Working with Cacao

Many people are familiar with chocolate--the delectable confection that typically includes dairy, sugar, and other additives. Cacao is the core plant from which chocolate is derived and to which sugar and dairy are typically added. Traditionally, however, in addition to being used as a form of currency among Mesoamerican cultures, Cacao has been consumed as a medicinal tonic for the physical, emotional, and spiritual bodies. Like many herbs and fungi, Cacao is traditionally prepared as a warm beverage made from blending a whole-bean paste with hot water. It’s like hot chocolate without all of the extra stuff, and this plant is the reason why consuming chocolate may truly leave you feeling better than you did before you consumed it.  

Believed by indigenous Mesoamerican cultures and communities to have been gifted by Quetzalcoatl to repair ruptures perpetrated by the goddess of war and her influence on humanity, Cacao is medicine for our times. In a world that privileges divisiveness, tribalism, speed, convenience, and superficiality, Cacao facilitates slow and deep connection with self and all that exist based on unique personal relationships. A medicine of radical intimacy, Cacao invites and encourages humans to embody sensibilities of wholeness and recognize them in others. In the same way that falling in love can open a Pandora’s Box into your shadows and shortcomings, Cacao forces her allies to see whatever exists in their hearts--including those things they’d prefer to ignore or avoid. Luckily, she also supports the sorts of boundaries required for all healthy relationships.

I have been invited into and given permission to share my relationship with Cacao by my teacher, Marita One Who Catches Lightning and Keeper of the Thunderstone of Path of Ix and Cuatro Manos y Cinco Volcanes and their ancestors. They have shared with me their indigenous teachings and practices that have been passed down through their unbroken lineage of Cacao Carriers since 1600 BCE. They grow and process unique single-farm slave-free batches of Cacao paste by hand in ceremony using traditional practices. This training serves as the foundational framework from which I have cultivated and continue to foster my own unique personal relationship with Cacao, especially the unique Cacao grown and processed by Cuatro Manos y Cinco Volcanes in relationship with Hawaii and its indigenous communities. This means that I maintain a reciprocal relationship with Cacao and work with her as a whole and sovereign being. For me, Cacao is not just some thing with biochemical constituents that can be isolated and extracted for human use. Similarly, and aligned with my herbalism training, I don’t believe that working with Cacao (or any plant medicine) is for everyone.

That being said, it’s also worth noting that modern medical research confirms that Cacao contains unique chemical constituents with health benefits including improved mood, focus, and memory; cardiovascular support; stem cell stimulation; increased cognitive function; gut and microbiome support; and more. As someone with scientific training, I hope that research into the benefits of Cacao continues, and I will follow and support it as much as I can. Nonetheless, my own work with Cacao focuses on the whole plant aligned with traditional indigenous practices and my training as an herbalist.

Only 1% of Cacao is grown in Hawaii, and the Cacao with whom I work represents 1% of the Cacao in Hawaii. Because of the unique nature of this Cacao and my unique relationship with it and its producers, your experience working together with Cacao and me will also be unique, even if you’ve worked with Cacao or sat in Cacao ceremonies previously.

Cacao circles and 1-on-1 sessions that I facilitate may be especially helpful for you if:

• The world around you leaves you feeling “buzzy” and you’re seeking a more grounded existence

• You feel physical and/or emotional “heaviness” and want to find levity (and don’t have adrenal issues)

• You’re tired of feeling like you have to do everything yourself and/or feel alone

• You seek new and healthier ways of relating or types of relationships with others

• You crave and/or struggle to find deep connection, intimacy, and a sense of belonging in the world

• You’re invested/engaged in processes and projects of personal, inter-generational/ancestral, inter-personal, trans-personal, social/community, and ecological repair

• You’re ready to enact and experience deep change within yourself and the world

One-on-one sessions are 60 minutes and personalized based on one’s specific inner work and spiritual journey. They may include other diverse modalities, knowledge systems, and ecologies from which I draw. Click here to schedule a session ($100/session).

Seasonal Circles are offered on the Solstices and Equinoxes. They are 90 minutes and tend to include work with sound from self and beyond to align with “Natural” and instinctual vibrations of the Season. Click here to learn more and register for the next Seasonal Cacao Circle ($75/circle).

Books and Cacao is a 60-minute circle that will include discussions on books from diverse perspectives and knowledge systems that explore the consciousness of plants, animals, and fungi. Click here to learn more, see the books we’ll be reading, and register for Books and Cacao ($65/circle).

Custom Circles are offered for groups, retreats, and other events virtually and in-person. Click here to connect with me so that I can learn more and we can discern if we’re a good fit for each other.

** A portion of all proceeds from Cacao circles and sessions are returned to my teacher, indigenous elders, and associated BIPOC communities for land restoration, food sovereignty, feeding communities, and animal rescue.**