Arcanum Libris

As today is my wedding anniversary, I thought it appropriate to share something along the same vein:

APHRODISIAC FOOD LORE

No, this is not the secret to my success, although coffee does help!

* Asparagus - Considered aphrodisiac for phallic shape. Ancients believed one had to eat it for three days to enjoy the most powerful effect.
* Almonds - The aroma was thought to arouse passion in women. Marzipan candies were a favorite evening sweet.
* Avocado - Aztecs called the avocado tree ahuacuatl, “testicle tree,” and believed in its sexual potency.
* Carrots - Considered a male stimulant since ancient times, used by Middle Eastern royalty to aid seduction.
* Coffee - Caffeine has long been known as a stimulant. After-dinner coffee, especially strong dark demitasse cups of the brew, was believed to help stir up romance.
* Figs - A halved fig with its many seeds was thought to symbolize female sex organs.
* Garlic - The “heat” in garlic was said to stir sexual desires.
* Honey - Medieval seducers plied their lovers with mead, honey wine.
* Licorice - The essence of the licorice plant, glycrrhizin, is fifty times sweeter than sugar. Chewing on fragments of licorice root was said to be stimulating to women.
* Oysters - Especially beloved by the Romans as aphrodisiacs. Juvenal described “the wanton ways of women after drinking wine and eating giant oysters.”
* Truffles - Greeks and Romans prized the rare food for its musty aroma, said to stimulate and sensitize the sense of touch.

* taken from The Witches' Almanac

Waaay too much time has elapsed since I last posted.
I'm blaming this on buying a house, not that I'm complaining!

Never have I wanted a book as bad as this one:
Magic, Witchcraft and Religion: An Anthropological Study of the Supernatural

I have to wonder how it compares to this one, or if I should purchase this as well:
Anthropology of Religion, Magic, and Witchcraft

It's a shame I cannot just walk into my local library and check out these books; I have a feeling the first is just over-priced to an unnecessary degree...but then again my personal library is seriously lacking spiritual/religious tomes of an academic nature. Don't get me wrong, I love reading books about spells and folklore, but very few of them offer any kind of anthropological perspective.

This ritual either neutralizes the Evil Eye or sends it back from whence it came.

1. If you know or suspect who cast the Eye, secretly cut a small bit of the suspect’s clothing.
2. Burn it together with frankincense resin.
3. Brandish either the burning incense or the dish with the cold leftover ashes in front of the suspect with an aggressive gesture.

There’s no need to explicitly inform the other person of the intent of the ritual: the effect is subliminal.


…from The Element Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells
by Judika Illes

Autumn mountains:
Brocades of light
The clouds:
Endless beauty
I lean on my staff,
Contemplate crimson leaves
Silent:
As the birds streaming above me.

- Shih-shu (17th century)

Let us sit together on a mat of reeds
And watch the mountains
Turn purple in the sunset.

- Rai San’yo

I took this excerpt of recipes from (Spring 2009) Witches' Almanac~


Pears in Chocolate Sauce
From Jacques Pepin’s Kitchen, classic Poires Helene. Pepin says, “In this easy, flavorful recipe, pears are cooked simply with sugar, water, and vanilla. Then, when they are tender, cocoa powder and bittersweet chocolate are added to the cooking liquid to create a sauce.”

4 ripe Anjou pears (about 2 pounds), peeled, quartered and cored
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup water
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
4 sprigs fresh mint
4 cookies (optional)

* Place the pear pieces in a stainless-steel saucepan. Add the sugar, water, and vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook the pears for 10 to 12 minutes, or until they are very tender when pierced with the pointed tip of a sharp knife.
* Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to a bowl. (You should have about 1/2 cup of cooking liquid in the pan. If you have more, boil it until reduced to 1/2 cup; if you have less, add water to bring it to 1/2 cup.) Add the bittersweet chocolate and the cocoa powder to the liquid in the pan. Mix with a whisk over low heat, until the chocolate has melted and the mixture is smooth.
* Transfer the chocolate sauce to a bowl. Cool to room temperature. It should thicken to a syrup-like consistency. (Yield: 1 cup.)
* Divide the sauce among 4 dessert plates, and arrange the pear pieces on top of the sauce. Decorate each serving with a sprig of mint, and serve, if desired with a cookie. Yield: 4 servings


Chocolate Pecan Pie
Chocolate, pecans and whipped cream are old friends, delicious in pie.

