Fruit
Naturally sweet, refreshing and fragrant, fruits of all kinds have given humans millions of hours of culinary enjoyment.
It once surprised me that the Buddhist altars I’d seen in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and throughout Hawaii usually contained offerings of fruit, not vegetables. Oranges are perhaps the most favored of these.
Why is fruit favored over vegetables? Perhaps because vegetables (and grains) have been the mainstays of the human diet. They grow in or on the ground. Fruit, however, generally grows on trees. Perhaps it seemed “higher,” more exalted than other foodstuffs. Fruit’s unique sweetness probably has something to do with this reverence as well.
The pomegranate of Mesopotamia; the strawberries of the Teutons; the coconut and banana of the Pacific Islanders; the apples of Avalon; the pear and peach of China—these are some of the fruits that have been revered as direct links with deity.
I’ve tried to list the most popular fruits in this section, as well as a few that are only now appearing in our grocery carts and at farmer’s markets. But even the most familiar fruit assumes a new importance in the realm of food magic: its potential as a tool of self-transformation.
Apple
(Pyrus malus)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love, health, peace
Lore: The peoples who inhabited the prehistoric lake dwellings of Switzerland enjoyed apples, as shown by apple remains found there.105 Apples may have been eaten as long ago as the Paleolithic era.
They were a valued food in ancient Egypt. Ramses III offered 848 baskets of apples to Hapy, the Egyptian god of the Nile.23 Among the Norse, Iduna safeguarded a store of apples. When eaten, the apples gave the gift of perpetual youth to the goddesses and gods.90 It is said that certain Norse priests were forbidden to eat apples, due to the fruit’s legendary lustful properties.62 Apples are still offered to Chango among the Yoruba.
Apple trees once grew around the sacred island of Avalon in England, and apples were intimately linked with spirituality in the British Isles.
At one time, apples were always rubbed before they were eaten to remove all the demons or evil spirits that were thought to reside within them. Even the smell of fresh apples was thought to bestow longevity and restore flagging physical strength.
Magical uses: Love. Simply eat a fresh apple. Carve a heart into the skin before devouring it. Drink apple cider. Bake an apple pie (flavored with cinnamon, ginger, and sugar). Share an apple with a lover.
Health. Place a glass of apple cider between your palms. Visualize health and healing energies flowing into it between your hands. Visualize your body’s natural healing ability gaining in strength. See yourself as being healed. Then drink the cider. Or, cut an apple into three parts with a sharp knife while visualizing. Eat all three parts.
Peace. Add applesauce, apple cake, apple dumplings, or some other cooked form of apples to your diet.
Apricot
(Prunus armeniaca)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love, peace
Lore: Apricots probably originated in China, where they were cultivated as early as 2000 b.c.e.71 They arrived in England by 1562 c.e.53
Magical uses: These fleshy fruits are ideal additions to love-expanding diets. They can be used fresh or cooked. Apricot nectar, a combination of fruit pulp, sugar, and water, can be drunk for love.
Love sauce. Stew ripe apricots with warm water until soft and mushy. Taste and add a bit of honey or sugar if desired. Run through a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour on to vanilla ice cream for a love-inducing treat.
Also, eat apricots in any form for peace.
Avocado
(Persea americana)
Planet: Venus
Element: Earth
Energies: Beauty, love
Lore: Avocados have been enjoyed in Central America for at least 7,000 years.71 The Aztecs made a type of guacamole with avocado, tomato, and chili peppers that is similar to the dish we enjoy today. The Aztecs also considered avocados to be aphrodisiacs.
Magical uses: To promote beauty, hold a ripe avocado in your hands. Visualize your new appearance as strongly as you can. Maintain your visualization as you peel and eat the avocado. Eat at least one a day (plain) for blossoming beauty.
Avocados are also a useful love food.
Banana
(Musa spp.)
