Cacao Ceremonies: Tradition or Trend?
I bet you’ve heard of or even experienced a cacao ceremony before. In my world, where yoga and spiritual circles naturally intertwine with kirtans, drumming circles, women’s gatherings, rituals, ecstatic dance, and full moon celebrations: cacao is a constant presence.
With ceremonies popping up worldwide, many are raising the question:
Are we witnessing a renaissance of cacao ceremonies, or is this a modern New Age twist celebrated as ancient?
MY CONNECTION WITH CACAO
I’ve been working with ceremonial cacao for over a year, hosting ceremonies and offering rituals in soulful gatherings: after yoga classes, with friends, and in my own personal practice. I feel deeply connected to this sacred plant and have experienced its healing properties for many years. That’s why I feel called to share its gifts with others.
Yet, like many spiritual practices adopted in the West, ancient traditions risk dilution, cultural appropriation, and losing touch with their true essence. As indigenous wisdom gains popularity, it’s essential to pause and reflect:
Did our ancestors truly practice cacao ceremonies as we know them today?
How can we share cacao in ways that honor its origins?
Who has the right to hold cacao ceremonies?
WHAT IS A CACAO CEREMONY IN TODAY’S WORLD?
A cacao ceremony is a ritual gathering focused on preparing and drinking ceremonial-grade cacao, a sacred plant medicine rooted in indigenous Mesoamerican cultures. Traditionally honored as a divine gift, cacao was used in social and spiritual ceremonies.
Today, participants drink pure, minimally processed cacao with the intention to open the heart, foster connection, and invite mindfulness. Modern ceremonies often include meditation, intention setting, music, chanting, or movement, creating a space for healing, reflection, and community.
While adapted for contemporary spirituality, these ceremonies honor cacao’s role as a bridge between the physical and spiritual, encouraging slowing down, gratitude, and heart opening.
Left: Replica lid of vessel found in a tomb in Río Azul that contained residues of cacao.
Right: the glyph for cacao: ka-ka-wa
WHAT WE KNOW HISTORICALLY
The Maya (circa 2000 BC – 1500 AD) and Aztec (circa 1300 AD – 1521 AD) civilizations are the most well-known cacao users. But the Olmecs (circa 1400 BC – 400 BC) and Toltecs (circa 900 AD – 1168 AD) also have rich histories where cacao played a central role.
Traditionally, cacao was a hot drink made with water, cocoa, and corn. It was a sacred offering to gods, symbolizing abundance, fertility, and life itself.
The ancient Maya called it Kakawa and believed Kukulkan, the Feathered Serpent, gifted cacao to humanity after creation. Cacao was economically important, used as currency, and embedded in spiritual and daily life.
Aztec warriors drank cacao to revitalize before battle, seeing it as divine favor. They preferred it cold; a testament to their unique tastes.
Artists documented cacao’s sacred role in codices and art, showing vessels brimming with frothy cacao for ceremonies, including funerary rites.
DID ANCIENT MAYA CACAO CEREMONIES EXIST?
There’s no solid evidence cacao-centered ceremonies existed in ancient Maya culture except an annual festival honoring Ek Chuah, the cacao patron deity. This festival was very different from today’s cacao ceremonies, involving offerings, communal gatherings, and ritual animal sacrifices.
Cacao was deeply meaningful but not used as a central tool for spiritual journeys in the way contemporary ceremonies often portray.
Ancient Mayan healers, properly trained, used cacao therapeutically for internal conflict resolution, family therapy, and healing discussions. It was a plant medicine, but its ceremonial use was specific and contextual.
CACAO TRADITION IN COSTA RICA
For the Indigenous peoples of Costa Rica, such as the Bribri and the Chorotega, cacao is a sacred gift from the gods, deeply interwoven into their spirituality, culture, and everyday life.
The Bribri people believe that cacao was gifted directly by the divine, holding profound spiritual power that transcends generations. In their language, cacao is called "Tsuru", and it is revered as the soul and spirit of the woman chosen by the god Sibö as his companion. Each sip of cacao is a direct connection to this sacred story, to the ancestors, and to the land that continues to nourish their people.
The ceremonial process begins with the careful preparation of cacao, where the seeds are lovingly roasted and ground to create a sacred drink. During the ritual, the spirits of cacao are invoked, and offerings are made as expressions of gratitude and reverence. Through songs, dances, and prayers, participants enter a deep state of connection with the universe, opening pathways to harmony, wisdom, and healing.
Cacao rituals are essential threads in the communal fabric of Bribri life. These gatherings strengthen unity and solidarity, nurturing a profound sense of belonging and preserving cultural identity. Bribri women play a crucial role as guardians of cacao, holding ancestral knowledge and ensuring its transmission through generations.
The Chorotega people, too, regard cacao as a sacred offering, fully integrated into their mythology and spiritual traditions. It was often used as a divine offering in their religious ceremonies, reaffirming its role as a bridge between the human and the sacred.
Across both cultures, cacao is medicine, memory, and sacred connection. It is believed to purify the spirit, balance the energies within, and facilitate deep spiritual encounters. Every cacao ritual becomes a moment of introspection, reflection, and personal renewal. A sacred pause that invites participants to listen to their inner worlds and realign with the rhythms of nature.
The spirituality of the Bribri and their cacao traditions reveal a profound vision of interconnectedness — one where humans, nature, and spirit are inseparable. Through this ancient practice, the Bribri community keeps alive a spiritual lineage that teaches us to honor the Earth, to respect the wisdom of our ancestors, and to remember that harmony, healing, and guidance are always accessible when we humbly return to the sacred.
By immersing ourselves in these Indigenous teachings, we are invited to reflect on our own relationship with the cosmos, and perhaps, to rediscover the sacred threads that connect us all.
WHAT’S THE CONTROVERSY THEN?
Though cacao has been honored for centuries, little evidence shows it was ever the sole focus of spiritual or shamanic ceremonies. Instead, it was part of broader rituals and communal life.
The controversy arises when modern facilitators claim to honor indigenous traditions while misrepresenting them sometimes promoting inaccurate or unsafe practices. Many gatherings are labeled “Mayan cacao ceremonies” without authentic links to Mayan culture.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Cacao is a powerful plant teacher and sacred ally for heart-centered connection. Its modern ceremonial use is evolving, and with that comes responsibility to approach it with mindfulness, respect, and historical awareness.
I don’t seek to replicate Mayan rituals or claim spiritual authority. Ritual facilitation requires deep, lifelong training. Yet, cacao’s magic can still be shared as a simple, heart-opening gift.
I adore cacao’s rich taste, the invitation to slow down, and the subtle shift in mood it brings. It’s part of my morning rhythm: a calm pause before meditation and a quiet companion on runs.
I’ve found sustainable, ethical cacao varieties that nourish body and heart, whether drawn to ceremonial roots or just loving the flavor and energy. When I sit in ceremony, I do so with gratitude and cultural awareness. We must resist replicating ancient Indigenous rituals unless deeply trained and invited.
My journey to understand cacao’s integrity has been complex. There’s no simple blueprint. But these core values guide me:
Offering cacao to help others feel calmer, brighter, more connected
Avoiding grand spiritual claims
Choosing sustainability, ethics, and transparency
Honoring cacao’s rich history with a historian’s critical eye
And maybe the most important question remains:
Who gets to decide what is sacred?
Perhaps no one holds that power or perhaps it is a discovery each of us makes within our own hearts.
