Harvest and Release Ritual

The Autumn Equinox is the moment in the year when day and night stand in perfect balance, inviting us to honour both light and shadow, and to find that same balance within ourselves.

It is also the season of harvest, a time to gather the fruits of our labour, celebrate abundance, and release what no longer serves us, so we can step into the darker half of the year with more clarity and gratitude.

This month’s Ritual weaves together the energies of harvest and release, supported by the heart-opening medicine of Ritual Cacao.

What You Need

• A ceremonial cup of Ritual Cacao

• A small piece of cacao or cacao nibs

• A quiet, comfortable space

• A journal and pen

• A candle

• Seasonal fruits, seeds, or grains (to symbolise harvest)

• Autumn leaves, branches, or flowers (to symbolise release)

• Crystals (optional)

Ritual Steps

1. Prepare the Cacao
   Lovingly prepare your Ritual Cacao (CLICK HERE for recipe ideas).  As you stir, hold an intention for what you wish to call into your life this autumn. Reflect on both your personal harvests, what has come to fruition and what you are grateful for. Then on what habits, thoughts, or patterns you are ready to release that no longer serve you.

2. Set the Scene
   Choose a quiet place indoors or outdoors. Arrange your candle, leaves, fruits, seeds, or other harvest offerings around you. Light the candle as a symbol of balance between light and dark, and feel yourself entering sacred space as you pepare for the ritual.

3. Ground Yourself
   Hold your cup of cacao and breathe in its warm, chocolatey aroma. With each inhale, invite in love, gratitude, and abundance. With each exhale, release what no longer serves you. As you sip, feel the cacao grounding you and bringing you into balance.

4. Release Ritual
   Bring to mind what you are ready to let go of. Write these down in your journal, and if it feels right, say them aloud: “I release …… that no longer serves me. I make space for newness.” If you are outdoors, you may offer your written words, fallen leaves, or petals to the wind or bury them in the soil as a symbolic act of release.

5. Harvest Meditation
   Take your small piece of cacao or nibs. Close your eyes and reflect on your harvests of the year, however large and small, and acknowledge all that you have cultivated. Taste the cacao slowly, savouring the richness as a symbol of the richness in your life.

6. Journal Your Insights
   Write down what you are most grateful for this year, and any insights that have come during the ritual. Consider what seeds you are planting now that will grow through the darker months.

7. Express Gratitude
   Place your hands over your heart. Give thanks to the cacao, to the Earth, and to the love and support in your life. Write down three things you are grateful for today, for yesterday and for the year so far.

8. Closing
   Blow out the candle to close your ritual. If you used fruit, seeds, or grains, you may either eat them mindfully or leave them outside as an offering of thanks. Trust that what you have released has been carried away, and that your harvest will continue to nourish you.

9. Follow-up
   Keep your journal nearby and revisit your harvest intentions throughout the season. Take small, aligned actions every day that reflect the balance of receiving and releasing. Remember that the rhythm of nature is all about letting go, to create space for new abundance to flow into your life.

This ritual is a reminder that life is a dance of harvest and release. By aligning with the energies of the Autumn Equinox and drinking Ritual Cacao with clear intentions, you step into the flow of abundance with gratitude and trust, making space for the new season to bring fresh growth and new adventures.