While it’s important to note that not all persimmon trees (of the genus Diospyros) bear edible fruit, persimmons have been called “fruit of the gods” and taste like pumpkin pie–flavored marshmallows. Speaking of pumpkins, the ripe fruit looks like a tiny, particularly bright and robust pumpkin, and (also like pumpkins) is an excellent addition to celebratory autumn desserts.
Magical Uses
Banishing Chills
According to author Scott Cunningham in Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, “If you are plagued with chills, tie a knot in a piece of string (one for each chill you’ve had) and tie the string to a persimmon tree. This should halt them.” While I can’t vouch for the effectiveness of this, the persimmon tree is certainly warm, healing, and grounding in nature. It’s definitely worth a try.
Wealth
An elegantly petite tree that yields a beautiful little flower and later a showy orange fruit that basically tastes like heaven, the persimmon tree most certainly vibrates to the frequency of wealth. In Korea a delicious dessert beverage (something like a spicy iced cider or fruit punch) is made from persimmons. Its other traditional ingredients make it an excellent wealth potion, particularly when your desire is for activating the finances and getting financial energy moving. I suggest enjoying it at Thanksgiving or during a harvest celebration.
Persimmon Wealth Potion (aka Sujeonggwa)
Ingredients:
- • The equivalent of 9 thinly sliced, quarter-sized pieces of fresh ginger
- • 1 cinnamon stick
- • 3 black peppercorns
- • 3 red dates (dried)
- • 6 cups water
- • 4 tablespoons maple syrup (more can be added if desired)
- • 9 dried persimmons, first soaked for 40 minutes, drained, and quartered
- • Small handful of toasted pine nuts (See “Kernels of Divine Harmony” on page 266 to empower with the energy of divine harmony)
Assemble all ingredients in one spot in your kitchen. Hold your palms above them, visualize them as filled with glowing golden or orange light, and say a blessing over them, such as:
Ingredients of wondrous wealth
Bless us with financial health.
Place all ingredients except the persimmons, maple syrup, and pine nuts in a large pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer for fifty minutes. Remove from heat and add the maple syrup, stirring to dissolve. Place the persimmons in a bowl and strain mixture over the top. Refrigerate until ice cold. Divide into four glasses (all at once or one at a time, depending on how many you’re serving), with some of the persimmon in each. Sprinkle some pine nuts over the top.
Just before serving, hold your hands over the glasses once more, visualize more glowing golden or orange light filling and surrounding them, and say:
As Earth’s great bounty we partake
To our wealth we now awake.
Magical Correspondences
Element: Fire
Gender: Feminine
Planet: Jupiter