Feeds:
Posts
Comments

Archive for the ‘Food’ Category

Making Compost

Posted in Archives #3 A Deaf Pagan Shares, Archives #4 Pagan Thoughts and Writings, Art & Literature, Earth Day, Eco-Psychology, Food, Herbs, Nature, Paganism, Ritual, Spirituality, witchcraft, Women, Women's Spirituality on Saturday January 12 2013 | Leave a Comment »

Back at the beginning of 2011, I wrote a post here at the Crossroads about creating a new Year Word.

WORDOFTHEYEAR

This is a concept I learned from Quinn McDonald, who blogs over at QuinnCreative. Like myself, Quinn is not a fan of New Year’s Resolutions – easy to make, and far too easy to break. I don’t think I have ever had a resolution that I’ve successfully maintained throughout the year.

Instead, Quinn advocates the use of “Year Words” – a word that will symbolize the year for you…set the intention, or create a verbal amulet. A word that will give the year a sense of purpose.

For 2011 I chose the word “roots.” It was a word rich in meaning for me that year…with its many definitions and the many images that it conjured up for me. It just seemed like the appropriate word for where I was at during that year of my life.

I didn’t choose a new Year Word for 2012. I’m not sure if that was intentional, or if I simply forgot. I think on a subconscious level I wanted to continue the theme of roots, especially since I bought my first house in the fall of 2011, and thus was ready to begin putting down roots.

house with roots

Well…

2012 turned out to be pretty crappy. It was a time fraught with a lot of difficulties. What started off as a year filled with excitement and optimism quickly gave way to various struggles – personal, professional, financial, younameit. As days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, it became harder and harder to maintain a positive attitude in the midst of a challenging year.

In talking with others, it becomes obvious that 2012 was a not-so-great year for many of us. The economy took its toll on everyone, and there were lots of people (including myself) dealing with the harsh realities of trying to survive in the midst of limited employment opportunities and rising costs of living. With it being an election year, we were bombarded with quotes and promises from the various candidates, and soon folks were taking pot shots with one another as they lined up in support of one political party or the other, each with their own agendas. And for all that it was just erroneous hype, the “doom and gloom” of the Mayan Calendar predictions didn’t make things any easier to cope with.

I for one am certainly happy 2012 is over. I’ve survived my own personal “Tower Time”  and can now take a deep breath and look forward to what 2013 has to offer. I cannot say that my life has necessarily improved any in the past week or two, but I do feel a greater sense of calmness, and a stronger ability to deal with life’s trials and tribulations. Somehow, I think this year is going to be better…it certainly cannot get much worse. It’s just a matter of approaching it with the right attitude.

So when it came time to begin thinking about my Year Word, I thought back to all the shit I’d been through in 2012, and how I would like to change that for this year. And that’s when my word came to mind…

COMPOST. 

compost bin

It’s time to gather up all that seemingly icky stuff from the past and recycle it into fertilizer for the future. Shovel up the manure of 2012, add the food scraps of hard knocks, throw in the leaves of all my trials and the grass clippings of all my tribulations, include the coffee grounds from all those mocha lattes at Sunergos Coffee Shop. Give it a couple of good turns with a pitchfork, and Voila! I’ll have what some gardeners call “Black Gold” – that dark, rich, growing medium that provides support and nutrients in which plants can grow and flourish. And by creating my own compost of life, hopefully by the end of the year I will have a rich growing medium to mix into the soil of my knowledge and experience, thus creating the perfect garden bed for planting my own seeds of creativity and imagination, that they might sprout and grow into the plants of success.

I like the word compost. It’s earthy. It’s organic. It conjures up positive images and pleasant childhood memories. I grew up out in the country, and my family had a garden…and yes, we did use some early forms of composting back then. Over the years, I have used compost on my own gardens – growing my flowers, herbs, and vegetables…and I could swear it worked magick on the heirloom tomatoes!

