Festival Blog
Medicine Festival 2024
An Ode to Medicine Festival 2024
An Ode to Medicine Festival 2024
Medicine Festival 2023
Medicine people 2023
On a final note in wrapping up my Medicine Festival photographic journey and story, I’d like to say what an amazing collection of warm, open hearted and loving souls gathered here to connect, celebrate, dance, pray, sing, chant, release, heal, realign and reimagine the magnificence we can be as human beings. With so much on offer there my journey has been but one of around 8000 completely unique journeys and experiences of the festival and what I can say is I cherished every single minute of it. Much love and gratitude to all the wonderful people who gathered here, I felt your presence and still do as I have journeyed through this collection of images and memories. Till next time Medicine family, one love, Wiggzaro
The Fires
Fires for me are always a magical place to gather around, they become a focus point for attention, a place where we can sit around and see, hear and acknowledge each other in our sharings and offerings. And that may take the form of a song, a chant, an instrument of sorts, a story, a poem, a personal sharing or even just listening, and sometimes moments of silence ensue where we simply enjoy being in each others presence. The fires keep me up till dawn for it is in the early hours of the morning that the unscheduled spontaneous magic often occurs and I don’t want to miss out on those that’s for sure… I also find it quite a lot of fun hopping around from fire to fire to absorb the differences of ambience and sound that each holds… huge respect to the Medicine fire-keeper team, they really do an impeccable service tending to them and keeping them as a place of reverence.
Offerings 2023
With an official program 30 pages long there was a huge amount on offer at this years medicine festival, from music to dance to ceremonies, interesting talks and workshops and the list goes on. I have this saying, that whatever I’m doing I’m missing out on most of what’s going on so the only thing to do is be present and enjoy where I currently find myself and embrace those moments to the full. Having said that I do also like to bimble around like a bumble bee 🐝 sampling the nectar of various offerings on the go and when something draws me in I stay for a little longer…. Here’s to the many amazing souls who brought their offerings to this year’s festival. Thanks for all the magic you bring 🙏🏻💚
Nessi Gomes and her audience – 2023
Nessi for me is a magical medicine woman who facilitates a space that’s drops us into a deep sense of togetherness and connection to each other and our shared humanity. Uniting us in song and then in moments of affection, taking us on a journey of deep introspection and then present awareness where we see each other and feel moments of warmth and togetherness in the knowing that “we are all related”. It’s a magical experience being held in this vibrational field…. Thank you Nessi 🙏🏻💚🙏🏻
Despacho – Offering to our Mother Earth with Maria Valdivia Wakantitlan 2023
Maria, a carrier of the Chanupa (Sacred Pipe) and of Master Medicines, leads a really beautiful ceremony of gratitude to our Mother Earth. Offerings of food, essences, songs and prayers are given in thanks for the many gifts and blessings our Mother Earth provides us with as we are all her sons and daughters. 🙏🏻🌍🙏🏻
Fia and her audience 2023
One thing I’ve come to know for sure is when Fia plays, there will be many hand on heart moments as she connects with her audience in quite a profoundly deep way. With nothing other than her presence, her voice, a guitar and a collection of masterfully crafted introspective, self-empowering and self re-affirming songs, Fia paints a picture of the magnificence we can aspire to be as we each uncover our own paths to heal and grow into a new age of awareness, compassion and consciousness. Thank you Fia for shining your light so brightly and bringing all that you bring in such a beautiful way.
Marcio Maracaja – Oxossi @medicinefestival 2023
Hailing from the Afro-Brazilian Umbanda culture, Mario leads a celebration of drumming, dance and song around the sacred glade fire in honour of Oxossi, known as a deity of sacred knowledge, of the forest and the forces of nature.
Closing Dance Ceremony with Mira @movementmedicinewithmira@medicinefestival 2023
It’s been amazing to watch Mira grow as a performer on top of being a Movement Medicine teacher, and each year she up’s her game, being bolder and more graceful with her dance moves and how she embraces and uses the stage to paint a gorgeous picture along with guiding the dance from a place of open-hearted focused intention. This year she took it to another level, bringing a live percussionist @jansen.santana on stage, Tom with his shamanic drum, more refined choreographed moves with her dancers and to top it all of, bringing Nessi @nessigomesmusic on stage in the closing stages of her set to ease into a rapturous “we are all related” grand finale to quite an exquisitely beautiful festival. Way to go Mira!
Ecstatic dance with @mushinamusic& @katia_buben @medicinefestival 2023
High energy, infectious vibes and a whole lot of movement on the dance floor…. Long live the dance
We Dance
We dance as a collective to remind ourselves that we are part of a greater whole, connected by threads of common experience, conscious spirit and our shared humanity. In the heart of the dance, we find a place to express ourselves and in that space we find a sense of belonging, a sanctuary of togetherness where our diversity enriches the tapestry of our expression. Long live the danc
@aylanereo at @medicinefestival2023
I’ve been aware of Ayla and some her music for quite some time, and though I resonat with the conscious, self aware and self empowering nature of her songs, it was quite something different to experience her perform live. The ease with which she floats around the stage singing and dancing like a butterfly in the wind is a sight to behold and the joy that radiates out of her in that process is something to cherish… And then of course the surprise appearances of @thisisfiamusic and @aylaschafer… I say no more. Thank you Ayla
Audiences at @medicinefestival 2023
Something happens when we come together in appreciation of music, dance, drums, songs and stories where an energetic synergy is created and for that moment in time a collective vibration of unison and harmony prevails as we are transported into the realms of imagination and emotion to a place of deep collective connection… And what a joy it is to feel and experience that vibration together…
Sam Garrett @samgarrettmusic
Sam certainly delivered a masterful performance with an abundance of hearty voices singing and chanting along in the audience to accompany him. This being his first concert back on UK soil in three years I couldn’t imagine a more magnificent occasion for that, specially following Fia who played just before him…
Big love beaming your way Sam
The Goddess Fyr
The Rise of the Divine Feminine, I witnessed you here,
I witnessed you in your stories and poems, I witnessed you in your songs, dances and prayers.
