Ceremony Training
The Art of Sacred Cacao
7-day Ceremony Training
The Art of Cacao
in circle, in ceremony & in-person
May 30 - June 06, 2025
Mountain Temple Guesthouse, Piedmont, Italy
with Serap Kara | in English
Join me for a 7-day in-person cacao ceremony facilitator program for a deep, immersive experience that combines The Art of Cacao, indigenous wisdom, spiritual practices, facilitation techniques, and practical applications in a mountain temple guesthouse in Piedmont, Italy.
In Ceremony
A Ceremony is a way of the heart and reflects humanity's sacred connection and relationship with the (un)seen worlds. Cacao Ceremonies respond to an increasing longing for connection, ritual and ceremony in an urban environment. - Serap Kara
innerstanding
Spirit is calling you to remember your sacred connection with Mother Nature. You are invited to renew your bond with Spirit through ceremony and ritual, open yourself to the ancient medicine of the circle, and follow the spiralling path toward a broader understanding of plant spirit, nature spirit, and your own essence. Commit to sacred service to Pachamama, embracing Cacao’s ancestral wisdom and unifying consciousness to help weave a more connected global culture. – Serap Kara
cacao medicine
The Cacao Ceremony facilitator program is a 7-day in-person training designed to offer a joyful, immersive experience that weaves together indigenous wisdom, spiritual practices, facilitation techniques, and practical applications. Set in a mountain guesthouse in northern Italy, The Art of Cacao unfolds over seven unique days, inviting you to immerse yourself in circle, ceremony and Cacao’s magic and embody their sacred essence through teachings, experiential learning, and personal transformation.
serap kara
Serap Kara leads the Cacao Training with over 14 years of dedicated service to the Cacao Collective. Serap’s teaching is both earth-rooted and universal, creating warm, supportive spaces for you to anchor trust, reconnect with your innate wisdom, and embrace the full power of your being. Serap creates finely-tuned spaces and offers avenues to connect with Spirit, be in Ceremony and trust our unique medicine ways so that we remember: we are always in ceremony, and here to make a difference.
Ambas Dham in the Antrona Valley
Amba, a mythical figure from ancient India, wandered restlessly until finding brief peace in a forgotten Himalayan sanctuary (Dham).
Ambas Dham is a family home, living temple, and guesthouse in a once-abandoned 500-year-old mountain village on the southern Alps. With vision and hard work, its residents revived the ruins, creating a warm, sacred space where prayers and rituals have honoured the land’s guardians for over 30 years.
This simple yet magical retreat, nestled among peaks, rivers, and crystal-clear lakes, offers refuge for quiet reflection and fresh perspectives. Located in the most secluded valley of Ossola, Piedmont, it sits along millennia-old trails once part of the Amber Road, leading to Switzerland.
Called a gateway to heaven, the valley holds a hidden energy awaiting discovery. Those who seek inward may find a pulsating life force, where idealistic and spiritual values converge. Moon and earth energies create a protective field, yet to uncover its treasure, one must first meet the guardian of the threshold.
Towering granite peaks embody cosmic wisdom, with Shani—the great teacher—guiding seekers beyond the veil of matter. He offers a bridge to the Otherworld, revealing harmony between shadow and light, and awakening the heart’s inner sun.
The Curriculum · Weaving the essence of cacao with the rhythms of the earth and the magic of ceremony
day 1: foundations of the cacao path: building relationship with the cacao spirit
- opening circle & intentions
- the history & lineage of cacao: mayan, aztec, and indigenous traditions
- meeting the cacao spirit in a guided journey & meditation
- round table: sacred plant medicine, ethical sourcing & conscious consumption
- cacao ceremony experience
- reflection & journaling
day 2: cacao as a heart-opener: understanding the energetics & science of sacred cacao
- cacao as a teacher: properties, energetics, and emotional intelligence
- the physiology & effects of cacao: theobromine, anandamide, and neurochemistry
- working with intentions
- creating a sacred space: ritual design and altar-building
- heart-coherence meditation: deepening connection through the cacao spirit
day 3: the art of holding space: sacred leadership & energy awareness
- the role of the facilitator: guide vs. healer vs. space-holder
- energetic integrity, boundaries, protection & self-regulation
- navigating group dynamics: handling challenges, difficult emotions & energetic shifts in ceremony
- active listening & intuitive guidance: developing inner trust
- practice: the circle way
day 4: music, sound & ritual in ceremony: the power of sound & voice as medicine
- song & chanting: activating the voice
- the role of music, rhythm & sound in ceremony: traditional & intuitive approaches
- sacred songs: learning cacao-inspired music
- co-creating a sound journey: weaving music into ceremony & invoking transformation through sound
day 5: ceremony crafting & personal expression: designing your unique ceremonial offering
- sunrise with cacao: connecting with personal vision
- elements of a cacao ritual: structure, flow & intention
- themes, archetypes & storytelling
- guiding meditation & visualisation: techniques for deep journeys
- authenticity & embodied presence
- practice & refinement: leading a mini-ritual & preparing for the closing ritual
day 6: graduation & closing ceremony: stepping forward as a facilitator
- integration & reflection: witnessing the transformation
- closing cacao ceremony
- receiving blessings & wisdom: acknowledging growth & mastery
- initiation & certification ritual: sealing the journey
- closing circle & commitments: taking the medicine forward
additional elements
⊹ daily practices: meditation, movement, and journaling ⊹
⊹ one-on-one mentoring: guidance for personal breakthroughs ⊹
⊹ earth sauna ritual ⊹
⊹ a visit to the Antrona mountain lake ⊹
⊹ The Art of Cacao practitioner guidebook ⊹
⊹ cacao mama certificate of completion ⊹
⊹ follow-up: 2 hours online circle ⊹
Meet your host Serap Kara
My name is Serap, and I’m honoured to be your host on this journey. I am the founder and guardian of Cacao Mama, the Earth School, and co-founder of the Cacao Gardener Initiative.
