M E X I C O
C A C A O & A N S W E R E D P R A Y E R S
New prayers. Deep love. Protecting ecosystem & community. Supporting the vision of a global sisterhood.
In the Chiapas region of Mexico some deep & ongoing prayers were answered and new friendships were woven from a place of indigenous remembrance and care for our Mother Earth.
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The cacao ithat Jangala source from the Lacandona jungle is criollo simply meaning native to this place.
Selva Lacandona is wild & almost pristine place close to the border of Guatamala, there are only few communities living in this area ~ it was once completely wild. The communities that do live there & have established plantations & a way of life trhough cacao & spice trade walked there on foot around 50 years ago. They walked there to start a new life after being displaced from more traditionally rooted but integrated indigenous communities. They were seeking their indigenous roots & reconnection to the land.
The raw cacao beans come from a small family run plantation deep in the heart of the Lacandona jungle. The family literally live within the cacao trees, which they have planted between ancient ceiba trees (the mexican mythic tree of life) & wild sprawling original growth forest. The forest is a vibrant ecosystem full of endemic bird, reptile & mammalian species. The communities that live here are custodians of this biodiversity hotspot ~ it contains 1,500 tree species, 33% of all Mexican bird species, 25% of all Mexican animal species, 56% of all Mexican diurnal butterflies and 16% of all Mexico's fish species.
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Jangala, founded by Julio ~ a masters graduate in Natural Resource Management and Rural Development work intimately with the farmers & communities of Lacandona to educate & empower them around their role as custodians of such a rich landscape ensuring their rights to their land is honoured and there agro-ecological ways of farming can be sustained despite heavy pressure from the chocolate industry for expansion.
The cacao beans are harvested, dried and fermented there on the land & the pasta is curated by Jangala in San Cristobal.
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support the vision &
ethical trade of indigenous
medicine
LIFE IS A PERPETUAL GIFT IN MOTION
After meeting Julio & the Jangala vision I was also so blessed to connect with Maria Alejandra Forero - multidisciplinary artist, researcher & fourth generation cacao tender.
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Malé has been in connection with the women in the communities surround Lacandona as part of her masters thesis research...building relationships and understanding these womens connection to their bodies & menstrual cycle.
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She has found a disconnect between generations of traditional midwifes & a wider community that has colonist views of womens bodies, cycles & rights.
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She is devoted to creating spaces for women to reconnect with the landscape of their bodies, feel empowered by being womban & thus reclaiming spaces in their community such as having the right to farm, trade, create art, express & earn money.
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She holds a prayer & vision to connect these womben back together in circle & also build a global sisterhood in reaching shared innerstandings and power around being womban, through sharing space, traditions & resource towards
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​How many times I have prayed in ceremony on these lands of UK that all womben have access to the beauty of the circle. Meeting Ale felt like a true answered prayer. ​​Thanks for your beauty walk hermana
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See Malé's work here.
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Listen to the fall in love with csacao series podcats where she shares about jangala, her connection to cacao & health benefits for womben here.
weave into the prayer for liberation for all womben on all lands in this lifetime on this watch