Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham Read Free Book Online Page A

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.
    [contents]
    Â§Â§ Most of the festivals mentioned in this chapter are of European origin, but many of them originated in the Middle East. Virtually every culture has celebrated similar occasions.

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:
    â€”Is the food spicy? If so, it’s probably protective.
    â€”Is the food