Food *Gift from the Gods*

***Ritual Uses of Foods…

All ritual starts with an intention and the way magic works is that through certain steps you are able to manifest your intention. Try to always prepare and cook foods that you enjoy, as you are preparing food not only is it necessary to cook with intention, it is also necessary to visualize what magical outcome that you are working towards, by doing this you are igniting the energies within the food and within yourself. As you eat your magic food be fully present and make sure you are thinking about that which you wish to conjure, make sure you are visualizing your ultimate magic outcome.

Imagine the energy of the food not only sustaining you, but with enchantment bringing about the changes that you want, be at one with the food you eat and the magic you are creating.

 *** When using food for Ritual work always have the reason for cooking certain foods, such as cooking for love, cooking for prosperity, for health or for protection. As you handle and prepare the food have a particular goal in mind, when stirring food always stir clockwise with two stirs anti-clockwise as you finish stirring. Sharing a meal with friends or those you love is a ritual in itself, there is a certain energy associated with this simple pleasure, and with the Ritual of food our life is sustained. 

 ***Agbado Corn-Maize…Magical Ways=Seed of Seeds!!!                                     Of all the grains eaten in the world, Corn Maize probably is surrounded by more legends and folklore than any other. Corn has been planted, tended, harvested and consumed for millennia, and so it’s no wonder that there are myths about the magical properties of this grain.

=== Ceres was the Roman Goddess of grain, specifically corn, and of the harvest season. According to legends, she was the one who taught mankind how to farm. She is associated with agricultural fertility and a bountiful harvest. Make her an offering, and she may well protect your crops from natural disasters such as flooding or blight. 

***Sprinkle corn around your ritual area to delineate sacred space. Make a corn doll to honor the deity of your tradition Corn = Maize, is the seed of seeds. Key words associated with corn are: Sacred Mother, Protection, Luck, Divination… Corn represents fertility and is used to invoke Mother Earth. Used in ritual, it teaches the mystery of life, death, and rebirth. Many cultures gave corn, which is regarded as a food of prosperity, protection, and spirituality, a special God or Goddess of its own.

The Magical Aspects of Corn… It is a symbol of fertility and is often used to invoke Mother Earth. Whether it is used as a centerpiece, a wreath for your front door, or as a delicious side dish at your next meal, corn pops up in a variety of ways from mid-late summer through fall. Corn teaches us the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth. The spiritual representation of the corn and is closely related to the higher self or third eye of sacred sight, this symbol represents the saints and often depicted with a lily, and most prominently in association with royalty. Many cultures revered corn as a spiritual element, which is regarded as a symbol of longevity, prosperity, protection, and spirituality.

Hundreds of years ago food was worshiped and seen as a gift from the Gods, the energies contained within the food we eat are vital to our survival. You will find food all the more enjoyable as you approach it from a magical perspective, and every meal can be a wonderful act of alchemy that magically changes the food you prepare into a beautiful meal for you and yours to enjoy and energized by. When eating be conscious of the higher power existing in the foods, this way each meal can be a celebration, and cooking will take on an entirely new tone.  

The Ancient Egyptians used food as a means of exchange and food was stocked in the tombs as a gift to the Gods. Corn has been used by various tribes over the centuries and used in rituals, it is a symbol of fertility, life, eternity and resurrection. Corn was also used for divination purposes, it was practiced by the Ancient Aztecs, it was often used in elaborate healing ceremonies. Corn is still considered sacred by many tribes and is treated with great reverence, it is thought to bring blessing and heightened spiritual enlightenment.

 *** It’s believed that burying a sheaf of corn while uttering a curse will cause your enemies to die–they will rot from the inside as the corn decays in the soil. Use corn in rituals involving growth and transformation. After all, a single kernel brings you a tall stalk full of more kernels! You can also associate it with self-sustainability and fertility, both of people and of the land.

