ancient chocolate

Humans have had a long relationship with chocolate, some 3000 years or more. This story starts at the time of the Olmec civilisation, which lived in what is now south-central Mexico. The word Cacao is believed to derive from the Olmec people, who called it kaka. The word Olmec was made up by scholars who discovered artefacts that belonged to these people, which some call the 'Mother Culture'. The Mayans, Aztecs, and other civilisations in the Americas that had a relationship with Cacao all had unique art, architecture, and culture that separated them, but many historians trace these cultures back to their shared Olmec heritage.

After the Olmec came the Mayans, and Cacao was at the heart of their culture. They used Cacao ceremonially and shamanistically, even having a cacao-based baptism ritual for boys and girls. The Mayans were the first major civilisation to use cacao beans as currency, and numerous gods were associated with Cacao.

When the Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes landed in 1519 he found an Aztec civilisation with Cacao at the centre of their culture. The last Aztec Emperor, Montezuma, was a renowned chocoholic; some say he consumed up to 50 cups of a cacao drink from gold vessels at feasts before visiting his harem. I know how I feel after just one cup of ceremonial grade cacao within a ceremony, so the thought of 50 blows my mind!

Hernan Cortes likely brought Cacao to Europe and, from there, the world. The rest, as they say, is history.

Cacao and modern-day chocolate

The Cacao consumed in the lands of the Americas was bitter and spicy and often consumed as a drink. The Europeans combined Cacao with refined sugar, first as a drink and later as solid chocolate bars. Today, Cacao is more widely known as cocoa, which started as a British slang term for Cacao.

In 1828, a Dutchman invented a process for removing a lot of the cacao butter fat from the Cacao. The residue could be ground into a powder and was then treated with alkaline salts to improve how it mixed with water. The process is known as "Dutching"; the end product is known as cocoa or cocoa powder. The first bars of milk chocolate were produced in 1879 by combining defatted and alkalised cocoa powder with milk powder recently invented by Henri Nestlé. These processes then led to mass production of cheap, low-quality chocolate.

In recent years, there has been an interest in good-quality chocolate, with increasing numbers of people still wanting more than cheap chocolate packed full of refined sugars, additives, and vegetable oils. Artisan chocolate producers now focus on good-quality cacao beans and carefully made ingredients in smaller batches.

Personally, sitting in ceremony with Cacao adds to the power and depth of my connection to everything around me and in my personal life, from the trees and birds outside my yurt to the land that Ellasfield sits upon and the spirit that invited Ella and me to live here over 19 years ago. Mama Cacao has helped me on my healing journey, along with all the folks who sit with me in ceremony at Ellasfield.

When it comes to ceremonies and Cacao, I don't believe there is a single way, path, or tradition. As with all spiritual, shamanic, and medicine paths, the way is made up of various styles, traditions, and teachings. Often, practices have been passed down through family lineages. Then there are the teachings individuals receive from spirit as they journey with Cacao themselves, which is how it has worked for me.

Many practices would have been specific to families, villages, tribes, regions, etc. Existing traditions of working with Cacao vary in different ways, and honouring and respecting these is vitally important.

Cacao is a beautiful, heart-opening healer and teacher. As you explore your relationship with Cacao through a consistent and dedicated practice of connection, Mama Cacao reveals herself to you in many ways. Often, she offers ways to bring the magic of Cacao to your life, existing work, or passions.

She works beautifully with so many practices, including dance, yoga, meditation, shamanic journeying, and sound baths. I am also super excited to share that I will be working with Cacao, Horses and Dance in the autumn of this year. I will work 1:1 and in small groups with folks seeking to cut through all the noise and hullabaloo of modern life and arrive at a more harmonious and confident state within themselves and their relationships.

"I have a deep respect for the origins of this plant medicine, and I believe it is positively impacting many lives worldwide. People are incorporating Cacao into various practices and modalities. If we approach it with integrity and authenticity, seek training in ceremonial work and an understanding of animism, it can only bring good things. Some argue that this isn't "right" or honouring "the tradition" and may even amount to cultural appropriation. Still, my heart says this isn't how it is."

From my understanding, my research, my teachers, and the lessons I have received from Cacao herself, I don't feel it's quite as simple as that.

What I believe is truly important when working with Cacao ceremonially is to:

-Honour the spirit of the plant

-Respect its history and the terrible impact the European conquests had on the people of Mesoamerica

-Hold gratitude to all the folk who were involved in producing the Cacao you work with

-Choose Cacao wisely, and give back to the communities that grow it if you can

-Hold a clear intention for your ceremonies

-Be authentic and clear about your intentions for holding ceremonies; is it for the highest good of all involved?

-Bring your attention to your ceremonies before, during and after

I'd love to hear about your experiences of ceremonies, respecting and honouring traditions, and how you allow the cacao spirit to work with and through you.

With love, beauties

Kim x

In my next blog, we will explore the unique health properties of Cacao.