A collection of some of the most talented acoustic musicians, including guitar acts, magical Harpist, traditional shamanic music from South America and Africa, Ecstatic Mantra, Concious poetry and so much more. Myself and my producer Pete Ardron will be launching our fifth album called ‘Elemental Temple ‘ Part Two which will be played for the first time in public. Our headliner is ‘Shumba Youth’ who is an incredible live Reggae Artist. The Dj’s are an eclectic mix of different genres, including World fusion, Ambient , psybreaks, Drum & Bass, folktronica, Jungle, Psytrance and more. We are all veterans of the late 80’ Warehouse Rave scene so we know how to throw an awesome party.
Who usually attends your festivals?
Solo guests? families? Large groups? Men? Women?
Absolutely all of the above and everything in between, we have a big emphasis on being family friendly hence we are inviting Kids for free. We also have some groups coming that have chosen our festival as a meet up and are creating their own little lounge area for their community. If you are differently-abled then you can bring your carer for free. We aim to be as inclusive as possible and make everyone’s stay as comfortable as we can. There are two different glamping options to suit as many needs as possible in the form of family friendly glamping yurts and a particularly funky glamoing Bus called ‘Scarangar’ which takes care of all your needs during the festival in VIP style. Regular camping is free of course and live in vehicles are welcome.There are lots of people who fly solo at our events as they say they meet more people when they come alone, some say they prefer it as it forces them to be sociable and make the most of the incredible well-being offerings and epic musicians. We are all one big happy family, so by the end of the weekend we hope that’s how everyone will feel. This is one of the benefits of it being a smaller and more intimate gig than some of the bigger events.
Is the experience suitable for people who are completely new to shamanic practices and ceremonies?
Absolutely, it is welcoming anyone and everyone that is looking for an alternative way to enjoy themselves without harming their bodies, all the facilitators are super experienced space holders and a very welcoming community. The sessions are mostly just under an hour long, give or take a few longer ceremonies, so most of the classes will feel like taster sessions where people can dip their toes into new things without feeling intimidated. It will be such a mixed crowd that I’m pretty sure everyone will feel comfortable and inspired to try new things with all of the dynamic and deeply experienced teachers who are used to working with newcomers and veterans alike.
How easy is it for Londoners to get to the festival?
It’s super easy, East Hanney is only just over an hour outside London, we have plenty of parking and if you don’t drive then you can get a Bus or a train quite effortlessly. If you would rather not have to drag camping equipment around then as I mentioned above you can pay extra and treat yourself to an upgraded fantastic glamping experience. You can book a beautiful ready dressed yurt for a family or group of friends or a really funky room on one of the incredible Buses for a really luxurious stay. All the details are on the website to explore further.
How can people buy tickets?
Tickets are selling on the website or you can also find them on Ticket Tailor, kids are Free, but please make sure you book them a free pass so we can keep track of the amount of people on site. We are not allowed any dogs onsite unless of course it is a guide dog or emotional support dog.
Here is the link to the website with the full line-up and tickets:
Elemental Temple Festival 2024
https://www.instagram.com/elementalhealingtemple
Summer Solstice
20th - 23rd June 2024
East Hanney, Oxfordshire
