2020 has been a crazy year and it's beneficial to create a Ceremony at home to release what has been and move into 2021 with what you want to invite into your life instead of focussing what hasn't been working this year.
I recommend for this Ceremony the Classic Ceremonial "Energizing Spicy" Cacao Blend. But of course you can use any of the other blends that speaks to you or also have some good tea if cacao isn't available to you currently (please order until December 26th so that it can arrive on time).
First of all clean, declutter and organise your home. Sell and gift what's still usable and enjoyable, throw away (the correct way;) what not. Include your basement and attic. Seasonal stuff can be put away in boxes and stored there. Make sure you really know why you have around what you have around and take care of hidden corners and drawers that you like to ignore. Clean all properly, wash all rugs and blankets, curtains. If you have a garden or balcony, don't miss those either. Maybe now you also feel like exchanging some decoration, adding some plants (or gifting some to all those crazy plant ladies:D) or getting new pillow covers.
Once your home is feeling free, cozy and like you can truly relax in it, create yourself a space for the Ceremony. You can have a (yoga) mat or blanket on the floor and make in front of it an altar with elements that support you in letting go, you want to recharge and/or remind you of what you'd love to invite in more into your life. Add candles, incense (you can burn also dried sage or rosemary before, during and after the Ceremony), your journal and two small bowls. One bowl will be for the wishes, one will be for what you're letting go off. Prepare also 13 small papers for each bowl (do not write on them yet) and have a pen ready.
Choose if tonight you'd like to practice yin yoga, dance, meditation, Yoga Nidra (find inspiration here) and then get ready accordingly. Choose what you will do and what music you will play before starting your cacao. Preparing what you'll wear, have enough water and tea in your space. A beautiful playlist that I've been playing during Cacao making and during drinking cacao was this one. On my Spotify account you can find a lot of different playlists for meditation, yin yoga, cacao drinking, dancing. The Radiantly Dance Playlist has been very popular.
Start making your Ceremonial Cacao once you're ready. For tips on how to create a really creamy and rich cacao, read this.
Now sit down comfortably and bring your hands down to the earth. Take a few deep breaths with your eyes closed. Just allow yourself to arrive and notice how you're feeling. To come into your body and prepare yourself for the Cacao, you can do this Fire Breathing Practice that will activate the cleansing activities within you. Imagine dark smoke exciting your nostrils.
Call in the Spirit of Cacao to support you on this journey. This can be as simple "I'm calling in the Spirit of Cacao to support me during this Ceremony of letting go and manifesting my heart desires". You can also call in any spirits, guardian angles, spirit animals or whatever energies and/or people (human and spirit form) you feel would benefit or support you during this. Give thanks - say thank you to the land, the cacao, the trees, the water. Gratitude and appreciation for what we have is a big part of ceremony. It's celebrating the beauty in this moment.
Take your cacao cup to the heart and set your intention. What is is that you want to invite into your life? Which seeds do you want to plant? When working with cacao it's not necessarily waiting for answers it's more to be open to what arises and then have the patience and some strength to sit with it - as truth can be confronting. Allow your intention to be something uplifting, simple and a reminder for what you wish for more in life - not less. For example, "I will trust my intuition and follow to its guidance." That has been a mantra for myself for a while. Another one was, "I will create safe and sacred spaces for people to connect to their heart, meet their darkness and remember their light." An intention should be an aim for something higher. Something that makes you evolve and helps you choose the right thing (that's the thing from the heart that makes you evolve and grow). Repeat your intention 3 times internally. Imagine how it flows into your cup through the heart. Start drinking when ready. Deep and slow breathing.
Sit still. Have your eyes closed. If the body wants to circle gently, let it. Once you finish drinking you can lay down - head facing towards the altar, feet away. Give this part 10 to 30 minutes. Can be in stillness or with music that touches you and helps go within.
Slowly come back to sitting. Keep taking deep breaths. Now it's time to write down some things. A few questions for you to journal: -What is it that you enjoy and like about your life? Like really like. Be very specific and in detail. Don't write down general things that are just a sign of avoiding to deal with these questions. -What is it that you really do not like and do not enjoy about life? Be very specific. Include activities, habits, people, work, from what you consume to what you do to how you speak and think just everything. -What is it that you truly would love to manifest in your life? Experience more? Live more? See? Feel? Taste? Smell? Create? Write everything down without thinking about if it's possible or not. Just let your imagination flow. -What is it that you feel is not serving you anymore? What is it that you'd allow yourself to truly see? What do have difficulties to let go of because it gives you a sense and feeling of security and comfort? But actually it doesn't help you grow. What is it that you'd love to experience or do BUT you don't seem to have the courage yet? What is it that you need to let go of so that your heart desires actually can manifest? What is your comfort zone? And what not?
Do whatever practice you've planned. Maybe you'll just add a little dance or meditation. Maybe you'll just sit in stillness for a few breaths. Follow a practice or create your own. It's okay fine to keep it simple or just dance and laugh - celebrate! You can also practice dynamic yoga, mantra chanting, you could even draw.
Now take your 26 small papers - divide them in two parts. Write down on each paper 13 heart wishes. Very specific wishes. Now on the other 13 write down what you need to release for each of those to happen. Put them into their dedicated bowls.
Whatever practice you've done, finish by laying on your back for 3-10 minutes in a relaxing position to integrate the practice.
Close the space with an AUM or gratitude prayer and blow off all candles. It's really important to close ceremonial spaces intentionally by saying "I'm closing this space now, I will let grow, deepen and heal what needs to continue and release whatever is not needed anymore now". Then smudge the space and clean up after your ceremony. This part is very crucial and part of a ceremony as much as creating a space and the ceremony itself.
Have a nourishing meal, drink lots of water, maybe go for a forest walk or have a bath. Do what feels nurturing and honours the space you're in. Messages and insights may come through.
What happens after this Ceremony?
The idea is that now you have 13 heart wishes and 13 things that you need to release in order to create space in your life for those. The next morning, before 2021 starts, pull the first paper from each bowl. This is your task now. Give yourself 1-3 weeks for each task and then pull the next one. Like that you'll be done by the end of 2021 or maybe even sooner and you can start again! Write down what you can do (even if small steps) and do it. Have the uncomfortable talks. Ask for what you need. Create some fire with the fire breath each morning, if needed.
Make sure that you take a moment after each accomplishment to celebrate it and honour yourself with a small gratitude ritual or ceremony! Let me know via email (hello@aleksnikolic.com) how the Ceremony went for you and/or how it's been going through out the year.
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