Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen Read Online Free PDF Page A

prayer: if you don’t subscribe to any particular religion, and haven’t been in the habit of praying before meals, there’s no reason for you to begin to do so. Prior to eating, simply attune with the food (all of the food, not just that which you’re eating for magical purposes). You can easily do this by placing your hands on either side of your portion of the food before beginning to eat. Sense their energies for a few seconds. You need say nothing. This simple act, which you can do in front of those who know nothing about your magical studies, prepares your body to accept the food. You absorb its essence (power) before absorbing its manifestation.
    If it is your custom to pray before meals, continue to do so. Religion and magic have always been closely linked—religion worships the energy that created all things; magic utilizes the energies in those things that have been created.
    You can also include a prayer to your deity while eating, or address your conception of deity during the magical preparation and consumption of the food. Though this may seem to be a new idea, it isn’t. It’s performed around the world by millions of non-Christian, nonWestern peoples.
    Eating (and the resultant digestion) is an act of transformation. Our bodies change food into the fuel necessary for our continued physical existence. Be aware also of the higher aspects of food every time that you eat.
    [contents]
    Â¶ People continue to offer food to deities in a variety of religions around the world, especially on feast days. This is even found in some Christian groups.
    ** Everyone’s ancestors: African-Americans; Asians; American Indians; Arabs; Pacific Islanders; Caucasians—everyone’s!

Chapter Five
    Vegetarianism
    M any magicians 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 to their diet. Some more broad-based vegetarians also consume milk (usually goat’s milk), cheese, and even eggs. A few “vegetarians” will also occasionally eat fish and seafood, or even poultry, but never red meat.
    Most vegetarians rigidly adhere to their diets in the face of overwhelming odds. Their degree of adherence is usually determined by their reasons for adopting a vegetarian diet. Many of them see living creatures as our sisters and brothers—of different forms, but from the same source. They make a commitment not to ingest them.
    Another rationale for vegetarianism seems to be that meat is a poison. It’s true that much of the meat eaten today in the United States is injected with growth hormones and is too fatty for sustaining good health. But meat isn’t poison. If it was, the entire world’s population would have died out thousands of years ago. As members of a largely affluent society, many of us eat too much meat; but this dietary imbalance can be quickly corrected and need not preclude the ingestion of all meat.
    Spirituality is the other major reason for following a strictly vegetarian diet. Some believe that if they eat meat, they’re no higher than the animals that do the same thing. Therefore, they feel, they’ll never receive true enlightenment. Many vegetarians are also following spiritual teachings or a religion that forbids eating meat.
    This is sacred ground to many people. Still, it’s a topic that must be discussed in a magical food book. I’m not trying to offend anyone—vegan or not—so don’t be offended by the words that follow.
    We’re all separate, distinct persons, connected with the rest of our fellow creatures and with the universe, and yet apart. No one diet is correct for everyone,