My Cacao Ceremony

My Cacao Ceremony

 

When life is a prayer then our breath is a gift .

All that is available to us from mother earth is a gift given freely.

In gratitude we in turn can use it in prayer.

Plant medicine is one of those gifts and amoungst the plants we can use as a guide in ceremony and prayer is Cacao.

 

Used by the Mayans it was consumed during religious ceremonies and marriage celebrations. Regardless of social status all Mayans used cacao for sacred reasons.

the word ‘chocolate’ is said to come from the Mayan word ‘xocolatl’ which means ‘bitter water.’

It may have been bitter water, but it was held in such high esteem that the Mayans called it the “food of the gods.” Cacao was so revered that images of cacao pods were painted on the walls of stone temples and Mayan artifacts have been found that show kings and Mayan gods drinking chocolate.

Due to it s high regard and it s use as a currency I actually had the thought last night as I was on my way to the ceremony that we were about to pray to (a form of ) money.

I laughed.

But it use to be serious and big business.

Cacao became the force of the Aztec economy. The demand for the cocoa bean and the beverage that it produced brought about a huge network of trade routes throughout the region.

When the Aztecs conquered the Mayans, they were forced to pay taxes to the Aztecs. These taxes were called “tributes” and they were paid in cocoa, so the Aztecs, who couldn’t grow their own cocoa, would always have a supply.

Cocoa beans were kept in locked boxes in businesses, and some enterprising Aztecs actually made counterfeit cocoa beans.

 

 

Photo and art credit go to the INCREDIBLE. Orly Faya

Body Painter extraordinaire

It was recorded that the beans was worth as follows...

hail the Cacao bean exchange rate

4 beans = 1 pumpkin

10 beans = 1 rabbit

10 beans = lady to stay overnight..

.how many beans for her to actually open herself in passion I wonder ??? ..

There is no coincidence that I am so attracted and activated by chocolate then !!!

 

The modern day allure of chocolate is a strong one. Especially said for women. Often craving the indulgence during our moon time it has many health benefits containing compounds that react with the body to limit the excretion of stress hormones.

But to use cacao, the original chocolate bean as a method in prayer and ceremony is a deep reverence for the plant and for the gift it carries for us all.

 

Many medicines from plants can be used for transformation. We can induce visions and release emotional blockages in intentional ways creating a sacred space for our higher selves to bring to our conscious what we need to see, feel and shift.

Using cacao in this way is a celebration of pleasure, of joy and of divine feminine energy. To meditate is to be honouring the masculine side of ourselves, to dance to honour the feminine aspect. I combine both in a ceremony where the dancing meditation becomes a prayer. Bringing forth intentions and desires to a place of reverence and celebration. In the ceremony I create the space where dance becomes the bodily expression of prayer.

 

Preparing the concoction of cacao , the brew is kept bitter, mixed with cayenne pepper and ginger and other spices. Last night , although sweetener was on offer no one used it. Using cacao this way allows the receiver to fully taste the bean in its raw form and sit with the energy it evokes.

It is strong, it is power full, it is celebration.

AHO.. to the mighty cacao goddess and may your moments of prayer be filled with the flow of dance.

To see the odd post or many on my life with Cacao like my page on facebook

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and even on You Tube

CHOCOLATE oh CHOCOLATE

Chocolate 

Five things to do with chocolate that does not involve eating.

Glorious Chocolate.

Massage.

This would have to be one of my favourites. Pushing most people I know to their erotic edge, being covered in or covering someone else in chocolate conjures up sensual and often wicked thoughts.

Most people ask me when inquiring about the chocolate massage that I give, if someone comes and licks it off!!

“Well if you invite someone along, yes!”. 

Other wise a warm shower is recommended!     
To do a massage, melt the desired amount of cacao paste with generous amounts of coconut oil and even some cacao butter if you like. For a full body you will need about half a kilo of paste, at least a cup of oil and a generous blob of cacao butter.  For the face you may like to seperate a small amount and add honey or sweetener so that it tastes good if it finds its way to the receivers mouth during the massage !!  Put on some good music, cover the floor with old towels and if you can keep the mixture warm through out the massage with a hot a plate or keep the pot of chocolate bay marie style in warm water then brilliant!  Massage as you would with oil.  Breath in the aroma and feel the effects of the ancient bean working its sensuous magic for both yourself the giver and the receiver.

Pray.

