A topic of conversation that regularly crops up is what is a ceremonial dose when working with ceremonial cacao.
There's often a figure of around 40-50g, with 42g being the most common number we've seen touted as "the Ceremonial dose".
This may be controversial, but to my mind, there is no ceremonial dose!
Now bear with me as I explain more.
The Mystery of 42
I kept seeing the number 42 appear, I decided to find out where it came from. What was the source of this fabled number purported to be "the ceremonial dose" for cacao?
Over many months of following leads and threads that cropped up online, every one of them led me back to a single origin for 42.
Every time I saw 42 mentioned, there was most commonly, no source for why that post or web page mentioned 42. It was simply stated as a fact plain and simple.
Sometimes there were hints to be gleaned from where a person trained to work with cacao. A common thread revealed itself to me.
One particular individual, who shall remain nameless here, appears to be the source of this ceremonial cacao meme.
Don't get me wrong and think I'm saying they are wrong. We're all on our own madcap cacao adventure, and so we each have our experiences and stories.
I am always wary of anyone who claims something is the way or the answer, and that holds true for me when working with cacao and the ceremonial dose. That often feels to me like a pathway to dogma.
If 42g works for someone as the ceremonial dose great, go have it!
I'm certain not going to say someone else is wrong, simply that it doesn't work for me. It doesn't feel right to me.
I Am Not A Number...
Over many years of working with cacao, connecting with her pretty much daily for more than 13 years. Building my relationship with this beautiful heart medicine, listening to her messages, receiving insights and deep healing.
Sitting in ceremony with Mama Cacao for many many hours, and serving cacao to hundreds of people, hearing and witnessing others experiences.
One thing has become clear.
There Is No Ceremonial Dose
To expand, what I mean is that no set amount should be consumed to be considered ceremonial, or ahem, shamanic.
The amount you serve in ceremonies is the amount you serve. There is no specific dose necessary when making your ceremonial cacao drink to have deeply profound experiences of heart-opening connection with Mama Cacao.
That's not to say that different amounts won't have a different effect on an individual. Of course they will, that's simply a function of different amounts of the compounds that are in cacao.
The core effect of sinking into your own heart and being heart-centred is there with very small levels of cacao.
The more noticeable effects at higher strengths are from the increased levels of stimulants (theobromine and to a lesser degree caffeine) consumed as you consume more cacao. This can often for many people be discomfort in the stomach and a feeling of nausea, along with a racing heart and excess energy.
Very rarely have I sat in a ceremony held by someone else and been served a cacao brew of 40g or more. Possibly once or twice, but almost uniformly its much less.
I typically work with around 25g per serving, though its not a strict figure. I'm guided by Mama Cacao, by my intuition, by the specifics of the ceremony. And 25g is my favourite that I keep arriving back at.
Its Just A Number...
...or is it
Some readers may have noticed that 42 is a familiar number. Fans of The Hitch Hikers Guide To The Galaxy will recall that 42 is the answer to "the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything".
Perhaps there is magic and significance in 42g as the ceremonial dose. Or maybe that original source was a Douglas Adams fan.
Maybe we'll never know, and that's part of the majick of working with Mama Cacao.
What Are Your Thoughts?
What are your thoughts on ceremonial doses for cacao? Do you have a specific amount you consider as a ceremonial dose, if so why?
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