THE HEALING PROPERTIES OF CORN SILK:  Corn silk is the shining fibers which is at the top of an ear of a corn. Traditional healers dated back have rely upon corn silk for treating various disease or sicknesses which are still afflicting us today. == Treat urinary tract & bladder infections (UTI) due to its antibacterial & anti-inflammatory properties. It helps kill & eradicate “Escherichia coli” the drug resistance bacteria known for causing UTI & bladder infections. kidney stones. corn silk since ancient age has been used to increase urine flow & help decrease the possibility of crystal formation inside the kidney. Lower high blood pressure. Corn silks contain Vitamin b6 and a protein called peptide which prevent narrowing & hardening of the arteries. Treat diabetes. Corn silk contain a compound called polysaccharide which can help increase insulin production in people with type 1 diabetes & also help improve insulin sensitivity for people with type 2 diabetes. Helps control abnormal weight & obesity. This is due to its diuretic properties thus help reduce unwanted & excess fluid from the body associated with bloating. Eliminates bad & excess cholesterol from the body through the urine due to its antioxidant’s properties. Treat arthritis & other general body pains due to its anti-inflammatory properties. Treat gout due to its ability to eliminate excess uric acid which one of the main causes of gout & kidney stones through the urine. It promotes healthy blood clotting. this can help people with low platelets count & people with excessive bleeding disorders due to its high level of vitamin K. Flushes out toxins & other poisonous chemicals from the body due to its diuretic properties (increase urine flow). Treats bedwetting in both young & old due to its increase urine flow. Note that it will first increase the bedwetting the more but will stop after the problem is resolved. Treats edema or fluid retention which leads to swelling in the legs & Other part of the body. Helps eliminate excess creatinine levels which can lead to congestive heart failure or kidney damage. Treats & prevents prostate disorders due to its ability to treat infections associated with prostatitis & its ability to stimulate the urinary system to increase urine flow.

***Epo Pupa = Red Palm Oil Offerings…

Palms are prominent elements in African traditional medicines. In some rituals, Palms play a central role as sacred objects, for example the seeds accompany oracles and Palm leaves are used in offerings. In other cases, Palms are added as a support to other powerful ingredients,  Palm oil used as a medium to blend and make coherent the healing mixture. 

Traditional medicines in rural sub-Saharan communities recognize that the occurrence of disease can result from the intrusion of negative supernatural forces. These forces are often defined as  sorcerers, broken taboos, displeased Ancestor spirits or deities… Afflictions which are mostly related to the action of the malevolent forces are either serious and chronic or emerging suddenly and unexpectedly.  Thus, traditional healers often apply divination and various rituals in order to understand the overall significance of a healing process and counteract its cause. Since palms are part of the everyday life of nearly all rural people in Africa, it may be expected that they are also important in the spiritual framework of rural life in Africa.   

 The Palm fruit is made up of three carpels that fuse to form a drupe with one or a few seeds, covered by a thin seed coat.  Palm seeds are often called Palm kernels or Palm nuts. Perhaps palms bring justice because they are associated with understanding, peace, and harmony, or with indwelling tree spirits themselves. Palm leaves also served in various ceremonies, rituals and religious festivities. In Benin, the Palm has been recently reported as sacred and protected where ever it grows because it is seen as the realization on earth of the God Fa. Nobody is allowed to cut it down or to use its fruits for making oil… All parts of the palms were used in rituals, but the most commonly used part was the leaf, followed by the fruit and oil extracted from the fruit, seed, entire Palm tree, sap in the form of Palm wine, root and inflorescence. In some treatments, the Palm is the actual sacred object or the central element of ritual practices, for example entire Palm trees determine sacred places, Palm seeds accompany oracles and Palm leaves serve in offerings. Continuous interactions with the spiritual world are axiomatically absorbed in childhood, and subsequently reinforced in every phase of life.  

***Palm Oil is called various things all over the world. The Yoruba  call it Epo Pupa–Red Oil whereas it is called “Manteca Corojo” in Spanish. Traditionally, it is a common cooking ingredient dating back centuries, but to the Orishas… it is the food of choice…

                     ***Eja Gbigbe = Dried Fish…

Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since Ancient times to preserve food.  Fish are preserved through such traditional methods as drying, smoking and salting. Drying food is the world’s oldest known preservation method, and dried fish has a storage life of several years. 