Pagan leader and author Starhawk – who was one of my earliest teachers – talks a lot about compost in her books and her workshops. In fact, one of her first covens was called Compost:

We met tonight in the rented storefront. For a long time, we just talked…about our fears and doubts about magic and ourselves: that it isn’t real, that it is real, that it will stop, that it’s an ego trip, that we’re crazy, that what we really want is power, that we’ll lose our sense of humor and become pompous about it, that we won’t be able to take it seriously, that it won’t work, that it will work…

At one point, we all took hands , and started breathing together. Suddenly, we realized that a circle had been cast. We passed around the oil, for anointing, and kissed. Someone began a low humming, and Pat started tapping out a rhythm on the drum. And we were all chanting, interweaving voices and melodies, as if different words were coming through each of us:

Isis…Astarte…Ishtar

Dawn and darkness…dawn and darkness…

Moo-oo-oon, Crescent Moo-oo-oon…

Pour out your light and your radiance upon us…

Shine! Shine! Shine! Shine! Shine!

and through it and behind it all, Beth was wailing on her kazoo, and it sounded like some strange Arabian oud, or a sobbing jazz saxophone, but we were smiling at the humor of it…

At the same moment, we all fell silent. Then we shared fruit, laughed, and talked about humor. We were thinking about a coven name, and someone suggested Compost. It was perfect! Earthy, organic, nurturing – and discouraging to self-inflation.

We are now the Compost coven!

The ritual worked. Whatever magic brings, it will not take away our ability to laugh at ourselves. And those fears grow less and less all the time. 

~ Starhawk’s Book of Shadows, reprinted from The Spiral Dance by Starhawk

I may not be a member of the Compost coven, but much like its membership I also have my fears and doubts. I too worry that it isn’t real, that it’s all just an ego trip, that all I really want is power, that I’m crazy…that I will wake up one day and discover that it won’t work, and it will stop. But I stand in the darkness and draw upon the radiance of the moon, and I work my magic and find those fears growing smaller by the day.

compost hands

So this year will be the year of making compost. I won’t make a resolution, but I will make an effort – an effort to take all that “shit happens” and turn it into some “happening shit” – fantastic fertilizer, awesome humus. And then I will plant my own garden and feed my own soul…and remember to always laugh at myself and take time to stop and smell the flowers.

COMPOST.

It’s my word for 2013.

Read Full Post »

The Goddess and the Chicken (The Third Day of Christmas)

Posted in Archives #4 Pagan Thoughts and Writings, Art & Literature, Beasts and Animals, Food, Magick, Nature, Paganism, Poetry/Prose, Spirituality, The Yule Series, witchcraft, Women, Women's Spirituality on Friday December 28 2012 | 4 Comments »

On the Third Day of Christmas, my Goddess gave to me…

three French hens.

BabaYaga2

First of all, I must give a shout-out to my friend and fellow Priestess Byron Ballard, who didn’t think it strange at all when I sent her a message asking if she was aware of any Goddesses of Chickens.

Byron immediately steered me towards a goddess that I was vaguely familiar with, but haven’t studied all that well…Baba Yaga.

According to Slavic folklore, Baba Yaga is a supernatural being, generally described as being deformed, ferocious-looking, and/or skinny as a skeleton. She dwells deep in the forest in a hut described as standing on chicken legs.

baba_yaga

Her hut seems to have a personality of its own and can move about on its extra-large chicken legs. Usually the hut is either spinning around as it moves through the forest or stands at rest with its back to the visitor. The windows of the hut seem to serve as eyes.

Baba_Yaga_by_YoitisI

All the while it is spinning round, it emits blood-curdling screeches and will only come to a halt, amid much creaking and groaning, when a secret incantation is said. When it stops, it turns to face the visitor and lowers itself down on its chicken legs, throwing open the door with a loud crash.

