Ceremonial Cacao

Our mission is to offer the highest quality Cacao available on the market for both health and spiritual uses - what we call Ceremonial Grade Cacao. We ensure this by using a wild/native variety that is traditionally grown and hand-prepared by indigenous Mayan people in the Lake Atitlan region of Guatemala. This is the variety and way the ancient Mayans used Cacao that made sure it was fully potent. To maintain this quality, we are a small-scale, personal operation with a direct relationship to our source, which makes each batch of Cacao unique. Our Cacao is grown and processed without any chemicals and the Mayan workers, primarily women, receive fair pay for their work. It is available at retail locations in Massachusetts and online as well as through the ceremonies that we facilitate. Enjoy this Cacao as a delicious treat or use it to assist you on your path of awakening. Cacao is a fruit whose seeds are the basis of chocolate. The word Cacao, pronounced KA-COW, is the English phonetic version of the Mayan word for the fruit. We sell these whole seeds in both bean form as well as ground into block

form. Chocolate is widely known as an aphrodisiac and this understanding of how it opens our hearts is by no means new. The Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples of Central America in the pre-Columbian era often spoke of Cacao as yollotl, eztli, meaning "heart, blood". Western science reinforced this by giving it the scientific name Theobroma Cacao, which means The food of the Gods - and what else would the food of the Gods be but love? Hence the name of our company, Heart Blood Cacao. Our website contains lots of great info on Cacao, including ceremonial use, health benefits and recipes for yummy treats. We are much indebted to our friend Keith, whose years of research and work with Cacao provide much of the content for this site. Enjoy! ~ Ambe & Moses Co-Owners, Heart Blood Cacao

ceremonial use of cacao Please read this entire page before using Cacao ceremonially, especially the contra-indications

Cacao is a forgotten plant medicine an ancient teacher and facilitator that assists you in your journey, whatever that may be. It brings the door but doesnt push you through it, instead supporting the energies where you want to direct them. Cacao makes focus, connection and expansion more easily accessible. It will show you what needs to be let go of, but the choice to do that work is yours. Many find this gentle, heart-centered approach in alignment with how they wish to learn, grow and teach. You can play with the energies and have fun. You may begin by tuning in to your intention, the one below the surface of the conscious mind that wants to attain this or that. These deeper threads are what set us free and Cacao can assist in making the connection. Examples may include working with a personal block you have, allowing greater expansion and joy in your life or about greater connectivity to yourself, other people or the natural world. The magic and deeper focus moves from there, with Cacao assisting you in finding your own flow, wisdom and guidance. Allow what you need to work with to bubble to the conscious surface as images and feelings, or through assistance from body awareness as physical symptoms. In using Cacao you can deepen your access to residual trauma stored in the body (in the form of grief, anger and fear) and its attendant belief systems or to the joy and intuitive capabilities you have. Accessing either of these in deeper ways is part of one healing movement where we release and integrate the old pain and greater ease, flow and clarity show up. This process of dying and being re-born is a powerful journey of letting beliefs drop away so that truth may be discovered beyond dualism. Either way, with Cacao or otherwise, we recommend working with what is most on top. If Cacao brings your attention to a tight, painful or

dense part of your body, go with that. If it expands your heart and brings feelings of deep joy, go with that. Follow the energy by feeling and trusting it, without trying to fix or control it. The more we get out of the way and allow, the more life can show up fully through us. As you move into new terrain, whether it be pain or joy, old beliefs and judgments will surface. Some generalized examples might be internalized voices telling us: Crying is weak, you cant have this much joy, anger isnt allowed, your needs arent important and infinite other personalized variations on the theme of keeping you from full expression. These voices are like guardians on the way into the temple, intimate energies that are passed through only with greater and greater acceptance. Allow yourself to fully feel whatever is happening, whether it be the grief of loss or the joy of being alive. This process often works in layers like an onion, where each layer opens as you are ready and not before. One of the major advantages of Cacao is its support to hold focus for an extended period of time, sometimes four to five hours. Many new to meditation find that they are able to more easily allow the gap in thinking to show up, without the struggle and effort they are used to. Some find that as their focus holding ability improves and they learn to work on multiple levels, a full ceremonial dose is unnecessary. Use Cacao for a good buzz, good party, meditational assistant, good yoga, good sex, emotional or energetic intimacy, or to change your reality. It's your dream, so play with it while you're in it and awaken from it if you're ready.

