the medicine of hope
Steeped in the depths of Indigenous wisdom, I find brilliant gems that illuminate and guide my path. It’s no mistake that I found the best cacao in the world to brighten my life with hope. Plant medicines have been near and dear to my heart feeding my soul with wisdom, compassion and deeper understanding of myself which allows me to be in greater service to the world. With every cup of cacao I have the privilege of drinking, I taste the sacred reverence of the women who worked the metate to crush the roasted cacao beans into paste. The cacao itself takes me back to the times when my own ancestors grew their own corn, praying for rain to come to water their crops. The symbiotic and interdependent relationship we once had with the Earth lives in my bones—but for many of us are so far from the ancient medicine ways—the sacred seems to slip away—yet the Indigenous people carry their stories and share their seeds of wisdom with the world so we can understand and remember again how to live in harmony and balance with the Earth and all its inhabitants. We can remember the sacred in life, of life.
The cacao itself requires the ecosystem of the forest to thrive. It’s not grown in an agricultural plant with rows and lines of seeds planted evenly—it’s the wild jungle that feeds and sustains all of life, from the worms in the soil, to the birds, monkeys and to us, humans. Cacao is a way of sustaining and honoring life and the divine feminine in its raw natural form.
Unfortunately, what we see as cacao, or cocoa or chocolate in most stores in the United States, are not actually cared for as cacao is cared for by the Indigenous peoples who still hold their ancient ways. Instead, the cacao or cocoa we get, has been processed, exploited and enslaved. The chocolate industry has taken its role in the destruction and exploitation of Indigenous peoples. In spite of so much pain, I am continuously honored and grateful for the humility and gentleness I meet with when learning from Indigenous elders. Still living today through the impact of genocide, exploitation, colonization and destruction, they continue to courageously tell their story, share their wisdom, and bring us the medicine of hope.
At a time when we need it so badly. We have an opportunity to inspire ourselves and heal our physical bodies with the beautiful sacred ceremonial grade cacao that is offered from the Mayan Wisdom Project. Go to their website to support their work and learn more about Mayan Wisdom. If you want to support this work, you can also purchase cacao from Luna y Sol Sanctuary. If you want to share cacao with us, join us online at 11am on June 6th to share sister talk, drink cacao, and wake up hope in our hearts!
Tiahui
