We're familiar with the image of a cold, snowy night with friends gathered around a fireplace laughing, telling stories, everyone enjoying a mug of hot chocolate, maybe with marshmallows. What might we be doing if our mugs were filled with cacao? A ritual? Yes!  For more than 5 years, Dina Valentini has followed the path less taken to develop a relationship with the plant known as "the food of the gods."  She talks about the botany of cacao, how cacao becomes chocolate, and how she uses cacao in rituals.  Dina also shares how her experience as a chef guides what she blends into her cacao bars. Lavender, fig, ginger, and rose are a few of her favorites. Using beans soaked in the brandy her late-father always drank, Dina created the award-winning bar "Mi Padre." Yes, she makes custom blends for weddings, fund raisers, personal rituals, and more.  Dina speaks with love about the relaxing, heart-opening benefit of cacao she calls "the pause." We're exploring how such a pause might help family dementia caregivers, a role both Dina and I have experienced.  For more -- much more -- visit Dina's website: https://DinaValentini.com

Whatever spiritual path we follow, whether we follow any path, we're far more alike than different. We all understand the importance of hard work and the value of sacrifice. We know how good it can feel to finally lay a burden down.  We know how it feels to give or receive comfort. We know what it is to grieve.  In this Summer Solstice ritual, I showcase the partnership between the Sun as the exhausted provider and the Moon as the nurturing caregiver. Knowing the Moon was about to enter Capricorn, the sign of the elders, I opened the ritual by calling in the Grandmothers of the four directions.  During the ritual, we recalled the seeds we planted the previous December at the Winter Solstice. What was it we wanted to nurture and grow? What came of all our hard work? Did we do a good job?  Of course, the deeper purpose of these questions and the ritual as a whole was to acknowledge our own burdens and admit our need for self-care.  My husband died two years ago. He had Alzheimer's. It wasn't until I created this Summer Solstice ritual that I saw the correlation between the astrological symbolism and my experience as a caregiver. I didn't expect the ritual to help me navigate grief, but it did. It still does. That's why I'm sharing the ritual now, almost three months after the Solstice.   

Are you an artisan, a craftsperson, a maker? It's February. It's time to affirm your faith in your talent, prepare your tools, and get to work on your big dream. If you lived in the Old World in the land of the Norse, you'd be preparing your iron plow. You'd be honoring the Dwarves whose skill and knowledge are forged into your plow. You'd cleanse your plow. You'd charm it with herbs. Listen for a ritual to charm your tools. 

After 2 challenging years, I found hope attending the virtual conference of the Parliament of the World's Religions. Its 1893 conference is considered the beginning of the interfaith movement. The Oct 2021 conference offered 583 programs, panel discussions, religious ceremonies and spiritual observations. Presenters included Christians, Jews, Muslims, Buddhists, Jains, Bahhais, Sikhs, Hindus, Pagans, Native Americans, Indiginous people and more. The Dalai Lama spoke to the gathering, as did the Pope. Also sharing their wisdom were an Inuit shaman, a Curandera Esperitu, an African elder, and a Lakota grandmother -- and more.  Links: Episode 9 of Ritual Recipes about Spirit Spoons and a Ritual for Soup to Heal the World https://parliamentofreligions.org/home  

Think of your home as a living entity. A simple gratitude ritual can change your perspective on what your home really means. Your walls provide structure, shelter, and a sense of security. The floor supports you and keeps you grounded. Running water helps you get in touch with deep emotions.  This episode contains a simple ritual to help you see and appreciate what you have. 

My husband and I have been married for 40 years. He has Alzheimer's Disease. Late stage. I'm his full-time caregiver. I'm fortunate to have a social worker on our medical team, and to be a member of an online dementia support group. Still, there are potholes in the emotional road we're traveling. This episode shares respected data, personal stories, real mistakes I made, and three rituals I created to help me cope. If you are caring for a spouse with Alzheimer's or other form of dementia, this episode might help you navigate this painful path.

Imagine the story of your life. What happens to you after, "Once upon a time"? The ancient folktale of Fatima the Spinner is reimagined to support a woman's right to choose. Let it inspire your own story.  The Power of Your Warp & Weft, a workshop designed by author and professional weaver Paula Chaffee Scardamalia, is included with her permission. For more, visit her website and read her book: Weaving a Woman's Life: Spiritual Lessons from the Loom.

What does a wedding arch have to do with a king's scepter, a flag planted on the moon, and a Thomas Kincaid painting? Weddings are filled with symbolism. One that has been lost over the years is the original meaning of the ceremony arch. Hint:  The meaning can be found in the night sky and the ancient belief, "As above, so below. "  

Yemaya, the Yoruba orisha, the Mother of All, is associated with cowrie shells, symbols of fertility, prosperity, and a woman's voice. This episode offers rituals using various shells, and a ceremonial ritual to discover your authentic self. Learn about the millions of Africans who died crossing the Atlantic Ocean in the horrors of The Middle Passage and why August 25 has been declared the Day of Healing.  To learn more about seashells and their messages, check out Ocean Oracle by Michelle Hanson. Her work on the language of shells is based on science, biology, and a life-time of observation. 

In the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean, we find the Inuit goddess Sedna. There are several versions of her origin story, each one horrific. At the heart of each is the theme of betrayal. The rituals I created for Sedna are designed to help us reframe childhood beliefs, especially those beliefs that can keep us from thriving as adults. That's the message in the language of the Pink Mouth Murex shell. (See "Ocean Oracle: What Seashells Reveal about Our True Nature" by Michelle Hanson.)