Musical Grief into Joy Ceremony, followed by Community Open Mic

RSVP HERE

Grief moves. It does not sit still and it does not stay silent. On the last Friday of September we gather in the Lighthouse to let it move through music.

This is a ceremonial grief release concert, guided by a sacred world music ensemble. Over roughly two hours the music travels from spacious and contemplative into drumming and rhythm, and then opens into dance and praise. Nothing is asked of you but your presence. You do not need to prepare anything, you do not need to know how any of it works, and you do not need to arrive with your grief tidy or explainable. Come as you are, sit with what you carry, and let sound do what words often cannot. Members of the Emberlight grief team will be present throughout to tend the space and to support anyone who needs it.

At Emberlight we practice ways to embrace death and support one another with loving presence. This evening is one of those practices. It is made of deep listening, bearing witness, and the kind of release that is easier to find in a room full of people than alone. It is also, by design, a night of joy. Grief and praise are not opposites here. They share a room, and they share a rhythm.

When the ceremony closes, the Community Open Mic begins. This is your invitation to offer something of your own: a song, a poem, a story, a few words for someone you are missing. We would love to welcome you into this circle whether you come to offer something or simply to listen.

Schedule for the evening:

6:00 pm Doors open. Please arrive early.

6:30 pm Opening prayers, music begins

8:30 pm Musical ceremony concludes

9:00 pm Community Open Mic

10:00 pm Evening ends

We gather in the Lighthouse on the Emberlight campus at 83 Sanctuary Rd, Swannanoa, NC 28778. Parking is limited on site, so please consider carpooling when possible.

Your hosts for the evening are Joel Elliott and Aditi Sethi. Joel is Emberlight's Creative Advisor and Rites of Passage Ambassador, a musician and ceremonialist who has guided grief ceremonies in the Lighthouse since the building opened in 2024. Aditi is Emberlight's founder and executive director, a hospice and palliative care physician and end of life doula who has spent her career accompanying people and families through dying.

This is a Pay What You Can event. All proceeds benefit Emberlight. We invite you to give what feels right for you, to support this work, and we would love to welcome you into this circle whatever the amount.

Please note that all event tickets are non-refundable, except in the case that Emberlight cancels the event.

Questions? Please contact the Events Team at events@emberlightway.org.