For two annual cycles we have been accompanying you through the eight annual festivals in our blog with cacao rituals. Now we would like to give you an overall overview of all the annual celebrations, what they are derived from, why it is so wonderful to perceive and use the qualities of the annual celebrations and how Ritual Cacao can accompany and support you.
Everything is connected
For thousands of years, people in almost all cultures have celebrated life transitions and the natural cycles of the sun, moon and seasons with rituals and ceremonies. Whether the Celts and Germanic tribes in our latitudes or the Inca and Maya in South America, they observed the position of the sun, moon and stars, the movement of the earth and lived in harmony with the cycle of nature.
Unlike us today, our ancestors were dependent on recognizing the natural cycles and so their festivals were also shaped by the cycle of life and the seasons:
The awakening of life and buds in spring, growth and abundance in summer, ripeness and harvest in autumn and peace and introspection in winter. So every year they went through the cycle of nature from birth, life, maturity to death. Everything was connected for her. The festivals gave them orientation like a compass and at the same time served to show their deep gratitude to Mother Nature (Pachamama) and the deities.
The annual festivals
In the northern hemisphere, i.e. here, the annual circle consists of eight annual festivals that form the spokes of the annual wheel. They are celebrated in the rhythm of the seasons and approximately every 6 weeks depending on the position of the sun and moon. There are four sun festivals: Yule on the winter solstice, Ostara on the spring equinox, Litha on the summer solstice and Mabon on the autumn equinox.
Alternating between the sun festivals, the 4 moon festivals are celebrated: Samhain, Imbolc, Beltane/Walpurgisnacht and Lughnasadh/Lammas. Our ancestors only celebrated the sun festivals on a fixed date because they were based on the position of the sun. The lunar festivals, on the other hand, followed the rhythm of the moon and used to have a flexible date. Today, all annual festivals are usually celebrated on a fixed date:
| 1st Annual Festival | October 31st: SAMHAIN , Moon Festival |
| 2nd Annual Festival | December 21st: JULFEST , sun festival, winter solstice, beginning of winter |
| 3rd Annual Festival | 1st/2nd February: IMBOLC , Moon Festival |
| 4th Annual Festival | March 21st: OSTARA , sun festival, spring equinox, beginning of spring |
| 5th Annual Festival | April 30th: BELTANE & WALPURGISNACH , Moon Festival |
| 6th Annual Festival | June 21st: LITHA , sun festival, summer solstice, beginning of summer |
| 7th Annual Festival | August 1st: LUGHNASADH & LAMMAS , Moon Festival |
| 8th Annual Festival | September 23rd: MABON , sun festival, autumnal equinox, beginning of autumn |
Even if we no longer celebrate annual festivals in our culture today, some of them can be found in the Christian faith and our traditions: Samhain and All Saints' Day and Halloween or Yule and Christmas, Imbolc and Candlemas, Ostara and Easter, Beltane and May 1st , Litha and Midsummer Festival, Mabon and Thanksgiving.
The sun festivals of the Maya and Inca
The solstices and equinoxes were also celebrated in the southern hemisphere in South America. For the Maya and Inca, the sun was sacred and the summer and winter solstices and the spring and autumn equinoxes were the most important positions of the sun. On June 21st, the Inca celebrated the winter solstice “Inti Raymi” in honor of the sun god Inti and the beginning of the new year, as the days became longer again from then on. In rituals they made offerings and also thanked Pachamama for the harvest and asked for protection and a good harvest for the coming year. In Machu Picchu, located above the Urubamba Valley, on the winter and summer solstices the first ray of light falls directly into the middle of the room through one of the two windows of the Sun Temple. Even today, the descendants of the Inca celebrate the sun festival “Inti Raymi” around June 21st in Cusco, the former capital of the Inca Empire, with a colorful festival.
