Vegan Fudge: Traditional Homemade Candy - A Step by Step Photo Guide

A truly vegan guilt free fudge, made with organic and Fair trade ingredients!

I don't make nearly enough fudge for the family and for gifts.  I made it so much for the shop that it became a bit of a chore.  But lately, I've been trying to create a habit of whipping some up for special occasions and holidays like Yule gift giving. For Lupercalia last, I poured a batch for my daughter's class in lieu of the more grown-up celebrations.

Actual fudge isn't the bizarre current fashion of brittle pre-cut oversweet crumbles or "instant" recipes of marshmallow cream or melted chocolate chips. Though those are now considered the norm, they are modern and rather inadequate adaptations of the traditional candy, which requires some skill to make.  It's uncommon now to find someone who practices the techniques, other than London High Street candymakers, so until they try the fudge from the StillRoom, most people haven't ever eaten it.

Traditional fudge is a real candy; cracked sucrose heated to a certain temperature.  Since it requires some specialization, as well as access to sugar, this is a relatively modern confection, originally only available to the upper class in the middle ages and working its way down to the rest of us when sugar and high heat cooking became more available.  Although the traditional method takes far more time and care than current industrial techniques, the final result, being much healthier and eco-friendly, is totally worth the effort to learn. People will be impressed that someone still knows how to do this!

I always go to the horse's mouth for my research. Whether it's Roman naturalism treatises or early medieval physician documentations (those I have to get in translation still), to late medieval stillroom books and Victorian household encyclopaedia  I look for the original techniques and uses before I try adapting something.  In the case of fudge and candy making, they were an encouraged art for amateur cooks and a requirement for professionals up until the 70's.  So to get ideas about how to re-create them for today's audience, but still keep the best of the traditions, I refer to cookbooks and instructions from the 60's all the way back to the Tudor era.  In this post, I'll take out most of the guesswork and distil down the best of the techniques for you.  As it were..

Candy making is one of the most dangerous ventures in your kitchen.  Fudge isn't as bad as some, but candy is a thick burning syrup that sticks to your skin and clothing, and doesn't come off easily.  Think Napalm.  When you attempt any candymaking, make sure the kids are busy, the pets aren't underfoot, and no one is running around your workspace.  It is unforgiving, and there are few second chances.  If you get it on your skin, have some comfrey, tea tree, aloe or lemon juice ready.  Only the comfrey will ensure you have no scars, but the others will help you use that hand again in less than a month..  (Experiences of the Candy Maker story no. 1)

1. The Pot

Your choice of pot is pretty crucial.  It has to be nearly three times bigger than the amount of ingredients you first put in it, and it has to be comfortable handling very high heat for a fairly long period. So for a pound of fudge for example, I use a Dutch oven.  If you select too small a pot, you won't be able to correct your choice easily once you get started, since you do not want to be trying to pour splashing candy from one pot to another, and the only alternative is letting it bubble all over your stove.  (Experiences of the Candy Maker story no. 2)

The sides of your pot need to be coated in a fat. Don't worry about the bottom. I used to use butter, but it's not necessary.  The vegan version works just fine with vegetable shortening.

2. The Ingredients

For 1/2 lb of fudge:

2 cups sucrose (dehydrated sugar cane juice is what I use.  It's a whole food, and works the same as white sugar)

1/3-1/2 cup cocoa (I use fair trade organic cocoa, which is much stronger than regular, so compensate accordingly if you don't have any.)

pinch salt (artisan sea salt means I use much less, and it's good for you.)

2/3 cup water (I use filtered.  I can easily taste chlorine, and it can create weird reactions in cookery.)

Try not to get the sugar on the sides if you can.  It will make your job slightly harder later.

3. The Cooking

Stir on the stove while heating.  It will take awhile to combine properly, and continue to mix and stir until it starts boiling. Don't worry too much about the clumps of cocoa, but do be careful not to get sugar on the side.  If you do, scrape it off with your spoon or even a rubber spatula, if you're fussy...  It will start to get very satiny before it starts to bubble.

Then stop, and take the spoon out.  Set your spoon aside and let the candy bubble.

See how big it gets?

Get out your candy thermometer, and place it in the candy, without touching the bottom of the pot.  For fudge, you require the Soft Ball stage, or 235-245F. (about 112 - 118C for most of the world). Check the reading by getting down and looking at eye level.  A few degrees can make all the difference in candy making.

I usually stop at 240F and, depending on the pot I use, it will rise a bit before it starts cooling. I also use  the highest heat setting, but you may want to turn it down as it approaches the correct temp, since it can rise quickly.

My home ec teacher was a true professional, and I remember at least one experiment with candy making where we didn't even use the thermometer, but instead used the ice cold water method, so we learned how each candy stage 'felt'.  For stillroom work, I use the far easier temperature gauge, which is what I recommend here.

Turn off the heat and just let it sit without moving. It will fall quickly.

Get your pan ready.  If I'm shipping or giving the fudge away, I use a disposable or reused tin.  If we're keeping it for home, a cake or pie pan will do. After washing, make sure the pan and lid are thoroughly dry.  Any water droplets can mar the surface look of the fudge.  Grease bottom and sides.

Now find something else to do with yourself for a bit.  I try not to leave the kitchen or watch TV, in case I forget what I'm doing, but your fudge needs to remain undisturbed while it cools.  You can leave the thermometer in if you like.  You are waiting until the temp is about 110F, or 45C.  I just use my hands near the bottom of the pot. If it's uncomfortably hot to the touch, it isn't ready yet. Wait until it's still quite warm, but not too long!