 Eja Gbigbe = Dried Fish  the curled up brown thing you see in the above Photograph is a different breed. You see it all over the markets hung up on long poles or stacked high in buckets. If you don’t see it first, you will definitely smell it. The fish, usually either catfish or small eel, is dried with all the bones and guts inside. It tastes a bit salty and mostly takes on the flavor of whatever soup/stew you eat it with. The fish is treated with salt, either in form of strong brine or a surface coating of dry salt. This combination of reduced moisture and salt inhibit the growth of spoilage bacteria, a basic principle of all cure meats.

***The Significance of Yams…

Yam Festival:  It marks the first harvest of Yams during the autumn season, after the monsoon season. The Yam is the staple food crop in West Africa. The first harvest of Yams during the autumnal season, subsequent to the monsoon season. Yam festival has both religious and economic significance. Religiously, the festival is used to thank the God and the Ancestors for the new harvest and to traditionally outdoor the new yam.

The first offering of the crop is made to the Ancestral Gods by the chief priests; the religious rites includes taking the Yams on the second day of the festival in a procession to the Ancestral ground. Music and dance are part of the festivities, the festival is also popular because the Priests supervise  the performance of the ablution ceremony by cleaning all the Ancestral shrines. The Yam is carried by the Priests in a colorful procession for offering to the Ancestors buried in the burial chambers. Only after this offering is completed are people allowed to consume the new crop of yam. A day is observed as a mourning day for the Ancestors and also to keep a fast… 

***Snails as human food…   

When the word “snail” is used in this most general sense, it includes not just land snails but also numerous species of sea snails and freshwater snails. Snails have considerable human relevance, including as food items, as pests, as vectors of disease, and their shells are used as decorative objects and are incorporated into jewelry. The snail has also had some cultural significance, and has been used as a metaphor. Both snails that have lungs and snails that have gills have diversified so widely over geological time that a few species with gills can be found on land and numerous species with lungs can be found in freshwater.  

Snails can be found in a very wide range of environments, including ditches, deserts, and the abyssal depths of the sea. Although land snails may be more familiar to laymen, marine snails constitute the majority of snail species, and have much greater diversity and a greater biomass. Numerous kinds of snail can also be found in fresh water. In parts of West Africa, specifically Ghana, Snails are served as a delicacy. The Snails are either eaten cooked and spiced or with a favorite dish called ‘Eru’. The giant African land Snail, believed to be originally from East Africa. Here’s another interesting bit of trivia about giant African land Snails. They’re hermaphrodites and don’t need another snail to mate. That’s why they are prolific breeders. “These Snails can reproduce anywhere from 100 to 300 eggs per month beginning at about six months of age,”

In West Africa, the Snails are considered a delicacy. It turns out that snail meat has more protein, iron, calcium, zinc, and other good vitamins than beef does. Also, it’s easy and cheap to get. One good way to eat it is to make it into a pie. But you have to be sure you cook the snails properly, so you won’t get meningitis from a parasite that likes to live in the snails. Some species of Snails actually hibernate during the colder months of the year. They cover their bodies with a thin layer of mucus, which prevents them from drying out. Sometimes snails are also able to hibernate in the summer to survive if they are faced with a severe drought. This process is one of the many reasons why they have been able to survive for million years. Snails can have a long life. The life span for Snails depends on their habitat and the species.