Planet: Mars
Element: Air
Energies: Spirituality, love, money
Lore: The banana is mentioned throughout the sacred books of India, and is still considered to be a holy food. A valued offering to Hindu deities, the banana’s leaves are used to decorate marriage altars.2
Stalks of the banana plant (it is not a tree) were sometimes offered in place of humans during sacrificial rites in the Pacific.7 Polynesian legends tell of the creation of the original banana plant from the bodies of slain heroes.7
In old New Orleans, the plants were grown for luck near the home. In Hawaii, food wrapped in large banana leaves was thought to be safe from intruding negativity.7
Though we know little of the banana’s orgins, it’s certain that people in India were enjoying the slippery fruits in about 2000 b.c.e.; that bananas arrived in Africa in 500 c.e., in Polynesia around 1000 c.e., and in tropical America during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.71 Bananas were introduced to consumers in North America at the 1876 Philadelphia Exposition. Not long afterward, thousands of tons were being imported and purchased by an appreciative populace.2 Most of the bananas we eat today are grown in Ecuador.
During the 1960s, banana peels were sometimes smoked as a replacement for marijuana. Though this had little or no effect beyond suggestion, it is curious that banana peels actually do contain minute amounts of the psychoactive substances serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.52, 71 Fortunately, smoking the peels had little effect and the fad quickly died out.
Don’t eat bright yellow bananas. Those who dislike the taste of bananas may have never eaten a ripe one. Bananas are ripe only when the peel has begun to turn brown. The more brown spots, the more sugar that has been formed within the fruit.
Magical uses: The fruits form upward on the stalk, reaching toward the sky. Eating bananas stimulates spirituality. Choose fresh bananas, baked bananas, or that exquisite Chinese treat, candied (toffied) bananas.
Also add the fruit to love and prosperity diets.
Blackberry
(Rubus villosus)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Money, sex
Magical uses: Blackberries are traditionally eaten during the harvest festivals.
Bake a blackberry pie, eat blackberry jam, or consume fresh blackberries to draw money. A bowl of oat cereal topped with fresh blackberries is a delicious money-charged breakfast. Or, eat the delicious, seedy berries to increase your interest in sex. Visualize!
Blueberry
(Vaccinum frondosum)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Protection
Magical uses: This delicious Native American food is a welcome addition to the arsenal of protective foods. Eaten with visualization, it increases our magical defense systems.
Here are some suggestions: eat blueberry pie. Add the fruits to coffee cake with protective spices (see chapter 12). Have a dish of blueberry ice cream. Sprinkle fresh blueberries onto a bowl of cooked rice or corn flakes for a doubly protective breakfast.
To make a protective kitchen charm, crush fresh blueberries. With a finger dipped into the juice, mark the sign of the pentagram (see appendix 2) on to a piece of white paper. Keep this in the kitchen (it doesn’t have to be in plain sight) to guard the room itself as well as the food that is stored and prepared there. Wash your finger after making the sign. It’ll need it.
Carambola
(Averrhoa carambola)
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection
Lore: Carambola (starfruit) is one of the “new” fruits that have only recently begun appearing in our markets. A native to Indonesia,89 carambola ripens and is available during the winter months. It’s commercially grown in Florida, Texas, and California. I’ve also seen it in stores from Denver to Hawaii.
The fruit itself is an unusual ribbed oblong of yellow flesh. When sliced, it produces star-shaped sections. The flesh is usually sweet, firm, and crisp. Seeds, peel, and all can be eaten.
Magical uses: The first time that I saw a starfruit, I was amazed at its resemblance to the pentagram. This tasty fruit should be sliced with visualization, then simply eaten or added to protective dishes. A protective fruit salad can be made with carambola slices, whole blueberries, mango chunks, pineapple slices, whole raspberries, and tangerine sections. Carambola slices can also be used to garnish other protective foods.
Cherry
(Prunus spp.)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love
Magical uses: The sight of cherry blossoms portends further delights once the round red fruits have matured.
Make a killer cherry pie using as much love-visualization as you possibly can. Lightly trace a heart on the bottom crust before baking. Eat one piece of the pie each day until it is gone, while creating a mental image of yourself involved in a loving relationship.
Citron
(Citrus medica)
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Strength
Lore: Citron was first used in Egypt in the second century c.e.23 Though we may not encounter this fruit except in Yuletide fruitcakes, citron was once accorded a lofty place in the world. Pliny wrote that it was grown around temples dedicated to Amon in ancient Egypt. Citron was thought to have been created by Ge (the Egyptian god of the earth) to celebrate the wedding of Zeus and Hera. This myth was obviously formed during the influx of Greek thought into Egypt.23
In Mediterranean countries, citron is still used to drive away the “evil eye.”
