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Photo by Elvert Barnes on Flickr
This ritual can be presented any time a Pacha Community gathers for a shared meal—and it can also be adopted and adapted by each individual in the community in their own homes and families, if they wish
The Ritual in 5 Steps
- It starts by having a small ritual space in the area where food is served—a cloth, a candle (lit ahead of time for the ritual), and some incense or sage to burn.
- After each meal is prepared and the food placed out for serving (if you want, cover it to reduce cooling), with everyone present and focusing on the ritual, the food is placed out and the leader of the ritual places a very small amount of each dish in a small ceramic or wooden bowl.
- The bowl is briefly placed in smoke from the incense or sage, and a short prayer is offered on behalf of everyone present, giving thanks as you feel appropriate—to Pachamama (or whatever spirit you invoke) for the gift of life, for the life that gave itself to nurture us, for whatever we are able to create with this gift to offer back to Pachamama, or other ways to express gratitude. Whatever the person lets come from within themselves will be perfect!
- Then take the bowl and ritually place it outside where birds and insects can return it to Pachamama over several days. Once the bowls are empty or mostly empty, you can take them back inside (so, obviously, you need several bowls, and they will be out there for several days at a time!). As soon as the person leading the ritual exits the space, the others can begin serving themselves and eating.
- Let’s acknowledge: beginning to do this ritual will take some careful guidance and explaining to children (and maybe some adults) who are not used to it! It’s a learning process!
The basic purpose of this ritual is to ground us in gratitude and acknowledging Pachamama and all life on a daily basis. The depth of this ritual will grow as you practice it and become more comfortable with it.
