Cacao Ceremonies
What began as quiet gatherings on the shores of Lake Atitlán has since blossomed into a global movement. These ceremonies are not a recreation of the past, but a living practice rooted in deep listening, presence, and the heart’s intention.
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I was blessed to call Keith Wilson "The Chocolate Shaman" and the spark that started this movement , my teacher, my friend, and my mentor. The way I hold ceremony today is born from the time we shared together. I carry his lineage, the way he taught us to open and hold space, to set clear intentions, and to let cacao guide the way.
Cacao Ceremonies Origins
Cacao has been revered for thousands of years by the peoples of Mesoamerica; the Olmecs, Maya, Aztecs, and others as a sacred plant medicine. It was consumed during rites of passage, royal feasts, and spiritual offerings. Traces of cacao have been found in ceremonial vessels, tombs, and temples, marking its presence in ancient ritual life. Yet, despite this sacred use, there is no historical evidence that cacao was ever consumed in the form of what we today call a “Cacao Ceremony.”
The idea of gathering in intentional circles to drink cacao, set heart-centered intentions, and engage in guided spiritual practices is a modern evolution. The term “Cacao Ceremony,” as we understand it now, combining ritual, voice, stillness, music, and energetic activation did not exist in pre-Columbian traditions.
This ceremonial format began to take shape in the early 2000s in San Marcos La Laguna, on the shores of Lake Atitlán in Guatemala. It was here that Keith Wilson, known to many as The Chocolate Shaman, began to share cacao in a new way.
Through years of deep listening, study, and channeled guidance, Keith uncovered how cacao could be used as a gentle yet profound heart-opening ally, not just as a sacred food, but as a facilitator of inner work, spiritual connection, and emotional clarity.
Since then, the practice of sitting in circle with cacao has expanded worldwide. While inspired by the ancestral reverence for the plant, today’s ceremonies are not a reconstruction of ancient rituals, they are a contemporary practice, born from modern consciousness, spiritual inquiry, and the visionary work of Keith Wilson.
Keith Wilson, Grandfather of the Cacao Ceremonies
Our
Story
Watch the video produced and edited by myself for Keith's Cacao to hear the story and origins of the Ceremonial Grade cacao and Cacao Ceremony movements from Keith himself
What is Ceremonial Cacao?
Ceremonial Cacao is the term that was used by the Keith Wilson to describe the type of Cacao that he used on his famous sessions in his House's porch that would eventually be called Cacao Ceremonies.
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Cacao has always been considered a master plant, from ancient times it's properties have been given the status of Divine Food. With the commercialisation and industrialisation of Cacao and all products derived from the plant specially the Cacao butter, we lost the sacred, medicinal aspect of the Cacao Seed.
Once Keith got in touch with the Cacao Spirit he started researching and investigating the plant, its origins, the history and myths and it's use for spiritual and self development purposes. Later, when Keith found the type of Cacao that he considered to be the one that had the energies and properties that he wanted to work with, he started sharing it with friends and clients. The term Ceremonial Cacao came from the need to give a simple direct answer to the people asking Keith Wilson for what Cacao is the one that he was using?
In order to understand what took Keith to work with that specific type of Cacao and why he called ceremonial, you need to know about Keith and understand the human being behind his Myth.​
My Cacao Ceremonies
I offer cacao in the same spirit as Keith Wilson used to do, not as a reenactment of the past, but as a living, evolving ceremony rooted in presence, respect, and the timeless guidance of the heart.
Keith Wilson passed on to me and many others, his ways of holding space with Ceremonial Cacao; how to listen, how to set clear intentions, and how to open the field for true guidance to emerge, all of these without judgement, in inclusion and with an open heart. I carry and honor his lineage in every ceremony I offer, with deep gratitude for all he shared and awakened in me.
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As Cacao is mainly the main facilitator of the work that is intentionally done in a Ceremony, it is the guidance and spirit of the plant together with our higher selfs that create the ceremonies. To facilitate a safe space and to work with the energies that are being awaken during the process I use Vocal Shamanic Practices, Sound, Meditation and Story telling as well as Sharing Circles and Rituals of Manifestation and Re-birth
