Welcome,
Welcome Rebel.
I am so glad that you are here.
Before we begin,
Before you even stand up to take your cacao and do anything with it,
Just take a breath.
One slow breath in through your nose.
And letting it go.
You've chosen to give yourself this time and that already matters.
This already begins your ritual.
And this audio is going to guide you through the preparation of your cacao.
From wherever you are sitting or standing right now all the way through to the moment you sit back down with your cup in your hands and your space held around you.
This ritual begins now,
There is no rush here,
So move slowly,
Let each step be intentional and let the making be as much as much and part of the medicine.
As the drinking.
So let's begin.
When you're ready,
Stand up.
Move slowly.
Not because you have somewhere to be.
But because this is the moment the ritual begins.
Rising with intention.
Is the moment you step out.
Of the ordinary rhythm of your day and into something different.
Walk towards wherever you keep your cacao.
And if you need to,
Pause me,
Take your time,
Move slowly.
In any moments where I am a little bit ahead than you are,
Of course,
I'm not right next to you,
Pause,
Continue until you're ready for that next step,
And then play.
You're with your cacao now,
Take it out.
And hold it for a moment.
Feel the weight of it in your hands.
Hmm,
This plant medicine.
That's been used in ceremony for thousands of years.
Now you,
Holding it.
Best deserves your presence.
Place it gently aside you in your kitchen space.
And gather what you need.
And bring it all to your kitchen space now.
Your cacao.
Your scale your favorite ritual cup.
A small wooden spoon if you have one.
If not,
Whatever spoon feels good in your hand.
Your kettle.
Fill it with fresh water.
And already set it to boil.
Take your time.
And if you're working with a spice in your cacao today.
Take that out already too.
Take your time gathering.
Let this be a slow,
Intentional collection of the things that are about to become your medicine.
And as soon as you've gathered all of your things that you need.
And your kettle is.
.
.
Put on for the water to start to boil.
And let the next step begin.
Before you begin preparing your cacao,
Light your candle.
If you don't have one near you,
Go and take your candle,
Your incense.
And to light your candle.
They can match out or the lighter slowly.
And really watch the flame catch.
This light is an anchor.
It marks the beginning.
This light in your candle says this time is sacred.
This time is mine.
If you have an incense.
Take your time,
Light that too.
Breathe and let the smoke begin to move through your space.
Breathe it in.
Feel it in your chest.
You are creating a container for yourself.
Even in your kitchen.
Even on an ordinary morning,
Afternoon or evening time of the day.
This container is real,
Is intentional and is sacred because you are choosing it to be.
We move along to the spice now.
If you are working with a spice today.
Take a moment to grab it,
Look at it.
Smell it before you do anything else.
Very gently and bring it close to you and just inhale the spice.
Notice what it does in your body.
Whether it opens something,
Warms something.
Sharpens something.
Mmm.
If the spice needs to be cut or broken,
Do that now.
Slowly,
Deliberately.
If it is already ready to be used.
Just place it aside.
You'll only need a small pinch of it in your cacao.
Set your spice aside.
You will add it into your cacao in a moment.
We move on to your cacao.
Make sure you've got your knife.
Your chopping board,
New cacao block.
Start to very slowly cut your personal amount of cacao you want to use.
A ceremonial dose sits somewhere between 20 to even 45 grams.
I personally work with 20 to 25 grams.
A gentler but.
.
.
The dose that accept that my body accepts.
You're just beginning with cacao.
And you're not sure where to begin.
Then start at 20 grams.
Choose what feels right for you.
For the energy of today.
For what your body is asking for.
Place your cup on your scale.
And as you slowly take your time now to cut your cacao.
Move your cacao directly into your cup Don't rush this process,
Pause me so you can really take your time.
When you have your cacao cut.
Put it directly into your cup.
Watch it fall.
Notice the color of it.
Maybe even take a little small pinch already into your mouth just to allow it to melt on your tongue.
Notice the taste,
The smell that rises.
As it lands in your cup.
Your real ceremonial cacao.
Unprocessed.
Roll.
Nothing added,
Nothing taken away.
This is the plant exactly as it wants to be met.
Take your time here,
Now we move on to the water.
The water's probably boiled some time ago.
If it hasn't.
Then let it sit after it's finished boiling for a moment.
You don't want it to be boiling when you pour it into your cup.
You want it hot,
But not boiling.
So let it rest for a minute or two and then we're not pouring the whole cup in one go.
You're pouring just enough water to cover the cacao in your cup.
Just enough to moet it,
Not more.
Pick up your spoon and begin to gently stir.
Slowly stirring the cacao.
Working the water into the cacao.
You will feel resistance.
The cacao is thick.
Might not want to dissolve all at once.
And that's okay,
Stay with it.
Really taking your time here.
Keep moving the spoon in slow,
Intentional circles.
As you stare,
Breathe.
Bring your face close to the cup if you can and just inhale the aroma that is rising.
That deep,
Earthly,
Slightly bitter,
Ancient smell.
Medicine Meeting Water,
Beginning of the transformation.
Keep stirring until the cacao has become a thick paste.
Where there are no more dry lumps remaining.
Until the mixture is smooth and dark and unified.
When your paste is smooth,
Add a little more water.
Just a little bit more.
Continue the stirring.
Notice the consistency beginning to shift.
And then keep adding as much water.
As you need.
To bring the count,
The consistency,
And the volume that feels right for you today.
Staring slowly,
Breathing,
Most importantly,
Staying present.
With Best Medicine.
Take your time.
Before you move anywhere further,
Now that your cacao is ready,
And if it's not,
Pause me.
Take a moment to tidy up the space with everything that you've used.
Put the rest of the cacao away.
Wipe the surface if you need to.
This is not a chore.
This is a closing of the preparational space.
You are leaving it clean so that when you return to ordinary life,
There is nothing left undone.
Nothing pulling at your attention.
A clean space behind you means a clear space ahead.
Your time.
After tidying up your space,
Now gather what you need to carry with you to move to your ritual space.
Your cacao,
Your candle,
Carefully,
Your incense if it's still burning,
Your journal and move slowly to wherever you have chosen to sit for this ritual.
Your couch,
Your chair,
A corner of your bedroom floor,
Whatever feels most like the right space for you today.
Set everything down around you.
Arrange it in the way that you want.
Let the candle be somewhere you can see its flame and let the incense continue to move through the air around you.
And sit down.
Take a breath in.
Look at your cup.
Hold the cup in your hands.
These are the moments before your first sip.
Take your time to arrive in this space.
To set your intention.
And now you might want to sit in silence before you drink the cacao.
You might want to sit in silence,
Do your own blessing ritual.
Let the energy of the cacao begin to move through you.
Might want to put on some music.
You might want to open your journal and write.
Or you might want to continue with a guided cacao blessing.
Whatever you choose,
Whether it's one of my guided cacao blessing rituals or something of your own,
Stay slow,
Stay present,
And let the cacao do what it came to do.
There is nowhere else to be right now but here.
You are held,
You are supported,
And you are exactly where you need to be.
Enjoy your cacao rubble.