Magical uses: Fresh citron is rarely available, but the candied fruit can be added to foods designed to strengthen your physical body.
Cranberry
(Vaccinium oxycoccus)
Planet: Mars
Element: Water
Energies: Protection
Lore: Cranberries, native to North America and Europe,53 were eaten by Indians long before being introduced to the Pilgrims.53
A close relative of the cranberry lives in Hawaii. The ohelo (Vaccinium reticulatum) grows on short plants found at higher elevations.58 The juicy red fruits, which taste like cranberries but are sweeter, are made into jam and are the central ingredient in the famous ohelo berry pie served at Volcano House, on the rim of Kilauea crater on the Big Island.
Magical uses: The sourness of cranberries makes them an ideal protective food. Eat sweetened cranberry sauce during protective meals.
Date
(Phoenix dactylifera)
Planet: Sun
Element: Air
Energies: Spirituality, strength
Lore: The date palm may have grown in some areas as early as 48,000 years ago. Humans have always eaten the fruit.104
Dates were once thought to be eaten by the spirits of the dead.35 Babylonians dried dates and ate them as we eat candies.104 They also offered them to their deities. Dates from both Babylon and Dilmun, presented on a slice of bread soaked in oil, were given to Anu. Ea, Shamash, and Marduk were similarly offered this food.24, 51 Date syrup was a popular sweetener in Mesopotamia, and date wine was another sacred food.104 The date tree was an ancient symbol of fertility.
Magical uses: If you enjoy the taste and texture of dates, add them to a spirituality enhancing diet. Switch to date sugar for sweetening purposes. Or, simply eat the delicious fruits one at a time.
Also, consume dates to increase your physical strength.
Dates are an important part of fertility diets.
Fig
(Ficus carica)
Planet: Jupiter
Element: Fire
Energies: Strength, money, sex
Lore: Figs are often depicted on Egyptian tomb paintings and reliefs. At ancient Thebes, Pharaoh Ramses III offered 15,500 measures of figs to Amon-Ra.23 They were also apparently eaten during certain rituals, such as those in honor of Thoth.23
The fig was sacred in ancient Greece and was associated with many deities, including Dionysius and Juno.
A fig isn’t actually a fruit; it is a hollow, bud-like object filled with immature flowers and mature seeds.90
Magical uses: Eat figs as the Greeks did, to gain both physical strength and energy. Or, add them to money-attracting diets.
Figs can also be eaten to boost sexual desire and fertility. Figs regained their reputation as an erotic food during a scene in the Ken Russell film Women In Love.
Fig Newtons, the popular, prepackaged food, can be used for any of these purposes.
Grape, Raisin
(Vitis vinifera)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Dreams, fertility, money
Lore: Most ancient Egyptian tombs were stocked with grapes.23
On one occasion, Ramses III offered 11,872 jars of raisins, which the Egyptians created by drying grapes in the sun.23 In Greece and Rome, grapes were sacred to Dionysius and Bacchus, respectively.
Magical uses: Eat grapes to produce dreams.22 Grapes are also eaten to encourage physical fertility. When planted in temperate gardens, they strengthen the other plants situated nearby.
Surround a bunch of green grapes with solid silver coins. Hold your hands over the grapes and visualize money coming into your life. Then eat the grapes. Or simply add grape juice or grape jelly to your diet.
Raisins. Due to the sun-drying process used to create them, raisins are ruled by the sun and by the element of fire. They’re eaten to develop the conscious mind.
Grapefruit
(Citrus paradisi)
Planet: Sun
Element: Water
Energies: Purification
Magical uses: The grapefruit has been cultivated in India and Malaysia for 4,000 years.53
Drink the juice or enjoy a half grapefruit for purification.
