Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (28 page)

Mail-order Resources

M
ost of the food items mentioned in this book are available in supermarkets and at larger grocery stores. Even exotic foods such as kiwi fruits, carambola, and mangos are now being shipped throughout the country. Crystallized ginger, saffron, fresh herbs, and Asian food specialty items can be found in many supermarkets. Nuts, whole grains, seaweed, fresh juices, and tofu are available in health food stores.

But some ingredients can be hard to find, so I've included this appendix. These establishments sell herbs, spices, food products, and prepared foods by mail. Catalog prices and information were accurate as of the time of this writing, but changes do occur.

Please note: none of these businesses make magical or “supernatural” claims for their products, and you need not mention what you'll be doing with them.

For updated information regarding mail-order sources of exotic foods and spices, see the latest issues of the food magazines listed below. Most bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble, B. Dalton's, and Waldenbooks carry most of them. If you can't find these titles, write directly to the magazines for current subscription information.

Magazines

Bon Appetit

Chocolatier

Cook's

Gourmet

Chile Pepper Magazine

Mail Order

Aphrodisia

282 Bleeker St.

New York, NY 10018

Dried herbs and spices.

Bueno Food Products

1224 Airway Drive, S.W.

Albuquerque, NM 87105

Blue corn products.

Enchantments, Inc.

341 E. 9th St.

New York, NY 10003

Enchantments sells herbs and spices.

Hawaiian Plantatians

1311 Kalakaua Avenue

Honolulu, HI 96826

(800) 367-2177

Passion fruit (
liliko'i
) jelly; guava jelly; exotic mustards and honeys; papaya seed dressing; macadamia nuts; cookies, fudge, and desserts.

Jaffe Bros.

Valley Center, CA 92082

Natural foods, untreated dried fruits, nuts, seeds grains, unrefined oils, beans.

Mauna Loa Macadamia nuts

S.R. Box 3, Volcano Highway

Hilo, HI 96720

(808) 966-9301

Macadamia nuts in every conceivable form. Pick some up while you're in Hawaii.

Pendery's

304 East Belknap

Fort Worth, TX 76102

(800) 533-1870

Pendery's offers a large selection of spices and herbs (including saffron), chili peppers, kitchen accessories, and unique blends.

Spellbound

455 Broad St.

Bloomfield, NJ 07003

Herbs, spices, candles, and many other magical items.

Spice Merchant

Box 524

Jackson Hole, WY 83001

(307) 733-7811

Offers unusual and hard-to-find Chinese, Japanese, Thai, and Indonesian food ingredients. Also has bamboo shoots, true saffron, sliced mango, coconut milk, and many other exotic foods.

[contents]

Glossary

B
old words within each discussion refer to other related entries in this glossary.

Akasha:
The fifth element; the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the universe. It is the energy out of which the elements formed.

Aphrodisiac:
An organic substance thought to produce sexual excitement.

b.c.e.
:
Before Common Era; the nonreligious equivalent of
b.c.

c.e.
:
Common Era; the nonreligious equivalent of
a.d.

Conscious mind
: The societally controlled, intellectual, theorizing, materialistic half of the human mind that is at work during everyday activities. Compare with
psychic mind.

Curse:
A conscious direction of negative energy toward a person, place, or thing. Contrary to popular belief, curses are rare. Also known as “psychic attack.”

Divination:
The magical act of discovering the unknown by interpreting seemingly random patterns or symbols through the use of such tools as clouds, tarot cards, flames, or smoke. Divination contacts the
psychic mind
by tricking (or drowsing) the
conscious mind
through
ritual
and the observation of, or the use of, tools. Divination isn't necessary for those who can easily attain communication with the psychic mind, though they may practice it.

Elements:
Earth, air, fire, and water. These four essences are the building blocks of the universe. Everything that exists (or that has the potential to exist) contains one or more of these energies. The elements hum within ourselves and are also at large in the world. They can be utilized to cause change through
magic.
The four elements formed from the primal essence, or power—
akasha.

Energy, energies:
A general term for the currently unmeasureable (but real) power that exists within all natural objects and beings—including our own bodies. To many, this energy stems from the divine source of all that exists. It is used in
folk magic
rituals.

Evil eye:
The glance said to be capable of causing great harm (even death) that was once almost universally feared. It is supposedly an unconscious curse.

