Ceremony and Sound · Article

What Is a Cacao Ceremony?

What ceremonial cacao is, where the tradition comes from, what you may feel, and how cacao opens my New Moon Kundalini Activation ceremonies.

By Anya Dillon7 minute read

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Anya Dillon holding a bowl of ceremonial cacao and Blue Lotus elixir, her hand adorned with henna

A cacao ceremony is a gathering in which ceremonial cacao, a minimally processed form of the cacao bean, is prepared as a warm drink and received slowly, with intention. It is often followed by meditation, movement, sharing or another practice.

Cacao is gentle. It isn’t psychedelic, and it won’t take you somewhere you don’t want to go. Many people describe it as warming, grounding and quietly heart-opening.

I don’t hold cacao ceremonies on their own. In my work, cacao opens my New Moon Kundalini Activation ceremonies. This article explains what a cacao ceremony is, and how cacao lives within the ceremonies I hold.

In this article

Contents
  1. IWhat ceremonial cacao is
  2. IIWhere the ceremony comes from
  3. IIIWhat happens in a cacao ceremony
  4. IVCacao in my New Moon ceremonies
  5. VThe cacao I use
  6. VIWhat you might feel
  7. VIISafety and preparation
  8. VIIIQuestions

What is ceremonial cacao?

Ceremonial cacao is made from whole cacao beans ground into a paste, keeping the bean’s natural fat. Makers prepare it differently: some ferment and roast the beans, while others keep them unfermented and grind them slowly at low temperatures. Unlike most chocolate, it isn’t mixed with large amounts of sugar and milk. It is usually melted into hot water, sometimes with spices, herbs or a little sweetness.

Ceremonial cacaoCocoa powder and chocolate
Whole bean, minimally processedOften highly processed, with the fat removed
Rich, earthy and slightly bitterUsually sweetened, often with milk
Received slowly, with intentionEnjoyed as a treat

Cacao naturally contains theobromine, a gentle stimulant related to caffeine, along with a small amount of caffeine itself. Many people describe its energy as softer and steadier than coffee.

Where does the cacao ceremony come from?

Cacao has been honored in Mesoamerica for thousands of years. The Maya and the Mexica (Aztec) peoples used cacao in ritual, offering and celebration, and it was valued so highly that cacao beans were also used as currency.

Many of today’s cacao ceremonies are modern expressions inspired by these traditions, rather than continuations of a single lineage. I honor cacao’s roots with gratitude, and I’m clear that the way I work with it is my own contemporary practice, not an inherited tradition I claim.

Whenever I serve cacao, I give thanks to the land and the people who have tended it for generations.

What happens in a cacao ceremony?

Every facilitator holds cacao differently, but many ceremonies share a simple shape. You arrive and settle into the space. The cacao is served warm, and you are invited to hold the cup, set an intention and drink slowly, noticing its warmth and taste.

From there, the ceremony might move into meditation, breath, movement, music, journaling or sharing in circle. The cacao is not the whole experience. It is a gentle opening that helps you arrive.

You hold the cup.You set your intention.You drink slowly, and arrive.

Anya Dillon kneeling beside a resting guest during a Kundalini Activation

How I use cacao in my New Moon ceremonies

At the new moon, I open my Kundalini Activation ceremony with cacao. After I greet you and cleanse the space, we sit together with our cups. I invite you to set an intention for what you are ready to begin, receive or release, and we drink slowly while I open the ceremony with prayer.

From there, we move into breath and preparation, and then you lie down, put on your eye mask and receive the Kundalini Activation, with music and sound all around you. Kundalini Activation is the heart of the ceremony. The cacao supports it, softening the body and helping you arrive.

At the full moon, I hold the same Kundalini Activation ceremony with Blue Lotus instead.

