EDITION NO. 9 · OCTOBER 2021
IN CEREMONY NO. 09 · GIVING THANKS & COMMUNITY EDITION
01 On Gratitude
02 Cacao Mama Gratitude Ceremony
03 The heart of the forest
04 Thanking Nature & Fall Rituals
05 Shared Plant Love
06 Thankfulness as a state of mind
07 Creating Spaces of gratitude
08 Calling in the energies
09 Giving gratitude to food
10 The oak tree temple
11 Connecting the worlds
12 Prayer bundle
13 The gift of paying attention
14 The thanksgiving address
INVOCATION
We give thanks to the Ancestors,
We give thanks to our Spirit Guides.
We give thanks to the Great ones, the Old ones,
and the Ancient ones,
the Source Vibration,
the Great Unknown,
and the Great Intelligence beyond all what is.
We call the Heart of Pachamama,
We call the four Winds,
Blessings to the Heart of The Sky,
Blessings to the Heart of Cacao.
The intention of this journey is to feel, to connect, and to welcome the love of the Spirit.
The intention of this journey is to remember and to receive the blessing.
Ahey.
ON GRATITUDE
Text by Lena Brandt · Picture by Marvin meyer
Gratitude is powerful medicine, much more than a simple thank you. Giving thanks implies recognition not only of the gift but of the giver. Gratitude is founded on the deep knowing that our very existence relies on the gifts of other beings. Naming and appreciation of the gifts that surround us create a sense of satisfaction, a feeling of “enoughness“, an ethic of fullness.
The practice of gratitude leads us from a scarcity mindset to a mindset of abundance. When we breathe in, when we give thanks, we realise we can have plenty of what we really need. Gratitude
reminds us of what is essential and to show respect for all that is given. Gratitude is the emotion that magnifies our experience of what is good, deepens our connections, steels our resolve, and
buoys us to rise above the stormy waves of life. It makes us strong and joyful.
But how can we give thanks?
It can look as simple as that: focus on the all good in your life, the people you love, on what lays inside your control, on the future that inspires you, and all you can do to improve it. But it
doesn’t necessarily have to involve lists or gratitude journals. Giving thanks can mean sitting in silence, watching the sunset, and reminding yourself how lucky you are to be here, present on
this planet in this very moment. It can look like sliding into a steaming hot bath of gratitude, or sipping a hot tea of gratitude, or being embraced by a warm hug of loving gratitude.
Another way of showing our appreciation for another, for Pachamama, for Spirit is ceremony. For example the ceremonies we hold to deepen the relationship with the land we live on and give thanks.
Robin Wall Kimmerer, author, botanist, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation reminds us that these ceremonies don’t need to include Indigenous languages, songs, or practices in order to
feel grateful for the earth — every one of us can create an authentic relationship with the earth on their own. “That’s the most powerful kind of ceremony,” she says. “The kind that is authentic
and originates with you.”
Kimmerer invites us further to explore: What does the earth ask of us in return? What is our responsibility to the earth? What is our gift to Mother Earth and Spirit? We carry many gifts of our
own, which the earth urgently needs. Maybe if we would just become very quiet and listen - the answer will come to each of us.
„We human people have protocols for gratitude; we apply them formally to one another. We say thank you. We understand that receiving a gift incurs a responsibility to give a gift in return.
The next step in our cultural evolution, if we are to persist as a species on this beautiful planet, is to expand our protocols for gratitude to the living Earth.
Gratitude is most powerful as a response to the Earth because it provides an opening to reciprocity, to the act of giving back.“
— Robin Wall Kimmerer
CACAO MAMA · GRATITUDE CEREMONY
Text by SERAP KARA · Picture by cary bates
According to the ancient European wheel of the year, we have arrived at the time between Autumn Equinox and Samhain. Here in the Northern hemisphere, we are invited to honour and give thanks for what we have harvested and to share the bounty of summer with beloved ones. It's the season of giving thanks. Whatever you have planted and grown over summer, powerful forces were involved - all elements, the sun, the stars, the spirits of nature, plant and animal spirits - whether you have tended to a physical garden or the inner landscape.
