Ch.12 Cakes & Wine (WMB 12.a)

Extract from: Wicca: Magical Beginnings written by d’Este & Rankine, 2008 (Avalonia.) PB / Kindle @ https://amzn.to/3Ay4HJr.

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Chapter 12 - Cakes And Wine

The ceremony of Cakes and Wine forms an important part of all Wiccan ceremonies; through the actions of the High Priestess and High Priest and the words which are spoken, the symbolic union of the divine feminine and masculine is enacted. It is usual for the High Priestess to first bless the wine, which is held in the cup by the High Priest, by inserting her athame into it. Likewise the High Priestess uses her athame to bless the cakes which are placed on the platter on top of the pentacle and held by the High Priest. Following the blessing of both the cakes and wine, they are passed around the circle and all members of the coven partake thereof.

The act of partaking of the cakes and wine in the magick circle is often confusingly and incorrectly referred to as grounding. Grounding is the act of regaining a normal balanced state of energy after a ceremony in which energies have been raised which affect those present. With this in mind, it is clear that the consecration of, and sharing of cakes and wine during a Wiccan ceremony does not fulfil this function. So what is the function of this part of the ceremony and where does it originate from?

The cakes and wine are shared communally in a Eucharistic act, through which all participants partake of the divine essence with the aim of strengthening their own being towards spiritual and magickal evolution. This becomes more apparent when it is taken into consideration that the ceremony is performed by the High Priestess as the avatar of the divine feminine and the High Priest as the representation of the divine masculine. As such every part of the ceremony has a deep and evolving symbolic meaning and impact on all those who participate.

Extract from: Wicca: Magical Beginnings written by d’Este & Rankine, 2008 (Avalonia.) PB / Kindle @ https://amzn.to/3Ay4HJr. Shared here with the intention to inspire and inform the now and future generations interested in Wicca and other Pagan traditions inspired by it.