Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (12 page)

The fruit is about the size of an egg, and is usually purple and wrinkled when ripe. Each fruit produces less than a tablespoon of juice. Fresh passion fruits are sold in many markets in the United States.

Magical uses:
Known as
liliko'i
in Hawaii, passion fruit produces an exquisitely tart juice. When diluted and sweetened, its taste becomes rich and mysterious.

Add passion fruit to love diets. Fortunately, passion fruit juice is currently a popular flavoring ingredient in mixed “tropical punches,” and so some form of passion fruit is readily available.

The sweetened juice is also drunk for peace.

Peach

(Prunus persica)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Love, health, happiness, wisdom

Lore:
The famous Chinese heroine Ho Hsien-Ku, who lived in the seventh century
c.e.
, was transformed into a fairy by eating a supernatural peach. Thereafter she lived on a diet of powdered mother-of-pearl and moonbeams, which caused her to be immortal.
3

The peach has always been a sacred tree to the Chinese, whose longevity deity is sometimes depicted emerging from a peach tree. The “pits” are carved into lock shapes and given to children as amulets against death. Sprays of peach blossoms are placed over the front door to guard it against negativity during the Chinese New Year.
3, 114

Magical uses:
Eat fresh peaches, peach jam, or peach pie to expand your ability to give and to receive love. Peaches are also eaten (with appropriate visualization) to induce health, happiness, and wisdom, as they have been in China for centuries.

Pear

(Pyrus communis)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Longevity, money

Lore:
Pear trees can continue to bear fruit for as long as 300 years, according to ancient Chinese lore. Due to their extraordinary longevity, pears are eaten to impart magical life extension to humans.

Athena was worshipped as the mother of pear trees in ancient Greece; in Russia, cows were protected with pear charms.
112
In the U.S., pears are eaten for good “luck” on Thanksgiving.
46

Magical uses:
These fruits are eaten for longer life and for money. They can be used fresh or in the form of pear bread, pear tarts, and other desserts.

Persimmon

(Diospyros virginiana)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Happiness

Magical uses:
This native of North America produces large orange fruits. Add persimmons to your diet for happiness and joy. Eating persimmon jam is a pleasant way of adding this fruit's energy to your life.

Pineapple

(Ananas comusus)

Planet:
Sun

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Healing, money, protection, love

Lore:
In early America, the pineapple was a symbol of hospitality. Its image was often carved into furniture and into household items such as newel posts. The fruit is used in Mexican healing rituals.
109

Magical uses:
Add fresh or cooked pineapple to healing diets. Eat the fruit to garner money.

Pineapple is useful for two seemingly contradictory but inked magical changes: protection and love.

Plum

(Prunus
spp.)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Protection, sex

Lore:
Plum tree branches were placed above doors and windows to keep negativity from European homes.
35
In China, the fruit was eaten to guard against evil. It was also consumed for long life. Prunes, the dried form of plums, are thought to be sexually arousing. They were served free to customers in Elizabethan brothels (probably the only thing in these establishments that was free).
29

Magical uses:
Eat these tartly sweet fruits for internal protection and to stimulate the desire for sex. Visualize!

Pomegranate

(Punica granatum)

Planet:
Mercury

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Fertility, creativity, money

Lore:
Throughout Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, this many-seeded fruit was linked with deity. The Hittites attributed the pomegranate to Ibritz, their god of agriculture. The Greeks depicted Zeus holding a pomegranate;
23
the redness of the seeds also suggested that the fruit sprung from the blood of Dionysius. The pomegranate also played a symbolic role in early Judaic symbolism.
23

Representations of pomegranates abound in the art of antiquity, such as the famous pomegranate-shaped silver jar found in Tutankhaman's tomb. The fruits were used as money—barter and cash—in ancient Egypt.
23

Pomegranates were served at Babylonian marriage banquets. Pomegranate seeds were also offered to guests during Asian weddings, much as we put out bowls of nuts.

