What I learned from a week with cacao

I attended my first virtual cacao ceremony last week. It was my first time drinking cacao and I was a little anxious about what I might experience. I had read that people felt a sense of euphoria and bliss from this master plant medicine. That sounded delightful, but I could seem to pry my thinking mind off those last three words: master plant medicine.

Was this going to be like other master plant medicines? Was I going to be off on some trippy hallucinogenic experience where I forfeited the option to get off the ride? I continued reading articles online, but I couldn't find any references to that type of experience.

So I remembered my word for the year. Trust.

I decided to trust that this was the medicine that was meant for me and that my highest good would be served through the experience. To ease my thinking mind, I tuned in with my pendulum which confirmed that I was going to be ok. Then I invited my spirit guides to hold me in a safe and sacred container.

The ceremony was lovely! Our guide told us that cacao is a master plant medicine that serves as a powerful heart healer. She told us that it brings stories and memories to the surface that are ready for healing. Her words perfectly mirrored the understanding I had about my own healing process. So within those first couple moments of the ceremony, I knew I was in good hands and doing what I was meant to be doing.

The ceremony also included a womb healing meditation that brought up a vision of my maternal lineage. The visions were not trippy or scary. They were similar to the dream state visions I normally get when I drop into a deep meditation. In the meditation, my mother, grandmother, great grandmother and myself received a healing and energetic release from a debilitating thread of shame and guilt that had been passed down through our connected wombs.

After experiencing the healing power of this plant medicine in ceremony, I decided that I wanted to take my exploration a bit further. I couldn't help but think this would be a great addition to my virtual retreats, but I wanted to make sure I had a deeper connection and understanding of this medicine before I invited others to join me.

I decided to swap out my morning cup of coffee for a ceremonial cup of cacao for a week. My own personal ceremony started by sitting with my mug and gazing into the dark liquid with curiosity. I would then close my eyes and whisper the intention below as I connected energetically to the plant medicine.

Thank you for opening my heart and allowing me to experience the innocence and unconditional love within.

After consuming the cacao, I would start my morning writing. I wrote the stories that came up without judgment. I also noticed the flow state was easier to drop into. The words just seemed to come and all I had to do was let them flow onto the page. Another thing I noticed was a significant shift in my physical energy levels. The cacao buzz was calmly energizing, not jittery like my morning coffee.

The healing and heart opening I received from the cacao over the course of the week was subtle and yet powerful. One example was the relief of a confusing hesitation that I had been having with a friend. We had agreed to go into business together and yet there was something within me that was resisting. I didn't have the words for it, but we both knew something wasn't quite right.

One morning after drinking my cacao, I suddenly remembered the "why" behind my two focus areas for 2021. The clarity of that remembrance was a game changer. I knew that writing and curating experiences were my focus for this year. However, I had forgotten that I was planning to create experiences to give myself the financial freedom to write without pressure. I specifically asked Source for a clear and fun path to financial prosperity so I could remain devoted to mastering my creative expression.

When I agreed to partner with my friend on her vision, I had forgotten my why and the request I made to Source. I told her I was all in and yet our conversations felt like driving a car with the one foot on the gas and the other on the brake. Remembering my why helped me to take my foot off the brake. In that moment, I knew I could help her build her vision, host my own experiences when it lit me up and still remain devoted to my writing. It was exactly the clarity I needed and I thank the cacao for opening my eyes and my heart to the wisdom within me.