Cacao Ceremony Intentions: What to Invite and What to Let Go

Cacao Ceremony intentions are little messages from your heart that you give to your cup before you drink. You choose one thing you want to invite, like love or courage, and one thing you are ready to let go of, like fear. Then you hold your cup close and let the Cacao carry your wish.

Where your intention begins

Hello, Cacao lovers! Picture a warm cup resting in your hands. The candle is lit, the room is soft and still, and you can smell the Cacao. Before the first sip, you close your eyes and ask your heart a quiet question: what do I really long for tonight?

That quiet question is where every intention begins. You do not need perfect words. You only need a little time, an honest heart and the wish to listen. Setting an intention is also one of the first gentle steps when you learn how to host a Cacao Ceremony.

This guide is for you if you love Cacao, if you dream of holding your own circle one day, or if you are simply curious. We are World of Cacao, an online school for Cacao Ceremony facilitators. 1,200+ students in 60+ countries have learned with us. What you read here comes from our training, from the words of our students and from studies we link.

What is a Cacao Ceremony intention?

A Cacao Ceremony intention is a short wish from your heart that you bring into the Ceremony. It is not a goal on a to-do list. It is a feeling you want to grow, like peace, love or trust. In our training we teach a simple pair: one thing you invite and one thing you let go of.

We like to say that Cacao opens a little space in the heart. An intention gives that space a meaning. It is like a seed you place in warm soil.

A goal says: I will get this done. An intention says: this is how I want to feel and live. It is softer, and it comes from the inside.

"I set my intention for Mother Earth's beautiful daughter, Cacao, to have a bigger place in my life."

Elif B.

Your intention can be big or very small. It can be rest, joy or more love for your own body. Every one of them is welcome in the circle.

How do you prepare your heart before the Ceremony?

You prepare your heart for Cacao Ceremony intentions with a little quiet time before the circle. Sit down, breathe slowly and feel your body. Ask yourself what you long for and what feels heavy, then say thank you for the Cacao and for this moment. Gratitude softens the heart and makes the intention clear.

Here is a gentle way to prepare, at home or right before the circle:

1. Find a quiet place. A cushion, a chair by the window, a corner of your bedroom. It does not need to be special.
2. Breathe slowly. Let your out breath be long and soft, a little longer than your in breath.
3. Place one hand on your heart. Ask: what do I want to invite? Wait for the first word that comes.
4. Ask the second question: what am I ready to let go of? Again, take the first honest answer.
5. Say thank you. Thank the soil, the rain and the warm light that let the Cacao grow, and the farmers who cared for the trees.

Slow breathing is a big part of many Ceremonies. A study by Balban and colleagues (2023) found that 5 minutes a day of cyclic sighing for one month improved mood. Cyclic sighing is a double breath in, then a slow, full breath out.

The Cacao in your cup may help your heart too. When Fusar-Poli and colleagues (2022) looked at 9 studies together, they found that cocoa-rich products lifted mood for a short time. In a smaller trial by Shin and colleagues (2022), adults who ate a little very dark chocolate each day for three weeks felt fewer low moods.

If you guide the circle yourself, your own preparation matters even more. Your calm heart is the guiding light of the circle. People feel it before you say a single word.

What can you invite, and what can you let go of?

Cacao Ceremony intentions often come as a pair. You invite something into your life, and you let go of what stands in its way. If you invite love, you may let go of fear, and if you invite rest, you may let go of rushing. The two belong together.

In our training we teach this pair because it feels so natural. When you let something go, you make room. When you invite something, you fill that room with what you truly want.

A few pairs to inspire you:

• I invite love, and I let go of fear.
• I invite rest, and I let go of rushing.
• I invite courage, and I let go of the voice that says I am not enough.
• I invite joy, and I let go of old worries.
• I invite trust, and I let go of control.

Then comes a beautiful step. Feel your intention as if it were already here. How does love feel in your body when it is already part of your life? Stay with that feeling for a few breaths.

Many of our students speak of letting go of what no longer serves them, and of making space for something new. For them, this simple practice becomes a transformative journey, one cup at a time.

