The Ceremonial Cacao Experience

Martin Soerensen
2 days ago
8 min read

Intention to open the heart to unconditional Love.

This medicinal plant has been used for a number of spiritual, medicinal and ceremonial purposes throughout history

Cacao actually came from the Maya word Ka’kau, and the Maya word Chokola’j—which means to drink chocolate together.

Cacao has been used in ancient ceremonies by South Americans { the Mayans } for thousands of years. It has many active ingredients, an important one is called theobromine.

Theobroma Cacao - scientific name of the Cacao tree, derived from Greek, meaning ‘ food of the God ‘

Mayan God Ek Chuah is known to be the God of Cacao and of merchants.

Ek means Star and Chuah meaning Black, the connection lies in the fact that cacao seeds were used as currency throughout Meso-America.

History of the Cacao bean goes back to the Mesoamerican and Southamerican indians.

It is treated as a divine elixir with curative properties.

Heart

Cancer

Stroke

Blood pressure

Kuna study*(see ref) has provided a large body of research including several dozen clinical trials, systematic reviews, meta analyses and a Cochrane review showing that cacao has the following health benefits :

-Significant decrease in systolic and diastolic blood pressure

-Reduces risk of getting a stroke

-Significant decrease of insulin resistance

-Significant improvement in cholesterol and lipid markers

-Significant improvement in cardiovascular function

-Clinical trials have shown that Cacao has no significant side effects.

Purchase your Cacao Spirit Hearts here

Cacao ritual

Cacao comes from the cacao bean—which is also used to make chocolate. This is raw chocolate in its purest form, very different in flavour as we know chocolate in the western world.

Ritual cacao is made from mostly cacao beans, some water, cacao butter, and then mixed with a little bit of natural sugar to taste.

It is consumed in a warm liquid form out of a cup or mug, and usually has a bitter taste to it.

Different spices and herbs can be added such as rose, blue lotus, chilli, cinnamon, nutmeg, or vanilla, depending on what you like.

I recommend combining Maca together with Cacao as it enriches the harmonies of the cacao spirit.

Shamanic healing is one of the oldest holistic healing practices, which has been used by ancient cultures worldwide for centuries.

A cacao ceremony is actually a type of shamanic healing, but it doesn’t have hallucinogenic or “out of body” effects, unlike some other shamanic experiences.

Cacao ceremony is rooted in helping to re-balance the energies within us, and restore good health.

There are so many different ceremonies in existence today. Some will lead you a journey of dance, while others will centre on meditation and inner reflection.

Many cacao ceremonies will involve a group of people sitting in a sacred circle, taking prayer, letting go of anything heavy, setting intentions, giving gratitude for all the abundance in their life today.

This often involves opening up to complete strangers in the circle, and creates a safe and intimate space where everyone’s fears, hopes, sufferings, and dreams can be shared.

What we often find is we have similar problems and fears, as well as hopes for our lives. This means that the people in the circle act as mirrors for each other.

A cacao ceremony will often end in dance, which allows the cacao to activate within the heart and body, and create transformation.

Through opening the heart, cacao enables us to hear our true self, work through blockages and past traumas, dissolve stuck negative energy, and help us align with our authentic self.

It’s also a wonderful opportunity to give ourselves mental and physical space and peace. You get to connect with the spirit of Cacao, and retreat into presence, helping you to learn more about yourself, and gain clarity on where you are and where you’re being guided.

Cacao is full of vitamins and minerals that are wonderful for cardiovascular health.

Cacao is also renowned for releasing dopamine and endorphins in the body, which soothe symptoms of PMS as well as depression, by boosting our mood.

Cacao contains anandamide, which is known as the bliss molecule. This is the same thing produced in your body when you exercise and you feel a rush of good energy.

Also, it helps to balance blood sugar levels, and create more blood flow to the brain; helping to strengthen awareness and focus.

It contains some caffeine and a lot of theobromine, which acts as a burst of energy without any body jitters also enhancing creativity and encouraging deep meditation

For centuries, cacao has been used to heal the mental, physical, and spiritual body.

The emotional & spiritual benefits of cacao ceremony

Cacao is rich with emotional and spiritual benefits that have not only worked for ancient cultures, but also for us presently who are embracing cacao in the world today, and allowing it to open them for healing.

Heart opening

Known for opening the heart, cacao will allow you to connect with yourself, and others, in a deeper way than before. Any fear that you may be experiencing will be replaced with love and joy.

Connection with your higher self

Your higher self can be whatever resonates with you — source, God/Goddess, light, or soul.

Cacao helps strengthen your connection to your higher self, which helps you connect to your inner power, strength, and truth.

