Joy in Religion – The Chocolate Ritual

Joy in Religion – The Chocolate Ritual March 27, 2011
The Chocolate Ritual.  More pictures on the Denton CUUPS Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/DentonCuups

I take my religion seriously. Though I attempt to sprinkle humor throughout my rituals, sermons, writings and practices, for the most part what I say and what I do is serious. My religion is important to me, and I want to give it the respect and the depth it deserves.

But every now and then even I have to loosen up.

When we were planning our circle calendar late last year, Michi and Erica said they wanted to do “the chocolate ritual.” Now, that scared me. I’ve never been to a chocolate ritual, but I’ve read the script for a couple and I didn’t like them. They weren’t just light-hearted – they were parodies of things I and many other Pagans hold sacred. But the Denton CUUPS group has worked together long enough I trusted them to get it right.

Did they ever get it right!

Here’s the Declared Opening they wrote:

We start as a gift from the God and the Goddess as the seed of much possibility. We grow into forms filled with wonder. As we blossom and grow we sometimes disconnect with this childlike sense of wonder. Our focus for this evening is to bring us back to that childlike wonder and connect with the gods within.

It was light, it was sweet, it was silly – and it was FUN! There were perhaps a dozen kids there – they got to participate and play. We ate too much chocolate, we smashed confetti-filled eggs on each other for good wishes, and we did a long spiral dance to send energy into a crystal for healing work – and because long spiral dances are fun and participative!

I wouldn’t want to do this every day – I am the serious guy, after all. But occasionally, there’s a place for some holy silliness.


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