Mayan Potion Full Ceremonial Dose: 6-8oz water & 2oz ground pure Cacao per person Meditational Assist: 5oz water & 1oz ground pure Cacao per person Pinch of chili/cayenne pepper (to assist in assimilation) Cardamom, cinnamon, and vanilla to taste Honey, agave, or other sweetener to taste Preparation: 1. Heat water with chili to just before a boil 2. Use enough chili/cayenne pepper in the water for a good tickle, more if you like. The chili is traditional and the circulation warming helps get the Cacao into your bloodstream, but isnt mandatory. 3. Chop the solid cacao with a knife into fragments about 1/4 inch (6 mm) or smaller in some dimension, so it softens easily in hot water. Or grind the beans into a fine powder. 4. Per person, add to the hot/less-than-boiling pepper water: 1 oz. (28 gm) Cacao for a meditation assist, to 2 oz. (57 gm) for a full ceremonial dose. 5. An eggbeater, whisk, or fork works to break up the heat softened chunks. 6. After it has 'dissolved', add whatever sweetening and spices you want. Many who know Cacao add no sweetening or spices at all. Notes: - Cows milk is said to block intestinal assimilation of flavanoids, so if you want that flavor, use vegetable based milks.

- Cardamom (or cinnamon, the Mexican preference), and vanilla are flavorful options; add vanilla extract at the end. Some like a pinch of salt. Cardamom is a bit of a synergist. - If rapid assimilation for ceremonial purposes is not needed, thin the bitter chocolate with as much liquid as you'd like. Attention Until you know Cacao, we emphatically recommend initially drinking no more than 60% of a 2 oz. ceremonial dose. If there is no stomach queasiness at all, drink the remainder slowly, 45 minutes to one hour later. Some will get ill from all that bitter if they drink a full 2 oz. all at once. Consume the remaining 40% according to how you feel. A few will have nausea 5-6 hours later even doing it this way so consider going easy at first. Some, but not all, with low body weight may consider taking less. Those needing dietary detox or those eating clean and raw, take less the first time - the level of acceptable stimulation will guide you. If not about liver detox, nausea is usually overdose - it is intelligent feedback from your body and your teacher. Unlike other plant medicines, Cacao is naturally limiting in that taking more than around 2 oz will only lead to further nausea and headache. Even more will lead to vomiting.

Many can feel it immediately (energetic blending with the Cacao), and all will get a buzz within 20-30 minutes or so. There is usually a strong focus of energy around the heart and the feeling of expanding. You will have 30-40% more blood flowing to your brain with this Cacao. Your skin will have almost double the oxygenation so touch is different if your intent or heart is involved. This heart connecting also contributes to Cacao being called an aphrodisiac. One ounce (28 gm) per person is enough for many inner activities and may bring on deep emotional release. It is certainly sufficient for open-heartedness. Deepest effects last 4 to 5 hours. Some prefer taking a full dose as two portions, several hours apart, or just as you begin to taper from the first ounce or so workable for day-long focus holding. Everyone is different. Many have experienced emotional release or energetic blending with the Cacao from munching one bean or from the first sip. Important: Make sure to drink lots of water after! Some find larger amounts of Cacao to be gently laxative 4 to 6 hours later - this is normal. Things to Know Before you Drink Caffeine: Go easy on the caffeine or coffee in the hours before a ceremonial amount of Cacao. It will make you too buzzy with no focus. Coffee and Cacao as mocha is fine, but a poor combination in ceremony. The general agreement is that there is little caffeine in Cacao. Cacao contains theobromine, a sister molecule (it takes a sophisticated chemical test to tell them apart, hence the frequent statements about caffeine in Cacao).

