Kindred Raw Spirits!

I often hear from people who enjoy the raw foods lifestyle that not only do they experience improved health, vitality, and an increased sense of well-being, but many also experience a deepening of their spiritual nature.

And with Halloween just around the corner, this time of year is traditionally associated with tasty treats as well as thoughts about the spirit world. This potluck will try to combine the two and feature much healthier, more satisfying versions of both!

First, the treats (without the tricks!). This potluck will spotlight raw cacao creations. Let’s explore some of the many delights that can be created from sacred cacao. Adults will clamor for this kind of healthy indulgence and kids could only dream of getting some of this stuff in their trick or treat haul this year! This evening we can join with the ancient Mayans, Aztecs and Incans who knew about the amazing healing properties of cacao and have used it in their cultural rituals as well as in their healing practices. Legend has it that the Incans held the seeds of raw cacao to be so sacred and valuable that they used cocoa beans as money and stockpiled it like we do gold bullion today as they filled their treasury holds with tons of cocoa beans. It's not surprising, then, that raw cacao isn't exactly cheap these days either!

As for the spirit world, on hand for this get together will be an absolutely delightful friend of mine who also happens to be an ordained Spiritualist minister and certified medium who has worked extensively this past year at nearby Camp Wonewoc. She will be available for private personal readings and consultation throughout the evening for anyone who would care to have a sitting with her. Each session will be a minimum of 15 minutes starting at $15. I have had the pleasure of working with her and personally have found great love, support, comfort, and value in the very personal, timely messages she brings through. While I personally believe that anyone, regardless of their background or belief system, can benefit from receiving this kind of information, out of respect to those who aren’t attracted to this kind of spiritual experience, these sessions are, of course, completely voluntary and private, and no one will be subjected to such interaction who doesn’t care to be. But if you are open to the experience, here are some things to ponder - if you could ask anything from the world of spirit, what would it be? Who would you most like to hear from? To ensure that you are able to get a reading, it would be best to pre-register by contacting David prior to the 26th to reserve your spot, otherwise it will be subject to availability that evening.

Directions to David & Lisa's on the West Side of Madison will be emailed to those who RSVP "yes" and "maybe" for this potluck as well as posted on the message board in the 24 hours prior to the potluck.

In the meantime, some “food for thought.” Here is some information about the benefits and properties of raw cacao as well as plenty of recipes:

http://thesunnyrawkit...

http://karenknowler.t...

http://www.naked-choc...

http://www.alivefoods...

http://goneraw.com/se...

http://ezinearticles....

http://www.naturalnew...

http://www.ulimana.co...

Hope you can join us for what promises to be an out-of-this-world evening!

David

Our usual potluck Food Guidelines will apply:

First off, we very much want to welcome our new members and those curious about the raw and living foods lifestyle. We encourage you to bring something very simple - some fresh, organic seasonal fruit, some cut up organic veggies, or some raw trail mix you can put together, for example. (If you need more ideas, contact David by using the “email me” link on the left side of web page.) More information for newcomers to our group can be found here: http://www.meetup.com... .

For each person attending bring one dish with at least eight servings to share, along with the appropriate serving utensils. One can reasonably expect this to cost somewhere around $15.00.

Please bring all of your own silverware, dishes, and cups that you will be using.

Please use organic ingredients whenever possible to prepare your dish, for increased nutrition, elimination of pesticides and genetically modified foods, and most importantly for your body and for the planet!

If dehydrating or warming your food, please do so at or below 105 degrees to ensure that the enzymes of the food remain intact and active.

Bring a copy of your recipe to place by your dish, so that others can copy it if they like what they tasted, and also so they can be able to make informed choices, should they not want to eat certain ingredients due to sensitivities or other personal reasons (such as nuts or Bragg's Liquid, for example). We will then post a message on the Madison Raw Food Meetup website where everyone can respond to and add their recipes for each particular potluck to share them with others.

At the end of previous potlucks we often exchange our leftovers. Bring some extra containers if you want to join in on the fun.

Voluntary donations towards the costs of using our Meetup web presence ($144 annually) are greatly appreciated. It was suggested by our members that we should consider donating a dollar or two every potluck, which would quickly help us meet our costs.