The Maya, in turn, built the step pyramid in Chichén Itzá in honor of the snake god Kukulcán in such a way that at the spring and autumn equinoxes, a wavy shadow is gradually cast on the parapet of the pyramid, ending in a snake's head. It seems as if a giant snake is gliding down to the earth to make it fertile for the harvest of the coming cycle. But the solstices also seem to have been important for the Maya, because then only one half of the pyramid is illuminated for a short period of time.
Unfortunately, we don't know whether the Maya or Inca drank cacao during their sun rituals, but we can assume so, as they used the miracle plant and the brown gold as medicine and for religious purposes.
We definitely love drinking cacao during transitional times and special occasions and that's exactly what the annual celebrations are for us. We celebrate Mother Nature and her many facets. We leave with gratitude and humility for all the treasures she gives us.
The magic of the annual celebrations: A connection to nature & self
In our time, the original sun and moon festivals have unfortunately often lost their meaning as annual celebrations, but they are a good chance to get in touch with the seasonal qualities of the nature around us and our own nature.
We live in a time in which everything has to happen quickly and thanks to technology we have moved further and further away from the cyclical life of nature. This could also be the reason why many people don't feel so good mentally and physically. We must not forget that we are part of nature and the more we come into harmony with it, the easier life becomes for us.
Celebrating the annual festivals gives us the opportunity to consciously perceive nature, to pause, to feel the qualities of each season within ourselves and to become aware of our own needs.
We can reflect on where we are, place ourselves in a larger context and find new directions for our lives. By connecting with the seasons we strengthen our roots and intuition, nourish our soul and experience strength, clarity and connection. Each of the eight annual festivals has its own magic and energy from which we draw strength and experience personal growth. They lead us into a heartfelt connection with ourselves and nature.
Ritual Cacao as a wonderful companion and supporter during the annual festivals
Ritual Cacao is of course also a gift from nature, which helps us to welcome and learn to appreciate change and different qualities. When we consume cacao , we connect with nature, of which we ourselves are a part. We feel the connection to the earth and perceive the different qualities of time even more clearly. When drinking cacao we connect with our heart and come deeper to ourselves. When we are in harmony with our inner being, we also appreciate the outside much more. We don't have to think about what is right or wrong, we feel it and act accordingly. In this state it is much easier for us to vibrate in harmony with nature and to take better care of it.
We would like to remind people how important contact with nature is and to celebrate this as often as possible. That's why we have created our own cacao ritual for you in our blog for every annual festival:
Samhain Cacao Ritual - connection with the ancestors
OCTOBER 31
Moon festival
The veils between the worlds become very thin. Prepare for the transition from the old to the new.
Yule Cacao ritual for the winter solstice
21ST DECEMBER
Sun festival
The longest night of the year is upon us. Use this nourishing time of snuggling up for introspection and reflection.
Imbolc Cacao Ritual - In contact with the Higher Self
01/02 FEBRUARY
Moon festival
Life is getting ready to come back.
Get in touch with your higher self.
Ostara Cacao Spring Equinox Ritual
MARCH 21ST
Sun festival
Light and darkness are in absolute harmony and balance. Give your wishes and dreams time to grow.
Walpurgis Night - Beltane Cacao Ritual
APRIL 30 / MAY 1
Moon festival
Fertility returns. Awaken your life energy and move forward on your heart's path with clarity.
Litha Cacao ritual for the summer solstice
JUNE 21ST
Sun festival
The greatest unfolding of light - longest day and shortest night. Appreciate life and your BEING.
Cacao ritual for Lughnasadh and Lammas
AUGUST 1st
Moon festival
The time of greatest abundance, ripeness and the first harvest has come. Use the power of maturity and letting go for yourself and your path.
Mabon Cacao Ritual for the Autumnal Equinox
SEPTEMBER 21-23
Sun festival
Summer is coming to an end and autumn is slowly approaching. It's time for you to look within and recharge.
Get into the flow
Each annual cycle has its own theme and they all build on one another. That's how nature does it too. Everything follows a completely harmonious rhythm and one cannot work without the other.
Feel warmly invited to celebrate the annual festivals with our cacao rituals and to get into a flow with the rough nights that will carry you through the year.
With Love, Leni
