A Gift from Our Heart to Yours.
With every sip of our ceremonial cacao, you are connecting to an ancient tradition of love, wisdom, and balance.
As a small but meaningful offering, we gift you these three sacred cacao beans. These are not ordinary beans, these seeds are a living prayer. A symbol of harmony between body, mind, and spirit.
Each bean is a tiny vessel of intention, a protector of ancestral memory, a carrier of ancient wisdom. Tucked gently into your cacao order, this gift carries the spirit of a tradition far older than us, rooted in reverence for the Earth, the cosmos, and the sacredness of life itself.
These three sacred beans are a reminder that you are part of something greater:
A web of connection that stretches from the soil beneath your feet to the stars above, from the heart of the earth to the heart of the sky, from the sacred fire ceremonies of the Maya to the quiet, heart-opening moments shared by cacao drinkers across the world.
👇🏼 You are invited to listen to this meditation recording to deepen your connection to these 3 Sacred Cacao Beans...💫
This gift comes from our hands, but more importantly, from our hearts.
The Sacred Symbolism of the 3 Beans
In Maya Cosmovision, these three beans represent the bridge between the earthly and the divine:
🌑 1.Xibalba (Underworld)
– The realm of ancestors and transformation
In Maya cosmology, Xibalba is the underworld, The Place of Fear, a realm with 9 layers beneath the Earth ruled by powerful death deities known as the Lords of Xibalba; Jun-Kame and Wuqub-Kame (It is important to note that these names are also days from the 260 Cholqij.)
The Popol Vuh (The Maya Creation Story) offers a vivid narrative of the Hero Twins, Hunahpu & Ixbalanque, who descended into Xibalba and faced numerous trials set forth by the underworld’s lords. Their story and challenges are a symbolic journey/metaphors for life’s struggles, teaching courage, wisdom, and resilience, reflecting themes of life, death, and rebirth, closely tied to the agricultural cycle, particularly the planting and harvesting of maize.
To the Maya, death isn’t final, it’s a transformative journey. Xibalba is a crucible where souls are purified, tested, and ultimately reborn The story of the Hero Twins, who face and overcome Xibalba’s trials in the Popol Vuh, exemplifies rebirth through courage and cleverness . There trials are not punishments, but gateways, a rite of passage into greater understanding and renewal . It mirrors the natural cycles the Maya honoured through rituals in caves and cenotes, seen as portals between Earth and the underworld.
🌍 2. Middle World (Earth)
– The place of the heart and daily path
In Maya cosmology, the Middle World is our Earth, the shared plane of human, animal, and plant life. It is the meeting place of the physical and sacred, where the rhythm of daily life intertwines with cosmic purpose.
Imagine life as the sturdy trunk of the Great Ceiba (World Tree), rooted in the transformational depths of Xibalba and reaching towards the heavens above. The Middle World is that trunk—our everyday experience, where our hearts beat, and our stories unfold . Here, the Earth breathes with us, its seasons, soil, and cycles are woven into our own lives. Every sunrise to sunset is sacred: through our work, our relationships, and even the simple act of self-care and self-love, we walk the path of our spiritual journey. The Maya understood this deeply: their daily rituals, like planting corn, marking time with calendars, building temples, were all acts of devotion that grounded them in cosmic meaning.
☀ 3. Upper World (Heavens)
– Divine inspiration, the unseen forces that guide us
Above us stretches the Upper World, the cosmic realm of Maya cosmology, home to our, celestial bodies, and divine energy. It spans thirteen layers, each reflecting the heavens’ omnipotent presence in our world reflected in the sacred count Cholcij Maya calendar.
The heavens are both a source of order and guidance: The Maya aligned temples, calendars, and rituals with celestial bodies, mapping life to the sky’s rhythm . Each of the thirteen layers represents a tier of cosmic influence, where stars, planets, and gods commune with earthly life, shaping agricultural cycles, spiritual insight, and the unfolding of time. In the sacred count of time the Cholcij Maya calendar the number 3 reflects to the home and obstructions
By Mark Elmy- Aji spiritual leader: "The number 3 represents heart and home. It symbolises the place of creation where the creator gods place three stones. These stones are three of the stars in the constellation we call Orion, Saiph, Rigel and Alnitak. Three is also connected to the wind god Q’uq Kumatz the feather serpent. The connection with the wind god may be the reason why three is a challenging number."
Linking all realms is the sacred Ceiba, the World Tree: a sacred tree to the Maya, with its branches stretching into the heavens, its trunk standing in our world, its roots rooted in Xibalba. This axis mundi reminds us: as we sip cacao, our spirits can expand upward, even while our bodies remain here on Earth.
