"Have you worked with cacao before?"
"Well, yeah I have cacao nibs in my breakfast every morning and that is a ceremony to me!"
My high horse holistic American ass, had no idea what magic this sacred plant medicine contained...
Sounds a bit whoo-whoo if you ask my left brain. I didn't even know Cacao in its purest form is a plant medicine! I thought my breakfast nibs were the rawest, most potent form. Also, I didn't do that "stuff". I have never smoked weed and have done mushrooms once. (It was fascinating from the neck up and an awful storm of nausea and feeling sick from the neck down.) Alcohol and I don't get along and synthetic drugs have never peaked my interest. I get my dopamine and chemical bliss off dancing, binaural beats, surfing and eating ice cream.
Just like adopting a puppy, Cacao chooses you, you don't choose Her. I had my first ceremony in Bali in private session with the lovely Lynette Allen- A magnificent medicine women from the UK. From our first ceremony,
"Cacao saught me out and held my hand. She gave me the warmest hug I had received in years"
She showed me a home I didn't know I had inside me. I cried, I laughed and I felt. This was something I hadn't allowed myself to experience in a long while.
Cacao was not part of my original plan. (Neither was staying in Bali. One month quickly turned into 8,- for now) My initial intention was to get a breathwork session with Edward Dangerfield, a breathwork practitioner in Bali who has a strong scientific background. Right up my ally! I was ready to correct my breathing patterns, over analyze the amount of carbon dioxide circulating in my blood to trigger my chemoreceptors to tell my body to take another breath then gain control over it so I could alter my nervous system at any moment during the day and become a more efficient human. Sign me up!! Plot twist, he was booked for at least a month so he suggested I get a breathwork session with his colleague Lynette. I was bummed because I wanted the science not this pretty woman wearing all white. BUT I was just dropped on an island across the world in a culture and land I knew nothing about so I was open to some exploration I suppose. Little did I know, I was going to be given one of the biggest gifts of my life. Cacao.
The more I sat with Cacao in session guided by Lynette, the more the iron bars over my heart began to melt and open up the universe inside of me. We would set an intention in Lynette's home in Bali, she would serve cacao to me, we would breathe, and journey as she so angelically facilitated in the most nurturing way. Every session I would go to places so foreign yet familiar, deepening in meaning hours or even days after the session.
My neocortex curiosity still wanted to understand the physiological mechanisms at play with cacao so I have happily done my science due diligence. The combination of Her chemical compounds such as anandamide, theobromine and phenethylamine, are what give you a stimulated, euphoric yet calming experience. Also, Carl Linnaeus named cacao Theobroma "Food of the Gods" and for valid reasons. Cacao's nutritional benefits include magnesium, copper, iron, manganese, zinc and antioxidants just to name a few. She also works as an anti-depressent, lowers blood pressure and increases mood and fights fatigue. Spiritually, I will let you experience the Spirit of Cacao for yourself!
I now sit with cacao often as part of my rituals. I heat some hot water, mix up my elixir of cacao freshly chopped from the block while whisking and mixing with a hum to Cacao and Her healing properties. I set my alter, light a candle, smudge myself, set an intension and put on some music or get lost (and found) to the pure sounds of the ocean at the beach. She brings me back to my home when I feel flustered, lost, overwhelmed and stuck.
Cacao has also been a seamless addition with my clients as part of Breathe. Move. Recover. to enhance and individualize each session. I have served cacao in Bali and the United States at birthday parties, for families, for private sessions, people with anxiety, PTSD, cancer, deepening sense of self, connecting to the higher self, calming the nervous system and aiding artistic creativity.
I have Sacred Cacao straight from a farm harvested by a family in Northwest Bali and want to share with the United States. I hold weekly Cacao Ceremonies at the Jersey Shore in NJ for private groups and communities, and do private session online and in- person as well. If you would like to schedule a session or join the weekly community click here to sign up. https://www.caseymauro.com/cacao
Want a night or morning with your girls or guys or both? Contact me at casey@caseymauro.com to set up your private group ceremony just like a sleepover with your friends when you were young!
Please reach out with any questions or comments you may have about Cacao. I look forward to connecting with you here and in the quantum field.