You will find yourself exploring the pain that is plaguing you right now, and feel your way through it; because it’s only when we allow ourselves to truly feel it, that we can let it go.

This will help you to live a happier, lighter life, where you don’t feel weighed down by your past.

Releasing this pain makes space for more love and light to come in.

Enhances and deepens meditation

Cacao ceremony will give you the opportunity to connect to your Light, which will help you to explore meditation on a much deeper and spiritual level.

You will find you are able to focus and be in the present with more ease. This will help you to live more fully in the moment today, bringing peace and stillness to your mind and soul.

A pathway to creativity

Cacao is often used to bring inspiration and creativity together; helping you move past those inner fragmented aspects of the self which keep us disconnected from our creative life force, and sabotaging your magical inner child to dance.

You will find that new inspirations and expressions of yourself flow to you with ease.

Improved yoga practice

Because of the benefit cacao has on every level—physical, mental, spiritual & emotional—it compliments other practices that combine all of these elements, such as yoga and chi kung.

When you step onto the mat, you’ll find your practice easier, you’ll feel it deeper, and it will have a much more profound effect on you.

Mental clarity

During these ceremonies, you will be reminded of everything that you are, your skills, talents, and creative abilities. And you will begin to release all the thoughts of everything you are not.

This will help you find balance in your life, as well as clarity in your mind, which will make your purpose clearer to you.

Re-balance of your inner male & female energies

Male and female energies co-exist within all of us, but often they are unbalanced. Some men have repressed their feminine energies, while some women have trouble connecting to their male energies, and vice versa.

This isn’t helped by the fact that we live in a world of great imbalance when it comes to the divine masculine and the divine feminine.

When you balance these divine energies within, you are able to live a more fulfilling life, filled with complete harmony.

Inner peace

Cacao can help to ease our everyday stresses and worries, as it encourages us to become more engaged with our positive, optimistic energies.

This is so important when we are facing challenges that arise in our lives, which inevitably is part of the duality here on Earth, Love and Fear.

But when we feel at peace within, and understand that we are not our fears roaming in the monkey mind, we are more grounded and not in emotional overload. That we are able to cope from a place of balance.

Healing

Are there things in your mind or heart sabotaging you from living the beautiful life you’ve always dreamed of?

Old wounds, or past traumas, that you are not consciously in awareness of and have not fully healed from.

Cacao will help you get clearer on what these things are; and help you receive the strength to move forward, let them go, and create space for better things to come in.

This will help you live a healthier life in body, as well as spirit.

Career guidance

Perhaps you’re in a job that doesn't resonate with you, or you have no idea what your true purpose is here on earth?

Cacao will help you gain clarity on your creative talents and strengths, and allow you to find your way to what lights up your soul; a job or business that fills you with purpose.

And when you’re in this state, creation and abundance will flow to you with ease.

Joy

Cacao is a feminine power that can help you see that life is meant to be fun; this is what we’re here for.

Allow yourself to fully surrender to the spirit of Cacao. Step into a higher dimension, where you realise that nothing here on earth is permanent.

All of life is simply a game to be enjoyed right here, right now

How to create your own cacao ceremony at home

Purchase my beautiful Spirit Hearts as they have gone through a ceremonial process and are made from organic grade cacao that has been ethically grown and harvested.
Find (or buy) a heat-resistant mug or cup you love.
Place your Spirit Heart into your mug and pour in one cup of boiled filtered water, whisking in all the wonderful ingredients in together.
You can also experiment with different blends of nut milk, sugar, and spices-herbs (try and keep everything plant based and organic where possible).
Begin with some meditation or prayer
Bless/give gratitude to Mama Cacao for the cacao
Let go of anything that needs releasing. Be present in her loving embrace.
Bring to mind all you have to celebrate (this works well on the full moon
Set new healing intentions (this is powerful around the new moon time }
Sip your cacao, and enjoy every second of it. Feel your heart start to expand.
You might want to journal after, sing, dance or even tap into universal guidance with Oracle divinations. Do what feels right in the moment.
Close your ceremony by meditating or giving gratitude once more.

Remember, when creating any kind of solo ceremony or ritual for yourself, trust your intuition and do what feels good for you.

Use the above as a guide, and don’t be afraid to weave in your own practices and spirituality into it.

How can cacao benefit you?

Learning to open our hearts into the experience of unconditional love is the most important thing we can do as human beings. This allows us to open wide to our true potential, be vulnerable, and to embrace our authentic selves.

It is through the process of self discovery and awakening to who we really are, that we can reach our highest potential; and create the most beautiful life for ourselves, and for those we love dearly.

The more we connect to love and awareness in ourselves, the more we can make more loving and conscious choices for the greater good.

With much Love and Light to you

Rosa Ferraro