4. The Beating

Now comes the trickiest and fussiest part.

Testing, testing...

Using a new, clean, dry spoon, add your flavouring.  I often use the traditional 1/2 tsp. vanilla (organic and fair trade feels good and tastes better, so you use less.)   Mix in and begin to beat the fudge.  Depending on how hot it was, this can take a while. Watch carefully under a good light source. Keep beating until you begin to see the gloss start to disappear with each stroke, and the fudge become heavier and thicker.  Pour into your pan.  Many do not recommend scraping the sides into your pan.  I only suggest it after you have filled your pan, and you want to eat - I mean, test - your batch.  If I am giving it away, I don't want to take a chunk out to test it, which would totally mar the look, so I use the remainder that is scraped on to the spoon.  Mmmm...testing...

(Illustration from Better Homes and Gardens: circa 1966.) 

For home use, score the fudge while it's still warm, to facilitate cutting it later. When I present my handcrafted fudge in the traditional manner for shipping and gift giving, it is sealed when cool, unscored and untouched, until opened by the recipient. Stays softer that way, too, and doesn't get all broken up in transport.

After completely cooling, your fudge should be soft, moist, even grained, and satiny.  If it's not entirely perfect, and isn't completely far gone, a good freezing will fix most errors. Freeze completely, and when it's totally thawed out again, its structure changes to a better grain.  Only freeze once, though..

Is that a dinosaur print in my fudge? No, that's a kitten track.
Remember to cover your fudge when cooling!

Fudge is a tricky and fickle candy, so occasional sloshes on the side or drops of water can ruin its perfect surface, but fortunately my skill makes such incidents rare.  So you'll need to practice!

5. Variations on a Theme

Herbs

Remember when your food was your medicine and your medicine your food?

From horehound candies to spruce beer; from real marshmallow to liquorice, Western herbalists have traditionally created tasty treats to tempt those under their care to take the vitamins, minerals, and remedies they needed. In the spirit of that ancient protocol, I often add medicinal or nutritive value to my fudge with herbs, or vary the flavours with different additions. Because it's just not magnificent enough already...

Substituting the water with an herbal infusion of organic herbs means the sky's the limit.  Cool and filter with cheesecloth first, of course.  Even one stray leaf will be most unpleasant in a soft, moist, even grained fudge, if it doesn't ruin it completely. I've never found an herb that noticeably affects the flavour of the fudge, so consider what effects you're interested in, rather than worrying about blending the flavours.  Don't forget to use a non-reactive pot for cooking your fudge, too, if you want the herbs to be at their best. Some suggestions are:

*Nettle and Dandelion leaf, which has oodles of vitamins and minerals, including iron, and helps prevent allergic histamine reactions. Forget to take your calcium? Can't stand your iron supplement? Need more B's? This will make you look forward to your daily dose.

*Wild yam, Dong Quai, Vitex, Cohoshes, Cramp Bark, and Licorice Root can make a PMS or Menopause fudge to replace and replenish your hormones.  Who needs Midol?  I have fudge!

*Immune Boosting - Elderberries, Echinacea p. and a., Astragalus, Ginseng, there are so many...  I mean, if your kids are gonna eat 'em anyway..

*Ginseng, Sarsaparilla, Yohimbe, and Damiana can add spark to any adult encounter.  Seriously.  Use this one sparingly.  It totally works..

Flavours

Like it extra chocolatey?  I know I do, so I often double the cocoa powder.

Feel like a mocha? Add expresso as part of your water component.

Organic oils are much stronger than flavoured oils, with no aftertaste.  They are added just before the beating, instead of vanilla. We have experimented with many in the stillroom.  Some of our usuals are:

*Peppermint: Careful.  Organic peppermint is very powerful.  A few drops are all that's needed.
*Sweet Orange.
*Rum
*Brandy
*Lavender. Traditional, believe it or not.

Tips

Candy making is pretty impressive organic chemistry.  You are changing the molecular structure of the sugar, so certain conditions must be met, or it just won't work.  Sugar stops melting at boiling, so make sure all of it is mixed and off the the sides of the pot before it starts to boil, since those grains won't be able to melt after that.  Why is that important?  Because, like honey and syrup, liquid sugar will accrete around any stray particle, especially unmelted sugar, and crystallize completely.  Once that happens, there is almost nothing you can do to save your candy.  It will be inedibley grainy, and even freezing won't fix it.  That's why you need a new spoon to beat with, too.

I therefore air dry, rather than towel dry, all of my equipment where possible, just to be extra cautious of stray particles.

Beating also alters the candy.  The longer you leave it to cool, the quicker it will turn when you begin to beat. If you start too early  it will take forever, but don't wait too long, or the entire thing will set in your pot in a flash.  If you pour before the candy has altered enough, it will be grainy, but usually edible.  Freezing will help that mistake the most.

It's easy to double batch, but triple gets harder.  You need an extra big pot, and strong arms to beat that much candy.  Don't say I didn't warn you...

Not the industrial brittle pre-cut candy most people are used to; this is the most moist and creamiest fudge you've ever tasted, and absolutely guilt free chocolate!  Let me know how your experiments go, and good candy to you!

Witch Heritage 101: European Aborignals or When Witch haters joke about anti-Witch films

I think I'll be doing my graduate work in European Aboriginal studies, since apparently, it's rumoured that they don't actually exist, or if they did, they don't now, or aren't continuous after all the Xian fundie persecutions. Thanks for proving how necessary that research is, and for giving me the idea..

