All about CACAO CEREMONIES | How to have a powerful AT HOME cacao ceremony!
For the cacao curious… this video and blog post is for you!
Today’s video and blog post are like jumping into the chocolate river in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory! We’re diving into all things cacao – what makes cacao ‘ceremonial-grade’, what is a cacao ceremony, how can a cacao ceremony help you, and why spend a whole lotta money on what seems to just be fancy chocolate?
Chocoholics rejoice – you’re going to love this topic!
So, get yourself a cuppa (perhaps a cup of cacao), and let’s talk about one of my favourite things, chocolate!
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Hey everyone! Welcome back, or if you’re here for the first time, nice to meet you! My name is Ebonie and this blog (and the YouTube channel) is here to help you reconnect to your intuition, so you can manifest in the real world! If you find today’s video and blog post helpful, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my channel linked above, I’d love to connect with you on YouTube too!
The very first video I ever made on my YouTube channel was about how and why I start my day with cacao. If you’d like to learn more about cacao, the benefits, and so on, I’d recommend checking that video out here, as I won’t repeat everything that I said in that post today!
Today’s video is more about the idea of ceremonial cacao – as since I made that first video, I’ve been able to source actual ceremonial-grade cacao from an Australian company.
Please note that I am not affiliated with any cacao companies! But I do have a couple that I highly recommend, depending on where you are in the world! I’ll have a full list of businesses selling ceremonial cacao at the bottom of this blog post – so if you’re keen to give it a try, you’ll find all that information and so much more if you scroll to the end of this page! I will also do my best to keep the list updated, so you can bookmark it and refer to it anytime you need it!
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So, all that being said, what is ceremonial grade cacao? Why not just buy regular chocolate from the supermarket?
As I show in my first cacao video, you can use any dark chocolate you have access to, and it will still be so delicious – though it won’t have nearly the same benefits. If you want to try a cacao ceremony but that’s all you have, then I do believe it’s better than nothing! For a while, that’s all I did, until I was able to source ceremonial-grade cacao here in Australia.
The main difference between ceremonial-grade cacao and regular dark chocolate from the supermarket is processing. Ceremonial-grade cacao includes the complete cacao bean, as I mentioned in my previous video. Regular dark chocolate is often the isolated cocoa powder plus sugar and flavourings. The less rich the chocolate is, the more sugar and other ingredients, which can also include milk to make it creamier and sweeter.
That’s the chocolate most people know. But the less processed, the healthier the chocolate is.
The health benefits of raw cacao are amazing, and ceremonial-grade cacao is the best of all. Not only is ceremonial-grade cacao the entire cacao bean, roasted then ground to a paste, it is also blessed in a ceremony, enriching the health benefits with spiritual benefits, too.
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So, how does ceremonial-grade cacao feel when you drink it?
The effect of cacao is like gradually inclining energy. With coffee, the caffeine spikes your energy levels, so you have a short burst before it quickly diminishes. Cacao is much more subtle, though it certainly still energizes! It’s just a steadier shift. Depending on your tolerance to coffee and tea, you may want to start with a smaller dose of cacao. I definitely recommend drinking cacao on an empty stomach, either way, so you can really feel the effects. First thing in the morning is perfect, especially if you’re not sure just how energised you’re going to feel – if you’re about to go to sleep, it might not work so well!
Regular chocolate, even 90% dark chocolate, simply doesn’t have the same energizing effect. It’s still delicious, and it still allows you the opportunity to have a ceremony for yourself, so I do believe there are still benefits to it. Yet if you can, I highly recommend you try the ceremonial-grade cacao. It has far greater health benefits, and you’ll really be able to feel it working!
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Which leads to the question – what’s so great about cacao ceremonies?
I believe that the reason ceremonies are so powerful is the intention and significance that is placed on them.
If you’re starting your day with any beverage – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, or cacao, and taking your time to drink it mindfully, with intention, and consider it as being a sacred moment for you to connect with yourself, and/or whatever higher powers you believe in, then you are starting your day with a ceremony, a ritual.
As powerful as I believe cacao to be, especially when it is ceremonial-grade, the most crucial ingredient is intention. Without intention, belief, and mindfulness, cacao is just hot chocolate – maybe you’ll still get the health benefits, but you won’t necessarily feel anything more than a caffeine buzz.
Turning a simple hot drink into a ceremonial, ritualistic part of your day, starts with you deciding that it is a spiritual experience. You have to set that intention. You have to allow yourself to savour every sip. You have to allow your heart to open fully, in every way.
Studies and science have shown that cacao opens blood vessels and lowers blood pressure – it literally opens your heart. So, it follows that the spiritual side of it feels like you are opening up to yourself and others. If I journal my thoughts after cacao, I find myself in a deeper flow state so much quicker than simply drinking a cup of coffee.
In group ceremonies, Cacao allows everyone to feel at ease, so they are able to be their true selves. There’s definitely a degree of psychology involved, and if we consider human behaviour, it makes absolute sense.
