Ever since Cacao was industrialised into everybody’s favourite candy bars, the true spirit of this plant has been buried underneath layers of plastic, and mislabeled as nothing more than a tasty treat.
But it’s not all bad news. In recent years, Cacao has made a quiet return to its roots as a respected teacher plant. Today, it’s being shared consciously all over the world to quiet the mind and help us tune into the heart.
It’s no wonder people are gathering in ceremony once again to share this sacred drink, because it has so much to teach. In this guide, we’ll run you through what is a Cacao ceremony, and everything you need to know if you plan on attending one.
What is a Cacao ceremony?
A Cacao ceremony is a ritual that involves sharing and drinking ceremonial Cacao, often accompanied by prayer, intention-setting, music, and meditation. While the modern Cacao ceremony is a recent creation, it draws inspiration from the ancestral use of Cacao in Mesoamerican cultures, where this plant was regularly used in rituals, rites, and offerings.
In ceremony, we aim to connect with the spirit of Cacao. Historically, Cacao was revered as a medicine that could help us heal, grow, and connect more deeply with our authentic selves. Ceremony allows us to pay reverence to this teacher plant and honour the traditions that came before us. Not to mimic them, but to find our own ways of connecting deeply with this medicine.
Cacao ceremonies often last for a couple of hours and involve praying, setting intentions, letting go, and connecting with the group through sharing, singing, and sometimes dancing. People often participate in a Cacao ceremony when they feel they need to reconnect more deeply with the heart-space, or are too caught in their heads.
While Cacao ceremonies are often conducted in a group setting, you don’t need to be in a ceremony to sit with the medicine of Cacao. If you feel called to sit with the medicine in solitude, you can still benefit greatly from this plant.
What is ceremonial Cacao?
Ceremonial Cacao refers to pure, unadulterated cacao that is often used in the context of ceremony. Usually, ceremonial Cacao is processed into a paste or block, where it can then be used to create the rich beverage we drink when seeking to connect to the spirit of the plant.
This can be confusing to some, as Cacao is often mistaken for chocolate. But long before chocolate took the world by storm, Cacao was honoured as a sacred spirit that brought gifts to those who communed with it, which is why people continue to use these beans ceremonially today.
Let’s take a few steps back in time.
The ceremonial use of Cacao dates back thousands of years, deriving from the Mayan word kakaw. Recognised as a spiritual tool to the indigenous peoples of the Americas, it was commonly used in rituals such as rites of passage and marriages, most notably within the Aztec and Mayan cultures.
To the ancient Mesoamerican societies, Cacao was so highly revered that it was even used as currency. Over time, influences such as colonialism, industrialism, and commercialisation stripped Cacao of its identity, reducing this sacred plant into mass-produced confectionery with no inherent value.
While the use of Cacao is still present in ancestral and traditional Mayan ceremonies, the spiritual use of this plant took a back seat for some time while these ancient cultures faded from memory. With that said, its spiritual roots never fully disappeared.
In modern times, Cacao is re-emerging as a respected plant medicine. While we may not relate to Cacao in quite the same way the ancient Maya did, what matters is that the heart of these ancient traditions continues to beat.
What are the benefits of ceremonial Cacao?
While it might not be on every psychonaut’s bucket list, when we sit with the spirit of Cacao, we’re entering a relationship with something much deeper than a tasty beverage.
The benefits of ceremonial Cacao are many. Ceremony sets the stage for us to realign and put our inner worlds in order via intention and prayer. Paired with the medicine of Cacao, it has a subtle way of guiding us deeper into our processes and helping us calibrate with the authentic self hidden.
Unlike some medicines like Ayahuasca or Magic Mushrooms that send you on a powerful journey, Cacao is a gentle, non-psychoactive medicine. It doesn’t push, but it invites you to step back to the warmth of the heart and to more fully engage energies of love and gratitude, while enriching our interpersonal relationships.
Some common benefits include:
- Opens the heart: Cacao is best known as a heart medicine because it helps you drop into the heart space, raise your vibration, and connect to energies such as gratitude, compassion, and warmth.
- Grounding effects: The effects of Cacao are grounding, meaning that it brings you out of your head and into your body. This grounding effect is a great antidote to mental chatter, anxiety, and overthinking, and often makes you feel more collected.
