A well-kept secret, a sacred elixir: how to prepare ceremonial cacao?

Hola hola again, ¿cómo estás?

Today, after preparing my cacao with inositol (plus honey, cinnamon, and vanilla — pretty close to ritual, to be honest 😅) oh! and lemongrass water (ups)... I felt like sharing a bit about the different ways to prepare cacao. Especially the ceremonial cacao.

So first things first — is there a set recipe for preparing ceremonial cacao?

Te diría que sí.

The cacao we refer to as "ceremonial" — or perhaps more accurately cacao ritual — is the cacao used in sacred circles. This cacao carries harmonizing properties and is prepared with clear intention to help us weave words, prayers, and presence.

In the Maya tradition — specifically the Maya Yokot’an — cacao is traditionally prepared with the following ingredients:

• Pure cacao (fermented, roasted, peeled, and ground — always fermented, an important detail!)

• Toasted corn

• Vanilla

• Honey

• Cinnamon

Nada más, ni nada menos.

Each ingredient is there for a reason. During ceremonies, time is taken to give thanks, to offer each ingredient to the altar, and then everything is placed in hot water. The drink is then whisked vigorously with a molinillo to create a thick, rich foam.

By the way... did you know that the foam reveals the quality of the cacao? And even more, it’s said to feed the spirits.

A good cacao is a foamy cacao.

✨ Also… there are 13 sacred cacao drinks.

These are prepared for two key cacao ceremonies: harvest time and sowing time — which are also the festivals of forgiveness and gratitude.

Each of these 13 drinks is a form of cacao medicine — not just spiritual, but physical too. For example, la misteada is given to mothers after childbirth to help support milk production.

And not all of them use cacao paste as we know it — some are made directly from the fruit, like la cacaguada (my favorite!).

These drinks are sacred because they’ve accompanied entire communities for generations, nourishing not only their spiritual practices, but also their economies and culture around el sagrado cacaotal. They’re sacred because they heal: hearts, minds, and bodies. And they’re sacred because they are gifts from the Earth.

✨ Back to ceremonial cacao...

In my personal experience — and with the permission of the elders — I feel that true ritual cacao really only needs two things:

• a pure intention

• and a lovingly grown cacao

This is CLAVE when using cacao for healing, for ritual, for invocation. What carries the deepest imprint is the subtle.

And, not only cacao has spirit — all plants do. That’s why Ayurveda, Chinese medicine, and folk herbalism are so effective. It’s all about knowing and combining plant spirits in a way that supports your intention and creates synergy.

Some might say menos es más, and sure — if cacao's spirit is present, you may not need anything else. 

Pero, just like vanilla, honey, and cinnamon add their magic to traditional preparations, so can other plants and their spirits.

 When I first started preparing cacao for myself, I didn’t do it under any tradition, or with the intention to share it as medicine or prayer...

 I did it simply because that’s how it came into my life (you can read more about it in my ebook here).

I came from a holistic nutrition background, had been exploring herbalism, and spent a year traveling through places where I learned about tinctures, plant infusions, and all the ways you can mix intention with the spirit of the herbs.

While making ormus (which I learned in Tepoztlán), I discovered the power of stirring drinks clockwise or counterclockwise depending on whether you want to concentrate or dissolve energy.

 When I was into raw veganism, I learned to solarize water — not just to remove chlorine but to charge it with photons and transform it with energy and intention (even with a little handwritten note stuck to the bottle).

And from all those years of experimenting, learning, playing, and sharing in circles... came my CacaoBlends — four base formulas created to support the main themes that arise when we do cacao rituals: balancing polarities, rekindling spirit, healing the feminine, and la pura — designed to invite you to explore and play.

Sometimes, cacao wants to be taken solo, maybe just a touch of honey — or not even that. Sometimes, it’s a powerful adaptogenic vehicle. Sometimes, it boosts your energy and uplifts your mood.

 And sometimes, it’s just the sweet excuse you need to pause — maybe a simple cacao shell tea with a twist of lemon peel is enough to soothe your soul and invite deep rest.

 So to wrap it up — instead of answering the question, I’ll leave you with one:

Are you preparing your ceremonial cacao based on a recipe someone gave you — or based on what you feel?

Cacao doesn’t always need reishi, ashwagandha, cardamom, rose petals, sea salt, lion’s mane... Tampoco a huevo tiene que ir con maíz.

It’s about sitting down with the cacao and being willing to listen — to its spirit, and to the subtler presence of the plants you may choose to accompany it.

We'll explore all this together at Cacao Lab this November.

¿Te veo ahí?

Gracias por leer, besos Sol Luciana 🤎