Great Spirit — A Guided Shamanic Cacao Journey to the Upper Realm (Cacao Optional)
Today's journey takes us somewhere different from most of the ceremonies I guide — up into the upper realm, to connect with Great Spirit. If you have your cacao ready, wonderful; if not, this journey works just as fully without it.
Who — or What — Is Great Spirit?
I use the phrase Great Spirit, but I'm equally drawn to another way of putting it: they who have ten thousand names, and yet are still the unnameable one. Across cultures, this connection has been called by countless names — God, Source, the Universe, the Creator. The Maya themselves didn't hold a concept of God in the way Christians typically do. None of the words matter as much as the connection itself; when you journey up to meet Great Spirit, you'll connect in your own unique way, whatever that turns out to look like.
I'll tell you honestly: the first time I journeyed to meet Great Spirit, I was certain I'd meet a beautiful goddess. Instead, it was a man — and I was disappointed, at first, because I'd already pictured what I expected to find. It took a moment to connect with the energy rather than the image. Looking back, it was exactly what I needed — a chance to rebalance my own story around divine masculinity. If something unexpected comes through for you today, trust that there's a reason for it. Great Spirit can manifest in infinite forms — some people meet a feminine goddess-like being, others a ball of light, others something with no clear shape at all. Whatever comes through for you is the right way for you to receive it.
How the Journey Works
We begin, as always, by cleansing the energy field and calling in the sacred directions with the Mayan medicine wheel. The spirit realm holds three layers: the middle world, which is the reality we're standing in right now; the lower world, where we connect with our subconscious, our power animals, and the archetypal energies of the earth; and the upper realm, our connection to the higher self, to the infinite soul, and to Great Spirit. Journeying upward is all about love, light, healing, peace and harmony — an infinite perspective on reality.
To get there, we travel from where we are now out to a place in nature, then look for a way to ascend — climbing a mountain, perhaps, and popping up through a layer of cloud into the upper realm itself. The landscape up there varies hugely: sometimes fluffy clouds, sometimes what feels like infinite space, a kind of void. However it appears for you is exactly right. Once there, we call for a spirit guide — one to take us onward to meet Great Spirit, and the same or another to bring us safely home again.
Because this journey asks for something gentler than usual, I begin not with the gongs but with singing bowls, easing in more quietly before the deeper journey begins.
Coming Back: Integration and Reflection
Once you're guided back to your body, take time to integrate whatever you explored. I'd really encourage journaling — write down what came through, then read back over it afterwards to reflect and make more sense of what you received.
How to Prepare
Optional: a cup of ceremonial cacao — the journey works fully with or without it
Set a personal intention before you begin — healing, awakening, or simply the wisdom this journey might offer
Find somewhere comfortable to sit or lie down
Good headphones or speakers make a real difference
Keep a journal nearby for afterwards
Come with an open mind and a curious spirit — expect nothing, and you may receive more
Continue Your Journey with Plant Spirit Medicine
If this ceremony resonated with you, here are some ways to go deeper:
