Cacao and Heartfelt Intention Setting | Sacred Earth Community

Intention Setting is Conscious Creation

Here at Sacred Earth Medicine, we truly believe consciously creating a life you love is possible. And leaning into the powerful practice of intention setting (with cacao) is an amazing ally for making this a reality!

We all know life can feel full and busy, especially at this time of the year! We may find ourselves often on autopilot, simply going through the motions without much awareness or clear direction.

Intentions can help anchor us back into presence and reconnect us with our divine ability to co-create with life. Rather than feeling perpetually stuck in a seemingly never-ending list of chores or feeling like we have no agency over our life – we can consciously take control of our actions and what we focus on – with heartfelt intentions.

Coupling your deepest desires with cacao takes the alchemy of intention setting to a whole new level! Let’s explore in more depth…

So what is an intention?

“Intention is the starting point of a dream. It is the creative power that fulfills all of our needs, whether for money, relationships, spiritual awakening, or love.”
– Deepak Chopra.

Grounded in the present, intentions are a clear message to the Universe. Create what you truly desire and the direction in which you want your life to flow.

Aligned with your core values, they are an invitation to know thyself better, and support you to honour your deepest truths. They act as an anchor, reminding us of what we want and prompting us to course correct if and when necessary.

Intentions can foster a deep sense of trust, and cultivate more connection to our intuition. They inspire us to take radical responsibility for our life experiences. Instead ofplaying the blame game and looking at external factors only as to why we find ourselves where we do. Particularly if it's not where we want to be!

They encourage us to listen deeply and take well considered action. Their focus is connected with not only what we want to do, but also how we want to feel.

It's important to note that intentions aren’t passive!

We don’t just set an intention and then trust (though that’s part of it!) that it will all come to easeful fruition without any action on our part. We still need to take practical and actionable steps in the 3D realm to support our intentions to manifest.

“You are what your deepest desire is. As your desire is, so is your intention. As your intention is, so is your will. As your will is, so is your deed. As your deed is, so is your destiny.”
– From the Sanskrit Scripture, Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4.4.5

What’s the difference between a goal and an intention?

Goals are specific, measurable objectives that provide direction and structure to our actions, while intentions are the underlying purpose and motivation behind those actions. (1)

Goals are generally future focused and aligned with doing energy, while intentions are fluid, can begin now and are focused more on being energy.

Unlike goals - which are often specific and target-driven—intentions are rooted in our deepest desires and values, shaping the quality of our experiences rather than just the outcomes. (2)

In a nutshell, goals are the destination, and heartfelt intentions support how you're going to get there.

New Year’s resolutions vs Heartfelt Intentions

New Year's resolutions tend to come from the thinking mind and ego, rather than the heart and the feeling body. They can be fraught with unrealistic idealism, and if we’re not careful, may not even be our own. The over culture can be very persuasive!

They might be steeped in an energy of expectation and achievement, and if not grounded with your values and anchored with how you want to feel, often fizzle out after short period of time. This process can leave you feeling quite disheartened, despondent and like you’ve failed in some way.

Intentions, on the other hand, are heart led, value oriented and anchored in the feeling body – which makes for a whole different experience!

Getting clear on your Intentions

So how do we gain clarity on our intentions?

A good place to start is knowing your core values – what you stand for, what matters and what is most important to you. These values ideally guide how you show up in the world - your behaviours, decisions, and actions.

Reflection is also a key part of the process. This can be done through journaling, meditation or time spent in nature – and will help narrow down what matters to you most, your core desired feelings, and how you aspire to live your life.

Intention Setting 101

Weaving meaning and mindfulness in to your intentions will result in a life that is fulfilled, and overflows with feelings of contentment and connection.

It's not a linear process, but ever evolving and fluid as we continue to check in with whether our intentions are still feeling aligned. Just as we grow and change, so to do our intentions.

Here are a few things important to consider when setting heartfelt intentions.

Be Clear in What You Desire - Ambiguity in intentions leads to unclear results. As a powerful manifestor, clarity ensures you attract what you truly want, not what you don’t!
Simplicity is Key – Don’t get too wordy with your intentions. You want the Universe to understand you. Plus you run the risk of forgetting it, unless it’s short and sweet!
Language is Powerful - How you frame your intentions and the actual words you use matter – so keep it in the positive.
Regular Repetition – stick them on the fridge or somewhere you will see them daily, write them in your journal, whisper or speak them aloud frequently – the key is here to repeat them often to allow them to infuse into your very being.
Take Action – to support your intentions coming into being may require some changes in your daily routine, habits or choices.
Don’t Give Up – change rarely happens overnight, so cultivate patience and persevere, particularly when you feel like giving up as things can take time to manifest!
Revisit and Reflect – check in regularly with yourself to feel if you are still aligned with your intentions. As we’ve shared, intentions are fluid and can change as needed. (2)

How can Cacao enhance Intention Setting?

We’ve explored the myriad of incredible benefits cacao offers us in previous journals – from opening the heart and connecting us to a deeper part of ourselves, to honing our focus and moving us into more of a flow state – all incredibly supportive for intention creation!

The gifts of cacao are multifaceted, and they amazingly tend to morph and adapt into exactly what we are needing at the time! As a potent plant medicine – cacao opens us up and creates the perfect conditions for crafting our intentions. As we whisper them into our cacao, they are then magically imbued into our body as we drink.

So marrying clear intentions with cacao creates a potent fusion, as we literally consume what we want to call in!

Cacao and Intention setting – a simple practice

Set aside some time in the morning for this simple ritual, the earlier the better as your mind will be clearer.

Brew your cacao in the way you love. Cover it with a lid, to keep it warm.
If you can, take yourself and your mug of cacao outside and bring your feet into connection with the Earth, feeling her support. If this is not possible, sense or imagine your connection with Gaia through the floor beneath you.
Take a few minutes, or longer, for some deep breaths to deeply ground and centre yourself.
When your mind is clear, take a few sips of your cacao. Allow its magic to begin to open your heart and focus your awareness.
Now begin to feel into what you desire to call in to your day – and listen deeply to the voice of your intuition, trusting what comes through.
Once you have some clarity, create 1 or 2 simple positive statements to express your intentions.
You can then whisper them into what is left of your cacao. Drink them in and allowing them to permeate your whole being.
Give thanks to the spirit of the cacao and move out into your day.
Remember to revisit and repeat your intentions throughout the day.

Other ways to co-create with the Universe and Cacao

Weave intention setting with cacao into a New Moon ceremony – the time of new beginnings each month
Align intention setting to the Wheel of the Year - for example taking time at the beginning of Spring to get clear on your desires for the coming growth cycle etc.
Bring intention setting into your life when you are seeking clarity around a situation, and/or some clear direction

As we’ve shared, intentions are a sacred way to approach each day – and weaving them into all aspects of life allows you to live with intentionality, and brings purpose and meaning into your life.

Do you use intentions in your life, and do you have a special way you weave them in? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so let us know in the comments.