Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (22 page)

Chapter Twenty-Six

Spirituality

S
pirituality can be defined as the human experience of, or interaction with, the divine.
†††††
This is the aim of every religion and the goal of those who sense something sacred within and beyond our three-dimensional world. Spirituality is an expansion of our awareness to greater things.

This isn't always a religious phenomenon. Many who haven't found a faith that speaks to them are spiritual. Those who don't recognize a holy book or spiritual teacher can tune into the unseen world. Spirituality is part of every religion, but it need not be.

When people find that their lives lack meaning or purpose, or discover that they're unsatisfied with material possessions, they sometimes turn to the forces they've always sensed but ignored. Developing an awareness of spirit often brings emotional fulfillment.

This leads some to enter a conventional, established religion. Others create their own personal relationship with a divinity unlike any other. Some spiritual persons may not “worship” or revere this ultimate force(s), but their interactions with others, their outlook on life, even their forms of speech and living patterns, may change as a direct result of their spiritual experiences.

From a spiritual perspective, all food contains divine energies. After all, who created the food itself? Who gives it life? Who brings the rain? Religious persons
worship
the being(s) that created food and our world. Magicians
work with
the energy contained within these divine manifestations.

This is a book of magic, not religion. It's a guide to using the energies contained within foods as tools of personal transformation. If you wish to enhance your spiritual awareness, try the tips contained in this chapter. They have been designed to enable you to experience the spiritual reality in your everyday life. They can be used by persons of all religions, particularly those commonly termed “Pagan.”

This diet won't make you a mystic, and it probably won't transform you into a religious zealot. But it might, just might, bring you a sense of peace. A greater understanding of the spiritual world that exists just behind the physical can be a powerful tonic to our lives.

Though I could have greatly expanded these lists (for all civilizations have linked food with deity), I've limited the selection to those foods that have been found to be particularly effective in producing a spiritual state.

Vegetables

Corn-on-the-cob, corn chowder, eggplant parmagiana, sprout-rich salads, baked squash—these are all powerful stimulants to spirituality.

Fruits

Banana

Coconut

Date

Except for dates, eat the foods fresh for the best results.

Other Spirituality Foods

Most psychic-awareness foods are also appropriate (see
chapter 27
).

Foods to Avoid

Artificially flavored foods

Dried or dehydrated foods

Meat

Preserved foods

Root crops (such as potatoes)

Salt

These foods seem to “close down” our spiritual awareness. They should be eaten in small quantities. At every other meal, substitute tofu or dairy products for meat. Use spices and herbs for flavoring in place of salt.

Preparing and Cooking Spirituality Foods

Burn a white or purple candle while working in the kitchen. Visualize. As you handle, cut, peel and/or mix the food, sense the spiritual energies that are contained within it.

Immerse yourself in the energy exchange that takes place during the process of eating. Feel divine energy becoming part of your body, spirit, and soul. Pray before meals if you feel comfortable doing so.

Cut foods into circles or balls to represent the spiritual world. Cook lightly or eat the foods raw for the best results.

To externalize your spirituality, donate food to food banks and to shelters.

Recipes

Spirit Salad

1 banana, ripe (i.e., with a browning peel)

1
⁄
8
cup coconut, shredded (fresh if available)

1 8-ounce container plain yogurt

1 teaspoon white wine

1 tablespoon honey

Peel banana and cut into small slices. Place in a bowl with the coconut. Mix the wine into the honey. Sprinkle this mixture over the fruits; let sit for 1 minute.

Turn the plain yogurt into the bowl over the fruits. Mix with a spoon, stirring clockwise. Serves 1.

Saffron Rice

1 tablespoon vodka or gin

1
⁄
4
teaspoon saffron (true saffron)

3 cups water

1 cup uncooked (not instant) rice

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon butter

Touch the saffron with the index finger of your projective hand (the hand that you use for writing) and visualize the precious herb's energies enhancing your spirituality.

Warm alcohol over very low heat. Add the saffron to the alcohol, remove from heat, and stir. Let sit until alcohol is colored.

Place the water, rice, and salt into a pot over medium heat. Add the butter to prevent overboiling. Pour in the saffron mixture, stir and cover.

Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid.

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Chapter Twenty-Seven

Psychic Awareness

W
e're all born psychic. Unfortunately, as we mature, most of us lose this natural ability to tune into subtle energies. Magicians believe that we possess two minds. One of these can be termed the
conscious mind,
which is active when we think, remember something, work at our job, drive a car, or punch in a telephone number. The other has been called the
psychic mind,
in which we receive psychic signals.

In childhood, our two minds are linked. Information freely flows between them; thus, our conscious mind can “know” information that it has not received through the five senses. This is the point at which we are psychic.

However, as we mature, we're taught to slam a door of ignorance and disbelief on our “normal” consciousness and our psychic mind. If this training is successful, the free interchange of information between our two minds is functionally ended. Our psychic mind can then freely communicate with us only in dreams.

