Introduction

The Wiccan ritual known as Cakes and Ale is often celebrated as a way of thanking the gods for their blessings. Cakes are usually just cookies prepared in the shape of crescent moons, and the ale can be alcoholic or it can be apple cider, juice, or even water.

Recepie Simple Sabbat Cakes:
3/4 C. soft butter
2 C. brown sugar
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. grated lemon rind
2 C. flour
1 C. finely chopped walnuts (optional)

Cream the butter in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add the brown sugar and mix well. Add eggs, lemon juice and rind. Mix until well-blended.

Stir in flour and walnuts. Cover and refrigerate overnight. When chilled, shape dough into one-inch balls and place 3″ apart on greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 8 minutes. Allow to cool before serving.

Moon Cakes Recipe

You can make this recipe for your group or whenever you want something special for the “cakes and ale” portion of your next ritual. Please be careful when baking…they will crisp and burn quite quickly…

8 oz. Ground Almonds
4 oz. Regular Baking Flour
4 oz. Butter or Margarine
2 oz. Shredded Coconut
2 tbls. Dried Egg
6 Tbls. Honey
1/2 teas. Cinnamon
1/2 teas. Ground Mixed Spice
1 teas. mint (fresh is better, finely chopped) but dry will work too.

Mix the almonds with the flour, eggs, herbs and spices. Cream together the honey and butter until light and fluffy then fold in the dry ingredients. Chill, roll out and cut into moon shapes or other shapes of choice. Place on a greased and gloured baking sheet and cook in a heated oven (200 C.) 400 degrees for 10 or unitl a very pale gold…BE CAREFUL…they will burn easily…

ALE (GINGER BEER) recipe

5 quarts of boiling water
1 1/4 lbs of sugar
1 0z. Whole Ginger - bruised
2 Lemons
1/4 oz Cream of Tartar
1 0z Fresh Yeast

Thinly pare the lemons and remove all the white pith with a very sharp knife. Cut the lemons into thin slices and remove the seeds. Put lemons in a non metallic bowl with sugar, ginger, lemon rind and cream of tartar and pour on the boiling water. Leave until it reaches “blood” heat (a Viking term for “stick your finger in it and it’s warm)

Stir in the yeast. Leave covered with a cloth in a warm place for 24 hours. Skim the yeast from the top and strain the beer carefully from the sediment. Bottle in screw top bottles. The ginger beer will be ready in 2 days.

NOTE: Rather than using bakers yeast from the grocery store, it is better to use a quality champagne or brewers yeast. There is also a brand of yeast I like to use because it ferments quickly which reduces the possiblity of spoilage. It is called turbo yeast: http://www.turbo-yeast.com/intro.html

Also, to reduce the possibility of contamination, investment in proper brewing gear would be adviseable. As a minimum, you should have a couple 1 gallon glass carbouy, with a fermentation lock and food grade sanitizer. You can go on line and purchase these items from any Home Brew site, or if you are lucky enough to live near a home brewing store, you may find this a rewarding little hobby. (Yes I admit I am biased, I love brewing!!!)

The Ritual

Take the drink-filled chalice in left hand and athame in right. Slowly lower athame into chalice, saying:
“As the athame is to the male, so the chalice is to the female;
And conjoined, they become one in truth.
Let the fruits of union promote life.
Let all be fruitful and let wealth be spread throughout the lands.”

Take a sip of the drink.
Hold the plate of cakes in left hand and athame in right. Draw an invoking Earth pentagram over the cakes, saying:
“Oh gracious Lord and Lady of abundance,
Bless these cakes and infuse them with Your love,
Bestowing health, strength, joy and peace.”

After the HP and HPS bless the cakes and ale. They then share them with the circle by passing the plate and the cup.

When the plate of cakes is passed the one passing the cakes says: “May you never hunger.”

The one receiving the cakes replies: “Nor you.” and then takes a cake to eat at his or her leisure, keeping in mind that the cup of ale is coming around very shortly. Note, it is considered good form by many witches to reserver a small portion of the cake you receive, to be given to the faery folk after the circle is opened. Alternatively the coven could cook an extra cake for faery kin.

When the cup of ale is passed the one passing says: “May you never thirst.”
The one receiving the cup replies: “Nor you.” and takes a sip.

Commentary

Most of the covens today use a non-alcoholic drink for the ale, this is in order to be respectful of those who may have issues with alcohol dependence. If however the coven is comprised of members who are free from such addictions, then it is the humble opinion of this author that an alcoholic drink of at least 5% should be used for the ceremony. This is for sanitary reasons. The use of the communal cup represents a spiritual bonding, but a sugared drink with no alcohol in it provides potentially naughty microbes a perfect transit vector from one member to another.