A cup of ceremonial cacao with rose petals and cacao beans on cream linen in morning light

Cacao New Moon

  • Kundalini Activation with cacao
  • Warming and grounding
  • Intentions for what you are beginning
New moon ceremony
A blue water lily with a golden centre resting on cream linen in morning light

Blue Lotus Full Moon

  • Kundalini Activation with Blue Lotus
  • Soft, dreamy and calming
  • Intentions for what you are releasing
Full moon ceremony

The cacao I use

In my ceremonies, I mainly serve cacao from Kokoleka Collective. Their cacao is organic, fair trade, single-origin criollo cacao from Chiapas, Mexico, stone-ground and handcrafted in small batches on Kaua’i. I love it for its purity and the care behind it, including the way they give back to the Indigenous communities who have held the wisdom of cacao for thousands of years.

My favorite for ceremony is their Flores blend: ceremonial cacao with organic Blue Lotus petal, lavender and a pinch of Hawaiian black lava salt. It is soft, calming and beautifully suited to ceremony.

To make it at home, Kokoleka suggests melting about a tablespoon of cacao paste into 8 ounces of hot water for daily use, blended or frothed until smooth. A little honey or maple syrup brings out the flavor.

If you’d like to bring cacao into your own practice at home, you can use my code RADIANTFLO at checkout.

I’m a Kokoleka affiliate, so I may earn a small commission when you use my code, at no extra cost to you. I only share what I use in ceremony myself.

A bag of Kokoleka Collective Flores cacao and Blue Lotus elixir beside freshly chopped ceremonial cacao paste

What might you feel?

Cacao is subtle. Many people notice a gentle warmth, a steady energy and a feeling of openness. Some feel more connected to their heart or more emotional. Others notice very little, especially at first.

Warmth Steady energy Openness Presence Emotion Gentle focus

There is nothing you need to feel. Cacao is an invitation to slow down and arrive, not a destination.

Is ceremonial cacao safe?

For most people, cacao is gentle. Because it contains theobromine and some caffeine, it isn’t right for everyone.

Please speak with your healthcare provider before receiving cacao if you have a heart condition or high blood pressure, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are sensitive to caffeine, or take MAO inhibitors, antidepressants or other medications that may interact with stimulants. The blend I serve also contains Blue Lotus and lavender, which can be relaxing, so please also mention any sedatives or sleep medications. Let me know when you book, and you are welcome to join without cacao.

Kundalini Activation also has its own screening. If you have a history of seizures or epilepsy, psychosis, mania, bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, Kundalini Activation as I facilitate it is not appropriate for you.

How to prepare

  • Eat lightly beforehand, and bring water
  • Skip extra coffee or caffeine that day
  • Wear comfortable, warm clothing
  • Arrive with an open heart, and perhaps an intention

Questions

Do you hold cacao ceremonies on their own?

No. Cacao opens my New Moon Kundalini Activation ceremonies in Carlsbad, rather than being offered as a separate cacao ceremony.

Is ceremonial cacao psychedelic?

No. Cacao is not psychedelic. Its effects are gentle and subtle, often described as warming and heart-opening.

Is ceremonial cacao the same as hot chocolate?

No. Ceremonial cacao is made from the whole bean and minimally processed, while hot chocolate is usually made from processed cocoa powder with sugar and milk.

Can I join if I don’t drink cacao?

Yes. Let me know when you book, and you are welcome to receive the ceremony without cacao.

You may also like What Is a Sound Bath? and What Is Kundalini Activation?

Anya Dillon
Written by

Anya Dillon

Certified Kundalini Activation Facilitator, Certified Rose Priestess, Certified BodyTalk Practitioner and Feminine Embodiment Guide, and a former occupational therapy practitioner of nearly two decades. Founder of Radiant Flo in Carlsbad, California.

About Anya
Anya with arms open in a temple

Experience cacao in ceremony

Kundalini Activation with Cacao

Join me at the new moon in my temple in Carlsbad. We open with cacao, set our intentions, and then lie down to receive.

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