Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham Page B

the past year into the cake of tofu. This is done to give the needles—thought to be the spirits of people whose bodies have been sacrificed in service—a gentle resting place. 54
    Magical uses: Add soy sauce or tofu to protective diets. Soy sauce is ideal for this due to its extreme saltiness (though too much is, of course, hazardous to good health). For protection, stirfry tofu with onions and other vegetables of similar energies.
    Tofu is also eaten for psychic awareness (particularly if one is searching for alternatives to meat), and to induce spirituality.
    Spinach
    (Spinacea oleracea)
    Planet: Jupiter
    Element: Earth
    Energies: Money
    Lore: In the United States, spinach is remembered as the favorite food of a popular cartoon character, upon whom it magically bestowed great physical strength. This green, leafy vegetable seems to have been introduced from Persia (present-day Iran) to Europe in the fifteenth century; it was soon used on fasting days. 45
    Magical uses: Steam spinach and eat as a part of prosperity diets. Flavor with sesame seeds or nutmeg for added power.
    Spirulina
    Planet : Venus
    Element: Water
    Energies: Physical energy
    Lore: After they’d arrived in what is now known as Mexico, the Spaniards observed the Aztecs eating what was described as “green foam” or “green mud.” The custom disappeared as the lakes surrounding what is now Mexico City were drained, and the food remained a mystery for hundreds of years.
    It seems that the Aztecs ate large quantities of spirulina, the “modern” wonder algae that thrived in the lakes. Spirulina, which is nearly 70 percent protein, contains all the amino acids necessary for human life, as well as seven vitamins. 29
    Magical uses: Spirulina is available in tablet and powder form. It can be added to food or eaten alone, with visualization, to boost physical energy. All health-food stores stock it.
    Sprouts
    Planet: Various
    Element: Various
    Energies: Various
    Magical uses: Though sprouted seeds have long been a part of Asian cooking, 71 we’ve only recently introduced them to our salads and breads.
    Generally, all sprouts are fine for promoting psychic awareness. Here’s a list of some specific sprouts and their energies:
    Alfalfa (Venus, earth): Money, psychic awareness
    Bean (Mercury, air): Protection
    Mung (Mercury, air): Spirituality
    Soy (Moon, earth): Spirituality, psychic awareness, protection
    Sunflower (Sun, fire): Protection
    Squash
    (Curcurbita spp.)
    Planet: Sun
    Element: Fire
    Energies: Spirituality
    Lore: Squash was cultivated in the Americas as early as 4000 b.c.e. 104 Several American Indian tribes honored this plant. One striking Hopi kachina is depicted with a squash head, and squash-blossom necklaces are modern reminders of the original sacredness of this simple plant.
    Magical uses: Eat this vegetable in dishes designed to increase awareness of the nonphysical reality around us. It is a fine spirituality-inducing food. At least for magical purposes, a squash is a squash, baked or fresh, acorn, hubbard, or zucchini.
    Many people, of course, dislike squash. If you’re one of them, avoid this food or eat sweetened zucchini bread.
    Sunflower
    (Helianthus annuus)
    Planet: Sun
    Element: Fire
    Energies: Protection, success
    Lore: Sunflowers were viewed as symbols of the sun by the ancient Incas of Peru. Gold crowns inspired by this flower were reportedly worn by solar priestesses during rituals. 90
    Many Mexican gardens contain sunflowers, since their presence is thought to confer “luck.” Women still eat sunflower seeds for help in conceiving a child. In the United States, the seeds are gathered at sunset and eaten to gain a wish.
    Magical uses: Hold your hands over a small bowl of roasted sunflower seeds. Visualize them bursting with the energies of the sun—protection, success, triumph. Then eat them to bring these powers inside yourself. Or, add to protective salads and other