From tiny beans, such HUGE ideas can grow!
The cacao tree was named by botanist Linnaeus Theobroma cacao. Theobroma means food of the Gods, and the fruits of this magical tree certainly live up to their reputation!
What is Cacao?
Cacao is a small to mid-sized tree that grows well in the shade of the rainforest canopy in the planet’s equatorial regions. It is thought to have evolved out of South America, spreading to Central Africa and parts of Asia as its fruits became an important source of food and medicine.
Cacao produces fruits -cacao beans- in large pods that arise from delicate white flowers attached directly to the trunk of the tree.
Because the trees grow in tropical climates where temperatures and rainfall are favourable for abundant growth, the trees flower and fruit all year….
So they are constantly transmuting Earth and Sky and Sun and pure Water energy into this wonderful gift for us to nourish and connect us with our spirit and Mother Earth via the plant spirit of this ancient presence in the rainforests!
How is cacao liquor made?
Once the pods ripen on the trees, they are harvested and the 40 or so whitish coloured beans inside scooped out. The beans are piled together and allowed to ferment slightly- this process is very important for the development of the flavour and aroma of the cacao. The beans are then spread out and allowed to dry in the tropical sun, again a process important for flavour. The husks are removed, and the insides of the beans, familiar to us as the brown dried raw cacao beans, are ground into a liquid cacao mass, which is the cacao liquor used in ceremonies.
The cacao liquor is usually set in the form of a solid block, which can then be grated and added to (preferably spring water) and cooked for a short time until it has dissolved into a thick beverage, and cacao is taken in this way in ceremony.
If the liquor is to be separated, it is then pressed to separate the cacao butter from the cake, which is milled to give cacao powder. These constituents are used for making food products, but in themselves are not useful in ceremonies.
The Human love affair with cacao
Cacao and people have been in relationship for thousands of years. There is good evidence of the use of cacao 1400 years ago, by the Olmec people of South America, and subsequently the Mayan and Aztec cultures ceremonially and as a currency. The cacao plant, its fruit and the tree, feature in their creation myths and this suggests not only its nutritional but spiritual significance was embedded in their culture and way of life for centuries.
In the years after the Spanish invasion, cacao was introduced into Europe, where it was made into a drink mixed with sugar. Originally confined to Spanish nobility, this drink, ‘chocolatl’ (from the Nahuatl- Aztec language word cacahuatl) spread throughout Europe and eventually the more widespread growing and mechanisation of chocolate production made it more widely available, and it was recognised as a useful health tonic. The use of cacao evolved further as the solid form of chocolate with added sugar and milk became widespread, but in his form it became viewed more as a luxury confectionary – a food rather than a healing medicine.
Although cacao was used medicinally in the Americas and Europe for its considerable health benefits, the practice of using it in ceremony to connect with the spirit of the plant faded into the past in the vast majority of places, although this practice is still alive in some parts of South America.
A plant spirit shaman was inspired and instructed by the spirit of the cacao to resurrect this practice in Guatemala, and to share this practice with others who would take it out and spread the word and the love. From these roots the ceremonial use is finding fertile places to grow in the hearts of many who want to connect with her.
Now this ancient practice of using cacao both nutritionally and shamanically as a master plant spirit teacher is returning to our consciousness as a way of reconnecting with ourselves and our Mother Earth on whom, along with this fantastic gift of cacao, we depend upon for everything. It is my belief that there is spirit in everything, including Mother Earth, and that she is sending cacao, one of her most widespread, abundant plant teachers out of the Amazon forest and shouting “Please Wake Up!”…. and it is the response-ability of those of us who can hear her, to do it, and to inspire others to do likewise.
Ceremonial Grade Cacao
There are three different varieties of cacao- and some now genetically modified varieties have been produced with increased monetary potential.
The varieties grown for ceremonial use are Criollo, and Fino De Aroma. The trees may not have as high a yield, but exquisite properties of flavour, aroma and texture.
The trees that our cacao is harvested from are grown in the Amazon forest, under the shade of larger canopy trees in the traditional method, organically and far away from the monstrous influences of genetic modification.
For my ceremonial work, I use a few different sources of cacao. Some is grown by the Ashaninka people of the Peruvian Amazon, and I also source cacao from those who work closely with indigenous tribes of the Ecuadorean Amazon. The producers are given a fair price for their cacao, and this helps them to protect their land rights and the forest from illegal cocaine production and means that they can earn a living in a sustainable way.