Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham

Author:Scott Cunningham
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: shamanism, shaman, shamanic, dreamwork, journeying, pathworking, self-help, sel-empowerment, ancestors, spirituality, shamanism100511
Publisher: Llewellyn Worldwide, LTD.
Published: 2012-03-19T04:00:00+00:00

[contents]

Chapter Fourteen

Nuts & Alleged Nuts

I once despised nuts. To the young kid that I once was, they were dry, hard to chew, and came in difficult-to-open packages. I eventually realized that there were other varieties besides walnuts (which I still don’t relish), and that even cracking them could be fun.

The title of this chapter refers to foods often mistaken for nuts (brazil nuts) as well as at least one substance (sesame) that, though a seed, has a nutty flavor.

It is curious that one contemporary slang term for insanity is “nuts,” as in, “That politician’s gone nuts.” In the past, these crunchy foods were thought to bestow wisdom, not mental derangement.****

In any case, nuts are gifts from trees, the largest vegetable life forms on our planet. Trees were once worshipped as deities, or as the abodes of divine beings and spirits; nuts, the fruits of these trees, were sacred and magical.

Generally speaking, all nuts were thought to be useful for promoting physical fertility—the ability to produce children. Heart-shaped nuts were carried to promote love, while all double nuts (those rarities in which two nuts are formed within the shell) were considered to be the luckiest of all.

Today, we’re rediscovering the importance of nuts in our diets. Here are some reasons why we should eat more of them.

Almond

(Prunus dulcis)

Planet: Mercury

Element: Air

Energies: Money, healing

Lore: In the past, five almonds eaten before drinking were believed to prevent intoxication. They probably would—if the taste of the nut changed one’s mind about imbibing.120

In what was once known as Persia (modern-day Iran), almonds were used to cure insomnia, to stimulate lactation in nursing mothers, to relieve headache, and to guard against the evil eye.120 Today, candied almonds are given as presents to the guests at Italian weddings.

Magical uses: Eat fresh almonds, roasted almonds, or other almond dishes to bring money into your life. Or, crunch these delicious nuts to stimulate health and to speed the body’s healing processes. Eat with visualization!

Marzipan, an Arabic invention,104 can also be eaten for these uses.

Brazil Nut

(Bertholletia excelsa)

Planet: Venus

Element: Earth

Energies: Love, money

Magical uses: This food, which is technically a fruit, is a delicious addition to love-inducing diets. Make banana bread with chopped brazil nuts for a potent love loaf.

Brazil “nuts” can also be used to bring increased money and prosperity. To do this, draw a small five-pointed star on the “nut” with visualization and eat.

Cashew

(Anacardium occidentale)

Planet: Sun

Element: Fire

Energies: Money

Magical uses: These nuts can be eaten to increase your income. Tasty Yuletide cookies created with cashews are perfect for this use, as is the Chinese dish of “cashew chicken.” Or, eat them right out of the bag.

Chestnut

(Castanea spp.)

Planet: Sun

Element: Air

Energies: Love, conscious mind

Lore: At one time, Europeans left chestnuts on the table after eating supper on Samhain (November 1) to nourish the poor deceased souls of the dead.61

Magical uses: Roasted chestnuts, immortalized in the classic Nat King Cole song, are an excellent inducement to love. Though you might be tired of reading this, do remember to eat them with visualization. Chestnuts are also consumed to strengthen the conscious mind.

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