CHOCOLATE oh CHOCOLATE

Chocolate 

Five things to do with chocolate that does not involve eating.

Glorious Chocolate.

Massage.

This would have to be one of my favourites. Pushing most people I know to their erotic edge, being covered in or covering someone else in chocolate conjures up sensual and often wicked thoughts.

Most people ask me when inquiring about the chocolate massage that I give, if someone comes and licks it off!!

“Well if you invite someone along, yes!”. 

Other wise a warm shower is recommended!     
To do a massage, melt the desired amount of cacao paste with generous amounts of coconut oil and even some cacao butter if you like. For a full body you will need about half a kilo of paste, at least a cup of oil and a generous blob of cacao butter.  For the face you may like to seperate a small amount and add honey or sweetener so that it tastes good if it finds its way to the receivers mouth during the massage !!  Put on some good music, cover the floor with old towels and if you can keep the mixture warm through out the massage with a hot a plate or keep the pot of chocolate bay marie style in warm water then brilliant!  Massage as you would with oil.  Breath in the aroma and feel the effects of the ancient bean working its sensuous magic for both yourself the giver and the receiver.

Pray.

The Mayan Goddess of Chocolate, Ixcacao , has a humble but very honorable origin. An earth goddess, an ancient fertility goddess in a matriarchial society where it was women's work to gather crops and see to it that everyone was fed, her divine responsibility was to banish hunger and provide safety and security to the people.  A good woman to pray to!  I have cacao pods on my alter and include the vision of decadence, nuture and the ancient goddess in my visions as I meditate in the morning. If I am building an alter of gratitude, especially before a feast to share with friends, I always include a cacao pod or cacao beans amongst my crystals, feathers and other important finds from mother nature.

Body Oil.

When I lived in Peru, amongst mountains covered in snow and in freezing cold weather for the most part, many people asked me how was it I maintained a healthy glow much like a suntan.  Well it was chocolate.  I would melt with a generous amount of coconut oil, cacao, enough to colour the oil, but not too much to make it actual eating chocolate.  My morning ritual, was rather decadent.  Before showering I would warm this mix and then I would have warm coconut oil to cover myself with once out of the shower.  It was always commented on how I smelt like chocolate.  I have to say this is my favourite body lotion ever.   Made in my very own kitchen from two of my favourite products.   Chocolate and coconut oil.

Paint.

Instead of toxic paints use melted chocolate. A sweet smelling gift for the grandparents or step it up a notch for a lover. Roll yourself covered in chocolate over a large canvas leaving imprints and images of your body parts!  Eco friendly, fun and smells delicious.

Plant.

Yes chocolate grows on trees.  The cacao tree is commonly called Madre Cacao.  Theobroma cacao meaning "Food of the Gods" a name coined by the swedish Linneus, that merged the greek words "Theo" god "broma" food with the Maya cacao.  Plant one, build an altar under it, harvest the pods, ferment the beans, dry them and grind them and there you have your very own chocolate.  Life does not get much better than that !!