The Yoruba religion uses Snails in different ways: to offer them to the Orishas, to cook them and eat them after an offering, to appease certain religious entities,  to drink the dribble of the snail, for preparation of medicine, for preparation of very powerful religious powders, for preparation of consecrating baths for religious icons and religious initiations, for preparation of medicinal and religious soaps, creams.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Ogede (Banana) is a large, perennial plant growing around 8 meters tall. Bananas are a staple food and one of the most prolific of all food crops, producing more than cassava, and several times as much as wheat and potatoes. They are one of the most commonly cultivated food crops in tropical and some subtropical regions of the world. The plant also has a range of medicinal and other uses. In the preparation of Akasa, Abara and Ekuru, votive foods of the Orisa, Banana leaves are used to wrap the masses of these foods that are steamed. The Banana fried in palm oil is offered to the Ibeji and Osumare. In combination with fried pork, it is given to Yemoja. Igi-Ogede -Banana tree, Ewe Ogede – Banana leaf

*The leaf is used in spiritual baths to break the pact with premature death and other Abiku pacts. It keeps the evil eye away and attracts luck, love, and prosperity. The leaf can be placed under the mat during rituals to renew energy, bring vitality and health and to recover from losses. It is also possible (and wise) to let a prepared bath (Omiero) ‘sleep’ at the foot of the Banana tree overnight.  Or to take a bath at the foot of the Banana tree to supply it/yourself with Ase Egbe and, thus, attract health and protection so that nothing is lost. And to regenerate and to recover. Both the common Banana (Ogede Odo) and the gold banana (Ogede omidi) are offered to Osun. The inflorescence, popularly known as “heart” is used in work to solve problems of love or health, being associated with Osun and work for Aiku – longevity. The Dwarf bananas (Ogede Omini) is constituted as an Eewo (taboo) for Obatala and Oya. Ogede Agbagba, the common Banana, is Eewo for the Orisa Aganju. We use the Banana to have a quiet and comfortable life, because as there is no difficulty for the Banana to mature, the person will not have difficulties in life. Banana is eaten effortlessly, so will life, be without effort. Ogede Agbagba is used to reverse a life-threatening situation. For those who do not have the conditions to sacrifice an animal, the Banana is used for this purpose. It is with the trunk of the Banana tree that we can make ebo of the “head exchange” because the trunk of the Banana tree is compared to the human body. The Banana generation does not get sterile, so therefore, so-and-so will not be sterile either. The generation of the Banana tree does not have difficulty to mature, so therefore, so-and-so will not have difficulty having comfort. This says that the Banana of the Earth is used so that the person does not die. We use Banana kneaded with palm oil and salt and offer it to Esu of the door for him to frighten thieves and to remove inconvenient people. We use ripe Bananas with Epo – palm oil and offer it to the Iyaami. *We use Bananas as offerings to Egbe Orun Ogede has a great foundation from start to finish. 

***FOODS AND TABOOS FOR THE ORISA***

ORUNMILA Foods: Eku Ifa (Ifa rats) – Eja Aro (smoked catfish) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts) – Ata-ire (Ataare—guinea pepper) – Oti Agadagidi (plantain wine) – Oti gidi (gin) – Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Agbebo Adiye (matured hen) – Eye Etu (guinea hen). The particular guinea hen for Ifa is the one with predominantly dark-brown feathers. The dark-brown feathered guinea hens are not as common as the multicolored ones – Ewure (matured she-goat) – Ekuru (bean cake) – Eja Aro tutu (live catfish) – Erinla (bull) – Iyan (pounded yam) – Obe Egunsi (Egunsi soup)

Okete (giant rat). Okete is usually offered on specific instructions from Orunmila. Moreover, certain parts of the okete has to be removed before the offering. Oyin (honey). The Oyin must be softened (cut) with Orí (shea butter) when given to Ifa. Orogbo (bitter kola) Igbin (snail) -Amala by special demand. For instance, Ifa Otura Owonrin must be fed Amala constantly. Ede (shrimps). On special Ifa work. Wara (milk). Also, on special Ifa work.

Taboos: Ori ati Iru okete (the head and tail of giant rat) – Eyin Adiye (eggs) – Adin (palm kernel oil otherwise called black oil)

ESU Foods: Lots of Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Ori (shea butter) – Iyere (herbal pepper) – Igbin (snail) – Obuko (male goat) – Akuko Adiye (rooster-cock) – Guguru (popped corn) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts) – Orogbo (bitter kola) – Oti (gin)

Taboos: Ata pupa (red pepper) – Aja (dog) – Ewuro (bitter leaves, a Yoruba vegetable) – Adin (palm kernel oil, otherwise called black oil) – Igun (vulture). All foods forbidden by Ifa are also Esu’s taboo foods.

