IxCacao, The Mayan Goddess of Chocolate
IxCacao (pronounced, Ish-kak-ow) is the Mayan Goddess of chocolate. For many of us, chocolate is one of our “naughtiest” pleasures. However, unbeknown to most, it can also be a powerful heart-opening tonic. Kuchina Lah Hallah Maria describes ixCacao as; “A Sacred Teacher Plant, embodiment aid and medicine of the Heart – she is a powerful and graceful cleaner that attunes us to the high vibrational frequencies of Bliss and Love, assisting us to remember [our true self]”. The prefix “Ix” is affectionately given to women, meaning “little one”. So, IxCacao simply means “little Cacao”. However, don’t let the name fool you – we all know that dynamite comes in small packages!
“A Sacred Teacher Plant, embodiment aid and medicine of the Heart” ~ Kuchina Lah Hallah Maria.
IxCacao was a much-beloved Goddess of the ancient Mayan people. Unlike the other gods and goddesses, she lived among the people, helping them to tend their crops. IxCacao taught them about all the good things in life, sharing her abundance and fertility freely and unconditionally. She was known to help people to find love and to make love. It was a peaceful, abundant time for the humans, who lived in blissful harmony with nature.
The Transformation into Currency
However, the world was evolving and the winds of change swept IxCacao up with them. A divine ordinance was decreed that IxCacao was to marry EkChuah, the god of trade and communication. The marriage was not a happy one – especially not for IxCacao. EkChuah did not understand the significance of her sacred gift. All he saw was how the Cacao beans could be used for trade. So, he took IxCacao’s medicine from her, plotting to use it to his benefit.
That is how cacao beans were transformed into currency. In the case of IxCacao’s beloved humans, money became the root of great evil. Once there was money, humans began to hoard cacao beans. This meant that, for the first time, society was split into rich and poor. Eventually, the rich saw themselves as gods. They commanded great temples to be erected to glorify their name. This immense work was carried out by the poor.
The Tragedy in Mayan society
The rich hoarded cacao beans in their temples. IxCacao tried to help them understand the powerful healing potential of her medicine. So, with the help of the other goddesses, she smuggled the recipe for her sacred cacao elixir into the temple. Unfortunately, her scheme did not play out as she had hoped. The rich people in the temples were so overcome by their self-serving ways. The cacao elixir had a powerful aphrodisiac effect on them. Rather than opening their hearts in love and gratitude, they planned hedonistic orgies in the temples.
Another tragic development in Mayan society was that the men of the temples deemed it necessary to appease the gods with blood sacrifice. Thus, they began to practice child sacrifice. This harrowing choice broke IxCacao’s heart. As a mother of the humans, she especially cherished the young ones. She could not change the decisions of these powerful men. She could not interfere in matters of human will. However, she was not entirely powerless. IxCacao made it her mission to comfort the children who were to be sacrificed. She sat by the children and consoled them. IxCacao walked beside the children at every step of their sacrificial journey, until their final moment arrived.
Our Beloved IxCacao
Eventually, IxCacao came to understand that she could no longer live amongst the humans, who had turned their backs on the sacredness of her medicine. She disappeared into the forest while Ekchuah usurped her place and was heralded as the patron of cacao. She was, however, not completely forgotten. Those who still followed the old ways remembered her and prophesied her return.
The Reawakening
IxCacao’s marriage to Ekchuah brought a lot of heartbreak and destruction with it. However, we are currently experiencing the reawakening of IxCacao. Worldwide, people are reconnecting to the sacredness of her medicine. Thousands of cacao ceremonies are being held all over the world. This mass awakening could not have occurred without IxCacao’s marriage to Ekchuah. Under his rule, trade and commerce boomed amongst the humans. International trade routes were developed. As a result, IxCacao’s medicine was exported to the four corners of the world.
IxCacao now resides amongst humans all over the world. Whether we are engaged in a sacred ceremony with IxCacao’s strong ceremonial cacao elixir, or simply enjoying a chocolate milkshake, IxCacao is there.
IxCacao waits for you. Take her hand and let her guide you towards your true self!
With Love
Georgie~ Magical Gem