The hut is sometimes surrounded by a fence made of bones, which helps to keep out intruders! The fence is topped with skulls whose blazing eye sockets illuminate the darkness.

hut baba yaga

The hut on chicken legs in which Baba Yaga dwells is basically a mythological interpretation of a common building often constructed by the hunter-nomadic peoples of Siberia and used for protection against wild animals. The doorless and windowless log cabin was built upon tall tree stumps, which with their spreading roots often resembled chicken legs. The only access to the cabin was via a trapdoor in the middle of the floor which was only accessible via a rope ladder – thus preventing bears and other creatures from being able to break down the door and raid the food pantry.

Research indicates that a similar but smaller type of hut was utilized by Siberian pagans to hold figurines of their deities. This may in fact have influenced or been influenced by the stories of Baba Yaga, who is described as barely fitting into her cabin – legs in one corner, head in another, and her nose grown to the ceiling.

baba yaga in hut

The name Baba Yaga differs within the various Slavic languages. In Polish it is spelled “Baba Jaga,” and as “Ježibaba” in Czech. In South Slavic languages and traditions, there is a similar old woman: “Baba Roga” – the word Roga implying that she has horns. Baba means an older woman or grandmother in most Slavic languages, while Yaga is a diminutive form of the Slavic name Jadwiga.

But who is Baba Yaga? She is the wild old woman, the witch, the mistress of magick. She is the Crone, the third aspect of the Triple Goddess. She is the Black Goddess, the manifestation of the darkness. Women (and men as well) often approach her with fear, and yet it is through her that we discover the strength and knowledge that comes with aging and the passage of time. Through Baba Yaga we can learn to embrace our changing bodies, abilities, capacities and wisdom.

Bilibin._Baba_Yaga

Baba Yaga is the Wise Woman. She is the keeper of the wisdom and tradition within the family, the clan, the tribe, the community. She is the keeper of relations, whether they be interpersonal or with all of nature. Every issue is an issue of relationship. She is the keeper of the great mysteries of birth and death, and the mediator between the worlds of earth and spirit. She is the hag… the “holy one,” filled with potent creative and spiritual energy.

As we celebrate this Yule season, now is the perfect time to invoke Baba Yaga – the Arch-Crone, the Goddess of Wisdom and Death, the Bone Mother. Wild and untamable, She is the spirit of nature, bringing wisdom…and the deeper understanding of death and rebirth.

Read Full Post »

The Goddess and the Pear (The First Day of Christmas)

Posted in Archives #4 Pagan Thoughts and Writings, Art & Literature, Beasts and Animals, Food, Herbs, Magick, Nature, Paganism, Poetry/Prose, Sabbats, Spirituality, The Yule Series, witchcraft, Women, Women's Spirituality on Wednesday December 26 2012 | 1 Comment »

On the First Day of Christmas, my Goddess gave to me…

A partridge in a pear tree. 

pablo picassoWoman with Pears by Pablo Picasso 

In Greek and Roman mythology, pears are sacred to three goddesses: Hera (also known as Juno to the Romans), Aphrodite (whom the Romans knew as Venus), and Pomona, an Italian goddess.

Of these three, Pomona is perhaps the least known. She was a goddess of fruitful abundance in ancient Italian/Roman mythology. Her name comes from the Latin word pomum, which means “fruit”…particularly fruit from the orchards. She was the goddess of fruit trees, orchards, and gardens – watching over and protecting the trees and caring for their cultivation. Unlike many deities, she is not associated with the harvest itself, but with the flourishing of the trees as they grow, blossom, and bear fruit. The pruning knife was her sacred tool. While she is perhaps better known with apples (the French word for apple is pomme), pear trees are also connected to her.

