The cacao ceremony spirit in India’s party capital

A typical morning routine at what doubles down as a wellness retreat center and traveler’s hostel in Arambol, Goa, translates to moments of utter stillness and evident energy shifts. Though signs of stillness remained on the outside, my insides were vibrating at frequencies that were consciously invoked.

Just as I stared at the chalkboard naming the wellness events of the day, an old 70-something man stopped his cycle and asked me with the noblest smile I’d seen in a while.

“Going for the Cacao Ceremony, eh? May the spirit of Cacao manifest your purest intentions.”

Why the cacao ceremony?

You have often felt an uncontrollable shift in moods or high sensitivity to triggered emotions and behavioral responses. You’ve surely also experienced a rare form of heat around specific chakras in your body¹. Sadly, pacing through life on autopilot kills your chance at tapping into the awareness of these feelings.

Transcendental, or rather, heart-opening events, like the cacao ceremony, were designed for humans to connect with their inner self, set intentions, and experience the power of active consciousness. Cacao ceremonies guide you to gently barge through the staunch walls that social conditioning has lathered around your soul. Once you re-enter the sacred space within that you were meant to be in tune with, the gift of clarity reappears.

It's this clarity that reveals your soul’s genuine desire with ease. It may be a resolution with a long-lost mate. Regaining control of your “me” time. Letting go of unhealthy bonds. Or simply asking for a sign from the universe to book that ticket to Peru. Whatever it is, you’ll feel it — just follow the ceremony facilitator’s voice as you’re guided through meditations, visualizations, audio journeys, movement, energy exchanges, and consuming the warm cacao.

A first-hand experience at a cacao ceremony in India

It was Nov 8th, 2022, the last total lunar eclipse² for the next three years, where the moon would turn entirely red, aka the blood moon. A clan of curious solo travelers, couples, and groups walked into the 16-foot-high yoga shala.

One could notice how everyone in the space was in a thoughtful, mystical, and curious mood. Some people were vocal about their internal desire for reconnection and self-healing. Others were lost in the incense and spirituality… still loading. Either way, this full moon night was about to rain stark revelations on the lives of the attendees at the Cacao Ceremony.

The decorations in this safe space were so natural that even the squirrels on the trees around probably felt grounded and sacred.

Ambient and flickering low-light candles scattered in floral shapes with palm leaves and yellow sunflowers gracing the altar centerpiece. Pictures of Indian gods and goddesses were kept on neutral-toned linens and tribal textiles. Smudging tools like Palo Santo and sage are placed for cleansing rituals. And a series of singing bowls and shamanic drums laid out to play ceremonial music that would stimulate and heal the unattended corners of your mind and heart.

There was a man dressed in a loose shirt and full pants, with a half-white, half-black hair bun, silently smiling at everyone who entered. He chose a spot on the planked flooring. He ran the show, and the cacao was the medium of connection. The space felt anchored, like roots digging deep beneath us to Mother Earth’s very core.

Energies were already vibrating through the sacred setting, and it was evident in how people interacted and acknowledged the presence of fellow strangers. Little did participants know there would be exercises, ones that were intimate for the soul, ones that catalyzed your actions and reactions concerning love.

What started as a sit-by-yourself, close-your-eyes, and breathe-in-and-out-from-your-mouth exercise transformed into an ecstatic feeling of limitless love, appreciation, and heartfelt fulfillment. People softened. Smiles got easier. Shoulders dropped.

The orchestrator of the cacao ceremony shared the brief history of this holy plant medicine. How its properties and compounds are influential in opening the heart chakra—and why it’s called the food of the gods. The aura of the open-air space was so surreal that you wouldn’t doubt the legitimacy of this ceremonial celebration.

After volunteers distributed the ceremonial cacao, each individual set three intentions³ and pictured them converting to reality. The only sonic energies were that of deep breathing (right to and from the heart) and the gentle notes of cacao music flowing through the space.

Back then, I remember thinking of it as more of a guided gathering wherein you connected with your usually inactive chakras and welcomed the spirit of Cacao. Today, I still try putting each new cacao experience into words, but I'm far from doing justice to the spiritual wholeness of it.

Setting intentions & choosing partners to activate your heart chakra

When we had to share our intentions, some spoke about letting go of aspects⁴ of their lives, while others manifested a replacement of these aspects. The similarities were stark among the generic themes of love, suffering, and emotional maturity. This was also when people were permitted to sip their cacao, drop by drop.

Soon after, you had to choose a partner near you and mumble words of appreciation in their ears. Nothing creepy, nothing unholy. Instead, phrases that lifted their heart chakra from the sleepy state it had been marinating in.

Next up, you’d hug your partner for a few minutes and allow your heart chakras to touch and connect. As the warmth from both bodies seemed to become a common source, each breath you took in and your partner took out would form a bridge of connection between the two lonely hearts.

Did you know that consuming cacao at least three times a week helps manage ADD, ADHD, and depression⁵.

A few more moments of self-introspection followed by a few sips of cacao (which wasn’t the tastiest for me), and we were offered a second exercise, then a third, a fourth, and a fifth.

People had to shut their eyes, feel the ground with every step, and stealthily stroll around the shala while being receptive to the energies of each passerby. With the non-psychedelic cacao already playing its effects, you’d inevitably feel someone at the ceremony resonating on the same wavelength of love as you, despite your eyes being shut!

After 2 older female partners, 1 same-aged male partner, and 1 round of practicing alone, my heart felt a quiet sense of knowing. It was then that the closing ceremony approached, and we were asked to participate in the “last dance” with a “final partner.”

The last dance

This partner was younger than me. She had clear blue-green eyes, short curly hair, and soulful energy oozing from her personality. From dancing a foot away to slowly getting closer and eventually having our bellies rub against each other, it was like a perfect finale to the ceremony.

Clean energies flowed in both directions, comfortable giggles were audible, and we had a burning sensation in our chests, indicating the cacao had found its place in our hearts.

I’d love to tell you more about the experience. But in a nutshell, all you manifested with an honest heart and intentions was presented to you.

3 intentions of mine that the spirit of cacao manifested

Personally, there were three desires that I desperately needed to win to keep my spiritual, physical, intellectual, and emotional self perfectly aligned:

Resolve an argument with probably the closest person in my life—my brother.
Get a sign indicating I’m ready for the next step in my career—scriptwriting.
Develop and participate in a platonic relationship to remind me of raw love—the last partner.

Believe it or not, all my wishes/intentions/requests were granted within 12 hours.

You can indulge in such soul-nourishing and inner-self-activation acts by organizing your own little cacao ceremony, either with your partner, friends, or yourself. Remember, there is no real caffeine in cacao. Yet, there is a chemical, theobromine, which is a cardiovascular system stimulant that expands blood vessels and promotes internal relaxation.

Choose ceremonial music⁶ or opt for a cacao ceremony playlist⁷ to invite those timeless energies and empower your internal and external sonic awareness.

Do drop a comment or get in touch if you’d like to chat more about this ceremony! Maybe you can teach me something you were meant to.