Ix Balam as a name for our sacred Cacao work, comes from deep remembering of our times in the Ancient Mayalands. In Mayan, Ix means Jaguar, Seer, Shaman, while also being a prefix before a female’s name. Balam is the word for Jaguar as well, yet this word holds Origin Story connotations. In the Popol Vuh, the Maya origin story, the four Balams came to Earth from the Pleiades, to create a harmonic, heart-centered humanity.
Duane and Maria discovered the power of ceremonial cacao while traveling in the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico in 2018. While leading a spiritual retreat they discovered the village of Ek Balam and a family of heirloom cacao growers there. This Mayan village had been growing cacao for many generations and a matriarch, Guadalupe, showed them how to create the invigorating beverage of the Maya, from bean to cup.
After that, Maria and Duane were hooked. They began reaching out to Mayan villages and gathering heirloom ceremonial grade cacao to bring home. Yet, it wasn’t until 2020, on Big Island of Hawai’i, where they lived for six years, that they invited others to partake in this ancient tradition of ceremonially drinking cacao, with them.
Now living in Northern California, Maria and Duane hold regular Solstice and Equinox ceremonies, and through the interweaving of wisdom and frequency learned from their regular intimate work with Mayan Daykeepers, Teachers and Traditionalists, these ceremonies have turned into profound portals for healing and transformation.
By the end of 2026, we hope to have our own line of heirloom ceremonial cacao to share!
STAY CONNECTED!
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8:8 LION’S GATE – CACAO CEREMONY
AUGUST 8, 11:00 – 1:30 PM
Join us for a deeply healing and regenerating circle.
This Lion’s Gate we will have a special guest for sound bath with the Mayan Chanting.
Maria will be serving ceremonial Bal’che tea first,
and then we’ll bring in the grounding “fire seed” medicine of Cacao.
Pot Luck afterward.
LOCATION: PRIVATE RESIDENCE, BODEGA, SONOMA COUNTY
For this special event we are asking an extended donation. Thank you!
$50
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