Cacaos history

"A long time ago, the Mayans were in crisis. They had no food, no money, nothing.

They sent four scoutsto all four corners of the world, to find a solution. The scouts sent to the north, east and west found nothing. The scout sent to the south tasted on differently seeds he found, but they were not good. Until he tasted a seed and were thrilled. He hurried home with the seed, the Mayas planted it and ate it and were healthy, successful and rich. "

Mayan legend retold by Mayan shaman Allu (Pablo)

The mayan shaman Allu compares the Mayan situation in the legend with the situation in the Western world now, where we so desperately lacks connection to the earth and all things connectedness, that we send scouts all overthe world to find a solution - and now finally found cacao that will help us: ) another legend says, that when humanity loses its connection to the earth, the cacao-spirit will come to help us find it again.

In the year 1519 the Spanish conquerors witnessed the Aztec king Moctezuma be served cacao and noted that the Aztecs used cacao to get "success with women." Chocolate has since become a known aphrodisiac also in the Western world, which scientists explains with the content of phenylethylamine in cacao, which is the same substance that is secreted in the brain when you feel attracted to another person.

However, there are more than 700 different-acting chemical components of cacao and it has historically been used for much more than to have succes with women.

Both the Aztecs and Mayans have used cacao in spiritual ceremonies and rituals, for example. in connection with weddings and funerals. Cacao has been a central part of the political power and the beans have been used as money by both the Aztecs and Mayans. The oldest cups with traces of cacao, which archaeologists have so far found, are dated to 1500 years before our era.

Unfortunately, these traditions - along with the rest of these magnificent cultures - is largely forgotten today.

"Understanding the early history of chocolate has led Archaeologists to speculate, that cacao played a critical role in the economic, religious, and political development of people som Olmec, Maya, and Ultimately even the Anasazi, or Ancestral Puebloan peoples of the American Southwest . "

Blake Edgar - Archaeology magazine

Cacao today - "Food for the shift"

It is well known, how popular the mixture of cacao, milk and sugar (and a lot of other additions) have been in the western world today. But in the last 10-15 years pure cacao has become increasingly popular in Western culture as a tool for personal development. In the recent years with a speed which can almost be called explosive.

Keith Wilson, known as "cacao-shaman from Atitlan", has the largest share of the credit for this reawakening of cacao-spirit. The cacao that we work with is from Keith, and he is(along with several other great teachers) our teacher and tutor.

Ceremonial cacao can be used- and is being used - in many different ways, all with healing and connecting with the Divine (whatever name that is being given), as overall objective.

Many believes, that humanity is undergoing a transformation from a state of competition and exploitation, to a state of cohesion and cooperation. Cacao is an excellent facilitator of this transformation.

The physical effects

It is not without reason that cacao for millennia in many cultures have been considered "food of the gods".

Cacao contains essential minerals and vitamins, among other things it has a high content of magnesium and vitamin c. It is extremely rich in anti-oxidants and has a high content of polyphenols, which lowers the cholesterol level in the blood and in a number of other effective ways of preventing the cardiovascular diseases are the most common causes of death in the western world.

Cacao increases brain blood flow by 30-40% while adding the body a large number of anti-depressants and elevating agents, among others theobromine, phenetylamin, dopamine and serotonin, and neurotransmitter-modulating compounds, that counteract the degradation of serotonin and dopamine in the blood.

Together, the complex chemical structure of cacao is a cocktail, which is not only healthy, but also very uplifting for your spirits.

The experience

"Cacao doesn't take you on a trip, but facilitates your own journey."

Keith Wilson

Cacao is not a hallucinogen, which is probably why it has been overlookeda bit in the hippie-era experiments with consciousness-expanding substances. Nevertheless, cacao is very deep acting and can, in our experience, be as opening as for example ayahuasca, if desired.

The effect of cacao depends largely on your intention to use it. It can sharpen focus and open to inspiration, if you use it in a creative process and it can bring your meditation greater depth and presence. It may bring about deep intimacy between lovers. And if you have the courage to go deep within yourself, as well as a safe, supportive environment, it can bring you in contact with your unconscious and subconscious, allow you to feel and heal your pain body and gain insight into your own unlimited potential: Cacao is invaluable to to help you see what you have repressed and allow the respressed to bubble to the surface - whether it be your light or your darkness.

