Seremonya Kakaw - Pahiwatig ng Pusong Pinay (Tuning in to the Whisperings of the Pinay Heart)

BULLETIN: We are closing the registration doors at 12:01 midnight Sept. 26 Manila time. Please send me a message if you would like to join but don't make it to the registration deadline. Thanks!

email: alara_paragas@icloud.com.

Do you love chocolate? If so, then you're a step closer to Kakaw, and the spiritual magic of Seremonya Kakaw!

Join me and other Conscious Pinays in this introductory Seremonya Kakaw and experience the healing power of Mama Kakaw in a sacred virtual women's circle!

What is Ceremonial Cacao?

Many shamanic traditions believe that plants have a higher level of consciousness and by sipping their essence we get access to expanded states of awareness. Cacao, however, is NOT addictive and NOT hallucinatory.  Cacao is known to the indigenous people of South and Central Americas as the Sacred Medicine of the Heart. It has been used for at least 4,000 years as a health elixir and ceremonial medicine. As food, it nourishes and heals us on a physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels. As sacred medicine, it helps us open our hearts fully and still our mind in order to hear the profound wisdom of our hearts. Ceremonial cacao is prepared with love and intention before the ceremony and sipped in a sacred space. When we awaken our heart's intelligence and cultivate it, we become masters of what we vibrate and create.

Philippine Kakaw and Sikulate

Did you know that cacao (spelled Kakaw in Pilipino) has been on our soil for centuries? Kakaw was brought to the Philippines from Mexico via the Galleon Trade during the 300-year Spanish Regime, presumably from the Mayans who used it extensively in their spiritual work. Although there are no historical accounts that kakaw was used in ceremonies by our indigenous healers, it is a fact that it came to us, albeit by divine design, and has been grown on our land since. There are literary accounts that cacao has been used as chocolate beverage, such as the reference to “sikulate,” in Dr. Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. In Rizal's novels, sikulate eh (of thin consistency) and sikulate ah (of thick consistency) were served to guests of the Spanish frailes (priests) depending on the guest’s status and importance. To this day, sikulate and tableya (from kakaw) continue to be popular modern versions of kakaw.

What is Seremonya Kakaw for Conscious Pinays

In essence, ritual and ceremony are about connection, not so much about following the template of the original ritualists. As practiced in different traditions, every cacao ceremony is different. Our Seremonya Kakaw will provide us a unique vessel for our journey back to our heart-centeredness or PAGBABALIK-PUSO. Some of the iinspiration in creating the Seremonya Kakaw are: to establish a deeper connection with the heart and listen to the message of Spirit; to remember our ancient selves that once had a relationship to the land and nature; to heal and embrace our Pinay-hood as a mixture of influences from our multi-cultural history; and to embody our light as beacon of love to all people and in conscious service (not servitude) to our fellow citizens of the world.

The Seremonya will be a safe container for the space to connect to the unbroken intelligence of life. By sharing Kakaw with other Conscious Pinays in a sacred circle, we share in the energetic frequency that is created, tune in to the wisdom of body and open our hearts to receive a message. Drinking kakaw in a group as a ceremony has a positive impact on the well-being and sense of inner harmony. Rather than consuming it as a candy or dessert, Seremonya will provide us an opportunity to connect with like-minded Pinays, as well as connect with that ancient part of us that remind us who we are. Every Seremonya Kakaw in this series will utilize any one or combination of the different modalities for self-renewal, self-care and self-healing - meditation, prayer, mindfulness practice, crystals, song, dance and other media of expression that facilitate connection to self and others in the group, creative expression, or navigation of challenges, pain and victories. 

Once you're registered for the event, you will receive more infomration on the Healthe Benefits of Kakaw and its Contraindications, as well as a basic recipe for your Ceremonial Kakaw.

How Seremonya Kakaw Came To Be

Your ceremony facilitator, Alara Paragas, is a Transformation Alchemist who has done Akashic Records and clairvoyant readings for the past 20 years. Her work is an eclectic combination of her intuitive coaching abilities and manifestation techniques drawn from quantum physics and epigenetics. In 2018, she had a shamanic awakening after a precognitive dream involving a cobra. A day after, she fell from a rock during a hiking activity with a YMCA group at the Sloan Canyon in Las Vegas, an inactive volcano where ancient petoglyphs can be found. The accident became a catalyst for her to get immersed in more Shamanic work led by a practitioner trained by Sandra Ingerman. Later she discovered Cacao Ceremony and to this day, she continues to participate in group cacao ceremonies. She developed the Seremonya Kakaw as a service to Conscious Pinays who are looking for inspiration, transformation and growth through the healing arts, and explore forgotten pathways to self-healing by re-establishing a deeper relationship with self, nature and the land. For more information on Alara's work, check out her profile here.  

Outline of the Seremonya Kakaw on Sept. 25

The ritual itself is about 20-30 minutes, but our session will last approximately two hours to cover the community ceremony and sharing, and the bonus section at the end.

