The Magic Behind Eating Black Eyed Peas & Leafy Greens for New Year's Day

It has long been a tradition in the South, particularly in African American households, to eat black eyed peas & cabbage on New Year’s Day to ensure that you have good luck throughout the year. Growing up every year I would go to my grandma’s house and she would have black eyed peas & cabbage with rice and some kind of meat like smothered turkey necks, fried chicken, or pot roast, corn bread, and sweet tea. We’d finish it off with my momma’s infamous coconut cake that is so rich and decadent (fattening) it’s the only time of the year she’ll make it. My family loves to come together for holidays and we always throw down when we have a gathering.

With the mass migration of black families to major cities from the South a lot of our people have discarded the ways of old and look upon traditions such as this one as old fashioned and superstitious. While I agree that some traditions are outdated, this one goes deeper than we ever imagined. Our ancestors knew what they were talking about when it comes to black eyed peas and greens. As a student and practitioner of the occult I know that every plant has a planetary correspondence, a gender, an element (earth, air, fire, water) and a magical usage, all of which can be harnessed for our own good. Our ancestors knew these things also and until recent times there was a respect for the magical and healing power of the plants we consumed.

For instance, cabbage is a moon plant, it’s element is water, it’s gender is feminine, and it considered to bring about good luck to those who consume it. Cabbage can also bring about prosperity, fidelity in a marriage, and fertility. It is also great for usage in lunar magic for those of you are into casting spells and such. Cabbage prepared with the right intent and consumed on New Year’s Day will ensure that good fortune flows into your life all year long.

Black eyed peas are really legumes/beans, not peas. All beans are Mercury plants, their element is air, their gender is masculine, and they have been used in amulets & talismans to bring about protection from negativity and good luck. They are also used in exorcisms and to appease the spirits of the dead. Black eyed peas and all beans can open the channels of communication between the mundane and the spirit realms so that we may easily express our desires to the Creator. They can also bridge the gap between people who are at odds by getting them to communicate with each other, so it is also great for reconciliation.

So as you can see the tradition of eating black eyed peas and greens on New Year’s Day is so much more than just superstition and an old wive’s tale. When you unlock the magical potential of these food combinations you are setting yourself up to have a very blessed and fortunate year ahead of you. These foods help you to set and focus your attention to the good things that life has to offer, which is all magic really is; focused intent. So go out and get you some black eyed peas & cabbage or mustards or collards with all the fixins, think about the positive things you want to happen for the following year while cooking them, and eat up! I’m about to go to the store to get mine right now. Happy New Year and may all of your dreams become your reality.

Love & bliss,

Empress Naima