Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Festival Foods

F
ood has played a significant role in human celebrations of all kinds. In earlier times, the earth and its bounty were connected with goddesses and gods. Fruit, seed, root, and flower were all manifestations of divinity.

Throughout Western Europe, the times of planting, flowering, maturation, and harvest were observed by the common folk with festivals that celebrated the fertility of the land. Foods came to be associated with certain seasons and days. Some of this old food lore has survived to this day in a suitably whitewashed form.
§§

The human diet was once routine and unimaginative. Grain cooked in every conceivable manner made up the bulk of the food consumed by persons who sometimes worked sixteen hours a day just to survive. Save for the upper classes, meat was a luxury.

Specific days of the year, however, were set aside for riotous feasting. Every resource was called upon to provide a memorable meal or two that lingered in the mind until the next feast day.

These days were largely determined by astronomical phenomena and agricultural cycles, which were and still are closely linked. Planting and harvesting prompted the people to feast, as did the coming of spring, summer, fall, and winter. Persons living in harmony with the earth used its seasons as a natural calendar that structured their otherwise routine lives.

These festivals were more than times of heavy eating after the work had been finished. Such feasting revels were religious as well as secular in nature. In the frenzied baking, cooking, and eating was a real thanksgiving to the mysterious powers that created and watched over the fertility of the earth.

Only on such spiritual days (and nights) did the people expand their diets to include all manner of festive foods. Only then could they truly enjoy the fruits of their intensive food-producing labors.

These festival days are still with us. Some of them are sacred in the old Pagan sense of the word (see
glossary
). Others are seemingly secular rites with religious roots. This chapter is a guide to food magic throughout the year, with suggestions of dishes we can eat on feast days that attune us with the energies at work within the earth.

If you decide to prepare and eat any of these foods, do so with the meaning of the holiday in mind. Remember that these dishes link us with the endless cycle of the earth's fertility. Eat with knowledge and peace.

Most of these celebrations actually began on the night before the festival date. This originated during the age of lunar calendars. Beltane rituals, for example, were performed on April thirtieth and continued into the actual day itself. This practice dates to the time when lunar calendars were observed.

We'll begin our journey at the festival of Yule.

Yule

(circa December 21)

Yule—the winter solstice—is an old solar ritual that has been preserved in the Christian observance of Christmas. Its origins lie deep in the past, in the Mediterranean lands of the sun. The birthday of Mithras, an ancient solar deity, was celebrated on the winter solstice. Later, this holiday was brought to Europe, and an astonishing collection of folk rituals became associated with it.

Yule occurs during the depths of winter. Though some of us live beyond the reach of snow flurries and zero-degree temperatures, this is still the season in which the earth pauses to regenerate herself for the coming spring.

This holiday (holy day; sacred day) astronomically marks the waning of winter. After the winter solstice, the hours of light increase each day. Therefore, Yule is associated with the returning warmth of the sun.

Before the intercontinental shipment of food, this precious substance was usually meager at Yule. Most of it was preserved, dried in the sun; salted; put up in crocks; submerged in honey; buried in the earth; kept covered in baskets; or laid in the snow for natural refrigeration. Because of its scarcity, food was given a high degree of sacralness.

Over the centuries and in various countries, a wide variety of foods have been associated with Yule. Here are a few of them.

Apples are sacred foods, associated with many ancient deities (see
chapter 11
). Earlier peoples hung apples on Yule trees (the forerunners of the modern Christmas tree) to symbolize the continuing fertility of the earth. Mulled apple cider is a fine drink to sip on Yule while watching the fire. Any dishes that contain apples are also appropriate, as is wassail.

Gingerbread is the modern version of ancient cakes made of grain and honey, which were offered as sacrifices to the goddesses and gods at Yule. These cakes were also buried with the dead to ensure the passage of their souls into the other world.

When ginger was introduced into Europe from Asia, it was soon incorporated into the ritual Yule cake. This was the origin of gingerbread. Though ginger was once more expensive than diamonds, this spice is now easily within reach of us all.

You may wish to create a gingerbread house at Yule. If so, make it in the image of your own home. If this isn't possible, visualize your home while mixing, baking, forming, and decorating the house. See your household filled with warmth, love, and happiness—all gifts of ginger and the sun. Eat the house on Yule, sharing it with others who live under your roof, and invite its loving energies into yourself.

