The Spirit of Cacao: Communing with the Food of the Gods & Honoring Indigenous Traditions with Florencia Fridman

I can’t wait for you to take in the rich, chocolatey nourishment from today’s guest, self-empowerment artist, and cacao ceremony facilitator, Florencia Fridman. 

Florencia fed her lifelong passion and divine connection to cacao (the purest form of chocolate) by studying its metaphysical properties and ritual practices in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala. She started her conscious brand, Cacao Laboratory, in 2016. Despite the recent commercialization of the plant, Florencia’s mission has always been rooted in reverence to its indigenous history and its power as a heart-opening portal to the spiritual realm. We talk about cacao’s components in great depth and I encourage listeners to watch her enthralling documentary, Cacao: Food of the Gods, as well as follow her guidance on how to sit with the medicine – which she generously shares in this episode. 

Like myself, Florencia connects to her higher self through direct reciprocity to Mother Earth’s land and creatures. She asks what the land needs and communes with indigenous tribes to ensure her work creates a conscious, circular economy that goes back to the communities, teachers, and environment from which these marvelous medicines and rituals come. Stay tuned to hear about the foundations and collectives you can support should you feel called to do so. 

The Ceremonial Offering

During this beautiful blessing, we invite you to take a drink of water, tea, or cacao, and find a sacred pose as we show gratitude for the elements earth, fire, wind, and air, and connect these energies to our essence. 

We talk about:

  • Spiritual and rebirthing breathwork practice 

  • Exploring your inner terrain, Mayan cosmovision, and land offerings

  • Working with the spirit of cacao and connecting with other elders and leaders in the field

  • Surrendering to the medicine and teachings from Mother Earth

  • The Dream World, as taught by the Sapara Nation

  • Ways to support Indigenous communities

  • Mayan Cosmovision

  • Dos and Don'ts of Cacao Ceremony

For those that feel called to meet their power animal, you will receive a video-guided, shamanic journey to activate your animal’s message when you pre-order your copy of Animal Power: 100 Animals to Energize Your Life and Awaken Your Soul here.

Resources:

Guest Bio:

Florencia Fridman is the co-founder of Cacao Lab, a ceremonial cacao brand aiming to bridge the gap between modern culture and indigenous communities.

In 2016, Florencia visited Lake Atitlan, Guatemala to study metaphysical practices. Here, she had a transformational experience at a cacao ceremony. She studied under Tz'utujil Mayan elder, Nana Marina Cruz from Guatemala and Manari Ushigua from the Sapara Nation of Ecuador. She has been working with rebirthing (a breathing modality) since the age of eight with the guidance of her mother and Leonard Or.

Florencia graduated from Laughing Lotus Yoga Center in 2013 and traveled internationally, sharing her passion for theobroma cacao through education and ceremony.


Alyson Charles