The path climbed steeply into the cloud forest of Alta Verapaz, winding uphill through dense green foliage until every step began to feel like a small pilgrimage. The forest was loud with life, the rustle of leaves, the hum of insects, the soft calls of birds hidden somewhere in the canopy. Each breath I took was rich with the scent of fertile earth and living wood, and I remember thinking how deeply, undeniably alive this land is.
I had come to walk the sacred lands of Mr. Caal, an Indigenous Maya cacao farmer whose connection to the earth left a lasting imprint on my heart. And it was here, standing among his flourishing cacao trees, that I was introduced to another tree, one that looked different yet felt just as sacred. Mr. Caal pointed to her and smiled. That, he told me, is Pom. Also known as copal. In that moment I met the quiet guardian who grows beside cacao, and my understanding of ceremonial cacao was never quite the same again.
A note from me, before we begin
My name is Sharon Fernie, and I am the founder of Herbal Cacao, a brand devoted to high quality ceremonial cacao blends and the holistic wisdom carried by sacred plants. My path is guided by a deep love for holistic wellness and ancient traditions, and by a belief that the plants we call medicine are also teachers, allies, and companions on the journey of self and spiritual discovery.
So much of what I know about cacao I have learned not from books but from the farmers who tend her, on the land, with their hands in the soil. This story of copal is one of those lessons. I am not here to teach it to you as an expert. I am here to share it with you, the way it was shared with me, sip by sip and breath by breath, so that a little of that cloud forest wisdom can travel into your own home.
Meet Copal, the Sacred Breath of the Maya Forest
Copal is the fragrant resin of certain trees native to Mexico and Central America. In the Maya world she is known as pom, and the word copal itself comes from the Nahuatl copalli, meaning incense. In the lands where our cacao grows, the classic copal tree is Protium copal, a relative of frankincense and myrrh, though several trees across the region give resins that carry this same name and role.
There is something quietly poetic about copal herself. She is resin caught in the middle of a very long journey, hardened only partway along the path from soft sap to amber. In a sense, the copal you burn is young amber, a keeper of time still becoming itself. You will meet her in different hues, too. Some copal is golden and amber-toned, while the pale, milky-white resin is often treasured as the finest for ceremony, prized for the clean sweetness of her smoke.
The resin is harvested gently from the tree, then dried and burned. When she meets the flame, copal releases a pale, sweet, resinous smoke that has been part of Mesoamerican ceremony for thousands of years. For the Maya, this smoke is not decoration. It is prayer made visible.
The smoke that carries prayers
Later that day, as we sat beneath the shade of his trees, Mr. Caal spoke of copal with such reverence that I found myself leaning in to catch every word. It is the sacred breath, he said. It cleanses the space, the people, the energy. Without it, a ceremony is incomplete.
In Maya tradition, the smoke of burning copal is understood to cleanse and purify. It clears away heavy energy, blesses a space and the people within it, and creates a bridge between the physical world and the divine. The rising smoke is said to carry prayers upward, drifting into the heavens like a soft messenger. This is shared spiritual practice, held and passed down through generations, and I offer it to you in that same spirit, as living tradition rather than as any promise of a particular outcome.
And it is a living tradition still. To this day, in the highlands of Guatemala, copal smoke rises in the churches and on the sacred hills of towns like Chichicastenango, an unbroken thread reaching back thousands of years. When Mr. Caal lit his copal, he was not reenacting something from the past. He was continuing it.
Why Copal Grows Beside Cacao
What moved me most was not only how copal is used in ceremony, but where she was growing. She stood right there among the cacao, planted intentionally into the grove. Mr. Caal explained that this is an ancient practice of balance and harmony. Planting copal among cacao, he said, helps protect the trees and keep the whole grove in good health.
Cacao has always been a forest child. She does not like to stand alone in the full glare of the sun. In her healthiest, most traditional form she grows beneath a canopy of taller companions, in what farmers and agronomists call an agroforestry system, a living weave of many species rather than a single crop marching in rows. The taller trees offer shade and shelter, they drop their leaves to feed the soil, they invite birds and insects and fungi, and together they create the cool, humid, quietly buzzing world that cacao loves.
Standing in that clearing, I could feel the truth of his words even before I understood the science of them. The land itself seemed to pulse with vitality. Everywhere I looked the cacao trees stood tall and vibrant, their leaves shimmering in the dappled light. Whether we speak of it as tradition or as ecology, the message was the same. When cacao is grown in relationship, held by her companions rather than isolated from them, she thrives.
