Cacao has been used as a food and ceremonial aid for millennia.
The OlmecIts earliest recorded use comes from The Olmec, a Mesoamerican civilisation based around the Gulf of Mexico around 2000 BCE.
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QuetzalcoatlA cacao creation myth tells how the great god Quetzalcoatl, a magnificent plumed serpent, stole the cacao tree from the Mountain of Sustenance and delivered it on the beam of the morning star as a gift to the people of Mexico.
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XochiquetzalThe cacao bean is also associated with Xochiquetzal, an Aztec fertility maiden goddess of love, beauty, crafts, childbirth and female sexual power.
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The Secret Life of Chocolate
In his remarkable study of Theobroma cacao published by Aeon Books this summer, medical herbalist Marcos Patchett delves into the ancient history of our human relationship with cacao, dissecting the pharmacological properties of chocolate and divulging the mythical and magical associations of this incredible tree.
I spoke to Marcos to talk about his groundbreaking work.
I spoke to Marcos to talk about his groundbreaking work.
What makes this cacao so special?
FermentedThese highly prized beans are harvested, fermented and dried without roasting to preserve the cacao’s full nutritional and medicinal properties.
This method of preparation is unique to ceremonial cacao and activates certain compounds within the bean for maximum potency and pleasure! The beans contain anandamide (the ‘bliss’ chemical), histamine, arginine (nature’s Viagra), phenylethylamine (PEA – the ‘love’ chemical), theobromine and dopamine. |
Mood ElevatingCacao is a beautiful partner for all manner of inner, outer and creative work, relaxing smooth muscle, stimulating the heart, enhancing mood and oxygenated blood flow to the brain and major organs without charging up the nervous system like caffeine.
Its native MAO inhibitors temporarily suspend the breakdown of potent neurotransmitters activated naturally in the brain before being released into the rest of the body. When we consume this precious food, we are quite literally getting high on our own supply! |
Self CareCacao is a natural diuretic so always drink plenty of water after you savour your elixir!
Ceremonial grade cacao is incompatible with many antidepressants and some heart conditions - please check your medication before consuming. |
My journey with cacao began in 2011, during a magical plant medicine ceremony in the heart of the British countryside. I was astounded at the capacity of this little known medicine to open my heart into profound states of beauty, grace and joy, and I was curious to learn more.
I began to import huge shipments of ceremonial grade cacao from Guatemala, incorporating the many gifts of its medicine with depth explorations of meditation, ritual magic and folk herbalism.
When I discovered a farmer's co-operative in the Peruvian Andes who were cultivating an ancient strain of the tree using permaculture principles, I soon came to favour the naturally high cacao butter content of this unhybridised variety that gave a luxuriously rich flavour and warm sensuality to elixirs crafted from its fermented beans. This is the source of Cacao Love that I now ship to devotees all over the world.
Since 2012, I have served elixirs made from this exquisite Peruvian cacao to over one thousand participants in cacao ceremonies across the UK and Europe, and it often becomes the medicine of choice for facilitators working in service to this mystical and celestial plant intelligence.
I began to import huge shipments of ceremonial grade cacao from Guatemala, incorporating the many gifts of its medicine with depth explorations of meditation, ritual magic and folk herbalism.
When I discovered a farmer's co-operative in the Peruvian Andes who were cultivating an ancient strain of the tree using permaculture principles, I soon came to favour the naturally high cacao butter content of this unhybridised variety that gave a luxuriously rich flavour and warm sensuality to elixirs crafted from its fermented beans. This is the source of Cacao Love that I now ship to devotees all over the world.
Since 2012, I have served elixirs made from this exquisite Peruvian cacao to over one thousand participants in cacao ceremonies across the UK and Europe, and it often becomes the medicine of choice for facilitators working in service to this mystical and celestial plant intelligence.
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Recipe For A Sensuous Long Drink For 22-3 tablespoons cacao
1 tablespoon almond butter 1 tablespoon coconut oil 1 teaspoon hemp hearts 1 teaspoon lucuma 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 of a vanilla pod 6 dates (stones removed) Add spring water up to 750ml and blend until silky smooth! |
Ceremonial Notes
42g is the maximum recommended dose. After preparing hundreds of ceremonial elixirs using this particularly potent variety of cacao, I've been guided to offer 30g servings for a full, immersive experience. Cacao is naturally self- limiting as higher doses soon produce nausea (any bitter in great enough quantities is emetic). A 20g dose is often enough to facilitate profound inner work. Many experience deep emotional release or immediate energetic meeting with the cacao deva from very small servings. You know you have a cacao partnership when she smiles with you in this way!
To prepare cacao for a group, fill a large jug or pan with water using the serving cups that will be used for the ceremony. Mark the jug so you can see how much elixir is needed and empty the water. Add 30g cacao x number of cups required, then your sweetener and flavourings of choice. Add water to the previously marked fill level, transfer to a pan and warm slowly on a low heat until the cacao melts. A wooden spoon pressed into larger clumps of cacao in the pan helps here. Prepared in this way, the elixir is very thick, and will usually need to be served with a spoon.
A blender can also be used to quickly prepare larger brews in batches, before warming the whole drink through in a deep pan.
To prepare cacao for a group, fill a large jug or pan with water using the serving cups that will be used for the ceremony. Mark the jug so you can see how much elixir is needed and empty the water. Add 30g cacao x number of cups required, then your sweetener and flavourings of choice. Add water to the previously marked fill level, transfer to a pan and warm slowly on a low heat until the cacao melts. A wooden spoon pressed into larger clumps of cacao in the pan helps here. Prepared in this way, the elixir is very thick, and will usually need to be served with a spoon.
A blender can also be used to quickly prepare larger brews in batches, before warming the whole drink through in a deep pan.
Indigenous myth recounts how whenever the balance between humans and nature becomes threatened, cacao leaves the rainforest to open people's hearts and return the planet to harmony.