Just as one alcoholic drink can give you the courage to talk to someone, cacao is an enabler. It makes you feel as though you’re capable of anything, yet unlike alcohol, you feel so much greater clarity, your focus is sharp, and you feel energised. Unlike when drinking alcohol, you are more likely and more able to be your true self, rather than stumbling and slurring over your words! At least in my experience.
One ceremony I went to in Guatemala was at night, and it was one of the most beautiful experiences ever. It was on a full moon, the sky was crystal clear, and we sat around a fire, burning notes and speaking freely to a group of people I’d only just met that night.
The power and impact of that night was facilitated around cacao – the cacao nourished us and opened our hearts literally and spiritually. Yet I’d already started many mornings with cacao, and felt the same energy, and experienced the same health benefits.
The main difference between the ceremony that night, and the ceremony I have for myself each morning alone, is the human connection. It’s sharing the experience with others. It’s celebrating with others. It’s learning and growing alongside others.
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So, how do you have a cacao ceremony at home that is as powerful as the one you’d have with others?
Regardless of where you are, whether you’re alone or in a group, the significance of a cacao ceremony is always up to you.
My experience in Guatemala may have been rich and meaningful to me, but to anyone else there it may have been completely overrated.
It depends on the individual.
I went into the ceremony ready and willing to embrace every aspect of it.
Now I have my cacao at the start of each day, sitting alone in a room, while everyone else in the house still sleeps… and I still approach cacao the same way.
Even when it’s just me, meditating then journaling with what is essentially fancy hot chocolate, I begin each ceremony ready and willing to embrace every aspect of it.
My experience with cacao has many levels. Some days I fall much deeper into it, other days I’m feeling less reflective, less open.
So why do I make the effort? What is the purpose of a cacao ceremony, especially when you are doing it alone?
I have to get up early, which means going to bed early – neither thing I am very good at!
It takes time and effort, making cacao when I could easily have slept through my alarm had I not placed it on the other side of my room, forcing myself to get up to turn it off…
Of course, there are some mornings I don’t get to do my little morning ritual. Like when my niece is here, and she definitely has no trouble getting up early! Or some event was on the night before. Or it’s the weekend so I wanna sleep in! Whatever the reason, I definitely don’t start every day with my beautiful, spiritual routine. There are absolutely mornings when I get up in a flurry, rushing out the door – bleary-eyed and head-achy!
But every single time I start my day with cacao, I feel so much more energised, creative, and productive. Every time, I feel, recognize, and appreciate the benefits.
Every single time I stumble into the kitchen as the sunrise glows through the window and the only thing I can hear are birds singing, even someone like me who swore for years that I’m not a morning person, is filled with so much gratitude that I get to start my days like this.
So how do you imbue a sense of spiritual, meaningfulness into a hot beverage? As I said earlier, it’s all about intention.
Let me take you through how I ceremonially make my cacao!
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My Cacao Ceremony
I fill my cup with coconut milk first, so I make the perfect amount, then pour it into a small pot on the stove. You can use any plant-based milk of choice and/or water. Traditionally it’s just made with water. It’s really up to personal preference, so I’d recommend trying different things and I love mixing it up occasionally, too!
As the milk is heating on low-medium heat, I add a dash of cinnamon and cardamom and a pinch of salt. My favourite combination and I definitely recommend it.
There are so many other options you can try, including vanilla, rosemary, chili, turmeric, really any herbs, spices, and superfoods like maca or mushroom extracts, whatever you’d like – and a sweetener of choice if you’d like it sweeter. It’s definitely fun to experiment with!Once the milk and spices are steaming, I turn the heat to low, and I add the cacao.
I’m currently using cacao from Australian Ceremonial Cacao, which comes shaped as these adorable hearts! One heart is approx. 8 grams, so I usually add two for approx. 16 grams. A full ceremonial dose is usually 40 grams, but if you’re drinking cacao most days as I do, a regular dose is usually enough — I still definitely feel the effects!
If you want to try the full ceremonial dose, 4 of the hearts from Australian Ceremonial Cacao works perfectly! The best part is that I find they melt without having to be chopped up, which makes it one less thing to do first thing in the morning!
I also love the Cacao Club, and can definitely recommend them if you’d like to try a variety of different flavours — very helpful if you’re just starting out with cacao! My favourite combination from them was the Brainpower and Focus blend, with rosemary, brahmi and sage. Some of their ingredients are really interesting, definitely check them out if you’re curious!Here’s where I get a little more spiritual… as I add the cacao, I think of my intention for the day. I have a few sentences that I state, either just thinking it to myself or as a whisper, that you can use if you like — if you don’t find it silly! But I find that it fills me with so much gratitude as I stir the cacao, forcing me to stay in the moment, allowing me to centre myself and appreciate the cacao that I’m so grateful and excited to be able to drink.