At times, our conscious mind gives way and allows a bit of information to come through from the psychic mind. This is the explanation for “hunches” and “intuition.” These two words refer to psychic information unexpectedly (and unknowingly) obtained by the conscious mind from its submerged twin.

There are psychics among us, those who have free access to this source of information. These individuals have never lost their natural psychic talent, or have trained themselves to contact their psychic mind.

I don't know exactly how psychic awareness works, but I've seen far too many examples of it to deny its existence. Several years ago, I walked into my apartment in the afternoon. A friend of mine who was staying with me at the time looked at me, smiled, and told me that I'd just eaten lunch, where I'd eaten, and what I'd consumed. These weren't guesses. This was knowledge. And it was quite correct.

Though this may be a minor bit of psychic awareness, it's an example of why I've come to accept it as a real phenomenon of the human experience. Psychics can, indeed, know things that the rest of us do not.

That's fine for them, you may be asking yourself. But what about us? This chapter contains foods and dishes which, if properly prepared and eaten, will enhance your ability to tune into your psychic mind. They'll break down the barrier between your two consciousnesses, giving you access to a new source of information.

In order to enjoy the maximum benefits of this diet, attend courses on psychic development at nearby stores or learning centers. Or, read good books on the subject and practice the exercises that the authors give you.
‡‡‡‡‡

Another way to speed your development is to use psychic tools. Many find tarot cards to be a wonderful means of sparking psychic awareness. Work with a pack that you like; allow its symbolism to reopen the door to your psychic mind.

Remember: you were born psychic. Everyone is “gifted” in this way. If you wish to be psychic tomorrow, you must begin to work today. Eat these foods. Attend classes and read books. Slowly, you'll discover a whole new world around you, and psychic awareness will once again be a natural part of who you are.

Spices and Herbs

Add sparingly to food. Or, crumble a bay leaf between your fingers, visualizing yourself as a fully functioning psychic person. Smell its rich aroma and add to a soup.

Roses are a wonderful food. See the end of this chapter for recipes.

Vegetables

Bamboo shoots

Celery

Mushrooms

Soy bean sprouts

Stir-fry bamboo shoots, mushrooms, sprouts, and tofu. Add a bit of garlic for flavor. These make a wonderful psychic meal.

Other Psychic Awareness Foods

Coconut

Dandelion coffee (made from the roasted roots)

Fish

Fresh flowers

Fresh juices

Mulberry

Peppermint tea

Shellfish

Soup of all kinds (except potato)

Sprouted bread

Sushi

Tofu

Vegetable soup

Foods to Avoid

Alcohol

Caffeine products (colas, coffee, tea, chocolate)

Meat

Root crops (potatoes, peanuts, carrots, etc.)

Salt

Preparing and Cooking Psychic Awareness Foods

Burn blue candles in the kitchen. Cut food into circles or spheres.

It's best
not
to eat directly before contacting your psychic mind. Generally, eating “closes down” our psychic awareness. Eat after psychic work for best results, especially if you're eating nonpsychism-inducing foods; or eat lightly.

Recipes

Psychic Rose Ice Cream

1
⁄
2
cup fresh red rose petals

1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened but not melted

3
⁄
8
cup red wine

1
⁄
8
cup rose water

1 tablespoon powdered sugar

12 candied red rose petals (see following recipe)

Use roses that have not been sprayed with insecticides. Choose petals that are free of dirt and insect nibblings. Wash thoroughly in cold water. Drain on paper towels or bamboo racks.

Using a small pair of scissors, snip off the white base of each petal. Place prepared rose petals into a measuring cup; stop when you have half a cup. Visualize yourself as a psychic person as you work.

Place prepared rose petals, wine, rose water, and sugar into a blender. Process for one minute. Turn out softened ice cream into a bowl. Add red wine–rose water–sugar mixture to ice cream. While still visualizing, stir clockwise until blended.

Pour mixture into an icecube tray and set in freezer. Stir once or twice to mix during freezing process. Let freeze overnight.

To serve, scoop into glasses. Top each serving with candied rose petals:

Candied Rose Petals

2 cups fresh red rose petals

1 egg white

1 cup granulated sugar

Visualize throughout.

Wash rose petals. Snip off white bases. Drain and dry.

Slightly beat the egg white. Dip each rose petal into the egg-white until moistened. Next, sprinkle the sugar over each petal until evenly coated. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Repeat until all roses have been prepared.

Dry in the sun or in a warm oven of 250°F (120°C) until petals are stiff and crystallized.

Cut out pieces of waxed paper. Lay one in the bottom of a tin canister. Place one layer of rose petals on this. Repeat. Store in a cool, dry place.

Rose Honey

1 cup fresh rose petals (prepared as in Psychic Rose Ice Cream)

2 cups honey

Visualize as you prepare the roses. Place the honey into a glass saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add the petals. Simmer for about 9 minutes; remove from the fire. Cover with a cloth and let sit for 24 hours.

Bring to a boil again over medium heat. Strain through a coffee filter into a glass jar with a close-fitting lid. Tighten lid well. Let sit for 3 days.

Serve with sprout bread for a psychic-inducing food.

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