Food: Eating before a ceremonial dose is not necessary many prefer normal but light eating a few hours beforehand. Cacao acts as a food. You will not miss the meal if using Cacao over a usual mealtime. Taking Cacao on a food or liquid occupied stomach, or with food, will slow assimilation - which you might want sometimes. This works well with something like hiking, or long hours of focused creative activity. (Cacao has long been considered a marvelous trekking nourishment, although the vasodilation might lead to extra heat loss at sub-zero temperatures.) Excess: More than 2 oz. (57 gm) of this Cacao is unnecessary and undesirable for almost everyone. Cacao is naturally self-limiting as higher doses soon produce nausea (any bitter in sufficient quantity is emetic). Exercise & heat: A larger or full ceremonial amount of Cacao followed by aerobic activity or a hot spring/ tub/ sweat can make anyone nauseous. Though a 1oz dose or some beans before stretching or yoga will increase focus. Dehydration: Drink water after! Theobromine is a diuretic. If sufficient hydration does not occur possible headache the next day Contraindications: -Those who are toxic (as with an intervention like chemotherapy), or need dietary detox may become nauseous 5-6 hours after a large dose, as the bitter stimulates the liver. If so, drink water! -Those into fasting or raw diet may overdose on the standard amount. Start out with smaller quantities. -Many antidepressants do NOT mix with the tryptophan and MAO inhibitors in this Cacao so check out your medications as there is a possibility of migraines and vomiting. -Heart conditions: the theobromine in Cacao increases heart rate significantly, and is a vasodilator, reducing blood pressure. Go easy at first with very low blood pressure. -Pregnant or breast-feeding, No more than an ounce (28 gm) and not that much until you know Cacao. -If you get migraines from coffee, be cautious with Cacao. -Real chocolate is fatal to dogs (and possibly parrots and horses) who genetically lack the enzyme to process theobromine and so have a heart attack. -Cacao headaches a. The theobromine in Cacao is diuretic, and headache is a typical physiological signal for dehydration. b. Cacao may work with you through the emotional body, and water is often needed to keep things flowing, as a literal metaphor and more - a headache can be the re-hydrate indicator. c. Cacao is a partnership facilitator. One of the things that it helps you communicate with is your subconscious. As Carl Yung pointed out, the language of the subconscious is symbols, images, and metaphors. In this culture, a headheart/ left-right brain disconnect is the norm. You can experiment with the headache as a metaphor for something that is stuck within you. Headaches are common with Cacao and may lessen or stop following heart opening, release and

integration work. -Overdose: More stimulation than you want is overdose. Above that nausea begins. A bit more Cacao and you will throw-up. At around 3.5+ oz. (100+ gm), the average person will be miserably awake and throwing-up repeatedly for hours, perhaps much of the night. Consider also that lower-dose nausea may be a metaphor - I can't stomach that. - for whatever life issue Cacao is bringing to surface.

about us Weve been exploring consciousness and the healing path for the last seven years and for the last two have been working with Cacao to facilitate inner healing work. During travels to Central America, we first had the opportunity to experience cacao as a plant-medicine and felt an instant connection with the energies it brings. Its gentle heart-opening affect and non-directive assistance is in easy alignment with how we approach life. In working more with the Cacao and visiting the communities in Guatemala where this unique variety of Cacao comes from, we decided that we wanted to share this beautiful plant and its healing properties with people back here in the U.S. So Heart Blood Cacao was born, as our way of offering this to our community. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have! ~ Moses & Ambe Co-Owners, Heart Blood Cacao

We facilitate healing and personal growth work, often with the assistance of Cacao. We offer a holistic and non-directive approach to well-being that emphasizes the clients natural intelligence and unfolding. Within a safe and nonjudgmental container, honest feeling expression is allowed so that trauma can be recognized, released and re-patterned. This is combined with awareness-based practices such as meditation so that as greater inner stillness appears, beliefs are dropped and the split in consciousness can be integrated at deeper and deeper levels. The essence of this work is to be yourself and let the world be itself, a simple yet often difficult approach to emotional health and spirituality that allows genuine wholeness and truth to show up. Our backgrounds include experience in body-based psychotherapy, awarenessbased practices (such as meditation & yoga) and movement work. Our work in intimate relationship is often appreciated as a balanced combination of masculine and feminine energies.

our source our cacao This Guatemalan Cacao is harvested, fermented, and dried in virgin Pacific coastal rainforest mountains by Mayan people. Over 20 years ago roads were bulldozed into these mountains to remove the hardwood species of value, leaving the canopy intact. The booming Indigenous population then used this access to under-plant in coffee and bananas, sometimes Cacao typical of coastal virgin areas where the rainforest still exists. The rainforest is relatively untouched only in remote high-slope areas. If you look at old botanical maps of the native Cacao-growing areas of Central America, the largest areas indicated are Pacific Guatemala, where this Cacao comes from. With the help of meditation and the Cacao Deva (the consciousness/ spirit of the plant), our sources are told where to go to get the beans with the right compounds and energy. For them, every trip for Cacao is an adventure - walking into the mountains or into city wholesale markets, buying Cacao a few hundred pounds at a time. We buy the small-seeded criollo (wild/ native) variety that has spent millennia with peoples using this plant for spiritual purposes. These beans have undergone the traditional fermentation process with the sugary pulp that surrounds the seeds. Once harvested from the tree, the intact fruit is placed in the ground for a couple days where the seeds sprout and then die in the hot acidic ferment that the pulp creates, the same as with most raw Cacao and all chocolate. This alkaline's the Cacao which is an essential part of getting the full potency of the bean. The transformation into chocolate continues enzymatically as the beans are dried. With standard chocolate, roasting finishes the flavor.

For traditional Cacao, a quick light toast over a wood fire (beans need soaking or toasting/ roasting to remove the husks) and the beans are individually hand-peeled by Kaqchikel Mayan women in an Indigenous community on Lake Atitlan. This gives income directly to these women, and is often the only independent income they have. Hand peeling allows the few moldy beans per pound to be removed rather than machine incorporated as nibs an essential consideration with this Cacao. The women are paid by bean weight before peeling, so there is no incentive to include poor beans. There is a lot of debate around raw Cacao and we have chosen to use the traditional processing method which includes a light toasting and means that our Cacao is not raw. This is done to kill of the bacteria that accumulates during fermenting and also is necessary to peel the beans. We sell this Cacao as both beans and in block form. These are the exact same thing in different form. The Cacao in blocks is ground in an antique mill used only for Cacao. It comes out warm enough (just above body temperature) to be soft, and is spooned into bags to harden as it cools. This pure Cacao is easily shaved with a knife and dissolved in hot water for use. The ground Cacao in blocks has not been through a 'tempering' process so over time the Cacao butter begins to separate from the chocolate in the blocks, first appearing as little white rings and soon turning much of the block dusty grey. This is completely normal and does not affect the quality of the Cacao. It can be slowed by refrigeration, or reversed by re-melting put it in a black bag in the sun. There is no particular way Cacao needs to be stored and will stay good for many months. Some people refrigerate simply to keep the separation process from happening, but this is personal preference.

about cacao history

The Aztecs and Mayans knew that Cacao was something special. They traded in Cacao beans rather than gold. Gold was used for aesthetic purposes while the Cacao bean was the prized coin of trade. Upon Cortez's discovery of these most interesting people, he became enamored with the Cacao bean and the many uses it had in these cultures. For example, in ancient Aztec wedding ceremonies, the bride and groom would exchange five Cacao beans with each other. Cortez wrote of Cacao, "The divine drink which builds up resistance and fights fatigue" and "A cup of this precious drink permits a man to walk for a whole day with no food." He was the first to introduce Cacao to Europe, making it available only to royalty.

While the ancient Mayans and Aztecs may be the best known for its use, there are some remaining traditional cultures in Central and South America who continue to use Cacao in shamanic ceremony, many preferring it over locally available consciousness-altering plant medicines. Although one of this worlds finest spiritual facilitators/teachers, Cacao was forgotten because it does not act like other mind-alterants it does not confront you with your shadows, but instead adds focus and energy to your intention. With todays psychedelic buzz, we havent heard much from these remaining traditional cultures. Over 200 Cacao-drinking jars, 900 to 1000 years old, have been unearthed in an 800 room Native American pueblo in Chaco Canyon, New Mexico, USA. The nearest available Cacao to this is more than 1200 miles south in Mexico. With peyote and psilocybin available much closer, this large expenditure of effort to obtain Cacao indicates that it must have been highly prized.

