Our Despacho Ceremony
OMG! You made it!
I’m super excited that you are here but I’m also feeling a bit nervous because I’ve tried something new and I’m not sure how it will go.
Also, my type A personality wants to highlight that this site is still under construction and needs a few more things to make it the wonderful container I want it to be. I’d love your feedback! Please 🙂
Onto the story of this becoming…
First of all, I want to thank all who were able to join in and infuse our first despacho with their prayers and gratitude on December 16th, 2021. It was powerful medicine!
The wind was howling and violent that evening so I was unable to burn our despacho outside safely and had to wait a few days.
The day of the fire
The perfect day arrived on the following Sunday. It was a sunny day, with fresh snow on the ground and little to no wind. Admittedly, as this was my very first despacho all by myself, I was a bit nervous setting a paper object on fire in my suburban backyard, however I was confident that Spirit and the new coating of snow would keep me (and the neighbors) safe.
Since I do not have a fire pit, I improvised with a large foil roasting dish courtesy of Betty Crocker via Dollarama. No need to get fancy!
I carefully created a base for our fire with a mound of twigs, some wooden skewers (the Dollar store is truly a treasure), and balls of newspaper as a bed for our fire. I added a lovely smudge bundle I got from Eliana. Without too much coaxing, our despacho, infused with everyone’s prayers and gratitude caught fire while I rattled and sang.
Amazing Omens
The fire burnt well! As the smoke from our offerings took to the wind, I heard the call of Canada Geese! Three to four flocks flew right above me in formation, honking with determination as I stood by the fire, as if they were taking your prayers South with them towards the Apus!
I stood with the fire for a long time, trying to balance not watching the prayer bundle burn and making sure embers were not flying away.
The embers were starting to die when I heard the flap of wings just above my head.
I looked up to see a male red cardinal float onto a branch less than 10 feet away. And he wasn’t alone, his mate was with him! I felt invisible and yet a part of nature. A true blessing.
The Meaning
Did you know that red Cardinals are spiritual messengers that can represent luck, perseverance, manifestation and loyalty?
Canada Geese are known for their bravery, loyalty (does not leave one of its kind behind), teamwork, confidence, protection, fellowship, communication, determination and monogamy.
Both bird species mate for life and embody commitment.
Beautiful omens, confirming Spirit’s presence during the ceremony and a clear acknowledgement that our prayers were heard.
A seed is planted
And so it was on that fateful afternoon in December, as I was writing about that wonderful experience, that I concluded it was time to follow up on another of Spirit’s whispers: to create a place to share our stories with each other and the world.
Well that’s how it started anyways… and as with many things… Once the seed was planted, the idea continued to grow and transform.
My hope is that you will join me and share your wisdom, with all of us. Aho!
You can check out my first attempt at a blog post here
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About The Author
Claudia
Founder of The Shaman Café Living in Toronto, Canada I am thrilled to support you on your journey!