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Pumpkins Part II By Claudette Griffith Copywrite 2001 Spellwork!
Okay now for the fun witchy stuff! Spells! As I stated earlier
Pumpkins are ideal for spell ingredients that bring abundance and
prosperity. Pumpkins are linked to Samhain as a replacement for the
hard to carve turnip, which was used by the Irish as a ward against
evil spirits that might be lurking on Samhain. In this sense they
have protective uses. I personally find this curious as the ancient
Celt had little fear of death and in fact worshipped the souls of
their dead. This leads me to believe that the lanterns original
purpose may have been to guide the spirits of loved ones and later
became a ward against evil as the Church preached the fear of the
dead souls who must be possessed of the devil. So, I feel the
lanterns can also be used to draw favored relatives to ask for their
assistance in magickal endeavors.
Pumpkin Elementals Spell
This spell can be used to help you attain almost anything,
Ingredients can be added to represent the goal or desire, and the
words adjusted to fit your needs
Ingredients needed!
5 mini pumpkins
1 candle representing Fire (colored to represent your desire)
1 handful of garden soil to represent Earth
1 cone or stick of incense to represent Air (a little baking soda
placed in the bottom of the pumpkin if using cones)
1 small glass of stream or rainwater to represent, you guessed it,
Water
Small objects to represent your desire
Knife and spoon
Sit the pumpkins in your lap and take turns holding them and say
Little pumpkins which the by the goddess grow
Bring forth my desires the seeds of which I now sow.
Little fruits so small and cheery
Bring forth these wishes that I need dearly.
Cut open the pumpkins de-seed them keeping some of the seeds for use
in later rituals, place into the first pumpkin incense and light it,
in the next place the candle and light it, now fill one with water
and another with soil. The remaining pumpkin is to be filled with
objects that represent your desire.
Pass the last pumpkin through the incense smoke and say something like
"Blessings of the Sylphs upon my desire"
Then pass the pumpkin over the candle being careful not to get too
close and say
"Blessings of the Salamanders upon my desire"
Now sprinkle the pumpkin with the water and say
" Blessings of the Undines upon my desire"
Sprinkle the pumpkin with the soil and say
"Blessings of the Gnomes upon my desire"
Place the desire pumpkin with the others and concentrate on your
desire when you have it pictured clearly in your mind, Begin to
chant,
"Air Fire Water Earth
By my will, you give birth"
When you feel you have raised enough energy, thank the Gods and the
elements for their assistance. Gather up the pumpkins and return them
to the earth, compost them or bury them in your yard, if this is not
possible take them to a river or stream and throw them in. It is
important to not to throw them in the garbage as they are meant be
gifts for the elementals who are lending their powers to the spell.
Pumpkin Protection Spell
Scary faces carved into pumpkins were meant to protect, so you can
guess where this is going. The easiest thing to do is simply
concentrate on protection as you carve your pumpkin, if you would
like, you can add carve protective seals instead of the traditional
face. Protective herbs can be added to the inside of your pumpkin as
well. If you are faced with immediate danger during the fall season
try this spell.
Tools needed
1 large pumpkin
1 black candle incense
Dirt
Carving tools
Pumpkin Pattern book (optional)
Buy or harvest a large pumpkin, design a face of a dragon or any
really scary face, as you carve see what ever is threatening you as
being warded off by the beast that will become your pumpkin guardian.
When you have completed the pumpkin carving write the name of the
person or thing that you fear and place it in the bottom of the
pumpkin cover it with several handfuls of dirt. Now take a black
candle and inscribe on it the words "Banish All Evil" place it inside
the pumpkin along with a generous amount of protective incense. Light
the candle and incense and watch as the pumpkin glows, soon the smoke
from the incense will billow out of the pumpkin, as it does, envision
the treat being surrounded by the smoke until it fades into it and
blows away with the wind.
*Note~ keep seeds to add to any protection work in the coming year.
Prosperity Pumpkins
I'm a big fan of window boxes and this is one of the ways I use to
encourage abundance in the fall. Once the frosts have killed off the
plantings in my window boxes I place a board over them to serve as a
platform to hold my prosperity pumpkins. Simply take several pumpkins
of varying sizes from the garden and write on the bottom of them,
words like "abundance", "prosperity", "comfort" or other things you
would like to bring into your life, perhaps harmony or love. Place
them on your plat-formed window box, along with colorful leaves and
interesting twigs. Add nuts and perhaps dried corn to be enjoyed by
local wildlife and you have a great display that can bring abundance
to your life, In many areas of the country it can be colorful all the
way through Thanksgiving and if not perhaps you can use the same
ideas for a mantle or tabletop display. Your house will look great
and your neighbors will be none the wiser! When that hard frost comes
remove the pumpkins to the compost pile, Next spring don't be
surprised when the pumpkin vines begin to take over your compost!
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Pumpkins, It's not too late!
© 2001 Claudette Griffith
As pagans, I know you all love that most fun filled of High
holidays... Samhain, Halloween to the less enlightened masses. And
part of the festivities includes pumpkins and their carving. You may
think it's too late to plant the large orange globes, but I'm here to
tell you that if you are ambitious and willing to do a little extra
work, you still have time to plant them. But you MUST plant them
TODAY! Some of you live in the far north and I'm sad to say, you will
have to try these tips next season.
Even those of you who do little to no gardening will find lots of fun
pumpkin facts and ideas for your pumpkins whether they are homegrown
or store bought. I've included recipes and spells to make your
pumpkins festive!
I'm a pumpkin enthusiast and love them above all other plants growing
in my garden, perhaps this is related to my love of Samhain, but
regardless, I'm here to help you all with my own hard learned
lessons. I thought you might even learn a little pumpkin lore in the
process.
Pumpkins are a cucurbita or a squash for us laymen. They like warm
weather and we have plenty of that at this time of year. Pumpkins
need 85 to 110 days to reach maturity, longer if you are growing the
giant variety. We won't be growing those, as they won't be ready for
harvest by Samhain. Pumpkins require copious amounts of water and
like rich soil. I am living in SD were the soil is a lovely black
loam. Even with that I add liberal amounts of compost to the beds
that contain my pumpkin plants. Pumpkins are very sensitive to cold
and must be protected from frosts. That is a concern for northern
growers; especially those who are getting a late start.
If you are among those waiting until the last moment to plant (in a
northern climate), you'll need to invest in a floating row cover, in
order to fight off any chills before harvest. If you plan to grow
organically in a southern garden you will also need to get a floating
row cover. This is necessary due to pest problems, namely squash vine
borers. For those of you who have not experienced the dreaded squash
vines borer, here is how it works. Your plant is in it's glory all
green and lush, just beginning to set fruit. The next day, you visit
your plant to check on the progress and notice it is wilting so you
water a little extra, but to no avail as your lovely vines continue
to wilt. When you look closer you notice the telltale sawdust at the
base of the plants. Dread sets in, your crop is ruined!
Some articles will tell you to split the vine and kill the grubs that
have grown fat on your lovely pumpkin vines, I've tried it and sadly,
it doesn't work. The best thing to do is prevent infestation by using
a row cover. Row covers are finely spun fabric that allows in sun and
rain but keeps the pest out. The catch is that you must uncover them
during the day to allow for pollination. Replacing the cover each
night to keep them safe from the clear winged moth that lays her eggs
at the base of each pumpkin and squash in your garden, which leads to
devastation and dismay. This will continue until you feel you have
enough pumpkins on the vines. Once this goal is reached, simply leave
the cover in place until they are ready to harvest. Your other option
is to go chemical, If you decide to go chemical I suggest using
sevens dust with a weekly application at the base of the plant and
then along the vines as they begin to sprawl. I have also heard of
people who use diamotaous earth but have not tried it myself.
Planting is simple, just place the seeds in soil and water, your baby
plants will emerge in about a week. Keep them watered, top dress with
compost or a mild fertilizer once a week, stand back and marvel as
Mother Nature does her work. Northern growers will need to be aware
of cold snaps and keep their row covers ready. An old sheet or
blanket can be used as well, however it must be pulled back to allow
the sun in once the cold weather has passed. A few other season
extenders are to plant on the south side of a heated building. This
works because the South side is exposed all day to sunlight and then
at night the heat of the house will help keep the plants warm and
help prevent frost damage.
Pumpkin are linked with the moon, perhaps it is because of the large
round orbs remind us of the Mother Goddess or perhaps the orange
harvest moons that peek through the clouds on nippy autumn nights.
There are new varieties on the market that are even more moon like
than the old standbys, Lumina pumpkins are a lovely ivory with nice
lobes that remind me of Cinderella's coach. There are also tiny white
pumpkins called "Baby Boo". Seeds for these may be harder to find,
but there are always the old favorites to fall back on like "Big
Max", "Jack-O-Lantern" and the smaller but no less charming "Baby
Bear" which is a great keeper for pies and never fails to delight the
little ones with their kid sized faces. Smaller pumpkins also have an
advantage of maturing earlier than the larger varieties, so
keep "Jack Be Little" on your list of last minute garden fillers.
