The Amazing Medicine of Cacao
What is Ceremonial Cacao?
Chocolate may be a sweet treat, but ceremonial cacao is a potent plant medicine (non-psychoactive). It is a premium grade, pure cacao that is ethically sourced from small family farms practicing regenerative agroforestry. This type of cacao is made from a single ingredient, whole cacao beans, with nothing added or removed. The cacao is minimally processed and crafted specifically for ceremony.
Ceremonial Cacao is designed to help you close the circle of reciprocity with your relationship and desire for connection with cacao and its wisdom. It is a way to deepen your connection with yourself, others, and the natural world around you.
Cacao is far more than a super-food, it represents divine power, fertility, and abundance. It is a medicine that guides humans to a deeper connection with life and nature, and that helps create harmony within and throughout communities. Building your relationship with Mama Cacao or the Spirit of Cacao will aid in your healing journey, allowing you to go deeper into your own experience to release and let go of what no longer serves you, what’s no longer needed.
New to Cacao Ceremony?
While modern day cacao ceremonies are not a direct emulation of ancient rituals, there are commonalities.
Gratitude: In ancient cultures, cacao was often used to express gratitude to the gods, ancestors, and the natural world. Similarly, today, cacao ceremonies often begin with a sense of gratitude, acknowledging the blessings and abundance in one’s life.
Intention: Ancient cultures used cacao to set intentions, make offerings, and seek guidance. Today, we set our intentions, whether personal, spiritual, or collective. Working with Mama Cacao and using ceremony as a tool for manifestation and growth.
Connection: Cacao ceremonies in ancient times were often used to connect with the divine, ancestors, and the natural world. Modern cacao ceremonies aim to connect participants with themselves, others, and the world around them, fostering a sense of community and oneness.
Ritual and ceremony: Ancient cultures used cacao as part of elaborate rituals and ceremonies, which served as a way to mark important life events and transitions. Today, we adopt a similar structure, using the ritual to mark personal milestones, celebrate special occasions, or simply as a way to cultivate mindfulness and presence in a daily practice.
Respect and reciprocity: Ancient cultures recognized the sacred nature of cacao and treated it with respect and reciprocity. Modern cacao ceremonies often involve a similar sense of respect and gratitude, acknowledging the gift of cacao and the role it plays in our lives.
These commonalities highlight the enduring significance of Mama Cacao as a tool for connection, growth, and transformation, transcending time and cultural boundaries.
The Benefits of Cacao
Indigenous cultures have been working with the medicine that is cacao for thousands of years to support their physical health and wellbeing.
Ceremonial cacao should be 85% or darker (with no added sweetener), and should be whole food with healthy fats intact (not a cacao powder) to facilitate the body’s ability to absorb all of the health benefits.
Cacao is rich in dietary magnesium, which helps to support healthy bones, muscles, and nerves. It is essential for heart and brain function. Many people are deficient in magnesium due to lack of sleep, stress, tobacco and alcohol use, all deplete magnesium from the body. Cacao is one way to replenish it.
Theobromine, not caffeine, is the stimulant in cacao. It helps to improve energy and focus, and increase circulation by relaxing blood vessels and stimulating the heart. The heart-opening sensation you experience in ceremony with cacao isn't just emotional; it's also physical.
Cacao is healthier for the body than coffee, in terms of its affects on our energy levels. That's because the theobromine in cacao is a quarter as stimulating as caffeine moving gently through the body, lasting 6-10 hours before it is fully eliminated through the liver. Allowing for sustained focus and increased energy free from jitters and crashes that are typically experienced with coffee.
Ceremonial cacao can improve heart health by lowering cholesterol and triglyceride levels. And without sugar, cacao has actually been proven to reduce type II diabetes!
Cacao can also reduce cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that is frequently associated with stress. It also contains serotonin and dopamine, molecules that reduce stress, creating a sense of relaxation, well being, and overall ease-fullness in our body.
Cacao, in raw fruit form, has over 660 antioxidant compounds, it can help to protect against free radical damage and reduce inflammation.
This just scratches the surface of cacao's amazing benefits for the physical body. In my experience, building a relationship with Mama Cacao through daily ritual, infused with gratitude and intention helps us to align with healthier and nourishing choices. I’ve also noticed it helps to reduce, if not eliminate sugar cravings.
I look forward to sharing a cup with you soon!
My Cacao of Choice
I use Ora Cacao, based on a recommendation from a friend. I also completed their Cacao Ceremony Facilitators course earlier this year. However, there are many ethically and sustainably sourced ceremonial cacao brands out there. Make sure to do your research and even try a few brands.
If you do choose Ora use my code MEAGHAN64862 for 10% off your first order.
