In this article we discuss where Ceremonial Cacao comes from, its origins and what exactly qualifies cacao to be 'ceremonial'!
It seems in spiritual circle's and conscious communities 'Ceremonial Cacao' has become one of the latest crazes! You might be seeing Ceremonial Cacao popping up on your Instagram stories or Facebook feed and wondering if it's time to find out more about this popular chocolate!
More than just chocolate
Ceremonial Cacao is not your everyday chocolate. It is pure ground cacao beans, from the native heirloom Criollo cacao. It is sourced from sustainable, organic sources and grown by families and communities who are connected to the sacred nature of the plant.
You will see Ceremonial Cacao referred to as a 'paste' or a 'liquor', this is because as the beans are ground, they transform into a liquid paste/liquor (no alcohol present). The paste is poured into a mold and it sets hard. When you brew your cacao medicine you chop or shave your cacao before adding it to hot water to melt into your delicious medicine.
Our Your Essential Being Ceremonial Cacao is sent to you in chunks of set paste, ready for you to chop/shave as you prepare your medicine. Remember as soon as you start working with your cacao, you are programming it - see our article You are Programming your Cacao Medicine to read more.
Food of the Gods
An active constituent in Cacao is Theobromine and the plants botanical name is Theobroma Cacao. This literally translates to 'food of the gods' - theo meaning gods and broma meaning food. Cacao has been considered a sacred plant in ancient Mesoamerican civilizations for thousands of years and records trace this plant back to ancient Nauha, Mayan and Olmec and Inca civilizations as a central element in religious and spiritual rituals of these and other ancient Mesoamerican civilizations. Cacao beans were so highly revered they were even traded as currency!!
Cacao is considered a non-psychoactive entheogen, meaning it is a sacred substance which brings you closer to God and your own spiritual nature. This plant medicine has been used for thousands of years as a connection to the Sacred Spirit of Cacao, a spirit ally to guide us to a very deep connection to our inner world and align us to a higher perspective of our nature.
Considering this plant medicine's gentle and very safe nature, the power and depth of this medicine should not be underestimated. We have written a separate post about how powerful this medicine is and why cacao is becoming so popular right now, click here to read it [coming soon].
Cacao is a SUPERFOOD
In addition to the incredible powerful and graceful spiritual gifts of this medicine, Cacao is also a powerful superfood.
Cacao is loaded with magnesium and calcium (in the perfect natural ratio for the greatest uptake into your body - nice one Pachamama 😉), as well as iron & zinc and it is packed full of antioxidants!
The theobromine which we mentioned above works as a stimulant and a muscle relaxer; it energises the body, enhances your mood and lowers blood pressure at the same time. Also found in Cacao is phenylethylamine (PEA) which is the active component which many connect with this being the 'heart medicine' as PEA is the 'love chemical', the pre-cursor to the happy brain chemical - serotonin (cue the happy-exciting feels like you feel when you're falling in love or floating in a sea of the deepest gratitude. The final note-worthy chemical found in cacao is anandamide which is known as the bliss chemical and is responsible for the euphoric feelings, therefore working as a natural antidepressant. Interestingly, the Sanskrit word for 'Bliss' is Ananda!
May your journey with the Sacred Plant Medicine of Cacao be rich, full of love and healing
We feel so honoured to be conduits of this medicine to you as well as channels of guidance and suggestions on how you can work with this plant medicine ally to in your spiritual practice. We offer group ceremonies, 1:1 ceremonies and also have some recorded meditations you can use with your cacao practice (coming soon).
On our website we endeavour to provide written articles to offer guidance, we are constantly updating these. Some of our favourite articles are:
Sending you infinite love and blessings for your journey,
All our love,
Amy + Your Essential Being Team
