Wine is very popular, and spiritual wine is used in religion and magic differently than wine that is simply drunk. Discover the spiritual meaning of wine, wine’s health benefits, and how to use wine in your own sacred practices.
What formal gathering wou;ld be complete without wine? Weddings, anniversaries, births, and most rates of passages are celebrated with a glass of wine. However, wine isn't just an alcoholic beverage reserved for parties and celebrations. It's been used throughout history for sacred rituals and magic. Join Mysticsense To discover the sacred meaning of wine and its uses. Find out exactly what wine is and whether it's good for you or not. Discover some myths about wines and the symbolic meaning behind wine, vineyards, and wineries. Find out some sacred uses of wine that you could incorporate into your own spiritual practices and why wine is more than just a wonderful thing to drink.
What is Wine?
Wine is an alcoholic drink made out of fermented fruits. Quite often wine is made using different types of grapes, but you can also use certain berries, plums, and even pomegranates to make wine. For at least 6000 years wine has been made, and the oldest winemaking region of the world it's in the Caucasus mountains in the country known as Georgia. It is believed that ancient people of that region discovered that grape juice turned into wine where it was buried over winter. There's about 500 different grape varieties available to those people and some of their wine may stay buried and fermenting for up to 50 years.
The Californian region of the United States is a famous wine making region, but Italy, Spain , France and China are other top producing wine nations. Greece industrialized their wine production and spread it through Italy and beyond. The Romans used their trade networks that they established and their conquests and spread wide even further. They burned sulphur candles in empty wine vessels and in more modern times medieval Catholic monks made their own vine for their religious services. Wine made it overseas to the new world brought over by monks to New Mexico and then into California.
Today there are some surprising statistics about wine that are shared by the Wine Institute. In 2023 it is estimated that the value of California wine to the United States was over $63 billion. That same year it was estimated that Americans consumed 759,000,000 gallons of wine. That year it was also estimated that America exported 24,000,000 cases of wine. In 2023 there was over 457,000 acres used for growing wine. Chardonnay is California's wine grape that is planted the most and it is the most popular wine in the US today. Read more from the Wine Institute here: Wine Statistics | Wine Institute
Is Wine Good for You?
So we know a lot of people like to drink wine, but how healthy is wine? That depends on a lot of factors. It depends on existing health conditions and how much of it you drink. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, and some people can't have any wine at all. However, if you don't over consume wine and you don't have any health problems keeping you from drinking it, it can have surprising health benefits.
Health Benefits
When consumed at the proper levels, wine reduces the risk of heart attacks and cardiovascular disease. A study found that people who consumed wine in moderation reduce their risk of premature death by about 1/3 and have lower mortality rates from cancer and cardiovascular disease. Wine boosts your HDL or good cholesterol which helps to lower and prevent your LDL also known as bad cholesterol. One to two glasses each day removes the bad LDL cholesterol from your arteries before it can clog them. Surprisingly, wide consumption can cut your osteoporosis risks. One study showed that people who drank between 1 to 3 glasses of wine a day had higher bone mineral density. Just make sure not to overconsume. Doctors recommend one glass per day for women and two or less glasses per day for men.
Health Problems
Some people are allergic to the sulfides and wine and can't drink it at all. Other people take medications that wine counteracts with. Some people have a problem with not being able to stop and overconsumption of alcohol can lead to not only alcoholism, but lasting health problems. The body can only process so much alcohol and if you imbibe too much you can develop liver or kidney problems. Increased cancer risk as linked with over consumption of alcohol long term. That can give you high blood pressure or heart disease and increases your risk for a stroke. It can give you digestive problems, weaken your immune system, and create psychological problems too. It can give you depression or anxiety, concentration and memory issues, and increase your risk for dementia. So, while alcohol can be very good for your health, it's not good in all situations. Anything can be good or bad. Find out the difference between good and evil here: What’s the Difference Between Good and Evil?
Myths About Wine
What would a sacred exploration of wine be without a discussion of the myths about it? The god Dionysius was credited with discovering wine by the Greeks, but ancient Persians say it was the lover of a king. Christians have a miracle story of their Jesus turning water into wine to save the day at a celebration.
Dionysius
Dionysius, the Greek God of orchards and fruit, winemaking, festivity, fertility, and even ritual madness helped his followers free themselves from worry and fear with ecstatic dance and wine drinking. He was a god who travelled abroad, roaming the earth before he settled in Greece. Some maths say that he single handedly discovered the fruits of the vine and how to make wine. Accounts say that the goddess Hera drove him to insanity which forced him to be a wonder throughout parts of the world. However the goddess Cybele cured his madness and he immediately set out teaching people how to make wine. Love stories about gods and goddesses? Read about some deities of war here : Who is the Goddess and God of War?
The King’s Lover
A 7,000 year old Persian legend claims to know how wine was discovered. Some stories say a beautiful girl was a Princess, and others say that she was a lowly member of the harem of King Jamshid. Somehow he became displeased with her, and he told her she must leave. She was so broken-hearted, she decided that she wanted to die. She wandered into an area that had empty drinking juice jars that were filled with rotted grapes. She thought that if she consumed the rotted fruits that she would die, but instead she became intoxicated, fell asleep, and awoke feeling rejuvenated and not sad at all anymore. She shared her discovery with the king and he was so pleased he took her back and shared what she found. Imagine how different things would have been if she had held a grudge. Are grudges good or bad? Find out here. Are Grudges Good or Bad?