Cacao is the heart's "blood" due to its relatively high levels of magnesium, antioxidants, and love associated chemicals, making it truly a "food for the heart". The medical and scientific buzz about chocolate began with studies of the Kuna, a group of indigenous islanders who lacked the high prevalence of health conditions such as high blood pressure, heart attacks and high cholesterol, even though they had a high-salt diet. The early studies determined that Cacao was the cause for this, not genetics - the Kuna drink about an ounce (28 gm) of Cacao a day. With Cacao, the heartbeat becomes pronounced, breathing is deepened and nourishing blood circulation is increased throughout the body. With a full 2 ounce dose, blood flow to the brain increases by 30-40%. This increases physical and mental energy and endurance as well as arousing the senses and heightening awareness. Pure Cacao has recently been found to contain high levels of antioxidant polyphenols, oligomeric procynanidins and other flavonoids that help boost the immune system and offer significant protection against "bad" cholesterol and heart disease. It is also very nutritious, having a high protein content and is reported to be the richest natural source for magnesium, an important mineral highly deficient in modern diets. The raw seeds are also surprisingly high in vitamin C and an excellent source of natural sulfur, a mineral associated with healthy skin, nails, hair and proper liver and pancreas function. There is also much in the scientific literature about how Cacao not only lowers bad cholesterol and raises good cholesterol, but how it increases blood-flow to the brain which may delay dementias like Alzheimers, and about Cacao as a heavy metal chelator, binding and removing them from the body. With all the hype about chocolate and the medical profession suggesting that people eat dark chocolate, what is left out is that most of the chocolate available on the market lacks the essential components that are in the type of Cacao that much of the research was done with.

There is a significant difference between commercially available Cacao (and the chocolate made from it) and what we sell and use at Heart Blood Cacao. This has to do with the differences in variety, selection and processing of the Cacao.

Generally, South American varieties and hybrids of Cacao have a thick pulp surrounding large seeds. This is the product of millennia of hybridizing that selected for the sweet-tart pulp, which is a traditional snack and food source. The effect of this is that commercially available varieties are taken from Cacao that has been bred for pulp, not the quality of the seed. In contrast, what we offer is the Guatemalan criollo variety, a wild/native strain of Cacao that is ceremonially-selected and has a thin pulp and small seeds. This variety contains significantly more of the compounds that are necessary to get the health benefits and consciousness altering effects. The next step in the process is fermentation. The criollo variety cuts the fermentation time in half which generates less heat and acid in the process. See Our Source for more info on the fermenting process and why its critical to the quality of the final product. Commercial processing eliminates the health and consciousness effecting compounds present in real chocolate so that widely available brands are missing most of the desired benefits. Additionally, for the commercial varieties that do ferment, the industrial processing they do does not remove the few moldy beans per pound, instead incorporating them into the mix. In contrast, our Cacao is traditionally hand harvested and processed to ensure full potency and that each bean is of a high quality. Even high quality organic Cacao is pretty variable in the amount of beneficial compounds it has as they are generally sourced for political reasons as organic and fair trade, often from larger seeded, easier processed, hybridized varieties. Just because it says 85% Cacao has nothing to do with how much and what proportion of beneficial compounds are present. The only way to know is to test it out yourself and see which varieties carry the goodies.

About the compounds in Cacao from a raw foods perspective: http://www.sunfood.com/MyPages/about-Cacao.aspx http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/info-center/document-researchcenter/Cacao_HumanNutrition.asp A scientific resource from an industry promotional organization: http://www.worldcocoafoundation.org/scientific-research/researchlibrary/Cacao_HumanNutrition.asp Studies on the Kuna Islanders and health benefits of Cacao: http://www.medsci.org/v04p0053.htm This paper offers quantified research on the comments of the western-trained medical doctors in the Panamanian hospital system in the San Blas Islands Autonomous Territory. In 15 years, these Doctors have not seen a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular problem. Heart problems are almost unknown, cancer is low, diabetes (with overweight native American white flour and white sugar eaters) is 39% of normal, and blood pressure is low even at advanced age

and high-salt consumption. All of this in a population that has double the old folks, as many the Islanders work on the mainland and later in life retire back to the islands. The medical scientists have noticed that after decades in a mainland environment with processed Cacao and whatever one would say produces the above ubiquitous maladies, they receive the full benefits, even late in life, when they return to the islands and to consumption of local traditionally processed Cacao.

None of the above statements has been approved by the FDA

yummy treats

Here are a list of tasty recipes to try with your Cacao - fun, delicious and great to share with friends!