In contemporary American folklore, these are “lucky” fruits. A wish is always made before eating the fruit's first seeds.

Magical uses:
A fine food for autumn seasonal festivals, particularly Samhain (Halloween); the redness of the juicy flesh surrounding the seeds symbolizes the blood of life that will continue during the coming winter months.

The pomegranate was used in fertility magic due to its numerous seeds. While this was perhaps “superstitious,” pomegranate seeds can be added to diets geared toward physical fertility. Simply eat with visualization. Alternately, eat pomegranate (or drink the sieved juice) to stimulate creativity (there are many forms of fertility).

Eat pomegranates with visualization to promote increased income. Or, rub fresh pomegranate seeds on to money before spending it to ensure its return. Don't try this at the checkout counter, however.

Prickly Pear

(Opuntia
spp.)

Planet:
Mars

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Protection

Magical uses:
Prickly pears, known as
tunas
in Spanish, produce deliciously juicy fruits. They are sometimes available in Southwestern markets, or can be picked straight off the plants—but take care not to prick your fingers on the spines. (Those for sale in stores have been despined.)

The fruit is surprisingly sweet and quite delicious. Eat it as a part of protection diets. Prickly pear jelly and jam are sometimes available in grocery stores, and can also be eaten for protection.

Quince

(Cydonia
spp.)

Planet:
Saturn

Element:
Earth

Energies:
Love, Protection

Lore:
The Roman naturalist Pliny wrote that the fruit of the quince wards off the influence of evil.
86
The quince was also a symbol of love and happiness in ancient Greece. Newly married couples often ate the fruit.
64
Some groups of European Gypsies used the quince for love magic.
14

Magical uses:
Many people today have never eaten a quince, but that's no cause for fear. It must be cooked to be enjoyed. Simply eat foods containing quince to stimulate love. Alternately, add quinces to protective diets.

Raspberry

(Rubus idaeus)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Happiness, protection, love

Magical uses:
There's something magical about a rambling tangle of raspberry brambles. The white flowers, scarlet fruit, and painful spines add to the mystery of this common fruit, which has been introduced throughout the world. It even grows untended on the lonely trails that lace through the Hawaiian islands.

The scent of the ripe berries, even if they're packed in a carton, can be cheering. Smell and eat for happiness. Raspberries are also useful in promoting both protection and love.

Strawberry

(Fragaria vesca)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Love

Lore:
The strawberry is native to both the Americas and Europe.
71
Romans planted it in their gardens,
71
and the fruit was sacred to Freya in old Europe.

Magical uses:
This delicious fruit is useful in love diets. Some examples? Strawberry ice cream. Chocolate-dipped strawberries. Sliced strawberries and whole raspberries mixed with a few fresh, shredded mint leaves. I'm sure you can think of other love-inducing strawberry delights.

Tamarind

(Tamarindus indicus)

Planet:
Saturn

Element:
Water

Energies:
Love

Magical uses:
The tamarind is native to India. It is a long, bean-shaped fruit that is rather distressing in appearance, but it produces a refreshing, sweet drink known in Mexico as
tamarindo.
I'm not sure if it is drunk there to stimulate love, but it should be.

Tangerine

(Citrus
spp.)

Planet:
Sun

Element:
Air

Energies:
Protection

Lore:
I was once walking through a heavily Asian neighborhood to the grocery store. As usual, I was being nosy, looking into the cars that were parked along the road. One of the cars stood out. The usual red-and-gold ornament, placed there for protection, hung from the rearview mirror. Beside it, the car's owner had suspended a small branch with dried tangerines still attached to it. I did a double take and smiled, knowing that the tangerine is a fruit of protection throughout Asia. It is also a common offering on contemporary Buddhist altars.

Magical uses:
Tangerines, solar fruits, are drenched with the energies of the sun. Eat for internal personal protection. Alternately, place a fresh tangerine on your kitchen table (or household altar, if you have one) to guard your home, particularly during short vacations and trips. Replace with a fresh tangerine as needed. Bury the used tangerines in the ground.