Gardens dedicated to lunar Goddess are very appropriate even though
most of the ancient Goddesses have no long historical associations
with pumpkins, the reason is because pumpkins are native to the
Americas and were not known to Europe during the height of the
Goddess Religions. Still, what fertility Goddess wouldn't be proud of
the round pregnant possibilities of the pumpkin?
With that in mind, Pumpkins are great when used in fertility and
prosperity magick. Seeds can be saved and used in magickal working
throughout the coming year. Toasted pumpkin seeds make a great
autumnal taste treats, so with that in mind, get ready for some great
recipes.
Pumpkin Cheese Cake
Cake Ingredients:
2 Sticks(One cup) Butter
3 Eggs
2 1/2 cups Flour
1 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Pumpkin(canned or fresh pureed)
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Vanilla
2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
3/4 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Baking Soda
1/3 teaspoon(or less) Salt
Filling Ingredients:
8 ounces Cream Cheese
1/3 cup Granulated Sugar
1 Egg
1/4 cup Canned Pumpkin
1 tablespoon Corn Starch
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla
Preparation Directions:
Filling Preparation:
1. In a mixing bowl, beat ingredients until very smooth.
2. Set aside and prepare cake batter.
3. Pour into glass dish on top of batter as described in cake
instructions below.
For Cake:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla until light and
fluffy.
3. Add eggs and beat well.
4. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
5. Mix in pumpkin and sour cream. Blend thoroughly until smooth.
6. Pour 1/2 of batter into a buttered 13x9 inch glass baking dish.
7. Add the filling mix, spreading the batter evenly in the dish.
8. Add remaining batter and lightly swirl into filling.
9. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes. Allow to cool. Cut into twelve servings
Banana Pumpkin Foamy
1-cup milk
1 ripe banana
2 TBS pumpkin Puree
Dash of cinnamon
Blend them all together until foamy and enjoy.
Yummy Pumpkin Banana Shake
1-cup yogurt
1-cup pumpkin Puree
1 banana
1/8 tsp. vanilla
Refrigerate all ingredients for 2 hours, then blend and serve.
Pumpkin Pie Crumble Cake
This recipe comes from Margaret Neblett of Nashville, who got it from
a friend, who got it from a friend in Chicago, and so on. Word
spreads when there's a great recipe!
This dessert is much like a pie in that it has a cinnamon-enhanced
pumpkin filling, but much like a cake with a soft crust. And the
crunchy topping is the best of both worlds. Don't be concerned that 1
cup of the cake mix is reserved for the topping. The filling bakes up
firm and creamy without it. serves: 18 to 20
preparation time: 15 minutes
baking time: 70 to 75 minutes
assembly time: 5 minutes
Solid vegetable shortening for greasing the pan
Flour for dusting the pan
1 package (18.25 ounces) plain yellow cake mix
8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter or margarine, at room temperature
4 large eggs
2 cans (15 ounces each) pumpkin
1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter or margarine, chilled
1 cup chopped pecans
2 recipes Sweetened Cream (page 432)
1. Place a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°
F. Lightly grease a 13- by 9-inch baking pan with solid vegetable
shortening, then dust with flour. Shake out the excess flour. Set the
pan aside.
2. Measure out 1 cup of the cake mix and reserve for the topping.
Place the remaining cake mix, the butter, and 1 egg in a large mixing
bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed until well combined,
1 minute. Using your fingertips, press the batter over the bottom of
the prepared pan so that it reaches the sides of the pan. Set the pan
aside.
3. For the filling, place the pumpkin, evaporated milk, 1 cup sugar,
remaining 3 eggs, and cinnamon in the same large mixing bowl used to
prepare the batter and with the same beaters (no need to clean
either), blend on low speed until combined, 30 seconds. Increase the
mixer speed to medium and beat until the mixture lightens in color
and texture, 1 to 2 minutes more. Pour the filling over the crust in
the pan, spreading to the sides of the pan with a rubber spatula. Set
the pan aside.
4. For the topping, place the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, the chilled
butter, and the reserved cake mix in a clean medium-size mixing bowl.
Rinse and dry the beaters. Beat with an electric mixer on low speed
until just combined and crumbly, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stop the
machine and stir in the pecans. Use your fingers to thoroughly knead
the pecans into the topping mixture. Distribute the topping evenly
over the filling mixture. Place the pan in the oven.
5. Bake the cake until the center no longer jiggles when you shake
the pan and the pecans on top have browned, 70 to 75 minutes. Remove
the pan from the oven and let cool slightly on a wire rack, 20
minutes.
6. Prepare two recipes of the Sweetened Cream. Slice the cake into
squares and pass the Sweetened Cream to spoon on top.
* Store this cake without the Sweetened Cream on it, covered in
aluminum foil or plastic wrap, in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. |
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