Mousse 2-3 medium avocados 1 ripe banana 1 can of coconut milk Cardamom, vanilla, cinnamon Maple syrup/honey or pitted dates to taste Cacao to taste (in powder form) Mix everything in blender except for Cacao Thicken all with ground Cacao until the blender begins to create an air pocket. Place in refrigerator or freezer to help thicken a little more Serve in a parfait or wine glass with a raspberry or few Rich social drink Coconut milk is delicious with Cacao, with cardamom and vanilla making it a fine gourmet treat One-ounce (28 gm) Cacao 1-pint (0.5 L) water 1 can coconut milk per half gallon (2L). Warning; Drink too much and you will be up late!!

Cacao Balls Fresh ground Cacao or ground Cacao shaved and briefly warmed in the sun or on the stove Add in coconut flakes and a nut butter, mix together

Roll by hand into little balls, sprinkle coconut flakes and any spices on the outside Let sit and dry out a little before serving Sweet Whole Cacao Beans Dip whole bean in agave nectar or fresh honey to facilitate a nice focus or a yummy energetic snack Whole Beans in Smoothie or Drink Whole beans or pieces (nibs) will not melt in hot water chew well or use a blender with 1/2 to 2/3 of the water and later heat if you wish. Blending works best with a thick liquid then add more ingredients if smoothie making, or blender rinse water to thin for making hot chocolate Removing Cacao Butter If you want to remove the Cacao butter from ground Cacao like mine, or from finely blended beans. Make your hot chocolate with hotter water, even simmering briefly, whisk well and let cool in a wide-mouth container with an occasional short slow stir in the beginning of cooling; after cooling, refrigerate and then lift out the solid butter. You may re-heat, stir, and re-cool the butter in additional water to clean it up. Re-add to chocolate treats or use cosmetically. *If your drink is going to cool or be refrigerated and you do not want the butter to separate or plug the container neck, use water less than 120F (49C) to soften the shaved Cacao.

Events
We're out of town for the month of August and will be organizing events starting up in September.

Chocolate, Discovering the Food of the Gods An Experiential Info Session & Q&A Next Session TBA Touted by both the scientific and spiritual community for it's health and ceremonial use, chocolate has long been overlooked as the powerful plant that it is. Movies such as 'Chocolate' have brought attention back to this plant that was considered sacred among the ancient Mayans. This session with involve drinking a partial ceremonial dose of high quality cacao, the variety used by the ancient shamanic lineages. We will blend an informative presentation about the health and ceremonial uses of cacao with an experiential introduction to working with cacao as a facilitator on your inner journey. This event is put on by the co-owners of Heartblood Cacao, who recently returned from the community in Guatemala where this cacao is sourced, where they were working with a man colloquially known as the 'Cacao Shaman'. Join us in playing with the energies that cacao helps us access! Eat lightly before the session so the Cacao can assimilate. Date: TBA

Time: TBA Location: TBA Cost: TBA

Acadia Herbals 2 Conz St, Suite 46 Northampton, MA 01060 413-584-8198

Heavenly Chocolate, Cornucopia 150 Main St, Thornes Marketplace Northampton, MA 01060 413-586-3800

Inspirit Common 219 Main St Northampton, MA 01060 413-585-1169

Heartbeat Collective 35 Wyman St Jamaica Plain, MA 617-522-3000 Contact Person: Jason Cohen This is a community house and collective so either call in advance or stop by the first floor unit to purchase. The doorway is the side-door down the driveway.

Send us an email if you are interested in having us ship you some Cacao. We only ship within the U.S. and payment is made via paypal.

contact us We'd love to hear from you

info@heartbloodcacao.com

Keith was still talking about the purity of his cacao beans, and how this made them a powerful drug for inducing spiritual experiences, but blood was already rushing through my head. No longer was I an individual, but I was a part of the group of 25 or so people. They were connected to me, and I was connected to them. Their energy was vibrating in many different shapes and colors Rick, you are amazing, a voice in my head told me. You are on earth to have fun,

go do it!

