Cacao and the Wisdom of Trees: Heritage, Roots and the Living Spirit of Mother Cacao
The Tree Behind the Cup
When we sit in ceremony with cacao, we are not simply drinking a warm cup of chocolate. We are communing with a tree. Cacao comes from the evergreen tree Theobroma cacao, a name that translates from Greek as food of the gods. The tree is native to the tropical rainforests of mainly (not just) Central and South America, where it has grown for thousands of years beneath the canopy, protected from direct sunlight and nourished by humidity, rich soil and a complex ecosystem of life.
Cacao is not a crop that thrives in harshness. It flourishes in relationship. In biodiversity. In community. Funny that hey? 🙂
Just like us.
The Three Main Types of Cacao Trees
Not all cacao is the same. Just as oak, birch and cedar each carry distinct personalities, cacao trees also differ in flavour, resilience and energetic quality.
Criollo is The Ancient Noble
Criollo is often referred to as the rare heirloom variety. It is delicate, lower yielding and more susceptible to disease, yet it produces some of the most refined and complex flavour profiles.
Historically, Criollo was revered by the Maya civilization and later by the Aztec civilization, who used cacao as currency, medicine and ceremonial offering.
Energetically, Criollo feels gentle, heart opening and subtle. It does not demand. It invites you very slowly to tip toe the journey.
Forastero is The Strong Guardian
Forastero is the most widely grown cacao variety today. It is hardy, resilient and productive. It withstands environmental pressures and adapts. I do love it for this as it feels human for where we are today.
Its flavour is typically stronger and more robust. It carries a grounding energy. There is something deeply earthing about it, like standing against the trunk of an old oak. It carries you more.
Trinitario is The Bridge, Our Bridge
Trinitario is a hybrid of Criollo and Forastero. It carries the refinement of one and the strength of the other.
There is something symbolic here. The merging of softness and resilience. The balance of heart and structure. Evolution does not mean abandoning the old, but integrating it.
The genetics of the tree matter. The soil matters. The hands that harvest it matter. Because what we are working with in ceremony is not just a product. It is living intelligence and it’s more than holding space with skill. It’s understand the spirit.
The Heritage of Cacao
Cacao’s heritage stretches back over 3,000 years. Archaeological evidence suggests cacao beverages were consumed in Mesoamerica as early as 1500 BCE.
To the Maya, cacao was sacred. It was used in rites of passage, marriage ceremonies and offerings to the gods. The Aztecs believed cacao was a divine gift from Quetzalcoatl.
When cacao travelled to Europe in the sixteenth century, it transformed. Sugar was added. Processing changed. Industrialisation diluted its original context.
Ceremonial cacao is a reclamation. It honours the bean as whole and minimally processed. It preserves the natural fats, theobromine and micronutrients. It respects origin. It honours farmers. It returns cacao to ritual rather than commodity. As cacao becomes more commercialised, reverence becomes even more important. Mother Cacao asks for slowness. For presence. For respect. Please, I beg you, do not have what you think is Cacao fool you. Look what happened to Matcha. It’s heart-breaking.
The Hidden Life Beneath the Forest
One of the most beautiful books ever written about trees is The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben. A beautiful soul and client and friend bought it for me.
In it, Wohlleben reveals what indigenous cultures have long known. Trees are not solitary beings. They communicate. They support one another. They share nutrients through underground fungal networks and they warn each other of threats. Forests are communities. Mother trees feed younger saplings. Injured trees are sustained by neighbouring roots. The mycorrhizal network carries information and nourishment.
When I first read this book, I walked with Kai Bear and my normal walk changed into discovery and curiosity of every tree I passed. It was like they knew I was reading (hearing rather/audio!) about them. It confirmed something I have always felt when standing amongst trees.
They are not passive. They are deeply alive. Cacao grows within this intelligent network…alive. A free spirit.
When we drink ceremonial cacao, we are consuming the fruit of a tree that grew in relationship. Fed not just by soil and sun, but by unseen connection, by wisdom and by community.
My Love for Trees
I have always loved trees. Literally always loved trees. And I love Matteo even more at Louma for teaching me the leaves of trees and being able to name them. It saddens me that my knowledge there is fading and I must crush up when I get time.
Trees are unshakeable. Storms come. Winds tear through. Seasons strip them bare. And still they stand. They do not rush. They do not compare. They do not panic when winter arrives. They trust.
They trust the return of light. They trust the air to carry what they need. They trust the sun. They trust the rain. They trust time. They Trust.
They grow slowly. Ring by ring. Layer by layer. Strength built in silence. There is no urgency in a tree and no performance. He do not hear announcements of growth. and yet, growth is constant.
They shed what no longer serves and conserve energy in winter. They burst into life when the conditions are right. They bend without breaking. They remain rooted whilst reaching skyward. This is the energy I feel in cacao ceremony. So so strongly. It fills the room and I see it, I see you.
When we gather for cacao ceremonies with I AM BEING in London, we are not forcing transformation. We are creating conditions. Like soil. Like sunlight. Growth happens when it is ready and when you are ready.
The Wisdom of Roots
Perhaps the most profound lesson trees offer is beneath the surface?
Roots anchor and stabilise. They search for water even in drought and the deeper the roots, the taller the tree can grow.
In our lives, roots are our heritage, our values, our nervous system regulation and our connection to something greater than ourselves.
Cacao works gently with the heart, but it also grounds. Theobromine stimulates circulation without the sharp spike of caffeine. It opens without overwhelming and supports connection without destabilising.
Like a tree, cacao invites us to root first. In ceremony, we begin by grounding. Feeling the feet. The spine. The breath. A heart that opens without roots can feel unsafe. But when rooted, expansion feels natural right? We open our beautiful hearts and we see! Trees teach us that expansion and grounding are partners.
The Forest as a Mirror for Ceremony
In a forest, diversity strengthens resilience. Monoculture weakens it and that’s a fact. The same is true in community.
When we gather in London for cacao ceremonies with I AM BEING, each person brings their own season. Some are in spring, full of ideas. Some in autumn, shedding. Some in winter, integrating. And just like a forest, we do not rush each other.
We sit.
We breathe. We drink.
We listen.
Ceremonial cacao softens edges. It enhances empathy. It invites truth. Slowly, something shifts.
Standing Like a Tree in London
London can feel fast and loud most of the time…I do love it. But, it is loud. Yet, within the city there are ancient trees standing quietly in parks and squares. They have witnessed decades of change and remain rooted.
When we gather for cacao ceremonies with I AM BEING in London, we create a forest within the city. A space to slow down, root, restore and remember. We sit with cacao as our teacher. As our bridge to something older and steadier than modern urgency and the pace of this life I find it hard to keep up with. But, Mother Cacao does not rush you and I feel her, standing beside me instead. Holding my hand. Her energy feels me up so strongly it surges through my body. Like a trees wisdom integrating into me.
Unshakeable.
Patient.
Rooted.
Reaching for light.
Being and Being Together,
Gizelle Renee xx
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