1/4 cup butter, softened (1/2 stick)
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 eggs
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 teaspoons instant coffee powder
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup flour
1 1/2 cups pecans, chopped, divided
1 unbaked pie shell, (9-inch)
whipped cream, for topping

In mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add melted chocolate chips, instant coffee, and vanilla extract; mix well. Stir in flour and 1 cup pecans; blend well. Pour into pie shell; sprinkle remaining chopped pecans over top. Bake in a moderate oven (375 degrees) for 25 minutes or until filling is set. Cool and serve with whipped cream. Makes 6 servings.

Chocolate Yogurt Sherbet
Cool and tangy, a no-cook dessert that practically makes itself.

3 cups crushed ice
8 ounces plain nonfat yogurt
2 ounces baking chocolate, melted
3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Whipped cream topping

Combine all ingredients in food processor or blender. Whirl until thoroughly blended but not melted. Pour into 4 tall glass parfaits and freeze until mixture is slightly frozen. Stir, top with whipped cream or garnish with fruit, berries or nuts.

Perhaps the most beloved Hindu deity, the elephant-headed Lord of Prosperity and Wisdom is the son of the primal deities, Shiva and Parvati. This patron of good beginnings had an inauspicious start. Born in his father’s absence, father and son were unknown to each other and Ganesha grew up devoted to his mother: One day, while Ganesha stood guard while his mother bathed, Shiva returned unexpectedly and attempted to see his wife. Ganesha refused to allow him, and so Shiva cut off Ganesha’s head. When the truth of the situation was revealed, Shiva resolved to replace his son’s head with that of the first creature he next saw: an elephant. Because he no longer looked “godlike,” Shiva decreed that no prayers would begin without first evoking Ganesha. He is traditionally invoked before beginning any endeavor or project, so that he will open the way.

* Request Ganesha’s assistance with new projects

* If old projects are blocked, ask Ganesha for his late blessing and request that he perform an unblocking for you

* Offer him candy, peanuts and golden raisins


…from The Element Encyclopedia of 5,000 Spells
by Judika Illes

In Hawaii, during the month of September, the Aloha festival is celebrated.

Although this festival commenced in the 1940s to celebrate the diversity of cultures that exist in Hawaii, the choice of autumn for this event has Pagan origins. In ancient Hawaii, it was the time of Makahiki, which is the period following the harvest. This makes it a good time to honor a Hawaiian deity. Hina, one of the oldest Hawaiian goddesses, is also known throughout the Pacific as Sina or Ina. Her name is derived from the word wahine, which means “woman,” so it’s no surprise that she represents feminine energy, the Moon, and the ocean.

To connect with Hina today, take a luxurious bath with your favorite oil. Imagine the healing properties of water relaxing and energizing you. After your bath, adorn your body in a tropical scented lotion such as coconut, banana, or papaya, and honor your sacred feminine energy.



credit to Emely Flak

Illusion and enlightenment depend on each other,
Principle and actuality are ultimately the same.
All day long, sutras without words,
Through the night, Zen without sitting.
Warblers sing in the willow grove by the river,
A village dog barks at the moon.
I have no one to share my feelings
So I just write what is in my heart.

- Ryokan (1758-1831)

The everyday way is fine for me.
Like vines wrapped in mist along rocky ravines,
I am free in a vast wilderness,
Drifting, drifting with my friends, the white clouds.
There is a path, but it does not lead
To the world of men;
Mindless, there is nothing to arouse my thoughts.
Alone at night, I sit on a bed of stone,
While the round moon climbs up Cold Mountain.

- Han shan

The ungodly heat of summer is so long in Florida, and just about now I start to wonder when it will cool off outside! (Though it's still only August, the heat could continue into November!)

This leads me to ponder my favorite season of the year, Autumn; the gray skies, cold rains, breaking out the sweaters & hoodies, shorter days, trees shedding leaves and of course, Halloween. Every year I make big plans to do something special, but due to work or some other circumstance, my plans are limited to decorating and baking only a few items. This year I believe I caught it in time and put in for a week off from work!

