And the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers

I’m so very grateful for our Samhain Ceremony with Cacao, Sacred Blue Lotus and Sound Journey on Saturday.

We burned Myrrh and honored the ancestors.

We joined the prayer of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers

Thank you to all those who joined the circle as we honoured ourself and the ancestors in this sacred time when the Veil between our world and the spirit world - the liminal space - is thinning. From the Latin “limen,” the word liminal means “threshold.” Liminal space, what we call the Veil, denotes a time and space between the physical world and the spirit world. It is from the end of October through the beginning of November, the days surrounding Halloween and Samhain, (pronounced ‘sow-en’) that the veil is at its thinnest, making it the most natural time to connect with Spirit.

Through the sacred Plant Spirits of Cacao and Blue Lotus, we embarked on a sonic journey beyond time, to connect with the spirit world for vision and guidance.

As future ancestors of our children's children, we joined the prayer of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers, for the future 7 generations to come, for water, for seeds, for the plant kingdom and the animal kingdom…. for wisdom, walking earth in grace, with deep respect and reverence, in co-creation, like our ancestors did before us, to preserve the higher teachings and the wisdom and knowledge of the ancients.

In the view of the world’s affairs and severity of the loss of disarmony on our beautiful Earth… to say the least, I felt the importance of addressing this year’s Samhain’s celebration by reflecting on what legacy we, as the future ancestors of our children’s children are leaving for the future seven generations to come…. We turn towards our ancestors and the elders of indigenous communities.

WHO ARE THE 13 INDIGENOUS GRANDMOTHERS?

“The International Council of Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers is an international alliance of indigenous female elders that focuses on issues such as the environment, internationalism, and human rights.[1][2] The group met for the first time in October 2004 at the Dalai Lama's Menla Retreat Center on Panther Mountain in Phoenicia, New York, during which time they declared themselves a council.[3] Academic Suzanne Bouclin described them as "an alliance of thirteen women elders from across the globe that was organized to uphold indigenous practices and ceremonies and affirm the right to use plant medicines free of legal restriction.” To learn more about the 13 Indigenous grandmothers and their work, visit https://www.grandmotherswisdom.org/

THE ROLE OF CACAO AND BLUE LOTUS IN A SAMHAIN CEREMONY

Both Cacao and Lotus facilitate the shamanic journey, allowing for a deep inner meditation and connection both with ourself and spirit.

Cacao changes chemicals in our brain so that we can function at a higher level of consciousness and love; so we can shift consciousness and become co-creators in conscious evolution.

In our Shamain Ceremony we also focused on what we need to release, what needs to die in order to make space for the new. And so, in the contest of honouring the death -ancestors and loved ones in spirit- also honoring the process of death and rebirth in our inner world. Cacao is often used to change our perspective, enabling us to recognise and let go of repetitive thought patterns, pattern or bad habits, release energetic blockages and what no longer serves us, with the potential to transmute what no longer serves us.

Lotus, the Oils of Ascension is also linked to death and re-birth, closing its petals in the darkness of the night and blossoming again with the ligh of the dawn, of the rising sun. Blue Lotus flower is also symbolic for Purification. This beautiful acquatic flower goes through a constant process of purification to mantain its puriy. We too will remove our impurities in order to acieve spiritu0al purification “sieving” the unneded so that the Pure Essence remain, revealing the petals of our inner Lotus to the light of the sun.

Everybody dedicated a candle to an ancestor/s or a loved one in spirit, to a dying part of themself or, with a prayer, to a better world on this beautiful Earth for our future generations.

I am still marinating in the beautiful and powerful energy of the ceremony, with so much gratitude for the amazing people that joined the circle.

Next Sacred Cacao & Blue Lotus Ceremony with Sound Journey on the 26th of November Book here0

Samhain Blessings,

Veronica Nilah