Monthly Archives: November 2018
Aromas can make us hungry or feel comfort and warmth, or inspire the opposite reactions. The power of scent works with the memory and the magical properties of the material. Incense, oils, herbs – all of these can be gently heated, burned, or used as is to inspire a bit of the sacred each time we breathe in. Aroma is a person’s earliest sense. As babies, long before our eyes focus, we know our world from the scents that surround us.
Aromatherapy and flower essences, such as the Bach flower remedies, employ scent and vibrational energy in a therapeutic sense and have been proven to change one’s mood. They can work both on the self and on others.
In order to use the essential oils listed here, simply dab the oil on a cotton ball and sniff, or place a few drops in an oil burner and gently warm the oil.
- To boost memory – Rosemary
- To inspire lust – Ginger or hibiscus
- To decrease lust – Camphor
- To inspire hunger – Cinnamon or garlic
- To create an atmosphere of comfort – Cedar
- To heal – Eucalyptus
- To protect – Garlic
- To revive energy – Peppermint
- To create sacred space – Frankincense and myrrh
- To attract money – Clove
- To promote sleep – Lavender
- To promote laughter and joy – Orange and lemon
- To ease grief – Rose
- To calm stress – Chamomile
- To conquer fear – Grapefruit
- To calm anger – Patchouli
Found in: Elemental Witch
You can use soundscapes to evoke and exaggerate moods, and develop group-grown chants for rituals and spell-casting.
The idea of Soundscapes is for the group to explore how to use words, tones and sound patterns to build up a “picture” – creating the atmosphere appropriate to the chosen theme.
This example of a vocal Soundscape is one produced by an experimental drama group, when asked to express the theme of “Sweets”. The group members each chose “mantras” used in advertising jingles and developed individual rhythms, so that the resulting Soundscape was a mix of:
“Only the crumbl-iest, flaki-est choc-late, tastes like choclate nev-er tasted bee-fore!” (drawn out, sung high)
“Hot choclate, Drink-ing choclate.” (Chanted fast).
“Skit-tles” (repeated with a pause in between).
“Mars-Bars” (Bass chant).
“Smartie-People-are-happy-people” (light refrain)
Another example might be centered around ghostly supernatural beings. This might be something fun for Samhain, or other ritual magick that centers around the dark side.
Wind beats at the windows now, creatures of the night will prowl!” (drawn out, sung high)
“Ghosts Ghouls Scary Things” (Chanted fast).
“Ooooh – Eeee” (repeated with a pause in between).
“Bump in the Night” (Bass chant).
“You can’t scare me” (light refrain)
Get the idea? It’s useful to get people to brainstorm ideas about a particular subject or theme, and then to choose one word or phrase to use as the beginnings of a chant.
- Element (as juice): water
- Element (as berry): fire
- Ritual uses: Yule or Winter Solstice
- Deities: Marjatta (Finnish Goddess), Mars
- Good for: healing, protection, love, lust, positive energy, courage, passion, action
Oftentimes, the cranberry’s beautiful red color has associated it with the planet Mars, and as a result, its magickal correspondences are similar to that of Mars. Because of this, cranberry can be used for protection, positive energy, courage, passion, determination, goals, and action.
These little brightly colored berries look like little jewels and their bright red goodness carries huge protective energy with them – they are a power punch against negative energy. Consider having Cranberry Sauce as part of a protective meal, or drinking cranberry juice or tea while doing magick for anything associated with Mars.
If color were considered as a way of marking the cranberry’s magickal associations, it would be foolish to not highlight the deep, sensual and erotic red color as corresponding to love and lust magick. If you are cooking a meal for a loved one, consider incorporating cranberry into the meal.
You may also want to sip this tea while performing love magick. Simply add two teaspoons cherry juice to 1-cup hot cranberry tea. Stir it with a cinnamon stick clockwise. There is something incredibly comforting and warming about Cranberry, so to show your love and appreciation for your family and friends, consider adding Cranberry sauce or chutney to a dinner. It will bring a feeling of peace, comfort, warmth, good health and love to those who enjoy it.
Depending on how they are used, cranberries will either bond people together during tough times or create hardships that tear people apart.
- Drink the juice with your partner on the dark moon to keep the relationship free of trouble and going strong.
- Place a circle of cranberries around a brown or black candle and call out the names of two individuals who need to be separated while the candle burns. Continue the ritual until you obtain results.
Vanga stated that cranberries of red color symbolize the love relationship. Ripe and juicy cranberry foretells happiness in love; green berries portend upcoming problems with your loved one. According to Freud, cranberry symbolizes your sexual life.
In some cases, cranberry juice or cranberry wine can be substituted for red wine in rituals. Perhaps you will include a bowl of cranberries next to your pomegranate on your Samhain altar to show thanks to the supernatural powers of the bog, the birthplace of the cranberry.
Cranberries can be a lovely attribute to any Samhain or Yule altar. Dried cranberries can be strung on a piece of twine or cord and made into a small wreath to hang over your doorways for protection; they also make good Yule tree decorations. This not only adds a gorgeous contrast of color, but also invokes the protective and healing power of the red berry.
