Unleash Some Kitchen Magic With The Power Of Cinnamon

The ancient Egyptians used cinnamon oil in anointing a couple before their wedding, as it can be used in love and erotic magic, as well as those becoming priests, and when wrapping mummies to prepare them to join the afterlife. Ramses the Third was especially fond of the spice, and used the whole country’s supply as an offering to the gods and goddesses for good fortune. The Chinese used cinnamon to purify temples, and their mythological hero and herbalist, Shennong, mixed cinnamon with traditional black tea to increase passion in both lovers and those going to war. Taoists saw the spice as the food of the gods and ground up the bark and smeared it on their bodies to give the skin a yellow/golden hue, symbolising yang energy.

Now try this: Useful spells and magic with cinnamon

To gain more energy during this cold and wet winter, leave a Clear Quartz in a bag of cinnamon, or rub it with cinnamon oil while chanting: “Energy I need, my passions I’ll feed, great ideas I’ll seed, as I will it, so mote it be!” Coming out of a bad relationship or job, or just needing a major change in your life?

Draw a warm bath and stir in a generous tablespoon of cinnamon, or add a small teaspoon of the spice to hot water with lemon. First stir anti-clockwise, and visualise the bad or stale things in your life going away, then stir clockwise and imagine new energy and passion coming into your life.

Wanting to spice up your sex life? Cook a red dish with cinnamon, such as a pasta sauce with the spice or a cinnamon cake with strawberries on top while chanting: “Eros and Aphrodite, come to us – bring us fun, love and lust!” nine times.

The Comforter

As we are in the winter season, and few herbs can be planted or harvested, I’ll be talking about magical spices for the next few months. Cinnamon is a cheap and versatile spice that is easy to add to your sweet and savory magical dishes, as well as used in spells and rituals. Cinnamon is a powerful antioxidant and has a natural warming effect, which is why it is so popular in winter biscuits and hot drinks. This warming effect can also help with feeling lethargic due to the long nights and cold days, or just generally feeling down or negative. Add some cinnamon to your cooking or a coffee to make you feel more positive and warm towards those you interact with! This Christmas, make a pentagram out of five cinnamon sticks as a simple magical decoration for your door, cubicle wall at work or Christmas tree. You can tie the sticks with a coloured yarn appropriate to what you want to achieve – red to increase passion in your romantic relationship, green to increase financial success, or blue to help emotionally heal the mind and body.

DID YOU KNOW?

The symbol of rebirth, the Phoenix, is said to have built itself a nest made out of cinnamon twigs. Thus, cinnamon is used even now in magic to gain a new start, or pick yourself up after a bad time in your life.

Meet Silja…

Silja is a Celtic Wiccan high priestess and has led a Celtic training coven in Ireland. She now divides her time between Dublin, Ireland and Arkansas, USA. Silja is the author of The Green Wiccan Book of Shadows and the Green Wiccan Herbal. Check out her Facebook page at facebook.com/SiljasGreenWiccan