What makes Cacao CEREMONIAL? & My top 2 ceremonial-grade cacaos

What effect does ceremonial-grade cacao have and why is this not the case with cocoa powder or dark chocolate? Plus a guide to inquiry further and find the cacao that is suitable for you.

Theobroma Cacao, the scientific term for the cacao tree, immediately makes it clear why we are dealing with a magical plant:

Theos = god
Broma = food

The Food of the gods

Ka’kaw, in the Nahuatl language of the Maya and Olmek is the original word for cacao. Chocolate, on the other hand, goes back to the Aztec word xocóatl, which, like many Mexica terms, is a metaphor: yollotl, eztli - 'heart and blood'. Some say because the shape of the human heart and that of a cacao pod (see photo) are similar and the whole cacao fruit (from whose seeds we make chocolate) was used as an offering, symbolising the human heart. According to Mayan legends, four gods bled into cacao pods, which has since been given divine properties.

Photo by Alexandre Brondino on Unsplash

The flesh of the plant and the cacao drinks were considered the body and blood of the gods, and the Aztecs believed that eating cacao gave mortals the wisdom of Quetzalcoatl, the winged serpent god.

Both Maya and Aztecs believed that cacao was a God-given ingredient in the creation of humans and therefore considered sacred.

No wonder that to this day, indigenous tribes believe that cacao plays a key role in restoring balance and connection with the divine:

“A Mayan legend tells us that whenever there is an imbalance between humans and nature, cacao comes from the rainforest to open people’s hearts and return the planet to a state of harmony. Some shamans, therefore, consider cacao the 'food for the shift.' It represents the new order of love and peace, which is being cultivated right now.”  

- Keith Wilson, the Cacao Shaman

Why is everyone talking about opening the heart?

And how can cacao contribute to establishing harmony between humans and nature?

Pure, ceremonial cacao is not only a superfood with a high nutrient density, but also a psychoactive food (not to be confused with psychedelic!), which - like coffee, for example - can influence our mood and consciousness. Unlike coffee, the effect is gentler and long-lasting and, if taken intentionally, can even help to cure addictions in the long term instead of being addictive!

The high theobromine content is at least physically responsible for the heart-opening effect, as theobromine stimulates the cardiovascular system and contributes to vasodilation, which leads to an increased heartbeat and a feeling of space and flow.

However, not all cacao has equal amounts of theobromine and sometimes comes with a lot of caffeine (more below in my detailed list of ceremonial-grade cacao brands), plus many other components play a role in the composition of cacao and its heart-opening effects: phenethylamine, andandamide and MAOIs to name but a few.

All of which play a part in making cacao a natural antidepressant. Of course, this is not comparable to conventional medication and cannot necessarily replace it, nevertheless, the subtle and slowly building effects of ceremonial-grade cacao cannot be denied, because not only I but many other people experience feelings of joy, love, enthusiasm and feel less stressed, more motivated, more focused, more positive and more willing to engage with their own emotional world instead of numbing or distracting themselves.

More on how cacao can be used as a remedy for mental conditions such as burn-out, depression and anxiety will be coming soon for my founding members.

Ceremonial-grade cacao: what is it anyway?

Keith Wilson preparing cacao in San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala

Ceremonial Grade Cacao started out to mean 100% pure, traditionally processed cacao selected in connection with the Spirit of Cacao. It goes back to Keith Wilson's cacao ceremonies, in which Keith combined sharing his research and discoveries about cacao as well as his inner child and energy work. These sessions became the template for our now popular cacao events. So it's a relatively new concept, just about 20 years old.

Of course, cacao has been used in rituals, ceremonies, celebrations, offerings, initiation rites and tribal gatherings for thousands of years, but there is no formal tradition of a "cacao ceremony".

As a result, the term has no concrete guidelines and is not (yet) controlled or defined by an official authority.

Anyone can label their product as ceremonial.

I am part of a movement that is trying to create a global association for ceremonial-grade cacao that seeks to demonstrate a minimum level of integrity.

Because true ceremonial cacao, with its incredible biodiversity, rich nutritional content and magical ability to activate our own healing powers, helps with conflict resolution and leads to a sovereign life of love rather than fear, and I firmly believe that one requirement for it to be ceremonial-grade is essential:

Reciprocity

Reciprocity means mutuality or interdependence and is a basic principle of human action.

Reciprocity is a form of communication that demonstrates mutual respect and honour.

Reciprocity, which takes into account both land and people, creates CONNECTION rather than promoting separation and hierarchy through greed, power and control.

For when we speak of ceremony, we speak of the celebration of life, which means nature, people and creation should be celebrated - and thus supported.

