In recent years, cacao ceremonies have gained popularity as powerful rituals for spiritual and emotional transformation. The ancient practice of using cacao as sacred plant medicine has been passed down through generations, offering a doorway to heart-opening experiences and inner exploration. If you’re ready to embark on a journey of self-discovery and deep connection, preparing for a cacao ceremony is essential. In this article, we will guide you through the steps of preparing cacao for a blissful and meaningful ceremony.
Chopping the cacao paste
When you are preparing the cacao for a ceremony, we highly recommend using a block or saucer of ceremonial cacao paste. This will be a high quality and it is the most recommended for ceremony.
You can also use cacao nibs or cacao powder, but it may not give the same effect as the cacao paste.
Best way to prepare your ceremonial cacao:
- Chop off little bits of the cacao into finely chopped small pieces.
- When chopping it up, it can be easier to use a big, high-quality knife.
- You can also use a blender but do not blend it for too long, or it will melt and stick to the blender.
- The size of the chopped-up cacao should be small pieces that are approximately one-quarter of an inch or 6 millimetres. It can also be smaller than this but shouldn’t be bigger than this.
- While chopping the cacao, you can put intentions into the cacao. You can sing, pray, or have thoughts of gratitude.
How much cacao should you use to prepare your drink?
- 5 grams
- This amount is recommended for people who are new to drinking cacao and for those who do not usually drink caffeine.
- This is a small amount of cacao, for beginners.
- It can be used as a way to micro-dose cacao. Some people use microdoses every day, for example, microdoses of cacao in the mornings.
- 8.5 – 21 grams
- This amount can be used for people who are more used to drinking cacao or caffeine products.
- You will notice some of the stimulating and heart-opening effects.
- 28 – 34 grams
- This amount is used when someone is wanting to increase their creativity or to meditate.
- Someone could take this amount during retreats before a mild aerobic activity such as dancing or yoga
- This is a dose that could be given at a cacao ceremony.
- It can open the heart and bring a release.
- 42.5 grams
- This is another dose that could be used at a cacao ceremony.
- It is not really recommended to drink more than this as it can make people feel sick or uncomfortable. This amount is already high.
- 57 grams
- This would be considered an upper limit, but it could make some people become sick when drinking this much cacao at a time. At InnerCamp, we don’t recommend this amount unless you have a lot of experience with cacao.
The quantity of cacao to utilize will be influenced by your familiarity with cacao, your sensitivity to stimulants, and the timing of your cacao ceremony (it’s advisable to avoid consuming excessive cacao at night to ensure a good night’s sleep).
Adding water to cacao
Once the cacao is chopped up, you can now add hot water to it. The water “should not” be boiling because the cacao would lose nutrients. It just needs to be approximately 120 degrees Fahrenheit or 50 degrees Celsius.
You can experiment with the cacao to see how much water you would like to add to the cacao. If you would like it to be thicker, you wouldn’t add as much water.
You could add 3 ounces, 100 millilitres, or ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons of water if you want less liquid. It is recommended to use this amount of water at a ceremony. This way it is thicker and less watered down.
If you want more liquid, you could add 10 ounces, 295 millilitres, or 1.25 cups of water. This is all up to you and how diluted you want the cacao to be.
Some people might want to use vegan milk instead of water, choose your best option!
Mixing cacao with water
You can infuse the hot water with spices if you would like to. Examples of spices are:
- Cayenne
- Black pepper
- Turmeric
- Ginger
- Spices
When you mix the water with the cacao, you can use a hand blender or a regular blender. This can make it a bit frothy. After blending it, you can pour it into a cup.
Another mixing option is using a whisk and adding the hot water slowly, little bits of water at a time. You would mix it, and then once it is mixed, add a bit more water.
You can sing or pray while mixing it, as a part of the intention setting and ceremony. For example, you can give thanks to the Indigenous people of South America who first began using cacao. You can give thanks for all of the work that went into processing the cacao for you to be able to drink it and share it with others.
Preparing a drink with cacao nibs
You can use cacao nibs which are crushed beans. Cacao nibs may not melt and could remain chewy inside of the cacao drink.
If you do use cacao nibs for a ceremony at home, it is better to blend them with water. They will not melt by using a whisk. Even after blending them, there will still be parts that need to be chewed. Even if cacao nibs are not the greatest for a ceremony, they are still very healthy. They can also be used for smoothies, baking, or in granola.
Preparing a drink with cacao powder
There is not as much preparation needed with cacao powder since you do not need to chop it. You can whisk it with hot water or blend it. This is up to you and your preference.
Just as with cacao nibs, even if the powder is not recommended for a ceremony, it is still very healthy and can be used in smoothies or teas.
Cacao paste is the best to use for a ceremony. This is because it will mix well with water. Cacao paste also maintains the integrity and wholeness of the cacao ceremony experience.
Cacao butter is usually used for skin products or to be made into chocolate, so it is not really used for cacao ceremonies.
If you have a deep desire to learn more about Cacao Ceremonies and facilitate transformative ceremonies, we invite you to join our Cacao Ceremony Facilitator Training. Designed for those seeking to guide others on a journey of heart-opening experiences, our course provides the knowledge, skills, and guidance needed to become a skilled cacao ceremony facilitator.