Justice Dessert: “Pear” Trial Cobbler
Pears are one of the oldest cultivated fruits known to man and have long been associated as gifts from the gods. Believed to have originated in China and the Asia Minor, pears were beloved by many across all lands, especially Europe. The Greek poet Homer even wrote of his admiration of the fruit in his ever-famous Odyssey poem!
Magickally, pears typically represent longevity and passion, so they're usually used in love spells. But that’s not where today’s focus on this tasty fruit will be. Instead, we want to shine a light on a rather uncommon story that gives a different purpose to pears - one that we feel is the most potent purpose due to it taking place at the natural origin of the pear tree; China.
In the 11th century, Duke of Shao, a high-ranking minister of the Zhou dynasty, was entrusted to govern the people of the south region and did so with great benevolence. When he would stay in the countryside, he would hold trials outside a small cottage underneath a pear tree. His fairness when it came to justice was so well recognized that the people even wrote numerous poems about his fair judgment of both nobles and ordinary people alike. In the poem “Gan Tang”, the main content reads “Do not cut the pyrus betulaefolia tree, Duke of Shao rested under it; do not cut the pyrus betulaefolia tree, Duke of Shao tried the case under it.”
Duke of Shao’s way of trials did not come by coincidence either. He purposely carried out on-the-spot trials under the concept of valuing people, being favorable and convenient to people; a method that many legal systems across the globe should adopt today.
Due to the world’s current events of racial injustice - especially prevalent in the US - we want to tap into the original symbolism of the pear tree rather than the lovey-dovey counterpart it is usually recognized for. And what better way to tap into the magick of food than with kitchen magick?
Ingredients:
1 ripe pear, peeled and sliced (canned pears will work as well)
Local honey (or agave if you’re vegan)
Ground cinnamon
Flour
Butter, sliced (vegan butter works, too)
Making Magick
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
Arrange your pear slices in a baking dish and drizzle with honey, followed by a sprinkle of cinnamon. The combination of all 3 of these ingredients will create an ambiance of good luck and attract the attention of deities so that they work within your favor.
Sprinkle flour over the pear mixture until lightly covered.
Place slices of butter on top until covered completely. This will make your cobbler crust so be generous and make sure to cover as much as you can!
Cup your hands over the cobbler and gently close your eyes. Envision a globe of white light forming in your hands and flowing into the cobbler. As you’re doing this, hold space within you of intent to bring justice and equality to the world. You can even ask the Universe to inspire justice systems with the same ideals that Duke of Shao once practiced.
Place your dish in the oven and allow to bake 30-40 minutes, or until the crust is bubbly and brown.
You can either choose to leave the dish on your altar as an offering to the Universe, asking it to disperse the cobbler’s magickal properties across the world, or you may eat the cobbler and serve as a vessel of magick and intently disperse the energy into the world as you go about your day.
