The Medicine of Cacao and Nature Dance

For me, Cacao and dancing go hand in hand. The consciousness shifting properties of cacao, combined with the medicine of movement, can help us to shift into transendental states of bliss, euphoria, joy and ecstasy. For me, cacao acts like a tuning fork supporting my soul and my body to align, so that I can reach deeper states of connection to the divine, and to our Mother Earth.

Dancing with Nature and the elements brings a whole new level to this sacred ritual, giving us the opportunity to connect to the frequencies and beings of the natural world with wide open hearts. I often find that messages, omens and synchronicities arrive so clearly when I dance in nature, like the world around me has so much to offer.

All we need to do is slow down enough to receive it.

I often feel that when we dance bare foot upon the earth, with joy and

love in our hearts, we are actually anchoring light through our bodies and into the Earth. That when we reach higher transendental states of vitality and euphoria, we are actually acting as channels ourselves for this powerful energy to heal our Mother Gaia.

Dancing Through The Thresholds 

Myself and my partner Evan feel really strongly about creating our own rituals, rites of passage and threshold moments for our family, as a way to celebrate and mark the turning of important cycles.

One of our favourite ways to connect celebrate, is through Nature Dance. We love to wake up before the sun rises, wrap up warm and climb one of the ancient and sacred Tors here on Dartmoor. Connecting to the immense power of these natural sites, and calling upon the spirits of the land to witness and support us. We salute the darkness, letting go of the cycle passing, and welcome back the sun with open arms as he rises. And then, we Dance. This feels like an ancient and ancestral ritual, which is now deeply embedded within our family's roots.

How do you celebrate thresholds, rites of passage and the changing of cycles?

Are there any rituals or ceremonies that you hold, that feel important to you?

And if not, what rituals would you like to bring into your life, that would really mark each season in a special way?

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Cacao and Nature Dance Ritual &

Dance Set

Preparation

For this ritual, you can work with the dance journey in the link at the bottom, or create your own one on a music platform.

I recommend using headphones, so that you are fully immersed in the music.

Choose the Place

Choose a place in nature that feels safe, secluded and inspiring for your dance ritual. You may want to be alone, or you may be open to passers by. Places such as forests/woodlands, beaches, moors, rivers, lakes, tors, hills, mountains, are all really excellent places to dance, and all have very different energies.

Which energy in nature feels aligned to you for this dance?

Choose an Offering

I would invite you to bring an offering to the place in nature that you choose to go to. Your offering needs to be of natural materials, and be something that holds deep meaning for you. An offering that doesn't have meaning to you, doesn't hold the true frequency of gratitude, and the land will feel it. Maybe you have a special stone, or some herbs that have meaning to you. Maybe you have a song or a poem to share with the land, or some little bits of food or drink that feel decadent and precious. Tune into your heart for this, as your heart will know what is right.

Please note: Cacao is actually poisonous to most animals, so please be careful where you leave it as an offering/if you leave it as an offering at all.

Create an Altar

Bringing some items to create a simple altar can be a really powerful way to hone the energies and intentions for your ritual. Choose things that feel connected to your intention, that bring some magic, inspiration or support to your being.

Oracle Cards

Bringing some oracular wisdom with you to support you on this journey can be really precious. Tarot, Oracle Cards, Runes, Tree Ogham are all really potent ways to gain reflections and insights around your intention.

Make Your Cacao

Craft yourself a special cup of cacao, and infuse her with your intentions for ceremony. If you can, put your cacao into a flask to keep her warm, whilst you journey to your dance spot. Click below for a cacao recipe and meditation to help you with your intention.

Cacao Recipe & Intention Setting Meditation

The Dance Ritual

Arrive and Land

I would invite you to start by creating your little altar and setting up your space. Maybe you would like to sit in meditation for a little while first, so that you can really presence yourself in the place in nature that you have chosen. Thanking the spirits of this natural place for having you here, and laying your offerings at the altar can be a really powerful way to begin.

Welcome in Cacao

Pour your cup of cacao, and bring it to your heart. Take a moment to tune into your heart and see how you are feeling.

How are you feeling?

Remember that all emotions are really welcome. Cacao is a multifaceted medicine who supports us to feel what needs to be felt. Sometimes this is joy, euphoria and bliss, and sometimes its sadness, grief or pain. Cacao is a very supportive, healing medicine with a purge of tears, helping us to release what no longer serves us through the sweet release of crying. So if tears are arising now, or during the dance, please know that this is a sign of her medicine working!

What is your intention for your ritual and dance today?

Setting an intention helps to bring more focus and potency to your dance. Take a moment to see if there is anything that you are longing to release, or call in? Or if you have a question that you need some insight about?

Bless and Drink Your Cacao

Breathe your intention into your cacao, and offer some gratitude to her and the indigenous growers who made it possible for this cacao to be in your cup. When you feel ready, begin to drink her in your own time, allowing your intention and her warm medicine to enter all aspects of your being.

Begin The Dance

When you feel ready, I invite you to begin your dance. Allow the cacao to flow through your body, and the music to take you deep inside. Don't hold back! Really trust that your body knows how to move, and allow yourself to become curious about this. Notice any emotions that arise during your dance, and allow them to move freely through you. Notice any visions, inspirations or insights that land into your mind, these may be your messages. Notice the nature around you, the plants, trees, birds, animals and weather - do any of them hold any symbolic significance for you? Allow yourself to let go into the dance.

It is natural for emotions to arise as we are dancing, because we are moving our bodies and unlocking stagnant energy that may have been there for some time. My invitation for you is to be gentle with yourself. Don't push or slate yourself, just be kind, patient and attentive to your needs.

After The Dance

Once the dance has finished, you may wish to sit in nature for some time in stillness, and allow the nutrients of your movement ritual to really enter your being. Take time to journal, pull oracle cards, eat a grounding snack and thank the beautiful place that you are in, and the spirits that have welcomed you there. Thank cacao and your beautiful body!

When you feel ready to leave, make sure that you take all of your belongings and rubbish with you, and leave this place exactly how you left it.

Aftercare

Cacao's medicine will stay in your system for a couple of days, so make sure you drink plenty of good quality water. Keep journalling any insights that arise, eat good, nourishing food and take some more gentle time in nature. Getting in natural source of water can be incredibly cleansing, or a bath with epsom salts is really good too. Take good care of YOU!

If you feel emotions or physical sensations arising that are concerning to you, don't be afraid to reach out to someone who can support you in a deeper way, like a friend, therapist or health care provider.

And please always check contraindications here, to make sure that Cacao is a suitable medicine for you to drink - please see the link below:

Sensitivities and Contraindications to Cacao

Fancy Giving It a Try? 

My beloved Evan Hollingdale is a sound artist and DJ, who creates shamanic soundscapes for dance journeys. Some of you may have been to our Shamanic Cacao Ceremonies in Cornwall, before our daughter came to the world!

Evan has offered up one of his beautiful dance journeys for you to try, to experience the powerful medicine of Cacao and Dance together, in your own time.

Dance Journey

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Closing Blessing

I wish you many blessings if you do decide to follow this path of cacao and nature dance. May this journey take you ever deeper into yourself, to unlock your innate gifts that lie deep within. May the music soften the hard edges and open your soul to the beauty all around you. May your heart feel clear, full and alive.

With Love,

Isla-Rose x