A relationship, not a resource
For the Maya, there is no separation between the earth and the divine. Every action, from planting a tree to harvesting a pod, is infused with intention and respect for the sacred. Copal is honored both as a spiritual ally and as a member of the farm community, a tree that gives her resin to ceremony and her presence to the grove. I marveled at how effortlessly Mr. Caal blended practical farming with spiritual reverence, a balance so often lost in our modern world. Here, tending the soil and tending the spirit were simply the same act, seen from two sides.
What This Means for the Cacao in Your Cup
When cacao is grown this way, in a diverse and cared for forest garden rather than a stripped and sprayed monoculture, you can taste and feel the difference. The trees are healthier, the soil is richer, and the whole ecosystem is more resilient. This is the kind of cacao we seek out at Herbal Cacao, grown in living relationship with the land and the people who tend her. It is also why we give back at the source, including our work to donate baby cacao trees to the Maya lands that offer us so much. If you would like to wander deeper into where our cacao comes from, I have written more about it in our journal on the clean, rainforest grown cacao of Alta Verapaz, and on the difference between our three cacao origins and the lands that shape their spirit.
A Simple Cacao and Copal Ritual for Your Home
You do not need to travel to a cloud forest to invite a little of this wisdom into your day. Here is a gentle ritual you can hold with a cup of ceremonial cacao and, if you feel called, a small piece of copal resin. Move slowly and let it feel like a pause, not a performance. (If you are new to preparing ceremonial cacao, our full guide on how to use ceremonial cacao walks you through it step by step.)
1. Prepare your space. Choose a quiet corner. Tidy it a little, light a candle, and set down anything that feels sacred to you.
2. Light the copal, if you have her. Place a small piece of copal resin on a lit charcoal disc in a heatproof bowl, or use a copal incense stick. Open a window so the air can move, and let the smoke drift gently around you and your space as a soft cleansing.
3. Prepare your cacao. Warm your ceremonial cacao with water or your milk of choice, whisk until smooth, and hold the cup in both hands. Feel her warmth travel into your palms.
4. Set an intention. Take a slow breath. Speak or silently offer one simple intention for your day or your heart. Imagine the rising copal smoke carrying it gently upward.
5. Sip slowly. Drink your cacao without rushing. Let this be a few minutes that belong only to you, the plant, and the quiet.
A note of care. Copal smoke is fragrant and can be strong, so always burn her in a well ventilated space and never leave burning charcoal or incense unattended. Let your comfort be your guide.
A Closing Reflection
As I made my way back down that steep path in the fading light, I carried more than the memory of Mr. Caal and his thriving farm. I carried a renewed sense of awe for the intricate balance of life, and for the deep wisdom that comes from truly living in harmony with the earth. If you would like to carry a little of that same wisdom into your daily rhythm, I have gathered some of it in Maya wisdom to guide your days.
Now, every time I prepare a cup of ceremonial cacao, I think of the sacred copal tree standing watch over the cacao groves. I remember the cleansing drift of her smoke and the prayers it carries, and I feel grateful, grateful to have walked that sacred land, and grateful to bring a small piece of that connection to you. May we all remember the wisdom of the earth, and the sacredness of every step we take upon her.
With love,
Sharon
Frequently Asked Questions
What is copal?
Copal is a fragrant tree resin from Mexico and Central America, known to the Maya as pom. When burned, she releases an aromatic smoke that has been used in Mesoamerican ceremony for thousands of years as a way to cleanse a space, bless the people within it, and carry prayers.
Why do the Maya plant copal alongside cacao?
Traditionally, cacao is grown beneath a canopy of companion trees rather than alone in the sun. Farmers like Mr. Caal describe planting copal among cacao as a practice of balance and harmony that helps protect the grove and keep the whole living system healthy, offering shade, shelter, and richer soil, while also giving her sacred resin to ceremony.
How do I use copal with ceremonial cacao?
Many people like to burn a little copal resin or incense before or during a cacao ritual, letting the smoke gently cleanse the space while they prepare and sip their cacao. Always burn copal in a well ventilated room and never leave her unattended.
Do I have to use copal to enjoy ceremonial cacao?
Not at all. Copal is a beautiful companion, but she is an invitation, not a requirement. Your cacao ritual is complete with nothing more than a warm cup, a quiet moment, and your own presence.
Where does copal come from?
The copal traditionally used in the Maya lands comes largely from Protium copal, a tree related to frankincense and myrrh, though several trees across Mexico and Central America produce resins that share the name copal and a similar ceremonial role.
***The spiritual meanings of copal smoke are shared Maya tradition, and the farming benefits of growing cacao under companion trees reflect traditional agroforestry practice and Mr. Caal's own lived stewardship. Nothing here is intended as a medical claim.
