---
title: "Cacao Ceremonies: Honouring the Past Without Rewriting History"
description: Discover how the Aztecs used cacao and why modern cacao ceremonies are contemporary spiritual practices, not established ancient traditions.
image: https://karinasmithreyes.co.uk/hubfs/Cacao.png
---

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 Oct 22, 2026, 3:07:30 PM

# Cacao Ceremonies: Honouring the Past Without Rewriting History

[Karina Smith-Reyes](https://karinasmithreyes.co.uk/blog/author/karina-smith-reyes)

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*The beautiful history of cacao, the rise of the modern cacao ceremony, and why we can create meaningful rituals today without claiming they are ancient.*

There is something beautiful about gathering together, sharing a warm drink, slowing down and making space for reflection. Cacao can be part of that experience, bringing people together through taste, connection, conversation and a shared moment of stillness.

In recent years, cacao ceremonies have become increasingly popular in the wellness and spiritual communities. They are often described as ancient rituals passed down from the Aztecs or Maya, rooted in ancestral wisdom and the sacred traditions of Indigenous Mesoamerica.

But there is an important distinction worth understanding.

**Cacao has an ancient history. The modern cacao ceremony, as we commonly experience it today, does not.**

Recognising this does not take away from the beauty of cacao or the meaning people find in gathering around it. In fact, being honest about its history allows us to appreciate cacao more deeply and approach the cultures connected to it with greater respect.

## The extraordinary history of cacao

Cacao has been used in the Americas for thousands of years, long before the Aztec Empire emerged.

Archaeological evidence shows that cacao was being used in Mesoamerica as early as the second millennium BCE. Over the centuries, it became an important part of the lives of the Maya, Mexica (Aztecs) and other peoples of the region.

Cacao was much more than a drink. It carried social, economic, medicinal and religious significance, with its meanings varying across different cultures and historical periods.

For the Aztecs, cacao was a valuable commodity. Its beans could be used as currency, and cacao beverages were associated with wealth, status, hospitality and important occasions. Cacao also featured in certain religious offerings and ceremonial contexts.

These were sophisticated societies with their own spiritual traditions, cosmologies and understandings of the natural world.

Their relationship with cacao was shaped by the realities of their time: trade, agriculture, political power, religion and community.

It was not necessarily the same relationship we have with cacao today, and that is precisely what makes its history so fascinating.

We do not need to make ancient traditions resemble our modern spiritual practices for them to be worthy of appreciation.

## How the modern cacao ceremony came about

The contemporary cacao ceremony popular in wellness spaces is a relatively recent development.

The modern format became associated with spiritual and wellness communities around Lake Atitlán in Guatemala in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Keith Wilson was one influential figure in popularising this style of gathering among international visitors.

Since then, cacao ceremonies have evolved in many different ways.

Today, they might involve meditation, breathwork, music, intention-setting, journalling, movement or sharing in a circle. Some practitioners speak of cacao as a heart-opening plant or invite participants to connect with the spirit of cacao.

These experiences can be meaningful. Gathering with intention can encourage reflection, foster a sense of belonging and create a welcome opportunity to step away from the pace of everyday life.

There is no need to dismiss these practices simply because they are modern.

Human beings have always created rituals to bring meaning to their lives. We continue to develop new ways of connecting, celebrating, grieving, reflecting and building community.

**The problem is not that modern cacao ceremonies exist. The problem is when modern ceremonies are presented as ancient traditions without historical evidence to support that claim.**

There is a difference between being inspired by an ancient culture and inheriting a specific ancient practice. One is a creative process; the other is a historical claim.

That difference deserves to be acknowledged.

## Did the Aztecs and Maya practise cacao ceremonies like ours?

Cacao certainly had ceremonial and religious significance in ancient Mesoamerica. However, there is no solid historical evidence that the Aztecs or Maya practised the modern wellness-style cacao ceremony in the form commonly offered today.

The guided meditation, personal intention-setting, contemporary breathwork, emotional release and familiar language of heart-opening plant medicine cannot simply be attributed to ancient peoples because they also consumed cacao in sacred settings.

Their ceremonies existed within distinct religious and cultural systems. They had their own purposes, meanings and traditions.

We should be cautious about projecting modern spiritual ideas onto ancient societies and assuming that people thousands of years ago understood cacao in the same way we do.

This is particularly important when the word *ancestral* is used to give a contemporary practice an air of historical authority.

If a ceremony was developed in recent decades, it is perfectly reasonable to call it a modern cacao ritual inspired by Mesoamerican history, contemporary spirituality or personal experience.

What is less reasonable is to describe that same ceremony as an unchanged ancient Aztec or Maya tradition without evidence of a genuine historical connection.

**Being inspired by the past is not the same as representing the past accurately.**

## Why getting the history right is an act of respect

The cultures that cultivated and valued cacao long before its popularity in the modern wellness industry deserve to be recognised for their actual histories, not simply for the spiritual meanings we might wish to associate with them.

