If anyone reading this has an answer for where the time goes (or the name of a guy that knows a guy that sells working time turners) please let this frazzled witch know. Summer came and went, Mabon is in the rear view mirror and Samhain is up ahead on the right. With Samhain less than two weeks away, I decided this post would best be spent talking about Pomegranate. I love Pomegranate and I'm tempted to run to the store right now and get one... or three.
The Pomegranate (Punica granatum) is a fruit that originates from Iran (ancient Persia) and has been cultivated since ancient times. It is mentioned in the Quran, Babylonian texts, the Homeric Hymns and even got a shout out in the Book of Exodus. Its name is derived from medieval latin: pomum which means apple and granatum which means seeded. Pomegranate folk names are: Pound Garnet, Grenadier, and Carthage Apple. This fruit is masculine (although there are some folks that disagree), its element is fire and the ruling planet is Mercury. The deities associated with Pomegranate are Ceres and Persephone.
Pomegranates are a powerful and tasty fruit that hold an abundance of magickal and healthy (nutritional) powers. Wealth, wishes, fertility, protection and luck are some of the powers of the Pomegranate. If you'd like to put a bun in your oven, consider performing some fertility magick with Pomegranates. Eating the seeds is believed to increase a women's fertility. The outer skin or rind is also helpful in the fertility department. Dry the skin and add it to spells for conception. Pomegranates are also lucky and will increase the power of spells they are added to. Always make a wish before eating a Pomegranate and if you find yourself needing a bit of luck, eat a spoonful of Pomegranate seeds.
Pomegranate is also great for attracting money and creating prosperity. A branch from a Pomegranate tree, used as a wand, will reveal hidden wealth and is a money magnet. Adding the dried rind of a Pomegranate to a money spell or incense will help your cash flow and give your spell work some much needed luck. The branches from a Pomegranate tree can also be used for protection and guard against evil. Hang a branch over thresholds that lead out of your home (the front door, backdoor, windows etc) to keep out negative energies and people. The juice from a Pomegranate is also used as a blood substitute in rituals and spell-work. Because of its stain making power, Pomegranate can also be used to make magick ink. Some believe the juice represents the blood of the Goddess and drinking it will fill you with her wisdom.
Pomegranate Divination
Pomegranate seeds are eaten for luck, prosperity and fertility but this fruit can also be used for divination. There are a few different methods but the most popular is what I like to call: "Break that sucker open and see what happens." For example, if a woman would like to know how many children she will have in her lifetime she could use this method. - Get a whole Pomegranate.
- Make sure it's a solid specimen of Pomegranate (No soft spots, brown spots on skin etc).
- Take that sucker outside and throw it at the ground as hard as you can.
- Ideally, the Pomegranate will split and some of the seeds will escape.
- Count the seeds and you will have your answer.
- This method works for questions that begin with 'how many' (How many years until I get married? How many years will I live here? etc).
Interesting Tidbits:
1) Because of its staining power, Pomegranates were allegedly used by ancient Egyptian women to color their lips.
2) Pomegranates are also used to dye fabric.
3) Eating three Pomegranate seeds on the day of Samhain honors the journey of Persephone. Eat more than three and you may be inviting hardship and struggle into your life for the year ahead.
The Story of Persephone
The story of Persephone, the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, has all the makings of a telenovela. Kidnapping, lies, betrayal, etc. and in the end, she becomes Queen of the Underworld and the Pomegranate is this stories version of the poison apple. This is a condensed version of the story and information varies depending on where you're reading. In some versions she eats a handful of Pomegranate seeds while in others she eats three (the number corresponding to the length of winter).
"PERSEPHONE was the goddess queen of the underworld, wife of the god Haides. She was also the goddess of spring growth, who was worshipped alongside her mother Demeter in the Eleusinian Mysteries. This agricultural-based cult promised its initiates passage to a blessed afterlife.
Persephone was titled Kore (the Maiden) as the goddess of spring's bounty. Once upon a time when she was playing in a flowery meadow with her Nymph companions, Kore was seized by Haides and carried off to the underworld as his bride. Her mother Demeter despaired at her disappearance and searched for her the throughout the world accompanied by the goddess Hekate bearing torches. When she learned that Zeus had conspired in her daughter's abduction she was furious, and refused to let the earth fruit until Persephone was returned. Zeus consented, but because the girl had tasted of the food of Haides--a handful of pomegranate seeds--she was forced to forever spend a part of the year with her husband in the underworld. Her annual return to the earth in spring was marked by the flowering of the meadows and the sudden growth of the new grain. Her return to the underworld in winter, conversely, saw the dying down of plants and the halting of growth. In other myths, Persephone appears exclusively as the queen of the underworld, receiving the likes of Herakles and Orpheus at her court.
Persephone was usually depicted as a young goddess holding sheaves of grain and a flaming torch. Sometimes she was shown in the company of her mother Demeter, and the hero Triptolemos, the teacher of agriculture. At other times she appears enthroned beside Haides."
Pomegranates are really healthy and taste yummy. They contain an insane amount of antioxidants and taste great in everything from oatmeal to salads. It stains easily so be careful when working or cooking with it. Use it to make ink or to dye a t-shirt. Eat the seeds for a burst of luck and remember to make a wish before cracking one open. If a creepy man in a black cloak asks you to come with him and offers you Pomegranate seeds, say no and run like hell. Unless becoming Queen of the Underworld sounds like a good career move. The stem of the Pomegranate tree protects against evil and will also help you uncover cash you never knew you had. Carry the dried rind with you or eat the seeds to increase your chances of having a baby.*** If you'd like to know how many kids you'll have try the divination method mentioned above. History, mythology, magick, and nutrition are just a few of the categories in which there is a plethora of information about Pomegranate. Do your research and make some magick!
Brightest Blessings,
~Amethyst~
***I am not a doctor and I don't play one on TV. Do your research before you consume any herbs via potions etc.
Sources:
1)Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs by: Scott Cunningham
2)The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients by: Lexa Rosean
2)The Encyclopedia of Magickal Ingredients by: Lexa Rosean
3)witchipedia.com
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