The Spring Equinox is a special time when day and night are equal in length. It is a powerful day to align with spirit, self, nature, and community through the power of ceremony. It’s also a powerful day to choose which seeds will be sown in the coming season. On this equinox, you’re invited to partake of the rich ceremonial drink of Cacao, which enhances our prayers by nourishing our bodies, our hearts and our minds, and uplifts our spirits to dream with nature’s greatest dream for humanity in harmony with Mother Earth.
During the Ceremony, participants will be invited to meditate and commune with the Northern Woods Ecosystem in Central Park. We’ll allow the life and inspiration of the part to guide us in creating an Earth Altar. Earth Altars are beautiful ancient and modern rituals for sharing and exchanging the energy of gratitude and appreciation with nature. Ceremonial Artists, Miriam Rubin and Farez Hernadez will guide the ceremony and Mandala (Earth-Altar) Making.
We’ll return together to share learnings and stories from the living book of nature and close our ceremony by creating a simple community mandala of our intentions and prayers for the season.
Energy Exchange
We ask that you please offer an exchange for participating in this gathering. Our suggested pricing is:
Unemployed / Underemployed $20
Employed/Resourced: $30
Uplift/Support: $40
If cost is an issue for you and you’d like to come, please don’t hesitate to reach out to miriam@miriamswellness.com
What to bring
Comfortable clothes and good walking shoes
A mug (for Cacao)
A Mat to sit on
A bottle of water
A gift for the land (if you wish)
Other details:
Please do not drink alcohol or any stimulants at least three hours before and after the Cacao Ceremony.
Schedule
1:45 Arrival close to subway stop ⅔ 110th street (Manhattan)
2:00 Welcome, Introductions and Cacao Ceremony
3:00 Communion with Nature
3:45 Community Mandala Making
4:30 close
FAQ
Are there public restrooms?
There are public restrooms within a 5 minute walk of where we will be gathering
Do I need to bring a cup?
Please bring your own cup. We will bring a few extra cups just in case you forget.
What is Cacao?
Cacao is a tropical fruit, rich with antioxidants, known to contain an amino acid called tryptophan that the human brain uses to produce the neurotransmitter Serotonin, which can increase feelings of overall happiness. When consumed, cacao stimulates the brain to release endorphins, lower our stress levels, and give us a general sense of wellbeing.
Cacao has been known through the millennia as a very important source of physical and spiritual nourishment. It was a measure of exchange, and its value is increased by sharing! In the Mayan tradition, cacao has been used for millenium as a sacrament of Love and is known as the “Food of the Gods”, and an “Elixir of Love” Sacred Cacao is a very gentle heart opening medicine. Cacao allows you to connect with yourself and others in a deeper, more loving way.
What is a Cacao Ceremony?
A Cacao Ceremony is an ancestral way of prayer in MesoAmerica where all participants drink the sacred food as a symbol of communion to oneself, nature and creator.
Miriam Rubin (she/her) is a Somatic Healer & Educator, Ritual Artist, Interfaith Minister and youth Rites of Passage Guide. She weaves original music, storytelling, nature connection, and ancestral wisdom to re-story the times that we’re living in, and assist the awakening of the creative potential of the human soul. Miriam has transformed her own relationship to her body, story, and soul, through the Somatic Listening and Storytelling modality that offers to her clients. Miriam finds great joy and meaning in helping other bodies and souls to access somatic safety, resource and connection to the web of life which brings about positive transformation in body, soul and purpose.
Miriam is a 4th generation New Yorker living on unceded Lenapehoking Territory. Learn more about her work here: www.miriamswellness.com
Farez Hernandez (he/him) is Farez Hernandez, born of Lenca (Native MesoAmerican) and of European descent, grew up among the tropical forests of Honduras. Shortly after the assassination of his father, Farez faced threats to his own life, and decided to move to New York.
Connecting with the wisdom of his ancestors and gaining knowledge from many other traditions, Farez co-founded the Shamanic Community Gathering NYC in 2017 to bring ancestral wisdom and to create community through a vision of a new humanity in harmony with Mother Earth. He’s convinced that honoring and respecting the ecosystems where we live is key to having inner peace and harmony in life.
Farez is a Cacao ceremony facilitator, artist, storyteller, healer, and builder. He offers Shamanic Energy Healing, Pagamentos (payments to the spirits) Reiki, Egg and Candle cleansing & readings, Sound healing, Soul retrieval, Cord cutting, Home cleansing and much more.
His calling in this life is to live in harmony with Mother Nature and assist others to remember that we are divine beings, children of the Earth. If we wish to live happily we have to connect and live in harmony with her.