Watermelon

(Citrullus vulgaris)

Planet:
Moon

Element:
Water

Energies:
Healing

Lore:
What could be a more all-American food than watermelon? Many plants, in fact, including wild rice, corn, and potatoes. The watermelon is native to Africa and was brought to our continent during the saddest and most savage time in our history—the time of trafficking of human beings.
29

The watermelon was introduced to Egypt in about 2000
b.c.e.
71
Ancient Egyptians mixed watermelon juice with wine and gave this drink to ill persons who were believed to be possessed by illness-causing demons.
69
Watermelon was mythological related to the god Set, and Egyptian women may have eaten watermelon in prescriptions designed to cause weight gain.
69

In Hawaii, a watermelon is sometimes rolled out of the house through the front door to ease the spirit of a deceased person into the next world.
18

Watermelon is sacred to the goddess Yemaya in the various manifestations of the Yoruba religion.

Magical uses:
Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than ice-cold watermelon. This is a healing fruit. Simply eat with visualization. Like all melons, the scent alone is also healing.

[contents]

Chapter Twelve

Spices & Herbs

S
pices were once more costly than gold. They were imported at great expense from distant lands. China produced cinnamon. Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) grew black pepper. The Molucca Islands were home to cloves. India and Zanzibar produced ginger. Banda exported nutmeg.

In their homelands, spices were liberally used to spark up otherwise drab meals. But the cost of spices in Europe forbade their use in cooking. Instead, these treasured substances were used solely for medicine and for ritual. In Egypt, Greece, and Rome, spices were burned in sacrifice to the deities and were added to remedies. It took hundreds of years and sharp drops in cost before Europeans began flavoring food with spices.

Those bottles of cloves that we find so expensive today (approximately three dollars per ounce, retail) would have at one time started wars. Men
§§§
killed and were killed for them.

The bloody history of spices is fraught with political struggles and with slavery. Only in the last fifty or so years have spice plantations been successfully founded in lands near the equator. Crops have increased in volume and prices have fallen.

Though Western nations no longer use these fragrant treasures in religious ceremonies, spices continue to spellbind us.

Herbs

What's an herb? Few experts can agree. Originally “herb” referred to perennial, woody-stemmed plants. Today it is usually applied to all plants possessing strong fragrances, flavors, and/or medicinal properties.

The first medicines were composed of plants. So, too, were the first offerings to the goddesses and gods that watched over early peoples. Throughout the centuries, the cupboards of village wise women and magicians were crammed with aromatic flowers, leaves, seeds, and barks—the materials of a thousand-and-one mystic rites.

In our times, herbs have largely been limited to the status of luxury items. At one time, every household had a kitchen garden. Today, chefs rush to markets to purchase fresh herbs. The scented products, such as air fresheners, used in our homes usually derive their fragrance from laboratory compositions, not plants. The medicinal properties of plants are synthesized and combined in unnatural formulations.

But the continuing awareness of the value of herbs for healing, ritual, and cooking has brought many of these fragrant plants into the light once again.

Spices and herbs are more than simple flavoring materials. Chosen with care and added with visualization, they can be used to fortify a number of dishes with specific energies related to magical goals.

This chapter examines some versatile herbs, with tips on how they can manifest necessary changes. Here's a quick guide to incorporating them into magical cooking:

—Use the appropriate herbs and spices for each dish: love herbs and spices in love foods, protective flavorings in protective dishes, etc. Adding, say, horseradish (a protective flavoring) to a love food cancels out the food's desired effect.

—Herbs and spices should subtly enhance the flavors of foods, not drown or disguise them. Add sparingly to taste.

—If using fresh herbs while making recipes that call for dried herbs, use two and a half times the amount of the fresh herb.

—Before using any dried herb or spice, measure it and pour onto a clean, flat plate or countertop. Visualize strongly. Place the index finger of your projective hand (the hand that you write with) into the middle of the spice. Draw a symbol that represents your goal in the spice while continuing to visualize (see Symbols,
page 341
). Add to the dish as usual.