Folk magic:
The practice of using
personal power
as well as the energies within natural objects such as food, crystals, and herbs to cause needed change.

Food magic:
The utilization of the
energies
naturally inherent in foods to manifest specific personal transformations. Certain foods are chosen for their energies, and are ritually prepared and eaten to introduce these energies into the magician's body.
Visualization
is necessary to activate the energies inside the foods, as well as to prepare the diner to accept them.

Great Mother, The:
The timeless female source; the creatress; the nurturing, nourishing, fertile force of the universe. One form of the Goddess, linked with agriculture and the bounties of the earth.

Grounding:
The process of temporarily shutting off psychic awareness and reorienting the awareness to the material world.

“Luck, good”:
An individual's ability to make timely, correct decisions, to perform correct actions, and to place herself or himself in positive situations. “Bad luck” stems from ignorance and an unwillingness to accept self-responsibility.

Magic:
The movement of natural
energies
(such as
personal power
) to create needed change. Energy exists within all things: ourselves, foods, plants, stones, colors, sounds, movements. Magic is the process of “rousing” or of building up this energy, giving it purpose (through
visualization
), and releasing it to create a change. This is a natural, not supernatural, process, though it is little understood.

Meditation:
Reflection, contemplation, turning inward toward the self or outward toward deity or nature. A quiet time in which the practitioner may dwell upon particular thoughts or symbols, or allow them to come unbidden.

Pagan:
From the Latin
paganus,
a “villager,” a “country-dweller.” Today, the word is used as a general term for followers of Wicca as well as other shamanistic, polytheistic, and magic-embracing religions. Pagans aren't Satanists, dangerous, or “evil.”

Pentagram:
The basic five-pointed star, visualized with one point upward. The pentagram represents the five senses; the elements (earth, air, fire, water, and akasha); the hand, and the human body, among other things. It is a protective symbol known to have been in use since the days of old Babylon. Today, it is frequently associated with Wicca. The pentagram is also a symbol of the element of earth and, hence, of money.

Personal power:
The energy that sustains our bodies. We first absorb it from our biological mother within the womb, and later from food, water, sunlight, and other natural objects. We release personal power during movement, exercise, sex, conception, childbirth, thought, and magic.

Psychic attack:
See
Curse.

Psychic mind:
The subconscious, or unconscious, mind in which we receive psychic impulses. The psychic mind is at work when we sleep, dream, and meditate.
Divination
is a ritual process designed to contact the psychic mind. Intuition is a term used to describe psychic information that unexpectedly reaches the conscious mind.
Psychism
describes the state in which information from the psychic mind is available to the conscious mind.

Psychism:
The act of being consciously psychic.

Ritual:
Ceremony. A specific form of movement, manipulation of objects, or inner process designed to produce specific results. In religion, ritual is geared toward union with the divine. In magic, it is a series of simple actions (both external and internal) that allow the magician to move energy toward needed goals. A spell is a magical ritual.

Visualization:
The process of forming mental images. Magical visualization consists of forming images of needed goals during
ritual.
Visualization is also used to direct
personal power
and natural
energies
during
magic
for various purposes. It is a function of the
conscious mind.

Wicca:
A contemporary
Pagan
religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature as a manifestation of the divine. Wicca views deity as Goddess and God; thus it is polytheistic. It also embraces the practice of
magic
and reincarnation. Many Wiccans identify themselves with the word
Witch.

Witch:
Anciently, a European practitioner of the remnants of pre-Christian folk magic, especially herb magic. One who practiced
Witchcraft.
This term's meaning was later deliberately altered to denote demented, dangerous, supernatural beings who practiced destructive magic and who threatened Christianity. This was a political, financial, and sexist move on the part of organized religion. Though this negative meaning is still currently accepted by many non-Witches, it doesn't describe Witches themselves, who simply practice nonthreatening, love-charged
folk magic.
The term Witch is also used by members of
Wicca
to describe themselves.

Witchcraft:
The craft of a Witch; magic, especially magic utilizing
personal power
in conjunction with the energies, within foods, stones, herbs, colors, and other natural objects (See
folk magic
). From this definition, Witchcraft isn't a religion. Many followers of the
Pagan
religion of
Wicca,
however, use
Witchcraft
and
Wicca
interchangeably to describe their religion.

