Tag: Food and Drink

Abonde (A Deity of the Witches)

Abonde

Intrinsically linked with the classical goddess Diana, Abonde also went by the names Abundia, Perchta, and Satia.  Abonde led nocturnal hordes of witches through homes and cellars, eating and drinking all they could find.  If food and drink were left as offerings, Abonde would bestow prosperity upon the occupants of the home.  If nothing was left out for her and her followers, she would deny the denizens of her blessings and protection.

The Thesaurus pauperum of 1468 condemned “the idolatrous superstition of those who left food and drink at night in open view for Abundia and Satia, or, as the people said, Fraw Percht and her retinue, hoping thereby to gain abundance and riches.”  The same practice of offering drink, salt, and food to Perchta, “alias domine Habundie,” on certain days had been taken note of and subsequently condemned in 1439 by Thomas Ebendorfer von Haselbach in De decem praeceptis.

According to Roman de la Rose, written at the end of the thirteenth century,
third born children were obligated to travel with Abonde three times a week to the homes of neighbors.  Nothing could stop these people, as they became
incorporeal in the company of Abonde.  Only their souls would travel as their
bodies remained behind immobile.  There was a downside to this astral
projection:  if the body was turned over while the soul was elsewhere, the soul would never return.

Food Blessings, Pagan and Wiccan Style

Food Blessings, Pagan and Wiccan Style

By , About.com

Christianity doesn’t have a monopoly on saying a prayer over food and drink. Many religions celebrate the consumption of food with some sort of prayer of thanksgiving. Many Pagans and Wiccans believe that not only should we thank the gods for our food, but also the earth and the food itself. After all, if you’re eating plants or meat, something had to die so that you could have a meal. It seems rude not to thank your food for its sacrifice.

Any of the following may be said over a meal, a Cakes and Ale ceremony, or any other event where food is served. Feel free to include the names of the deities of your tradition, of you prefer.

  • This Simple Meal Blessing offers thanks to the God and Goddess for a meal.
  • A Prayer to the Earth shows gratitude for the planet’s bounty.
  • If you’re eating a meal that once walked around, offer a prayer Celebrating Meal.
  • Invite the Gods to dine with you.
  • Make an Offering of a bit of your food.
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Lighten Up – Murphy’s Other Laws

Murphy’s Other Laws

1. Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.

2. A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.

3. He who laughs last, thinks slowest.

4. A day without sunshine is like, well, night.

5. Change is inevitable, except from a vending machine.

6. Those who live by the sword, get shot by those who don’t.

7. Nothing is foolproof, to a sufficiently talented fool.

8. The 50-50-90 rule: Anytime you have a 50-50 chance of getting something right, there’s a 90% probability you’ll get it wrong.

9. It is said that if you line up all the cars in the world end-to-end, someone would be stupid enough to try to pass them.

12. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he
will sit in a boat all day drinking beer.