Author: A Solitary Pagan

(Alliurn spp.) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection, physical strength Lore: Leeks are steeped in myth and folklore. In twelfth-century Persia they were worn over the left ear to prevent intoxication. Gerarde, who lived in sixteenth-century England, thought they produced nightmares. In his time, a leek was hidden inside a black cloth and placed under the pillow of an ill person to effec...

Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Protection Lore: Legend has it that Brussel sprouts were created from wild forms of cabbage growing in Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar relied on cabbage to prevent or to cure the hangovers that usually resulted from his fabulous, excessive feasts. He was naturally disturbed that no fresh cabbage was available during the winter. According to this myth, he ordered his h...

Humans have eaten bread for at least 8,000 years. We have made it round, oblong, square, and triangular; flat as a pancake or fat as a loaf. Bread has been twisted into a symbol of the winter solstice, spiced, sweetened, garlicked, and filled with fresh vegetables. Though it has been made of every grain, it was the raised wheaten form that first inspired human and divine palates. Bread has long be...

The blender and food processor of earlier times, the mortar and pestle are still used by some cooks to crush or to grind herbs and nuts. Prehistoric mortars have been found among the archaeological remains of many peoples dating back to neolithic times. Mortars identical to those used by preconquest Mexican peoples are still used in contemporary Mexico. Many Indian tribes of southern California fa...

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 veg...

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,...

(Spinacea oleracea) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: In the United States, spinach is remembered as the favorite food of a popular cartoon character, upon whom it magically bestowed great physical strength. This green, leafy vegetable seems to have been introduced from Persia (present-day Iran) to Europe in the fifteenth century; it was soon used on fasting days. Magical uses: ...

(Lactuca sativa) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Peace, money, celibacy Lore: Lettuce was sacred to the god Min in ancient Egypt. Min, whose graphic depictions as a phallic god were deemed obscene a hundred years ago, also ruled over vegetation of all kinds. Lettuce seems to have been his favorite due to its greenness and the fact that the core, when squeezed, exudes a milky sap that was pro...

(Phaseolus spp.) Planet: Mercury Element: Air Energies: Money, sex Lore: Beans were a major part of the diets of many Mesoamerican cultures,including the Maya and the Aztecs. They’re still an important food throughout Latin America. Plutarch states that beans were given in sacrifice to Harpocrates (the GraecoRoman deity) in the month of Mesore. Apollo was also offered beans in sacrifice. The Egypt...

Plates were probably used before bowls. The first plates were flat pieces of wood or stiff leaves, which came in handy for holding and slightly cooling cooked food prior to eating. Plates are ruled by the sun and the element of earth. Generally speaking, they represent the physical world, money, and abundance. Any plate made of natural materials can be used for magic

When preparing foods for specific magical purposes, cook with purpose and care. Keep your goal in mind. Know that the food contains the energies that you require.— Always stir clockwise. The clockwise motion is thought to be in harmony with the apparent movement of the sun in the sky, and has been linked with life, health, and success.— Cut foods into shapes symbolic of your magical goal; i.e., he...