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In the evolving landscape of parenthood, the role of fathers is being reimagined. More than ever before, fathers are being called not just to provide, but also to attune and be emotionally present. Ancient plant allies like cacao are emerging as powerful tools for fathers. Revered for centuries as the food of the gods, cacao offers far more than a moment of pleasure, it is a gentle yet profound ally in the journey of conscious fatherhood.
To explore this further we spoke with Shaa Taylor, co-founder of SEM, about how ceremonial cacao has shaped his path as a man, partner, business owner and father…
My first experience of ceremonial cacao was with Keith, the ‘chocolate shaman’, in Guatemala. Before I went to his ceremony, I was super sceptical! A shaman using chocolate, are you serious? But the experience was profound - what we received was a rich, almost 100% cacao drink, and it tasted delicious! It opened my heart and allowed me to travel into other realms.
It was a gentle, beautiful and blissful experience. The chocolate shaman spoke of cacao as a forgotten plant medicine. Unlike other plant medicines, cacao doesn't blow your consciousness through the roof, it’s much more of a gentle, creative journey. As Keith said, “It takes you to the Gateway, but it doesn’t push you through, you have to take that step.” That’s stayed with me ever since,
Ceremonial Cacao has the incredible ability to open my heart and bring me quite rapidly into a place of presence and stillness. From this place, I’m more able to meet whatever is arising within me. What's so magical is how quickly I can calm my mind. Cacao brings me into state in a way that I haven't found in any of the other practices I do.
This has been especially powerful in the past six months with both of my parents passing. It's been a highly emotional time, and there have been days when I didn’t want to face the world or get out of bed. But my daily practice with cacao assisted me to really feel the truth of my experience, be present with it and move through it.. I can meet myself and all that I'm feeling with compassion. And then meet the challenges of the day.
Cacao has a stimulatory effect on the cardiovascular system, opening the blood vessels, to give an energy boost. I find it's much more of a sustained energetic boost than coffee, which spikes and crashes and multiple cups a day may be needed. I can have one cacao, and it keeps me going all day.
For me, my vitality is directly linked to my mental state. As I shared already, cacao helps to bring me into a state of presence and heart opening, which frees up my energy, enabling me to get things done.
The heart-opening properties of cacao allow me to connect much more deeply to myself, and to others. The cumulative effect of regularly drinking cacao with my meditation practice, is that it supports me to focus, clear my mind and move through emotional blockages. This means I can be centred and present. I have a much greater ability to simply be in the present moment with other people if all that other stuff isn’t going on in my head. And when I am present, connection comes naturally.
Yes 100%! One of the things cacao does powerfully is stimulate brain chemicals that assist in focus. My mind may be all over the place, but once I’ve had a ceremonial cacao, I can hone in on a task. Cacao quickly drops me into a space of inner stillness and enables me to focus for longer periods and with less effort. It deepens my meditation practice as my mind can be quiet for longer. This helps me to access flow state, allowing ideas to come through and my creative juices to flow.
Cacao has guided me in so many ways. I started drinking it in 2010, and we started importing it in 2011. It has been super supportive over the years.
Whenever we have SEM challenges or big business decisions to make, the first thing we do is a Cacao Ceremony to consult the Cacao Deva and receive her wisdom and guidance. So ceremonial cacao totally helps me navigate business challenges.
On a more personal level, as I shared earlier, cacao has been my go-to these last six months as I've supported and cared for my parents, who have both now sadly passed. Regularly driving the 9 hours south to see them, caring for them, holding space for them and myself through this time, well, I truly don't know what I would have done without cacao. It’s been a god-send!
Before I use cacao as a tool to direct my masculine energy, I first connect to cacao’s feminine qualities. From this open hearted space of receptivity, I can connect more deeply with my Sacred Masculine, to take action in the world from a place of clarity, presence and focus.
Acting from a place of stillness just makes everything work better. I am more decisive, on the ball and can see the day's challenges from a different viewpoint. It helps me discern what’s important, what takes priority and where to focus my energy. In that respect, cacao really should be a tool used by managers and leaders.
Cacao unites both masculine and feminine. It’s a tantric plant medicine, carrying the balance of feminine receptivity and masculine action. (For a deeper dive, we have a great reod on the masculine and feminine balance of cacao)
Cacao’s heart-opening energy helps me cultivate a more playful, present way of fathering. Amidst the myriad of responsibilities that is supporting a family, my daily cacao ritual anchors me in awareness and connection. This allows me to meet parenting challenges with a clear and balanced mind.
In this way, I can model something meaningful for my son, not through my words, but through my actions and the way I live.
Bringing deliberate awareness into parenting and life is essential. Cacao helps me access the sacred masculine within, a rare quality in today’s world. By responding from the heart, rather than old patterns of distorted masculinity, I offer him a different example.
For me, cacao offers profound support in parenting, reminding me to honour my humanity and accept that perfection isn’t the goal, presence is. And as a father, that presence is the most important gift I can give my son.
In the evolving landscape of parenthood, the role of fathers is being reimagined. More than ever before, fathers are being called not just to provide, but also to attune and be emotionally present. Ancient plant allies like cacao are emerging as powerful tools. To explore this further we spoke with Shaa Taylor, co-founder of SEM.
Today, more and more men are forming their own connection to cacao and rediscovering cacao as a powerful ally for strength, resilience and connection…
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