Hapé & Cacao Ceremonies in Sedona, AZ
Sacred plant medicine held with intention, care, and deep respect.
Book a CeremonyAbout the Ceremony
What Hapé & Cacao Ceremonies Offer Sedona Seekers
Plant medicine is not a trend.
It's an ancient relationship between humans and the spirits of specific plants, and when held with respect, it opens the heart, clears the channel, and makes space for experience that would be harder to reach otherwise. Gentle Thunder holds space for hapé and cacao ceremonies with the same care she brings to every other part of her practice. These ceremonies are not recreational. They are medicine, and they are treated as medicine.
Hapé, also spelled rapé, is a sacred snuff made from tobacco and other plants in the Amazon. It is administered by blowing it through a specific pipe into the nostrils. It clears the nasal passages, yes, but more importantly it clears the head. Mental chatter quiets. A kind of inner landscape emerges. People describe a feeling of being dropped firmly into their body, into the present, into a state where truer thoughts can move. It is used in tribal traditions to help the mind and heart align before ceremony, prayer, or healing work.
Cacao is the pure form of the plant that later becomes chocolate. In ceremonial dose, it gently opens the heart, increases blood flow, and creates a warm openness that supports connection with yourself, with others in the circle, and with whatever you came to meet. It does not alter consciousness in the way stronger plant medicines do. It softens. It welcomes.
Gentle Thunder pairs these medicines with drumming, sacred song, and guided intention setting. The ceremonies are not psychedelic. They are heart-opening, clearing, and grounding. They serve people who want to do inner work without leaving ordinary consciousness entirely.
Before You Arrive
How to Prepare for Your Hapé & Cacao Ceremony in Sedona
Preparation starts a few days before.
Eat clean in the 48 hours leading up. Less alcohol, less sugar, less caffeine than usual. You don't need to be strict. You need to give your body a runway so the medicine can do its work without competing with a lot of other noise in your system.
Hydrate well. Sedona's dry air pulls moisture out of you fast, and dehydration blunts the experience. More water than you think you need.
Sleep if you can. Rested nervous systems receive these medicines more fully than exhausted ones.
On the day of the ceremony, eat a small light meal a few hours beforehand. Not full. Not fasted. Fruit, a small portion of simple food. Your stomach should be calm when the cacao is served.
Wear comfortable loose clothing in layers. Ceremonies are often held outdoors or in indoor/outdoor spaces, and Sedona temperature swings during a morning ceremony can be significant. Bring a shawl or blanket even if the day seems warm at the start.
If you take prescription medications, speak with your physician about plant medicine interactions before you book. Your doctor is the right person to assess whether hapé or cacao is appropriate for you. Gentle Thunder conducts an intake conversation during scheduling to understand where you are and what you're working with — that conversation is about ceremony readiness, not medical clearance.
Bring an intention. Not a grand one. A simple honest one. What do you want to let go of. What do you want to open to. What are you carrying into the circle that you want to understand better. Write it down if that helps you hold it.
Plant medicine is not a trend. It's an ancient relationship between humans and the spirits of specific plants.Gentle Thunder
During the Ceremony
What Happens During the Ceremony Itself
Gentle Thunder opens the space with prayer and calls in the four directions. Archangel Michael is invoked. Her entourage is present.
The ceremony typically begins with cacao. She prepares it traditionally, with water and sometimes with spices, and blesses it before serving. Each person in the circle receives their cup, holds it, and sits with their intention before drinking. The cacao is warm, rich, and grounding. Within 20 to 30 minutes, you begin to feel its gentle opening in your chest.
During the cacao opening, Gentle Thunder often drums or sings. Sometimes she speaks softly, guiding the circle inward. Sometimes silence is what's called for. She reads the circle as it unfolds.
Hapé comes later in the ceremony, usually after the cacao has fully opened. She administers it individually, one participant at a time, using the tepi or kuripe pipe depending on the tradition and what the moment calls for. The experience of hapé is intense and brief. There is a strong sensation as it enters. Then a wave of clarity. The mind drops. The body becomes vivid. Emotions that had been buried may rise, and the circle holds space for whatever comes.
After the hapé rounds, the circle often moves into quieter integration. More drumming, soft chanting, or simply stillness. People may cry, laugh, speak what's rising, or stay silent. All of it is welcome.
For groups who want a full ceremonial arc without plant medicine, a group sound healing offers a similar container through frequency alone.
Gentle Thunder closes the ceremony with gratitude, sealing the space. The circle often eats a simple shared meal together afterward, which helps ground everyone back into ordinary consciousness and provides a transition out of ceremony.
A complete ceremony runs 2 to 3 hours.
Common Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I bring to a hapé and cacao ceremony in Sedona?
Comfortable layered clothing, a water bottle, a shawl or blanket, and a simple honest intention. If you have a journal, bring it for after the ceremony. If there are specific objects meaningful to you, you can bring them for the altar. Gentle Thunder provides the cacao, hapé, pipes, and everything else needed.
Is hapé and cacao ceremony safe for first-timers?
Yes, when held properly. These are the gentlest ceremonial plant medicines Gentle Thunder works with. Neither alters consciousness the way stronger medicines do. Hapé is intense in the moment but short-lived. Cacao is gentle throughout. First-timers do well, as long as the preparation is honored.
Can I attend if I take prescription medications?
If you take prescription medications, consult your physician about plant medicine interactions before booking — your doctor is the right person to assess whether hapé or cacao is appropriate for you. Gentle Thunder conducts an intake conversation during scheduling to understand where you are and what you're working with. Don't skip that conversation.
How is ceremonial cacao different from regular chocolate?
Ceremonial cacao is the pure plant, minimally processed, without added sugars, dairy, or fillers. It contains the full range of compounds that give cacao its heart-opening effect, including theobromine and natural mood-lifting compounds. Regular chocolate has most of this processed out. The ceremonial dose, prepared traditionally, creates an experience store-bought chocolate can't replicate.
Does the dry Sedona climate affect how I experience these ceremonies?
Yes. Hydration matters more here than it would at sea level. If you're not well-hydrated going in, the hapé may hit harder and the cacao may feel less gentle. Drink extra water in the two days before, and bring a full water bottle to the ceremony itself.
What happens during the ceremony itself?
The circle opens with prayer and the calling of the directions. Cacao is served first, and the group sits with it while Gentle Thunder drums or sings. Hapé is administered individually later in the ceremony. The group then moves into quieter integration, often with more drumming or stillness. The ceremony closes with gratitude and typically a shared meal.