Recipes for Nuit

An excerpt from ‘Three Feasts for the Three Days of the Writing of the Book of the Law’
The Thelemic Cookbook: Cooking with Correspondences by Lita-Luise Chappell

The First Day of the Writing of the Book of the Law
~ Unto Nuit ~ Celebrated on April 8

We have Crowley’s description of when and how the channeling of the three chapters of The Book of the Law took place. We know this communication occurred in Cairo on three consecutive days. As Crowley wrote down the very words he heard from Aiwass, he did not think the entity was Egyptian, but rather Assyrian or Persian. Although Crowley was not definitive about the nationality of Aiwass, we do have the names of the gods who were invoked: Nuit, Hadit, and Ra-Hoor-Khuit.

This specialized menu for the goddess Nuit employs the same elemental principles. Foods attributed to Nuit should be soft, creamy and enriching, as well as the colors of white and blue, indigo and golden. The primary element for Nuit is closer to water than the other elements, but she is also beyond the elements, for she possesses a combination of both Lunar and Venusian qualities. As Crowley learns from Nuit in the first chapter of the Book of the Law, “…eat rich foods and drink sweet wines and wines that foam!” This menu is rich in texture and flavor and the appropriate liquid refreshment. It is still springtime and the blue-colored food choices are especially limited. However, this menu turns out to be not only varied, but also beautiful on the table. Place a starry or shimmery dark blue tablecloth to accentuate white and gold platters. Blue and purple lavender flowers and white and golden yarrow are in bloom at this time of year, so put a vase of them on the table as a centerpiece, or other spring flowers with these colors.

We begin this starry goddess menu with several tasty bites. A good rule of thumb is to have contrasting flavors and textures; at least one hot and one cold, then something creamy and something crispy, and something mild and something sharp. Each of the following appetizers will help awaken the palate and make the mouth water and ready for the rest of the meal.

On the following pages are the full menu for the feast of Nuit, as well as sample recipes from some of the meal’s courses, read on to continue: