Full Moon Cacao Ceremony
“CACAO IS A BEAUTIFUL PLANT AID THAT OPENS THE HEART TO ALLOW ENERGETIC AND EMOTIONAL CLEANSING AND PURIFICATION.”
On Sunday, Feb 13th, BDC hosted a virtual women's gathering to honor the upcoming full moon and Valentine’s Day celebrations with a cacao ceremony. Twelve women gathered online from all over the United States and Mexico to strengthen our connection to our hearts and inner desires as well engage in the scared pathway of cacao ceremony together. This blog post outlines highlights from our time together about:
The February Snow Moon
A Sacred Cacao Ceremony
Ceremonialist Trainings
About the Snow Moon
It occurred this year on February 16th and reached its peak at 11:57 a.m. EST. Full moons teach us about completing cycles, and being at a point of highest reflection. More on Full Moon Wisdom in the January Blog Post.
It’s a winter moon in the northern hemisphere and refers to how much snow falls during the month. It’s also known as the Hunger Moon, which refers to the difficult weather and food scarcity that was historically faced during this month in old times.
Rebecca Moore of We Love Horoscope writes: "It signifies renewal in the spirit. The snow moon gives people a chance to reset and reevaluate. It's about new dreams and overcoming past hurts, forging forward with greater sense of purpose."
About Cacao Ceremony
Cacao is believed to be a gift from the Gods and is known as a heart opener, assisting us to access our own connection and relationship to our own heart's wisdom and desires. BDC founders have found this ceremonial pathway to be a great way to give our hearts some reverent love and attention.
In this ceremony, we were guided into a sacred relationship with Cacao and water in the container of a ceremony and learned a few things we feel called to share here:
Before consuming, we noticed with our other senses. Noticing how the cup of warm cacao and water mix smelled, looked, and how our bodies responded to those sensations
We set a clear intention and work with the element as a sacred healer. Cacao is a beverage that is consumed and goes into our bodies. Giving it an intention before the first sip tells the cacao where to go, what to look for, how to help you. BDC founders hold that plants are sacred healers and are here in this realm to help the humans and animals grow. In earth wisdom, we believe anyone can ask plants, anything that comes from the earth, to help us heal, to help us know ourselves better because upon consumption, they can reach parts of us we can't always see or reach ourselves.
There are 4 important elements to a Cacao Ceremony. A sacred cacao ceremony works with (1) the Heart (of the humans), (2) Copal (smokes), (3) Water (mixed with Cacao), and (4) Fire (a Sacred Fire/Flame). These elements are used to help the cacao and the human (in union) send prayers and connect to spirit.
For sacred ceremony, we consume 100% Ceremonial Grade Cacao. What makes ceremonial grade cacao different from cacao powder or a common hot chocolate?
It grows in its natural environment
It does not touch machine or metal at any point
It only touched the earth and sacred hands
Stone ground into paste
According to the Cacao Ceremonialist, 100% ceremonial cacao is untouched by modern machines or metals (not even knives/blades); it's usually grown, cultivated, processed by hands or stoneware, and prayers following an ancestral lineage of cacao cultivation. For these reasons, in this ceremony, we advised guests to bring cacao from one of these brands: Keith's Cacao (Discount Code: garcia18us37); Lava Love Cacao; Sneha Sacred Cacao
About Cacao Ceremonialists
Our Cacao Ceremony was guided by ceremonialist, Giovanna Garcia, founder of Awake Heart. She is currently in training with Mayan elders and has trained in their lineage in Mexico for over 5 years, in addition to being of Mexican decent. In her own words, she shares:
"My motivation for the healing work I do is that every woman get to fully experience their open heart, their Soul, and their inner beauty so that they can live a life that truly matters to them. A life filled with joy, beauty, and love."
BDC takes Ceremonial guidance and experience seriously. We’ve come to find in our 30+ years of combined experience that training in spiritual leadership and sitting at the feet of ceremonial elders and masters matters. BDC takes into account how a person embodies their training, how they apprenticed and lived into their experience, and how they share about their background and teachers.
Cacao ceremonies are booming right now and as earth wisdom practitioners we are vigilant about a ceremonialist's training, their relationship and energy to any plant medicine, and how they hold sacred space within and outside of themselves. We see Giovanna as a radiant sister in the healing space of earth wisdom carriers who emanates heart medicine authentically and integrity. These standards are true of anyone BDC co-hosts with. In our most impeccable standards, if we trust another to guide us in ceremony, we trust them to guide BDC seekers too.
About BDC Full Moon Gatherings
BDC will continue to host Women Full Moon gatherings every month in 2022. Check out our Full Moon Event Calendar and join us for one or recommend a woman in your life to join us for ritual and ceremony that will lead her back to the spiritual center of herself and connection with all things.