[contents]

Bibliography

N
umbers preceding each work are those used in notes throughout this book. This is a partial list of the most important sources consulted during the research portion of the preparation of
Cunnigham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen.

1 Abel, Ernest L.,
Alcohol: Wordlore and Folklore.
Buffalo: Prometheus Books, 1987. A fascinating excursion into the surprising etymologies of common words and their connections with alcohol. Historical backgrounds of alcoholic beverages.

2 Abella, Alex,
The Total Banana.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Jovanovich, 1979. A compendium of banana lore: its history, ritual and culinary uses. Printed on yellow paper.

3 Aero, Rita,
Things Chinese.
Garden City (New York): Dolphin, 1980. Rituals and lore associated with Chinese foods.

4 Bailey, Adrian,
The Blessings of Bread.
New York: Paddington Press, 1975. The history of bread from antiquity to the present. Very well illustrated and researched.

5 Baker, Margaret,
Folklore and Customs of Rural England.
Totowa (New Jersey): Rowman & Littlefield, 1974. General English food magic.

6 Barnes, A. C.,
The Sugar Cane.
New York: John Wiley and Sons, 1974. This exhaustive study of sugar cultivation begins with a chapter discussing the history of sugar.

7 Beckwith, Martha,
Hawaiian Mythology.
Honolulu: University Press of Hawaii, 1979. Ancient symbolism of Hawaiian and Polynesian foods, including fish, coconuts and bananas. Food rituals and superstitions.

8 Best, Michael, and Frank H. Brightman (editors),
The Book of Secrets of Albertus Magnus of the Virtues of Herbs, Stones, and Certain Beasts.
London: Oxford University Press, 1973. Food magic is scattered throughout the text.

9 Bunzel, Ruth, “Psychology of the Pueblo Potter” in
Primitive Heritage,
edited by Margaret Mead and Nicolas Calas. New York: Random House, 1953. Ritual uses of clay pots.

10 Burland, C. A.,
The Gods of Mexico.
New York: Putnam's, 1967. Corn and pulque information.

11 Burkhardt, V. R.,
Chinese Creeds and Customs.
Four volumes bound as one. Golden Mountain Publishers: Taipei (China), 1971. Reprint. Hong Kong: South Morning China Post Ltd., 1982. A glorious introduction to Chinese ritual and beliefs, well-spiced with food lore.

12 Busenbark, Ernest,
Symbols, Sex and the Stars in Popular Beliefs.
New York: Truth Seeker Company, 1948. Speculations regarding the religious uses of food in the ancient world. Not entirely reliable.

13 Carpenter, Edward,
Pagan and Christian Creeds.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1920. Vegetative deities and pre-Christian food magic.

14 Clebert, Jean-Paul,
The Gypsies.
Harmondsworth (Eng-land): Penguin Books, 1967. This intriguing look at continental Gypsies includes some food lore.

15 Clifford, Terry, and Sam Antupit,
Cures.
New York: Macmillan, 1980. Various foods are mentioned in this book of traditional healing practices, many of which are magical.

16 Cochrane, Peggy,
The Witch Doctor's Cookbook.
Sherman Oaks (California): Sherman Press, 1984. I love the title of this work, a collection of exotic recipes from around the world. No magic, lore, or mythology is included.

17 Connell, Charles,
Aphrodisiacs in Your Garden.
New York: Taplinger Press, 1966. A tongue-in-cheek guide to growing and using purportedly aphrodisiac plants.

18 Corum, Ann Kondo,
Folk Wisdom from Hawaii.
Honolulu: Bess Press, 1985. A charming compilation of Polynesian, Asian, and Hawaiian folklore, some of which is food related.

19 Cost, Bruce,
Ginger East to West.
Berkeley: Aris Press, 1984. An exhaustive look at ginger, this work contains numerous recipes as well as Chinese ginger folklore.

20 Culpeper, Nicholas,
The English Physician.
London: 1652. Lore relating to some plants used as food can be found in this classic, though medicinally unreliable, source.

21 Cushing, Frank Hamilton, “Zuni Breadstuff” in
Primitive Heritage,
edited by Margaret Mead and Nicolas Calas. New York: Random House, 1953. Zuni lore concerning corn and pots.

22 Daniels, Cora Linn (editor),
Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore and the Occult Sciences of the World.
Three volumes. Detroit: Gale Research Co., 1971. The magical dualities of food are included in this massive work.