Guava
(Psidium guajava)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love, purification
Lore: The guava is native to Mexico, Central America, Brazil, and Peru. Though we often associate guavas with Hawaii, they were introduced there just over a hundred years ago. Still, they have already made their way into Hawaiian folk magic. To purify themselves, Filipino families returning home from funerals in Hawaii often wash their feet with water that has been boiled with guava leaves.18
Magical uses: Fresh guavas are rare in most mainland U.S. markets. Other closely related fruits are now appearing here, such as feijoas (but these aren’t true guavas). Guavas are, however, occasionally found at farmer’s stands, especially near the Mexican border. If you have no luck, guava jelly and guava nectars are readily available. (See appendix 2 for mail-order sources.)
In Hawaii, many bakeries offer such delicacies as guava chiffon cake—an unforgettable taste sensation. Mexican cooks use guava paste in their culinary efforts.
This is another love food. Drink guava juice or nectar with visualization. The sweetness of the fruit foretells the sweetness of the coming relationship.
Guava nectar is also drunk for internal purification.
Kumquat
(Fortunella spp.)
Planet: Sun
Element: Air
Energies: Money, “luck”
Lore: These small, golden-orange fruits are native to China. The Chinese exchange small sprays of kumquat leaves and fruits at their New Year’s festivities to ensure good fortune and money during the coming year.
Magical uses: Add these fruits to diets designed to bring “gold” into your life. Alternately, eat kumquats to stimulate good fortune.
Lemon
(Citrus limon)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Love, happiness, purification
Lore: Probably native to China, lemons first gained notice in the West when British sailors were given rations of the vitamin C–rich lemon juice to prevent scurvy on long voyages. Later, lime juice (just as effective, but less expensive) replaced the lemon, subjecting these British seamen to the derogatory term “Limeys.”104
Lemon-flavored foods are used in Wiccan lunar feasts.
Magical uses: Lemon is a love fruit, but should be mixed with sugar for maximum results. Lemon pies, the British lemon curd, and lemon puddings are all love-inducing. Women once served lemon pies to their husbands to keep them home at night. As the cads ate the dessert, they’d feel their wives’ love for them.
Lemon dishes (such as lemon chicken) spread warmth among friends when shared at intimate dinners. They also promote happiness.
For an internal purification, squeeze half a lemon into a glass of water. Sip or drink this straight down. The acidic juice is not only good for you, it will also give you a boost of physical energy as well.
Also, drink this mixture during all rituals designed to banish negative habits and thought patterns.
Lime
(Citrus limetta)
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Love, purification
Lore: In present-day Peru, shamans use sweetened lime juice in purification rituals.97
Magical uses: Lime is used in precisely the same way as lemon—to promote love and purification.
Key lime pie, a traditional Florida dessert, is an evocative love enhancer and one of my personal favorites. If you make this pie, visualize as you mix. You might cut out small hearts from the green portion of lime peel and place these onto the pie before serving.
Mango
(Mangifera indica)
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection, sex, love
Lore: The mango is native to India and Malaysia and has been cultivated in those countries for 4,000 years.58 Around 600 b.c.e., in India, a special mango grove was presented to Buddha as a quiet place for meditation. Vedic magicians used mangos in preparing love philtres.106 Today, Hindus use mango leaves as symbols of prosperity and happiness in various religious festivals.58
The mango is extremely popular in Central America and Mexico. In Guatemala, women eat the juicy, fleshy fruits to promote sexual excitement. In Hawaii, dreams filled with the fruit indicate prosperous times ahead.102
Eating this gooey fruit involves all the senses: the texture of the peel and the meat; the golden-reddish color of the flesh; the scent of the juice; the sound of the fruit squishing between your teeth; and the delicious taste. I’ve often ended up completely drenched with mango juice after a particularly satisfying encounter with this sacred fruit of India.
Magical uses: Mangos are useful in protection diets. It is a, however, member of the poison ivy and poison sumac family; some people develop rashes when touching the sap in the fruit’s skin. Never eat the skin! Simply peel and enjoy.
Eat fresh mangos to stimulate the desire for sex, or to promote love. Recall the importance of visualization in food magic. Simply eating mangos with no visualization won’t create sexual desire within the diner. The visualization is what causes the magical change. Yes, it’s safe to serve mangos to young children!
May Apple
(Podophyllum petaltum)
Planet: Mercury
Element: Fire
Energies: Love, money
Lore: The may apple is also known as the American mandrake. It grows wild throughout the eastern and midwestern states.
In my files I have recipes for may apple pie and may apple jam. Although the fruits are safe, the root is poisonous and should never be taken internally. May apple roots were used in suicide teas among the Huron and Iroquois Indian tribes.
Magical uses: Eat the “apples” for love and money.
Melon
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Healing, purification
Lore: The honeydew and cantaloupe were being eaten as early as 2000 b.c.e. Melons are native to Africa and India.53 Egyptians are believed to have been eating honeydew melons in 2400 b.c.e.53 Among continental Gypsies, melons were used as love-inducing foods.14
Magical uses: In general, melons are added to health-bestowing diets. Eat fresh melons once a day with the proper visualization. Any kind can be used—crenshaw, musk (also known as cantaloupe), honeydew, cassava, and so on. Melons are also eaten for purification, especially when trying to break a negative habit or way of thinking. See also the entry for Watermelon in this chapter.
Mulberry
(Morus rubra)
Planet: Mercury
Element: Air
Energies: Wisdom, fertility, psychic awareness
Lore: These curious, tree-borne berries were once thought to be sacred to Minerva.90 Ray T. Malbrough, in an unpublished paper on Cajun herbal medicine and magic, states that mulberries are eaten before acts of divination for better glimpses of the future. They’re also used for fertility.67
Magical uses: Eat ripe mulberries to gain wisdom, or as a part of fertility diets. Also, add mulberries to diets designed to increase psychic awareness.
Nectarine
(Prunus spp.)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love
Magical uses: The name of this fruit has its origins in the Greek word nekter, the drink of the gods.53 The nectarine is actually a smooth-skinned peach.
Add fresh nectarines to diets that promote love.
Orange
(Citrus sinensis)
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Love, purification
Lore: Probably native to China, the orange was used in imperial sacrifices to the deities. Oranges are exchanged at the Chinese New Year to spread happiness and prosperity.3
Oranges were once eaten to prevent drunkenness. It is curious that a slice of fresh orange is still added to many mixed drinks.
Magical uses: Those who have seen orange blossoms used at weddings won’t be surprised to learn that this fruit is an age-old love stimulator. It can be added to love diets; however, the juice, when taken internally, is thought to “hinder lust.” Orange juice and the fruit itself produce spiritual love, like that shared by friends and family.
For a quick internal purification, drink orange juice every morning while visualizing the refreshing juice cleaning your system from the inside out. Fresh-squeezed juice is best.
Orange flower water can be used in desserts for love. Flavor whipped cream with orange flower water; stir a bit into vanilla ice cream; or add to all types of food. Use only genuine orange flower water (check gourmet stores).
Papaya
(Papya carica)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Love
Lore: Papaya seems to be native to the tropical Americas. The Incas and Mayas ate it, and it is still a popular fruit in Mexico. 85 It was introduced to Hawaii about one hundred years ago and quickly became a standard food there as well.
Papayas taste like flowers. Many dislike the aroma of the fruit, but this has never been a problem to me. Papaya contains the digestive enzyme papain. Skindivers and bathers in Hawaii use it (or meat tenderizers consisting largely of papain) to remove the pain of Portuguese man-of-war stings. In Guatemala, men eat papaya as an aphrodisiac. Women use the mango.
Magical uses: Eat the fruit or drink the juice (usually in the form of sugared “nectars”) for love. Use papaya-seed dressing on salads to further stimulate love.
Passion Fruit
(Passiflora edulis)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Love, peace
Lore: This vine is a native of Brazil.89 Christian folklore associates the unusual flowers of this tropical vine with the crucifixion. This is curious, since the plant doesn’t grow in biblical lands.
The Cajuns, among others, use passion fruit to calm anger and to promote friendships.67
The fruit is about the size of an egg, and is usually purple and wrinkled when ripe. Each fruit produces less than a tablespoon of juice. Fresh passion fruits are sold in many markets in the United States.
Magical uses: Known as liliko’i in Hawaii, passion fruit produces an exquisitely tart juice. When diluted and sweetened, its taste becomes rich and mysterious.
Add passion fruit to love diets. Fortunately, passion fruit juice is currently a popular flavoring ingredient in mixed “tropical punches,” and so some form of passion fruit is readily available.
The sweetened juice is also drunk for peace.