This FB status of mine was universally Liked from so many of my friends, of all different heritages and faiths. It was one of my most popular ever. Yet, it was in response to one of my alleged friends who has continually seen fit to post anti-witch hate on my FB page, in a constant attempt to deny our existence, veracity, tradition, or continuation. I remain bemused why it is so important to insist that we either never existed, or were exterminated, or are a "traditional folklore monster", and that modern pagans are somehow using the term for 'shock value.' There are so many issues with this that I can't begin to deconstruct it all at once, but it is vital to defend our right to claim ourselves, and fight the dominant Christian narrative of who we are.

I've gone into some of the pathology on anti-witch bigotry and Blood Libel before, but clearly, there needs to be more said, with movies still being produced that encourage our 'hunting', called an "exciting and informative film about witches" by my totally non-hateful friend. But we're much smarter than the dolts who slurped up the anti-Jewish Nazi propaganda, and no one believes what they see on film, especially if it's about a myth, right? Yeah. Of course not. And my neighbours don't threaten to burn down my house, either, or my otherwise intelligent co-workers quietly whisper the question "Could Blair Witch actually happen?"

I feel a little helpless sometimes. When I have these discussions, I assume that my fellow debater has the basic grasp that they are living in a background radiation of the Christian narrative. When I realize that I have to drop the level to something of a first year University course, or maybe even high school, to have a reasonable exchange, I nearly despair of ever reducing the spectre of oppression and persecution. Hence, the title of this post.  I will be using actual public comments as an example to counter some of the most pervasive, harmful, and just bizarrely weird myths. 

Claims that still pervade the literature make it nearly impossible for us to legitimize ourselves and our heritage. Here are some comments on the latest witch hate movie, from an otherwise intelligent person.

"The film's characterization of witches was true to the original traditional folk tale the Bros Grimm collected and published 200 years ago, and that has clear antecedents stretching back centuries before that. Surely all that folklore, i.e. oral history, can't be wrong? Or is it only wrong if it says bad things about witches, but is right if it says good things? ...The film doesn't say anything about modern-day witches. "there are some good "white witches" whose magic heals rather than harms, and the common (evil) witches really hate them. No sign of this in the original folk tales (unless one is re-branding fairy godmothers), so I think that's a nod to modern ideas of witchcraft (as having good as well as evil elements)." ...I'm a lot more confident in the existence of Jews than of witches, sidhe, unicorns, or dragons."

He claims that witches are a "traditional folklore monster". Whose tradition? Well, not ours, surely. Though we have many magic 'bad guys' in faerie tales, which translates close to "witches" in Irish, they are usually part of the trial of the heroine or hero; the adversarial mentor they must overcome to learn their lesson or win their prize. It's not a quality of witches per se, but those witches in those stories do have that role. "Folklore" usually applies to stories and beliefs of the peasantry, that is, the country folk, where the term 'pagan' comes from in Latin. So not the learned Christians, then, but the propaganda spread by the power elite to the people, and not the pagan people, either, but their own leadable 'flock'. "Monster' is the most obvious smear. It's used for people who are so evil they are no longer human, which makes it easy to exterminate them without mercy, or even trial, in some cases.

Obviously, if a group tells horrific, disgusting or offensive stories about another people, that must be who they are.  No one would make up that stuff up to suppress, oppress, or exterminate them. (First Nations, Gypsies, gays...cough, cough...) I've gone into the (totally non-racist) problem of the perpetuation of the myth of "white" and "black" i.e. 'evil' witches before.  Relegating witches to the category of mythical creatures, usually horrible ones, since he later suggests he could call himself an ogre but that doesn't make him one, isn't a harmless or theoretically amusing trivialization.  It is deliberately associating us with fantasy, so we couldn't really exist, except in our own minds, and even if we did, we are inherently supernaturally evil.  (Hmm... supernaturally evil...Sorry.  My mind wanders... Where were we?)

No, my ancestresses did not live in "candy cottages, worship Satan, conjure demons, eat children, ride brooms through the air, or cast spells to dry up dairy herds, blight crops, spread pox, or otherwise harm the community". Defining witches as only those who fulfil that criteria, and then insisting that I therefore cannot be a witch because I don't do all that is a most circular argument, and again, impossible to comply with. Satan is the Christian Antagonist. You have to believe in the Christian world view to be a Satanist or have any business with Him. Pagans do not, and never have. Besoms are, for most varieties of witches, sacred because of their symbolism, so most of us use them in ritual. We can't fly on them, though, so we must not be real. Another attack is confusing medieval Christian propaganda with modern reClaimist, largely Wiccan mythology to make them seem somehow equatable and equally untrue. Modern witches, the argument goes, have created themselves, and historical witches are fantasy, because they are both story sets. "Medieval Christians told stories of women who served Satan and hid in forests eating children. Modern-day witches tell stories of women who followed pre-Christian traditions and harvested forest herbs for healing. I don't actually believe either set of stories - each served or serve a purpose for the people who told/tell stories of them."  Medieval Christians told stories about their rivals, the witches, in a propaganda extravaganza. Just because those stories are ludicrous doesn't mean the real witches didn't exist. They told nasty stories about the Pope being Satan, too. Does that mean he didn't exist?

The Church adopted pagan traditions when it couldn't destroy them. Many forms of paganism survived under a veneer of Christianity. Many of those were a discrete, independent faith and tradition surviving under those very priests, and would have resulted in accusations of witchcraft if the more orthodox and especially non-local authorities got wind of it.

