It's beginning to look a lot like summer (at least where I live). And when it's warm out, fresh fruit just feels right. In addition to cleansing, hydrating, and nourishing the body, it can also help align the spirit with sweetness, beauty, and the luxurious abundance of the earth. Plus, each fruit possesses its own unique magical properties. So I thought it'd be fun to explore the magical properties of various types of fruits, and to discuss some hints and tips about how we can effectively incorporate them into our edible enchantments.

So, without further ado, here are some of the fruits that seem to feel best this time of year, along with a sampling of their magical properties.

Apricots: love, romance, sweetness, sweetening relations between people, study, self-cultivation, wisdom, physical healing

Blueberries: physical and psychic protection, clarity, clairvoyance, intuition, soothing the mind, stress relief, headache healing

Cantaloupe: comfort, healing, energy, sweetness, joy, nourishment, new beginnings

Cherries: love, romance, power, vitality, longevity

Grapes: pleasure, mental prowess, blessings, revelry, celebration, fertility, abundance

Kiwi: health, happiness, vitality, longevity, revitalization, heart healing, nourishing support for children and new mothers

Peaches: protection, exorcism, fertility, sensuality, new romance, young love

Pineapples: happiness, health, vitality, power, wealth, luck

Raspberries: love, romance, sensuality, comfort, joy, heart strengthening

Strawberries: love, romance, courage, mindfulness, luck, heart healing

Watermelons: cleansing, peace, fertility, sensuality, refreshment, lust

...And now for the hints and tips!

Make a Magical Mix: Perhaps choose 2, 3, or 4 fruits that fit with your specific magical intention, and make a fruit salad, blended cocktail, or smoothie. As you lovingly wash, chop, and prepare, inwardly express gratitude for the abundance of the earth, and declare the magical qualities you'd like the fruit to swirl into the mix. (Ubiquitous free will caveat: if you share your creation with a partner or group, make sure to let them know about the magic so that you're not infringing upon anyone's free will.) Say a blessing and mentally infuse the salad, cocktail, or smoothie with the energy of your intention, perhaps visualizing this energy as colored and/or sparkling light. Then eat mindfully to internalize the magic.

...Or Enjoy A la Carte: As a simpler alternative to the above suggestion, just a single fruit selection on its own can be a lovely way to internalize its pure and potent magical vibe. Be sure to infuse it with your intention before eating with a blessing and/or visualization. Also, chew with great reverence and consideration for all the miraculous resources and conditions that contributed to this fruit's presence on your plate: sunshine, water, air, farmers, grocers, etc.

Buy Local and Organic (or Grow!): Of course, when you gather the fruit in the most mindful and earth-loving of ways, you will be more magically attuned with it, and it will therefore be a much more effective magical ingredient. Finding fruit at farmer's markets or roadside fruit stands (or growing it yourself!) can be much more evocative of the fruit's earthy and miraculous origins than purchasing a conventionally grown fruit from a chain grocery store. Not to mention, pesticides and GMOs (genetically modified organisms) can be quite harmful to our health - in addition to the health of the planet - in the long term.

Go Big with a Sprig: If you love fresh herbs like I love fresh herbs (is there a witch in the world who doesn't?), you might consider taking your fruity kitchen witchery to a whole new level by blessing your concoction a sprig of basil or mint. Either can add the qualities of freshness, vitality, love, and/or abundance. You can also magically enlist the sprig to unite, consolidate, and activate the magical qualities of the fruit.

Whatever form your fruit-flavored kitchen witchery happens to take, be sure to relax, have fun, and enjoy the sweetness of the season. (Also, please feel free to share your creative creations in the comment section below!)

image: Flicker/Mars