Bridging Family Differences with Cacao

When Keith Wilson, founder of Keith's Cacao and catalyst for the modern-day Ceremonial Cacao movement, was asked about the best way to share Cacao, he always said, "There is no right way to share Cacao, only your way." This doesn't just apply to "ceremony" but also to how we share Cacao at home with our family and kids.

For Ditte Lessner, wife and mother of three, sharing Ceremonial Cacao with her family came naturally since all family members were introduced to it at the same time. In 2019, a 7-month-long trip to Central America brought them to San Marcos la Laguna, Guatemala, home of Keith's Cacao. They were soon drawn to their very first Cacao Ceremony. The kids –then aged 4, 10, and 12– all joined in. Ditte recalls specifically the effect it had on her youngest, who went wild with the drumming journey that followed!

Returning home to Denmark with a sizeable stock of Keith's Cacao, Ditte integrated it into her ceremonial drum journey offerings. She began drinking Cacao daily after completing the Power of Cacao practitioner training course. As her personal connection with this plant spirit medicine deepened, it was only natural and inevitable for her to introduce it to her family.t into her ceremonial drum journey offerings.

Initially, she organized "family cacao ceremonies" for special occasions, such as saying goodbye to a family member before a trip or supporting someone facing a challenge. With her two oldest daughters now in their teens, Ditte is careful not to make these family meetings too much of a "Ditte Ceremony"! When her daughters were younger, she used to go all out with elaborate ceremonies, but she has had to tone down the ritualistic aspect now that they are teenagers. It took some effort for her to adjust her beliefs about ceremonies and to share with her family in a more relaxed manner.

There are days that she often invites the teenagers to sit and have a Cacao with her if they feel like it. The taste has definitely grown on her older daughter – now almost 17 and developing her own connection with this plant medicine and superfood. Ditte has been using Ceremonial Cacao with her older offspring as medicine to help her deal with the challenge and new demands of high school. This year, mother and daughter have also been healing from a knee operation and knee injury, respectively. Cacao comforts the youngster, just as it does the mother. Sometimes, the two pick out a goddess or angel card as they sip their Cacao together on the couch.

Ditte realizes Keith's Cacao has acted as a bridge between her and teenagehood! Setting the tone and holding the family together was easier when the kids were younger. As the two older ones drift away in their natural need to break away from their parents' definitions of them and explore their own identity, Ceremonial Cacao has helped maintain the connection between parents and kids. Ditte has her own way of doing things, and her husband does as well. The kids are seeking to find their own. And Mama Cacao is magically objective. She allows everyone to sit with her and have their own feelings, whether they come to it with a spiritual understanding or not. And it tastes so nice!

Ditte, who has her own story of doubling her iron deposits in half a year with Ceremonial Cacao, feels it is a brilliant supplement/medicine for teens. She has been using it to help her oldest daughter with her iron deficiency and to regulate her menstrual cycle.

The little one, who often sits in ceremony with the grown-ups, likes it best with lots of oat milk and cinnamon and sweetened with low-glycemic coconut palm sugar. While she doesn't drink it every day, she happily takes part in these family rituals. These "ceremonies" have been very powerful and essential for the family, allowing for much calmer conversations among its "fiery" members, keeping "explosions" at bay!

Ditte is no stranger to holding ceremonies for kids and teenagers. For the past 7 years, she has guided kids from kindergarten age to teens into drum journeys, mindfulness, and yoga nidra sessions in person and online. Last year, on New Year's Eve, she decided to try something different and hosted a Cacao Ceremony at her house. The one-and-a-half-hour event had 7 teenage participants who engaged in drum journeying. Initially, her daughters were unsure about what their friends would think, but everyone enjoyed the ceremony so much that they didn't want to leave!

Now, Ditte's older daughter has even started feeling confident enough to talk about Ceremonial Cacao to others, describing how Keith's Cacao is made and what her mother does with it in the ceremony! But Ditte remains mindful not to push any "spiritual agenda" and let go of expectations when sharing with her family. Recognizing Ceremonial Cacao as a bridge that holds them together, the family is now on a path to figuring out how Cacao can serve them in other ways as well.

Looking for inspiration on making delicious healthy treats for your precious family using our incredible Ceremonial Cacao? Visit our Recipes blog for some kid-friendly Cacao dainties.