ORI Foods: Eja Aro (live catfish) – Eye Etu (guinea hen) – Obuko (male goat) – Agbo (ram) – Akuko funfun (white rooster – cock) – Pepeye (duck) – Eyele funfun (white pigeon) – Okin (peacocks) for kings only – Igbin (snail) – Iyan ati Obe Egunsi (pounded yam with Egunsi soup) – Oti (gin) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts) – Orogbo (bitter kola) – Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Oyin (honey) –Ireke (sugar cane) – Aadun (Yoruba traditional corn cake) – Omi Agbon (coconut water) – Omi tutu (cool water)

EGUNGUN = EEGUN Foods: Agbo (ram) – Eyele (pigeon) – Oolę also called Moyin-Moyin (cooked bean cake) – Akara (deep-fried bean cake) – Omi tutu (cool water) – Emu ope (palm wine) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts) – Ounje ti enu ba nje (all edible foods)

OSUN Foods: Eko (a corn product). The powder form called “Ogii powder” that is used to make eko – Efo Yanrin (a special type of vegetable called Yanrin) – Adiye agada (a fowl that has its legs tied together) prior to offering to Osun. It is the tying together of the fowl’s legs that gives it the agada reference – Oti Sekete (corn wine)

Ingredients: Dried corn and water. Soak the corn overnight, quantity depending on individual. Remove corn from water and cover corn for about three days for fermentation. Grind the corn either on the third day or on the fourth day. Put the ground corn on stove and let it cook for about ten hours, removing the chaff as the ground corn boils. Remove ground corn from fire after it has boiled enough (about 10 hours). Let it cool. Then sift the remaining chaff and the Sekete is ready for drinking. Sekete was one time a popular wine in ancient Yorubaland.

Taboos: Oka baba (guinea corn) – Eku emo (emo rat) – Adin (palm kernel oil). Ifa’s forbidden foods are Osun’s taboos also.

AJE Foods:(Goddess of money) Oti (gin) – Oyin (honey) – Obi abata – Orogbo (bitter kolanuts) -Eyele funfun (white pigeon) – Ede (shrimps)

Taboos: Blood.

AJE Foods: (Witches) Okete (giant rat) – Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Eyin Adiye (eggs of home-breed hen) – Aaka (hedgehog) – Inu Eran (guts). The guts are usually offered on Ifa’s recommendations, and this is purely on real special Ifa work. Ogede (banana) – Ireke (sugar cane) – Pepeye (duck)

EGBE Foods: Ireke (sugar cane) – Aadun (Yoruba traditional corn cake) – Wowo Agbado (cooked corn to which small slices of coconut are added) – Oyin (honey) – Eso (fruits) – Ounje Ipanu (snack foods) – Aguntan (sheep).

SANGO Foods: Obe gbegiri (gbegiri soup) – Amala – Emu ope (palm wine) – Oti (gin) – Orogbo (bitter kola) – Akuko Adiye (rooster-cock) – Agbo Oko – Ijapa (tortoise) – Agbo (ram)

Taboos: Adin (palm kernel oil) – Eran Esuru (Esuru meat) – Isu Ewura (water yam) – Eku ago (ago rat) – Ewa sese (some kind of white beans)

OBATALA Foods: Agbebo Adiye funfun (matured white hen) – Igbin (snail) – Iyan (pounded yam) – Obe Egunsi (Egunsi soup) – Ounje ate (saltless foods – bland foods) – Ori (shea butter) – Efun (cascarilla) – Egbo, also called Ewo (cooked mashed corn) – Obi Ifin (white Yoruba native kolanuts) – Wara (milk) – Omi Agbon (coconut water) – Omi Igbin (snail water) – Omi Otun (fresh water)