- Boosts natural energy: Cacao is considered a mild stimulant that increases the body’s energy flow. This can increase alertness and energy levels, not in the jittery coffee sort of way, but rather by facilitating a smoother, natural increase in energy.
- Boosts mood: Alongside stimulating energy levels, a common ceremonial Cacao benefit involves boosting your mood. You may feel calmer and more joyful when sitting with Cacao.
- Deepens inner work: This medicine is also known to encourage emotional processes, especially if something feels a little stuck. This is what makes it such a good ally for pairing with things like meditation, dancing, breathwork, or even just self-reflection.
- Helps with emotional release: While it won’t make you purge in the Ayahuasca sort of way, Cacao can help facilitate an emotional release by teasing the roots and allowing buried feelings to float to the surface.
- Deepens your connection with others: Cacao is an empathogen; therefore, it’s often used to facilitate deeper emotional connections with others. This is especially powerful in group settings where the medicine can help bring individuals out of their shells and facilitate a deeper sense of connectivity with the group.
What to expect during a Cacao ceremony
Here we’ll explore what is a Cacao ceremony, and what to expect if you sit in one. When I was facilitating Cacao ceremonies at a shamanic healing centre in Ecuador, it didn’t take me long to realise that there is no standard protocol for working with Cacao. Everyone has their own way to connect with the plant, and each facilitator shares it differently.
While many master plant ceremonies are more conservative in their traditions, Cacao offers more flexibility than most. Facilitators often incorporate various modalities, practices, and traditions when sharing Cacao.
If you’ve ever wondered what is a Cacao ceremony meant to do, it’s this: to create a heart-centred space for connection, reflection, and healing. Although most modern Cacao ceremonies are modified, it’s still essential to honour the traditions and facilitate the ceremony with integrity. Gratitude plays a very important role here.
Opening the cacao ceremony
The ceremony usually begins by grounding everyone in and saying some prayers to open the space. The words themselves are just empty shells, but what matters the most is to feel those words and extend our sincere heartfelt gratitude to the spirit of Cacao.
By expressing gratitude from the heart, we synchronise with the vibration of the Cacao, and this is where the magic happens! If we try to meet the vibration of Cacao at a lower vibration, perhaps while feeling agitated or upset, it’s like trying to mix water and oil. There’s a discrepancy.
The facilitator will often invite the participants to set an intention for the ceremony. This is usually done by holding the cup of Cacao to the heart, where it can best “feel” the vibration of gratitude. Intention sets order into our lives, and lets the spirit of Cacao know why we’re communing with it. We’re not telling the medicine to guide us. We’re asking for guidance with respect and humility.
In my experiences with master plants, not only should we deeply respect these spirits, but genuine humility and respect are keys that create a real connection to the medicine, leading to a more transformative experience. As long as we have respect, intention, and humility, then we can’t go wrong.
Holding space during a Cacao ceremony
After opening the ceremony and perhaps debriefing the guests if they have never worked with Cacao in a ceremonial capacity before, we get into the heart of the ceremony.
After the prayers and setting of intentions, I would share the medicine around a fire and encourage the participants to drink slowly and pay attention to the sensations in their bodies. Some people would chitter away while sipping on their Cacao, others would sit in silence while reflecting on their experiences and focusing on the fire.
Other modalities such as music, ecstatic dance, sound healing, kirtan, breathwork, or guided meditation tend to pair well with cacao and form the body of the ceremony. During my ceremonies, I would often sing a little and open the space to others who would like to sing or play an instrument before leading some breathwork or guided meditation.
Sharing circles are also incorporated nicely with cacao, where people can express what’s on their mind and connect with the group. Whether it be words of gratitude, or people are given the space to open up about something they’re struggling with in their lives. Because Cacao is an empathogen, it facilitates a comforting environment and helps us feel more connected to one another.
Closing and integration after a Cacao ceremony
While some master plants can take a heavy toll on your mind and emotions, leaving you feeling destabilised, Cacao offers a gentler alternative that is suitable for everyone. Regardless, opening the space for integration can complement the experience and add the final touches to a Cacao ceremony.