The Mayan Goddess of Chocolate, Ixcacao , has a humble but very honorable origin. An earth goddess, an ancient fertility goddess in a matriarchial society where it was women's work to gather crops and see to it that everyone was fed, her divine responsibility was to banish hunger and provide safety and security to the people.  A good woman to pray to!  I have cacao pods on my alter and include the vision of decadence, nuture and the ancient goddess in my visions as I meditate in the morning. If I am building an alter of gratitude, especially before a feast to share with friends, I always include a cacao pod or cacao beans amongst my crystals, feathers and other important finds from mother nature.

Body Oil.

When I lived in Peru, amongst mountains covered in snow and in freezing cold weather for the most part, many people asked me how was it I maintained a healthy glow much like a suntan.  Well it was chocolate.  I would melt with a generous amount of coconut oil, cacao, enough to colour the oil, but not too much to make it actual eating chocolate.  My morning ritual, was rather decadent.  Before showering I would warm this mix and then I would have warm coconut oil to cover myself with once out of the shower.  It was always commented on how I smelt like chocolate.  I have to say this is my favourite body lotion ever.   Made in my very own kitchen from two of my favourite products.   Chocolate and coconut oil.

Paint.

Instead of toxic paints use melted chocolate. A sweet smelling gift for the grandparents or step it up a notch for a lover. Roll yourself covered in chocolate over a large canvas leaving imprints and images of your body parts!  Eco friendly, fun and smells delicious.

Plant.

Yes chocolate grows on trees.  The cacao tree is commonly called Madre Cacao.  Theobroma cacao meaning "Food of the Gods" a name coined by the swedish Linneus, that merged the greek words "Theo" god "broma" food with the Maya cacao.  Plant one, build an altar under it, harvest the pods, ferment the beans, dry them and grind them and there you have your very own chocolate.  Life does not get much better than that !!

Jungle Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Recipes from the Jungle Kitchen

Super food, Super delicious and super easy

vegan 

ice cream 

In the afternoons after taking a walk amongst the deep green that surrounds our home we sometimes feel like a big tub of ice cream. 

At times it is all we want to eat here in this part of Costa Rica because it can get so hot.

Although we live in the mountians we are not far from the beach and still feel the soaring heat during the day.

With no ice cream palour near by or even new age raw treat cafe to frequent it is all about the jungle and my kitchen.

And with a recipe like this you can eat it foe breakfast ! Lunch ! or Dinner !

Filled with electrolytes, nutrients and minerals it is

Perfect for any meal. Especially for the little ones, and those of us that are still little at heart !

No food miles, only food meters and ALL Local from Costa Rica.

Jungle Vegan Banana Chocolate Ice cream.

Ingredients:

Frozen bananas ( I used  5 )

3 to 4 heaped Tble spoons of cacao powder

Pipa  (coconut ) water .. from one pipa

Jelly of 1 or 2 pipa (coconuts)

A handful of Chia seeds

Extra add "ins" if you like 

Cinnamon

Hemp seeds

tsp of Maca powder

Blend in a blender until smooth.

How perfect is this for a quick breakfast ?

Especially with the seeds added in it is great for you kids and they will LOVE the idea of chocolate ice cream for breakfast.

 

Chocolate, Fruit & Celibacy

Chocolate, Fruit and Celibacy

This new moon I spent a three day weekend with a group of women at the sisterhood gathering here in Platanillo, Costa Rica.
Our first gathering was held three months ago.
This was our second.
Something is growing and manifesting that we can see is very powerful. Yet to where it will continue to flow only spirit knows.

As with the last gathering time spent amoungst the women was profound.  Deep stirrings of emotions and many layers exposed then shed.
This gathering I had the opportunity to share some of my wisdom and thoughts. I held two morning routines where we practiced self loving rituals and spoke of many more that we can bring into our lives.
At the end of each morning I spoke devotions to the women in a meditative form then played them a song written and performed by a really good sassy friend of mine back in Australia. On the Sunday morning as I was dancing to this music whilst the women came back into their bodies and slowly rose, one fabulous and juicy lady came to me naked and undressed me. Pretty soon many of others were dancing around the altar topless.
Freedom of movement before breakfast. Shedding of emotional, mental and physical layers before coffee is served.
My kind of morning indeed.
 

In fact it had been my kind of week end all round.
Emotional processing, continual acts of vulnerability and the out pouring of love and support from women is something I adore and really like to surround myself with.

