The Magickal Aspects of Corn

Now that I have given you a few Cob Butter recipes it is time to focus on the Magickal and spiritual aspect of Corn.

The Magickal Aspects of Corn

Corn is a clear indication of summer and the bounty of the harvest for many Witches. It is a symbol of fertility and is often used to invoke Mother Earth.

Whether it is used as a centerpiece, a wreath for your front door, or as a delicious side dish at your next meal, corn pops up in a variety of ways from mid-late summer through fall.

Corn teaches us the mysteries of life, death, and rebirth. The infamous Fleur-de-lis is the spiritual representation of the corn and is closely related to the higher self or third eye of sacred sight, inspired by French settlers. In France and Europe, this symbol represents the saints and often depicted with a lily, and most prominently in association with St. Joseph and royalty.

In the Americas, the Fleur d li became the symbol of corn, the middle representing the corn cob and the two leaf-like accents representing the husk. Many cultures revered corn as a spiritual element, which is regarded as a symbol of longevity, prosperity, protection, and spirituality.

Magickal: Aspects:	Protection, Divination, Good Luck, Mother Goddess Energy, Sacred Feminine, Fertility, Abundance & Stability
Associated Deities:	The Corn Mother Atna (Arikara) Chicha (South American) Corn Maidens/Kachina Mana (Hopi) Corn Mother (Wabanaki) Little Giver (Seminole) Mondawmin (Ojibwe) Selu (Cherokee) *Spirit of the Corn (Iroquois) *Unknown Woman (Choctaw)
When in Season:	Mid-late summer and fall
Nutrition & Medicinal Properties:	In homeopaths use corn silk for cystitis and kidney conditions Use corn smut for hemorrhage and lack of tone in the uterus. Corn silk will help tone the bladder. Fresh is best, but in the winter, it is available dried forms from herbalists. Cornbread is often more nutritious than wheat bread, and beans and corn together make a complete protein. Organic corn silk can be eaten fresh from the ears; try adding it to salads.
Spell Work:	Scatter Blue Corn to bless your land and home, and to purify spaces. To protect a baby from danger or illness, place an ear of corn in the baby’s cradle. Hang dried corn stalks above your mirrors to bring good luck to the household. Toss corn pollen into the air when you want to summon rain. Consume white corn for spiritual insight. Shout your financial wishes or wishes related to love at popcorn while it is popping will manifest your desires. Corn silk is an effective ingredient in love spells.
Festivals, Observances, and Ritual:	Eat yellow corn on the summer solstice to bring blessings of prosperity.
Culinary Use:	Corn is versatile it can be boiled, broiled, grilled, roasted, and baked.
Harvesting, Preserving:	Your corn is ready to harvest about 3 weeks after the corn silk appears and when silk starts to turn brown and dry it’s time to check your corn harvest! Just pull back a bit of the husk and see how it looks to you. Then, just twist and pull to remove from the stalk. Corn is best when prepared and eaten the same day. If you don’t plan to eat it soon after harvesting, you can store in the in the fridge and eat it within a few days for best flavor. If you’re growing popcorn, you will want to wait until the ear is fully mature before harvesting. It will be several weeks before readiness as the whole stalk must be dry before harvesting. Then you can pull off the cobs, and husk. Rub the cobs vigorously until all the hard seeds fall off. The easiest way to preserve and store fresh corn is by canning or freezing the cob or kernels.
Home and Ritual Décor:	Dried corn, stalks and husks are used in a variety of decorating styles. Corn stalks are often gathered and placed near your front door for protection and to bring prosperity to your home. Wreaths can be made of dried corn and corn husks for the same purpose. Corn husk dolls are also another traditional craft or activity for the season. Corn husk dolls can also be used as poppet in ritual and spell work.

The Corn-mother is sacred to Native American tribes all over the United States and is one of the 7 sacred grains of South America.

There are many stories related to the corn maiden, follow this link http://www.firstpeople.us/FP-Html-Legends/Blue_Corn_Maiden_And_The_Coming_Of_Winter-Hopi.html to read a version of the Hopi Legend of the Blue Corn Goddess

Corn Spell Ideas

• Make a corn dolls in Representational Magick and to honor the deity of your tradition.

 

• Corn offerings to gods or goddesses of fertility are always a good idea. This, of course, might depend on your specific tradition as different deities like different things. However, offerings of sacred items like food are usually welcomed by all.

 

• Use popcorn in rituals associated growth and transformation.

 

• You can place husks in smudge or incense sticks to burn during a ritual for attracting wealth and prosperity.

 

• Sprinkle cornmeal around your ritual to define sacred space. You can also do this around your home to create a protective barrier that is friendlier to the environment compared to salt.

 

• Corn husks can be cut into strips and made into twine for use in knot Magick.

 

Don’t forget to check out the 4 Cob Butter recipes I offer on this site. The links are available below.

© The Magick Kitchen, 2017