Mayan Cacao Ceremony

“If the divine creator has taken pains to give us delicious and exquisite things to eat, the least we can do is prepare them well and serve them with ceremony.” ~Fernand Point

First I should say, cacao is not a drug, it is the pure form of chocolate that comes very close to its raw and natural state. I was first introduced to the Mayan Cacao Ceremony by a Mayan woman while I was in San Marcos, Guatemala. The ceremony was lead by a shaman. During the ceremony we sat in a circle, set intentions, prayed, then shared what we wanted to let go of and what we wanted to draw to ourselves. We sang the Cacao Spirit Song before we drank the bitter pure cacao drink.

Heartfelt music started playing and one by one everyone began to dance ecstatically. At first, I felt self-conscious but as time went on I felt a release and a freedom to dance “like no one was watching”. I’m not sure if it was the cacao, the music, the dancing, the honest sharing, or the combination, but a euphoric state was unlocked within me, negative emotions were released and I reconnected with the loving energy that flows through me.

I surprised myself at how I was able to open up to total strangers. During the sharing time, I realized that we are all mirrors for each other, with similar fears, sufferings, hopes, and dreams. The opportunity to explore and sit with the stories of the heart was an insightful and inspiring experience for me. I left feeling a deep sense of a connection with God.

Leading up to the Cacao Ceremony the facilitator works on the seeds for 7 days, peeling each seed by hand. It is then transformed into medicinal and ceremonial cacao. The spirit of cacao is considered one of the most powerful deities of Mayan culture. The belief is that with the spirit of cacao one can travel towards the inner self where wisdom and love live. The ceremony is oriented to reconnect beauty and love in ourselves.

Cacao ceremonies originated all the way back to Mayan and Aztec traditions more than 2,500 years ago in Central and South America, used for spiritual, medicinal and ceremonial purposes. Pure cacao is used as a heart opening medicine for people to safely experience awakening, revelation and inner healing. The Mayans called it ku-ku meaning “Sacred”. Aztecs learned from Mayan how to cultivate and prepare it, they called it Kakaw meaning “Drink of the Gods” and it was consumed just by the emperor and nobility.

Since my first experience with cacao, I have attended three other ceremonies in Guatemala and Chiapas, Mexico and one that a friend of mine and I facilitated for a group of our friends. Each ceremony has been different, but rich, deep, and powerful. God is amazing to give us a multitude of ways to connect with one another and to deepen our connection with God! 

It’s hard to believe it’s just chocolate!