The Story of Cacao, YOUR story, and a Traditional Recipe
- Laura LaBrie
- Jun 2
- 3 min read
The Story of Cacao is Your Story
Cacao is the story of death and reincarnation. It is the story of love and sacrifice. It is the story of wit and determination.
And it is your story.
You see, the story of Cacao was written in symbols in the Maya holy book of the Popul Vuh. It is a hero’s journey where each challenge mirrors a step in the process of making cacao. (How cool!) From the burying of the seeds and the fermentation to the heating, crushing, and finding victory in rebirth and the final pouring of the sweet drink.
Do you ever feel like you are in a dark place? Do you ever feel like you are in the fire? Have you ever sacrificed yourself? Have you ever experienced the crushing of your soul?
The hero twins in the story entered Xibabla, the Maya underworld called The Place of Fear, to rescue their father. They faced challenges all along the way and eventually even gave up their lives in sacrifice to the Lords of Death. They were thrown into the fire and then their bones were crushed and thrown into the river of the Inframundo.
But the next day they were reincarnated in the river as two fish. And the following day they appeared again as two men. But not just any men, men with superpowers. Then they defeated the Lords of death and rescued their father. (The Mayan glyph for cacao is 2 fish!)
The story mirrors our own lives, and we enter the dark night of the soul, face challenges, feel crushed, sacrifice ourselves, and feel even our soul’s death. But then we are reborn and find the ability to be victorious and truly walk in our personal power.
In the process of making cacao, the beans must be buried in the dark so they can ferment. Then they are heated on the fire and crushed, finally they are thrown into the water just as the bones of the hero twins were thrown into the water, and they result is a powerful, life-giving drink!
Here at Maya Harmony, our Cacao ceremony walks you through all the steps of the story and allows you to reflect on each part of the journey while finally bringing you into a place of power, rebirth and gratitude. It follows the story of the hero twins, of the cacao, because it is YOUR story too!
So, as you drink the cacao offered the traditional recipe here, take a few minutes to reflect on this.
What is your dark place?
What crushed you?
Can you feel your rebirth?
Are you stepping into life and your personal power?
Sip your cacao with gratitude for the process that brings you life. Cacao is your ally. Allow it to warm your heart, comfort and strengthen you. For this is the goal of the ceremony of the cacao.
Here is a traditional recipe. Enjoy!
1 Tablespoon raw cacao paste
OR 1 Tablespoon cacao powder and 1 teaspoon coconut oil
(Most of the cocoa butter has been removed from the cacao powder so we add coconut oil. Of course, you can add cocoa butter if you have it)
1 cup of water
A dash of each of the following spices
Cinnamon, allspice, clove, black pepper (optional, cayenne pepper)
Honey or raw sugar to taste
Directions
Bring the water to a boil and add the cacao and spices. Boil for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, then shut off the heat and steep for another 5 minutes. Add your natural sweetener to your liking.
For extra creaminess, you can put the mixture in the blender but be careful and do half of it at a time holding down the top of your blender firmly. Hot liquids cause pressure to build up in the blender.
Enjoy your beverage thoughtfully, thankfully.
And remember, you too are part of the story of cacao.
To join me in a cacao ceremony of death and rebirth, come join me in the AUTUMN EQUINOX RETREAT in Chichen Itza September 21-23. For more information just go to the home page or CLICK HERE
Hugs and butterflies,
Laura
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