Innerviews with Theru

In the undulating landscape of vivid red sandstones by the shores of the great salt lake Anam Ka'alakol,  lies an ancient sacred mound nestled between two prominent ridges of dark volcanic rock. A ring of boulders defines the mound’s edges; rock pillars demarcate its center where a huge fire eerily lights up the landscape. A group of young neophytes, marked with sacred sigils of ochre, mustard and charcoal gather around a ritual fire Inlaid with an obsidian rock that burns white hot. In unison they hum a tune that they have heard in their sleep through every full moon for the last solar cycle. They are the ones who have heeded the sacred calling from their dreaming and have come to partake of this ancient ritual.  The great invocation is a tradition as old as time in the memory of the clan. It is held every solar cycle at the time of the red moon right after the season of humid heat - just before the rains. The great entities of the 4 directions are invited to take possession of

Life... To know that rhythm, to be that flow. The love beating in the heart. How one feels - the joie de vivre, Is really all that matters. To the young at heart, to those still flourishing, We bless you for your creative light and vibrance that fill up our spaces. to the weary souls, the fading stars, whose eyes dimly stare beyond the horizon Into the abyss of reckoning. We salute you For the parts you have played In our journey. to the zombies, the undead who inhabit the in-between  Leading Sullen, leaden, harried lives, Subjects to the the tyranny of the chime, life force stolen for a dime Re-member the child the play and the day dreams, the wishing upon a star, that which makes you come alive. bring the twinkle Back into your eyes. Ahh - Life! 

This was a pop-up carnival right in the midst of Kilifi's primeval baobab forest. An ethnic-inspired EDM fantascape featuring holistic wellness programs, workshops, and dazzling art installations. This was officially the herald of the first transformational festival in Subsaharan Africa … well apart from the 'Afrika Burn' Fest in South Africa. I had been waiting for this moment since I read up on the plans of the move of Kilifi New Years Festival to the new 20-acre site on the upper reaches of Takaungu Creek on the Indian Ocean. I had been to Kilifi just once before when I needed an escape from the Nairobi June -July winter. I was also going thru' an existential crisis and my life was in a desperate need of a reboot. Beyond the stunning visual beauty of its coastal line - the white powdery beaches, emerald creeks and warm turquoise waters, t here is a mood here that settles and centers one.  A sacred presence that speaks peace and healing to ones being. It was hard l