In the Gratitude Ceremony we acknowledge what we have received and harvested in abundance. Prepare an offering to Pachamama - a plate with sweets or milk, flowers, seeds, a pouch with tobacco. Set the intention to give thanks to the living world and any other aspect that you are grateful for. In Ceremony, we bless our offerings with prayers. Then we place the gift outside in the garden, the balcony, or at the trunk of a tree.
Soon, we will enter the darker half of the year, beginning with Samhain, which marks the Celtic New Year celebration. This will be the time to sit with the ancestors, in darkness, and negotiate the terms for the upcoming season. We will pray for the light ahead and bless our seeds for Imbolc to be seeded into this reality and harvested in abundance. This is the beauty and wisdom of the turning medicine wheel. With every turning, we are more experienced and better prepared for the seasons ahead.
"A grateful heart is a magnet for miracles“
Join Cacao Mama for a Cacao Gratitude Ceremony on October 21, 2021 where we will give thanks and bless our offerings.
ON CoNNECTING WITH THE HEART OF THE FOREST
Text & Picture By Serap Kara
I love to form mandalas with objects that I find in nature. It's a form of meditation that helps me to connect and be conscious with the present moment and the place around me. One of the most powerful connections was created in a magical pine forest in Italy. I sat on the forest floor and formed a visible prayer from what I found on the ground. I closed my eyes and breathed with the forest. Then I asked the spirit of the forest how I could be of service now that I've entered its realm. Inside of me, two words formed clearly: love and appreciation.
I tuned into love and appreciation, and shared the vibration with the space around me - it was easy as I was breathing the fresh air, listening to the sounds of nature, enjoying the shade, and feeling gratitude for the beauty that surrounded me. Through opening to the forest and feeling its healing power inside me, a kind of exchange started to happen between me, the trees, and the spirit of the forest itself. We became one body and I felt a voice guiding me on an inner journey when I felt the wisdom of the trees, of the standing people inside of me. It felt as if the trees offered me a sense of grounding and safety, like friends who stand behind me and straighten me up.
The more I received consciously, the more I was able to give. Nature is the best ally to ground myself and come back into my centre in no time. My heart space lightens, which then becomes a single space of offering. What we actually need to do is to remember to do it, take a seat, and become aware that we are an offering to this world. Welcome to the Ceremony!
Thanking Nature & fall rituals
TEXT & PICTURE BY SIMONE MEENTZEN
A wonderful way to connect and give thanks to nature is for me a walk in the nearby forest on a forest path that climbs up a steep mountain and leads to a wide field. My personal way of entering into my thanksgiving ritual is firstly, paying attention to my thoughts, and bringing my restless thinking mentality to rest. The greatest gift I can give to myself and to nature is presence, real attention to this moment in time and this is how I enter into a sacred relationship with the forest, open a door to the perception of the hidden dimensions of nature. Then, in a meditative but alert state of mind, while walking, I softly hum a melody, which is a gift from my heart to the heart of the forest. Singing has a healing effect, the melody is a personal healing spell and a magical formula that I offer as a sign of gratitude, respect, and deep love.
As a thanksgiving ritual in the garden, I offer grains and sunflower seeds for the birds and some beer or wine for the nature spirits and insects. I add some natural fertiliser and humus to the earth, giving thanks for the herbs which I harvested for incense blends and elixirs. Later, I process the dried herbs with gratefulness and in a ceremonial way.
In my kitchen, I place apples, quinces, and nuts on my altar, some leaves, flowers, and herbs, to celebrate the richness of this autumn season. I celebrate and give thanks with family and friends. We are cooking a beautiful meal, using seasonal food, fruits and vegetables from the local market, and drinking wine from a nearby vineyard.
