As a solitary witch I rely on my instincts, intuition and wisdom. These three things guide me, or at least they try. There are a few key things which dominate my life. The number 3, Corvids, the Moon, Saturn the king of time, the elements earth, air, fire and water, sweets and chestnuts :)
Chestnuts are going to be my main food of choice for the next few months as it is my favourite nut. Along with pumpkins and squash. Everything about it gives me the shivers. It is believed that the Greeks began cultivating the european chestnut some 3,000 years ago and that they brought it back with them from their travels in Asia Minor. The Romans were later responsible for spreading the cultivation of the chestnut. The latin name for Chestnut is Castanea, and the Turks use the same name. :)
There are 4 main species of chestnut, but my favourite is the European variety which originated in Turkey and the Black sea region of Southern Russia. It is also known as the Sweet chestnut or Spanish chestnut. It has the best flavour. It can be used in a variety of ways and well before yeast was used to make bread and cakes in europe chestnut flour was used. It doesn't contain gluton and it is high in vitamin C and potassium. Chestnut wood is also incredibly durable.
The symbolic significance of the chestnut during autumn time and the celebration of samhain is of fertility. The chestnut has been used in various ways as an offering to the God and Goddess as this text I found will demonstrate:
In a book by Carol Field (celebrating Italy) Befana is associated with Hecate. An etching by Bartolomeo Pinelli in 1825, shows Befana as the Mother Goddess seated and surrounded by fruits, grains, and other items of the Harvest. The celebration of Befana ends in a burning in effigy. Upon a hill a pyramid of corn sheaves, brushwood, and pine branches are piled. The effigy of Befana is placed on top, and fire is set to the wood. Chestnuts are tossed in as symbols of fertility. Custom says that if the smoke blows to the West, then the crops will be poor. If to the East, it is an omen of a year of abundance.
Tasty chestnuts
And a Celtic tradition: Samhain existed outside of ordinary time to the Celts - it was a perfect time to do divinations and readings of the future, because you could look at any point in time from this day. Many women attempted to divine the names of their future husbands by placing chestnuts on the hearth of their fires. They would place one chestnut for each suitor, and bless it with the incantation "If he loves me, pop and fly. If he doesn't, burn and die." :) There were many variations to this, one was to watch your chestnut cook if it turned red it was good luck in love if it just burnt black it meant bad. But being a rational modern day witch I don't buy into such crazy notions ;) But it is fun, like apple bobbing.But seriously chestnuts are by far the best offering this time of year and they are much appreciated. I am intent on finding some organic farm grown sacs and perhaps grounding some up into flour and baking some loaves if I can find the time. We'll see, it would be nice.
posted by Burcu Urundul @ 11:14 pm
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