A gentle ritual to bring the ceremony home with you.
Before we get into the practical side of things, take a breath with me for a moment. Cacao isn’t just an ingredient you’re preparing. It’s a plant with its own long memory, its own spirit, and its own story that stretches back thousands of years before it ever reached your cup. Meeting it well starts with meeting it as a relationship, not just a recipe.
Cacao is a powerful plant guide that has been used for centuries to heal and connect with the heart. It has a distinct spirit, and coming into reciprocal communication with it, its origin, and its properties are essential to create a harmonious ritual experience. Gratitude, respect and awareness for its ancestral history and giving back to the people who harvested it with respect and for the nature that protected it, is also an important part of our relationship with Cacao. This means always sourcing from indigenous families or cooperatives who grow Cacao sustainably and ethically.
Be aware that a major trend in ceremonial Cacao is happening, be mindful of the marketing that is being used to sell some types of “ceremonial cacao”, do your research and connect to respectful and ethical Cacao sources. And please let’s all be mindful in how much we buy and consume as this can also impact the environment as the demand grows. Having said this, let’s connect to what this beautiful ally brings us and how we can prepare it at home.
Where can you buy Ceremonial Cacao online?
If you can, buy Ceremonial Cacao and always choose paste as you cannot make a cup of cacao from nibs. There are several reasons why one might choose to buy ceremonial grade cacao rather than regular chocolate or cocoa powder. Here are some:
~ Higher quality: Ceremonial grade cacao is typically made from high-quality, sustainably sourced beans (in my opinion the best is the Criollo Cacao type) and is minimally processed to retain its natural flavor and health benefits.
~ Health benefits: It is considered a superfood and it is rich in antioxidants which purify the body and bind free radicals, it has vitamins and minerals like Magnesium, Chromium and Zinc. It also supports the body’s own ‘feel good’ compounds like Oxytocin, Serotonin and Anandamide, a natural bliss molecule. It contains also Theobromine and Caffeine that support heart opening as it increases the blood flow and heart function, dilates vessels and relaxes the muscles. By choosing ceremonial grade cacao, you can be sure that you are consuming a product with a higher concentration of these beneficial compounds.
~ Flavor: Ceremonial grade cacao has a rich, complex flavor profile with notes of fruit, nuts, or spices. This is in contrast to regular chocolate or cocoa powder, which may have a more one-dimensional or artificial flavor due to processing and the addition of sugar and other ingredients. Another interesting aspect is that the flavour of each Cacao origin varies, depending on where it was harvested and grown, the qualities of that environment also make an importnat part of the flavour and energy.
~ Spiritual connection: Consuming ceremonial cacao is seen as a way to connect with the natural world and our own inner self. By choosing ceremonial grade cacao, we can be sure that we are consuming a product that has been made with care and intention and that the spirit of that plant is present and clean.
Read more about its benefits and nutrients in this article.
Nowadays it is quite easy to source ourselves with amazing Ceremonial Cacao from around the world. I usually use Cacao from Venezuela, but I have worked a lot with Cacao from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia or Guatemala, depending on the energy and resonance I feel with each ceremony I offer.
Even though I now receive personally my own chosen Cacao from Venezuela, which I don’t sell, in the past I have bought my own Cacao here:
~ Keith’s Cacao (from Guatemala, he was the one who actually started the ceremonies we now know)
~ Cacao Mama (Some of my favourites: Ecuador and Peru)
~ Forever Cacao (they are in the UK, and were one of my first Cacao suppliers when I started in 2018. I loved their Ashaninka Peruvian Cacao)
~ VaiCacao (They are in Italy and they now also sell in some italian stores like the libreria esoterica in Milan)
~ The Spirit of Cacao (One I discovered recently that has beautiful Cacao from Venezuela and Peru)
~KusKakaa (From a friend who really sources the Cacao ethically and in support to the families growing the Cacao. I recently tried the Ecuador Cacao)
How to prepare ceremonial Cacao
In general this is the preferred preparation:
~ Heat 1/2 cup of water per person and turn it off before it boils. If you do need to boil the water, let it cool a bit before you mix in the Cacao. If you prefer to use plant milk, you can also warm it up before you use it.
~ Add your desired gr. dose of chopped Cacao paste in your favourite magical cup. If you are starting I recommend 10-15gr, then feel free to raise the dose up until 30gr. The maximum Ceremonial dose is 40gr, never do more than this.
~ Mix ingredients with a whisk until creamy. Connect to your intention and while preparing hum or sing a love song into your cup.
~ Here you can find some recipes and ritual ideas.
~ And if this is your first time, watch the video below to see how I prepare it.
When to use it at home?
I personally love to connect to Cacao every morning with lighter doses (10-15gr.) and take some time to meditate, write, dance or simply sit and listen to my heart, a wonderful self-love ritual. As a woman I also connect deeply to the Cacao medicine while in my cycle, and especially now as I am transitioning through a perimenopausal time. I connect deeply to my womb with gratitude and let my heart and emotions flow like water.
Drinking a light dose of Cacao before doing creative work is also amazing. I have used Cacao in my Embodied coaching sessions before looking into specific themes. It is also an excellent way to open our hearts and let the communication flow through, creating profound transformation.
Very important if using at home: Pure Cacao contains compounds that can kill dogs, cats, parrots, and horses. Don’t let our furry friends eat it!
Cacao asks so little of us, really. Just presence, and a willingness to feel. Whether you meet it alone at your kitchen table in the quiet of the morning, or in ceremony with others, it will always meet you exactly where you are, gently, without asking you to be anything other than what you already are.
How would it feel to have your own private ritual?
Let’s connect in person or online for a deep personal bespoke ceremony
If you’re interested in journeying 1:1 with me, I offer an Alchemical Sacred Space just for you. Online, it’s a 90 minute private, embodied Cacao ceremony you can join from home, wherever you are.
In person, if you’re in Italy, it becomes a 2 hour private ceremony, held in Milano, Lecco, and Mandello del Lario (or where I go offer my ceremonies), which also includes a shamanic cleansing ritual. [Read more about the in-person experience here.]
This sacred space, held especially for you, can help open your heart and welcome yourself exactly as you are. We’ll connect to a specific issue you’re holding, spiritual, emotional, or otherwise, or simply let whatever is ready to emerge come forward to be revealed and transformed. We’ll tap into the wisdom of the body letting emotion move gently, with the support of this loving master plant. Italian, Spanish, and English sessions are available.
“I no longer pray, now I drink dark chocolate and let the moon sing to me.
I no longer pray, I let my ancestors dance through my hips at the slightest provocation.
I no longer pray, I go to the river and howl my ancient pain into the current.
I no longer pray, I ache, I desire, I say “yes” to my longing.
I no longer pray as I was taught but as the stars crawl
onto my lap like soft animals at nighttime and God tucks my hair behind my ears with the gentle fingers of her wind and a new intimacy is uncovered in everything, perhaps it’s that I’m finally learning how to pray.”
~ Chelan Harkin
You are welcome to enjoy some selected Cacao playlists for your own meditations.
