What is a Cacao Ceremony?

When seeing the word "cacao" your mind may immediately go to "chocolate!"

But this is no ordinary chocolate, friends. This is a chocolate that has special origins, health filled properties and the ability to help you open your heart and focus your mind.

Known as the “food of the gods”, cacao (kə-ˈkau̇) is the seed found in the fruit of the Theobroma cacao tree, which is native to the Amazon Basin. The bean was first discovered by the Mayans and has remained a staple in many cultures ever since. Used for at least 5,000 thousand years by a number of communities around the world, on a metaphysical level cacao serves as a tool for connecting to the energetic space of your heart, as well as to people around you and is a gentle guide through transformational consciousness shifts. It’s a powerful tool to go deeper in your inner work and can also assist in energetic healing and receiving clarity in the areas of love, purpose, intuitive abilities, career and personal growth.

Cacao is rich in

• Plant-based iron: 7.3mg per 100g.
• Antioxidants: up to 40 times more antioxidants than blueberries.
• Magnesium: a nutrient that’s important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure.
• Calcium: more than in cow’s milk.

It can sharpen your brain while relaxing your body and when regularly practicing with ceremonial cacao, whether in a group or alone, it has proven to help not just emotionally and spiritually, but physically and mentally as well.

And yes, ceremonial cacao is different from raw cacao or dark chocolate. Unlike other cacao beans, ceremonial cacao is specifically produced from native cacao strains. These strains are found growing on its own in the wild without the help of humans. The compounds found in these seeds are essential for ceremonial use.

Some possibilities of what you may experience in a cacao ceremony could be:

• A sacred space is created, often with an altar in the middle. 
• Some sit in a circle and then open up the circle by going around and saying your name out loud, sharing an intention or a word you’re calling in.
• Pour the cacao and pass it around and honor and bless it.
• Set an intention for the ceremony.
• Drink the cacao - but be sure to not drink too much as it could make your tummy rumble!
• Breathwork, meditation, journaling, sound journey, dance, movement, music – from here, it’s up to the person leading the cacao ceremony. You are always welcome to join in what feels right for you.
• If in a circle, close it. It's important part in that it invites integration of the deep spaces you may have explored during your cacao journey.

Lucky for you, we have the perfect opportunity for you to experience the benefits of a cacao ceremony and more this February 3rd, 2023. Triangle Foundry's Galentines Day - A cacao ceremony partnered with a yoga flow and reiki work.