But the jewel in the cacao treasure is the joy and the deep happiness, that comes from the realization, that everything is unity. Cacao is eminent for what some call to "open the heart".

The experience of cacaos effect is completely individual and different from time to time, therefore it is not easy to describe the effect. The best way to find out is to test yourself :)

Generally speaking, it takes about 30-40 minutes from the time you've been drinking until you can feel the effect. The more previous experience you have with cacao or self-healing in other ways, the less time it usually takes.

The first thing you feel is perhaps warmth in the body / chest / face and a sense of well-being and love.

You may feel everything stronger, not least your sense of yourself. The attention that you have in yourself, can bring many different feelings forward, that has been waiting to be allowed to be acknowledged. Often many tears are flowing in a cacao-ceremony, but because the attention is so loving and caring, it is cleansing and liberating tears, full of relief and joy.

The best thing that you can do - once you set an intention with your ceremony - is to trust that everything that happens is right and good and let go of any impulses to control and analyze your experiences.

If your intention (consciously or unconsciously) with using cacao is cleansing in one form or another, for example, to let go of destructive patterns, emotions, addiction or similar, you can experience various unpleasant sensations while you feel the oppressed move itself against the surface to be released. This process is positive and highly desirable, although it might be challenging as it stands.

If you are visually sentient / have an open third eye, you may experience visions when you've been drinking cacao. It is not hallucinations, but your own visions, which have some message for you. You may also find that to be very sensitive in other ways and such very easily feel the other people around you.

No matter what you are experiencing, remember that cacao never give you anything that you do not some level wish for. If you do not feel completely comfortable, then just focus on your breathing a little and if you would rather be free from whatit coming up, simply look around you and think of something else - it's always your own choice, how deep you want to go.

"Cacao brings you to the door, it doesnt push you through it."

Keith Wilson

Our cacao

Our cacao comes from Guatemala and is specifically produced for ceremonial use. The beans are carefully selected by cacao-shaman Keith Wilson, fermented, dried and pulverized in a very small scale by local families and then melted and packed cacao enthusiasts.

The content of active substances vary greatly between different types of cacao.

Some types of cacao, for example. a relatively high content of caffeine, which our ceremonial cacao have not. This makes it possible to take the ceremonial dose, without getting "caffeine shock."

The small cacao beans (from Guatemala's wild rainforest cacao) that our cacao is made from a very high content of entheogene substances. The commonly used types used on a commercial chocolate is grown to have a high yield and large beans, but has a much lower content of the active substances. So if you buy a piece of organic, fair trade chocolate with 80% cacao content, you can in good conscience enjoy the taste and a bit of the cacao's effect, but it can not be compared with that of pure ceremonial kakaos.

Contraindications

Because cacao increases blood flow markedly, it is advisable not to drink a ceremonial dose if you have cardiac problems or very high blood pressure In that case it would be very rewarding to drink a smaller dose daily).

If you are using anti-depressants, the active substances in cacao and conventional medicine together can cause a fierce headache (The ceremonial dose works reportedly as a MAOI (Monoamine oxidase inhibitor)). You are advised to lower the dose you drink exponentially with how large a dose of medicine you take.

If you accidently consume an "overdose" of cacao, you may experience dizziness, nausea and possibly vomiting. It's unpleasant, but not dangerous.

As described earlier, cacao has a cleansing effect, which may well be experienced uncomfortable. If you experience feeling unwell, either physically or psychologically, after drinking cacao, then the best you can do, is to trust the process, without trying to control, analyze or suppress any of what you are experiencing.

You can trust, that the cacao-spirit wants your best, and that you will end up being happy with what you've received and / or released!

Links to more reading:

Cacao - the health miracle - Medicinehunter.com

Naked Chocolate: The astonoshing truth about the world's greatest food - eBook

Chocolate - History, culture and heritage - eBook

Keith's website - ceremonialcacao

The power of chocolate - archaeology.org

Three good reasons to eat chocolate - Videnskab.dk

Cacao improves elderly memory - Videnskab.dk

Dark chocolate should be counted as a vegetable - Klikk.no