The day before on the Saturday morning our workshop was dancing freedom lead by the gorgeous Sheya Jordan from Living Love Revolution.
In this hour of dance my spirit soared and my pain rose. At one stage I found myself sobbing helplessly as I crouched in a prayer position bowed down to spirit.
 Who would I be if I was not trying to attract or wait for my divine mate in life?
The answer to this question I had posed to myself  came to me in waves of grief, letting go and then  excitement of the possibility of being really free to be me. I saw in this dance the amount of energy I spend in my head worrying and trying to second guess what is acceptable to others of my behaviour and my words. I saw in many forms how I am trying to please others in order to be accepted.
This leaves me frustrated and hurt and lonely. Alone from myself as I am denying the true me to shine.
 

As the music changed tempo I danced with an open heart and threw many layers of guilt confusion and shame off of my spiritual body. I allowed my physical body to move to a new rhythm of freedom and stretched my comfort zone to an edge where I felt I was expressing my true self and not one I thought others would be comfortable with.

This dance became a prayer.  A poem of heart desires that were singing and moving to my soul and higher self. I asked spirit what it was I needed to do to fully explore this freedom that I desired to be truly me. The answer I received was that of celibacy.
“Holy shit” was my first reaction.
Really?
Or was it celebration that whispered spirit?
So I asked again .
Celibacy .
There it was again.
This time the answer included that there would be something else as well. A new way of being with my relationship with myself and a way of deepening my process with this journey of fully meeting me and making it safe for her to shine and be seen fully in her glorious expression of who I am.
I felt that this other part of the equation would come to me over the next few days.

So celibacy it was then.
It felt safe and it did feel exciting. At the time.
I grappled with it for two days and I knew i needed to make it a declaration in front of the group to make sure I kept to the commitment. The fine line between commitment and letting it all go was one I was too familiar with and for such a momentous declaration as this I could see how easily I could consider taking a few naughty nights or sneaky Sundays off.
Phew.
My life up until now had basically evolved around the constant search for a good lover. I rose every morning in hope of miraculously having one two or three arrive at my door step then in turn spend the days weeks and months ahead orgasmically evolving through time.

Disillusioned at the best of times but immensely hopeful.
The down fall of this whimsical daydream of entwined naked bodies bringing sweaty bliss to my days is that my sense of self is constantly tied up in the validation of sensuality from another.
I have spent the last two years with in the Pleasure Tribe, Red Tent revival and partaking in the self Pleasure Revolution. With in all of these incredible platforms I was able to ignite my own sense of pleasure in myself and begin the most important discovery of my life to date. That of whom I am as a sensual being.

Many layers of shame and guilt have been met, acknowledged and removed.
I have a new best friend in the Jade egg and have no problem at all talking about orgasms and an orgasmic state to any one that is open to discussion. I have deepened my knowledge on women's hormones and how to relate to men using the Queens Code. The past two years have been astounding in my discovery of this glorious world all about me and my yoni.

 No longer is my state of bliss optional nor is my pleasure.
In fact the pleasure of all women at this stage of human kind is not optional.
The Dali Llama has stated that the healing of the planet will come through the western woman.
And as far as I have come with healing my young girl wounds around sexual abuse, religious shame and societal oppression of sensual expression I know there is yet still a huge step for me to take.

As it seems this step can be navigated on a true solo path.
Never in my wildest dreams would I believe celibacy to be something I would consider let alone take on and agree to.
In the closing circle yesterday on Sunday December 13th in front of all the women present at the sisterhood gathering  I announced I would be taking a vow of celibacy. At the time I did not know for exactly how long. I was considering a year for a moment there until one woman came up to me and literally begged me not to do that. “Holy hell” she said. “Melissa for a woman like you that is a bit extreme”
I do agree. A very daunting task indeed.
So at this stage it is three months.
Three months where my head is not negotiating the ins and outs of men's view on me, ifs and maybes and what on earth just happened ?
Three months of complete inner self discovery and relating to me as me. A woman stepping each beat to her own music that is for me solely. Three months of containing my energy for self and for witness of my true expression.

To accompany this emotional work that lays ahead I am also spending the three months eating only fruit and chocolate. In my world chocolate is cacao and cacao is a fruit. They are all around me hanging from the trees. I can hear them whispering to me to pick and devour them. So along side of cacao, all foods with a seed will be aiding this process of complete shedding and rising of what is hidden.

Hang on to your hats !
I feel like I am in for a wild ride and I look forward to every single moment that presents itself for witness, process, healing and unveiling.
Look out world.
Here I come.