Closing Ceremony for the Cacao Dieta
The Day of the Sacred Seeds
Today marks the final day of our cacao fast, under the energy of 11 Q'anil.
Q'anil is the energy of the sacred seed. It reminds us that everything begins as a seed: our dreams, our prayers, our healing, our relationships, and our projects. During this dieta, many seeds have been planted. Some of them are known to you. Others have been planted quietly beneath the surface, growing in ways that you may not yet be able to see.
The number 11 is the number of transformation. It is the healing that comes through change. It teaches us that growth is not always orderly. Sometimes seeds grow in darkness and mystery before they reveal themselves in the light.
A beautiful day because we honor both the seeds we consciously planted and the seeds that Ixcacao has planted within us during this journey.
What You'll Need
A candle
A cup of cocoa (optional)
A handful of seeds (cacao beans, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, corn, or any seeds you have on hand)
Access to the earth, a garden, a plant pot, or a natural setting where you can make an offering
Opening
Light your candle.
Take a few deep breaths and place your hands over your heart.
Invocation of Ixacaco:“Ixcacao, please awaken, please guide my work, so that I may know your will and your ways.”
Take a moment to reflect on the journey you have taken during this dieta.
What have you learned? What has changed? What have you let go of? What has been nurtured?
Let gratitude arise for yourself, for your body, for the spirit of Ixcacao, and for everything that has supported you during this time. Even if it was raw, rough, or challenging, find something to be grateful for.
Thanking Ixcacao
Hold your cacao or place your hands on your heart and offer these words—or your own:
"Ixcacao,
Thank you for your medicine.
Thank you for your nourishment.
Thank you for the visible and invisible gifts you have brought into my life.
Thank you for the seeds of healing, wisdom, kindness, and remembrance that have been planted within me.
May I continue to nurture these seeds with patience, trust, and devotion.
"Aho."
The Seed Offering
Take the seeds in your hands.
Take a few moments to breathe with them.
Whisper your gratitude into the seeds.
You may talk about the insights you gained, the lessons you learned, the healing you experienced, or the dreams that are now ready to take root.
These seeds represent the gifts you have received from Ixcacao, the seeds consciously planted during this diet, and the seeds that have been planted unconsciously in the deeper layers of your being. These seeds represent and hold the energy of your commitment to continue tending your inner garden.
When you are ready, offer the seeds to Mother Earth.
Plant them, scatter them, or place them at the base of a tree.
As you do so, say:
"As I return these seeds to the Earth, I give thanks.
May the seeds planted during this dieta continue to grow in harmony with life.
May they bring benefit to me, my community, and all beings.
"Aho."
Closing
Place your hands on the ground or over your heart.
Take a moment to feel the completion of this cycle.
Remember that even though the dieta has ended, you can always invoke the spirit of Ixacaco. Remember that a seed doesn’t stop growing once it’s planted; stay devoted to your path.
Give thanks once more to Ixcacao, to Mother Earth, and to yourself.
Blow out your candle.
Aho