Peach
(Prunus persica)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love, health, happiness, wisdom
Lore: The famous Chinese heroine Ho Hsien-Ku, who lived in the seventh century c.e., was transformed into a fairy by eating a supernatural peach. Thereafter she lived on a diet of powdered mother-of-pearl and moonbeams, which caused her to be immortal.3
The peach has always been a sacred tree to the Chinese, whose longevity deity is sometimes depicted emerging from a peach tree. The “pits” are carved into lock shapes and given to children as amulets against death. Sprays of peach blossoms are placed over the front door to guard it against negativity during the Chinese New Year. 3, 114
Magical uses: Eat fresh peaches, peach jam, or peach pie to expand your ability to give and to receive love. Peaches are also eaten (with appropriate visualization) to induce health, happiness, and wisdom, as they have been in China for centuries.
Pear
(Pyrus communis)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Longevity, money
Lore: Pear trees can continue to bear fruit for as long as 300 years, according to ancient Chinese lore. Due to their extraordinary longevity, pears are eaten to impart magical life extension to humans.
Athena was worshipped as the mother of pear trees in ancient Greece; in Russia, cows were protected with pear charms.112 In the U.S., pears are eaten for good “luck” on Thanksgiving.46
Magical uses: These fruits are eaten for longer life and for money. They can be used fresh or in the form of pear bread, pear tarts, and other desserts.
Persimmon
(Diospyros virginiana)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Happiness
Magical uses: This native of North America produces large orange fruits. Add persimmons to your diet for happiness and joy. Eating persimmon jam is a pleasant way of adding this fruit’s energy to your life.
Pineapple
(Ananas comusus)
Planet: Sun
Element: Fire
Energies: Healing, money, protection, love
Lore: In early America, the pineapple was a symbol of hospitality. Its image was often carved into furniture and into household items such as newel posts. The fruit is used in Mexican healing rituals.109
Magical uses: Add fresh or cooked pineapple to healing diets. Eat the fruit to garner money.
Pineapple is useful for two seemingly contradictory but inked magical changes: protection and love.
Plum
(Prunus spp.)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Protection, sex
Lore: Plum tree branches were placed above doors and windows to keep negativity from European homes.35 In China, the fruit was eaten to guard against evil. It was also consumed for long life. Prunes, the dried form of plums, are thought to be sexually arousing. They were served free to customers in Elizabethan brothels (probably the only thing in these establishments that was free).29
Magical uses: Eat these tartly sweet fruits for internal protection and to stimulate the desire for sex. Visualize!
Pomegranate
(Punica granatum)
Planet: Mercury
Element: Fire
Energies: Fertility, creativity, money
Lore: Throughout Mesopotamia and the Mediterranean, this many-seeded fruit was linked with deity. The Hittites attributed the pomegranate to Ibritz, their god of agriculture. The Greeks depicted Zeus holding a pomegranate;23 the redness of the seeds also suggested that the fruit sprung from the blood of Dionysius. The pomegranate also played a symbolic role in early Judaic symbolism.23
Representations of pomegranates abound in the art of antiquity, such as the famous pomegranate-shaped silver jar found in Tutankhaman’s tomb. The fruits were used as money—barter and cash—in ancient Egypt.23
Pomegranates were served at Babylonian marriage banquets. Pomegranate seeds were also offered to guests during Asian weddings, much as we put out bowls of nuts.
In contemporary American folklore, these are “lucky” fruits. A wish is always made before eating the fruit’s first seeds.
Magical uses: A fine food for autumn seasonal festivals, particularly Samhain (Halloween); the redness of the juicy flesh surrounding the seeds symbolizes the blood of life that will continue during the coming winter months.
The pomegranate was used in fertility magic due to its numerous seeds. While this was perhaps “superstitious,” pomegranate seeds can be added to diets geared toward physical fertility. Simply eat with visualization. Alternately, eat pomegranate (or drink the sieved juice) to stimulate creativity (there are many forms of fertility).
Eat pomegranates with visualization to promote increased income. Or, rub fresh pomegranate seeds on to money before spending it to ensure its return. Don’t try this at the checkout counter, however.
Prickly Pear
(Opuntia spp.)