I am toasting to the soil, the sun, the winds, the rain, and the good spirits that made it possible for all the food and drink on our table!
ABOUT SIMONE MEENTZEN
Simone is an artist, weaver of art and nature, and the founder of Fiber&Heart®. Here she offers natural products, handmade in Germany, incense blends, goddess art for wellness, ceremony, and ritual. Visit Fiber&Heart on Etsy
SHARED PLANT LOVE · Fiber & Heart
TEXT BY SERAP KARA · PICTURES BY FIBER&HEART
One of the most beautiful gifts I have received from working with the Cacao spirit is to strengthen my roots and honour the land where I live, which is Germany and Europe. Over the years, an important reconciliation has taken place. Today, I am building bridges between Central America, where the Cacao spirit was mainly revered, and the spirit, plants, and traditions of Northern Europe. The plant kingdom here is full of variety, power, and magic.
I love to connect with local herbs, and find the herbal collection of our dear plant sister Simone rich and powerful and trust her way of ceremony. Two of my favourite mixes are Aurora & Freya. I prefer to work with a stove and candle, under which the herbs and flowers gently emanate their powerful essence and fragrance. Working with local plants support me to anchor myself in the land I live on and at the same time build a bridge between the many different cultures within myself.
THANKFULNESS AS A STATE OF MIND
TEXT & PICTUREs by Ricardo Leyva
Thankfulness is a powerful state of mind; a quality of my higher self that I cultivate every single day.
There are several ways in which I practice gratitude during the day. The first one occurs every morning when I realise that I'm alive. Before I open my eyes I vibrate thoughts of gratitude for
this precious human life, for the opportunity to heal myself with the experiences of the day ahead, for my family, and all the blessings I constantly receive.
The second big moment comes at the end of my Sadhana, my daily meditation practice. To close this sacred space I practice Metta, an ancient Buddhist meditation to cultivate loving-kindness.
During this moment I share all the merits of my life, I wish for the happiness of all sentient beings and I give thanks for all the wonders that I'm allowed to live.
During the day I also practice gratitude before every meal. I give thanks when I feel dazzled in front of the beauties of mother earth. When I experience the voice of intuition. When I feel
aligned with my spirit. When I see the purity of my children. When I feel one with God.
Every single inhalation is an opportunity to be thankful, every single exhalation could be the last chance to cultivate thankfulness.
About Ricardo LEYVA
Ricardo is an entrepreneur in love with nature and the spirit of Cacao. He lives in Colombia, South America, where he’s currently working on a pilot of a Regenerative Cacao Forest in Sierra Nevada the Santa Marta, that through conscious and sustainable practices seeks to regenerate the soil, enrich the community and grow spiritually.
THE CACAO GARDENER
We're very happy to soon launch the Cacao Gardener initiative which is born from our deep love for the Cacao Spirit. With this initiative we support the restoration of thriving Cacao forests around the globe, planting trees, restoring traditional knowledge, and cultivating spirit within our offerings. Our first project to fund is the Sierra Divina Cacao forest in Colombia, in cooperation with Ricardo. We are grateful.
Creating SPACES OF GRATITUDE
TEXT BY FELIX EIdner · PICTUREs by Felix Eidner and Autumn mott rodeheaver
Our favourite way to give thanks is to share - our mindfulness, joy of heart, and the gifts of Pachamama. By consciously interacting with the plant and the Spirit connected to it, we express our appreciation and gratitude.
To commune with Spirit and the land, we consciously take time to create and open a beautiful space. We become very still and quiet to listen and feel more deeply. We arrive fully in our body,
scanning it from top to bottom. Our mantra is here: Rooted to the earth and connected to the sky.
We open the space with an acceptance of the moment and close the space with a grateful attitude. We energetically send the wonderful feelings we experience during a ritual out into the world.
Either in general or to specific people or regions where this love is needed.