The next half an hour I spent shaking my fists in joy, grinning like a madman. Some people were having a more difficult time. A black-haired girl started crying hysterically, and when Keith told her from his throne-like position in the center of the group that it was time to let go of the past, she wailed even louder. A gush of energy flew from his hands into the girls' chest. You made a contract with it, and it was fun for a while, but it is not so much fun anymore, is it? Other then the girls tears there was complete silence. Only you can let it out, he continued.

Her black her waived as she shook her head. I am afraid to.

You can either let it go, or stick with it the rest of your life. It is your choice.

In the end she decided to let go, and the energy in the room brightened a little more. Whatever you may think of the situation, a powerful change certainly happened. Within five minutes she was grinning nearly as much as me. When Keith looked at me, his eyes lightened up. Party on, brother. Go have fun, and earth will be a better place because of it.

He did not need to tell me that, but I appreciated the advice anyway Read more: http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blogentries/rickvdeijk/1/1297945657/tpod.html#ixzz1VxiCiJno

Theobroma cacao
Tuesday, December 23, 2008 - by Keith Edley

Over four thousand years ago, the cacao tree was first cultivated in Central America where it was held in high esteem as a food of Divinity. Consumed during rituals, the raw cacao would be offered as sacraments to the gods. Its botanical name, Theobroma cacao, refers directly to the cacao trees relationship to the divine. Theobroma means gods food and cacao is a word borrowed from the Mayan language referring to the tree itself, its fruit and the drink that is made from its fruit. This beverage is known as xocolatl, taken from the Aztec culture, wherefrom the word chocolate is derived. The Aztec held cacao beans in high esteem as food, as stimulants, as medicine and as currency (particularly in the sex trade). Cacao truly is a "Food of the Gods", especially now that it's been clinically-proven to be extraordinaily good for our bodies. One of the best places we've found both Vegan Chocolate AND raw cacao is Kona Kava Farm. Yes, chocolate is indeed derived from cacao and has extraordinary nutritional properties, including significant levels of protein, tryptamine and serotonin. It also has preventative properties in terms of balancing cholesterol levels when used frequently in the proper amounts, and has been known to be recommended as a regular component of a healthy diet. This is not even taking into consideration the well-known aphridisiac qualities of this wondrous fruit. When cacao beans were first brought to Europe, they were initially used almost exclusively in the making of love potions. Religious ritual use of cacao emerged in the form of an offering or as incense. Often it was also taken orally by worshippers and/or shamans as an inebriant. Numerous archeological artifacts have shown that this spiritual, ritual use of cacao dates back to ancient Mesoamerica. The prehistoric Toltecs would place cacao branches in the hands of each person who would make a public smoke offering to the gods as sign of religious respect. The cacao tree was looked upon by the Aztecs as a gift from their peaceful god Quetzalcoatl (feathered serpent). The Aztecs would ingest cacao together with Psilocybe (enthogenic mushrooms), in religious rituals, a practice still conducted today by numerous tribes throughout the region. The Yucatec Maya venerate a black god named Ek Chuah as their cacao deity and local cacao farmers hold a festival in the gods honor during the month of Muan in the old Mayan calendar. Cacaos psychoactive material manifest in the cacao beans, the cocoa shells, in the cocoa butter and in the fresh fruit pulp. Inebriating effects described by Aztec sources may likely be due to the cacao additives, or to a synergism with added substances such as psilocybe mushrooms. Folk lore has described the traditionally prepared Indian drink to be very stimulating and euphoric. These effects, however, cannot be expected from modern days commercially produced cocoa. An Aztec text from the early colonial period provides a precise description of the tree and of the drink, which it noted to be inebriating. The Aztecs described the cacao tree as being simply round in shape with broad branches. They portray the trees fruits to appear much like dried ears of maize, thus they often referred to the fruit as cacao ears. Ranging in color from reddish brown to whitish brown to bluish brown, the heart of the fruit looks much like an ear of corn.

