Calling in the New Year with Sacred Ceremony!

I just adore New Year's Day!

I love the energy of new starts and the opportunity to focus on intentions and manifesting!

I would like to share a sacred recipe that I just LOVE.

This is a recipe for a sacred Cacoa beverage.

Cacao was used as an offering to the Gods and was even used as a currency in Mayan civilization.

When I discovered this it made so much sense to me!  As a kapha woman who loves sweets - especially chocolate it makes complete sense to be paid with chocolate!

There is a difference between commercial chocolate and organic cacao.  Cacao is very grounding and, at the same time gently stimulating.  It opens the heart chakra, activates the third eye and crown and ground the root and sacral chakras.  Translated into "normal language", it wakes you up into a place of grounded love from which you can tap into creativity and focus on what it is you would like to create!  Sounds like great magic right!?

There is a New Year's tradition in India to eat a special soup that contains all 6 sacred flavours. Each of these flavours brings the 5 sacred elements into balance and enables us to start the New Year off from a grounded, balanced place.

Six Flavours

Sweet - sweetness is the flavour that brings the earth element into balance.  It opens the heart and brings in the energy of love and joy.

Sour - sour activates the water and fire elements and brings in a feeling of creativity and pleasure.

Salty - salt is very fiery and earthy.  It is activating.  It gives us the motivation to do.

Pungent - pungent is spicy, fiery, exciting and fierce!  It is responsible for inspiration an clarity.

Bitter - bitter is airy and helps us stay crystal clear and keeps us from getting carried away by fantasy.

Astringent - this is not a common taste to the Western palate.  It is found in unripe fruits and flowers.  It is mainly associated with the element of ether and opens the space for creative projects to take birth into.

Ingredients

1 Tbsp organic Cacao - bitter and astringent

4 cloves - pungent

Pinch or rock slat - salty

1 Tbsp sweetener - sweet -  I like to use grated jaggery 

Spritz of lime - sour

Cinnamon sticks and a pinch of chili powder can also be added.  This layers the flavours so beautifully and makes the drink a little more robust.

Method

Boil the Cacao in a cup of water with the sugar and spices.

Add the lime once the drink is off the heat.

The Ceremony

Begin by pouring the Cacao into your favorite mug.  As you do this invite all of your guides to flow your New Year's goals, blessings and projects into the cup.

Feel the warmth of the cup and allow yourself to feel the embrace of your guides and the 5 elements.

Smell the sacred healing ambrosia.  Visualize that you are bringing the blessings into your heart, pores and limbs through the aroma.

Raise the cup to your guides.  Offer them its beauty as a gesture of respect. 

Touch your glass to your third eye as a gesture of opening your vision with respect.

Touch your glass to your heart as a gesture of love.

Now, close your eyes and bring your cup to your lips.  Allow all of your senses to drink in the blessings from your guides and the sacred elements.

Tell the universe that you are open to co-creating beauty with your limbs, your voice and your actions.  

Swirl the drink in your mouth so that you can taste all of the flavours and open your heart to gratitude.  Open your body to flow in creativity and open your mind to courage, confidence and intuition.

Welcome the New Year with joy, love, anticipation and a promise to be in love with yourself, alive with your purpose and compassionate to all beings!

All my love to you in the New Year!