My Journey with Cacao
Walking the Path of the Heart with Mama Cacao
My own healing journey has led me to work with many modalities and sacred plants, each one arriving at just the right time, in the right way, and in the right dose. And so it was with Cacao.
The first time I was made aware of Cacao as a plant medicine, I was intrigued. There was a softness to it. A whisper. A sweet, gentle tug at my heart. For a long time, Cacao simply lingered in the background of my life, calling quietly. But her call grew louder, more rhythmic, until I could no longer ignore it and followed the call.
The first time Cacao touched my lips I experienced a sense of homecoming. Of deep, cellular familiarity. The taste was earthy and stirred something ancient in me. I believe that once you ingest this medicine with intention, it stays alive within you. The Spirit of ixCacao becomes a living ally — one that must be nurtured, respected, and loved like any sacred relationship.
My First Initiation – Cape Cacao Level 1 Training
I enrolled in the Cape Cacao Level 1 Practitioner Training with Fran Siebrits in 2023. This first training was about learning to hold ceremony for oneself, to build a relationship with the spirit of Cacao, and to integrate it into everyday life.
I’ll never forget the first time I made my own cup of ceremonial-grade Cacao. I was instructed to sing my prayers into the cup as I stirred – a sacred ingredient I’d never used in this way before. This act, of opening my voice to song and allowing something beyond me to come through, awakened something ancient and alive within me. It was unfamiliar but deeply resonant.
Level 1 also focused on Cacao’s physical and energetic properties:
- A rich source of magnesium, iron, and trace minerals
- Contains theobromine, a gentle stimulant and heart opener
- Activates anandamide, the “bliss molecule”
- A vasodilator that increases blood flow and circulation
- Psychoactive but not psychedelic – it grounds rather than alters
- And many more benefits you can read about here
Cacao opens the heart to deeper knowing while keeping you rooted in your body. It’s a medicine of presence and gentle awakening.
Cacao is also a beautiful addition to other healing practices — such as breathwork, movement, meditation, fire ceremonies, or water rituals. It is like an elixir that flows in the spaces between practices, helping them weave together, deepen, and integrate.
A Daily Ally
Over time, Cacao became part of my daily rhythm — a plant ally I leaned into for nourishment, ritual, and remembrance. Sometimes, it was just a cup. Other times, it was a ceremony of renewal. My relationship with Mama Cacao deepened, and I found that in life’s turbulent seasons, her presence offered a steady, compassionate embrace.
A Wedding, A Pilgrimage, A Homecoming
In 2024, as Douglas and I planned our wedding, we both knew Cacao would be part of the ceremony. We didn’t know exactly how — but the intention was planted.
Shortly after, I received an invitation from Fran and Cape Cacao to join their Bali Pilgrimage in August 2024 — a soul journey to the Island of the Gods. Every part of my being said YES.
I travelled solo to Bali and immersed myself in the Cacao pilgrimage. We witnessed the full process of Cacao — from bean to bar — and it was deeply humbling. For me, it was a pilgrimage of return. A bachelorette of the soul. A homecoming to my own heart.
And on the final day of training, 30 August 2024, Fran held sacred space and facilitated our wedding ceremony. Cacao was there, in full presence, blessing our union. Watch the ceremony →
Certified Facilitator – Cape Cacao Level 2
Upon returning to South Africa, I knew it was time to go deeper. I enrolled in the Cape Cacao Level 1 & 2 Facilitator Training, completed over six months. Learn more about the training →
Having already changed so much, I reentered Level 1 with new eyes and a softer heart. The medicine meets you as deeply as you’ve met yourself. It was a powerful revisit.
Level 2 took us further into:
- Holding space for others
- Shadow work and integration
- Ceremony structure and rhythm
- Energetic hygiene and intuitive guidance
Our group was small and intimate. We laughed, cried, sang, and healed together. The training concluded in March 2025 with a beautiful personal initiation ceremony. With this, I carry the blessing of Mama Cacao and Cape Cacao. For me, it feels like being a gatekeeper for the medicine — taking sacred vows to serve with humility, devotion, and an open heart.
Since then, Mama Cacao has become an inseparable part of my way of being. I still sit in dieta with her often and I continue to learn from her daily.
I hold space for others only when my own cup is full — when I am centered in my own heart, from which the medicine can overflow. Cacao reminds me to live in presence, in softness, and in truth.
Letitia showed up in the Cacao Training container with an open heart, and grace, and a kindenss, which was obvious to me from the start that she walks the sacred path with devotion. It has been wonderful to mentor her over the years, and watch her become more of who she truly is. When she found her voice during this journey with Mama Cacao, I knew she was ready to hold space and share her heart’s truth with others. Facilitating her and Douglas’ wedding ceremony in Bali after our Cacao Pilgrimage was an honour and a joy. The caterpillar is now a butterfly, and anyone wishing to work with Letitia will be well held and supported by her graceful spirit and skill.
Rooted in the Elements
A key part of my facilitation is working with the medicine wheel and the sacred elements:
- Fire – passion, transformation
- Water – emotion, flow, release
- Earth – grounding, home, nourishment
- Nature – authenticity, spontaneity
- Air – breath, communication, clarity
- Stone – strength, endurance, memory
- Ether – spirit, stillness, the unseen
These are anchored in the four directions and sacred winds of the East, South, West, and North.
