Cacao Ceremony
What is a cacao ceremony? Ceremonial cacao culture originates in Ecuador and with the Mayas, who revered cacao as a sacred plant. They used the cacao drink in rituals and celebrations – with the preparation of the cacao drink being a ceremony and ritual in itself – and used cacao beans as a currency, so valued it was.
In the modern world, we are very used to living a life that has us rushed off our feet, always thinking about the next thing we have to do, eating lunch on the fly or while watching a screen.
The preparation and drinking of your cacao can be a wonderful way to bring a more ceremonial (aka intentional and devotional) mindset into your life, if it isn’t there already.
A ceremony or ritual can be anything: it doesn’t need to follow a set of instructions and you don’t need certain plants or inebriants.
It is a contained piece of space and time to enter that specific type of awareness and presence that we often lack in the day to day. One of quietness, heightened awareness and perception and connection to nature/the universe.
Coming together consciously with other humans and sharing what’s on our hearts is also so integral to our human nature. It dissolves barriers and judgments and fears. It holds and nourishes and supports. It strengthens bonds. It opens up the world and wisdom within.
Cacao is a perfect candidate for these kind of nourishing and connective community gatherings – including online gatherings – because:
1) Sharing food and drink has been used for thousands of generations to bring people together, no matter what culture you’re from
2) Cacao opens the heart and aids connection with self and others
3) Cacao loves to be shared
4) Cacao both is the occasion and supports the occasion
How you choose to enjoy your cacao is up to you, but here are some ideas from us based on how we’ve been connecting with cacao over the years (NB: we don’t follow the Mayan lineage or claim to do so).
And if you’d like to join us for a cacao circle on each new and full moon, sign up here.