Welcome,
Welcome,
Welcome.
Thank you for being here tonight.
I'm really glad that you have joined me.
We're going to get this ceremony started.
And it invites you to hold your cacao.
Gently against your heart.
Feeling its warmth resting there against your chest.
Closing your eyes.
Taking a nice deep breath in.
And letting it go.
And again,
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Allowing yourself to arrive here.
Letting go of whatever has been happening outside this space.
For these moments here,
There's nowhere else that you need to be,
Nothing else that you need to do.
Just be here.
Present.
Open.
And ready.
I call upon the goddesses,
Our angels,
Our guides and our loved ones in spirit.
Join us in this space tonight.
Surround us with your love.
Strengthen us with your wisdom.
And remind us of the power that already lives within us.
May we feel supported.
May we feel empowered.
And may we have the courage to honour ourselves.
Breathing in that powerful and loving energy.
Feel that light connecting us here in this space.
Feel the love all around us,
Like a big warm hug spanning the oceans.
Breathing all of that beautiful energy into your heart.
Peeling the warmth of your cacao against your heart,
Starting to open to the magic in our cups.
With deep.
Deep gratitude.
Thank you,
Mama Cacao,
For the sacred medicine that you offer us tonight.
Thank you for your grounding presence and your heart-opening magic.
We pay thanks to the wisdom keepers,
The ancestors,
And the traditional custodians of the lands where this cacao first grew.
And we thank the farmers and families whose hands continue to lovingly plant,
Nurture and share this gift with the world.
May we receive this cacao with open hearts and deep respect.
As Mama Cacao guides and supports us with our first three sips together.
Three invitations to connect deeper within.
And our first sit tonight is about releasing.
We're not here to forget what's happened.
We're not pretending that things haven't hurt.
And we're not forcing ourselves.
To let go before we're even ready.
Tonight,
Let's just recognize.
That we don't have to keep carrying every damn thing that we've collected along the way.
Those expectations,
The disappointments,
The things that we've held on to,
Even the things that we've said to ourselves.
And as you take your first sip,
Consider this.
What are you ready to put down?
Breathing into the energy of that sip.
Breathing into that releasing.
As you say to yourself,
I release what I no longer need to carry.
I release what I no longer need to carry.
Breathing it in and then letting out an audible breath of releasing.
Our second sip together is about reclaiming.
We've spent a lot of our lives handing parts of ourselves away.
We've given our power to our fears,
Our doubts,
Our past experiences,
Or the expectations of others.
We've forgotten that we still have a voice.
We still have choices.
And we still have the ability to decide what happens next.
As you take the second sip.
Consider this.
What part of yourself are you ready to reclaim?
Breathing into that sip.
Reclining with that energy.
As you say to yourself,
I reclaim my power,
My voice,
And my choices.
I reclaim my power,
My voice,
And my choices.
Taking a deep breath in and remember who you are.
Reclaim your power.
Reclaim your strength.
And our third sip is about choosing ourselves.
Not selfishly.
Not at the expense of others.
But with the understanding that we are allowed to be a priority in our own lives.
We get to choose what we give our energy to.
We get to choose what we say yes or no to.
We get to choose a different direction whenever we need to.
And we don't need anyone else's permission.
To make a choice that honours who we are.
So as you take this sip.
Consider this.
What is one choice I can make that honours me?
Breathing into that energy.
As you say to yourself,
I choose myself.
My worth and my way forward.
I choose myself,
My worth and my way forward.
Breathing deep into your heart,
Feel yourself becoming your priority.
And as you continue to sip your cacao,
Allow these words to settle.
I release.
I reclaim.
I choose myself again.
What was done is done.
Can I change?
I forgive myself for holding on I loosen its grip at long last I hold the power.
I make the choice.
I honor my story I reclaim my voice ♪ I don't need anyone's permission ♪ Is my decision my decision?
I release.
I replay.
I reclaim.
I replay.
I choose myself.
I release.
I replay.
I replay.
I replay.
I choose myself.
We shall reclaim I choose myself I release.
I reclaim.
I choose myself again.
Let those simple yet powerful statements land.
As you make yourself comfortable.
For tonight's journey.
I invite you to imagine.
Imagine yourself walking along a quiet path.
It's a beautiful spring day.
Clear skies.
Warm sunshine,
Soft breeze.
And as you walk.
You become aware that you are carrying a backpack.
And it's heavy.
The longer you walk.
The harder it gets to carry it.
Eventually.
You find a spot where you can rest a moment.
Removing the backpack and placing it down,
Instantly that weight is gone.
When you open your bag.
What you see surprises you,
Because it's not physical objects.
Your bag is full.
Expectations.
Old doubts,
Responsibilities,
Disappointments.
It's full of the things that you've held on to for far too long.
As you sit there you don't have to unpack it.
For now,
Just sit and acknowledge that these things have been a part of your journey.
And as you rest,
Contemplating what's in your bag.
Perhaps noticing for the first time in a while what it feels like to sit without carrying at all.
And as you look up you see a beautiful old tree.
Take a moment to notice its roots grounding it.
Its branches reaching for the sky.
The way it has weathered seasons of change.
This tree hasn't avoided the storms.
And hasn't remained untouched by the elements.
And yet,
Here it stands,
Strong and powerful.
As you take in all the wonders of this tree,
Perhaps you can recognise a little of yourself in the tree.
You have weathered your own seasons.
You've experienced storms.
You've lost things,
Learned things,
Changed and grown.
And here you are.
And just like the tree that doesn't ask permission to grow tall or shed its leaves.
You don't need permission either.
You can reclaim your voice,
Your courage,
Your confidence,
Your right to choose.
You can stay here with your tree,
With your bag for as long as you need.
For when you are ready.
Imagine yourself standing up,
Looking down at your bag.
Taking a moment to close your eyes.
And let your heart decide.
Are you ready to leave that backpack here?
Because the choice is yours.
And when you are ready.
With or without your backpack.
Continue on the path.
Head held high.
Taking in the glorious nature that's all around you as you walk.
Feel the power within you stirring.
Recognising that power is calling you.
Do things a little differently now.
Honouring boundaries that you may have allowed to become clouded.
Using your voice to reclaim your future.
Allowing yourself to take up a little more space in your own life.
Best part of this wonderful life is that you get a say in how you choose to move through it.
Walk.
Breathe.
Smile.
You arrived here carrying things that you didn't even realise were weighing you down.
You remembered a part of yourself that was waiting to be heard.
And you are no longer waiting for permission to choose yourself.
Taking a nice slow breath.
And quietly repeat.
I release.
I recline.
I choose myself again.
One more time.
I release.
The permission to put that weight down.
I reclaim.
A reminder of the strength already within you.
I choose myself again.
The confidence to take the next step.
Thank you,
And blessed be.
