The 6-Step Ceremonial Cacao Preparation
Learn how to make a sacred drinking cacao at home for inner work, relationship rituals, and your own unique cacao ceremonies.
Preparing ceremonial cacao is an art that everyone can learn. You are the creator. Allow your inner magician to light the way.
Preparing cacao ceremonially means that you are connecting to Earth intentionally, and to the medicine of cacao itself.
Your masculine side follows the instructions on how to prepare cacao and how to measure, while your feminine side is involved by blessing, singing, stirring, and adding different ingredients intuitively.
Cacao invokes your inner child to play, while the mature sacred union within celebrates at the level of the heart.
What You Will Need:
Ceremonial-Grade Cacao, in block or discs
High Quality Stainless Steel or Glass Pot
Kettle (stove top or electric)
Wooden Spoons
Wooden Cutting Board (if you have a block of cacao)
Sharp Knife (if you have a block of cacao)
Ladle (optional)
Cheese Grater (optional)
Scale (optional)
Spices of Your Choice (optional)
Organic Cane Sugar, Honey or Sweetener of Your Choice (optional)
Vegan Milk (optional)
Here Are the 6 Steps to Prepare the Best Ceremonial Cacao in Your Kitchen
Step 1: Boil Your Water
Use a kettle, stove top or electric, to boil the amount of water you need. Add a cup of water, or 250 to 300ml per serving, to your kettle. Bring your water to boiling point, and let it rest for a few minutes.
Step 2: Measure Your Cacao
Choose the dose of ceremonial cacao that you want to experience. For creativity or meditation, we recommend using 20-25g (6-8 discs) per serving. For an intense experience or a deep shamanic journey, we suggest using around 40-45g (13-15 discs). If you have a block of cacao, use the knife and cutting board to shave your block in small pieces. You can also use a cheese grater. A full tablespoon of shaved cacao is usually around 20g. If you have a scale, measure the dose of your choice. If your ceremonial cacao comes in discs, simply pick the appropriate dose.
Step 3: Melt Your Cacao
Place your discs, or your shaved cacao, at the bottom of your pot. Turn on your burner at low temperature. Gently stir the cacao using a wooden spoon, until it becomes a fondue. Add some of your previously boiled water, so that it covers the bottom of the pot, approximately one centimeter thick, or half an inch. Continue to stir, so that your cacao blends with the water. Once fully merged, slowly add the rest of your water while you continue to gently stir.
Step 4: Bless Your Cacao
Once all of your water has been added to the pot, continue to gently stir with your wooden spoon. If you live in the Northern hemisphere, you can choose to stir counterclockwise, if you want to harmonize with the Coriolis force caused by the Earth's rotation, and vice versa if you are in the South. At this point, you can take a moment to bless and honor your cacao. It could be a gratitude prayer for the tree itself, for the people working on the land, or for the Spirit of Cacao. A song can be offered to create a nourishing vibration that you will then receive when you drink the cacao. You can also put an intention, asking for assistance on your path of transformation, and for all human beings who need support.
Step 5: Finish Cooking Your Cacao
You can put a lid and let your cacao cook until a cream starts to form. But don’t go on the phone or start a conversation. Be very present and connected, and turn off the stove a soon as you notice the first bubbles coming to the surface. IMPORTANT: Do not let your cacao boil, as it would reduce the health benefits and medicinal properties.
Step 6: Serve & Add Condiments
To serve your ceremonial cacao, use a ladle, or simply pour directly from the pot to your mug. If you wish to add condiments — spices, sweetener, or vegan milk — we recommend that you make them optional for your guests, and ask them prior to serving the cacao. If it’s for personal use, add the condiments into your empty cup, before pouring your cacao. If you want to drink it with vegan milk, we suggest that you warm it up separately, and add it in your mug, on top of your cacao.
Examples of spices you can use: ginger, mint, rose, clove, cinnamon, cayenne, cardamom…
Examples of sweeteners: organic cane sugar, coconut sugar, maple syrup, vanilla, honey, stevia…
Examples of vegan milk: almond, hazelnut, cashew, coconut, soy…
How to Serve Your Ceremonial Cacao
For Personal Rituals
Create a sacred space where you feel protected, and uplifted in spirit. Choose a mug that emanates inspiration. One made out of earth allows you to be connected to earth’s element. Serve yourself cacao with soft music in the space, or offer a song, with or without an instrument.
Connect with your body, your heart, and listen to your intuition. Resting, meditating, journaling, drawing, painting, or any creative endeavor can be supported by ceremonial cacao. Indoor or outdoor, ceremonial cacao will reinforce your connection to nature, and help you fully embrace the wisdom of your heart.
The medicine can calm, stimulate, or move energy, depending on your needs of the moment. For your relationships, with your partner, a friend, a family member, or a work colleague, ceremonial cacao will help harmonize and support heart connection.
For Group Ceremonies
Create a safe and comfortable space where people can be receptive, and relax. Be clear about your intentions, share the blueprint of your ceremony, and inform your participants about the cacao they will drink. Set healthy boundaries around devices, your availability, and the duration of your offering.
Start by honoring the medicine, with a moment of gratitude. Before serving the cacao, find a strategy to keep it hot. Have your condiments and sweeteners ready for your participants to add them, if they want, then serve your cacao to each person, and drink together, in silence.
Among the many elements that you can include in your ceremony: a guided meditation, a period of silence, sitting or laying down, gentle movement, song, music, and a circle of expression. Make sure to conclude in time, and to ground your participants before they leave (if you want to know more about how to create and guide a cacao ceremony, read about our online training).
Want to Learn More About Ceremonial Cacao?
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