When Manifestation Becomes Reality - Hosting a Cacao Ceremony with Laor

Back at the beginning of June, while I was still in Israel with the girls, I knew we were headed back to Santa Cruz—but we still didn’t have a place to live. Then Nina, a friend I met in movement class who owns one of the most magical properties I’ve ever seen, reached out. She told me the main house had just opened up and asked if we were still looking. Right away I sent Ori to see it. A few hours later he sent me a video of this massive deck overlooking both the forest and the ocean, and he wrote, “This is perfect for everything you want to do.”

I hadn’t even seen it myself, but I instantly replied, “Yalla, let’s give it a chance.” Still, I only agreed to a six-month lease—committing to a year felt impossible with my plan to eventually return home to Israel.

A few days after signing, Laor wrote to me: “Motek, how far are you from LA?” Without hesitation I told her, “Six hours by car, an hour by plane—but if you’re coming to LA, there’s no chance you’re not coming to Santa Cruz.” For the past six months I’d been gently courting her, sharing how I play her music in my women’s circles and how much of a dream it would be to bring her to our community.

We moved into the house on July 1st. Less than two weeks later, I had a serious accident that left me unable to do much. Suddenly I was forced into stillness. Even though I never once considered canceling the ceremony, doubts and fears crept in. It was my first time hosting something this big, in a brand-new space, and the thought of doing it alone—without some of my closest friends there—was terrifying. But then, community happened. People showed up for me, and what a blessing it was.

When I first envisioned gatherings on that deck, I saw Laor sitting in ceremony with us. I dreamed of weaving her music into the women’s circles I’ve been leading every month. Last night, that dream became reality. Under the new moon of Elul, we sat, prayed, and danced beneath the open sky—and together, we created pure magic.

Elul is such a potent month—the final month of the Jewish year, leading up to Rosh Hashanah. Spiritually, it’s a time of reflection, preparation, and return to self and to the Divine. The name itself is said to be an acronym for “Ani L’dodi V’dodi Li”—I am my beloved’s, and my beloved is mine (Song of Songs 6:3). It symbolizes a mutual love between the individual and the Divine.

Tradition teaches that in Elul, “the King is in the field.” Meaning: God is accessible to everyone, meeting us right where we are, without barriers or grandeur. We don’t need to go to a temple to feel Divine presence—this is a month of intimacy with Spirit. How fitting, then, that we were literally in the field, gathered on the mountain’s highest peak, circling up between earth and sky, as we entered this sacred time.

The heavens seemed to join us. Clouds shaped like angels floated above, beams of light codes shimmered through. At one point, as Laor sang “Look at the stars, look how they shine on you,” a massive shooting star streaked slowly across the night sky, lingering just long enough for all sixty of us to see.

Later, as Adi prayed for “all beings to know peace,” an owl swooped directly over the circle, gliding so close we could see its eyes and feathers gleaming in the moonlight.

Surrounded by new and familiar faces, my girls, my mom, and Ori, I felt overwhelmed with gratitude. This vision I had casually thrown into the air had rooted itself into reality. My heart was bursting with love.

There were countless details I hadn’t considered when the idea first came to me—but thankfully, I was held by incredible people who believed in the vision and helped me bring it to life. Shauli who took care of the sound, the lighting and overall calm energy, Tim the property manager who helped create the space and tended to every need, Nova and Tom for helping with set up and tear down, Ori with the parking and making sure things run smoothly, my mom for just being the best, and all the other fairies and helpers who helped with cacao, washing dishes, and every other little thing.

Last night reminded me of something essential: when we create together, when we act out of love, true magic unfolds.