Wine and Magic

I've had this article in my head for a long time, as wine is a favorite subject of my father, who even wrote a book about it. But the final straw was my participation in the festival 'Sips and Spells' from the workshop of my favorite witches and authors Tenae Stewart and Lorraine Anderson. Over the course of several days, we, along with 700 other participants, made mulled wine, learned about different grape varieties, explored the vineyards of California, and mixed wine concoctions for baths (if you happen to have leftover wine).

Wine and spirituality are very closely related, as wine has been associated with religious rituals for thousands of years. It is believed that wine began to be produced and drunk in Georgia, but we also have mentions of wine production from Iran, Egypt, Syria, from where the cultivation of vines spread to Greece and finally the Roman Empire. Christianity had a great influence on the expansion of vineyards, as it was part of religious services. The monks Cistercians started the concept of quality, which resulted in the concepts of 'terroir' (the environment in which a particular wine is produced, including factors such as soil, topography and climate) and appellation contrôlée (a guarantee of cultivation in a given region).

Although the French are known worldwide for winemaking and quality wines, in everyday life they are no different from wine consumers in other countries. To my great surprise, most of them buy wine of the lowest quality, the so-called VDF (Vin de France), known as Vin De Table (table wine). You have to pay extra for quality, and fewer and fewer people have money for AOP wine (L'Appellation d'origine protégée) in the current economic situation. If you are in a similar situation, know that there are many wines with a good quality-price ratio and the price ranges from 8 to 18 euros. I am a lover of good and quality food and instead of a new TV (we haven't had one for 18 years and it was an excellent decision) I will treat myself to quality food and quality wine.

So how to include consciousness (the emphasis is on consciousness, we don't drink wine to get drunk!) while drinking wine during your rituals?

The easiest way is to drink a certain type of wine according to the seasons, but also according to the phases of the moon. In summer, we are naturally asked to drink lighter wines, and for example, in France, rosé is mainly drunk in summer, and in winter it is replaced by darker wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Here's a quick overview:

New Moon: a suitable wine for the beginning of the lunar cycle is sparkling wine such as rosé or Chardonnay and Cabernet Franc. Bubbles are a type of fast flowing energy and the new moon phase is about movement and new beginnings. Why do you think champagne is associated with the New Year?

Waxing Moon: during this phase we take steps to fulfill plans and ensure growth, again lighter wines like Sauvignon Blanc are suitable for this phase.

Full moon: we gradually move to drinking darker wines. The full moon is not only about celebrating the fulfillment of our plans and dreams, but also about gradually getting rid of what we don't need in our lives. This requires introspection, more contemplation and grounding, and these characteristics are associated in magic with darker themes and therefore darker wines. The same is the case with the waning moon until the last two days before the new one, when we are asked more to drink dessert wines with a higher proportion of sugar. Right before the new moon is the phase of the dark moon, when we have to rest in order to gain strength for the next lunar cycle.

Bathing cordial by Lorraine Anderson

1 cinnamon stick

1 bay leaf

1 tsp juniper berries

1 tsp liquid soap

9 drops bergamot EO

9 drops Pine 

9 drops Frankincence

4 oz wine

4 oz whisky

Mix all the ingredients in a wide-mouthed jar. Leave to infuse for at least two weeks, even a year. Do not use more than 2 tablespoons in the bath, because the wine can stain the bathtub.