The truth behind Ceremonial Grade Cacao

Plus my naughty secret of how I craft my favourite cup of cacao

Ceremonial Grade Cacao… experiencing chocolate as the magical partner it is.  The Cacao Spirit ‘returns’. Keith Wilson

“A cacao ceremony for me is an experience in multidimensional group energy… I could tell you about my cacao ceremonies (every one is different), but that would not tell you about anyone else’s cacao ceremony, because Cacao works with you where you are, and with the ceremonial facilitator through where they are.  Cacao brings the door but doesn’t push you through it.
A note: cacao is more often the name of the plant or its product, and chocolate the name of the preparation that you eat or drink… often these terms are used interchangeably.  Especially cacao is used to refer to something that has not been through regular commercial processing – which still means little in terms of the active compounds it contains.” Keith Wilson

“It’s important to note that this concept of ‘ceremonial grade cacao’ does not exist in the indigenous Asháninka communities that we work with in the central highlands of Peru. As far as I know, the term originates with Keith, an American cacao enthusiast, from his work with cacao in Lake Atitlán, Guatemala, in the late 1990s.” Gavin Kendrick, in his recent blog post.

Ceremonial Grade Cacao

By now you probably have caught up with the fact that there is no traditional cacao ceremony which we can learn from the mayans apart from their own ceremonial rituals that are being performed FOR the cacao: prayers and offerings to the earth and her bounty.

The modern cacao ceremony as we understand it - sitting in circle, drinking cacao and using its heart opening effect to deepen into practices such as movement, meditation and emotional release - is a very recent tradition, one that started with Keith Wilson, an American geologist, energy healer and wizard hippie who lived in San Marcos La Laguna, spiritual hub for expats until his recent death in January 2024. He and his sweetheart Barbara lived in a tiny 1-room hut with garden leading to his cacao workshop and the famous porch where it all began. For 21 years he served cacao and the messages its Spirit told him to share with the world.

Keith (the white bearded wizard on the right) leading a cacao ceremony on his porch (photo by Rick Wessels, most likely taken right after Keith’s popular cue “Close your eyes! Go within”).

It was this Spirit who he asked how to source & process cacao that would serve others in the highest (I would add deepest) way, and she advised step by step, honouring the traditional techniques. Which Keith subsequently instructed locals at Lake Atitlán, a region not accustomed to cacao production, as it doesn’t grow in the immediate area. Since then hundreds of people - both westerners and indigenous - started cacao businesses. Today the tiny town San Marcos is abundant in ceremonial-grade cacao.

But as individual as the connection to spirit, is the perception, resonance and effect of ceremony. There is no one right or wrong way as Keith always made clear to teach in accordance with Cacao: through following our own joy we “bring on” our magic and that ultimately leads to Cacao´s main aim to re-establish harmony between humans and nature. That’s why she wants to be shared and not kept hidden in the rainforest nor diluted in chocolate bars.

“Now… please understand… I am not talking ordinary processed or even much organic chocolate here.  And I am not offering more ‘raw’ cacao praises. Ceremonial grade cacao is cacao or chocolate that has the quantity and balance of compounds and energies to properly support the Cacao Spirit, or any other energy, including your own creativity, in partnering with you.”
Keith Wilson, on his original website, a worthy archive for every cacao enthusiast.

A wonderful interpretation of Keith´s words comes from my mentor and friend Gavin - who happens to provide the only other cacao source I wholeheartedly trust apart from Keith's Cacao and was amongst the first ceremonial cacaos I tried (and stuck with).

“What I personally love about this definition is that it is entirely subjective, and so the responsibility lands with each person to feel into the energetic qualities of each cacao variety to see how it resonates with them. These subjective explorations have happened naturally over the past decade, which is why so many of us have tried cacao from various sources, eventually discovering that one variety or another blesses us with our own perfect energetic harmony.” Gavin Kendrick

“Since we began the ceremonial cacao movement, we now have over 30 competitors all calling their cacao "ceremonial".  Sometimes it is, although [by our own independent lab tests] in a lower strength... or with a poor taste.  Occasionally it is truly awful!  Mostly it has lots of caffeine and less of the active compounds of true ceremonial grade... and an inconsistency from batch to batch.  We have been sending it to a lab for testing as well as trying it.  Have fun... try it all... injoy!” Keith Wilson

What happens today is that after a cacao brand went mainstream on tv, others feared it would interfere with ethical, reciprocal and integral ideas of ceremonial grade cacao. Read more about this here:

Ceremonial-grade Cacao in Starbucks?

