The Theobroma Cacao tree grows abundantly in countries surrounding the equator. The large pods contain beans, which can be ground down into nibs or pressed into powder. The oil extract can be used to make cacao butter, a base ingredient for chocolate, but allegedly, it also makes a fab moisturiser!

Cacao ceremonies have been practiced for thousands of years, dating back to Mayan and Aztec traditions in Central and South America.

Columbus brought cacao beans to the West in 1502 for use as a currency, after which, they gained popularity as an aphrodisiac for the elite.

The Greeks dubbed it ‘food of the Gods’, the Aztecs used it as a metaphor for the heart and modern science just discovered it contains the ‘bliss molecule’, anandamide (derived from the Sanskrit word ananda, which means joy, bliss and delight).

A cacao journey is a really effective way to meet the deepest part of yourself. The medicine naturally takes you on an inner journey to your heart centre, calming the mind and activating your emotions.

This isn't a magic pill solution to neuroses (oh, how we'd all love one of those!). However, a willingness to meet the medicine halfway with a simple, yet solid, intent does have the potential to bring about transformative results.

The onus is then on you to integrate these insights post-ceremony. The more focused you can be on your intent, the more effective the journey is likely to be.

I'm excited to bring together over fifteen years of training, including ceremonial design, shamanic journeying, sound healing and breathwork, to create a cozy space where the most complete and efficient letting go can occur.

These days, millennials have gone cacao crazy, so there are many ways to experience the medicine from meditation and yoga to dancing. Some even use it recreationally as a low-octane party drug!

There are no protocols but if you want to dive-deep, complete surrender is key. My ceremonies are suitable for newbies with no clue about shamanic ceremony to the experienced among you, who are ready to sink into your inner wisdom, beyond patterns of conditioning.

Cacao ceremonies last up to 4-hours.

Or beyond, if you count the preparation, sharing and integration either side.

I tend to combine a lot of exercises, so you’ll be guided throughout the experience and given a lot to work with.

Cacao is one of the most powerful superfoods around with 40-times more antioxidants than blueberries. It’s also the primary source of magnesium on the planet. Low levels have been associated with depression and high blood pressure as well as a number of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, type-2 diabetes, hypertension, stroke and ADHD.

Ingested, it triggers a cascade of neurotransmitters including Phenylethylamine (PEA), the rich, sensuous chemical we naturally produce when we fall in love. Then there’s the bliss molecule, Anandamide, which contains similar psychoactive properties to marijuana.

Cacao is high in Polyphenols, an antioxidant that has been shown to reduce anxiety and depression. It also contains an amino acid called tryptophan, which your brain uses to produce serotonin.

The main function of serotonin is to stabilise your mood and boost feelings of happiness and wellbeing. It also calms the nervous system, with a healthy impact on digestion and sleep cycles.

Nope. No bodily trauma, no deep purging effects and no inescapable visions (cacao is psychoactive, not psychedelic, psychotropic or hallucinogenic). There are no known risks, so you can drive and operate fancy machinery under her influence.

The best way to work with cacao is without any expectation. She’s an extremely subtle and gentle plant to work with, which makes her perfect for the urban jungle and fabulous gateway medicine for those fearing the ayahuasca route to healing.

Yes, thank goodness.

Cacao (in its purest form) is effectively the last master plant medicine standing in the West because she’s been hiding away in confectionary since the 16th century, hence avoiding all the legal scapegoating.

Psychoactive substances, including magic mushrooms, cannabis and DMT are illegal under UK law, yet loopholes exist for mainstream substances such as alcohol, tobacco and caffeine.

I use ceremonial grade cacao, direct from the Asháninka tribe in the lower Amazon basin of Peru. It’s 100% raw and organic with no processing, pesticides or genetically modified crap.

It’s also responsibly sourced with a fair price for shipping and no slave labour, so everyone in the chain benefits, which is nice. :)

Personally, the insights I’ve received, and continue to receive, from cacao, have been as enlightening as any psychotropic plant medicine, ayahuasca included.

A willingness to show up, along with a readiness to meet the medicine half-way is essential. There is no magic pill and the responsibility to create lasting change is yours.