My medicine heart beats in rhythm with Pachamama and the spirit of the forest. I walk the path of an entrepreneur, medicine woman, moon dancer, teacher, and midwife to a new consciousness being anchored in this present moment.
Over the years, I’ve had the privilege of holding space for people from all walks of life and corners of the world through countless ceremonies, medicine circles, and transformative learning experiences. I am deeply passionate about creating finely attuned spaces that invite us to root into trust and embrace our natural state of connection to Spirit.
In 2024, the sacred mountain at Ambas Dham called me to bring the medicine of cacao. With an experienced circle of facilitators, we anchored a cacao altar at its heart. 2025, in my 8th year of teaching the Art of Cacao, I am following a calling to offering the Cacao Ceremony Training in-person and in ceremony and also return to Ambas Dham, to invoke the cacao goddess and her deep heart wisdom.. I look forward to welcoming you!
One-week In Ceremony Training & Immersion
Nestled in a wild mountain valley, we will share seven transformative training days to embody the Art of Sacred Cacao in circle & ceremony in one of the most pristine and enchanting locations, the Antrona Valley in Piedmont, Italy.
Friday, 30th May to Friday, 6th June 2025
7-day comprehensive cacao in ceremony training
Daily Rhythm*
8 - 9 am
silent breakfast
9.30 am
morning essence
10 - 12.30
teachings & wisdom-sharing
12.30 pm
lunch
3 - 6.30 pm
hands-on learning, ceremony crafting, and facilitation training
6.30 pm
dinner
8 - 8.30 pm
integration
* subject to change
Food & Accommodation
Accommodation is in a simple, mountain temple like family guesthouse with shared bathrooms.
2,5 delicious vegan meals are served per day including tea, coffee and fresh mountain water.
Check-in is on Friday, May 30th, 2025 anytime after 12 pm (noon) and before 6 pm.
Check-out is on Friday, June 6th, 2025 at 11 am.
Please choose your preferred accommodation in the registration form.
We will check the availabilities and confirm your choice.
Location
. The exact location will be sent to you after the registration process is complete.
If you come by plane, you must choose Milano Malpensa Airport (not Milano), then take a shuttle (around 1,5 hours) to Domodossola or take a taxi (best shared). If you come by train, the closest station is Domodossola with a private taxi service.
In both cases, we would like to help you organise your travel, and coordinate taxi/shuttle services to be shared with other participants. We don't recommend very early/late arrivals and departures
Registration & Investment
The cost for 7 nights including tuition fee, course book, all ceremonies, vegan food and accommodation in dormitory, shared room (double bed best with a friend) or in a private room, per person*:
1.595 € private room
1.560 € shared room
1.455 € dormitory
We have space for 10 participants.
A 400 EUR deposit secures your space. The remaining fee has to be paid at arrival in cash.
Please note that your deposit is non-refundable.
The price does not include flights or transport, nor individual purchases.
TERMS & CONDITIONS
The ceremony training takes place from six participants. A 400 EUR deposit secures your space. The remaining fee has to be paid in cash at arrival. Please note that your deposit is non-refundable. If the medicine circle is cancelled by the organiser, the deposit will be refunded fully. The price does not include flights or transport, nor individual purchases.
This is an educational event. The nature of the work is such as to include deep personal reflections of an introspective and meditative kind. Participants are responsible for taking care of their own processes and their own wellbeing at all times, as this circle is not intended as a therapeutic space of any kind. The participation is at participant's sole risk. The instructor is not liable for damages of a spiritual, physical, psychological or material kind. We recommend a foreign health insurance.
Please note: Ceremonial doses of Cacao are not recommended for people who are taking antidepressants (Cacao contains MAO inhibitors), or who have a serious heart condition, or have very high blood pressure or suffer from epilepsy. Pregnant women may take smaller amounts. Please get in touch if you have questions.
Pictures by Serap Kara, Bhavani Devi, Tracey Smith, Grit Siwonia, Jaqueline Louan · Artwork by Alexis Aronson ♥︎