Allspice

(Pimenta officinalis)

Planet:
Jupiter

Element:
Earth

Energies:
Money, healing

Magical uses:
Allspice is native to the West Indies and to tropical America. Its small, round berries are said to combine the flavors of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Add allspice to money and healing foods.

Anise

(Pimpinella anisum)

Planet:
Jupiter

Element:
Air

Energies:
Love

Magical uses:
Use anise to flavor wedding cakes. This helps to ensure continuing love for the couple. Anise cookies (recipes can be found in any cookie cookbook) are also useful for promoting love and establishing relationships.

Basil

(Ocimum basilicum)

Planet:
Mars

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Love, protection, money

Lore:
The magical history of this Indian herb is long and fascinating. As soon as it was introduced into Europe, it was used for magical as well as culinary pursuits.

The famous herbalist Culpeper states that “women in early pregnancy should never smell its [basil's] scent which could quickly expelleth birth [the fetusl.”
56
Another famous belief concerning basil was that smelling it too long might breed a scorpion in the sniffer's head—perhaps meaning a headache.
56

Some Latina women in the United States and in parts of Mexico sprinkle their bodies with powdered basil in an attempt to halt their wandering husbands' infidelity.
101

Magical uses:
Basil-flavored foods create loving feelings. Pesto sauce (containing basil and pine nuts, among other ingredients) over noodles (made with wheat, ruled by Venus) is an excellent love food.

For protection, eat basil-flavored foods prepared with the proper visualization. Also add to money foods.

Use fresh basil for the strongest effects. (Most supermarkets contain a section of fresh herbs. Ask in the produce department.) The dried herb can be used in a pinch, but will be less effective.

Bay

(Laurus nobilis)

Planet:
Sun

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Protection, psychic awareness, healing, purification.

Lore:
Long associated with Greek and Roman deities, bay (laurel) leaves were used to crown Olympic victors. Bay was dedicated to many deities in the classical world.

In the United States, any diner who received a bay leaf in her or his bowl of food made a wish. The bay leaf made the wish come true.
46

Magical uses:
Bay leaves are just as powerful today as they were in the past. Sparingly add the dried leaves to protection, psychic awareness, healing, and purification foods.

Black Pepper

(Piper nigrum)

Planet:
Mars

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Protection, purification

Lore:
Though you may casually ask the waiter to add a few grinds of black pepper to your salad, or sprinkle some of the spice onto your food without a second thought, black pepper is an ancient plant with a long history.

Used medicinally in Greece as early as 500
b.c.e.
,
104
the most common food flavoring of our times was used there for gynecological problems.
104
Pepper has been in use for cooking and medicine in Asia for over 4,000 years. It just took us awhile to catch up with the rest of the world.

As soon as I learned something of black pepper's history, I became fascinated by it. I finally had the pleasure of seeing a living black pepper vine in 1984 at Foster's Botanical Gardens in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Black pepper isn't related to chili peppers.

Magical uses:
Add black pepper to protective foods, such as chili, tomato juice, and nachos. Sprinkle with visualization. Naturally, freshly ground pepper is best.

Black pepper is also used in purification diets. It's powerful. Don't overuse this or any other spice.

Caraway

(Carum carvi)

Planet:
Mercury

Element:
Air

Energies:
Sex, love

Lore:
The remains of caraway seeds were found in the prehistoric lake dwellings of Switzerland, proving that this commonplace herb has been in use for thousands of years. In about 500
c.e
., Persians sometimes paid taxes with bags of the most sought after currency: caraway.
56

Magical uses:
Caraway fruits (commonly misnamed “seeds”) have long been celebrated as promoting the desire for sex. Chew them or add to food to create the effect. Naturally, expectation of the caraway producing the result you desire comes into play. But if used with visualization, caraway might bring you what you need. Also add to love foods.

