MY EXPERIENCE

I was invited to my first cacao ceremony five years ago by a spirited friend and teacher, Maren Lander. The ceremony was facilitated by Rebekah Shaman, author of “The Shaman’s Last Apprentice,” plant medicine specialist, shaman, healer, and environmentalist whose mission has been to bring the amazing benefits of ceremonial cacao to the West. I didn’t know what to expect, but as we shared our cacao and invited the cacao goddess into our bodies to release blockages and free ourselves of past trauma and negative energy, I felt overwhelmed with love and clarity. It was on that night that I was able to let go of a lot of emotional baggage and open myself up to more self-love and connect with the universal heart. I was a cacao convert. After several more ceremonies with Rebekah, we were invited to work together on the “Golden Summer Retreat” at the Sen Wellness Sanctuary in Sri Lanka, to take people on a cleansing journey using cacao, Kundalini yoga, gong meditation, and shamanic journeying through the chakras to elevate their awareness and connection to themselves and the universe. The experience was, to put it lightly, life-changing. I was then asked to assist Maren on her “Heart of Pachamama Retreat” in San Marcos, Guatemala, where I met a man affectionately known as the “Chocolate Shaman,” Keith Wilson, who is a key player in bringing cacao back into modern-day usage. From these experiences, I began hosting my own cacao ceremonies, and using cacao regularly to aid in my daily intention setting and for its amazing health benefits. In April of 2018, I attended Rebekah’s “Sacred Cacaoista Apprenticeship” training in Ibiza, Spain, where I spent a week learning all about the history of cacao, its uses as a vibrational, “plant healing medicine,” and healing space provided by this amazing, ancient plant. I look forward to sharing cacao with you in a future ceremony, as I am confident you will find cacao a beautiful facilitator for an open heart and mind.

-Candace Blair