Cranberries and Bogs
The bog is the home of the cranberry, but was also sacrificial stomping ground of ancient societies in Northern Europe. Consider all of the archaeological findings that have been discovered in bogs from Denmark Scotland, England, Sweden, and Northern Germany: daggers, swords, shields, spears, javelins, drinking vessels, sickles, y-shaped dowsing rods and jewelry have all be recovered from bogs.
Also recovered from a bog was the famous Gundestrup Cauldron, a silver cauldron of Celtic origin, which had mythological narratives on it. Even more shockingly, excellently preserved human bodies, which appear to have been victims of sacrifice, have been discovered in bog. It appears that to ancient society, the watery bog was a place of significant importance, where sacrifices and treasures were willingly deposited.
Some researchers and academics have suggested that the bog deposits were offerings for protection, or rituals to bring fertility to the land and well-being to the land’s inhabitants. One cannot avoid the idea of a spooky, dank bog on a cold dark night either. Perhaps it is the fact that the unstable, marshy territory could lead to hazardous falls and injuries. Legend has it that the murky, watery parts of a bog were bottomless, so to step in one meant imminent doom.
Cranberry Lore and Mythology
Hans Christian Andersen shared many stories of the bog, most of which involved witches, elves and fairies. And in English and Welsh folklore, Will-o-the-wisps are said to be glowing lights that would float above the bog. Some believed that they were benevolent fairy or nature spirits that acted as guides to lost travelers; on the other hand, some saw the Will-’o-the-Wisps as ill spirited fairies, dark elves or spirits connected to the devil.
The cranberry has a special place in the hearts of the Finnish and students and admirers of ancient Lapland mythology. The Kalevala, epic legend of Finland, and reputed inspiration for J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, is a compiled collection of Finnish oral stories that have been sung by Lapland bards for centuries. In the final passage, or Rune, of The Kalevala, we hear of the tale of a virgin Goddess’ encounter with the cranberry.
- Note: Many translators cannot agree on which berry Marjatta actually enjoys in The Kalevala. Translations include cranberry, bilberry, lingonberry, blackberry and strawberry. The original Finnish word used was “punapuola, ” which is indeed a variety of cranberry, though smaller and sweeter than the one grown in Northern America.
Described as a beautiful maiden, Marjatta is a Goddess who is chaste, yet connected with her Northland home. While roaming the forests, she hears the singing of the cranberry, which begs her to eat him. Because of her maidenhood, she couldn’t pluck the berry, but instead used a charm to have the berry rise from the vine and into her mouth. After she ate the berry, she was impregnated. When her family found out of her pregnancy, they did not believe her story of the cranberry and was shunned.
Similar to the story of Christ’s birth, Marjatta gave birth to her sun in a stable in a forest. The heroic god of The Kalevala, Väinämöinen, is summoned to decide the destiny of the baby. When it is told that the child’s father is a cranberry, Väinämöinen sentences the baby to banishment in the forest and seals his death. However, when the baby pleads for his life by pointing out Väinämöinen’s unfair judgement, he is saved. Väinämöinen also recognizes that the son of the cranberry would grow to be his successor: a royal king and mighty ruler.
Some of the American history and lore of cranberries is fascinating as well. Native Americans were very familiar with the cranberry, and used it graciously as food, medicine, and dye. They used the berry to flavor meats, in a poultice to heal wounds and lower inflammation, and as a dye to make deep burgundy rugs. When Dutch and German settlers came to America, they named the berry “Crane Berry.” This name was inspired by the berry’s pink spring blossoms, which were said to resemble the head and bill of a Sandhill Crane.
Although there is no record that cranberries were eaten at the first Thanksgiving, they are often associated with this holiday and symbolize the “earth’s abundance.” It would have been interesting had these berries been shared at the first thanksgiving, however, because in Victorian flower language, the cranberry blossom signifies that the receiver extend kindness to the giver. The cranberry is also seen as a democratic. In England wealthy people pair it with delectable Venison, but poorer people are also able to enjoy it.
Some Thoughts About Cranberry Magick
The tale of Marjatta reminds us of the nutritional value of the cranberry- so fertile and powerful is the cranberry, that it is the vehicle for immaculate conception. Since it is tied to immaculate conception, and the birth of a child who will replace the old King, it can be linked to rejuvenation, reincarnation, and the themes of Yule and Christmas.
Cranberry also has clear links to fertility magick in this context. Spell work aside, the nutritional benefits of the cranberry are worthy enough to be incorporated into a routine diet, as it will aid in overall health and well being.
Finally, it is important to not forget the magick of the bog, the motherland of cranberry. Here, we see cranberry’s tie to the supernatural, mystical, and ancient. In a place where humans and precious objects were sacrificed, there was much value put on the mystical powers of the bog. It is a place where the protection of people and armies, the fertility of land and nature, and the well being of those who visit it, could be determined and sought after through ritual and sacrifice.
Perhaps you will include a bowl of cranberries next to your pomegranate on your Samhain altar to show thanks to the supernatural powers of the bog. Or simply, while cooking cranberries during the colder season or enjoying its fragrance in oil or a candle, you can reflect on the mystical, protective, and fertile powers of the deep red berry.