Ceremony is also a form of communication with something otherworldly and/or divine. Be it a modern wedding: it is blessed by the priest in the name of God. Or a shamanically inspired ceremony that invokes elemental forces and nature spirits and performs healing under their guidance.

Thus, ceremonial cacao should ensure that communication with Mother Earth is taken into account: from cultivation to harvest, the natural ecosystem of the cacao plant must be preserved (I will write specifically about this in the next newsletter) and seen as at least equal to and not inferior to us humans.

Further questions to ensure reciprocity with the culture of cacao:

• Is the traditional, minimal processing - which excludes industrial metal machines - of cacao taken into account?

• Are indigenous communities and their environment taken into account?

• Their wisdom in dealing with cacao and their spiritual practices, which are based on an animistic world view?

Which cacao is NOT ceremonial-grade?

Cocoa powder
Conventional chocolate
Baking Cacao
are all highly processed, industrially grown (monoculture) and sometimes even produced with child labor - so they clearly fall out of the category.

Through colonisation and slave trade cacao was planted and grown in countries that are not its native origin such as Africa and India. These countries should be particularly checked for cultivation and financial compensation.

Organic and Fairtrade certifications are nice, but they only signal the minimum level of compensation and many small farms and independent indigenous farmers cannot even be pay for certifications like organic despite them being able to meet the requirements. Most of the original and, in my opinion, best ceremonial-grade cacaos have neither of these labels, but they are organic anyway because they are wild-grown. They are also direct trade, which is higher than Fairtrade prices. This is comparable to specialty coffee, which is bought from small farmers - I can write more about this if it is of interest.

Generally speaking, anything below £30 per 500g cannot be of ceremonial quality. This is because reciprocity has fallen by the wayside somewhere - usually in the country of origin of the cacao plant.

However, if you travel to the cacao countries and buy cacao locally, you can expect to pay half the price, sometimes with fair conditions, but even there: ask! After all, capitalism has not only created a greed for profit in the western world. And as soon as cacao is packaged, shipped, marketed and distributed with western salaries, the price rises accordingly.

My top 2 ceremonial-grade cacaos

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• Keith´s Cacao, Guatemala £45 (+UK shipping) / 454g (beautiful focus, gently energising and grounding, intense cardiac resonance, immediate feeling of fullness, expansiveness, gratitude. Highest theobromine and lowest caffeine content known to me) Save 5% on every order with the code KAKAOZAUBER19DE21 and additional 10% when you purchase 5+ blocks.

• Cacao Love, Peru und Ecuador £34 (+UK shipping) / 450g (My favorite is definitely the incredibly delicious Cacao from Peru, with the Ecuadorian one I didn't resonate with much)

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My selection criteria

Intention:
specifically for use in healing, heart opening, ceremonial work, connecting with the earth and the divine

Action:
How the intention is maintained through reciprocity in cultivation, processing and compensation

Flavour/Taste:
None of the cacaos on my list are too sour, which is often the case with some suppliers, especially from Peru (I explain why this can be the case in my more in-depth articles for paying members and cacao students) or stand out due to conspicuous features in the flavour profile (I originally also included the women's collective Ru'ku'ux Ulew, but their cacao is too burnt/nutty in taste for me and the effect is not coherent enough), the cacaos on the list are either earthy, floral or sweet

Effect:
I pay particular attention to a pleasant level of energizing, concentration-enhancing, heart-opening and grounding/relaxing effects. Because all of this helps us with inner work, it shouldn't be too stimulating, because that distracts us from the inside and makes us focus too much on the outside. It is also important to me that cacao contributes to a sense of calm and can be consumed in the evening to support me in lucid dreaming (instead of keeping me awake). In addition, I am breastfeeding and simply cannot tolerate so many caffeine-containing and nervous system-stimulating substances, or only in moderation.

I would like to say that except for Keith's Cacao which is very calming and relaxing, taking us deep within, the other ceremonial cacaos I know are more stimulating and it is rare to find cacao that is gentle, hence why I want to note that cacao from Bali can be a good alternative, although it is not a native cacao land and lacks the noticeable heart-opening effect. However, these effects are individual, depending on the phase of life and biological make-up, our bodies are unique and react both through emotional and mental impulses (placebo) and to different nutrient compositions. I go into this in more depth in articles specifically for paying subscribers and annual members who receive exclusive course content from my training for the upcoming Cacao Dieta.

Which types of cacao have you tried and were you impressed or disappointed?
What is your absolute favourite ceremonial-grade cacao and why?
What are your selection criteria?

Please let me know, I look forward to further exchanges!