"Open hearts, create connections, release what's no longer needed and bring people close to nature again."

Katerina K., Czech Republic

How do you guide a circle to set their intentions?

You guide a circle to set Cacao Ceremony intentions after everyone holds a cup and before the first sip. Invite each person to choose one thing to invite and one thing to let go of. In a small group, people share out loud. In a big group, they share with a neighbor or whisper it softly into their cup.

Sharing out loud opens the circle in a deep way. When one person begins, the next one often finds her courage too. Your job is to hold the space, listen with love and make it feel safe.

Some people find it hard to speak in front of others. That is completely fine. Gently invite them to try, and always tell them it is just as fine to keep it in their heart.

You can use words like these:

• "Before we drink, we set an intention. Let's give the Cacao a message."
• "Think of one thing you want to invite tonight, and one thing you are ready to let go of."
• "If you like, share it with the circle. It is also fine to keep it to yourself."

Maybe you feel nervous about guiding this part. Many new facilitators do, and you are not alone.

"overcome the fear to not have the skills and strength to hold a safe space"

Sara F., Italy, Facilitator Certification

You do not need to be perfect. You need to be present. And if you feel called to do this for others, here is how to become a Cacao Ceremony facilitator.

The ritual of earth and sky

After the intentions, you can guide a short ritual that connects each person with the earth and the sky. In our training we teach it as part of our First Ceremony Script. It takes only a few minutes, and it gives the intention a home in the body and in the heart.

The ritual flows in three steps:

1. Earth. Everyone places the cup in front of them and lays their hands around it, palms facing the earth. Together you invite the strength and the rhythm of the earth into the cup. You thank the land the Cacao comes from.
2. Sky. Everyone holds the cup with both hands and lifts it above the head. Nobody needs to do anything. You simply open up and receive.
3. Heart. Everyone brings the cup back to the heart and thinks of the intention once more. Feel the earth below, the sky above and you, right in the middle.

Then you drink, slowly and with gratitude.

"To provide a safe, sacred space, for participants to connect with mother earth, father sky, and look within them selves to remove a limiting belief they may have and replace it with the unconditional love of the universe."

Jo-Elle F., Canada

This is why so many people come to us. About nine in ten of our students long to create a sacred space for others. About three in four also wish to open their own heart. The ritual of earth and sky gives both wishes a gentle shape.

Keep your intention alive after the last sip

An intention does not end when the cup is empty. It is a seed, and seeds need care. In our training we teach a few small ways to keep it alive.

Speak your intention three times, slowly, and feel it in your hands as you say it. Write it on a small piece of paper. Put it where you will see it every day, on your mirror, next to your bed or in your journal. Each time you see it, you remember why you chose it.

You can also come back to it with your next cup at home. Hold the warm cup, close your eyes and ask how your intention is growing. Some days you will feel a big change, and other days it is quiet. Both are part of the path.

"To lead cacao ceremonies with intention and creating a shared community space for people to connect and explore their inner wisdom and build love and confidence"

Alison P., Canada, Facilitator Certification

If you would like more ideas, our first, shorter guide How to set the right intention for a sacred Cacao Ceremony gives you six simple tips. And if you are new to all of this, start with what Cacao Ceremonies are.

Your heart already knows

Picture your next circle. The cups are warm, the candles are lit, and you ask the people you love one soft question: what would you like to invite tonight?

You do not have to know the perfect words. Your heart already knows. Listen to it, give it to your cup and let it grow, one gentle sip at a time.

If you feel called to guide others through this with love, our Cacao facilitator training walks every step with you. And if you would like to learn more about where Cacao comes from first, get our free eBook From Seed to Ceremony.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

1. Balban MY et al., Brief structured respiration practices enhance mood and reduce physiological arousal, 2023
2. Fusar-Poli L et al., The effect of cocoa-rich products on depression, anxiety, and mood: A systematic review and meta-analysis, 2022
3. Shin JH et al., Consumption of 85% cocoa dark chocolate improves mood in association with gut microbial changes in healthy adults: a randomized controlled trial, 2022