Dreaming About Cranberries:
When you see or eat cranberries in a dream, it’s generally a sign of good health and a long and happy life. Cranberries can also represent warmth and togetherness which you might be craving right now, given the time of year.
Alternatively, you may be feeling content at present because you have just enough of this in your waking life. Perhaps you are a particularly warm person towards others and you have felt some of that back of late.
If you were drinking cranberry juice in your dream, it’s possible you have too much stress in your waking life and need to dial things back to help you to manage your stress levels better.
Cranberry juice might be an indicator of poor health too. Perhaps you need to rid your body of some toxin that you’re in the habit of feeding it. On the other hand, the dream could be telling you to let go of a thought or feeling that’s doing you no good. You need to flush the negativity and the bad out of yourself before you can carry on as normal.
If you were picking cranberries in your dream- perhaps you recognize the effort you need to put into something before you are rewarded for all your hard work. You know that there are more choices available to you if you do; consequently- you are a hard worker. If this isn’t apparent to you- it might be time to put more energy into your means of income to gain a sense of pride in what you do.
If the berries were spoiled then maybe you recognize that you’ve missed an opportunity in the recent past. With that said, another one might come along- so don’t lose faith.
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Magick is an act of transformation, and ice possesses a strong Magickal power since it is in the process of changing.
Ice Magick is a branch of water Magick that utilizes water in the form of ice to assist and enhance spellwork, and provide another form of energy to manifest a specific, desired result. Ice Magick is similar to water Magick. However with ice Magick, the power of the spell is increased because of the act of freezing the water. When water shape shifts from a constantly moving force to a Solid, its power is the most potent.
Despite being a solid form of water, ice still is fundamentally water, and thus keeps many of the same basic correspondences. However, ice is not associated with all of the same properties as water; it’s mainly used for binding spells and spells that have to do with transformation. Ice is harsh. Ice is cold as stone, and not conductive to life in general. Thus, it’s Magickal properties manifest similarly. The dangerous and unforgiving nature of ice makes it a powerful tool in curses, hexes, protections, bindings, and banishing.
Ice can be used to perform any kind of Magick that induces a change in the spell caster’s inner state, so it can be used to help reveal personal secrets, remember forgotten memories, dispel depression and release stress.
Ice is affiliated with west and is an energy associated with the divine feminine; especially those goddesses who hold dominion over winter such as Skadi and Cailleach in the Norse and Celtic traditions.
Ice Magick is very powerful. It is a neutral, natural force that can be used for positive or negative means. It is therefore important, as it is with any spell, that the caster makes sure of his or her intentions before attempting it.
Remember how beautiful ice can be, as it sends off prisms of light, but also remember that it is very easy to slip on ice. Ice should not be feared any more than wind, rain and storm. The spell caster should approach ice Magick with
respect and reverence.
Collecting Ice For Magick
Water used in ice Magick should always be collected from a natural source when possible. Collect icicles or small chunks of ice from outside and bring them inside. They can be stored in your freezer until you’re ready to use them.
If you don’t have ice where you are, make ice cubes out of clean spring water and add them to your spell or Magickal working. Fill a jar with water from a lake, pond, or stream, collect rain water, or collect snow to melt. If none of the above are possible, moon water made from tap water can be used as a substitute.
Also, if safe and possible, try practicing your ice Magick outside in the snow, or cold winter air. In my personal experience, being outside and experiencing winter while performing ice Magick significantly deepens my connection to the spellwork and enhances the energy behind it.
Ice can be melted to make water for use in Magick and spells or added to the altar during a spell.
How Ice Is Used in Magick
The ice you collect or make is used in the following ways:
- Freezing water – binding, protection
(if possible, always freeze the water outside in the moonlight, if below freezing and possible, otherwise a freezer will work) - Melting ice – letting go, shedding bad habits
- Shattering ice – banishing, breaking a bond
Sigil Crafting With Ice
Ice Magick can be utilized to charge and cast sigils. Here’s how:
- If casting a sigil to protect yourself:
Place the sigil in the water and freeze it (either outside or in your freezer). As the ice protects the sigil, so are you protected.
- If casting a sigil to help break a bad habit or situation:
Place the sigil at the bottom of a container then place a large piece of ice or a collection of ice cubes on top of it (freeze the water prior to the spell). As the ice melts, so does your habit or situation melt away.
- If casting a sigil to break the bond between yourself and a toxic person:
Freeze the sigil in water like you would for a protection or binding, then shatter the ice with as much power as you can muster. As the ice shatters, so does the bond shatter.
- If casting a sigil to manifest something in you life:
Place the sigil at the bottom of a container and bury it in snow. As the snow melts and seeps into the sigil, so will what you are manifesting seep into your life.
- To cast a protection sigil:
You can also draw protection sigils in the frost with a warm finger on your house and car windows evoking the energy of the ice to bring frosty protection.
Putting Someone On Ice
Putting a dangerous situation, or person”on ice” is a serious form of protection. Though it will not harm anyone, it will prevent them from interfering in your life or causing you harm.
Write the name of the person or short description of the situation on a small piece of paper. Fold the paper up and place it in an ice cube tray, small plastic container, or freezer bag. Fill it with water and place it in the freezer. Do not remove or thaw it until the danger has passed.
Once the danger has passed, the ice cube can be floated down a river (away from you and your home) or buried in a graveyard.
Making Mojo Ice Cubes
Instead of placing the ingredients you would use in a mojo bag, place them in water in an ice tray or small container (if using crystals, make sure the crystal will not be harmed by the water or ice before submerging). If desired, follow the table for assistance in manifesting the desired result
- Melt – for letting go.
- Shatter – for banishing {though I wouldn’t recommend shattering if crystals are being used}
- Leave frozen – for binding and protection.
Ice Cubes for Love
Ice cubes can also be used for love spells. Freeze water with drops of almond, orange, and lemon extract, and add the cubes to a drink. Serve to a reluctant or shy partner.
Put Problems On Hold
Have a problem you want to stall until your ready to deal with it?
Write the name of your problem on a small piece of paper, fold and place the paper in a small container of water (melted snow or spring water). Place the container in your freezer or outside at night (if the temperature will be below freezing all night and all day.)
Keep the paper frozen in the ice until you’re ready to deal with it. Thaw the ice when you are ready to handle and take action.
Icy Divination
The two main practices of ice Magick for divination are utilizing natural ice outdoors or freezing water in a bowl or cauldron.
- Natural Ice:
Find a naturally occurring piece of clear ice, the most common being an icicle, and stare deeply into it while clearing your mind. You may see shapes, images, or simply understand concepts regarding what you’re asking or searching for. Remember, dress warmly when venturing outside, and not just for safety in this case. It can be really tricky to relax and concentrate if you are shivering.
- Bowl or cauldron:
Fill a bowl (preferably black or dark colored) or cauldron with water and freeze. Scry into the frozen surface as you similarly would with liquid water. Answers may come in images, ideas, or sudden epiphanies. This method can also be used to help communicate with the ice and winter deities.
Scrying Ice:
Symbolically, the surface of a body of water represents the veil between this world and the otherworld. So, when water is frozen, the door to the otherworld is closed. But as ice melts during a ritual, the door re-opens and we can look inside.
The surface of melting ice is shiny, and like any reflective surface, is well suited for scrying. One way to do this is to sit in a dark room with a yellow candle burning off to the side, so that the light of the flame flickers on the melting ice.
Ice scrying requires patience — messages will be revealed slowly, as the ice melts. Ice scrying is especially suited for looking into the past, since the frozen water symbolically represents a frozen moment in time. Looking into past lives is possible, as is looking back and trying to remember a forgotten memory. The melting ice represents the releasing of memories from the subconscious mind.
An Ice Altar
Using a bird bath and filling it with water the night before it is going to freeze and/or snow, is a great way to create a temporary shrine to the Cailleach, to lay out sigils in stone or sticks, or even to simply create an altar where you perform your magic outdoors during the winter months.
Winter Blessing Water
You will need
- Snow
- Icicle
- Silver ring or quartz crystal
Select your sacred vessel or bowl to gather the snow in. Bring it inside and place on your altar. Select an icicle from outdoors and place it in the center of the bowl. If you have a sacred symbol that you use to charge your magic with, use the icicle to draw it into the snow. Add a piece of silver or quartz crystal and set it out under the light of the Full moon. Bottle it and use!
Note: If you live in a tropical area, with no access to snow or icicles, Sea Water or Spring Water can be substituted for snow, and an ice cube can take the place of the icicle.
Ice Magick Basics
Ice spells have two phases, the freezing of the water, and the melting of the ice. In some spells, the caster writes a problem on a piece of paper, immerses the paper in water, and freezes the water to put an end to the problem. Those kinds of spells only use one of the two phases of ice Magick.
It is important to remember, however, that problems that are frozen must eventually come back; everything that is frozen must melt. I have found that it is more practical, and more powerful, to use both phases, freezing and melting, in spells.
The freezing of the ice begins the spell, because the caster is already thinking of the spell, and planning the ritual, when the ice is frozen. The process begins as the water solidifies, and the power is released during the ritual as the ice melts. For this reason, I find it most useful to freeze “special” ice for spells.
Also, most ice trays are made of plastic. Holding the frozen water in non-natural plastic is not as effective; Magick is natural, and should ideally involve natural substances. Metal bowls can be used, but the easiest method is to use cardboard coated with wax (so that the cardboard doesn’t stick to the ice). Small paper drinking cups that are coated with wax are ideal, as are frozen juice containers that have been emptied of their contents and washed.
A piece of ice naturally begins to melt when it is left at room temperature, so it works like the burning of a candle in candle Magick, changing itself during the spell, thus releasing its energy to the goal at hand.
It is extremely powerful to encircle a candle with ice and perform a spell. The ice melts and the candle burns — two elements that work in a cooperative way can produce powerful results. Spells that use fire and ice are wonderful for obtaining balance, since they employ the complimentary elements of fire and water.
Also try putting ice in a bathtub while visualizing. This technique is especially suited for spells involving physical
transformation.
Herbs and oils can also be used to enhance ice Magick. An infusion of one or more herbs can be frozen, or essential oils can be added to the water before freezing. When water is frozen, it combines with the element of air, so herbs and oils that are associated with either element can be used. Herbs that work best are ones that, when growing in the natural world, can endure cold and snow, or require cold weather to germinate.
Below is a list of some herbs and oils that work well for ice Magick:
- Aspen – Communication
- Pine – Happiness, Exorcism
- Rose – Love, Healing, Psychic Power, Luck
- Spearmint – Memory
- Spikenard – Happiness
- Willow – Love, Healing, Divination
- Yarrow – Psychic Power, Love, Courage, Exorcism
Precautions:
By using ice Magick, you will not become immune to ice and cold. Please, please take proper precautions when going out in below freezing weather. Wear snow gear when going out in the snow, especially if trying to utilize the energy of a snowstorm. Use gloves when handling snow and ice outside. Remember the element you are dealing with. Ice is incredibly dangerous. Do not risk life and limb to use ice Magick.
Stay indoors during a blizzard, have proper gear and supplies if hiking in the snow, and by the Gods please do not risk gathering water from under a frozen lake or river. Falling in could kill you. Remember the very first thing I said about ice: it’s harsh, cold, dangerous, and unforgiving. It’s just as dangerous for an ice witch as it is for everyone else.
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If you’re interested in Kitchen Witchcraft, here is a useful food starter list and their magical properties. These are staple and ordinary foods that you probably already have in your pantry or refrigerator, but maybe you never realized that they contained magickal properties before.
Keep in mind that food is magick in and of itself. It doesn’t need anything in order to carry magickal properties. Why is this? Because it comes directly from Mother Earth. Every form of life on this planet is a miracle, and our food is nothing short of a miracle. Vegetables, herbs, and fruits are all plants and therefore imbued with Mother Earth’s love and nourishment. Meats and dairy come from Mother Earth’s amazing creatures and should be shown respect and gratitude.
Making a magickal meal is as easy as praying over your food while preparing it and also being thankful for the sustenance given. Keep in mind too, that when preparing your food, whatever energy is surrounding you will also affect the food. So if you’re in a good mood, dancing and singing while preparing, the food will take on some of this energy. Likewise if you’re in a bad mood or nonchalant about the food you are preparing, the food will absorb some of this energy. Mindfulness is all a part of cooking like a witch. Be mindful of your ingredients, their history, their properties and how they can be nurturing to your body.
Transforming Your Kitchen into a Sacred Space.
Before you begin working your kitchen magick, you will want to transform your kitchen into a sacred space. Historically, kitchens have held a place of great honor in the home and fire has always been considered sacred, so the kitchen doesn’t have far to go to become sacred in your home as well.
The first thing you will want to do to create your sacred space is clean the kitchen. It doesn’t sound very magickal, but nothing muddles up magick like catching a glimpse of the dirty dishes stacked in the sink or slipping on a dirty floor. You may also wish to add to the ambiance of the room by growing some herbs on the window sill (which also makes them handy for including in your food and further charges the herbs with your energies) light some candles, open a window and let fresh air in, or even have some special music playing.
Perhaps you will keep a special wooden spoon that you only use for magickal cooking, rather like a special kitchen “wand.“ You may also wish to cast a magick circle, invoke a hearth deity or two, or maybe say a blessing. Do whatever that will put you in the mood to make magick.
Magickal Cooking Tips
Magickal cooking is based on sympathetic magick, the idea that like things can influence each other. It uses different foods to represent the outcome you wish to achieve. Like any lists of correspondences you might encounter, if something sounds wrong to you, or you have different associations with something, go with what you feel is right, not what you just see written somewhere.
It is also good to note that you do not need to have an elaborate feast to perform magick in this matter. A simple snack can be just as effective if the intention is there. Even if you do have a large dinner planned, the whole meal does not need to revolve around your purpose.
When deciding what sort of food to prepare, don’t forget to make something you like. You aren’t going to be able to focus on your intention if you are trying not to gag on a food you can’t stand! At the same time, try to eat primarily healthy foods. While there are some exceptions, most foods that are bad for your health are useless magickally as well.
In addition to what you are going to prepare, how you prepare it can make a difference in the energies of the food as well. For example, for protection dishes, fried foods, hot foods, and spicy, hot dishes all work well. For strength, you may with to sauté your food or prepare something spicy. Flaming foods are good for strength and steamed food is good for purification.
Before you begin cooking, hold the ingredients you are going to use and visualize your goal, charging it with your energies. As you prepare the food, keep this intent in mind. Since the magick is in the intent, it is not recommended that you try to perform your magick when you are tired, grumpy, or sick as it would be too easy for some of this negative energy to seep into your spell working.
If you are preparing a meal for others in addition to yourself, take care to not load the whole dish with your intention (just your portion) without their knowledge and consent as this could be considered manipulative magick. Keep the magick going during the meal as well by continuing to visualize while you eat.
Don’t get discouraged if your cooking spell doesn’t work right away. Most spell work takes time and you may even need to make several meals before you see it come to fruition.
