Is There Even a "Cacao Ceremony"?

Words by Nick Meador

(Published on 3/29/2026. Photo from a ceremony with Ruk'u'x Ulew women's collective in San Marcos la Laguna, Guatemala.)

I first heard the term cacao ceremony in the fall of 2014.

I already had a deep spiritual practice but I couldn't imagine what the spiritual purpose of cacao was. Until I attended a modern cacao ceremony in 2015 and it suddenly made perfect sense.

Soon I was traveling through Central America trying to learn more, especially because it seems to be helping me in my recovery process from chronic fatigue.

At first I only found westerners leading events they called cacao ceremony. I could feel the depth and power of the living Maya culture, but for a couple of years it seemed like a "cacao ceremony" might be a totally modern creative development.

If that were true, it was still clearly helping people feel more in touch with their emotions, their bodies, their communities, and the Earth.

It wasn't until about 2022 that I started to meet families who were carrying a continuous lineage of indigenous spiritual connection to cacao. I attended Mayan fire ceremonies with many elders in many different communities, some of which didn't involve cacao at all.

And on other trips, I witnessed what was clearly a sacred and significant cultural connection with cacao and chocolate that wasn't necessarily in a structured ceremony.

Historical information is still coming to light. But what's clear now is that there were and still are many ritual and ceremony practices involving cacao.

And because of that, I now think that "cacao ceremony" is usually not the best title for a modern event. It doesn't give enough acknowledgment of the differences between modern and historical ways of working with cacao.

Titles like "cacao circle" or "modern cacao journey" do more to respect the pre-hispanic cultural traditions with cacao, while still creating an experience where people in modern cultures can grow and heal.

I also recommend learning directly from indigenous cacao experts. One option is the Spirituality of Cacao in Ceremony self-guided course with Nan Ixquik, spokesperson of the collective who makes Pacalá cacao.

In the video below, Abuelo Efrén of El Grano de Oro cacao talks about many specific rituals and traditions involving cacao in his Yokot'an Maya culture in Tabasco, Mexico.

NOTE: To watch the video below with subtitles in a different language, 1) click the CC button, 2) click the gear button, 3) click "Spanish (auto-generated)", 4) click "Auto-translate," and 5) choose your language from the drop menu. If you don't see your language, click "Watch on YouTube" and try again there.