Cookies are standard Yule fare. If you wish to make the ubiquitous sugar cookies, cut them into shapes associated with the season: circles (symbolic of the sun); bells (originally used to drive away evil in pre-Christian times); stars (for protection against negativity); and, of course, trees (representing the continuing fertility of the earth during winter). For more cookie lore, see
chapter 9
.

The idea of creating and eating specially shaped desserts on Yule isn't new. Prehistoric graves in northern Europe contain cakes modeled in the rough shapes of deities, animals, suns, stars, and moons, and these cakes may have been consumed at the winter solstice in those frigid regions.

The New Year

(January 1)

Many cultures celebrate the New Year, but not always on the same date. Japanese and Chinese New Year festivals, for example, fall on different days each year (according to our calendar). The pre-Christian cultures of Europe didn't always celebrate New Year's on January 1. It has been observed on the evening of November 1 and at Yule. The actual date matters little, for the rituals performed at the beginning of the New Year remain quite similar.

New Year's was once a time full of magic. Many of the old customs concerned food and its abundance. Past concerns and cares were ritualistically swept away, and good was invited into the home. It was once thought that whatever occurred on the first day of the year forecast the next 364 days, and people acted accordingly.

In the United States, many people eat cabbage on New Year's Day. It is often cooked with a small piece of silver. The green color of the vegetable, along with the silver, ensures plenty of food and money in the coming year.
46, 66

Black-eyed peas are another traditional favorite for “luck” in the New Year, particularly in the southern United States. Carrots eaten on the first day ensure a sweet year.
46

An old ritual: on New Year's Eve, place a loaf of bread and a penny on a table. Leave overnight. This will provide plenty to eat in the coming year.

Be sure to have a well-stocked pantry at this time.

Imbolc

(February 2)

Imbolc is an old festival connected with the coming of spring and the growing warmth of the sun. In some areas of Europe, this day marked the emergence of a few brave plants from beneath the snow. As such, Imbolc was an occasion for feasting.

Because the sun was usually seen as the source of the earth's fertility, Imbolc (known in Catholicism as Candlemas) was a solar festival. Practitioners of pre-Christian religions lit fires and carried torches in ceremonial processions to urge the sun's “return.”

Appropriate foods for Imbolc are spicy and hot, in honor of the Sun. Those utilizing garlic and chili peppers are suitable, as are curried dishes.

Ostara

(circa March 21)

Ostara, the spring solstice, marks the astronomical start of spring. This was a time of joyous celebration, for the killing months of winter were over. Plants sprang from the ground in ways that seemed miraculous to our ancestors.

Because the burgeoning growth hasn't yet fruited, sprouts are very appropriate. Seeds of any kind (including pine nuts, sesame, poppy, sunflower, and pumpkin) and green, leafy vegetables also vibrate with the season's energies.

Flower dishes are also traditional. Rose, mustard, squash blossom, nasturtium, carnation—all can be added to more conventional dishes to bring the flavor and energies of the season into your diet. Never use flowers that have been sprayed with pesticides.

Eggs are a welcome addition to the diet. If you wish, color them red, yellow, and gold in honor of the sun. Flavor foods with sage for good health.

Beltane

(May 1)

We still observe May Day, a contemporary version of an ancient European Pagan religious celebration. In earlier times, Beltane was connected with the dairy, and so ice cream, yogurt, cheese, custard, quiche, and all other dairy foods are appropriate fare.

Oatmeal cookies and oatmeal bread also fit the symbolism of Beltane, the high point of spring. This customary food comes from Scotland. Many centuries ago, oatmeal cakes known as bannocks were used in Scottish rituals.

May wine is a tasty drink. It is made from white wine, fresh woodruff, and strawberries.

Midsummer

(circa June 21)

The summer solstice is an ancient time of magic. Great fires were lit on hilltops in honor of the zenith of the sun's strength.

Fresh fruits (which are increasingly available as autumn nears) are fine midsummer foods, as are any dishes that use fruit as a major ingredient.

In keeping with the heat of this holiday, flaming foods are also appropriate.

Lughnasadh

(August 1)

Lughnasadh is the first harvest—the promise of spring's planting realized. Sometimes known as the Feast of Bread, Lughnasadh is a time for kneading, baking, slicing, and eating this basic food. Lughnasadh originally marked the first-harvest festivals of earlier European peoples, for whom it didn't fall on a specific date.

Prepare a few whole-grain loaves on this day if you make your own bread. For something simpler, yet in keeping with the energies at work, make some corn bread.

