When you think of chocolate, images of sweet candy bars or rich desserts probably come to mind. But did you know that chocolate, specifically cacao, has been used in spiritual practices for thousands of years?
Cacao’s Ancient Roots
The word “chocolate” comes from the Nahuatl word “xocolatl”, meaning bitter water. Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations like the Mayans and Aztecs highly revered cacao seeds. They were used not just for making frothy beverages, but also in religious ceremonies, as currency, and even as anesthetics and aphrodisiacs.
To the Aztecs, cacao was considered the “food of the gods”, with mystical, almost supernatural qualities. The cacao spirit was personified as a wise grandmother figure known as Xochiquetzal. Consuming the bitter, energizing drink was thought to increase spiritual wisdom, enhance vitality, unlock creativity, and connect one to the divine life force flowing through nature.
Compounds in Cacao
So what makes cacao so special from a spiritual perspective? The main reasons likely lie in its unique nutritional and chemical makeup. Cacao beans are packed with nutrients and minerals like magnesium, iron, chromium, zinc, and antioxidants.
More significantly, cacao contains compounds like theobromine, phenethylamine, and anandamide that can produce a mild euphoric, heart-opening effect. Anandamide in particular binds to the same receptors as plant-based cannabinoids like THC and may explain cacao’s ability to induce feelings of grounded bliss.
Cacao Ceremonies
In Central and South American indigenous cultures, ceremonial cacao rituals have been practiced for generations as a way to commune with nature’s energies. These often involve mindfully preparing and drinking frothy cups of pure cacao mixed with warming spices, herbs, mushrooms, or superfood additions in a group setting.
The bitter, creamy cacao drink is consumed slowly and reverentially as a way to open your heart, enhance meditation, and feel more connected to spirit, the earth, and one another. Many find the experience powerfully heart-opening, grounding and even mildly psychoactive or transcendent. Elements like breathwork, sound healing, dancing, poetry, or plant medicine like rapé may also be incorporated.
Modern Cacao Ceremonies
Recently, cacao ceremonies led by trained facilitators have become more popular in the United States and other Western countries as people seek out plant-based paths to self-actualization. Spiritual seekers are drawn to experience the cacao plant’s reputed heart-opening, mind-expanding, and aphrodisiac qualities in a ceremonial context.
According to the people at Maloca Sound, at a typical modern cacao ceremony, participants may engage in activities like meditation, journaling, group sharing, ecstatic dance or movement while ceremonially sipping muddy cacao elixirs. The intention is to cultivate presence, self-love, creativity and connection with each other and the divine feminine energy some perceive cacao to embody.
Making Cacao at Home
If you cannot join a formal ceremony, you can easily make your own sacred cacao drink at home. Simply combine raw cacao powder or liquified cacao butter or paste with hot plant-based milk like almond, oat, or coconut. Some add natural sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, vanilla extract, cinnamon, cayenne, maca, or other warm spices.
The key is sourcing high-quality, ethically sourced cacao and taking the time to slowly prepare and consume the warm, frothy drink with reverence and intention. You may want to pair it with a mindful activity like meditation, breathwork, chanting, ecstatic dance, or journaling. Let the spirit of cacao be your guide as you tap into its ancient, heart-awakening wisdom.
Conclusion
From ancient Mesoamerican traditions to modern facilitated rituals, cacao’s unique chemical and energetic properties make it a powerful plant ally for spiritual exploration and heart-opening. Whether enjoyed alone or in sacred community, sipping this mythical, nourishing brew can unlock portals to presence, bliss, and universal connection. The spiritual side of chocolate is profoundly divine.