23 Darby, William J, Paul Ghalioungui, and Louis Grivetti,
Food: The Gift of Osiris.
Two volumes. New York: Academic Press, 1977. An exhaustive study of food in ancient Egypt. Documented in formation regarding specific foods and their use in Egyptian religion and magic. The ultimate source in this area.

24 Delaporte, L.,
Mesopotamia: The Babylonian and Assyrian Civilization.
New York: Knopf, 1925. Food offerings.

25 De Lys, Claudia,
A Treasury of American Superstitions.
New York: Philosophical Library, 1948. The chapter entitled “Give Us This Day” examines food superstitions.

26 Diamond, Denise,
Living With the Flowers.
New York: Quill, 1882. Flower cookery and much else of interest.

27 Emboden, William A.,
Bizarre Plants.
New York: Macmillian, 1974. Truffles.

28 Emboden, William A., “Plant Hypnotics Among the North American Indians” in
American Folk Medicine.
Ed. Wayland D. Hand. Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. Absinthe.

29 Farb, Peter, and George Armelagos,
Consuming Passions: The Anthropology of Eating.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1980. An indispensible look at food throughout history. Numerous food rituals are included. Fascinating.

30 Ferm, Vergilius,
A Brief Dictionary of American Superstitions.
New York: Philosophical Library, 1959. Food customs and lore.

31 Fielding, William J,
Strange Customs of Courtship and Marriage.
New York: Permabooks, 1949. Wedding cake and culinary plant symbolism.

32 Flower, Barbara, and Elisabeth Rosenbaum (translators),
The Roman Cookery Book: A Critical Translation of
The Art of Cooking by Apicius.
London: George G. Harrap & Co., 1958. The oldest extant cookbook, filled with unusual and somewhat unappetizing Roman recipes. Of interest simply to show that food fashions do indeed change. Aphrodisiacs.

33 Ford, Richard I., “Communication Networks and Information Hierarchies in Native American Folk Medicine: Tewa Pueblos, New Mexico” in
American Folk Medicine.
Ed. Wayland D. Hand. Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. Corn meal, tamales and pine nuts.

34 Fox, Helen Morganthau,
Gardening with Herbs for Flavor and Fragrance.
New York: Macmillan, 1933. Herb cookery and lore.

35 Friend, Hilderic,
Flower Lore.
1883. Reprint. Rockport (Massachusetts): Para Research, 1981. Intriguing legends and rituals of diets.

36 Gerard, John,
Gerard's Herbal: The Essence Thereof Distilled by Marcus Woodward.
London: Spring Books, 1964. Magical properties of foods are included in this condensed version of Gerard's classic herbal.

37 Goldsmith, Elizabeth,
Ancient Pagan Symbols.
New York: G. Putnam's Sons, 1929. Reprint. New York: AMS Press, 1973. Foods and ancient divinities.

38 Gonzalez-Wippler, Migene,
Rituals and Spells of Santeria.
Bronx (New York): Original Publications, 1984. Foods associated with various Santerian deities.

39 Gordon, Jean,
The Art of Cooking With Roses.
New York: Walker and Company, 1968. A useful guide to this pleasant art.

40 Gordon, Lesley,
The Mystery and Magic of Trees and Flowers.
Exeter (England): Webb and Bower, 1985. Plant lore is included in this ritzy little book.

41 Goulart, Frances Sheridan,
The Caffeine Book: A User's and Abuser's Guide.
New York: Dodd, Mead and Company, 1984. This indepth survey of the use, abuse, and physiological effects of caffeine includes valuable information relating to coffee, tea, and chocolate.

42 Granger, Byrd Howell, “Some Aspects of Folk Medicine Among Spanish-Speaking People in Southern Arizona” in
American Folk Medicine.
Editor Wayland D. Hand. Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. The magical uses of eggs.

43 Graves, Robert,
The White Goddess.
New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1976. Food lore and magic is interspersed throughout this poetic study of the eternal Goddess.

44 Haining, Peter,
Superstitions.
London: Sidgwick and Jackson, 1979. Food superstitions and rituals.

45 Hand, Wayland D., (editor),
American Folk Medicine: A Symposium.
Los Angeles and Berkeley: University of California Press, 1976. These proceedings from the UCLA Conference on American Folk Medicine cover a wide range of topics related to food magic. An intelligent and immensely satisfying “read.”

