Pagan in the Kitchen Redux....

Folks, after a hiatus tied up in family obligations, I'm back. I'm giving this blog a reboot and am reposting my original message, below, first written a little more than a year ago and slightly altered for this go-round. I'll be back a lot sooner this time-- just see if I'm not.

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Well, here we are. I've been looking for a way to tie in my love for writing with my magickal self, and it occurred to me the other day (kind of whacked me over the head, if you want the truth) that a great way to do this would be via food.

Why food? First and foremost because I love to cook. I was raised in a family of good cooks, a family where pie crust is honor and food is cooked from scratch and where, when I was married, my grandmother's most important gift to me was her own rolling pin.

Second, because as a woman living in the modern U.S., I'm increasingly aware of how screwed up our culture has become when it comes to food. I'm upset by how many people no longer know how to cook or don't care to, horrified by stories of children who can't identify a potato and don't understand that there's a relationship between a potato and a French fry, and concerned by the increasing number of folks who think "cooking" means opening a box or heating up the meal in plastic purchased in the "quickie" section at the grocery store. And let's not even start talking about fast food and portion size and 64-ounce "Big Gulps." Let's not go there.... Yet.

Third, because as a magickal person-- a Pagan-- I know that food itself is full of magick, as is the process of planning and preparing and serving the food. Food is, after all, essential to life: it is the fuel that fires the sacred engine known as the human body, and our health, energy, and well being are fully depending on the quality of that fuel and, I think, the spirit with which its prepared and consumed. There's nothing more magickal and sacred than that which is life-giving. And, of course, we Pagans looks at everything as being imbued with certain attributes and energies, believing that these subtle influences also play a role in the food's effects. We also tend to attached a great deal of importance and meaning to the rituals enacted by preparing and sharing food.

Fourth, let's not ignore that eating can be a sensuous, joyful experience. Most of us associate food with family, tradition, and community, ties that are some of the strongest in our lives.

Here's the bottom line: I believe we humans have forgotten how to respect our food. We've lost the sense of joy and wonder that should be associated with the process. We've misplaced the sacred connection between our bodies and the importance of food-as-fuel. And sadly, our dysfunctional relationship with food has created a host of modern maladies and made us a lethargic, chronically ill society in which, for the first time in known history, our children may actually have life expectancies shorter than their parents.

It's time to reclaim our relationship with food. It's time to respect the food and the processes associated with it.... That's what this blog will be about-- with a big dose of magick tossed in, because to me, cooking and food are all about magick and one can't be separated from the other. I'm hoping to bring excitement, practicality, and hopefully a little fun back into your life, at least where food is concerned. Here we go!