The word Witch is of middle Germanic origin. Similar traditional beliefs and practices were called by a different names in different languages, but they would be called 'witch' in English, and would be persecuted by the same people in the same way with the same accusations were they discovered. Witches were and are real, regardless of what they were called in that language or area, and some of those caught in the net of persecution were authentic. Many were not, of course, and some were simply heretical, which is quite different. However, the term has been co-opted by the Christians to define us, especially in the English tradition. Healers, seers, midwives, abortionists, and local authorities were often accused of witchcraft by the Church, and yet many of those were in fact authentic pagan practitioners, even with a touch of Christianity for camouflage.

This is still one of my favorite pics. It's an official witch group that made it into the 20th century, from a real institution and with the uniform intact. They weren't playacting or at a costume ball. They were healers, there were 13 of them, and they wore their traditional red robes as well as the hats. Deniers claiming that they can't be witches because they were "Christian holy sisters who attended chapel every day" and the hat shapes were just co-incidence is pushing even the bounds of common sense. WHY did those hats and those robes and that number become associated with the healing tradition, and why does that follow the witch healing tradition so exactly?  Because the tradition existed before they became Christian holy sisters.

It's actually impossible to believe that so many of these 'hunts' went on wherever fundie European Christians went without a shred of real witchcraft traditions to back up their claims. One could only consider it wilful ignorance. Social science backs up the claims of these traditional aboriginal beliefs and practices, known as witches in English, from all over Europe, in a continual line to this time. From Estonia. From Bulgaria. 1 2 From Germany. 1 2 3 

The Sami People: Shamans and Symbols

Every culture has its magic workers, and some are professional or semi-professional, serving their communities, usually with varying degrees of respect and local power. Witch is a real term that was used with pride, and described a very specific group of English professional pagans, usually women. It was therefore the term used when the Christians wanted to usurp the power positions and land the pagans owned. In other areas, they were called by their traditional names, of course, though when translated into English, the term 'witch' is the equivalent. In Ireland, it was often 'faerie' or various forms of Druid. In Italy, it was strega. In German, it was Hexan. All of those terms and professions were attacked by the Christian fundie patriarchy that coveted their land and power. Nearly all of those terms are now being reClaimed by the traditional witches in their homelands, too, by the way...

Of course, each variety of magic worker had different traditions, but most still go by certain general roles and specialities: healers, seers, shamans, and sub-sets of those. Many had a mystical relationship with animals and plants, some could communicate with or visit the Other World, many told fortunes, some were priestesses and priests of the Old Goddesses, Gods, and Spirits of their area. Many were local judges, who carried the authority of common law and officiated at life events- another reason they were tempting targets.

ROMANIA: Stag on New Year’s Day“These traditions come from Neolithic times—
from shamanism — and they have never stopped,” Charles Fréger 
More living European Aboriginal costumes
 and descriptions here.

When the push from the Christians began, many collaborators saw it as an opportunity to remove the balance of power, which was usually more egalitarian in pagan societies, and grab everything they could. So the anti-witch hysteria was blown up as much as possible. Not only was your local professional witch suspect, but anyone who also did a bit of usual pagan magic, or healing or seeing, or hinted of it was now in the line of fire. Most weren't going to believe it at first, and even at the height, most didn't believe it anyway. But like the Communist McCarthy trials, it because political death to defend or even fight the anti-witch craze when they got going. Adding to the fuel was the bizarre torture porn of the sexually deprived monks, who conceived all manner of disgusting intercourse with Satan, and all manner of punishment for these suspected deviants. Of course, that was all part of the attack on traditional cultures. As the saying goes, a people is not gone until "the hearts of its women are on the ground", and the Christian fundie takeover was entirely patriarchal. Since witches in most European aboriginal cultures are primarily women, it was the women who were the primary targets for extermination, humiliation, and disempowerment, whether they were pagan or not. Pretty young girls were accused by local power mongers and disappeared, never making it to trial. Old women who had land were accused, and charged for every part of their own incarceration, like bits of rope to tie the witch with, soldiers to guard her, the food she ate... It was hugely lucrative, and completely transformed the political and social structure of Europe.

Options for survival were limited. Like the Jews who were persecuted in places like medieval Spain and more modern Germany, if one wanted to remain, and not flee (and where would all the magic workers go?), you had to hide in plain sight or hide out of sight. Now, in most of their persecutions, some of the Jews chose to get baptised, even though they kept most of their family traditions intact. In a few generations, they seemed like other Christians, but sometimes the family would recover and reconvert to their traditional heritage when the all-clear was visible, and the danger largely passed. Are they still real Jews? The pagan shrines and priestesses and priests who survived with most of their traditions intact did so by making a deal with Christianity: they got to keep their deities, put Saint on the front of their name, stick a cross on the lot, say your vows to Christ, and you got to keep most of your land, sacred stuff, and culture. The nuns at Kildare did that, for example. Before it was a Bridgetine Christian nunnery, it was a pagan Bridgetine nunnery. Kildare's sacred Flame to Bridget as the Sun aspect didn't go out for over a 1000 years, quite seamlessly with the Christian takeover, too. Many of the Abbeys and monasteries made the same deal. Their holy orders carried on much as usual, but under a new banner. The families experienced the same problem, and usually opted for the same solution. We are always there, however, passing on our knowledge to our children, helping out our neighbours, worshipping in the Old ways and places, even if those places now have crosses on them, and we use Saint in front of their names. During less dangerous times, however, like the Jews and Gypsies, we tend to sneak back out, just to test the waters, because the myths encouraging self-loathing and living under a veneer are always oppressive.

