a structure for spirit

A Spirit journey led to a circle of dolphins.

A ceremony to ascend in JOY manifested in form.

The new moon is a time I often create despachos. Traditionally the prayers of a despacho are blown into cocoa leaves, placed with offerings in wrapping paper then tied up like a gift and burned in a ceremonial fire. During the new moon of July I had plans to be on a wild dolphin retreat in Bimini so it was there a despacho would be created.

Spirit had a bigger vision. During our first meeting over lunch I learned that sacred lodge sister Carla Goddard was going to be on the west coast at the same time I would be at the Atlantic. The Ascension to Joy ceremony was born.

Rather than create a traditional despacho in wrapping paper I was inspired to use the natural elements of Bimini to create a despacho in sand. Instead of fire, water would be the element to which our despacho would return washed clean by the tides.

Hundreds of souls joined with prayers and intentions carried to each coast. A finger sponge to the Atlantic, a prayer stick to the Pacific. Other than the sponge, very little went with me to Bimini for our despacho trusting that what I needed would be there. I did however take a bag of Himalayan salt crystals, organic cocoa nibs and gold and silver resin.

View from our Despacho

Bimini abounds in beauty. Grand and gorgeous conch shells are everywhere. Coconuts, with their sweet nectar purified by traveling through palm trees are abundant. These elements were integral to ceremony here.

Finger Sponge in Heart of Despacho

Prayers in the finger sponge sat at the heart of our despacho in a coconut shell anchored in a natural sponge from Bimini. These sponges were fed with coconut water nourishing our prayers in pure, sweet nectar.

A piece of coral found the first day reminded me of an antennae and was added to the sponge to amplify the signals of our intentions to the Universe.

Himalayan salt crystals were placed in a counterclockwise direction around the center of our despacho to cleanse and unwind from our systems all that blocks the flow of joy. Offerings of cocoa honor the lineage of this ceremony. Silver and gold resin honor the flow of the sacred masculine and feminine and link our prayers to both Pachamama and Inti Ti Ti, Earth and Sun.

A Spirit song came through as I circled and sang around the center of our despacho in a clockwise direction with the intention of building the energy of JOY. A small well was created to which native flowers were added for beauty.

Blowing prayers into Conch Shell

Eleven of us were on retreat and each was represented by a conch shell that surrounded the perimeter of our despacho. Personal and collective prayers were blown into the shells. I am not a numerologist but the number 11 feels significant as the number 1 reflects oneness, amplified by its repetition in the number 11. Eleven holds us in Unity consciousness where all hearts meet as ONE.

Coconut Love

Two coconuts were placed at the North end (top) of despacho to feed our prayers from the highest realms and honor our ancestors, our intentions awash in the abundance and nourishment of the bountiful coconuts. The bark of palm trees connected both sides of our despacho ending in a spiral of shells guiding our prayers to the ocean.

The wild and free dolphins of Bimini blessed us profoundly and their sacred medicine of joy, playfulness, community, touch, sensuality, pleasure, telepathy and communication weave deeply into our ceremony. We were graced with two pods of dolphins that swam with us for an hour before our despacho was created. They teach us how to live in two worlds as they dwell in both the world of air and water.

The tides washed clean all elements of our despacho. All that remained were the 11 conch shells. Each of us now carries this shell as a reminder of the magic of our time in Bimini. A sacred object gifted by Spirit for meditation, healing, prayer and JOY.

Tides washed clean our Despacho

May all beings be happy.
May all beings be safe.
May all beings know JOY.
May all beings be held in love.
May all beings,
everywhere,
be free.

AHO my friends!

Despacho in Bimini

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Visit Joe Noonan to find out more about wild dolphin retreats
in Bimini and Hawaii.