Planet: Mars
Element: Fire
Energies: Protection
Magical uses: Prickly pears, known as tunas in Spanish, produce deliciously juicy fruits. They are sometimes available in Southwestern markets, or can be picked straight off the plants—but take care not to prick your fingers on the spines. (Those for sale in stores have been despined.)
The fruit is surprisingly sweet and quite delicious. Eat it as a part of protection diets. Prickly pear jelly and jam are sometimes available in grocery stores, and can also be eaten for protection.
Quince
(Cydonia spp.)
Planet: Saturn
Element: Earth
Energies: Love, Protection
Lore: The Roman naturalist Pliny wrote that the fruit of the quince wards off the influence of evil.86 The quince was also a symbol of love and happiness in ancient Greece. Newly married couples often ate the fruit.64 Some groups of European Gypsies used the quince for love magic.14
Magical uses: Many people today have never eaten a quince, but that’s no cause for fear. It must be cooked to be enjoyed. Simply eat foods containing quince to stimulate love. Alternately, add quinces to protective diets.
Raspberry
(Rubus idaeus)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Happiness, protection, love
Magical uses: There’s something magical about a rambling tangle of raspberry brambles. The white flowers, scarlet fruit, and painful spines add to the mystery of this common fruit, which has been introduced throughout the world. It even grows untended on the lonely trails that lace through the Hawaiian islands.
The scent of the ripe berries, even if they’re packed in a carton, can be cheering. Smell and eat for happiness. Raspberries are also useful in promoting both protection and love.
Strawberry
(Fragaria vesca)
Planet: Venus
Element: Water
Energies: Love
Lore: The strawberry is native to both the Americas and Europe.71 Romans planted it in their gardens,71 and the fruit was sacred to Freya in old Europe.
Magical uses: This delicious fruit is useful in love diets. Some examples? Strawberry ice cream. Chocolate-dipped strawberries. Sliced strawberries and whole raspberries mixed with a few fresh, shredded mint leaves. I’m sure you can think of other love-inducing strawberry delights.
Tamarind
(Tamarindus indicus)
Planet: Saturn
Element: Water
Energies: Love
Magical uses: The tamarind is native to India. It is a long, bean-shaped fruit that is rather distressing in appearance, but it produces a refreshing, sweet drink known in Mexico as tamarindo. I’m not sure if it is drunk there to stimulate love, but it should be.
Tangerine
(Citrus spp.)
Planet: Sun
Element: Air
Energies: Protection
Lore: I was once walking through a heavily Asian neighborhood to the grocery store. As usual, I was being nosy, looking into the cars that were parked along the road. One of the cars stood out. The usual red-and-gold ornament, placed there for protection, hung from the rearview mirror. Beside it, the car’s owner had suspended a small branch with dried tangerines still attached to it. I did a double take and smiled, knowing that the tangerine is a fruit of protection throughout Asia. It is also a common offering on contemporary Buddhist altars.
Magical uses: Tangerines, solar fruits, are drenched with the energies of the sun. Eat for internal personal protection. Alternately, place a fresh tangerine on your kitchen table (or household altar, if you have one) to guard your home, particularly during short vacations and trips. Replace with a fresh tangerine as needed. Bury the used tangerines in the ground.
Watermelon
(Citrullus vulgaris)
Planet: Moon
Element: Water
Energies: Healing
Lore: What could be a more all-American food than watermelon? Many plants, in fact, including wild rice, corn, and potatoes. The watermelon is native to Africa and was brought to our continent during the saddest and most savage time in our history—the time of trafficking of human beings.29
The watermelon was introduced to Egypt in about 2000 b.c.e.71 Ancient Egyptians mixed watermelon juice with wine and gave this drink to ill persons who were believed to be possessed by illness-causing demons.69 Watermelon was mythological related to the god Set, and Egyptian women may have eaten watermelon in prescriptions designed to cause weight gain.69
In Hawaii, a watermelon is sometimes rolled out of the house through the front door to ease the spirit of a deceased person into the next world.18
Watermelon is sacred to the goddess Yemaya in the various manifestations of the Yoruba religion.
Magical uses: Nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer day than ice-cold watermelon. This is a healing fruit. Simply eat with visualization. Like all melons, the scent alone is also healing.