Magickal Fruits, Breads, and Sweets
Baking is a wonderful opportunity to create magick in your kitchen. Especially when kneading bread, you have a great chance to infuse your food with your magickal intentions. In fact, bread making itself is considered by many to be a sacred act and can be a ritual in itself.
With many baked goods, such as breads, muffins, pies, cakes, or pastries, you can change the energies of your food by changing flavors or fillings. Several examples are given below, but the possibilities are endless! With things you can form into different shapes, such as cookies, pancakes or breads, you can further strengthen your intentions by forming them into a shape or symbol of what you are looking to achieve.
- Apple:
Apples are known as the Wiccan food that is the sacred fruit to the Goddess. The sacred fruit to the Isle of Avalon. If you cut an apple horizontally through it’s center, you will see the 5 pointed star formed by its seeds. Apples are used in love, healing, garden magic, and immortality.
Red apples are for love.
Golden apples are for fame and popularity.
Green apples are for prosperity.
This forbidden fruit yields much power. Offer a bite to a prospective lover. If he or she accepts, you will begin a love affair. Leave an offering of an apple under a tree for Venus and make a request for love.
- Bagel:
The bagel is a round shaped bread with a hole that is ruled by Adonis. A food that is perfect for breakfast and is of various flavors and types. Eat bagels to create illusions. The more you pile on top of the bagel, the more people will believe and enjoy the tall tales you tell.
Sesame bagels: prosperity.
Poppy bagels: eaten before bed to increase dream activity (don’t eat before having to take a drug test as the poppy seeds are known to induce a positive for opiates).
Salt bagels: gets rid of inconsistencies, and make one a better liar.
Cinnamon raisin bagels: makes flattery come easy.
The everything bagel makes wishes come true.
Warning: never put ham or pork products on a bagel, it brings very bad luck!
Meditate on the hole in the bagel when you need to pull a quick disappearing act ~ especially from creditors.
- Banana:
The banana is an everyday food that is a fruit and ruled by Mars. Prevents harm and accidents while traveling cross-country or by air. To increase sexual stamina – dry and crush the banana into a powder and than rub it on your body. It has powerful lust properties because of its obvious shape.
- Chocolate:
Chocolate can be used as flavoring or as a dessert itself; can be drank as a beverage (hot cocoa/chocolate). Hot chocolate was invented by the Meso-American natives, the Aztecs and Mayans were known to consume it often and believed it increased power and virility in their warriors. It was a sacred food to various ancient peoples. Chocolate is a power drug and it holds properties of love.
Dark chocolate is associated with romance and intimacy.
Milk chocolate is associated with nurturing and friendship.
A staple for witches in the kitchen, especially for those trying to induce love or aspects of love. It has been scientifically proven to raise the endorphin levels in the body.
- Ketchup:
Even condiments have magickal properties! Ketchup is ruled by Venus, as it is made of tomatoes which are also ruled by Venus. When drawn in the shape of a pentagram is used for summoning or dismissing energy. When spreading on other foods, can be used in visualizing relationships. Continue to visualize or call out person’s name while consuming ketchup. Ketchup is associated with love, because tomatoes were once thought to be a powerful aphrodisiac.
- Oranges:
This fruit is well known all over the world and dates back to prehistory. Can be used in love, joy, and inspiration magic. Placed in stockings on Christmas as sympathetic magic to encourage the return of the sun. Directly associated to the sun and solar magick. Eat to lift your spirits. Dry and grind into a powder to use in love and abundance spells.
Blood oranges incite the passions when eaten.
In China, the orange is a symbol of gold and prosperity. Leave as an offering next to a Buddha statue to increase your luck and wealth
- Pasta:
Pasta is ruled by Mercury.
Spiral pasta enhances creativity. Spaghetti/linguine is good for protection and improving communications. Corn pasta helps bring financial creativity. Rice pasta is good for love.
- Pie:
Ruled by Venus and originating in ancient Greece and Rome, pies are associated with happiness, love, and wholeness.
Eat cherry pie to increase self-confidence and find self-love.
All fruit pies invoke love when shared with another.
Meat pies create feelings of security.
Place your thumb in a pie and make a wish. It just might come true!
- Pizza:
Pizza is a delicious and recreational food that is ruled by the Sun. Eat pizza when things are difficult and you need a lucky break. Or when you get the craving. Whole pizzas should be blessed with prosperity before being consumed. Eat a triangular slice when things seem very difficult and you feel you need a lucky break with any situation in your life. The Sicilian, or square pizza does not hold any magickal properties.
- Rum:
Rum is an alcohol that is ruled by Ellegua and Chango. Distilled from molasses and caramel, rum has a deep brown color that attracts sweetness. Drinking it channels the spirits of the gods. Traditionally you must spit the rum over an idol or representation of the god. Use in baking a rum cake or mix with coke for a fun Friday night!
- Sugar:
Sugar is ruled by the Orishas and by the goddess of love – Venus. Can be used in spell jars, bags, and more.
Chew on raw sugar cane to draw spirits into the body. It is one of the quickest ways to become possessed by the gods. Sprinkle powdered or confectioners’ sugar on pink or red love candles to make another “sweet on you.
Synthetic sugar substitutes are not generally considered to have magickal qualities.