In each ritual, we consciously invite the Cacao Spirit with phrases like: "We invite the Cacao Spirit to work with us, to flow through us, and to share its treasures and wisdom with us.“
We love to give and receive thanks in gratitude rounds, which we often practice to end our rituals and close the space.
ABOUT FELIX EIdner & Leni Glapa
Leni & Felix from Cacaloves.me have been working with the sacred cacao plant for seven years and share this wonderful medicine in rituals and in their shop. They love this kind of work, which connects themselves and others with the heart and the inner landscape. "Because a shift towards a loving and compassionate world always begins within us.“ Visit www.cacaoloves.me
CALLING IN THE ENERGIES
TEXT & picture by Valerie Shakti Bottazzi
I heard the call of the Cacao Spirit Keeper for the first time on December 5th, 2018. It was a powerful call, something I couldn’t say no to. During a shamanic ceremony with Cacao medicine, I
received an initiation. I knew I was meant to continue to deepen and explore what I was being called to do.
I was guided to learn how to commune with Cacao Mama, Cacao Tata, and the Spirit Keeper of Cacao. In doing so I was blessed to sit in ceremony with many different teachers but at every gathering,
the most powerful guidance came directly from our blessed Cacao.
An energy within me propelled me forward into taking my path as a Cacao steward, and so I found Serap’s Cacao Mama Medicine Woman Training. Meeting with Serap was moving and transformative. We
both recognised each other immediately. I knew I was meant to sit in sacred circle with the women in this training.
When communing with Cacao I feel a profound connection to Mother Earth. That’s why it comes naturally to me to open my ceremonial space by using my drum and calling upon the six directions. I
call upon different spirit guides for each direction, depending upon what needs to be witnessed and/or healed. I often feel called to bring in light language during ceremony and to sing or tune
as well. The experience is always uniquely new and full of wonder.
My connection with all aspects of Cacao, the Mother Tree, the Spirit Keeper, Cacao Mama, and Cacao Tata are part of me. Cacao sits on my altar, is an integral part of my spiritual practice. I
don’t necessarily need to consume ceremonial cacao to commune with it anymore. The loving connection to our ultimate Mother comes through every time I open up for the medicine of Cacao to teach
me more.
about valerie SHAKTI BOTTAZZI
Valerie is a Medicine Woman, author, entrepreneur, and coach with 40 years of experience in the shamanic path. Within her work, she supports people in quieting the analytical mind so that inner wisdom can blossom. Visit: www.theawakenpath.com
Giving Gratitude to the food
TEXT BY NINA WEID · pictures by EILIV SONAS & JAQUELINE LOUAN
In my childhood food was never about the ingredients, my mother never liked to be in the kitchen, so our family lunches and dinners were hurried and the preparation of the food was never in the
center of attention. I kept the same narrative and felt a missing piece to all the food that I prepared for myself and others.
It was not until I started to connect back to a more natural way of living, to grow my own herbs on my balcony and receive vegetables from friends that had crumbs of earth and their roots uncut
that I finally understood that it is actually Mother Earth who is feeding us so well. It was then when I started to see food as medicine and the preparation of it as a prayer to Mother Earth.
To show my gratitude to nature and to all the beautiful foods provided to us I take my time to prepare the food. I take every single ingredient in my hands and imagine how it grew, how the sun shone its energy on the plant, and the roots soaked up the energy from the earth.
While cooking I speak prayers of gratitude and love. And finally, when having the plate or bowl between my hands I close my eyes and say a little prayer of gratitude to the earth, the food, and the people sharing the meal with me.
