Meal Blessings

by Kristen Madden

Food! It nourishes us and comforts. It is part of social ritual, and in some cultures the central focus of specific ceremonies celebrating the spirit os all manner of magical creatures.

Most of us have a weakness for certain foods. The mere thought os gourmet treats can make some of us salivate; we feel better just by eating them. For example, chocolate often acts as rose quartz, making us feel soothed and loved. For some of us, good wine or coffee has this effect. For others, it is cake or lobster.

Many people today are very careful about the foods they eat. We may purchase organic vegetables or farm-raised fish. We might avoid the meat of animals that have received hormone injections or antibiotics. Those carnivores among us with an understanding of energy systems may take this a step further and only purchase meat from animals that were raised and killed in what they consider to be humane methods.

We all recognize the energy that we invest in our eating. After all, this is the reason that cake and ale are often shared at the end of Pagan rituals. However, we can carry the sacred meal over into our daily lives, and the preparation of food and drink can become a powerful time to work blessing magic.

Magic of Food

Food does much more than simply entertain our taste buds or comfort us when we are feeling down. Because we take in both the energy adn the physical matter of the food we consune, it can nourish us on many levels. Not only are we receiving the energy of the plant or animal matter that we ingest, we are also receiving energetic traces of those people who have handled this food.

Through preapring foods and drinks in a sacred manner, we invest in them with beneficial energies that truly nurture the body and spirit. As "Kitchen Witches," we clear our personal energy of the tensions and worries of the day just as we would for any ritual. We bring outr magical selves to the preparation of food and drink, charging our cooking or preparation utensils with blessings and beneficial energies.

As followers of earth-based religins, Pagans often develop a deep respect and gratitude for the blessings of Mother Earth and her children. While we understand that all species play a role in the food web of this planet, we also see the manifestation if spirit in the plants ans animals we eat. Through the use of meal blessings, we honor their sacrifice and release any personal or unwanted energies before we begin our meals.

Keep this in mind when you come to your kitchen. Make every effort not to bring potentially harmful emotions to the preparation of food or drink. Begin by purifying yoruself and your working area through the use of smudge, incense, or meditation. Coutn yourself down from ten to one or simply take a few deep breaths to center your energy.

Once your energy is clear, consciously direct blessings into the pots, utensils, and ingredients that go into your meal. Hold your hands out with the palms open to these objects, take a deep breath, and visualize your love and prayers flowing hands into the food and drink. You may want to charge these itmes with specific prayers or simply send white light to your loved ones.

You may also want to direct a special mealtime prayer to the food and drink. The following prayer may be used in this way. It is a wonderful blessing for the whole family, bringing a sense of gratitude and honor to each meal.

Great Spirit,

We thank you for the gift of this food.

We send blessings of peace, love, and release to all those bodies energies brought us this nourishment. We honor you in our enjoyment and utilization of this meal.

May it btring us health and joy, reminding us of our interconnections with all that is.

As we receive, so do we give thanks for this gift.

With young children, it is best to keep prayers short, simple, and to the point as below.

Thank you, Great Spirit

Thank you, chicken and peas and milk (or other food items)

Thank you, Mother Earth

We love this food.

Unlike food that fills the stomach before its digested, drink more instantly enter our systems. It is sometimes easier to feel and visualize a liquid filling our bodies and bringing blessings to every cell. Himans have been consecrating ritual liquids and charging them with blessing for millenia. We can use or adopt the meal blessing above to carry forth a tradition of working magic through sacred drinks. You might also try this variation for more personal blessings.

  

Hold you rcup in both hands and raise it to your third eye in the center of your forehead. Allow the energies of Earth and sky to fill your being and pass through your third eye into the cup. Offer this drink to the Great Spirit or God and Goddess. State that you honor them as you drink, and ask that they fill you with their blessings. If you have specific prayers or energy you need, see it flow into the drink. Ask that the liguid fill your being, permeating your cells and resonating with your energy field to help you manifest these blessings. With each sip, appreciate the consecrated liquid this drink has become. End by saying, "So Mote it Be."