pomona

Hera, Queen of Olympus and wife to the god Zeus, also exalted the pear tree as sacred. Hera is considered the goddess of women, marriage, and childbirth – perhaps this explains her love for pears…for an upside down pear bears a shape that resembles the woman’s uterus. She is often depicted as a jealous wife, constantly plotting revenge on her husband for his frequent infidelities. However, if we consider that one of her roles was as protectress of marriage, then we can begin to better understand Hera’s thoughts and actions. Hera represents that creative force that harkens back to a time when “God” was conceived of as a woman; when humanity was focused on the female body and its miraculous ability to bear children. Childbirth – the descending of life from the pear-shaped womb of the mother – was the closest humans came to the great power that caused the earth to bring forth new life in the spring.

hera

From the pear as a symbol of the womb to the pear as an aphrodisiac, we now move on to the third goddess – Aphrodite, the goddess of love and sexuality. Aphrodite was also known by the Romans as Venus. This conjures up images of a pear-shaped Venus, objects of which have been found through-out Europe. The most famous of course is the Venus of Willendorf, but another Venus bears mentioning…The Venus of La Poire – la poire being French for “the pear.” Indeed, this figurine carved from mammoth ivory and dated from the Paleolithic Era (approximately 2 million years ago) is shaped much like a pear, as are many of the other statuettes now collectively bearing the name “Venus.” Interestingly, most of these figurines show prominent breasts, a protruding pubic area, and an emphatic treatment of the labia.

poire2

Of course, these figurines bear little resemblance to our modern-day concept of Venus as a curvaceous yet relatively slender woman – illustrating the change in one’s view of sexual attractiveness. Aphrodite was considered one of the most beautiful of the goddesses…and one of the more sexual. She is believed to have had several children by different fathers; amongst them being Eros, the god of love and sexual desire.

To this day, pears are reputed to be an aphrodisiac. Their shape, with echoes of the female anatomy, have always fascinated artists; the blush found on some varieties an erotic signal the human male is conditioned to respond to. Pears often find their way into erotic cuisine, or at the very least…a dish intended to please one’s significant other. It’s a small wonder that the Greek poet Homer, in his famous work The Odyssey lauds the pear as being “a gift from the gods.”

tea poached pears minor

Or goddesses, as the case may be.

 

Read Full Post »

Cooking for Lughnasadh/Lammas

Posted in Archives #3 A Deaf Pagan Shares, Archives #4 Pagan Thoughts and Writings, Food, Herbs, Irish/Celtic, Paganism, Ritual, Sabbats, Spirituality, witchcraft, Women's Spirituality on Monday July 30 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Since my “Cooking for the Summer Solstice” post turned out to be quite popular with those looking for ways to celebrate the Sabbat with delicious edibles, I thought I would give it a go again with Lughnasadh…who knows, maybe it will become a Sabbat tradition here at the Crossroads!

Since Lughnasadh is a Sabbat honoring the God Lugh – a Celtic God of Light and Fire – some of the same foods that we see listed for the Summer Solstice would also be appropriate here. At the same time, though…I think now is the time to start toning down some of the heat and “fieryness” of the dishes, in recognition of the on-going death of the Sun. In fact, as hard as it might be to believe in the dog days of August, Lughnasadh marks the end of Summer and the beginning of Fall. It is celebrated as the first of the three harvest festivals in the Wheel of the Year, and as such this is a good time to cook up dishes which incorporate the harvests from your own gardens or from the farms around you; and to appreciate the natural bounties of the land.

As I review the lists of foods from the Solstice post, I can mentally begin deleting some of them. Here’s my revised list of suggested ingredients for dishes to celebrate the Sabbat of Lughnasadh:

  • Cashew
  • Chamomile
  • Lemon
  • Lemon Grass
  • Lime
  • Olive
  • Orange
  • Pineapple
  • Rice
  • Rosemary
  • Sesame
  • Sunflower
  • Tangerine
  • Tea
  • Walnut

Because Lughnasadh occurs during the astrological sign of Leo, those foods I listed as being ruled by Leo could be considered appropriate for this Sabbat:

  • Almonds
  • Bananas
  • Sweet Corn
  • Honey
  • Salmon
  • Chicken
  • Peas
  • Beans
  • Seafood
  • Eggs
  • Pasta

Another name for Lughnasadh is Lammas (loaf-mass day) – the festival of the first wheat harvest of the year. While it is not known for certain, Lammas does appear to suggest a possible Christianized version of the ancient traditions of the pre-christian Celts and Anglo-Saxons. On this day (August 1st), it was customary in English-speaking countries (particularly the British Isles) to bring to church a loaf of bread made from the new wheat crop. It was also known as “The Feast of the First Fruits,” with blessings of the harvest and the new fruits regularly performed by both the Eastern and Western Churches.

Regardless of which name you choose to call this Sabbat, the meaning of it remains clear – this is a time for celebrating the first harvest, and in particular the harvest of wheat and other grains. As such, one might want to disregard the stove top in preference for the oven. Indeed, Lughnasadh is an excellent time for trying out your baking skills.

This is a good time for baking breads, rolls, muffins, pies, cobblers, cookies, etc. While breadmakers can be nice and convenient tools, if possible I recommend doing it the old-fashioned way – there is something magickal about kneading your own dough!

Lughnasadh is considered the “grain harvest,” so make various grains the subject of your dishes – not only wheat but also corn, barley, oats, rye, rice, bulgar, quinoa, etc.

Because of its focus on grain, little meat tends to be consumed at this Sabbat. However, fish is sometimes consumed…if you enjoy fishing this might be a good time to get out your pole and head on down to the ole fishin’ hole to see if the bluegills are biting. If casting for panfish isn’t your thing, consider picking up a nice filet of salmon at your local supermarket, or any type of fish that you desire…which can be fried or baked or broiled or grilled as is your preference. In addition, any type of seafood would be good at this time – in fact, I believe that up in Maine, the annual Lobsterfest occurs around Lughnasadh. If you’re lucky to live in New England, you might want to consider dining on this luxurious crustacean…the rest of us might have to content ourselves with shrimp.

However, since little meat tends to be consumed at Lughnasadh, this is a good time for experimenting with vegetarian dishes, especially those that incorporate grains. Perhaps a casserole made with barley or rice.

In many parts of the country, this is the time when the sweet corn is being harvested and brought to farmer’s markets, and I personally have always celebrated Lughnasadh with the roasting of ears of corn. You might want to consider doing the same thing…or at least incorporating corn as an ingredient in your dishes.

I also remember this time of the year as being when the blackberries came into season, and I can recall hiking around on my grandparents farm, gathering up wild berries to be made into a cobbler. Consider this a good time for baking up fruit pies, cobblers, turnovers, and such…utilizing such summer fruits as blackberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, etc.

The most important thing that I think about when I’m planning my Sabbat Feast is… listen to the voices of Nature. Let the land dictate your menu. Your dishes should reflect not merely the symbology of the Sabbat, but even more importantly – they should be a representation of the bounty of the earth in the area where you live. Many Pagans practice what can be called “eco-magick” – magick based on natural Earth energies and the resident spirits of the land. This term refers to the awareness of and working with the spirits of the land on which you live (as compared to those in China, Brazil, or even the town down the highway). Sabbat menus can be an excellent way of practicing eco-magick.

This is why I tend to encourage those who go running to the internet trying to do a whole lot of research in finding the PERFECT recipe to symbolize the Sabbat to stop for a moment and quit panicking over it. Listen to those voices. Study the land. Observe the seasons. Go for a drive out into the country and note what you see growing and being harvested. Check out farmers markets and roadside stands.

Yes – some study of the Sabbat itself, its history and its symbology, is important… but combine that with your own personal magick and your own personal celebrations. In this way, you will be making the Sabbat more meaningful for yourself.

Check out this post for some of Ocean’s suggested dishes, including links to related recipes

Read Full Post »

Older Posts »

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 127 other followers