Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (27 page)

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The Magical uses of Junk Food

T
his is a listing of some convenience foods that are available in grocery stores across the country. Name brands are frequently mentioned, but none of the manufacturers, their advertising representatives, or other organizations connected with these products make magical claims.

Ideally, we'd live in a world with plenty of time for food preparation. We'd eat only wholesome, freshly prepared dishes with little added salt and no artificial preservatives, flavorings, or colorings.

The reality is quite different. Few of us haven't reached for a frozen dinner or a can of vegetables at one time or another. Healthy and organic prepared foods are now becoming commonplace (such as frozen dinners, soup mixes, candy bars), but can be difficult to find. Most of the dishes mentioned here are neither healthy nor organic. Look at the product's label before buying; avoid anything that contains MSG (monosodium glutamate), sodium diosinate, sodium guanylate, sodium nitrate, potassium sorbate, BHA, BHT, very high levels of sodium (salt), or other food adulterants. Some foods are available in low-salt or low-sugar forms; check the “dietetic” section of your grocery store.

If you must occasionally eat these foods, choose them with their magical properties in mind. Prepare as directed on the packaging. Then, just before you're ready to eat, visualize and empower the food with energy.

I've only included selected foods here. I'm sure you'll be able to think of others to add to each list.

Grounding

Frozen quiche

Frozen pepperoni pizza (check label to ensure that it contains real cheese, not “mozzarella cheese substitute”; most frozen pizzas contain no real cheese!)

Stouffer's Salisbury Steak frozen dinner

Love

Dole Pineapple (canned in pineapple juice)

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes

Haagen Dazs Mother's Lemon Pie Ice Cream

Hershey's Kisses

Ocean Spray's Mauna Lai Passion Fruit Drink

Pepperidge Farm's Chocolate Cake

Sarah Lee Cherry Cheesecake (and anything else by Ms. Lee)

Magical and Physical Energy

Canned chili (the hotter the better)

Coca-Cola

Pepsi

Lea and Perrin's Tabasco Sauce

Money

General Mills' Cheerios

Kellogg's Rice Crispies

Marie Callendar's Blackberry Cobbler

Puffed Rice Cereal

Welch's Grape Jelly

Peace

Bottled, unsweetened applesauce

Kern's Apricot Nectar

Progresso Lentil Soup

Protection

Bottled artichoke hearts (drain before eating)

Frozen garlic bread

Knorr's Leek Soup mix

Pepperidge Farm's Onion Soup

Laura Scudder's Hawaiian Kettle Potato Chips

Psychic Awareness

Cinnamon bread

“Gourmet” frozen fish filet dinners

7-Up

Purification

Canned, sectioned grapefruit (unsweetened)

Frozen orange-juice bars

Minute Maid Lemonade

Sex

Kern's Mango Nectar

Nabisco's Fig Newtons

Rice cakes

Note:
I don't advocate a steady diet of such foods! If you must, eat them with fresh milk, fresh fruit juices, and fresh vegetables.

The Magical Uses of Fast Food

(If you thought that the last section was bad, don't even read this one.)

Fast food has revolutionized American eating habits. It's now an established part of our way of life. The food is often only passable in taste and quality, and often abysmal when it comes to levels of fat, sugar, and salt; but it can come in handy.

Several years ago a truly natural, organic, and vegetarian fast-food restaurant opened in San Diego. It even had a driveup window. I remember their excellent vegetable soup and the tasty avocado, sprouts, cheese, and tomato sandwiches. Unfortunately, it soon closed, unable to compete with the junkier neighbors nearby.

Here—with a shudder—is a list of a few of the basic fast foods and their magical qualities.

Warning!
Eating from the four food groups doesn't mean alternating between Burger King, McDonald's, Wendy's, and White Castle. If eaten at all, fast food should be a change of pace—not a steady diet! (In these days of ecological awareness and concern for our planet, it's best to avoid patronizing restaurants that package food in Styrofoam containers.)

Banana split: Love

Broccoli and cheese: Protection

Baked potato: Protection

Fish sandwich: Psychic awareness

French fries: Grounding, protection

Hamburgers: Grounding, protection (see chapter 5)

Iced tea: Physical and magical energy, conscious mind

Onion rings: Protection

Shakes

Chocolate: Love, money

Strawberry: Love

Vanilla: Love

I have to stop; I can't write another word about fast food . . .

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Symbols

T
hese are both old and new symbols that can be used in your magical cooking to add specific energies to the foods. Use foods appropriate to the symbols. Vegetables can be cut into these shapes; pizza dough carefully stretched and smoothed according to the symbols; cookies cut; pastries iced; and breads inscribed. Slices of solid cheese are another possibility. Use your imagination in inventing new ways to utilize these magical symbols.

This is just one magician's list, of course. Use other symbols if you feel comfortable with them and if they seem to allow you to generate more energy.

Little or no magic resides within these symbols. It is the magician drawing them who gives them power.

Love

Protection

Psychic Awareness

Purification

Money

Peace

Spirituality

Weight loss

Sex

Fertility

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