In most cases, integration often takes shape like a group-therapy setting. Everyone is given a chance to speak what their heart desires, or share about their experience. Shortly after, the ceremony is wrapped up, and the guests either leave the space or remain for some time while enjoying the heart-opening effects of the Cacao.
Respecting the Cacao extends far more than the Cacao itself, but also to the plant, where we must be conscious about sourcing it ethically. It’s important to remember the true roots of this plant, not as a treat, but as a teacher who can improve our lives and open our hearts.
Want to join us in ceremony? Discover our upcoming events with Cacao in Barcelona or Ibiza.
How to prepare ceremonial Cacao
You don’t need to be in a full-on circle with drums and guided meditation to enjoy ceremonial-grade cacao. This plant medicine has a way of making even an ordinary day feel sacred when you drink it with intention.
What sets ceremonial cacao apart is the energy behind how it’s made. It’s treated as a medicine rather than a food, where intention and holding a vibration of love become a part of the medicine itself. This is why it’s important to prepare the Cacao slowly and with care, to add those positive vibrations to it.
Here’s a simple guide:
- Measure out about 35-45g of Cacao beans for a strong dose, or 20-25g for a subtler one. Skip steps 2 – 4 if you are starting with store-bought Cacao paste or block.
- Roast the beans in a dry pan for approximately 5 minutes, stirring frequently until most of the popping sounds subside.
- Let them cool, then peel off the shells from the beans. They should come off easily after roasting.
- Grind the beans using a metate (stone grinder), mortar and pestle, or electric grinder to create Cacao paste.
- Mix the Cacao paste with hot, but not boiling water at a ratio of 1 part Cacao to 3 parts water by weight. You can modify the ratio depending on how strong you want the drink. You can alternatively use a blender.
- Stir until you get that thick, rich texture.
- Serve and drink!
A quick note: If you are harvesting the Cacao pods yourself, the beans should be fermented before roasting. However, if ordering the beans yourself, this process is usually done for you. Therefore, if you’re starting with dry beans, you’re good to go.
With your drink, tune in, sip slowly, and let it open your heart in its own way. If you prefer to learn the ropes from reputable facilitators or share cacao with others, there are also some great Cacao ceremony training options available.
What to add to your ceremonial Cacao recipe?
Cacao in its pure form can be a little intense. It tends to have an earthy, bitter taste that isn’t exactly inviting. While many people drink it plain to honour the spirit of the plant, it’s also perfectly okay to add some extra ingredients to make your ceremonial Cacao recipe a little more palatable.
Certain ingredients can work with the Cacao to provide additional benefits and also make it a more enjoyable experience. These ingredients are generally added to the Cacao while it’s cooking in water, either in powder form or strained afterwards.
Here are some common ingredients that people add to their ceremonial Cacao:
- Cayenne pepper: The Maya were known for mixing Cacao with chilli because it stimulates the blood flow and helps open the energetic pathways, helping the Cacao move through your system more efficiently and resulting in a more powerful effect.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon is also a common additive to Cacao and is said to support emotional clarity and stability. It can also take off the bitter edge.
- Cardamom: Cardamom is known to help open up the heart and lungs, which is why it’s often paired with Cacao. It’s often used in ceremonies where deep feelings may surface.
- Salt: A pinch of Himalayan salt can help balance the bitterness of the Cacao and bring out the flavours.
- Ginger: Ginger can help with digestion and warm the system. It is also known to be energetically cleansing while adding some kick to the flavour.
Where to join a Cacao ceremony
Learning about the traditions that work with the medicine of Cacao is a must for anyone wanting to deepen their connection with this medicine or learn how to share it in ceremony.
If you want to facilitate Cacao ceremonies, you should receive proper training before sharing the medicine. This isn’t just to learn how to prepare ceremonial Cacao and facilitate transformative ceremonies, but it’s also important to pay respects to those who have passed down their wisdom over the centuries.
At Avalon, we occasionally offer Cacao ceremonies alongside other plant medicines. It’s a beautiful opportunity to sit in ceremony with experienced facilitators and experience Cacao in an intentional, heart-opening space. You’re welcome to check when our next Cacao ceremony will take place—or reach out directly if you’d like to know more.
