As Lughnasadh is almost upon us, I thought it would be nice to devote an entry or two to some of the foods associated with the first harvest in the Northern Hemisphere. Different areas produce different foods, but these days we have access to a large variety of foods, no matter where we are. We also have access to those foods throughout most of the year, but I prefer to focus on seasonal produce. Local eating is also an important practice, but it isn’t always easy.
During Lughnasadh, or Lammas, as well as Mabon, we celebrate the harvest of grains and the foods that can be made from various grains. Beer and bread are two products that are made from different grains, making them ideal for honoring the gods of the harvest. Other traditional foods include berries and crab apples.
Bread has long been viewed as the “staff of life” and has been made in one form or another for thousands of years. Bread is a divine substance and is often given as an offering during ritual. Some religious practices also use bread as a physical representation of the Divine.
The breaking of bread is more than nourishment; it is a symbol of togetherness, binding together those who eat it.
Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen gives us some information on a few of the grains with which we are most familiar.
Barley
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Fertility, money, sex
Barley was an important grain to the ancient Egyptians. It was used as a medium of exchange and was even placed in tombs. According to one Egyptian legend, barley grew out of men, whereas wheat grew out of women.
Sumerians made several types of barley beer. In Indian, barley was sacred to Indra, known as “He who ripens barley”. This grain played an important part in rituals related to childbirth, marriage, and death.
Babylonians also brewed beer with barley. Greeks planted it around temples to Demeter to ask for fertility, and in China, barley is a symbol of the sexual potency of males.
Buckwheat
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Earth
Energies: Money
Buckwheat noodles, or soba, are eaten in Japan on the Japanese New Year for prosperity. Buckwheat pancakes are common in some parts of the United States. In my home state of West Virginia, the Buckwheat Festival is held every autumn. Eat buckwheat pancakes with a touch of maple syrup to attract abundance (in fertility, money, or life).
Corn
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection, spirituality
An entire entry could be devoted to corn. Corn has been a fundamental part of the religious practices of North and Central America for thousands of years. The Quiche Mayas of Guatemala even believed the first humans were made of corn. Miguel Angel Asturias, a Guatemalan author, even titled one of his works "Hombres de Maiz" (Men of Corn).
The Corn Mother was a widely worshiped deity in the pre-Columbian Americas. Corn is a sacred gift of the Mother Goddess. It is a symbol of life, fertility, and rebirth. To the Zuni, different colors of corn were related to the four directions. Some people still use whole dried or ground corn in various colors to represent the directions.
Yellow - north
White - east
Red - south
Blue - west
Corn bread would be an appropriate food for Lughnasadh, as would tamales, corn chowder, or corn pudding. Place ears of corn on your altar. Blue corn is used to induce spirituality. Scatter corn meal around your ritual sites or use it to mark your circle.
Note: "Corn" outside the U.S. is used to mean any grain except for maize.
Rye
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Love
Rye bread made with caraway seeds (and properly charged with your intent) can increase your ability to give and receive love
Wheat
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: various
Wheat is the second-most commonly used grain for human consumption. Rice is number one. Egyptians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Greeks, and Romans all worshiped harvest deities that were associated with wheat (sometimes seen as "corn").
Wheat-based foods are eaten to bring prosperity and money into your life. Different breads are used for different purposes. Below are a few, courtesy of Scott Cunningham.
Twisted breads - protection
Egg breads - fertility
Sprouted breads - increasing psychic awareness
Garlic bread - protection
Sweetened breads are often used for spring festivals. In Mexico, Pan de Muerto (Bread of the Dead) is eaten on November 2. For Lughnasadh this year, why not try your hand at baking your own bread? There are thousands of recipes online, many of them very simple, and the rewards outweigh any labor involved.
I prefer making my bread by hand for several reasons. One, I don't have a bread maker or a mixer. Two, I like to get my hands into the dough and feel the texture of the flour and really put my own energies into the food. I absolutely love the kneading process required to make most breads.
The following chant is one I'm sure many of you know, and I think it is a very good one to sing when kneading bread:
Hoof and horn, hoof and horn
All that dies shall be reborn
Corn and grain, corn and grain
All that falls shall rise again
This year, if you can, bake a loaf or two of bread. Offer some to Lugh or another deity, and break bread with the people you care about. Light a candle, give thanks, and pass around the loaf.
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