Picnic magic

When I first thought of this topic, I was thinking sort of literal.  I thought it would be neat to talk about magic that could be tied into the food and accoutrements of a picnic.  In many ways, the process of preparing, setting out and consuming a picnic has a lot of ritual structure.  You are planning a meal, but you aren't going to be in a traditional eating place, so you need to make sure you have all your prep work done and that you don't forget something.

There is something very magical about picnics.  I've loved them since I was little.  I think that when we swap things up, even something simple like where we eat, it completely changes the experience.  Many times, picnics are as much about the location as they are about the food, and being out in nature makes me pay more attention to the experience.

A picnic can be simple or fancy.  It can range from pure finger foods and basic things to fancy meals with silverware and plates.  Some meals take more planning, if you are bringing foods that need to be kept cool or warm, or that need special dishes to eat.  But part of what makes a picnic special is that extra effort that was taken to make everything just right.

There is more to a picnic than just food too.  Whether you are using a picnic table or laying out a blanket, whether you are on a towel at the beach or around a campfire in the woods, it all feels very different from how we normally eat.

I think this is even more true in today's cultural environment.  Meals aren't always a regular 'sit down at the table and let's talk about our day' affair.  It seems to be more common now to eat while doing other things, while in different parts of the house, or on the run between different activities.  When we picnic, we are really taking the time and making the meal special.  Just that level of interpersonal bonding make the time special.

There is a lot you can do to magically enhance a picnic.  First, you will definitely want to pick the location with your purpose in mind.  What type of picnic are you wanting to have?  Is it a laid back and fun family outing?  Or perhaps a romantic pause, a break from the hectic daily grind and a chance to connect to your partner.

You will also want to consider how simple or fancy you want your picnic to be.  You can easily just pack up the food in a backpack and stop where you feel is right along your favorite nature trail, but you can also pack a basket with all the things you will need, bring blankets to lay things out on, and chairs (or pillows) to sit on.  If you know of a camping site or park with tables, you may need to reserve them.

There are lots of options for cloths to lay out, so it is quite easy to match your cloth to your purpose!  You can buy flat sheets or blankets (like for a bed) for a simple cloth, and can often find these with lots of pattern choices.  Another good option is table cloths, and if you like, you can find waterproof ones (which can be nice if you think the ground might be damp at all).

Depending on how discrete you want the magic of your picnic, you can really turn the whole process into a ritual.  A picnic makes a lovely basis for a ritual meal, especially for a Sabbat celebration.  You can tune everything from the setting to the foot to the seasonal theme.  As you prep the foods and pack, make sure to pack all your other ritual needs as well.  Then, when you are laying out your things, do it like you would set up for a ritual.  You may choose to lay out and prepare all the food before you start, or you can have the serving of the food be a part of your ritual.

If you are wanting to be more discrete, you can easily work in correspondences into things like dishes without anyone the wiser.  Pick foods and ingredients that work well together and that feed your magical purpose.  You can add tokens or symbols into decorations as well.

While there are many things you can do with an actual picnic, I also think the picnic metaphor is a great one for magic on the fly.  I tend to do most of my planned rituals here at home, though I also participate in several larger rituals throughout the year with local people.  But I have planned rituals on my own that aren't at home, and the picnic analogy works great when thinking about taking your magic with you.

Just like with a food picnic, you will want to make sure you have all the things you need, and that they are all packed in a way that makes them easily accessible and portable.  Just as some foods might require special considerations, so do several ritual items.

It is always a good idea to keep legalities in mind, when practicing outside of your home.  There are laws about how alcohol can be transported (I believe the laws in my area say that any open containers must be in the trunk or somewhere that the driver can't get to them while the car is in motion).  There are also often rules about carrying weapons (which many of my ritual blades would raise concerns with law enforcement I'm sure).  You definitely don't want to cause alarm in people who may come upon you, so you might need to change up how you normally work.

This could also mean that you might use other alternative supplies, besides changing up what tools you use.  At some points in the year, or in some places, fire might not be allowed, so if you normally use candles or incense, you may want to try other ways to work with those elements without risking open flames.

While at home you may use full sized things, for portable magic you may consider scaled down versions or even replicas.  I have done workings using laminated pictures for different purposes (as quarter representations or for the deities), and have recently made art journal pages that represent altars and tools both!  I really love painted stones, and could see a whole working set made with nothing but stones.

There are many ways to carry your magical tools when you work away from home.  The simplest way is to use a backpack, and to pack everything inside of it.  You might also consider a fabric roll (like the kind that artists use to carry a selection of pencils) for things like wands, or a fancy dice bag (which may have sections within a bigger bag for lots of smaller items). 

I have used a tackle/tool box before and really found that useful.  It  had hard sides so it protected all the things inside, and had an inner layer that lifted out so it was very easy to keep everything organized.  There are even more elaborate options, such as hard cases that fold out into small tables (which would make a really handy altar when you are out and about).

If you know what you are planning on doing, it is much easier to plan what you might need, but I have also found it nice to have a basic set of things that were pretty much ready to go at the drop of a hat.  I find there are certain things I use all the time (salt, candles, favorite stones) that I would want to have if possible.  I have several small boxes with compartments, and have made portable magic kits in them.

When I know I want to bring specific things with me, I will often package them up in either containers with compartments or small plastic bags.  I try to keep things as waterproof as possible, just in case!

The final thing to remember when you are done with your picnic, whether it is of the food or magical variety:  always pick up after yourself!  You want to plan ways to take away any trash or leftovers you might have.  If you have things that can be safely left out (like extra food), then you may wish to leave it as an offering.  But remember that other people may want to use the space as well, so be sure to put it somewhere considerate (don't just leave food out on the picnic table or chalk drawings all over the benches).

Picnics can be great and magical things.  They can be a lot of fun, not only to plan, but also to participate in.  With a little planning, you can make a lovely experience and not miss the comforts of home (much).  And the benefits of stepping outside for food or magic can be amazing!