Connecting With Nature Spirits In The Kitchen
Written By - Rebecca Lemke
We associate birth and growth with feelings of joy, pride, honor, and celebration, but there is often fear or disgust around aging and death. This perspective is programmed so deeply into our cultural psyche that we unconsciously project it onto our eating habits.
As society has progressed, mindful awareness of the food we consume has become less and less a priority as we unknowingly avoid facing these difficult emotions. With the rise of diet culture, we have even bred a sense of guilt and shame in eating.
This disconnect has opened a window of opportunity for capitalism to step in and abuse the land, animals, people, and food processing systems we rely on in order to eat a meal.
The gap between where our food comes from to how it ends up on our plates has become so wide and convoluted, it can feel insurmountable to even consider how an individual can begin to bring change. What can one person do to shift such a monstrous industry?
The answer lies in cultivating a sense of joy, pride, honor, and celebration for what we consume.
Even if our access to ethically grown and raised foods is limited, bringing mindful awareness and a desire to see more wholesome practices abound is a very important beginning to this major cultural shift. One simple way this mindfulness and desire can manifest is through intentionally connecting with the nature spirits that we ingest, as well as the people and processes involved in getting the food to our plates.
Saying a prayer or offering up gratitude for a meal is a traditional ritual in many cultures and religions around the world. Taking a moment before eating creates a pause where we come back into our bodies, bringing a mindful presence to what is in front of us.
Offering gratitude softens the heart and allows for connection with the nature spirits being ingested. Blessing a meal is a way to infuse love into all beings involved in the process of growing, nurturing, and preparing the food to be consumed, as well as the spirits of the foods themselves.
Here are some other ways we as individuals can begin to cultivate feelings of joy, pride, honor, and celebration for the food we eat and deeply connect with this sacred process of life:
Bring pleasure into your eating habits. Eat foods that you enjoy and that bring a sense of satisfaction to your body and palate. Take the time to sit down and rest while you eat, setting aside distractions like screens or stresses about your day. Be present with your food and your senses, considering the smells, flavors, textures, and aesthetics and how your body responds to them.
Ask your intuition to guide your meal planning. Connect with your body and ask what it needs for nourishment and pleasure. Feed yourself with love and respect for your body and its needs.
Let love be the main ingredient in every meal you prepare. As you cook, invoke the spirits of each ingredient you use, offering gratitude for what it brings to the recipe. Consider the mouths you will be feeding and ask that the food be nourishing and pleasing to them.
Plate your food with care, invoking honor and beauty for the nature spirits that are offering themselves for your nourishment.
Mindfully consider the origin of the foods you eat. Take some time to research the companies you tend to purchase from and do your best to seek out ones with ethical practices. Wherever ethical purchases are out of reach, consider the blocks that are in the way, bringing curiosity, clarity, and compassion to these areas.
Shop local when possible. Find the farmers markets in your area and search for local farms where you can purchase ethically sourced foods with a reduced carbon footprint.
Invoke the spirits of the plants and animals you are about to consume, as well as the spirits of the land from which they came. Take a moment to honor them and offer them gratitude. You can even ask for their guidance around your food choices and practices.
Honor your meals by bringing life into the leftovers the next day, or freeze them for future use. Add some extra love to the meal and reheat it with care. Let it be a celebration that you get to eat a meal without having to cook it. Whatever scraps are left in the end can be lovingly offered to pets (be sure to look up what is safe for your pets to eat) or to the compost pile. When these are not an option, give a final thank you to the food before discarding it.
If you enjoy connecting with nature spirits, be sure to check out this episode of the Earth Speak podcast where psychic herbalist Emily Patrice Hamilton discusses connecting with plant spirits. For more about healing with food, tune in to this episode where intuitive nourishment guide Vanessa Rodriguez talks about holistic health and food as medicine.
If you want to take your spiritual practice deeper, consider joining a community of like-hearted people who get you. Earth Speak now offers a sacred social networking app where you can connect with others who are carving out their own paths on this spiritual journey we call life.