Photographs are but a momentary reflection of emotion, experience, time and space. As a photographer for this year’s event, I dove deeply into the vortex of Lightening in a Bottle (LIB) and soaked up all it had to offer, capturing the essence of its evolution.
LIB’s new home facilitated tremendous activity and depth within a well lain out and accessible landscape for festival participants; the grandiose stages, kid zone, art monuments, marketplace all magically flourishing under the brilliant blue Southern California sky. The space was rich with artists at work and kids of every age at play; the cacophony of humanity in its ridiculousness and pureness uniting as one.
Lake Skinner and the surrounding mountain landscape was a serene compliment to the saturated stimulation of the central festival, providing stunning views, and a cool breeze in the evening.
The Temple of Consciousness was tucked away from the stages and was in a more shaded area that contained vendors, art and its own stage. LIB is forward thinking in its effort to educate about evolving consciousness. The lineup of speakers and activists was phenomenal: David Wilcock, Michael Tellinger, John Perkins and Annie Minga held workshops to share their profound observations, gently ushering us into the next age. West Coast Conscious Festivals are a point of information dissemination, in a format that is inclusive and inviting. Each morning hundreds of festival goers gathered with hearts open in yoga asanas and each afternoon had opportunities to drop into deep discourse. The Village was a place to learn ancestral crafts and activities such as basket weaving, African dance and archery.
Captivating many of the festival goers’ spirits was the sound healing area which cradled participants in a naturally occurring bowl which was acoustically balanced and located under the cool shading of large leafed deciduous trees. Here, sound shamans were gracefully playing an orchestra of gongs, stirring singing bowls, and blowing didgeridoos creating polyphony of healing sounds. With chakras tuning in, the mind becoming free, and spirits uplifting this section of the festival generated a space for everyone to feel deeply relaxed and recharged.
It was impressive to see the inclusion and integration of families and children. LIB provided a Kid Zone bustling with positive and uplifting activities. Children became snakes, tigers, fairies, dragons and warriors. With the loving guidance of amazing teachers, the children learned the value of nature and being oneself through fun art and movement. Jon Nash and the Natural Leaders Foundation collaborated with Tribal Body Markings by AMIR filled the space with shouts of affirmation, super food smoothies and a cadre of young tribal leaders ready and willing to take on the world!
Inspired co-creation was thick in the air at this festival. How awe inspiring to see folks jumping at the chance to repurpose their beer bottles, using the outdoor glass blowing studio to transform their bottles and add them to a collaborative cluster sculpture. This sculpture hung in the trees lit up at night with similar etheric and whimsical style to the famous artist Dale Chihuly.
The transition from day to night at LIB was an artistic experience within itself. The entire festival grounds became lit up with the most glorious array of lighting; feeling like one large mood ring ever shifting. The magnificent stages and installations by the DoLab providing entertainment for people on every level. The grounds were charged with blissful dance to thumping DJ base beats, a variety of stage performances, live art, and psychedelic friendship bingo that all blended in a swirl of expanding consciousness. Carey Thompson’s monumental art piece “The Portal” was gloriously lit by Photonic Bliss. This piece in the shape of an archway premiered first at Burning Man. The pulsing, swirling rainbow display mesmerized all that encountered it and was always brimming with people.
Vending this year was split up into different zones, allowing people to access what they needed anywhere within the grounds. The merchants and artisans this year brought with them amazing custom designed wears, jewelry, accessories, and edibles found nowhere else. Likewise the food options were of high quality, diverse and plentiful. The event was typically vegetarian with some seafood being served between like ceviche and oysters from the Central California Coast. Festival attendees ate organic foods, and had plenty of gourmet coffees, smoothies and cold refreshing drinks that were healthy, delicious and rejuvenating.
Shutting down the main stages at midnight resulted in smaller parties surfacing taking the excitement into the wee hours allowing for more intimate conversation and connection. Walking just a few yards, one would find almost any conceivable scenario; folks in costumes, acoustic bands, special DJ sets, and the fine of folks laughing deeply until the sun rose to begin another amazing day.
Love, light and positive vibration were the ingredients of the weekend reminding us once again of why we come together in unity. Thank you LIB for raising the collective vibration, creating a convergence connecting us with old friends and new ones, and providing a venue for us to find or lose ourselves again in the beautiful reality of the festival spirit.
Photographing the event was a pleasure. Enjoy the photos. ~Stunami