Okay, technically pumpkins are vegetables, but "Vegetables of the Season" didn't sound as good.
What's more autumnal than pumpkin? Who can picture October, especially Halloween/Samhain, without a carved pumpkin or two on the front porch? What would Thanksgiving be without pumpkin pie? When many people think of fall, they think of pumpkins.
Pumpkins, round and orange like the Harvest Moon, are ruled by (surprise, surprise)the Moon. Their element is earth, and the energies associated with the pumpkin are money and healing. They are also used for protection, especially when a spooky face is carved into the flesh.
As many of you probably already know, the modern jack o'lantern is a take on the turnips that were carved and used to scare away evil spirits. The Irish didn't have pumpkins until they emigrated to North America. I guess they made the switch because pumpkins are a lot easier to carve than turnips!
The round, full shape of the pumpkin is symbolic of the Mother Goddess and represents fruitfulness. Decorate or carve a pumpkin for prosperity or protection, and then use the seeds as divination tools on Samhain. The seeds can be toasted and eaten as a tasty snack, or you can use a felt-tip marker to draw runes on them.
From a culinary perspective, pumpkins are good for more than just pie. Pumpkin soup is a warming, nourishing dish to serve at Samhain. Remember to leave some for the spirits of your ancestors if you set up an altar. A pumpkin pie can be a delicious way of attracting money when cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg are added to the mix. I will share a few pumpkin recipes in the next post.
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