Other traditional foods include all berries, crab apples, and grains. Barley soup, popcorn, and even beer (due to its ingredients) are also appropriate foods.

Mabon

(circa September 21)

Mabon marks the second harvest. The bounty of nature is dwindling. Earth begins to pull her fertility from the land. Humans and wild animals alike scramble to gather as much food as possible in preparation for the hard winter ahead.

Grains are appropriate for Mabon—particularly corn. Corn chowder, boiled ears of corn, and creamed corn fit Mabon symbolism well.

Beans, squash, and all other fall vegetables are also perfect for this festival.

Samhain

(November 1)

This ancient Celtic festival lives on in the United States and in other countries as Halloween, a degraded version of both the earlier Pagan holiday as well as the later Christian variant—All Hallow's Eve. The word “eve” in the Christian name reminds us that this festival begins the night before its calendar date.

Samhain marks the close of the year. Skies may still be blue, but the wind is chilly and crisp. Apples are ripening. Red, yellow, orange, gold, and brown leaves skip across the ground. Nuts fall. The earth prepares for winter.

On this night, the souls of the dead were thought to walk the earth. All manner of fantastic customs and rituals were carried out on Samhain. One of these has continued to the present day. Many people leave a plate of food outside the home to provide nourishment to the souls of the dead.

Samhain foods include root crops such as potatoes, beets, turnips, and carrots. Grain, nuts, mulled wines, and ciders are also appropriate to Samhain.

In the United States, the pumpkin is the one food most frequently associated with this holiday. This vegetable, a squash, is usually served in the form of pumpkin pie. Many cookbooks also have recipes for pumpkin custard, pumpkin soup, and other dishes. Roasted pumpkin seeds are perfect Samhain fare.

Pomegranate seeds are linked with Samhain due to their connection with the underworld in classical mythology. They can be eaten raw or used in a variety of recipes. Apple dishes of all kinds—cakes, pies, salads—are also consumed with relish on the night of Samhain.

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Part Two

the magic
of food

Introduction to the Magic of Food

E
ach chapter in this section discusses a specific type of food. I use this format rather than my usual alphabetical listing because foods naturally fall into tidy groups. Those few that refused to be pigeonholed have been thrown together into
chapter 15
. Aside from this, the format is much the same as that used in my other books. Generally speaking, each listing contains the following information:

Common name,
usually in English.

Specific name,
in Latin, the nomenclature used by scientists around the world.

Ruling planet,
one of the seven “planets” known to the ancients. Briefly, each plant (and food) is thought to be governed by a heavenly body. This ancient system of magical correspondence is one method of grouping foods. Knowledge of a food's planetary ruler provides information concerning its magical uses. See part four for descriptions of the energies of the sun, moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. By the way, I'm aware that the sun and the earth's moon aren't planets. But early skywatchers didn't know this. The sun and the moon were included in what they called the “wanderers”—the planets.

Ruling elemen
t,
simply another method of classifying items used in magic. The powers of the elements—earth, air, fire, and water—are discussed in part four.

Energies,
each food's dominant energies and, thus, its magical uses.

Lore,
historical, mythological, cultural, ritual, and magical uses of the food. Uses listed in this section aren't necessarily recommended. I've included bits of historical information to remind us of the importance of these foods in earlier times.

Magical uses,
or the specific changes that can be brought about with each food, and suggestions on usage.

I feel it necessary to mention that food magic is a personal art. If a food isn't mentioned here, look in the listings in
part four
, or use common sense and intuition to determine its magical properties.

Here are some clues:

—Is the food spicy? If so, it's probably protective.

—Is the food citrusy? Purification is probably its best magical use.

—Is the food sweet? Loving energies are probably locked inside it.

Once you begin to think of foods from a magician's view, the process of determining their magical uses becomes second nature.

Some magicians will quibble about my selections for planetary and elemental rulers of certain foods, and will even point out that in previous books I've made different selections. Isn't it cut-and-dried?

No. After twenty years of study and practice, I'm still learning. As I increase my knowledge of the uses of plants (particularly diets) and of the dishes in which they're used, I may reassign some foods based on this expanded knowledge.

It isn't wrong to say that carrots are ruled by Venus, or that bay leaves are better suited to Mars, but I choose to place them under the rulership of different planets. Don't be confused by such seeming inaccuracies. They are minor matters. Just read, visualize, eat, and enjoy the fruits of food magic.
¶¶

Some of the chapters, such as
chapter 16
, aren't quite arranged in the fashion described here. Please be flexible.

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