46 Hand, Wayland D., Anna Cassetta, and Sondra B. Theiderman (editors),
Popular Beliefs and Superstitions: A Compendium of American Folklore.
Three volumes. Boston: G. K. Hall, 1981. Various aspects of food lore and culinary superstition are included in this monumental work.

47 Handy, E. S. Craighill, and Mary Kawena Pukui,
The Polynesian Family System in Ka-u, Hawaii.
Rutland (Vermont): Tuttle, 1972. Sugar magic and lore in old Hawaii.

48 Hansen, Barbara, “An Earthly Delight.”
The Los Angeles Times Home Magazine,
October 22, 1978. Day of the Dead celebrations.

49 Henle, Zack,
Cooking With Flowers.
Los Angeles: Price! Stern/Sloan, 1971. A short book filled with simple recipes utilizing flowers.

50 Hishijo, Kathy,
Kathy Cooks . . . Naturally.
Honolulu: The Self-Sufficiency Association, 1981. A remarkable guide to using natural foods and exotic fruits. A thousand recipes are included.

51 Hooke, S. H.,
Babylonian and Assyrian Religion.
Norman (Oklahoma): University of Oklahoma Press, 1963. Foods used as offerings in ancient times.

52 Jaine, Tom and Nicholas Campion,
Cosmic Cuisine,
San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1988. This astrological cookbook contains numerous tidbits of food magic. It also relates foods to the signs of the zodiac and the planets. Stunning full-color photographs of well-styled dishes.

53 Jensen, Bernard,
Foods That Heal.
Garden City Park (New York): Avery Publishing Company, 1988. Nutritional and historic information about basic foods.

54 Joya, Mock,
Quaint Customs and Manners of Japan.
Tokyo:
Superstitions, festivals, and customs, many of which involve food.

55 Kamm, Minnie Watson,
Old Time Herbs for Northern Gardens.
Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 1938. Much food and herb lore from bygone days.

56 Keller, Mitzie Stuart,
Mysterious Herbs and Roots: Ancient Secrets for Beautie, Health, Magick, Prevention and Youth.
Culver City (California): Peace Press, 1978. A fascinating compilation filled with age-old food magic.

57 Kenyon, Theda,
Witches Still Live.
New York: Ives Wash burn, 1929. This “modern” book of folklore and magic contains some references to food.

58 Kepler, Kay,
Hawaiian Heritage Plants.
Honolulu: Oriental Publishing Co., 1983. Lore and uses of Polynesian diets.

59 Krutch, Joseph Wood,
Herbal.
Boston: David R. Godine, 1965. The magical associations of plants are included in this work.

60 Leach, Maria,
The Soup Stone: The Magic of Familiar Things.
London: Mayflower, 1954. Salt and turmeric lore; a look at the mysteries of pots and utensils.

61 Leach, Maria (editor),
Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend.
New York: Funk and Wagnall's, 1972. A treasury of food lore and magic.

62 Leland, Charles Godfrey,
Gypsy Sorcery and Fortune Telling.
New Hyde Park (New York): University Books, 1963. European apple and egg lore.

63 Leyel, C. F.,
The Magic of Herbs.
New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1926. Reprint. Toronto: Coles, 1981. Many unusual recipes are found in this book.

64 Leyel, C. F. (editor),
A Modern Herbal.
Two volumes. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Company, 1931. Reprint. New York: Dover, 1971. Some food lore is included in this classic work.

65 Lu, Henry C.,
Chinese System of Food Cures, Prevention and Remedies.
New York: Sterling, 1986. An introduction to the use of food as medicine. Fascinating.

66 Malbrough, Ray,
Charms, Spells and Formulas.
St. Paul: Llewellyn Publications, 1985. Some Cajun food magic is included.

67 Malbrough, Ray,
Wildflowers of Louisiana and Their Ritual Uses.
Unpublished paper, 1988. Magical uses of diets.

68 Maple, Eric,
Superstition and the Superstitious.
Hollywood: Wilshire Book Company, 1973. British and American food customs.

69 Manniche, Lise,
An Ancient Egyptian Herbal.
Austin: University of Texas Press, 1989. Egyptian uses of diets.

70 Marquis, Vivienne, and Patricia Haskell,
The Cheese Book.
New York: Fireside, 1965. Cheese lore in antiquity.