From Water to Wine
In the book of John 2:1-11, a story is shared about how water miraculously became wine. Jesus, his mother, and some of his apostles had been invited to a wedding in the city of Cana. They ran out of wine at the wedding and Jesus was asked to help. He told some of the men to fill some empty water jugs with water. After they had done this he told them to take some of the liquid out of the jars to the master of the wedding. Somehow the once empty jars filled with water miraculously turned to wine. This was said to be the first of the public miracles that Jesus performed. Read about the spiritual significance of water here: Significance of Water in Astrology & Dreams
Meanings of Wine
Myths aside, wine and all things associated with it have powerful meaning for a lot of people. Vineyards, where wine grapes are grown have their own meening and wineries where wine is produced have their own meetings as well. The wine grapes themselves also have their own special meeting.
Vineyards
Vineyards are where slews of grapes are grown on a plantation and they're usually grown to make wine. Vineyards typically represent wealth, investments, and social status. They also represent growth, and the interconnectedness of all things. It takes a lot of people to run a vineyard and a lot of wealth to buy the land to make one succeed. A team has to come together to prepare the soil, plant the seeds, and tend to the grapes. Then the grapes must be harvested. A healthy vineyard also symbolizes good luck and good fortune by being smiled upon by the powers that be. Can we make our own luck? Find out here: How to Make Your Own Luck
Wineries
A winery is a specialized business that processes, produces, and bottles wine. This is different from a vineyard because a vineyard is focused on growing the grapes, well the winery takes the harvested grapes and makes them into wine. Wineries symbolize a lot of different things. They symbolize hope, growth and nurturing, transformation, and being blessed by the divine. They also symbolize technology, human ingenuity, and high skill. Having the grapes grow successfully in the vineyard is only part of the process of making the wine. To have the ability to transform fruit through fermentation into wine shows great intelligence and hard work. Capricorns are one Zodiac sign known for their hard work and you can read about them here: Capricorn Traits | Star Sign in The Spotlight
Grapes
Grapes are the simplest and original form that wine is in before it is processed. They represent fertility, abundance, blessings, and the benefits of hard work. Grapes also represent resilience because they are fairly drought tolerant and only need about an inch of water per week during their growing season. A lot of other fruits need plenty more water than that. Grapes can actually handle periods with less water and ever watering will ruin them. They also represent renewal, because they can be grown from cuttings from their own vines, basically regenerating themselves. Wine grapes are one of Sagittarian’s Zodiac plants, and you can read about nine more here: Sagittarius Zodiac Flowers
Sacred Uses of Wine
Wine might be the first thing you reach for at your celebrations, but it can be something you reach for and your sacred rituals and in your personal magic. It can be representation of the divine and it can be used as offerings for spirits or for goddesses or gods. It can also be used to give gifts to people to nurture the spirit of goodwill.
As Sacred Representation
The Catholic Eucharist uses wine as a physical representation of Jesus. In Matthew 26:28, Jesus said to his Apostles, “ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.” He then poured wine into a cup and passed it to the Apostles. The books of Mark, Luke, and Paul also record this. During Mass, a chalice of wine is prayed over by the priest and blessed and it is believed that it becomes for the worshippers a representation of the blood of their Christ.
As Offerings
Wine can be used as offerings to goddesses and gods. The God Odin of the Norse pantheon is believed to survive just on drinking wine as opposed to also eating. So, offers of alcohol are made to him and drunk in his honor. Alcohol can be poured out for a deity, or given to them in a vessel. You can pour the wine into the ground, telling your goddess or god this is a gift for them. Some writers point out that spices, flowers, and herbs can be added to the wine, but never to dilute it with water. The divine wants the wine full strength! The wine can be offered to them in ceremonial bottles , and even buried in the ground or cast into the water for them. Read about a powerful goddess, Aphrodite, here: Aphrodite, Deity of Love and Beauty
As Goodwill
Perhaps the simplest way to use wine is as a symbol of goodwill. This can be done in different ways. One way to do it is to simply give wine as a gift. Another way to do it is to serve it during a fellowship gathering. Small amounts of wine before a tense conversation at a meeting can help to relax people and establish a relaxing environment and a sense of welcoming hospitality. A spell with wine is to set two bottles of it on your personal altar or in any sacred space at your home. One bottle is for you, and another is for your goddess or god.
Say “I gift thee, (say the name of your deity) this bottle of wine. I thank you for your love and guidance, and I ask that you maintain a loving presence in my life. Bless this other bottle for me and when I drink it, may it inspire me to hear your voice.” After you feel the wine is blessed, drink it to be inspired by your deity. Read about Oya, goddess of transformation here: Oya, Goddess of Transformation
Celebration, representation of the divine, offerings for the gods, and gifts of goodwill are all sacred uses for wine. Grapes, vineyards, and wineries all represent things such as abundance, reaping the rewards of hard work, and being favored by the gods. Next time you pour a glass of wine, don't just do it because it complements your steak or dessert. Do it to enhance your sacred traditions.
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