By (author) Marcos Patchett
A concise guide to the medicinal and ceremonial usage of chocolate
Following on from his magnum opus, The Secret Life of Chocolate, Marcos Patchett returns with a short yet in-depth introduction to the bounty of the cacao plant.
Rich with thorough research, Pharmakakawa takes readers on a journey from the tropical forests of the Americas, (the ancestral home of the plant) to its global movements across the world in which cacao was transformed from a bitter drink to the sweet confectionary known today.
Patchett expertly weaves the exceptional history of the cacao plant with its pharmacology, discussing cacao within its ancient ancestral context of Mesoamerican medicine, as well as in relation to contemporary scientific discourse. The book also explores the deep rooting of cacao in traditional Mesoamerican mythology and ceremony, providing practical examples of how cacao can be incorporated into ritual today.
Pharmakakawa concludes with a formulary of Theobroma cacao – complete with actions, indications, contradictions, dosage, preparations and combinations – useful for any herbal practitioner wishing to incorporate the plant into their practice.
As well as providing a useful reference text, this delightful little book is the perfect introduction for anyone – herbalists and lay-people alike – wishing to discover more about the power, influence and history of the humble yet dynamic cacao plant.
By (author) Marcos Patchett
Marcos Patchett is a medical herbalist. He graduated from Middlesex University's Herbal Medicine BSc course with a first class degree honours and the Elsevier science prize for plant pharmacology in 2005. He worked as a medical herbalist in King's Cross for several years, specialising in complementary care for people living with HIV, and practiced from Neal's Yard remedies' Therapy Rooms in Covent Garden and Notting Hill. He worked as a dispenser in Middlesex University's Archway training clinic, and later went on to become the clinical supervisor for Western Herbal medicine BSc and MSc courses at Middlesex's Integrative Medicine training clinic in Hendon. Marcos is also an enthusiastic student of Renaissance and Medieval astrology. He is frequently invited to give talks on contemporary herbal medicine and traditional medical astrology internationally. Marcos currently lives and works in London.
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"I doubt anyone knows more about chocolate than Marcos Patchett! This book is a succinct distillation of his years of research. It will teach you everything you need to know about cacao – how it grows, its history, its effect on body and mind –and it will show you, practically, how you can embrace its power, as thousands have done throughout history, to improve your life and health".
Alison Kay, The Ancestral Kitchen
"Pharmakakawa is the definitive book for chocolate lovers. We are skilfully taken on a journey into the secret life of chocolate, from its historical uses and its mythological importance to its ceremonial and medicinal properties. This excellently researched and well referenced book is a must have, and the perfect addition to your library."
Rebekah Shaman, Ritual Cacao