I witnessed you stand in your power, shine your light and speak your truth,
I witnessed you radiate love, joy, peace and healing,
I witnessed your tears and I witnessed your blessings.
The Rise of the Divine Feminine, I witnessed you here, and I bow to you feeling honoured and blessed to have bathed in your presence… Wiggzaro
Sacred Glade: The Huni Kuin offering a song circle bringing people together to sing and dance to the ancient songs of the Amazon.
Magical moments with magical beings @medicinefestival 2023
Always so many amazing connections, old and new… sometimes a heartfelt conversation and sometimes a fleeting moment passing by. Blessed to have connected with these amazing beings and many others too xx
@medicinefestival 2023 – On a personal note.
Walking back to my tent at 6:30am on the Monday morning after the last day of Medicine Festival I was overcome by a deep sense of awe over what I had seen, heard and been a part of over the past four days… The songs, performances, dances, stories, drumming and the choruses of voices resonating through the air from around every corner was like a giant prayer that unfolded over these days, and I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the magic that this harmonious human spirit created amongst people from all walks of life and belief systems…. And this is what I try to capture in my photography, moments of magic and magnificence as a reminder to myself of how much beauty and love exists in the world right now and also to share some of those moments with passing souls who might find them interesting and even find some inspiration in them…. It’s the fires by the way that keep me up until dawn for its around the fires in the early hours of the morning that one often hears something exquisite, a song, a chant, an exotic instrument, a poem, a story, a conversation, a deeply nourishing hug… all the unscheduled magic that pops out of the woodworks once the bustling offerings of all the main stages has ebbed away into the ethers, and it’s not unusual to find me singing a song or two in the early hours of the morning around these fires too… Much love beaming your way, Wiggzaro
he Emporium.
The Medicine Fest marketplace is a bustle of activity with a rather exquisite collection of clothing and jewellery and various other things and one thing you can be sure of, is that there will always be a few jamming circles on the go, wether drumming or chanting or singing along to medicine songs, there’s always a great vibe in the air.
Medicine Festival 2022
Medicine Festival 2022 day one in three pics…
Connection to Self
Connection in Ceremony
Connection to Community
Medicine Women in 10 pics.
The Rise of the Divine Feminine, I witnessed you here,
I witnessed you in your stories and your poems, I witnessed you in your songs, dances and prayers,
I witnessed you stand in your power, shine your light and speak your truth,
I witnessed you radiate love, joy, peace and healing,
I witnessed your tears and I witnessed your blessings.
The Rise of the Divine Feminine, I witnessed you here, and I bow to you feeling honoured and blessed to have bathed in your presence… Wiggzaro
Peruvian Plant Spirit Sound Ceremony.
Don William Llerena Murayari & Nila Raja @iluminamedicina take us on an exquisite healing sound journey connecting the spirit world with the plants and elements of the earth.
Medicine Men in 10 pics
Big love to all the men who pitch up for their souls work. Aho
Audiences in 10 pics
The people gather to listen, to see, to sing, to dance, to celebrate, to appreciate and to belong to that collective moment of togetherness, harmony and focused intention.
Mira Khanya in 10 pics.
The magical Mira bringing the medicine of movement to the dance floor and as always, the vibes are high, feat stomping, earthy and real….
Moments of Affection in 10 pics..
Hugs are the best medicine!
Magical encounters with magical beings at @medicinefestival 2022.
Blessed to bump into these amazing souls and so many others too
@theturbans feat. Justina @artofazrienne in 10 pics.
Well the Turbans definitely raised the energy levels on the dance floor with their Balkan Middle Eastern infused vibes, masterful instrument playing and who better to encapsulate their sound into movement other than the amazing Tribal Fusion Bellydancer Justina…
Mesmerising show….
Circles of Connection in 10 pics.
Connection creates community, and community connects us to life… In circles we gather, in ceremony and in song… In circles we gather to tell stories, play drums and to dance, to feel the warmth of the fire and the warmth of our collective hearts… When we gather in circles we see each other, and recognise that we are all pulsing to the same beat and singing different parts of the same song… In circles we begin to feel a sense, that we BELONG. Wiggzaro
Cacao Ceremony with @tallulahrendall & @cacaoamorin 10 pics.
Connecting to heart and setting intentions for a brighter, kinder and more loving world
ia @thisisfiamusic in 10 pics.
Fia was just breathlessly amazing, sublime and heart warming. Gotta love Fia
@medicinefestival 2022 in 10 pics…
#nowords … Blessed