The heart of Father Sky, Mother Earth, and my own heart.
Together, they create a map — a ceremonial compass through which I serve.
Cacao Ceremonies
The heart medicine known as food of the godsThrough this sacred heart medicine, we come home to our truth, our softness, and our deep inner knowing.
Ceremonies are offered both online and in-person, as:
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Private or group sessions
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Special themed ceremonies aligned with the cosmic and elemental rhythms — such as new moon planting ceremonies, full moon fire rituals, solstice and equinox celebrations, and gatherings to honor the sacred elements.
- And if you’re dreaming of something special — an anniversary, a rite of passage, a retreat, or a personal gathering — let’s co-create magic. I would be honored to bring the medicine of Cacao into your space.
Testimonials
Letitia showed up in the Cacao Training container with an open heart, and grace, and a kindenss, which was obvious to me from the start that she walks the sacred path with devotion. It has been wonderful to mentor her over the years, and watch her become more of who she truly is. When she found her voice during this journey with Mama Cacao, I knew she was ready to hold space and share her heart's truth with others. Facilitating her and Douglas' wedding ceremony in Bali after our Cacao Pilgrimage was an honour and a joy. The caterpillar is now a butterfly, and anyone wishing to work with Letitia will be well held and supported by her graceful spirit and skill.
If I could give her 10 stars, I would. Letitia is a powerful woman, and I am not one to say so lightly. She has the kind of authority that can only be cultivated through humility, and beautifully embodies kindness, wisdom, sincerity and playfulness along with all the virtues that are necessary to play the role of facilitator of transformation.
For the years that I have known Letitia, she has ceaselessly strived to deepen her knowledge of the sacred plant integration process and ought to be an inspiration and role model to any person who is seeking a sha-woman, or seeking to embark on the journey of becoming one.
I had the privilege of journeying in a group space held by Letitia and I felt completely safe, seen and fully supported throughout. Her presence is both strong and soft... a beautiful balance of professionalism, courage and deep attentiveness.
It’s rare to find a facilitator who can hold space with such clarity and care. She was incredibly tuned in to the needs of each person in the group, while also holding the collective with wisdom, intention and integrity. Because of that, it was easy for me to surrender fully to the process, knowing we were in such capable and loving hands.
I’m deeply grateful for the experience and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone called to walk this path.
Letitia has been involved with our Academy since its inception in 2022.
In that time she has dedicated herself to the study of various transformational methodologies. She completed Level I of the Apprentice Gatekeeper Training through her journey around the Academy’s Medicine Wheel.
I have had the privilege of witnessing Letitia apply all she has learned and embodied from BEZA (and other teachers) in her daily life - to extraordinary effect.
I, and many BEZA apprentices and students, have benefited from her detox facilitation and knowledge relating to diet and fasting.
Her initiation into the medicine of Cacao and her love for working with sacred healing plants has inspired me to engage her services with complete trust.
While there are many facilitators emerging in the transformational space, not many come with practiced integrity, wisdom and a deep intuitive sense of what “space holding” actually requires in terms of the safety and personal empowerment of attendees and the integrative support they require post sessions. In this regard I unequivocally vouch for Letitia’s nurturing care and attention to detail in the realms of energetic, emotional, physical and spiritual well-being of her clients.
I highly recommend working with Letitia!!
I have struggled for years with constipation. Letitia guided me through a 12 week detox cleanse and 7 day detox fast that has helped me significantly with my gut health and having more regular bowel movements. I experience Letitia as being very thorough in her approach with a strong connection to her intuition. Her kindness and support has been unwavering. I'm grateful to know Letitia and to have connected with her work.
For many years, I struggled with severe bags under my eyes. I tried the most expensive creams and remedies on the market, but nothing truly worked. That was until Letitia introduced me to the beautiful healing remedy of pearl powder. I started taking the capsules internally and also began alternating that with a mixture of pearl powder and castor oil, which I applied gently around my eyes. Within just a few days, I noticed a drastic improvement — the puffiness began to ease, and my eyes looked brighter and more rested. An unexpected benefit was that I also started experiencing fewer headaches. I’m now a true believer and walking example of the healing power of pearl powder!
I’ve also struggled with constipation since my teenage years, and over time, this led to a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease. It’s been a long and painful journey, but thankfully, with Letitia’s guidance and care, I’ve found so much relief through natural remedies and gentle protocols. We’re still walking this healing journey together, and while it’s not a quick fix, it is a lifestyle shift — one that I’m fully committed to. I’m feeling more hopeful than I’ve felt in a long time.
Thank you, Letitia, for your wisdom, support, and for truly walking this path alongside me.
Letitia facilitated a retreat which I hosted in June 2025. I was thoroughly impressed by her capacity for being gentle and compassionate, joyful and spontaneous, while still being firm in her leadership and in asserting boundaries. Her vast knowledge of nutrition and detoxification was also impressive. I can highly endorse Letitia in any space-holding role.
Letitia has a real gift facilitating and holding space for others. I have found her to have wisdom well beyond her years and is very knowledgeable in helping others heal.
It was wonderful dear Letitia, I really loved it, meant to say what a beautiful voice you have and so glad you are using and sharing it. You held the space beautifully, and I felt sincerely and warmly welcomed, even loved and cared about .
The cocoa was magnificent! Thank you so much for everything, especially your warmth and kindness . You are doing really important work; I feel honoured to be part of it.