Bread magic

While doing some research for something else today, I came across a reference to Bread magic.  There was one small example, but nothing more.

That example was blessed bread broken into quarters and placed in the corners of a barn to protect the stored crops.

There was so much more that could have been suggested under this heading, so many ideas that I have and things others have spoken about.  Why was this not included?  So I have chosen to address that lack.

Bread in History and Culture

Bread (in various forms) has long been used in ritual and religious ceremony as well as having strong cultural meanings.  The word companion comes from Latin com - "with" and panis - "bread".  In Central and Eastern Europe, offering guests bread and salt is part of a welcoming ceremony and has been written about in plenty of medieval culture fiction books as a way of ensuring guest rights and responsibilities.

The phrase "to break bread" with someone is commonly used to describe not just a meal shared but also a sense of camaraderie, of meaningful connection, of friendships formed or maintained.

In Abrahamic religions, bread has significance.  From eating Matzo at Passover to the bread of the Eucharist, bread features strongly.  In Islam, bread is representative of all food in general.  In Ancient Egypt, bread was left as offerings to Gods and ancestors as well as being symbolic of all food.

In many Pagan Traditions, bread is a common offering for Gods, spirits and ancestors.  It's sometimes part of the cakes and ale commonly at the end of ritual.

Making Bread

The process of making bread has so many opportunities for magical work.  Getting the yeast started and frothy - a wish could be made or a purpose declared with the sugar and yeast and visualised as growing with the froth and bubbles.

I find kneading my dough to be quite a meditative process even when I'm not adding magic.  So using it for raising energy seems like an obvious step.

Shaping the dough is where, for me, the magic really comes to life.  Someone has hurt you?  A bread poppet, possibly stuffed with other things, then left out for the birds to peck to bits.  Want to draw something to you?  Shape the dough into a sigil or representation of what you want to bring into your life.  Consuming the bread is bringing it more literally into your life and yourself.  The possibilities for this are limited only by your imagination.  Make a protective sigil out of bread, varnish it and keep it stored forever.  Create a blessing for your crops and bury it in your garden.  Some healing magic? Add some beneficial (and culinary) herbs to your dough and eat your way to good health - or gift it to someone who needs it.

Lammas

We can't forget Lammas, quite literally a Bread Festival as Lammas comes from Loaf Mass.  Although it was originally tied to the first grain harvest, for many who are not in an agricultural setting, Lammas is all about baking bread and breaking bread.  Many modern pagans have their own bread recipes and associated bread magic for Lammas.

There are often bread recipes offered for each Sabbat on many blogs, websites and in books.  Many seem to have little association with the Sabbat except perhaps in some subtle way known only to whoever is publishing it.  That said, I would still encourage trying the recipes and seeing if they work for you.

Have some fun with bread and use your imagination!

Blessings




Debbie