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In our latest journal, Sjhara is inspired to finally share her thoughts and experience after more than 14 years of working deeply with Cacao on whether it is masculine or feminine in nature. Read on!
Since 2011, the early days of my personal journey of working directly with cacao, I was intuitively guided to work deeply with the feminine aspect of cacao, always calling upon IxCacao, the Mayan chocolate Goddess. I recognised her as the Cacao Deva, or the spirit of cacao. I shared this in all my ceremonies, facilitating both massive and intimate ceremonies around the world, teaching people how to work with Cacao as a plant medicine.
Back then, the people I offered ceremonies to, had never heard of cacao ceremony, let alone participated in one. I would create sacred space, invoke the Deva as IxCacao and, as they imbibed their Ceremonial Cacao, guide them to connect with her, in her feminine aspect. Given my personal commitment to the Goddess and to healing the feminine, this was a deeply inspiring part of my work.
It was a great honour to play such a pivotal role in planting the seeds of growth for cacao ceremony in Australia and overseas. But I feel I overlooked something massive and incredible. I now humbly share this journal with you, so you too can gain a bigger perspective…
In many traditions, the Spirit of Cacao is often referred to as a Goddess or described as feminine. As a loving and nurturing grandmother or mother figure, offering guidance through the heart.
However, in Spanish, cacao is referred to as "el cacao", making it masculine in grammatical form. This might reflect its strength and presence as a sacred plant, a warrior’s drink, and a transformational force.
So, which is it? Masculine or feminine? Or is it both?
Perhaps this paradox reveals cacao’s true nature: a balance of feminine yin and masculine yang, embodying both action and receptivity, strength and surrender, fire and water. Let’s dive deeper…
Looking at cacao’s biology, we find yet another reflection of this dual nature.
Hermaphroditic Flowers: Cacao trees produce small, delicate flowers that contain both male and female reproductive parts. However, these flowers are mostly self-incompatible, meaning they require pollination from another tree to bear fruit. This mirrors cacao’s balance between independence and interdependence—just as it embodies both a masculine / yang dynamic energy and a feminine / yin openness to connection.
Pollination & Surrender (Yin): Unlike many plants pollinated by wind or bees, cacao flowers rely on tiny midges for pollination. These insects are slow, unpredictable, and often inefficient, making the process delicate and uncertain. This speaks to a yin energy of patience, surrender, and the unseen forces at play.
Fruit & Manifestation (Yang): Once pollination occurs, the tree produces large, vibrant cacao pods, filled with seeds surrounded by a sweet, nourishing pulp. This is yang energy in action—abundance, outward manifestation, and the transformation of potential into form.
In Mayan mythology, cacao holds a sacred place as a gift from the gods. But it also offers a sacred key as the balance between masculine and feminine forces. There is both a God and a Goddess of Cacao! We have previously shared about IxCacao (or Ixcacao), the goddess of abundance, fertility, and the earth’s generosity. She is the nurturing feminine who brings cacao as a heart medicine and a bridge to the spirit realm. But there is also a Cacao God; introducing- Ek Chuah, revered as the God of Commerce and Cacao! Ek Chuah is represented as a dark-skinned god residing over agriculture, wealth and trade. He is the guardian of warriors, merchants, and sacred exchange. He represents the structured, purposeful masculine energy, ensuring cacao’s journey through the physical world. Together, they embody cacao’s full spectrum: structure and flow, action and receptivity, grounding and transcendence. In honouring both, we remember that cacao is a living prayer for harmony between all aspects of our being.
Cacao has long been considered a powerful, activating force. It sharpens focus, awakens creativity, and fuels momentum. The ancient Maya and Aztecs recognized this quality, consuming cacao before battle to enhance endurance and clarity. This is yang energy in action—the outward, fiery movement that drives manifestation and inspired work.
On a more subtle level, cacao’s masculine energy is also about courage. It opens the heart, but not just for gentle reflection—it invites us to step forward with boldness, to face truth, and to lead with authenticity. It is an ally for those seeking clarity, strength, and direction and its energy focuses primarily on:
At the same time, cacao also holds a deeply nurturing and intuitive presence. Some traditions recognize its spirit as a mother or grandmother—a wise and loving guide that softens the heart and encourages deep emotional flow. Its gentle, grounding effect allows us to slow down, listen inward, and surrender to the intuitive wisdom of the body and dreams.
Cacao works like water, dissolving the barriers we place around our emotions. It is not a forceful teacher, but rather one that invites us to feel—to hold ourselves in compassion, to rest, to connect with the unseen. This is yin energy: fluid, receptive, and deeply nourishing. It focuses primarily on:
So, clearly it is no longer a question of which is it - Masculine or feminine? Remarkably, it is both!
Cacao is a plant of balance, both biologically and energetically. Its flowers are both male and female, yet they need connection to create life. Its process of growth requires both surrender and transformation. This fascinating plant carries both masculine (yang) and feminine (yin) energies. Understanding these dual aspects can deepen your relationship with it—whether in ceremony, dreamwork, or daily life. Just as cacao nurtures both heart and mind, it also bridges the balance between these feminine and masculine polarities.
So when working with cacao, notice whether you are engaging with its masculine (active, focused, fiery) or feminine (receptive, intuitive, nurturing) presence. Or, allow both to merge, finding harmony between movement and stillness, creation and receptivity, action and surrender.
If you tend to always work with cacao in the same way, I encourage you to experiment. Try consciously engaging with it in different ways - unless of course you are intentionally working with it to address an energy imbalance within yourself.
To work with both energies, the next time you need to take some kind of action, make a decision to move forward in some way etc, drink your cacao and sit in meditation to firstly receive guidance (feminine way). Ask your inner guidance, is there anything I need to know or understand first before I…. (take action/make my decision etc)?
I truly believe one of the key reasons that cacao has risen to become the primary plant medicine of these times is because it facilitates this inner masculine and feminine balance.
Through Cacao, we are invited to embody a masculine feminine harmony within ourselves. And the more we consciously work with cacao, the more it supports us to create our own sacred union within.
What are your feelings and experiences when it comes to exploring the different energies of Cacao? We’d love to hear your thoughts, so do let us know in the comments.
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