Author: A Solitary Pagan

Planet: Sun Element: Fire Energies: Spirituality, protection Lore: Tortillas are a standard Mexican food. They are still made in the same way as they were during Aztec times. Round, containing sacred corn, tortillas are an indispensable part of the Latino diet. The Huichols of Mexico also offer tortillas to their deities. Tortillas made of yellow corn are believed to be more satisfying and to give...

1/4 watermelon, diced into bite-sized chunks 1/2 cucumber 2 oz. feta cheese, crumbled (I like to leave the feta in rather large chunks: personal preference) 1 lime 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil (I beg of you, break out the good stuff: it makes all the difference) 4-5 fresh mint leaves, chiffonade salt and pepper Slice the half cucumber down the middle and then cut each half so that you have a pil...

Though they are commonly found in Western tables today, forks were once used solely for noneating purposes such as spearing fish, working with hay, and digging. The first fork was probably a forked stick. Until late in the seventeenth century, most Western peoples ate with their fingers. Though the fork was introduced into Europe in the eleventh century, it took five hundred years for it to gain w...

Many witches are strict vegetarians. They shun meat, poultry, and fish; some even avoid eggs and milk products. They often believe that spiritual advancement and magical ability can only be obtained with such a diet. There are many kinds of vegetarians. Those who follow a macrobiotic diet eat little more than grains. The more common type commonly called “vegans,” add fruits, vegetables, and nuts t...

(Helianthus annuus) Planet: Sun Element: Fire Energies: Protection, success Lore: Sunflowers were viewed as symbols of the sun by the ancient Incas of Peru. Gold crowns inspired by this flower were reportedly worn by solar priestesses during rituals. Many Mexican gardens contain sunflowers, since their presence is thought to confer “luck.” Women still eat sunflower seeds for help in conceiving a c...

Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Weight loss Lore: Seaweed (more correctly, sea vegetables) are surprisingly nutritious foods that are rarely found in Western diets, except as processed food additives (such as carrageenan). In Cornwall, pieces of a seaweed known as Lady’s Tresses were placed on small stands near the chimney to guard seaside cottages against fire. Seaweed is eaten throughout t...

(Allium cepa) Planet: Mars Element: Fire Energies: Protection, weight loss Lore: The great city of Chicago was named for the local Indians’ word for the wild onions growing in the area—chicago. According to ancient Egyptian incantations, onions were included in charms designed to keep potentially harmful ghosts from children. Celebrants at winter solstice festivals in Egypt wore onions around thei...

Brassica spp.) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Protection Magical uses: Eat fresh or cooked cauliflower as part of a protection diet. To increase its effectiveness, cook cauliflower with dill, mustard seeds, or rosemary.

Planet: Venus Element: Earth Lore: Wheat has long played a part in the human diet. After rice, it’s the second-most commonly used grain for human food, and was first cultivated during the Neolithic age. The Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Greeks, and Romans all worshipped harvest deities associated with wheat. Wheat is particularly a symbol of the Mother Goddess. She taught the secret...

(Pucium miliacaeum) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: In ancient China, grains of millet were used as a unit of measure: ten millet grains placed end to end constituted one inch, one hundred grains was the measurement of one foot, and so on. Magical uses: If you find it difficult to enjoy this grain, visualize millet as compact, concentrated money energy before eating. An old Ge...

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...

Pantries were once common to every home. Today, most of us fill cupboards with staples and canned foods. The pantry is ruled by the element of earth and the moon; because it is a container that houses food, it’s intimately linked with the Mother Goddess. For our purposes, your kitchen cabinets constitute a pantry. The magical cook should keep a stock of basic culinary ingredients: salt; sugar(if y...