 |
 |
|
No matter how technologically advanced we think we may be—and in many senses, indeed are—many of our most deeply entrenched customs and practices are still profoundly connected to the old ways. Pagan rituals that over time have been transmuted into religious holidays, popular social events, and too often into commercial marketing frenzies.
Take the one at the end of this month, for example: Halloween and the Day of the Dead. This goes way back. Ancient Egypt buried their dead with honey cakes. The Celtic people celebrated Samhain with soul cakes, among other treats. And in pre-Columbian Mesoamerica, it was cacao—chocolate, Theobroma cacao, the sacred "food of the gods" that permeated every facet of life from birth to death, that has since mesmerized practically all of humanity with its extraordinarily complex and tantalizing flavors.
I confess I am one such mesmerized human. And given the insane amount of research I've had to conduct for my upcoming novel involving cacao, I am now a rather knowledgeable mesmerized human. Scratch that. A bonafide, permanently infatuated, knowledgeable chocoholic.
The novel will come soon enough. But Halloween is coming up faster, and for those of you with trick-or-treat-age children, or those of you who still secretly sneak into that chocolate stash whether it's a holiday or not, consider the list of ingredients when you run your hands lovingly along those inviting chocolate bars in your favorite shop.
Want the best chocolate? Want all those flavonoids and polyphenols (aka antioxidants) and heady flavor? Get dark chocolate, not the milky or white (wannabe!) chocolate. Get it as natural and unprocessed as possible. Above all, avoid things like soy lecithin, corn syrup, palm oil, food coloring, and anything that's not easily recognizable like PGPR.
It's like that with most things in life, isn't it. Simplicity is beauty. And in this case, cacao nirvana.
~ Birgitte
|
 |
I'm settling into my new gig as a regular blogger for The Write Practice, a vibrant online community of writers. I'm on every other Wednesday, and I write about the challenges, tribulations, and joys of an author's life—and how to improve the art of writing.
Today's post is the "Writers' Edition" of the work I've been doing on sacred time—the concept of non linear, cyclical time that many ancient civilizations, notably the Maya, studied and enriched their lives with for millennia. And as our crazy world would have it, it's now the subject of the latest high-end physics research.
Whether or not you're a published author or any sort of professional writer, we all still need to write effectively. The challenge always seems to be time—namely, the fierce lack of it. This morning's post unlocks tiny little windows of time you may not have known were there to be opened.
Check out the blog and share with friends and loved ones who could use a little more sacred time for their writing.
|
 |
This month I host another session of our "Living in Sacred Time" series, a series of teleseminars on how to integrate sacred time into our busy lives. This session, which takes place on Sunday, October 20, focuses on one of the most fascinating and significant aspects of the human experience: love and relationships.
I'm delighted to add that our guest speaker for this session is Shannon Kring Buset, an award-winning author, producer, and director who actively harnessed sacred time—and actually lived with the Maya—to heal her heart after a difficult period in her life.
Here's how to sign up:
Love & Relationships: the Intimate Power of Sacred Time
Date: Sacred Sunday, October 20
Time: 6am PST/8am EST/3pm CET
Location: via conference call
Click here for details and to register.
You can also check out the other sessions in the series:
Health & Well-being
Work & Career
Money & Finance
|
 |
TRANSFORMATION TALK RADIO
Date/Time: rescheduled, stay tuned for an update!
ALUMNI AUTHOR MEET & GREET
Sunday, October 20, 8:30-10am
Arrillaga Alumni Center, Stanford University
AUTHOR SERIES IN SARATOGA
Wednesday, February 5, 2014, 10am
Saratoga Public Library, Saratoga, California
This is a free public event. RSVP to attend.
More events are in the works... stay tuned!
|
|
Connect with me:
|
 |
|
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
You are receiving this message because you have signed up for my mailing list, registered with a user account on my author's web site, or otherwise communicated with me and/or shown interest in my work or the official Birgitte Rasine author
web site, or because you are someone
I know personally. If you have any questions, please contact LUCITÀ via email at info@lucita.net or by telephone at +1 408.542.9942.
Copyright © 2013 LUCITÀ Inc. All rights reserved worldwide.
|
