Within Mayan tradition and culture, cacao and corn are complimentary energies because corn is deemed as sacred as cacao.
In the Popol Wuj, the creation text of the Mayans, corn originated as a final attempt to create human beings. The first human beings were made with mud, but the body was soft and could not keep itself straight. Then the creators made the men of wood, but they showed themselves to be heartless and ungrateful to the plants and animals and the world they were given.
Then came the people of corn. Unlike the other human beings, the people of corn showed respect, humbleness and gratitude to the creators and nature and so they were given a soul. This soul was cacao.
There is a recognition in Mayan culture that everything has an energy. Corn has a masculine energy that ties us to the physical and tangible aspects of our existence. Cacao has a feminine energy and ties us to the subtle aspects of the world.
The duality of cacao and corn is perceived as exact opposites in nature. Cacao pods hang down from the tree. They grow looking down to Mother Earth, enjoying the coolness of the shade and darkness, providing an area of tranquillity and introspection. They are pollinated at night, and the seeds of the tree are on the inside. Contrary to this, corn grows up and looks towards the sun, basking in the warmth and vitality of the sun’s rays. Its seeds are on the outside and it is pollinated during the day. Traditionally, men are said to work the corn fields and women tend to the cacao plantations.
At Dream Awake, we start the workshops, with cacao a spiritual medicine to invoke compassion, while reconnecting us to gratitude. And we complete and close the workshop with atole. A traditional Mexican corn drink, flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla. While the cacao takes us on a soul’s journey, corn helps us to ground. By opening and closing with these two sacred plants, we honour the masculine and feminine energies and the teachings of the Mayans.
Cath is co-founder of Dream Awake with her sister Fin Walker. They run workshops, guiding individuals on a journey to reconnect and remember who they are. By stepping into their true essence, they dream their world into being. Their next workshop is on 18th February in Cheltenham.
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