What This Means for You & Your Three Sacred Beans
1. How the Underworld Relates to Your Cacao Ritual:
When you hold one of the three sacred beans representing Xibalba, you’re holding a symbol of inner transformation, a reminder that growth often begins in the fertile darkness. Just as the Maya did, you can honor this underworld energy by setting an intention to face what needs healing within you, with bravery, compassion, and heart.
2. How the Earth Relates to Your Cacao Ritual
When you hold the bean representing the Middle World, you’re embracing your power to live with conscious presence. You are:
Anchoring intention in the everyday, whether in self-care, work, or connection.
Honoring the sacred in the simple, from planting herbs to loving others, from cooking cacao to watching a sunset.
Walking a path of integration—bringing the wisdom of transformation and divine inspiration into your moment-to-moment life.
Consider holding this bean at dawn or dusk, moments of transition, to center your heart and remind yourself: this journey, your journey, is a sacred ritual in motion.
3. How the Heavens Relate to Your Sacred Cacao Beans
When you hold the bean that represents the Upper World, you’re invoking the celestial realms—opening to divine inspiration, cosmic clarity, and creative expansion.
Here’s how you might honor it:
Stargaze with intention: gaze up at the sky while holding the bean. Whisper a question or intention into the night.
Align with celestial time: use this bean during full or new moon rituals, solstices, or other astrological moments, invite cosmic insight.
Speak with the cosmos: include this bean in your cacao ceremony as a talisman of inspiration, ask it to guide you toward purpose, healing, or creative revelation.
In traditional Maya wedding ceremonies, three cacao beans are gifted as a sacred offering between partners, a symbol of union, abundance, and shared purpose. These 3 sacred beans serve more then just a tokens of love; they represent a deeper alignment of spirit, heart, and intention. Each partner offers the beans as a prayer for their life together, invoking harmony between the underworld (transformation), the earth (daily path), and the heavens (divine guidance).
Just like in ceremony, the three beans we offer you are an invitation to unite the different parts of your being, your shadow, your heart, and your soul’s highest vision, and to walk forward with love as your guide.
"Let these three sacred cacao beans be a reminder that you are always supported, guided, and deeply connected to the heartbeat of the earth. May these beans carry the intention of love, abundance, & transformation into your life." — Sharon Fernie
How You Can Use the 3 Sacred Cacao Beans
1. Set Your Intention
Hold each bean in your hand and breathe deeply. Feel their energy. Whisper your intentions aloud or silently, whether for healing, clarity, love, or growth. Let the beans become vessels carrying your heart’s deepest desires.
2. Place Them Mindfully
Follow the ancient Maya practice shared with me by a nana, a wise elder: place the three beans under your pillow before sleep. Invite the spirit of cacao to enter your dreams and reveal insights or visions connected to your intentions. Or place them on your alter, your center point of energy for ritual and ceremony
3. Ritual Moments
Use the beans during your cacao ceremony or meditation as a sacred talisman. Place them on your altar or hold them during moments of prayer, reflection, or connection.
4. Daily Reminders
Carry a bean with you, a touchstone to reconnect with your purpose throughout the day. Whenever you feel disconnected or distracted, hold the bean, breathe, and return to your heart’s center.
5. Share the Gift
Offer a bean to a loved one, friend, or fellow cacao drinker as a gesture of love and connection. Share the story of the three worlds and invite them to join you in this sacred journey.
Remember, the power of these beans grows with your intention and presence. They are a bridge between worlds, between you and the sacred, between heart and spirit. Treat them with love, respect, and gratitude, and they will guide you in beautiful ways.
✨ Cacao blessing
Whether you're a first-time cacao drinker or part of our returning family, we hope you enjoy this gift and encourage you to share its magic with others!
Thank you for being part of this journey. May your heart stay open, your spirit strong, and your path guided by the magic of cacao.
May the spirit of cacao awaken your heart,
opening you to love, wisdom, and peace.
May each sip be a sacred ceremony
a bridge between your body, mind, and spirit,
grounding you in the Earth’s gentle embrace,
and lifting you toward the light of the stars.
May these three sacred beans
carry the blessings of the Underworld, the Earth, and the Heavens
reminding you of your place in the great web of life.
May your path be illuminated with clarity,
your heart overflow with compassion,
and your spirit be nourished with ancient wisdom.
With gratitude for this sacred medicine,
we honor the journey of cacao from bean to cup
and the sacred connection it creates between us all.
Be the love. Share the love. Spread the love
With love,
Sharon & The Herbal Cacao Family
We created this page especially for you to deepen your connection with this gift. If this story or ritual speaks to you, pass it on or share it with someone you love.
