Food is Sacred 

For centuries our ancestors have prayed over meals, blessed the harvest, and planted seeds on sacred days. Food, the harvest, and providing nourishment to our bodies is sacred- and while the practices, medicine stories, and tales of these sacred rights are shared and practiced today much of the intention and application has sadly been lost.

Intention 

If we are privileged enough, we treat food in a strict and often religious manner. This is seen through the 3 meals a day framework, or the classic supper is a 6:00pm ideal. However, much of the ceremonious intention has been lost. This is precisely what we need to uncover. We will explore the practical applications for inviting this simple practice into your daily life as well as a framework for hosting a ceremonious feast.

Sourcing + Gratitude

The preparation of your sacred nourishment is where we will begin but it certainly isn’t where it starts.  All nourishment begins with the soil, the seedling, and the hands of a nurturer. This is important to take into your practice and to hold the energy of. Gratitude for the microbes, the plants,  the animal, and the farmer is something I hold dear and hold to my heart. I invite you to do the same.

Holding Your Intention

I invite you to hold an intention for the meal and bring this energy forward in the coming stages, bearing in mind the gratitude you gently expressed. Perhaps hold this in your heart, or write it out to reflect on throughout the process.

Preparation 

In the preparation of nourishment we bring forth energy. The energy of how you cook, your intention, and your process will hold in the food you prepare. Do keep in mind the food itself holds energy as well. The ethical and environmental decisions you make about sourcing is always held in your meals.

Commune

For many cultures food preparation is valued as a communal effort or is valued sacred when it is only touched by one hand. What values do you hold in the preparation of food? What are your ancestral lineages? I encourage you to consider these.

Elements

Another important element to discuss is the elements themselves: Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. When we cook we are alchemizing the elements. I encourage you to consider your relationship with this + the intention you bring as you are alchemizing.

Herbs

The herbs we bring to our meals hold energy and constituents when looked at through the eyes of holism. What elements are you bringing in with your herbs and spices?

The preparation, in essence, is elemental. However, is  the combination of these micro elements that create the macrocosmic alchemical product.

Sacred Space 

As a designer, this part of the process is always the most striking to me and draws my energy in. However, crafting sacred space isn’t only about look and feel it is about that what exists in the space: The ether element. Space is open or condensed, it brings feeling, it nurtures concepts, and it holds. What are you looking to bring into your space? What feeling are you looking to initiate? What are you holding?

Sacred Nourishment 

The nourishment is the creation. The practices you have learned here can be applied generously or offered humbly to any nourishment you give to your body and offer to others. It is also your offering (your time, your love, and your energy). The two together create the ceremony. 

In my eyes, it isn’t entirely important  as to what you create as long as you are being true to your values, the process, and all is done in love. That is the truest and most delicious ingredient. However, honoring our values, our bodies needs, and crafting delicious recipes is important for ourselves and those we love. What would you like to create? How would you like to nourish? 

I have crafted an Ebook “The Feast” a 20+ page recipe Guide for crafting ceremonious holiday meals and right now it’ apart of a lovely communal offering of 80+ Plant Based Ebooks. This is a limited time 2,000 value for only 50.00 USD. If you are looking to craft ceremonious dinners and practice this in daily life you can click here to learn more about this offering from the heart!