Blessings and thanks to the earth for providing us this food
Blessings and thanks to the sun for helping it grow
Blessings and thanks to the wind and the birds for carrying its seeds
Blessings and thanks to the rain for the water’s loving flow
Blessings and thanks to the hands that helped prepare this meal
Blessings and thanks to our friends, our families, and all our loved ones
Blessings and thanks to Mother Earth, Father Sun, and all Nature Spirits who are taking care of us.
about nina weid
Nina is a founding member of the Earth School and Cacao Mama Space Holder. Besides that she is a trainer and coach for emotional alchemy. She creates spaces for growth and supports people to live their best life. Nina recently moved from Berlin to the beautiful countryside of her hometown. Visit www.earthschool.love
THE OAK TREE TEMPLE
TEXT & PICTUREs By Marcus weber
About two years ago I befriended with an oak tree. It stands near my flat in Berlin, in a tiny park, called Arnimplatz. Coming back from a trip through India and Nepal I had the wish to build
temples. And this oak provided space for that – thank you, my dear one!
In the beginning, I brought little stones and sticks, letting my hands arrange them spontaneously in front of the trunk. I was afraid, that people could see and consider me crazy. But all of a
sudden I started to bring roses, putting them into the bark. The temple grew, became more visible. I watched myself asking some guys for a lighter to light an incense stick. And people started to
ask me about the temple and to bring little gifts for the tree themselves.
Of course, Cacao had a part in this: Connecting more and more to the Cacao Spirit my connection to nature is getting more intense. It’s not only about hugging trees, it’s about talking to them,
about listening to their wisdom. To visit my oak almost every day is a way for me to connect to the earth, to Pachamama, to the place, where I live – and that is, yes, in the middle of a huge
city.
Especially when I don’t feel good I long to touch things and to be in contact with nature. It grounds me. I become calmer, I start to notice the abundance of little things around me: a piece of
bark, a shard, a petal. My hands always find exactly what they need at that moment. When I succeed in accepting the moment as it is, I don't lack anything either. Then I experience, that
everything I need to be happy is miraculously here.
About marcus weber
Marcus is living in Berlin and pouring his heart into Cacao ceremonies, shamanic rituals, energy healing, and bodywork. Visit www.tempel-bauen.de
Connecting the worlds through giving back
TEXT BY Sandra Schider · PICTUREs by Jenn and the camera
In the last ten years, I shed my Ego, one layer after the other, and the work is still in progress. I was a very unhappy actress before I changed my life completely. Coming from a reality that
was focused very much on the outside party world, I slowly went inside.
I went through fears and tears, did deep work, confronted myself with my teachers and my deepest shadows. Now I am grateful to step back into my nature: that IS Mother Nature; into softness, into
my knowing that everything in the Universe is connected.
I am grateful for having learned about ancient philosophies, myths and the sacred body, voice frequencies, the Spirit of Cacao, as well as sacred plants and animals. I am now combining all of
these medicines into my offerings, programs, and retreats.
Together with other transformational guides like musicians, soul voice trainers, bodyworkers, plant medicine men and women, I serve and offer different tools to support in opening consciousness and the heart.
The tools we offer are a combination of different Yoga traditions, breathwork, soulvoice singing and toning, traditional and intuitively guided meditation techniques, exstatic drumming classes, Reiki, and, of course, Cacao Ceremonies. Whenever possible, we weave our medicine outside in nature.
Through these offerings, we create a connection between the seen and the unseen worlds, between animals, humans, plants, the stars, the soil, and Mama Cacao.
We founded an animal shelter in Greece, caring for over 70 dogs and one donkey. As I am offering a program based on animal asanas and myths, combined respectfully with the message of spirit
animals, the shelter has a very special meaning to me.
In my everyday life, I dedicate my practice to something or someone that I feel needs my energy. So my practice transforms into prayer. I also offer free ceremonies for women without income;
always in deep connection with Mama Cacao.
About Sandra SCHIDER
Sandra is a yoga teacher, breathworker, meditation coach, shamanic Ppactitioner, Cacao Guardian, and Medicine Woman. Visit www.the-freedom-tribe.com (coming soon)
PRAYER BUNDLE
TEXT & PICTURE by Annette assmy
For the Earthkeeper of Peru, everything is living energy and comes from sources from nature, the universe, the stars, Mother Earth, and from within us. We are part of this intelligent web of life
that is constantly flowing and permeating us. When we feel this flow of energy, we feel connected to the source of creation.