We can see how long it takes for pagan beliefs to be truly usurped, and what happens when fundie Christianity finally takes over. Iceland, for example, was the last place in Europe to officially convert, in about 1000 CE. Yet they still maintained much of their egalitarian society, including their matriarchal naming system, and the oldest continual democracy in the Western world. As spirits of the earth, elves are still very real and negotiated with during any building project. In this recent economic crisis, the largely women leaders let the banks fail, jailed their CEO's and saved the people who were suffering.  That's what even the shadow of European Aboriginal paganism can do. It takes an eon to destroy most of our systems and beliefs and replace it with the unnatural and exploitive patriarchy. The rest of Europe was taken over much earlier, so less of our original systems are left. In some cases, only traces remain, except where the deals were made. Cultural archaeology is useful for uncovering those traces, and many folklorists and fam trad witches are recovering their heritage with these techniques and researches. Are they still witches, even when the rest of the family for generations called themselves Christian, believed they were Christian, and did Christian things in public? Were the Jews who recovered their heritage generations later really Jews? I'm no Rabbi. Maybe I'll ask one, but I certainly can't decide for them, nor can non-witches define who we are, either.

Wiccans, which was never used as a noun for magic workers in any language, are a modern amalgam of a gathering of presumed pagan traditions from around the world, largely from Western Europe. It's very recent, but obviously satisfies, since it's one of the fastest growing religions in North America. Few therefore have a sense of long term history, like the traditionalists, or of future centuries. They usually feel the threat of persecution as an empathy of possibility, as social slights, not an imminent personal danger, like stoning. (It doesn't feel real until one hits you. I can tell you that for a fact.) They are a valid subset of witches, new pagans for a modern age, and rely on the legitimacy of traditionalist beliefs, rituals, and reClaimed and recovered paganism from many areas to form their systems.

I am not a Wiccan. I'm a traditional witch, raised in an family of no faith, which maintained a few Christian rituals when required, like weddings and funerals (which always disgusted, since we totally weren't that. I always loathe hypocrisy, especially to maintain an illusion.) Our obvious connections to the old ways were strongly denied, and I am still ostracised for recognizing and celebrating them, rather than continuing to hide and secretly hate who we are. My sense of deity, beliefs, and abilities were always with me, my skills improved with practice and training, and I now teach a mixture of internal knowledge and external scientific learning, as witches have always done. I have had witch tools since my Initiation when I was 12. My cat-friend familiar was with me for 20 years, but she didn't eat souls or babies. (Go figger!) I am a professional witch operating in the traditional trade of healing. My faith has always been a source of unfailing joy and positive interaction for me. Just wish that would follow with the Haters I meet up with... My primary mentor was raised Eastern Orthodox, but the magic and witch rituals were part and parcel of her family's personal faith, even though it clearly had nothing to do with Christianity in any way, and would get them burnt in more volatile times.They would still call themselves Christian, though my mentor has always been more honest, and changed her name to a proper witch one years ago. She'll be 70 soon... My daughter is proud of her family and who we are. She has her new familiar (she picked the only non-black kitten.  Where did I go wrong?) and just cut her first wand. My son shows no inclination. Makes sense with his personality, though...

We are still here. We will always be here. Just like Aboriginals from around the world, the only way you can truly be rid of us is to exterminate us all. Like all oppressed people, we will hide, sometime for hundreds of years, but we will rise again the moment we can. Women led, women powered, women held, we hold the key to healing the Earth, bringing forth real change and egalitarian democracy, and creating social and environmental justice. I have always stood with my FN sisters, and my sisters all over the globe, since I have always known who I was and where I had come from. Women's magic can save the world, and I will do my part to nurture, illuminate, support, and disseminate it, against the context of the Christian fundie oppressors. We, too, must be Idle No More.

Idealized and romanized Celtic/ UK Aboriginal image, including face shape.

Quotes are from my FB friend's public posts, early March 2013, unless otherwise indicated. I think he should remain nameless...


An abridged version was printed on Witchvox., March 17, 2013.  

Lascivious Lupercalia: Why Valentine's is a Favourite Holy Day

Lupercalia, "day of the wolf”- the Roman fertility festival celebrating the sexual frenzy of the goddess Juno!  Togas, random draws for sex partners, the occasional goatskin splatter from a priest, and oodles of intoxicants.  Oh, you didn't know about the traditional Valentine's Day?  Think it's just a commercial holiday intended to sell chocolates, jewelry and dinners, and make single folks feel like drinking alone? Lupercalia is not only designed for singles, they are one of the feature attractions!

 

Valentine's is one of my favourite pagan observances, inspiring modern women and men to at least consider how much the imposed cultural system has on their views of their own love relationships and sexuality. So many find the modern practices to be bloodless, dispassionate, superficial, commercial, and vaguely depressing.  I personally find it inspiring that this Holy Day is so powerful that it's made it to the modern era relatively intact, despite the best efforts of Christian priests to defuse and replace its practices. As a sacred and religious celebration of human sexuality and passion, many of the elements and themes have been retained: valentine's cards, red heart shapes, single people going home with partners, married women wanting children, lust, sex, fertility... It does prove how much we in the modern world, just as our ancestors did, need to acknowledge, idolize, ritualize and even worship our own most powerful drives, emotions, and relationships.

