From Panacea to Poison: The Untold Story of Cacao(Chocolate)
From Panacea to Poison
The theobroma cacao plant is the sole embodiment of the classic story of Faust, or the Faustian bargain where a dissatisfied alchemist exchanges his innocence for fame and fortune now only to surrender his soul for eternity. The cacao bean in it’s origin was used as a form of inspiration and creativity by way of transmitting it’s insights into those who consumed it. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe who wrote the story of Faust is known to have been a chocolate enthusiast. In 1792 it is noted that Goethe was touring in Switzerland where the Swiss were in a less than satisfactory level of developing chocolates, therefore Geothe took no chances and carried his own chocolate with him along with a chocolate pot for his journey. It is my sneaking suspicion that Goethe, like many other literary geniuses consumed copious amounts of cacao or chocolate as it’s stimulating effects help induce creativity. The correlations between the iconic story of Faust and the cacao bean’s “claim to fame” along with it’s “fall from grace” are uncanny to say the least. In it’s innocence, cacao represents nobility and wonder, the idea that pure intentions and authenticity are to be valued above all else. In it’s temptation of fame and fortune, so to speak, the original character of the cacao bean had become negatively influenced by forces that would manipulate and distort it’s image, as well as it’s relationship with the world.
The classic theme in many religious teachings is that of signing a pact with the devil for perceived advantages, yet carrying a long term tragedy. The story of star wars, where Anakin Skywalker submits his idealist virtuous to the sith for power and becomes a life long slave to the dark side. This idea may have been no more brilliantly expressed than that of Goethe’s Faustian bargain. In the tale of Faust a young scholar(Faust) is dissatisfied with his current placement in life and calls upon the devil’s assistant(mephistopheles) requesting magic powers in order to gain unlimited knowledge and worldly indulgence. Faust signs a blood-contract with Mephistopheles that he will be endowed with whatever he wishes for a specific duration resulting in his soul being traded to the devil. The first half of this tale shows Faust using mephistopheles to help tempt a young lady, Gretchen, which results in tragedy for her and her family through Mephistopheles’ deception. What was once full of potential and hope had become corrupted by way of short sided and impure desires.
The tragedy of the Faustian bargain lends itself to the history books as an ever revealing theme, one of which that is easily inserted in the spirit of the plant world. When Hernan Cortes and the spaniards found themselves in the heart of the Aztec civilization the people of the land believed Cortes was the professed mythological god, Quezacotl making his return. The Aztecs opened up their home to the Spaniards and offered their beloved cacao as their central form of trade. Cortes seems to have taken full advantage of this by infiltrating the culture, eventually claiming ownership over the land. This pronounced the beginning of cacao’s fall from grace as the once core sacrament of the Mexican people became a fragmented substance. The bulk of the Pre-Columbian literature on cacao was torn apart as most writings of the southern Mexican people were destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors leaving us with brief and cryptic archeological references of how intrinsic cacao was to this area of the world, dating back perhaps as far as recorded history. As cacao made it’s way into Europe it was not initially well received, yet over time obsessed about, as the spirit of the plant had been abandoned and easily misunderstood by the newly aquatinted. Through the next few centuries cacao would see a devaluation of it’s ancestral roots, reducing it into a proprietary confection. The most revered shamanistic plant as well as medicinal food had gone from panacea to poison. The industrial era had seemingly placed the final nail in the coffin of cacao’s great legacy, eventually turning chocolate into societies premier guilty-pleasure, otherwise deeming it as a culturally accepted poison.
As the rise in consciousness has come about surrounding 2012 and a mass shifting in our global value system it brings into play the second act in the story of Faust. The first act details the tragedy of Faust’s naive yet relatable turn to darkness, the second half reveals his redemption. Cacao shares this exact storyline as it was given popularity, riches, and global appeal at the expense of it’s spirit. This book is the direct result of cacao’s redemptive journey back into our heart of hearts. At the pinnacle of Faust’s desired happiness within partnership with the devil he is indebted to his contract. When Faust dies the ownership of his soul is intervened by angels believing that his unending striving for spiritual maturity has granted his savior from eternal destitute and allowed him to return to grace.
The spirit of the cacao plant has seen the rise and fall of innocence that is inherent within the human legacy. This is why the cacao spirit, in the plant world, is most identical to the human spirit. Through its long and tumultuous journey the cacao spirit exhibits perseverance, which may be the most endearing of human qualities. The variety of incarnations cacao or chocolate has displayed through the ages seem to have matched up perfectly to where the cultural-consciousness of the time was at. We are finally, as a collective, aligning ourselves with the wisdom of this plant, therefore it is revealing itself in it’s naked(raw) form.
“If you've never eaten while crying you don t know what life tastes like.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
