My love of Cacao
Cacao came to me through a friend. I remember her handing me this package and I almost ripped the brown paper off before she stopped me.
In this brown paper was a one-pound block of pure cacao paste. I remember the package had a stamp of a falcon on the outside. I kept this on my altar for at least a month before I opened her. I let the cacao call to me and let me know when our relationship would begin.
Before, I received this cacao, or maybe when I received it. I decided that I would get some over-the-counter cacao and blend it into a ritual drink. DO NOT DO THIS. lol. I am even embarrassed to tell you that I did! One, it did not taste good; and two, ceremonial cacao is way different from purchasing a cacao supplement from the grocery store.
What is Cacao?
Cacao is an ancient plant medicine that carries the wisdom of the earth. This gentle, powerful plant ally awakens the spirit in our hearts and allows us to meditate with ease. This plant consciousness connects us to the earth + the universe. Cacao is here to help heal the self, heal the community, and is meant to be shared with each other and the earth.
This plant was hidden when European conquistadors started invading the indigenous communities. This sacred medicine was hidden, and the traditions were kept secret, and these traditions are slowly starting to resurface. As I have learned from teachers, they have said that our indigenous cultures love that we are utilizing cacao, but they want us to know where it comes from and how to honor it.
Cacao is a medicine. Even though this medicine is not psychedelic, it is a powerful medicine. I started my relationship with cacao by sitting 1:1 with her daily for 3 months. I remember about 6 weeks into our bond, my day was canceled and I was lying on my own reiki table crying like a baby. I was feeling the expansion of cacao in my heart chakra and I was being shown a relationship in my life that I valued. Cacao was showing me where I could have done better. I had to face my own trials as Cacao held my hand.
Cacao wasn’t used in monthly ceremonies as you may see it used in our modern times. The Mayan + Aztec cultures used Cacao for rituals and ceremonies around harvests + births, for feasts and festivals, to connect to the divine, sustain diet and health, and it was used as a currency that was often given as a gift to warriors after a battle. They would also use it to honor the ceremonial processing of planting, harvesting, and making cacao.
The Food of the Gods.
Theobroma Cacao- The food of the gods. Theo (God) Broma (Food) Theobroma is the principal alkaloid in cacao. It is a stimulant like feels similar to caffeine. Theobromine is great to improve energy, focus, and heart health. It helps increase blood circulation, lowers blood pressure, dilates the blood vessels allowing more oxygen to enter, expands the heart chakra where we connect with our soul, and changes the vibration of the body.
Cacao is a beautiful source of nutrients. It is helpful for your health and your connection to the divine. Cacao helps to regulate muscle growth, blood flow, brain function, the immune system, and the nervous system. It has the highest source of magnesium per gram and it also contains high sources of iron and many other vitamins + antioxidants that help prevent disease and stimulate cell recovery. Cacao contains many nutrients that stimulate the brain's production of neurotransmitters. It balances the heart and mind, allows us to meditate with ease, and activates a deep connection to existence.
Cacao from the grocery is a beautiful supplement to add to your smoothie or nutrition. It is different from Ceremonial Cacao. I recommend getting ceremonial cacao for your ritual and your supplement. If you choose to get cacao at the store, it is going to be best in a smoothie.
Where Does The Cacao Come From?
Ceremonial Cacao is organic. You will find it growing in tropical climates. The cacao farms are designed to have 13 foods for the earth, 13 foods for animals, and 13 herbs for the health of humans. The plants are grown in an agricultural system that allows the purifying air to spiral upward. You can have a beautiful meditation on these cacao farms without ingesting the cacao. Being in that pure energy and vibration will allow you to connect with Spirit.
The cacao trees start to produce cacao pods about 3 years into their growth. They will produce cacao for about 30-40 years. The trees are left standing after they stop harvesting and will grow for 100 years. It is said that the elder trees teach the younger trees and they often graft the new trees onto the older trees. This helps with quicker growth and it allows the elder tree to teach the baby tree.
Cacao farmers pluck the pods a little early to get a sweeter fruit. They open the pods, remove the seeds, and put them in a fermentation process. The seeds are roasted over a fire that has three stones to represent the moon, sun, + earth. The seeds are shucked by hand and ground into a paste. They use a hot grinding stone and hot water to blend the cacao into a paste. The steam rising from the cacao allows a blessing for the people making it and an offering to the ancestors. Each step of the cacao process is completed with deep intention.
How to Work With Cacao.
When working with Cacao, it’s important to honor it. You can honor cacao by building a relationship with this plant spirit. Sit in meditation and call upon the spirit of the cacao. Ask her permission to begin your work with her. It’s likely you already got the calling and that’s why you are reading this right now.
Once you receive your ceremonial cacao, cleanse its energy. You can do this by utilizing a smoke cleanse that calls to you. As you light your smoke cleanse, call upon your spirit team to clear the energy of your space and your cacao.
You’ll want to measure your cacao. Depending on what kind of ceremonial cacao you ordered, you may have to shave the block of cacao. When you shave your cacao, sing to it. This raises the vibration of the cacao and it puts the power of intention into this nutrient you are ingesting.
You’ll want to measure 28-33 g for a daily ritual dose or 35-50 g for a weekly meditation dose. You can find many cacao recipes that recommend water or nut milk. I tend to make hot tea (6 oz), add cacao, sea salt, cinnamon, a sweetener of choice (cane sugar, honey, agave, pure maple syrup), and maybe a little cayenne pepper too. I add each ingredient with intention. The honey to attract sweetness, the cinnamon to attract prosperity, the salt for protection, and the cayenne to add a little passion. I like to blend mine to make it frothy and smooth. You can also choose to wisk your cacao to your liking.
Find a sacred space to sit with your cacao. Honor the cacao by calling in the spirit of the sky, mother earth, the east-the element of air, the south- the element of fire, the west- the element of water, the north- the element of earth, and the spirit of cacao. Thank the guides you have called in and the hands that harvested + prepared the cacao. Breathe in your own intentions for the cacao. Your intention can be to connect to the cacao and build a relationship with her or you might pick something specific you’d like to work on spiritually for yourself.
Drink your cacao as you spend time pulling oracle cards + journaling. Once you’ve ingested your cacao, sit in meditation for 10-30 minutes. Put on your favorite meditation music. Focus on your breath coming in and out of your body and allow yourself to connect to the cacao. After you complete your meditation, thank the cacao + journal what came up on your meditation.
Where to Purchase Cacao.
It is important to research where you get your cacao and how they make it. It’s important to know that it is ethically sourced and if it was processed on a farm by hand or through machinery. The way cacao is treated + processed is important to the vibration of what you are ingesting.
I recommend getting your Cacao from Cacao Laboratory. I love how rich this cacao is. I also love that Cacao Laboratory has a wonderful relationship with the cacao farmers and they honor the cacao + the land.
Click HERE to download my FREE Cacao Ritual Guide.
Click HERE to get a 10% discount on any order from Cacao Laboratory. Use the code JESSICAT10.
Click HERE to join an upcoming Cacao Ceremony!
Click HERE to schedule a private 1:1 Earth Activation Ceremony with me.
Much Love + Positive Vibes.