Remember that giving someone a food laced with caraway seeds won't make them jump into bed with you—unless the person already wanted to do so.

Cardamom

(Elletaria cardamom)

Planet:
Venus

Element:
Water

Energies:
Love, sex

Lore:
Greece imported cardamom seeds from the East as early as 400
b.c.e.
Later, in spite of its high cost, cardamom became the most popular spice in Rome.
71
Today, cardamom seeds are still expensive. They're the third costliest spice, after saffron and vanilla.
71

Magical uses:
When crushed, cardamom seeds emit an exquisite scent. Long linked with love and sex, the spice is useful in promoting both. Flavor coffee or herbal tea with a few cardamom seeds. Or, bake cardamom cookies for a tasty love and lust treat.

Chickweed

(Stellaria media)

Planet:
Moon

Element:
Water

Energies:
Weight loss

Magical uses:
This simple, common herb is said to “discourage obesity.”
90
Add small amounts to foods if you wish to slim your body. An ideal way to do this is to place a few leaves into a salad and enjoy.

Though the plant isn't available in markets, it spreads itself over disturbed ground all across the country. Get an herb or plant identification handbook and go hunting!

Chicory

(Chicoriurn intybus)

Planet:
Sun

Element:
Air

Energies:
Love

Magical uses:
Many who have tasted chicory coffee have developed a fondness for it. The brew—a mixture of coffee beans and ground, roasted chicory root—is useful for love.

Cinnamon

(Cinnamomum zeylanicum)

Planet:
Sun

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Love, psychic awareness, money

Lore:
The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon in medicine and religion as early as 1450
b.c.e.
104
Ramses III presented many offerings of this fragrant spice to the deities in 1200
b.c.e.
In Greece, it played a part in processions to Dionysius.
24

Most cinnamon sold in the United States, no matter how it's labeled, is actually cassia. Cassia is a dark spice, usually reddish brown, while true cinnamon is actually tan-colored.
71
However, there's virtually no difference between the taste and magical effects of cinnamon and cassia.

Cinnamon is a love spice. When added to apples, it is doubly powerful. Applesauce flavored with cinnamon is a good love food. So, too, is cinnamon-rich apple pie.

For a morning love-enhancer, fill a teaspoon with ground cinnamon. Carefully pour a bit of the spice in the shape of a heart on a toasted piece of bread. While visualizing, spread it out with a knife and eat.

Or, add cinnamon to money or psychic foods.

Cloves

(Syzygium aromaticum; Caryophyllus aromaticus)

Planet:
Jupiter

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Love, money, protection

Magical uses:
Cloves lend a wonderfully spicy flavor if added sparingly to protective foods. They're also useful in love and money foods. Eat small amounts.

Coriander

(Coriandrum sativum)

Planet:
Mars

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Love, sex

Lore:
A sprig of fresh cilantro (coriander leaves) is placed in many Central American kitchens to guard against “evil.”

Magical uses:
Coriander is a love herb. The fruits (misnamed seeds) are added to appropriate foods with appropriate visualization. The powdered fruits are placed in warm wine and drunk to stimulate the desire for sexual activity.

Cumin

(Cuminum cyminum)

Planet:
Mars

Element:
Fire

Energies:
Peace, happiness

Lore:
Cumin was a favorite of Egyptian deities; at least that's what many pharaohs thought while they sacrificed tons of the herb.
237
In Greece, it was worn around the neck as a protection against negative magic. Cumin is one of the most popular Mexican culinary spices.

Magical uses:
Add cumin to foods of peace and happiness.

Dandelion

(Taraxum officinale)

Planet:
Jupiter

Element:
Air

Energies:
Psychic awareness

Lore:
The ground, dried, and roasted roots of dandelions were once brewed and drunk as a substitute for Chinese tea. Many still favor this drink as an alternative to coffee.

Drink dandelion tea with visualization to promote psychic awareness.

Dill

(Anethum graveolens)