Offering Medicine
2020
by Nalinee Diosara
It is crucial for us as mindful consumers to know that our cacao or chocolate truly support the people, as we are all indigenous to earth and have tasks along our paths to co-create in harmony.
Ashaninka tribe of Peruvian region is where my current ceremonial cacao comes from. The tribe went through long period of struggle finding their rights of the land. This struggle is common for many indigenous groups around the world.
Cacao farming brings income and job opportunities for the Ashaninka people and allows them to continue living their traditional lifestyle as well as provide for their families. At the beginning of providing cacao to the rest of the world, there was not a fair trade for them. Earning a few material goods exchange for their hard work, from planting, harvesting, fermenting to distributing.
Nowadays, there are few channels such as forevercacao.com and few more that later mentioned in this post that is assisting us in giving back to many tribes, continuing to provide them support and income.
(Further reading & gratitude to Ashaninka Cacao – Kemito Ene by Lovingearth pdf file – https://lovingearth.net/)
It is crucial for us as mindful consumers to know that our cacao or chocolate truly support the people, as we are all indigenous to earth and have tasks along our paths to co-create in harmony.
Few may say that the traditions of working with cacao have disappeared. But there are still Mayan descendant tribes such as Maya Tz’utujil tribe in Guatemala who is still working with cacao in both ritual and household settings.
From asking hand in marriage to midwives offering cacao for pregnant women to build their strength before giving birth.
T’zutujil people have their way of roasting their cacao with open fire and flat pan sitting on three rocks – symbolises union of three energies in triangle form: union of sun, moon and earth. They hold their cacao ceremony in presence of fire to connect with ancestors and Great Spirit.
(More information & Gratitude to https://www.cacaolaboratory.com/)
Many tribes and communities have their own stories, perspectives and ways of working with cacao.
The core and heart of this medicine is Gratitude and Harmony. Whether through meditation, dance or any kind of gathering, the core essence of cacao is the alignment of gratitude and love.
This is one of the reason that inspired me to offer cacao in Bangkok. To be an advocate of plant medicines with respect to our ancestors and their shamanic cultures. To offer cacao as teacher and tool of journeying inwards, getting to know ourselves and the world through the heart of gratitude.