When the ceremonial drink made from cacao is imbibed in moderation, especially from those ears which are green and tender, one benefits by feeling happy, refreshed, comforted and stronger than before. If too much is drunk, then the effect upon one is quite the opposite: feelings of illness, nausea and confusion will result. During times of travel, incense consisting of cacao beans and copal would be given over to the gods as offerings for the travelers secure passage and safe return. The Mayan god Ek Chuah was often depicted on incense vessels. The glyph of the gods name was a free floating eye. It has been reported that the Maya and Lacandon used freshly whipped cacao as an additive to balch, the drink of divinity. The shamans of the Cuna Indians of Panama also used cacao beans as a ritual incense. The Cuna burn cacao beans as incense at nearly every ritual occasion and tribal ceremony. Healers use it as a means to diagnose a patients illness. To prepare for these diagnostic ceremonies, the shaman would first fill a two sided, two handled incense vessel with glowing, hot coals. From there, the shaman would sprinkle cacao beans onto the burning charcoal and concentrate with intense focus, peering through the rising smoke. The shaman could then determine the patients illness by interpreting the action and formation of the smoke as it rose. Cacao smoke is also employed medicinally by mixing the cacao beans with chili pods and then burning them in the same way as in the diagnostic rituals, over glowing coals contained in an incense vessel. Inhaling the resulting potent and pungent smoke is proclaimed to promote healing for all types of fever diseases, including malaria. The Maya of the Classic Period (300-900 C.E.) left behind a wealth of ritual drinking vessels. These polychrome ceramics are artistically decorated with hieroglyphic texts and various depictions of visionary experiences and ritual activities. The hieroglyph for cacao is a stylized monkey head. Today, many of the hieroglyphic texts found on these drinking vessels have been deciphered. The owner of the vessel is often named, depicted in pictographs. The text goes on to describe that, for example, the vessel was used for cacao freshly picked from a tree, indicating that these drinking vessels were directly associated with the ritual ingestion of cacao. In ancient America, cacao was esteemed as a general health tonic and aphrodisiac. In Indian folk medicine, cacao is drunk to treat diarrhea and scorpion stings. Cuna women imbibe a concoction of the fruit pulp as a pregnancy tonic. Children exhibiting fatigue and listlessness are given a tea made from the dried leaves. Fresh, new cacao leaves can be mashed into a paste and applied topically as an antiseptic agent to flesh wounds, as well as utilized a salve for skin conditions such as eczema and other rashes. Peruvians drink a decoction of cacao primarily as a diuretic and to treat kidney and bladder infections. Homeopathically, a mother tincture is obtained by macerating roasted cacao beans. This tincture is used to treat a variety of ailments, from stomach and intestinal problems to skin lesions.

CACAO CEREMONY Bio: Twenty years of using and teaching several healing systems led meby the late 80's into a meditation and channeling group where Ireceived 6 years training by Higher Beings in deep densityprocessing and higher-dimensional partnering. I was taught bydoing the work myself for the purpose of assisting the 2nd wave of awakenings to do it for themselves. I was also told thoseawakenings - that's likely you - would, if you made it through yourtraining, assist the 3rd wave beginning in a few more years.Following that training I immersed myself in session experience,with retreats to wander wild places or do relationship dharma. Then6 years in the Guatemalan Highlands (having a blast working with2nd wave spiritual travelers at Lake

Atitlan, one of the planetsprominent energy vortexes) and in the growing spiritualcommunities of Costa Rica (where my visionary artist sweetheartJan resides).While in Guatemala the Cacao / Chocolate Deva beckoned me intoher world to participate in returning this spiritual plant medicine to arenewed place as the food for the shift. With all this fun, I sharean effortless radiance, The Glow, that is now spreading as one of the simplest and deepest meditation practices available, and also apractical partnership with Cosmic Consciousness to aid inner-work.Cacao, The Glow, and I have been traveling Central and NorthAmerica, and England - using ceremonies, workshops and sessionswith individuals, couples, groups, and communities. I shareexperiential training and tools in deep reality change through onesown higher partnering - making practical use of whatever blocks theway for the purpose one placed it there - with elegance rather thanstruggle. So much magic these days! So much cacao! Enjoy! Cacao Inner Journey Recalling Chocolate as a Sacred Plant-Medicine Food of the Gods participants drink thick chili spiked MayanPotion to spend several hours in group inner focus and, by choice,higher dimensional partnership, however you need and allow. I findmyself as the non-indigenous carrier of this overlooked sacredpotential but in a full-on contemporary way. This is not anIndigenous ceremony, but an opportunity to experience a planthelper / medicine many of you are already deeply connected withand perhaps waiting to know in this way. Shall we?