Course Content

The history of cacao

Often overlooked but in my opinion, the most important part of the course, we will delve into the history of cacao. Cacao is not a native plant to Britain (obviously!) and therefore it’s really important to understand the history, use, and misuse of this plant medicine over the years to ensure any ceremony you hold honours the roots of the practice.

Physical, emotional and spiritual benefits

Used for many different reasons, Cacao Medicina can be used as a plant medicine for physical, emotional, mental and spiritual benefits. You will leave with a clear understanding of what cacao has been historically used for, and what it can be used for within your own ceremony.

Contraindications

Cacao is generally safe to drink but there are some important contraindications to be aware of before giving it to a client, especially around antidepressant and blood pressure medication. You’ll leave this session with a clear understanding of who should and who should not work with cacao.

How to make cacao

Making cacao properly is a very important part of the ceremony; it’s a meditation itself. Whether you’re making it for 1 or 100 people, I’ll share my own personal recipe and cook it for you all to try. We will also look at different herbs and spices you might like to incorporate and how these could be used to create a special ceremony tailored to the individual. Weather permitting, we will have a go at making ceremonial cacao indoors and outdoors around the fire!

Different types of cacao available & best supplier practice

A chance to try the different cacao’s to see what suits you best! I have my own personal favourite for a few different reasons, but there’s a cacao for everyone. You will get a chance to try some of the other cacao’s available and understand what to look for in a supplier (and how to tell if the cacao is the best quality!)

Preparing and delivering a cacao ceremony that’s unique to you

As we set up for our ceremony together, we will consider alter creation, cards, journals, dancing, sound, speech… what sort of ceremony feels right for us today and how can you use these tools to create a ceremony that’s right for you and your clients too…

Folklore from the Olmec, Mayan and Aztec Civilisation

During ceremony, stories of life, experiences and folklore tales are told as spiritual medicine for the group. I will be sharing with you some of the traditional stories from the South American Culture where our cacao comes from on the day, and encourage you to share both the ancient wisdom from these cultures, as well as your own wisdom from your time with Mama Cacao. This is the ultimate blend for what will make your own ceremonies healing - because they’re from the heart.

Sitting in ceremony with mama cacao & pachamama

You’ve learnt all there is to know about cacao… or have you!? Whilst yo'u’ll have gained all the information you need to deliver a ceremony that’s safe and supportive, this part of the session is about sitting with cacao. And cacao and pachamama are your greatest teachers when you listen. During this last part of the day we will explore what comes up for you when sitting with cacao and how you can integrate your learnings from today into your practice to create a thriving chance for people to connect and thrive.

Legalities

Finally, we will touch on the legalities of holding a ceremony and cover insurance, food hygiene certification and other possibilities depending on your business set up.

Upon completion you will receive a certificate for your records, alongside a booklet will all the information discussed during the course to ensure you can deliver the best quality ceremony for yourself, your client or community. This course is designed so you have all the information to create a safe ceremony inline with your current work. This course has been signed off by numerous insurers and you will receive a copy of the course content to present to your insurers should you need to. This course is now a recognised CMA accredited course for cacao practitioners.