This lead to a group of people trying to establish an association to “protect” the term ceremonial-grade cacao. I myself was part of the initiative and connected many cacao brands and practitioners in this group, which I am still part of but noticed the motivation ebb down. I personally came away from thinking so ferociously about it, after having many heartfelt conversations with Gavin - and Keith, in Spirit.

“I understand how such an approach to create an industry standard could be one way to ensure that the cacao that reaches us in the UK is ethically sourced and has been regeneratively grown. However, I also think that the creation of a branded standard could mean that although cacao has been cultivated and revered for at least 5,000 years, and has been growing globally for hundreds of years, we would be applying narrow, contemporary concepts of ‘ceremonial grading’ to multiple cultures, countries and cosmologies who hold quite diverse beliefs about how cacao should be grown, processed, prepared and consumed. […]
If we can agree that ‘ceremonial grade’ refers to a subjective quality, we can then, as a separate exploration, express what we value about the objectively verifiable approaches to farming, production and exchange that is specific to each source.

It goes without saying, of course, that we consider ethical sourcing, farming, processing, and reciprocal exchange to be incredibly important within the subjective quality of how a cacao ‘feels’ when it is consumed as a sacrament.”
Gavin Kendrick

Keith and his sweetheart Barbara and Gavin with his gorgeous beloved Diane

To me Keith’s Cacao is THE ceremonial grade cacao, simply because it was Keith who came up with the term and infused it with his magic, communication with the Spirit of Cacao and the generous smiles and wisdom he shared alongside the cacao cups he served, touching so so, SO many people across the globe. To me Keith and his cacao are the best in doing one main thing: to initiate magic within us - or more so: they guide us to remember that we always had it!

Now this doesn't mean there are no other sacred cacaos out there, on the contrary: as subjective as sacredness, is the individual perception and experience of ceremonial grade cacao. I have tried so many ceremonial cacao sources from various countries of origin only to find that even within the same region of growth the effect varies tremendously and some energies were more beneficial to me than others and some suited different tasks or phases. Since 2017 both Keith’s Cacao and Gavin´s Cacao have accompanied me and still delight me day after day.

Try it for yourself!!

I recommend you to try them both to experience the profound difference and delicious variation of flavours. I personally have the Peruvian Cacao as a morning to midday energiser, an ecstatic dance partner and work flow treat (the smell of milk chocolate is irresistible and almost sweet despite it being as pure cacao as can be!) versus Keith´s Cacao which I use specifically for my inner work rituals, deep meditations, as an afternoon and evening treat (as it contains less caffeine = less stimulating), lucid dreaming helper, companion on nature walks and it is my go to group ceremony cacao.

wondering what's in that thermos? read on

Now comes my naughty secret:
I actually get heartgasms when combining both! Yep, it’s a thing. Even my beloved Sean agrees, there’s some beautiful alchemy happening between those cacaos, those countries, those men and their genuine intentions. Having been mentored by both I can only bow down in humble gratitude and excitement about all the wisdom, kindness and generosity I experienced from each of them.

More about how Gavin´s Peruvian Cacao is sourced and processed, his and his partner Diane´s values - and of course their cacao to buy here:

For Keith’s Cacao you can use my affiliate code for initial % off (world-wide shipping):

Would you like to dive in deeper and explore cacaos magic yourself?
In my latest article I shared about the most important and sacred way cacao has been used and how I consider it to be THE core medicine for Cacao´s mission - and I guide you on a journey in a recorded ceremony, so you can try it yourself:

Would you like to immerse in cacao and engage in your own relationship and embodied connection with the Spirit of Cacao?
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