Magickal Herbs
Working with herbs is an easy way to apply energy correspondences. Every Kitchen Witch knows that even the most
common herb welds magickal energies. Parsley is used for fertility, thyme for clairvoyance, garlic for protection… and that sprinkling an herb over a dish or simmering a few into a dinner can imbue a meal with energy. Energy abounds in nature. In magick natural aspects are gathered and infused with intent.
Adding herbs to your cooking not only adds nutrients (yes, each herbal teaspoon is loaded not only with flavor but with antioxidants and vitamins too) it will add energy to manifest intent.
- For example:
While the French regard their food as ‘the food of Love’, it’s actually the Italians that steps up to the magickal index. Basil, Marjoram, Rosemary and Thyme are all herbs with magickal properties used to kindle affection. One of the easiest love spells to work is to serve a nice Italian meal incorporating these herbs into a sauce. As you make the sauce firmly hold your intention in your mind then serve the meal to the object of your desire.
- Basil:
Basil is a popular Wiccan food for Wicca in the kitchen. A very useful and fragrant herb that can be used fresh or dried in cooking. This is a lust herb and the aroma calls forth sexual energy.
- Bay:
Bay leaves have been used for centuries in the Mediterranean. They are believed to enhance psychic powers when burned. Add them to various dishes of Italian, Cuban, and Greek ethnicity to connect to the gods.
- Chili Powder:
Chili powder is made from ground, dried chilies. It has been used in hoodoo and other forms of folk magic for centuries. Often it is used to in spells to “send someone away” or to shut someone up. It has a powerful kick and should be used wisely in magick and it is spicy and should be used sparingly in food (unless you like spicy foods then more power to you!)
- Cilantro/Coriander:
Cilantro is the leaf and coriander is the seed of this tasty herb. Ruled by Mars and used in love and lust magick. If the seeds are worn will help with migraine headaches. Used in flavoring foods, great in salsa and chutney. Used in love and healing magick.
- Cinnamon:
Cinnamon is a multi-purpose powdered root used in desserts and dishes. Its magical properties include abundance/money, protection, and love.
- Cumin:
Cumin is an ancient herb used in the Middle East and Mediterranean to flavor stews and meat dishes. Blended into drinks to promote lust. Used in foods to promote love and protection. Ruled by Mars.
- Oregano:
Oregano is used in Italian food to flavor meat and tomato dishes. Ruled by Venus. Can be used in love, happiness, luck, and protection magick. Also said to enhance psychic abilities.
- Peppermint:
This sweet-tasting, invigorating herb is used in desserts and also as a tea. Carry dried peppermint leaves in your wallet to bring in more money. Said to help with stomachaches or sour stomachs. When grown in the garden is good luck.
- Rosemary:
Rosemary is an herb used to enhance intuition and psychic abilities. When taken as a supplement is said to improve memory and cognition.
- Salt:
While technically not an herb, salt is used to flavor many dishes both culinary and baking. It has a purifying and cleansing effect and has been used for centuries to absorb negative energies and protect oneself and house from evil. There are different kinds of salt, and it is best to stay away from iodized “table” salt. Sea salt and Himalayan pink salt are best for the body. Himalayan pink salt helps to decalcify one’s pineal gland.
- Thyme:
Thyme is an herb long associated with the fae or fairies. Ruled by Venus. Used to purify, bring pleasant dreams, worn or burned for good health, can be used in food to attract fortune, love, courage, and psychic skill.
Magickal Veggies
Everyone has to eat, and if all food is prepared with an intention for love, money or protection, cooking will help you to manifest what you want out of life. As you practice your magick cookery you will find a new joy in the ritual of food preparation. Food contains the energy of love, protection, sensuality, strength, fertility, and prosperity to name a few. Discover the magic of food by utilizing the energy contained within.
The preparation of food, with a particular intention in mind, is old magic. Look at food as sacred, let the act of preparing, cooking and eating food be a sacred act. Your kitchen can be a place of powerful magic, work slowly and deliberately to hone your craft.
- Artichoke
Ancient Greek myth states that an angry god turned a beautiful woman into the first artichoke because he was jealous of her looks. The artichoke originated in the Mediterranean region. The ancient Romans enjoyed them as a luxury food, preserving them in brine or vinegar.
Magickal uses include protection, growth, and safety, associated with Mars and the Fire element. A member of the thistle family, the artichoke is associated with protection because of it’s sharp outer points and prickly inside.
- Beet:
This root vegetable is considered to be feminine. It represents the Power of Love. Beet juice can be used as a replacement for blood in spells of old, also in Love magic. It is said that if a couple eat of the same beet, then they will fall in love forever.
- Cabbage:
People who feared Friday the 13th at one time placed cabbage leaves on their foreheads to ward off evil spirits. Cabbage was so valued in ancient Greece that officials passed a law in 621 BCE that proscribed the death penalty for anyone caught stealing cabbages. The ancient Greeks also thought that eating a head of cabbage everyday would cure insanity and nervous conditions.
Magickal uses include protection and money, associated with the Moon and the Water element. Serve cabbage on the night of the Full Moon, and after magickal/spiritual rituals. Cabbage can also be eaten to internalize protection. Green cabbage is good for money-drawing.