Sometimes we feel rather disconnected and our lives feel stagnant. To get these energies flowing again, Earthkeepers go into the silence, into nature, and create ceremonies. Through ceremonies,
we enter timelessness. This is the place of silence, of devotion to life, and the beauty in things.
Ceremonies and initiations are like doorways to a different awareness and an all-encompassing experience. Through such ceremonies, we can bring our feelings and thoughts into harmony with
ourselves. Only then do we realise our deepest and most human longing: to experience the connectedness with everything, the All-Oneness.
Prayer Bundle Ceremonies are powerful rituals to return to the embrace of Mother Earth. In this ritual, we create a mandala out of various things such as candies, flowers, rice, herbs, cacao
beans, and much more. We give our prayers to Mother Earth, thanksgivings, requests for healing for ourselves, our families, and also for the community. After we finish our personal prayers, we
collectively give prayers and blessings for Mother Earth and all other living beings into the bundle.
Through our gratitude towards Mother Earth and all beings of this planet, we can reconnect with the web of life and feel the interconnectedness of all beings. This is a chance to fully understand
that everything is connected.
ABOUT annette ASSMY
Annette Assmy walks the path of the Earthkeeper for 10 years. It is her heart's desire to bring the soul-nourishing Inca tradition to the Western world. Visit www.chaskawisdom.com
THE GIFT OF PAYING ATTENTION
TEXT by Lena Brandt · PICTURE by Vivien Wolf
A form of giving thanks that has found its way into my daily life is the practice of simply paying attention to the wonders of the world around me: The sun glancing through the trees in the morning hours, the leaves softly falling from the trees with the gentle autumn wind, the water of the river sparkling in the sunshine, the delicate flower that blossoms one last time before the darker months arrive, the squirrels playing in the park as I take my regular walk…
I pay close attention with all my senses to each and every of these things. I watch, smell, listen, feel. My gift of attention generates wonder and joy inside of me. It leads to amazement and acknowledgement — which then sharpens, according to Robin Wall Kimmerer, my ability to respond and be responsible for what I see.
"This, too, is a gift, for when we fall in love with the living world, we cannot be bystanders to its destruction. Attention becomes intention, which coalesces itself to action.“ (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
ABOUT LENA BRANDT
Lena is a yoga teacher, spiritual artist, Cacao Guardian, and women’s circle facilitator. She creates heartfelt, explorative spaces for people to connect, remember, and simply be. Visit www.lenibrandt.com
The Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address
TEXT by Lena Brandt · PICTURE BY CARY BATES
We first came across the 'Thanksgiving Address' through Robin Wall Kimmerer and her wonderful, inspiring book 'Braiding Sweetgrass’. The Thanksgiving Address is used by the Haudenosaunee
Confederacy, also known as the Iroquois or Six Nations - Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, Onondaga, Seneca, and Tuscaora. The people of the Six Nations are from upstate New York and Canada.
The Thanksgiving Address is a message of peace and appreciation for the Earth, also called Greetings and Thanks to the Natural World. It is still spoken at ceremonial gatherings and
meetings held by the Six Nations. Children in School also are taught to greet each morning with these words, saying thanks to all living beings. The entire universe - from the sun and the stars
to the smallest of plant - is addressed as one great community. A wonderful practice and way to honour creation, as we think. We’d like to share some excerpts of it here with you:
The People
Today we have gathered and we see that the cycles of life continue. We have been given the duty to live in balance and harmony with each other and all living things. So now, we bring our minds
together as one as we give greetings and thanks to each other as people. Now our minds are one.