 

The eve and night of February 14th to the next day of the 15th were the Ides of the month of Februa, sacred to Juno Februata or Juno Februa. This day also honored the Roman gods, Lupercus and Faunus, who you may recall as the lusty Faun in current tellings. It was a vital religious observance as children of the Great Wolf, symbolising the very fecundity of Rome herself, and the unpartnered participants who presented themselves were considered highly religious and praiseworthy, deserving of the blessings of the priests. 'Course, they didn't go home emptyhanded.  After being the focus of some mild flagellation, the single folks would be randomly assigned to each other through a lottery system.  Each pairing resulted in a sacred 'going steady' until the next year, where one thing was encouraged to lead to another. Married women weren't left out, since they were also under Juno's patronage, and at this time of year, they came to celebrate and bless their sexuality with conceptions.

On this day, Lupercalia,.. the Luperci or priests of Lupercus dressed in goatskins for a bloody ceremony. The priests of Lupercus, the wolf god, would sacrifice goats and a dog and then smear themselves with blood. These priests, made red with sacrificial blood, would run around Palatine Hill in a wild frenzy while carving a goatskin thong called a “februa.” Women would sit all around the hill, as the bloody priests would strike them with the goatskin thongs to make them fertile. The young women would then gather in the city and their names were put in boxes. These “love notes” were called “billets.” The men of Rome would draw a billet, and the woman whose name was on it became his sexual lust partner with whom he would fornicate until the next Lupercalia or February 14th.  

Thus, February 14th became a day of unbridled sexual lust. The color “red” was sacred to that day because of the blood and the “heart shape” that is popular to this day. The heart-shape was not a representation of the human heart, which looks nothing like it. This shape represents the human female matrix or opening to the chamber of sacred copulation. 1

While the women presented themselves for random selection and the men chose, one shouldn't make the modern mistake of assuming it was because the women were somehow property.  As a holiday sacred to Juno, with the priests offering the wolf blood as the Wolf Hero's virility, it is the women's fertility that is the focus of the ritual.  They were in fact presenting themselves to Juno to select a man for them for their personal pleasure, not a husband, and the men are volunteering to perform that service.  It was a sacred duty, as well as wild and joyous.

For His sacred virility, a Hero is usually required for the Goddess Queen.  For Februa, her divine lover was Lupercus, the "hunter of wolves", who kept the wolves at bay from the shepherds and their flocks, and lent his blood to fertilize the Godess and her daughters.  

 

The Greeks called Lupercus by the name of "Pan". The Semites called Pan "Baul," according to the Classical Dictionaries. Baal - mentioned so often in the Bible - was merely another name for Nimrod, "the mighty hunter" (Genesis 10:9) It was a common proverb of ancient time that Nimrod was "the MIGHTY hunter before the Lord." Nimrod was their hero - their strong man - thier VALENTINE! How plain that the original Valentine was Nimrod, the mighty hunter of wolves. Yet another of Nimrod's names was "Sanctuc" or "Santa", meaning Saint. It was a common title of any hero-god. No wonder that the Roman Lupercalia is called "St. Valentine's Day"!

But why do we associate HEARTS on a day in honor of Nimrod - the Baal of the Phoenicians and Semites? The surprising answer is that the pagan Romans acquired the symbol of the heart from the Babylonians. In the Babylonian tongue the word for heart was "bal" .. The heart - bal - was merely a symbol of Nimrod - the Baal! or Lord of the Babylonians!"2
 

So for centuries in Rome and envinons and even after its fall as an Empire, the festival happily went along - the Ides of Februa featured red everywhere and heart symbols abounding, with love cards or tickets, complete with the mighty hero-love whose title was Santa.  It was so well known and associated with sex and lust that when 

the Gnostic Catholic Church began to get a foothold in Rome around the 3rd century A.D., they became known as Valentinians. The Catholic Valentinians retained the sexual license of the festival in what they called “angels in a nuptial chamber”, which was also called the “sacrament of copulation.” This was said to be an reenactment of the marriage of “Sophia and the Redeemer.” As the participants of the February 14th ritual began their sexual sacrament, presided over and watched by the priests known as Valentinians, the following literary was spoken: “Let the seed of light descend into thy bridal chamber, receive the bridegroom… open thine arms to embrace him. Behold, grace has descended upon thee.”"3

 
The Orthodox Church thoroughly disapproved, of course, and as well as exterminating the Gnostics, did their darnest to suppress or ban the festival.

When Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire there was some talk in church circles of discarding this pagan free-for-all. But the Roman citizens wouldn't hear of it! So it was agreed that the holiday would continue as it was, except for the more grossly sensual observances.  It was not until the reign of Pope Gelasius that the holiday became a "Christian" custom. " As far back as 496, Pope Gelasius changed Lupercalia on February 15 to St. Valentine's Day on February 14." (p. 172 of Customs and Holidays Around the World by Lavinia Dobler). 4

 
The attempt to substitute or water down the more obvious components met with limited success.

As Christianity became prevalent, priests attempted to replace old heathen practices. To Christianize the ancient pagan celebration ...church officials changed the name to St. Valentine's Day. To give the celebration further meaning and eliminate pagan traditions, priests substituted the drawing of Saints names for the names of the girls. On St. Valentine's Day the priest placed saint's names into an urn or box. The young [men] then drew a name from the container. In the following year, the youth was supposed to emulate the life of the saint whose name he had drawn.

By the fourteenth century they reverted back to the use of girl's names. In the sixteenth century they once again tried to have saintly valentines but it was as unsuccessful as the first attempt...

