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

closing. It was just after dark. I stood staring at a painting in my by-now usual “wow, man!” attitude as she turned off the lights. Though plenty of light shone in through the windows from the street, the painting dissolved into blackness. There, where the picture used to be, I saw something that I can’t describe. It scared the heck out of me.
    My friend’s store was under physical and psychic bombardment from an evangelical, fundamentalist Christian organization that occupied an adjoining suite. Someone had recently thrown a brick through her store’s window. In the inky painting, I saw an image of all the hatred being sent her way. In my completely opened psychic state (which was a direct result of my strict vegetarian diet), this manifestation of negative energy shocked my entire being. I went outside as soon as I could, shook it off, calmed myself, and went about my business.
    Soon, I went back to my normal diet. Even though I’d been receiving the proper amount of protein, even though I’d been taking vitamin and mineral supplements, even though my food intake was being closely monitored by a vegetarian who’d followed a similar regimen for over fifteen years, the diet left me so spiritually and psychically open that I couldn’t handle it.
    Many naturally psychic persons have the same problem. They have years to learn ways to protect themselves. Taken completely by surprise, I had about fifteen seconds.
    Despite my harrowing journey into vegetarianism, this book’s main focus is on grains, vegetables, and fruits. Vegetarians can use the information contained within it to good effect. If you don’t eat fish, choose other foods with similar energies. The same is true if you avoid dairy products.
    Meat is rarely mentioned in this book for three reasons. First, meat was and still is scarce in many parts of the world. Most earlier people’s daily diets revolved around dairy products, grains, fruit, and vegetables. Meat was usually reserved for special occasions and was not part of the normal diet.
    Secondly, there’s less ritual and magical information available regarding meat. In researching this book, I’ve found hundreds of references to corn, rice, beer, apples, and many other foods, but few concerning meat.
    Also, many of us involved in magic are vegetarians, and I wanted this book to be useful to all. Therefore, save for a few isolated references (in parts three and four), this is a wholly nonmeat book.
    To close this chapter, I’ll tell you a story I heard from Carl Weschcke, president of Llewellyn Worldwide. When I was visiting his home in Minnesota several years ago, he told me of a frantic phone call he’d received. A woman called him at the office screaming that she was under “psychic attack.” Someone had cast an evil spell on her. She couldn’t sleep, she was losing weight, and she could feel evil energies surrounding her. The curse had disrupted her entire life. She was weak and could do nothing to stop it. Wouldn’t he help her?
    Carl Weschcke asked the woman if she was a vegetarian. Surprised, she answered that she was. He promptly suggested that she eat a hamburger. The woman, desperate to end this attack, went to a fast-food restaurant, bought a hamburger, and ate it. The meat made her sick to her stomach, but it also ended the “psychic attack.” She was fine after that and returned to her normal vegetarian diet.
    Her problem may have been a lack of protein, which could have diminished her body’s natural defenses. It might also have been a complete lack of grounding (connection with the physical world), or simply the product of an overactive imagination. In any case, the meat acted not only as a purgative but also as a shock to her system. Her problem—whatever its cause—vanished.
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    â€ â€  I use b.c.e. (“Before the Common Era”) in place of b.c. and c.e. (“Common