The Earth Mother
We are all thankful to our Mother, the Earth, for she gives us all that we need for life. She supports our feet as we walk about upon her. It gives us joy that she continues to care for us as she
has from the beginning of time. To our mother, we send greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.
The Waters
We give thanks to all the waters of the world for quenching our thirst and providing us with strength. Water is life. We know its power in many forms- waterfalls and rain, mists and streams,
rivers and oceans. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the spirit of Water. Now our minds are one.
The Fish
We turn our minds to all the Fish life in the water. They were instructed to cleanse and purify the water. They also give themselves to us as food. We are grateful that we can still find pure water. So, we turn now to the Fish and send our greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.
The Plants
Now we turn toward the vast fields of Plant life. As far as the eye can see, the Plants grow, working many wonders. They sustain many life forms. With our minds gathered together, we give thanks and look forward to seeing Plant life for many generations to come. Now our minds are one.
The Food Plants
With one mind, we turn to honor and thank all the Food Plants we harvest from the garden. Since the beginning of time, the grains, vegetables, beans, and berries have helped the people survive. Many other living things draw strength from them too. We gather all the Plant Foods together as one and send them a greeting of thanks. Now our minds are one.
The Medicine Herbs
Now we turn to all the Medicine herbs of the world. From the beginning, they were instructed to take away sickness. They are always waiting and ready to heal us. We are happy there are still among us those special few who remember how to use these plants for healing. With one mind, we send greetings and thanks to the Medicines and to the keepers of the Medicines. Now our minds are one.
The Animals
We gather our minds together to send greetings and thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are honored by them when they give up their lives so we may use their bodies as food for our people. We see them near our homes and in the deep forests. We are glad they are still here and we hope that it will always be so. Now our minds are one.
The Trees
We now turn our thoughts to the Trees. The Earth has many families of Trees who have their own instructions and uses. Some provide us with shelter and shade, others with fruit, beauty, and other useful things. Many people of the world use a Tree as a symbol of peace and strength. With one mind, we greet and thank the Tree life. Now our minds are one.
The Birds
We put our minds together as one and thank all the Birds who move and fly about over our heads. The Creator gave them beautiful songs. Each day they remind us to enjoy and appreciate life. The Eagle was chosen to be their leader. To all the Birds-from the smallest to the largest-we send our joyful greetings and thanks. Now our minds are one.
The Four Winds
We are all thankful to the powers we know as the Four Winds. We hear their voices in the moving air as they refresh us and purify the air we breathe. They help us to bring the change of seasons. From the four directions they come, bringing us messages and giving us strength. With one mind, we send our greetings and thanks to the Four Winds. Now our minds are one.
Closing Words
We have now arrived at the place where we end our words. Of all the things we have named, it was not our intention to leave anything out. If something was forgotten, we leave it to each individual to send such greetings and thanks in their own way. Now our minds are one.
This translation of the Mohawk version of the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address was developed, published in 1993, and provided, courtesy of: Six Nations Indian Museum and the Tracking Project. All rights reserved.
You can find the whole version here.
In EDITION NO. 10 · November 2021 · SAMHAIN
In CEREMONY · CREATIVE DESIGN SERAP KARA · CONTENT LENA BRANDT & SERAP KARA ©CACAO MAMA · MAIL
We at Cacao Mama witness people opening to LIFE IN CEREMONY. The Cacao Spirit forms a centre around which one can feel this particularly magic moment when everything connects and comes alive. Feelings of compassion arise, a deep connection to Pachamama and a coming home to the Self. We have entered the present moment and feel the invisible harmony that surrounds us. In the 12 editions to come, we open Cacao Mama's apothecary and invite you to be in Ceremony with us. Together with our plant family, we weave rituals, stories, songs and recipes to offer a soothing medicine for you to connect with Pachamama and her powerful allies. Our land is Europe, and we weave the Cacao intelligence along with the European medicine wheel, while we tend to our roots, the land and its wisdom keepers.
