My journey with cacao began around 10 years ago when I started making raw cacao chocolates and truffles mostly just for healthier, nutritious, delicious snacks. My friend and reiki master introduced me to it and some different techniques which launched my passion and lead to years of exploration with this magical plant.
In 2012 I headed to Guatemala for Yoga teacher training and to start a long Latin American travel adventure. I’d heard about the Cacao Shaman at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala and that was definitely on my ‘not to miss list’ while at the lake. My first day there I met a beautiful friend called Tati and she called the Cacao Shaman’s assistant to see when ceremony was happening and led me around to the famous “porch”.
I joined a little late and walked into a small group of 5 girls each teary eyed and smiling deep joyful smiles and a tall, slim, white bearded, long haired, North American old hippy looking guy… Keith! The irony that I’m deep in the Mayan heartland of Guatemala and this guy's name is Keith is not lost on me.
I sat down and Keith’s “sweetheart” Barbara handed me a cup of Cacao to drink, while we all held space for the last girl in the group's healing journey. The girls soon left as they’d been there a couple hours and so I was blessed with one-2-one time with Keith the Cacao Shaman! He’s a very playful, happy and deeply intuitive soul.
He asked me what I’d like to heal to which I replied “ oh I’m fine! I just really like chocolate”
As you can imagine I was some what unprepared for what was about to happen here, probably a good thing as I went in with no expectations.
Within minutes he was leading me in a meditation and I was crying and communing with myself as a little girl. Keith specialises in working with Empaths and intuitively guiding you through some inner healing to allow you to continue your work in the world and release anything you’ve been holding onto.
Quite like most humans, you may have found yourself with addictions, habits or self destructive behaviours; the result of different imbalances, where we try to fill a void, block out or avoid feeling 'difficult' emotions. Sometimes if you’ve been “eating” / absorbing people’s pain and grief for years (empath) without the appropriate tools to release it from your own being this can manifest in dis-ease, illness or pain. (This is a very brief touch on this subject - more on this another time).
So after my experience with Keith and Barbara on the porch I felt a great shift, it was a powerful start to this transformational journey at the lake. I ended up staying in San Marcos a lot longer than I’d originally planned and even fell in love quite unexpectedly! We've been travelling and living life together ever since and are now expecting our first child.
During this time and subsequent years returning to the lake I had more experiences working with Keith and have been deepening my connection with Cacao spirit.
I am eternally grateful for the magic that continues to unfold while playing with this beautiful medicine.
An ancient Mayan story says that when mankind loses harmony with the natural world, cacao will come from the rainforest to open people’s hearts and re-establish the balance. “ The Food for the shift” cacao accelerates your awakening if that is where you want to go. ♥
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