Every year I like to make something called Devil's Eggs (a cute twist on Deviled Eggs I took from Martha Stewart), and every year they are wonderful! It's become a tradition at my home.

Using the same principle behind making Deviled Eggs, the only real differences are:
♦ cayenne pepper sprinkled on top instead of paprika,
♦ red bell peppers cut into tiny triangles to make horns,
♦ 2 tiny chives & a tiny green bell pepper triangle for a goatee.
Arranged as such, you should have a little Devil Egg!
Now try making 24 of these guys!

Included in my usual plans to make clever & tasty foods, I'm keeping a full party agenda, setting up a table to do tarot readings, making a better ancestral altar, and making cute treat bags for my family & friends.
It's my craftiest time of the year!

Behind the cut are some recipes I have recently found, and look forward to using this season.
( Read more... )

hello to everyone still reading this journal!

here is a small list of books i've recently purchased.

Jambalaya: The Natural Woman's Book of Personal Charms and Practical Rituals

I love this book!
I could not put it down. Reading the author's account of her personal transformation, I felt moved. This I cannot say about most books I've read.

Complete Book of Baths
Just as the title implies.
I have only one problem with this book, and that is the use of poisonous plants. Mistletoe is suggested for use in one of the baths. The author assumes the reader is already familiar with herb properties and thereby never specifies which ones are safe/unsafe for use.
Aside from that, it is definitely worth it to add this little book to your conjure collection (or if you're just into ritual bathing).

Spiritual Cleansing: Handbook of Psychic Protection
A very well-rounded book containing info on head washing, spiritual bath preparations, floor washes, charms, and prayer.

Inanna, which means "Queen of Heaven", is the Sumerian Great Goddess and forerunner of the Babylonian Ishtar, with whom She shares similar legends. Sumer was a culture located in what is now the southern half of Iraq, between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, known as the "Cradle of Civilization". It was one of the earliest civilizations on this Earth.

Inanna is the First Daughter of the Moon, and the Star of Morning and Evening. Like Anat and Aphrodite (who is believed to have a Phoenician origin) She is linked to the planet Venus and is a love-goddess.

Her wedding to the Shepard Dumuzi was celebrated on the first day of the new year as a sacred marriage rite, and Her legends show Her to be a woman of powerful sexuality.

Inanna's descent to the Underworld is similar to the journey of the later goddess Ishtar, with some important differences--Inanna goes to the Underworld to learn of the wisdom of death and rebirth. To be released from Death She must choose a substitute, and offers up Dumuzi, who in Her absence has not mourned. With Dumuzi gone, His sister Geshtinanna, Goddess of Wine, went frantically searching and eventually a bargain was struck: Dumuzi would remain half the year in the Underworld, and Geshtinanna would take His place in the Land of the Dead for the rest of the year.

Inanna in a reading indicates a passionate and overwhelming love that demands all of the beloved, whether a child, lover, or a passion such as music or painting. This love needs to be tempered with compassion and forgiveness or it may hurtle itself to a destructive end.

Titles: Honored Counsellor, Ornament of Heaven, Holy Priestess of Heaven, Supreme Among the Heavenly Gods

essay credit

Thank you, St. Expedite.

Spiritual success is gained by daily cultivation.
If you practiced for the day, then you have won.
If you were lazy for the day, then you have lost.

Self-cultivation is the heart of spiritual attainment. Gaining insight and ability is not a matter of grand statements, dramatic initiations, or sporadic moments of enlightenment. Those things are only a highlight in a life of consistent activity.

Whatever system of spirituality you practice, do it every day. If it is prayer, then pray every day. If if is exercise, then exercise every day. Only then will you be able to say that you are truly practicing spirituality.

This methodical approach is reassuring in several ways. First, it provides you with a process and a means to maintain progress even if that particular day is not inspiring or significant. Just practice is already good. Secondly, it gives you a certain faith. Thirdly, constant practice gives you a certain satisfaction. How can you say to yourself that you have truly entered a spiritual path unless you can look back on years of practice and take comfort in the momentum that it has given you?