Taboos: Emu ope (palm wine) – Oti (gin) – Iyo (salt) – Adin (palm kernel oil) – Ina (light). Obatala lives in complete darkness, but in extreme cases, Ifa sometimes recommends candlelight as part of an ebo to Obatala. Aja (dog) – Esun Isu (roasted yam)

OGUN Foods: Aja (dog) – Ijapa (tortoise) – Igbin (snail) – Akuko Adiye (rooster-cock) – Oti (gin) – Emu ope (palm wine) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts) – Orogbo (bitter kola) – Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Guguru (pap corn) – Epa (peanuts) – Esun Isu (roasted yam) – Ewa Yiyan (beans that are cooked dry)

Taboos: Adin (palm kernel oil) – Ejo (snake)

IBEJI Foods: Ewa (cooked beans) – Aadun (bean cake) – Ipanu Omode (candles) – Eso (fruits) –Ireke (sugar canes) – Epo pupa (red palm oil) – Ekuru (a kind of bean cake cooked without oil) – Adiye (hen)

Taboos: Eran Ori Igi (animals that live on trees especially monkeys) – Adin (palm kernel oil)

ERINLE Foods: Aja (dog) – Ewure (she goat) – Akuko Adiye (rooster-cock) – Eyele (pigeon) – Iyan (pounded yam)

Taboos: Eran Erin (elephant meat) – Adin (palm kernel oil)

SONPONNA OBALUWAYE Foods: Eja Kika (dried fish) – Peteku (Ewa + Isu Aropo – cooked beans with yam porridge)

OSANYIN Foods: Ahun, also called Ijapa (tortoise) – Oti (gin)

ODU Foods: Igbin (snail) – Eyele (pigeon) – Iyan (pounded yam) – Obe Ori (soup cooked with shea butter) – Ewure (female goat) – Elede (pig)

Taboos: Epo (cooking oils in general) – Adin (palm kernel oil)

OYA Foods: Eran Oda (big meat) – Egbo (cooked corn meal: see preparation technique below) –Ewure (female goat)

Ingredients for Egbo: Dried corn, quantity as one wants. Soak or boil the corn to remove chaff. With chaff removed, rinse the corn thoroughly. Put rinsed corn into pot and pour plenty of water inside. Put corn to cook. Let it cook until it becomes marshy. It takes 10-15 hours for the corn to cook to the required constituency. Add salt for taste. Eat with Ori (shea butter), peanut oil, or melon oil. Egbo is also ready for offering to Oya. Egbo is a regular Yoruba food.

Taboos: Agbo (ram) – Eefi (smoke) – Adin (palm kernel oil)

YEMOJA Foods: Iyan (pounded yam) – Asaro (yam porridge) – Ewure (she goat) – Adiye (hen) – Pepeye (duck)

Preparation techniques for Iyan and Asaro. Iyan: Get a raw African yam. Peel the yam and slice it. put the sliced pieces into a pot. Cook until tender, that is, until a knife can pass through it. pound the cooked yam in a mortar until it is thin. Add water as the yam is being pounded to soften it. when it is soft enough, cut into desired sizes and put in a dish. Iyan is not ready for serving, or as offering to Yemoja. Serve Iyan with Egunsi soup and meat, or stew with meat.

Asaro: Get a raw yam. Peel and cut the yam into small pieces. Put water to boil in a pot. Put cut yam into the water on stove. Add pepper, onion, tomato, spices, salt, fish or chicken, and cooking oil into the pot and cover everything to cook for about 45 minutes. Cook until the yam is mashed. Asaro is ready both for serving and as an offering to Yemoja. Iyan and Asaro are staple foods of Yoruba people.

Taboos: Aja (dog) – Adin (palm kernel oil)

OSU (ORERE = OPA ASE IFA) Foods: Akuko Adiye (rooster-cock) – Agbo (ram) – Obi abata (Yoruba native kolanuts)

 

 

 Reference Sources: Wikipedia = Ogunda Bede = Google Search/Photo = Chief FAMA