This is the point where we take an ordinary hot beverage and make it that much more meaningful. It may just be a placebo effect, but for me personally, it makes the cacao that much more powerful! I state the following as I stir the cacao:“May this cacao nourish, energise, and inspire me. My intention for this cacao and this day is to… (insert your intention here). Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
Some examples of intentions you might state: to be grateful, to rest, to be productive, to be creative, to be energetic, to exercise, to spend time in nature, to manifest, to learn about something, to find guidance on something… whatever you feel drawn to focusing on in your day. If you’re feeling really stuck, draw a tarot or oracle card before you start making your cacao and the message on the card could be your intention for the day!For this stove-top method, depending on the cacao you’re using, you may need to use a whisk and a spatula alternatively. I’ve never used a blender for this, but if you’re able to have hot liquid in your blender, you can try that too if you’d like it to be frothy or if you’d like to add dates as a sweetener.
Once the cacao has been combined with the milk and spices, I turn off the heat. It should still be steaming hot from being on low as you stirred in the cacao.
Now, this next part is totally optional, but I’ve recently started adding a teaspoon of powdered lion’s mane medicinal mushroom extract. This stuff takes my cacao to a whole new level of energy and focus! I definitely don’t think it’s necessary, and cacao is amazing in and of itself, but if you’d like to try medicinal mushrooms, it works really well with cacao. I can’t taste it at all! I’ll have a link to this Australian company below, in the resources section at the bottom of this page.
Once that the cacao is made, I continue the ceremony. I sit comfortably in my room, placing the cacao in front of me, lighting a candle or two, and either lighting some incense or I’ll turn on my essential oil diffuser. I meditate for about ten minutes while the cacao cools to the perfect drinking temperature for me. After meditating I hold the cacao to my heart and state my intention again before I drink.
“May this cacao nourish, energise, and inspire me. My intention for this cacao and this day is to… Thank you, thank you, thank you!”
As I drink, I focus on that intention. I’m usually still in a meditative state and I’ll often visualise, looking at my vision board and focusing on one particular goal at a time.
Usually around half-way through the cacao, I begin to write, and I draw a tarot or oracle card for the day. I put some music I can write to on, and… well, the rest of my morning routine will have to wait for another day, or this post will go on for too long!
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Whatever you may believe, or if it’s simply the placebo effect at work, I gain so much from my spiritual morning ritual with cacao. It forces me to take a moment for mindfulness and reflection. It allows me to wake up with gratitude. Regardless of the spiritual, ceremonial side of cacao, the health benefits are reason enough to give it a try!
At the end of the day, you can make it as spiritual and mindful as you like. You can imbue as much meaning into drinking your cacao as you like. You can listen to music, sing, dance, chant, use mantras or affirmations – I’ve tried all kinds of things myself and I love all of it.
In the group ceremonies, there’s usually a variety of rituals, from sound baths, meditation, and throwing candles and notes into a fire. If I didn’t have people still sleeping in the house, I’d be able to do a lot more, but I’m so happy to keep it simple too. It’s such a beautiful practice that flows naturally, first thing in the morning as I wake up.
A cacao ceremony doesn’t have to be dancing around a fire, it doesn’t require any tools, it doesn’t need anything except your intention. A cacao ceremony can be whatever you want it to be.
The final question that I’d like to answer today is whether the ceremony is truly necessary – how much difference can it make?
Does the ceremonial aspect change how the cacao feels, or how much impact that the cacao has?
I can only talk from my own personal experience, but whenever I add even the slightest bit of mindfulness to making and drinking cacao, I definitely notice its effects so much more. Again, it might be a placebo effect – or it could simply be the fact that I’m more in touch with myself, I’m paying attention to how my body is feeling as I’m drinking the cacao.
The intention I set, even the most specific of them, always manifest, too. This is going to sound really woo-woo but suspend your disbelief for a minute! It’s as though, while you’re drinking the cacao with your intention in focus, you’re embodying that intention as if it is already the truth. You’re setting your mind to it in a similar way to visualising.
I really do believe that adding an intention and creating a ceremony around cacao adds so much value. Regardless of if you drink your cacao “spiritually”, I urge you to make it a special moment to start your day.
Whatever you believe, have gratitude, and enjoy the beautiful, nurturing, wonderful, “food of the gods” – cacao.
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So, what do you think about ceremonial cacao?
Do you believe that intentionally, mindfully creating a spiritual routine can add positive, spiritual benefits to cacao?
If you’ve come this far, comment below “cacao!” And let me know, do you want to try your own cacao ceremony at home? If you have any questions at all, I’ll do my best to answer them! Also, feel free to find me over on Instagram @eboniehyland, I’d love to see you over there too!
For even more info and resources on cacao, including links to a few online stores that sell ethically sourced, ceremonial-grade cacao, scroll to the end of this page!
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I truly hope you found today’s blog post and video helpful, and if you haven’t already, I hope you’ll consider subscribing to my YouTube channel! I post a new video every Thursday, all about self-development, spirituality, manifesting, the Law of Attraction, and divination. If that’s something you’re curious to learn more about, be sure to ring the little bell too so that you’re notified when I post a new video!
Thank you so much for being here today, and I can’t wait to see you here again next week!
So much love,
Ebonie xx