Meat Consumption and Magic

(It was hard to come up with a title that didn't sound...adult. *L*)

Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (a favorite resource of mine), has the following to say concerning vegetarianism:
“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, just as no single type of haircut, food, or religions is suitable for all. “

He goes on to state that some people feel that adhering to a strict vegetarian diet is essential in order to practice magic. However, he also write, “ If you’re vegetarian because you feel that it’s the only way in which you can achieve any form of spiritual enlightenment, fine. If you’re vegetarian because you’ve decided that you can’t practice magic if you eat meat, again, fine. But others can make alternate decisions. They can decide to be omnivores, achieve spiritual enlightenment, and still successfully practice magic. Neither position, once again, is correct for all.”

I agree with Scott Cunningham on this. I do not believe that a person or group of people is morally, intellectually, or spiritually superior to another person or group of people because of their diet. His book, though, does not include information on meat that walks upon the earth. There is a section on food from the seas and rivers, but nothing concerning beef, pork, poultry, or game.

He lists several reasons for this. One, meat was and still is very scarce in some parts of the world. Two, many practitioners of magic are vegetarians, and he wanted his book to be useful to all people. The third reason he lists is the fact that there isn’t much ritual or magical information available regarding meat. In researching information for his book, he found very few references to meat.

I am an omnivore, a Pagan, and the occasional practitioner of magic. I may not do a lot of spell work, per se, but I use the magic of cooking and prayer in my daily life. After going through the Encyclopedia or Wicca in the Kitchen for the twentieth time (at least), I started to think about meat and its significance in the world of ritual and magic.

Meat has long been prepared and eaten for special occasions, such as marriages and harvest celebrations. What, then, is its importance? We know it’s a source of protein, iron and fat, along with B vitamins, all of which are important to us. Nowadays we have alternate sources, but many years ago meat provided essential nutrition and it was consumed when available, and often preserved by salting and drying.

Brahmins ate beef around 1000 B.C.E.. The veneration of the cow as a sacred animal did not begin in India until about 2000 years ago. The cow, a producer of meat, milk, and leather, is seen as sacred because of the life-sustaining gifts which it bestows upon us. Beef, like other forms of meat, was and still is a luxury item to many.

If we look at the Runes, Fehu is said to represent the horns of cattle. It is a symbol of cattle and wealth. For this reason I associate beef (and some other forms of meat which we will discuss later) as such:

Element: Earth
Symbol: Fehu
Energies: Prosperity

A simple, inexpensive cut of meat can be used in prosperity magic. A tough cut of meat can be prepared in a crock pot, cooked slowly for hours until it becomes tender. Before cooking, inscribe the rune Fehu into the meat and visualize what you need, be it a better job, employment in general, or simply more money coming in. Picture how your life will change once you have extra income and are able to pay off your student loans, your mortgage, whatever.

Some sample dishes that combine prosperity ingredients would be sesame beef, beef served with leafy greens such as spinach or cabbage (stuffed cabbage would be ideal, just trace the rune into the air over the ground meat, or visibly mark it before mixing), or pasta with meat sauce made with tomatoes, basil and parsley.

Stay tuned for most posts involving different meats including poultry, pork and game. I would also associate pork with prosperity energy.