The Beginner's Guide to Cacao: The Sacred Plant for Healing, Connection and Transformation

The Beginner's Guide to Cacao is a practical guide to ceremonial cacao, written by Éanna Healy of Revival Harmony in Limerick. It covers where cacao comes from, what's in it, how to choose a good one and make your first cup, and how to work with it in ceremony, meditation and sound healing.

Éanna drinks cacao every morning and holds cacao ceremonies with his sound baths at Revival Harmony. This book is what he has learned from both, written for anyone starting out.

What's inside

• 26 chapters in four parts: The Sacred Plant, The Practice, The Inner Journey and Living with Cacao
• The history of cacao, from the Maya and the Aztecs to today, and the science of what's in your cup
• The difference between cacao and chocolate, and how to choose good ceremonial cacao
• How to prepare it, with herbs and spices, a dosage guide, and a recipe collection that includes Éanna's own ceremonial blend
• What a cacao ceremony is, how to set an intention, create your own ritual and hold space for a group
• Cacao with sound healing, energy work, shadow work and dream work
• Guided meditations, answers to common questions, a practice log and pages for your own notes

Who it's for

Anyone curious about cacao. You might never have tried it, or you might drink it already and want to go deeper. It's easy to dip into: start with Part I to meet the plant, go straight to Part II to make your first cup, or turn to Part III to bring cacao into your practice.

From the book

Cacao is more than just a drink - it is a sacred ally, a heart-opening teacher, and a guide to deeper connection, both within ourselves and with the world around us.

For me, cacao is not just something I enjoy occasionally; it is part of my daily practice. Every morning, I drink cacao with intention, allowing it to bring clarity, presence, and a sense of grounding. But beyond personal practice, I have witnessed cacao's power in group settings, in healing spaces, and in sound baths at Revival Harmony, where I hold cacao ceremonies several times a week.

I have led countless sound baths, some with cacao and some without, and I can say with certainty: cacao changes the experience in ways that nothing else does. The shifts in energy, the depth of emotional release, the way people open up and surrender to the sound, cacao amplifies it all. It softens resistance, deepens the journey, and allows for a level of presence that is truly profound.

…

Cacao is not a shortcut to healing, nor is it a magic pill, but it is a powerful tool that can support transformation, if used with intention and respect.

A note from Éanna

"Cacao has deeply impacted my life, and my aim with this guide is to share not only the knowledge I've gained but also the meaningful experiences that cacao has brought into my world. It's more than just a plant - it's a journey into greater connection, self-awareness, and harmony."

Éanna holds sound baths, gong baths and cacao ceremonies at Revival Harmony, and teaches practitioners. His training includes a Diploma in Sound Medicine, shamanic practitioner training, and two Gong Master trainings, including an advanced course.

Pair it with

The cacao Éanna writes about is in the shop too: Nibbed Cacao, which he drinks every day, and his Ceremonial Cacao from Guatemala, which he uses in ceremony.

Details

• Author: Éanna Healy
• Format: Paperback, 6 x 9 inches, 230 pages
• 26 chapters in four parts, including recipes and guided meditations, plus a practice log and notes pages
• First published: 15 March 2025
• ISBN: 979-8314134320
• Language: English
• Posted from our studio in Limerick, Ireland

Best read with a cup in your hands.