The launch of the Shakti collection has been more than just designing the products you see. It’s the culmination of several months of deep introspection and working on trusting myself. Through this journey, I rediscovered my connection with the divine feminine force, Shakti. My interpretation of Shakti is a force that is unapologetic, powerful and freeing. She helps me unlock my creativity and channel it into my projects.
I’ve been intrigued to learn how other creatives interpret and channel Shakti in their work, so I spoke to Gujarati folk singer and spiritual practitioner Pritee Varsani to find out more.
Pritee uses music as a sacred tool to connect with her heritage but also with herself.
“Through my practice, I seek to bridge the rich traditions of my cultural roots with creativity and sensitivity,” she says. “This allows my voice to channel not just sound, but the essence of divine energy and the echoes of my ancestors.”
I’m in awe of Pritee’s work and dedication to ensure the Indian cultural folk music continues to thrive.
For Pritee, Navratri is a key time of year where we celebrate the divine feminine through music, dance and devotion.
“During these nine nights, music becomes a living prayer,” explains Pritee. “And it’s a way for me to surrender to her flow, trusting her to guide my voice and my heart.”
This is something I truly relate to, as Navratri is a festival that’s captured my imagination from a young age. The Garbo - a clay pot with holes, brought home during Navratri—is a profound symbol of worshipping Shakti, and it represents the universe itself. This motif has had such a profound impact on me, that it’s one of the key inspirations of the Shakti collection.
While for me, Navratri is a time to come together with my community to worship - primarily in the form of dance through Garba - Pritee’s worship takes a different form: she takes a vow of silence, only singing during the performances.
“This really allows me time to meditate. To stop and observe what's around me, finding gratitude in everything,” says Pritee. “I believe this is the work of my divine mother goddess where I feel personally engaged in her energy.”
“Whilst singing songs in her praise I feel like I'm getting to know my best friend even more,” she continues. “And the love and respect to this invisible superhero becomes awe inspiring.”
Pritee’s relationship with the divine feminine isn’t just about worship, though. She sees Shakti as a force that influences creativity and helps her tap into a deep source of emotion and inspiration “Shakti guides not just the voice, but the emotion behind it,” she says, talking about her singing. “Shakti encourages authenticity. It is less about perfect technique and more about expressing feelings and connecting with the audience on a deeper level.”
I love Pritee’s take on Shakti being a force for authenticity.
“She inspires a sense of freedom and trusting intuition. Instead of trying to control the process, it would be about letting things evolve naturally, allowing creativity to take its own shape.”
I wholeheartedly agree with her on this. You might see that this new collection of mine is quite different to previous ones - using the Naag (snake) motif, for example, is something that I probably wouldn’t have had the courage to do previously. But now that I’ve deepened my own connection with Shakti, I’ve felt able to let go of outside influences and let my creativity evolve naturally. Hearing that other creatives also feel this way just shows how powerful this force can be in terms of bringing people together as well.
To conclude I wanted to leave you with this quote from Pritee which epitomises everything I’ve been feeling about the divine feminine energy:
“Shakti represents the raw, powerful energy behind creation, helping to transform ideas into meaningful expressions.”
A big thank you to Pritee for taking the time to share her perspective on Shakti. Her dedication to growing and deepening her connection to this divine force is inspirational, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about her experience. I also spoke to Poonam Dhuffer about how Shakti fuels her work, and you can read that here. What does Shakti mean to you? email me hello@anishaparmar.com to share your thoughts!