Later, in France, both sexes drew from the valentine box. A book called Travels in England, written in 1698, gives an account of the way it was done:

"On St. Valentine's Eve an equal number of Maids and Bachelors get together, each writes their true or some feigned name upon separate billets, which they roll up and draw by way of lots, the Maids taking the Men's billets, and the Men the Maids'; so that each of the young Men lights upon a Girl that he calls his Valentine, and each of the Girls upon a young Man which she calls hers. By this means each has two Valentines--but the Man sticks faster to the Valentine that is fallen to him than to the Valentine to whom he is fallen. Fortune having thus divided the company into so many couples, the valentines give balls and treats to their mistresses, wear their billets several days upon their bosoms or sleeves, and this little sport ofen ends in Love. This ceremony is practised differently in different Countries, and according to the freedom or severity of Madame Valentine. This is another kind of Valentine, which is the first young Man or Woman chance throws in your way in the street, or elsewhere . . ."5

So despite some of the best efforts of the new priesthood to alter the festival, the original idea of sexual licence and expression, particularly for women, never went away.  The practices still lingered in nearly all the places Rome had taken it, mostly what is now known as the "Western World".

It only stands to reason that countries colonized by peoples from Europe brought the practice with them.  So in North America, we still see the remnants to this day.  Even hidden, suppressed, altered, and derided, we retain many of the most recognisable features of the only ancient festival left in the popular culture that celebrates human sexuality.  However, it still seems to generate fear, particularly in this age where women are reClaiming their sexuality and heritage. So the attempt to secularize and desexualize it goes on today. The commercialization, with it's obvious monetary rewards, the insistence on already created couples, rather than singles finding mates, and the more disturbing marketing to children, appears to be an attempt to finally remove the more worrisome lustful elements still left.

Some will claim that the holiday has adapted itself to our modern needs, and that the encouragement of children in grade school to participate in Valentine's Day by giving out cards is more than just adapting.  In fact, it appears to continue to be mutating every generation.  No longer is the Valentine a secret, given from a child to someone they fancy, as it was in two childhoods ago; it is now a class event, where everyone must bring one for everyone else, so as to ensure "no one gets left out'. It is bizarre, disquieting, and has always been inappropriate for children, expressed even by those completely ignorant of its history.

In a time when women are working to reClaim their sovereignty over their sexuality instead of being objectified, traditional rituals which celebrate joyous lust and sexual licence without bonded partners are needed more than ever. Safely sublimating its lustful nature into permitted 'couple's only' commitment activities, or reducing it by infantalization as a classroom friendship ceremony covered in pink leaves out the most vital and powerful element of the celebration: shameless consensual adult lust.  With all the disempowering of women and inappropriate sexualizing of children, we could use a good ol' fashioned Lupercalia to reClaim our bodies, divine passions, and sacred sense of self.

So this Valentine's Day, consider adding something in the spirit of the ancient practices of Lupercalia to your celebrations.  Why make it just about already paired couples?  Consider getting your friends together and having some joyous grown-up fun. Toga parties, love lotteries for the singles, erotic games for the group...  (An Edmonton version.) Give yourself an opportunity to worship sexual passions in a consensual, safe environment, without the requirement of commitment or permission from anyone but yourself!  Maybe some half-naked hotties playing the priests can occasionally slap one of the crowd with a whip dipped in red food colouring... Oh, wait.  That might be just me..

Some ideas for modern celebrations from a Halifax bathhouse.

 

My daughter's class is supposed to bring Valentine's cards for everyone, if they bring any at all.  Raising her as a witch, I have told her as much as I think she needs to know at 11 years old.  So she has no interest in bringing cards. As a nod to the current rituals of her class, though, we both decided to send her with enough homemade candy for everyone.  That should be a good compromise...

 

Ginger Beer / Ale Recipe: Traditional Yule Recipe - Flashbrewing

Medieval woodcut of brewhouse

We didn't have quite enough handmade goodies this year for Yule, so I felt it was necessary to whip something up.  I had a bunch of fresh, organic ginger from EGS that I couldn't use all up before it dried out, which inspired me to toss together a quick batch of ginger beer for the season.  I'm familiar with the theory, but I never gave a it a try before.

Ginger slices, lemon juice, and sugar in a jug,
with enough water to fill it up mostly to the top.

In the time my journeywoman took to finish one of her tasks, I had completed the entire initial setup. I cleaned and sanitized the one gallon jug for my experiment, cut up about 1/4 cup of ginger in slices that can fit easily into the jug's mouth, and I added the lemon juice, sugar and water. I know it's common to boil the water and sugar to help reduce wild yeast, but all I had available was bread yeast anyway, so it didn't really matter if I got a few weirdo flavours in, too. By leaving out the step of boiling and cooling the syrup, it completely reduces the prep time and makes this a snap!



Bung in the top. If you don't have one,
cloth with a rubber band around it will do.
It's largely to help it bubble without
getting foreign material in the mixture.

Four days later, I filtered out the ginger and left the grouts on the bottom.  There were surprisingly fewer than usual with beer, but the result is still really cloudy.  It stands to reason, because bread yeast doesn't flocculate as much as beer or ale yeast, so there are fewer byproducts that fall out, and more then stay in suspension.



A funnel with cheesecloth in the spout
recovers the most liquid, but takes longer.

Or you can use the cheesecloth filter over a sieve, which is much quicker, if a bit messier...

