Day of the Dead: Honouring The Ancestors With Cacao
I have recently returned from the United States, and in almost every town, village and city people are decorating their houses and porches with pumpkins and Halloween paraphernalia. It has now become a huge commercial business throughout the America’s, but it’s roots stem from the ancient British Celtic festival of Samhain, and the honouring of our ancestors.
It is the beginning of the Celtic new year, when the veil between the spirit world and our world is at its thinnest and most transparent, especially during the periods of dawn and dusk. It heralds the beginning of winter, and reminds us to ritually prepare for the coming darkness, and barrenness, and the start of a new cycle of inner reflection and wisdom. Represented by Cerridwen, the Welsh Celtic Goddess and the old Crone, she symbolises the end of nature’s fertility and abundance, and the acceptance of death, as a part of nature.
It is an important rite of passage to remind us to communicate and vision journey with our ancestors using the tools of divination; tarot, dreaming, visioning and through meditation. The portals are open for us to walk through and clear out some deep karmic stuff.
Nowhere is this more visible in the world than in Mexico. On 2 November, the whole country celebrates the Day of the Dead or el Dìa de los Muertos. This special day welcomes back the souls of their deceased relatives in a celebration that includes food, drink, music and gathering together in community.
The Mexican Nobel-prize winning poet and author Octavio Paz sums it up perfectly: “To the people of New York, Paris or London, ‘death’ is a word that is never pronounced because it burns the lips. The Mexican, however, is familiar with death, jokes about it, caresses it, sleeps with it, and celebrates it.”
Contrary to common thought, the Day of the Dead is not a Mexican version of Halloween, but a chance to create ofrendas or offerings to honour family members that have passed away. Gravestones and home altars are decorated with brightly coloured flowers, photos of the deceased, and the favourite foods, drinks and objects of the ones being honoured. Smiling skeletons can be seen everywhere, from face paint, to candles to candied calaveras skulls, as a friendly nod to death, and reminder that it is a rite of passage we must all go through.
Rather than being a sad occasion, the Day of the Dead is a dedicated time each year where people celebrate their loved ones by sharing a meal and remembering their lives with them, as if they were still alive. It’s a time to honour the dearly departed, and a joyful celebration of lives led, rather than a sombre mourning of their passing.
The Mexicans also consume huge amounts of cacao during these celebrations. Emotionally, cacao is a powerful Plant Medicine that helps us to heal emotional blockages and wounds around the heart. It enables us to find forgiveness in ourselves and others, and shows us the way forward if we are stuck, or afraid of making necessary life changes. Throughout my grieving process, cacao supported me, as a beautiful, uplifting and heart-opening ally.
One way to enjoy cacao at this time of year is in mole, a traditional Mexican sauce that includes spicy chillies and dark chocolate that is typically eaten on the Day of the Dead – see a simple 20-minute version of the recipe here. Perfect for drizzling on tacos, enchiladas, burritos, nachos, veggies and more, mole is velvety, rich and delicious – and you can customise the levels of sweetness and spiciness to suit your tastes. Don’t forget to replace the unsweetened cocoa powder with a chunk of Ritual Cacao – around 25-40g should do it.
Embrace the encroaching cold and darkness. Enjoy the space it creates, finding the time to integrate all that has happened over the summer and all that is happening, as we start our winter hibernation. Take time out to rest and relax and allow the crossover of the seasons to happen without stress or anxiety. The change of season also brings the opportunity to start again with renewed energy and fortitude.
If you would like to honour this important rite of passage please join me for a very special Grief and Compassion Ceremony, on 2nd November, and inspired by the death of my father this summer. It is a sacred space for those who need to grieve the loss of loved ones, and for those who want to offer their compassion to those grieving.
Together we will create a sacred container so those that grieve can be held by those that want to hold space with compassion. It is a sacred space to remember and honour our loved ones who have passed over. Click here for more info.
Wherever you are, and whatever your situation is this Samhain, I hope you can find some time to give thanks for all the abundance in your life, and connect, honour and celebrate your loved ones and ancestors, who have passed through the veil and started a new journey.
Please join me on 2nd November, the Day of the Dead for a 1 hour silent meditation ceremony to remember, surrender and grieve our loved ones who have passed over.