The Maya are not a single historical footnote, nor are the Aztecs interchangeable with every other Indigenous culture in the Americas. These were distinct societies, with rich and complex traditions that deserve to be understood on their own terms.

When we describe a modern wellness practice as an ancient Indigenous ceremony without evidence, we risk turning living cultures and complex histories into a romanticised story designed to appeal to a modern audience.

Even when the intention is positive, the result can be misleading.

True respect means being willing to learn, to question what we have been told and to distinguish documented history from contemporary interpretation.

It also means recognising that Indigenous cultures are living cultures. Their histories have not ended in the past, and their identities should not be reduced to aesthetic or spiritual inspiration for the wellness industry.

We can honour cacao's origins by learning about the people who cultivated it, recognising its historical importance and supporting ethical sourcing that benefits the communities involved in its production.

We can acknowledge its ceremonial use without claiming that every modern practice is an ancestral tradition.

And we can create beautiful new rituals without borrowing historical authority that we cannot substantiate.

## Can a modern cacao ceremony still be meaningful?

Absolutely.

Something does not have to be ancient to be meaningful.

A modern cacao gathering can be a beautiful opportunity to pause, reflect, connect with others and approach a familiar drink with greater attention. It can offer a space for conversation, music, meditation or simply enjoying a moment of calm.

The meaning comes from the people participating, the intention behind the gathering and the experience they create together.

Cacao itself has a rich sensory and cultural history. Its natural compounds, including theobromine and smaller amounts of caffeine, contribute to its stimulating qualities. Sharing a warm drink can also be a simple and powerful way to bring people together.

However, claims that cacao has a unique ability to heal trauma, open the heart spiritually or produce specific emotional transformations should be understood as personal or spiritual interpretations unless supported by appropriate scientific evidence.

We can appreciate the experience without needing to make claims that go beyond what we know.

And we can create rituals that feel deeply personal without pretending they have been practised in exactly the same way for thousands of years.

Perhaps there is something refreshing about acknowledging that we are creating our own traditions.

Rather than trying to make a modern ceremony seem more authentic by giving it an ancient origin story, we can allow it to stand on its own merits.

## A more honest way to honour cacao

Imagine approaching cacao with an appreciation for both its history and its place in our lives today.

We could learn about its ancient use as a valuable beverage, its role in trade and tribute, and its significance in Mesoamerican religious life. We could recognise the knowledge and labour of the people who grow and process it. We could acknowledge the distinction between historical Indigenous practices and contemporary spiritual interpretations.

And then, if we wanted to gather with cacao, we could do so with openness, gratitude and honesty.

We could say that we are creating a modern ritual inspired by the qualities of cacao and our desire for connection.

We could acknowledge that meditation, music, reflection and shared intention are the elements we have chosen to bring to the experience.

We could appreciate the ancient history without claiming ownership of it.

This approach does not make a ceremony less special. It makes its foundations clearer.

It also leaves space for genuine cultural learning, rather than assuming that a modern practice is authentic simply because it uses the language of ancestry and tradition.

## The beauty of creating something new

Traditions evolve. New rituals emerge. People find new ways to connect with familiar plants and ingredients, and those practices can become meaningful parts of their lives.

There is nothing wrong with creating a contemporary cacao ceremony.

The opportunity lies in being transparent about what it is.

Cacao does not need a mystical origin story to be remarkable. Its real history spans millennia, continents, trade networks, religious traditions and changing cultural relationships. Its significance to Mesoamerican peoples is already extraordinary.

We can celebrate that history while recognising that the modern wellness ceremony is a contemporary expression of our own time.

We can honour the past without claiming that it belongs to us.

And we can allow our own rituals to grow honestly, without confusing inspiration with historical inheritance.

### Final thoughts

Cacao has a beautiful and deeply significant history. The Maya, the Aztecs and other Mesoamerican peoples valued and used it in ways that reflected their own societies, beliefs and traditions.

The modern cacao ceremony is something different: a contemporary spiritual practice that has developed in recent decades, drawing on various influences and interpretations.

Both facts can be true at once.

**We do not have to pretend a practice is ancient to make it meaningful, and we do not have to rewrite history to honour cacao.**

Perhaps the most respectful approach is also the simplest: learn the history, acknowledge the cultures that shaped it, be honest about what is modern, and create new rituals with care.

Let cacao bring people together today, while allowing its past to remain what it truly was.

Because genuine appreciation begins not with a story that sounds ancient, but with a willingness to understand the truth.

---

### Further reading

- Powis, T. G. et al. (2011). *Cacao Use and the San Lorenzo Olmec.* Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3102397/](https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3102397/)
- Dillinger, T. L. et al. (2000). *Food of the Gods: Cure for Humanity? A Cultural History of the Medicinal and Ritual Use of Chocolate.* The Journal of Nutrition. [https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.8.2057S](https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/130.8.2057S)
- McNeil, C. L. (ed.) (2006). *Chocolate in Mesoamerica: A Cultural History of Cacao.* University Press of Florida.

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