A list of what to prepare for the ceremony is found below (What You Need to Prepare section).

Introduction - Some administrative guidelines for the Session

Please come on time. We will close the door 10 minutes after the start of the zoom call to respect the ceremonial container. If you are late, you can join the next seremonya. Make sure you have prepared your cacao drink for the ceremony and have all the items before you. 

Part A - Seremonya Kakaw Proper

1. Opening of the Ceremony
2. Energetic Clearing of Space - I will teach you how to smudge with palo santo or sage, or a spritzer of you own choice
3. Grounding Meditation
4. Pouring of an ounce of your cacao drink into your favorite cup with love and respect. 
5. Gratitude Ritual 
6. Bring your intentions to the altar of Kakaw. Speak to the spirit of Kakaw - your intentions, prayers, request. You may say " I ask for support and guidance for _____." or "Please give me a message about ______." or " Please assist in the healing of _____." Be open to receive.
7. Take small sips of your kakaw as you receive. You may write your impressions or message in your journal. Or sit quietly.
8. Closing with gratitude. 
9. A gentle reminder: Plant medicines have their own sense of timing and space. You may receive a message or answer right away; or the answer may come later after the seremonya when you are ready.

Part B - Sharing

Depending on the number of participants, we will share our experience in a group or diads/triads.

Part C - Bonus Material

The reason for putting this discussion at the end of the session is two-fold: 

• First - the ceremony is designed to allow participants in the circle to dive into the heart in a safe space and let it speak, thus avoiding engaging the frontal lobe and analyze what's going on.
• Second - this approach will encourage participants to intuit what Mama Kakaw offers and allow an operning to receive from Spirit, thus avoiding expectations from any pre-conceived notions. 

I will share my thoughts about using Seremonya Kakaw as a medium for continuing self-inquiry, reflection, self-renewal and self-care, which are essential requisites for the process of Pagbabalik-loob (Journey to Self). Specifically, I will share what I have intuited on the benefits of Seremonya Kakaw as one of the modalities in healing ancestral programming and issues and integrating our multi-cultural legacy in our Pinay-hood. 

If anyone is interested, I will also give suggestions on how to create your personal relationship with kakaw or daily personal Kakaw ritual.

WHAT TO PREPARE

• Raw ceremonial cacao or high quality cacao powder, 1-2 oz. per person
• Your favorite candle, and a match or lighter
• A notepad and pen
• A glass of water
• Sage or palo santo for smudging
• A feather (optional)
• A box of tissues to catch your tears (optional)
• A comfortable chair to sit in
• A thermos to keep your cacao drink warm
• Your favorite sipping cup 
• NOTE: You're encouraged to make your Zoom desk ot table free from clutter and beautiful if you wish. A beautiful space or altar will enhance your experience and connection to the heart. 
• CAVEAT:  Naturally, you'll need Kakaw to sip and speak with Mama Kakaw. However, if you are allergic to cacao or chocolate, or if for some reason, you prefer not to imbibe cacao at this time, you are welcome to join with a glass of water. Intention is more crucial. Make sure, however, to have a stock of Kakaw during the next ceremony.

 IMPORTANT: INTENTION SETTING

• From today leading up to the ceremony, create some time to connect with your personal intention. With the recent Full                 Moon on Sept. 2nd, a shift of energies has emerged. If we've been working on something or thinking of what to do next, the New Moon in Virgo on Sept. 17th will assist us in taking a practical approach, or taking advantage of a solution that will be opened. The energy of the New Moon will still be active during our ceremony.  Ask the spirit of kakaw for assistance and clarity with your next step, if you so desire.

 SOME SOURCES OF KAKAW IN THE U.S.

• FIREFLY CHOCOLATE (ceremonial-cacao.com)

        Their cacao packages start at $22. If you use the link below, you get 5% discount on your first order

         (Win-win Note: I get to earn cacao points, too, if youchoose to use the link).   https://stamped.io/ref/BafkEvro

• ETSY https://www.etsy.com

        Search for ceremonial cacao

• Any pure organic powdered cacao from a health food store will do for now.

SOME SOURCES OF KAKAW IN THE PHILIPPINES

I apologize for not knowing where to source ceremonial cacao in the Philippines. I have emailed a couple of possible sources, but I have not received any response to date.  But there must be sources for organic pure cacao in health food stores in the metropolitan city.

Please share information on local sources with me if you find any. 

(email me at: unboundedyou@icloud.com)

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REGISTRATION AND PAYMENT OPTIONS

More information materials and reminders will be sent to your email upon registration.

Pay-what-you-can registration. Select one payment option for yourself. If you have difficulties paying you can select the FREE option and pay us later via PayPal or Venmo via our connect page.

This event will take place online via zoom. More information will be sent to you upon registration. Your email reminder will have the zoom link. Be sure to have a zoom account before the meeting starts.