- Carrot:
The carrot is a root plant ruled by Mars. Because of its shape is associated with lust and fertility. When eaten by women encourages pregnancy. The flowers of the plant are known as Queen Anne’s Lace. Come in various colors – white, orange, and even purple.
- Celery:
Celery has long been known as an aphrodisiac. Ancient Roman women ate celery to increase their sexual appetites. Celery soup was a favorite dish at Madame de Pompadour’s salon for just this purpose. Modern science has found that cooked celery emits a type of pheromone, the sex-attracting chemical secreted by humans and animals.
Magical uses include sex, peace, psychic awareness, grounding and weight loss, associated with Mercury and the Fire element. Make a celery soup, visualizing that your sexual appetites will increase. Or use a different visualization with raw or cooked celery to soothe and bring peace. Use celery seed as a seasoning to strengthen psychic awareness.
The stalk and seeds will induce lust upon consumption. Chewing on the seeds will help center yourself and help with concentration. The seed can be used in spell pillows to induce sleep. To increase psychic powers, burn with orris root.
- Chili Pepper:
Chili peppers were cultivated in Mexico 9,000 years ago. The Aztecs used chili peppers in exorcism rituals. Chili peppers were recently banned from one state’s prison system because the burning vegetable can be used as a weapon. The Spanish conquistadors were repelled in some parts of South America by the smoke of burning chilies.
In modern-day New Mexico, some people burn the core of a red bell pepper on Friday nights to ward off evil from harmful humans. Magickal uses include protection, associated with planet Mars, the Greek God Ares and the Fire element. Add jalapeno, cayenne, or bell peppers to guard against negative energies.
- Corn:
Ruled by Venus and the Earth element, corn embodies powers of protection divination and luck. The Corn Mother is a Goddess that has been worshiped through time by East and North America. She is the deity of fertility and plenty, the corn either whole or ground is used to bless and scattered for ritual.
Make a necklace of whole kernels to prevent nose bleeds. Cornstalks hung over the mirror brings good luck to the household. Red corncobs were burned in the mountains of North America on the homes doorstep or under the bed to aid in childbirth. Pollen from corn was used in rain making rituals by Meso-Americans. Placing an ear of corn with a sleeping infant will keep out negative energy.
- Cucumber:
A feminine vegetable ruled by the moon, for chastity, fertility and healing. The peels of the cucumber placed on the forehead will help aid in the cure of a headache. Eating of the seeds will help with fertility, and when the cucumber it’s self is eaten it hinders lust. Sliced thinly and placed on the eyes it cures dry and swollen eyes.
- Lettuce:
Lettuce is associated with the element of water, as it is made up mostly of water. Ruled by the moon and is eaten to prevent sea-sickness. Can be used in protection spells, particularly helpful if grown in the garden to protect one’s home. Rubbed on face/forehead to help fall asleep. Also used in divination and chastity magick. Very healthy to eat as high in fiber, vitamins, and water content.
- Onion:
The onion is a masculine root plant used in various forms of magick. When cut open and left in a room will absorb sickness. Grow it in the garden to protect one’s home against evil spirits. Used also in money and lust magick and will produce prophetic dreams if placed under the pillow. The Holy Trinity of vegetables to be used in many culinary dishes is carrot, celery, and onion sauteed in a butter base (shhh, don’t tell anyone my secret to amazing stuffing!).
- Peppers:
The various colors of peppers have different associations:
Eat red peppers with a lover to improve your sex life.
Eat purple peppers on Thursdays or full moons for power, protection and wisdom.
Eat orange peppers for creativity and spiritual evolution
If you are awaiting a money award in a court settlement, write the amount you want on a piece of paper. Cut a slit in a green pepper and place the piece of paper inside of it. Put the pepper in the freezer and keep it there until you have won your case.
- Potato:
Potatoes are a staple food in Ireland dating back centuries. Once thought to be poisonous as a part of the nightshade family, now a very common eaten food all over the world. Ruled by the moon. When eaten baked or fried can help calm an upset stomach (my own personal remedy). Used in healing magick.
- Pumpkin:
According to early American legend, if half a pumpkin is left exposed in the kitchen, negative energies will arrive to spoil the cooking. Pumpkins are carved in the United states on Halloween to scare away evil. Pumpkins can be a part of Samhain celebrations as symbols of the fruitfulness of the earth. Pumpkins are also symbols of the Mother Goddess.
Add pumpkin dishes to health diets. Eat the seeds after roasting them, or enjoy pumpkin pie or pumpkin bread. It is also a money-attractant.
- Tomato:
While not technically not a vegetable, most people consider it as such. Was thought to be the fruit of love in the Mediterranean region. Is considered a powerful aphrodisiac and is used in many Italian, Greek, and Mexican dishes.
- Zucchini:
The zucchini is a veggie (some say fruit) that is ruled by Jupiter. Whole raw zucchinis are used in sex magick. To stop a man from cheating, carve his name in the zucchini and freeze it. Eat zucchini cooked for protection and prosperity.
Sources:
- Exemplore
- Pagan Cottage
- Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients
More information about food and magick can be found here:
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