I used a pop bottle since it can handle pressure. I only did one, and left the rest in the jug, just in case this part didn't work out as well as I hoped. I wanted it quickly, so the bottle can be the secondary fermenter almost immediately.  I should have waited, though.  It was carbonated almost the next day, and I had to keep releasing the pressure to keep it from exploding. (Fortunately, the pop bottles have alot of give.)

By the time Solstice and my guests arrived, we were able to drink fresh ginger beer 8 days after it was first brewed.  It has slightly too many sugary notes and not quite enough ginger zing, but that has of course improved with age.  It is now 11 days since I first threw the batch together, and all the sugar notes are gone, with a fine zip of ginger.  There is a slight yeast note, but only in the nose, which my husband, Tuckamoredew, prefers in a beer anyway. The colour continues to be lovely, and very homemade, but it hasn't clarified any further.

All in all, it was a glorious experiment, rated highly successful by all who imbibed.  It was largely gone by Solstice, but I saved enough of it to continue to ferment and carbonize in the bottle.  For my next batch, I won't actually bottle until a day or two before serving.  In the first week or so, that seems more than long enough for a good fizzle. I served it without chilling.  Maybe I'll try it next time ice cold and frosty!

Here's the recipe I used:

1/4 cup fresh organic ginger, sliced
1 tablespoon organic lemon concentrate (juice of one lemon will do)
2 cups organic sugar
1 tablespoon quick rising bread yeast
enough filtered water to mostly fill to top

Let sit between 1-7 days. Filter. Serve in 1-2 weeks. Bottle a day or two before serving if carbonation is desired.



Flashbrewed carbonated ginger beer, in a Kölsch glass.

The lemon is partly for flavour, and partly for nutrient for the yeast.  Though there was almost no bubbling over, like there is in beer and ale making, I still left some air in the top for it when I poured in the water.  I'll leave less next time.  When everything is in, put on the cap of the jug and shake by inversion a few times, just to get the sugar all dissolved.  I did that a few times every day or so for the first few days, just to be on the safe side, but then I left it alone so it could grout up. Bung it or cheesecloth the top, and let it sit. I put it by the register to keep it warm, but not too toasty. I filtered it after 4 days, but I could have left it a bit longer.  It seems to be perfect by 2 weeks, and I had no desire to add more sugar to ferment after it had used up all the yeast, since I let it do so in pop bottle instead. No extra sugar!

Enjoy!

Mulled Wine and Cider: Traditional Yule Ritual & Recipes

Glühwein, or gleewine, is a sacred, ancient winter drink found all over Western Europe traditionally presented to warm and welcome guests in from the cold. Its medicinal herbs and spices can also help fight off colds, aid digestion, and increase circulation.

This drink can be made with wine, cider, and be alcoholic or non, depending on your guest list. Practice a bit to get the ratios and recipe you prefer, and it will become your one of your essential tools for the season. It's versatile and festive, turning any gathering into a Yule party!  

At times of celebrations in many areas, the brandy was first lit on fire in the bowl, with the rest of the brewed gleewine poured over top to snuff it.  We tried it last year for Twelfth Night and it was a huge hit!  We had to improvise the equipment, though. In England, they had a traditional shallow punch bowl designed for this kind of entertaining, complete with herb sieve.  I used a big stainless steel bowl, which showed the flames when the lights were out, but not quite as much of a show as the traditional bowl.  Also, the stainless steel was hot, and I had to use a separate hand sieve, so it was a bit of a challenge to serve...

If you want to get really authentic, don't forget the toast!  That's where we get the concept of "A toast!" from.  Bits of herbed croutons floating about in the mulled wine were highly prized, and one found in a punch cup was cause for congratulations and portended well-being, health, and success for the upcoming year. 

For convenience, herbs can be put into a muslin bag that can be dropped in as is but I prefer to let the herbs float around. Great effect!

 

For my recipe, the herbs, depending on availability, are whole or pieces of:

lemon peel
orange peel
cinnamon
cloves
ginger
nutmeg
allspice

The citrus note is considered necessary for the recipe and can be whole or fresh peels or even entire fruits floating around.  Try whole oranges pierced with cloves.  I know you might be tempted not to include the sugar, since most recipes are wayyy to sweet, but if you are making the red wine version in particular, you really need it to balance out the flavours. Use stevia for the low-cal version!

You will need:
non-metallic pot (enamel, glass, Pyrex, etc.)
2 bottles dry red wine (zinfandel, merlot, burgundy, etc.) or one gallon cider (alcoholic or non)
7 tbsp sweetener or more as desired (Sucanat, Demarra, or honey preferred)
3/4 cup brandy (optional)

Pour the wine into a large pot and begin heating over low heat. Use a stainless steel pot if you need to, but herbs are affected by metal, and a non-metallic pot ensures the flavours blend better. As it begins to warm, add sugar and spices. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Heat thoroughly, but do not allow to boil! Steep at least 30 min. over low heat. You may add more sugar during this time if desired, stirring well so it dissolves. Now is the time to add the brandy.  Pour it in, or light it on fire in a bowl and pour the wine over top! Serve hot and garnish with orange slices or cinnamon.

There are other traditional Northern European variants, too.  Swedish Glogg has aquavit instead of brandy and the fruit is blackcurrants, raisins or sultanas, and usually includes shaved blanched nuts such as almonds. The ritual is more like our modern version of absinthe, where the sugar cubes are soaked in the liqueur, lit on top in a grate, and then flow into the wine as they burn.

Enjoy, and make merry in your holiday season!