Elemental Monkey Ramen for Studying
A Pokemon-inspired kitchen spell by Bergamot (@sprucetea)
This spell calls upon the three elemental monkeys in the Pokemon universe to aid in a spell centered around a bowl of ramen. The goal of this is for enough energy, calm, and wisdom to power through the rest of finals week. In the Pokemon universe, the elemental monkeys are most closely linked with the first Gym in the 5th generation games, Black and White. Pokemon Gyms in the games mirror finals for many college students: A final test of skill that requires lots of preparation beforehand. Both finals and Gym fights happen eight times (assuming a 4-year degree), award the challenger with something necessary to continue their journey (badges or credit hours), and represent a necessary challenge in order to be considered an expert in the challenger’s field. The Elemental Monkeys were chosen in particular for this spell since their gym doubles as a restaurant where each element helps cook the food, which synergizes well with kitchen witchcraft.
Instant ramen to use as a base
Half of a red bell pepper for pansear
A representation of the three elemental monkeys
Gather required ingredients and any utensils that you may need while cooking
Prepare your representation of the monkeys. This may be Pokemon cards, printed images, a drawing, a sigil, a snippet of the manga, a poem, anything. I personally chose to draw a representation of each of the monkeys to forge a personal connection and clear my mind before the spell.
Have each ingredient measured out. I chose to use eight pieces of broccoli and cut half of a red bell pepper into eight slices. Eight represents how many Gyms are in a Pokemon region (and how many final seasons are in a 4-year degree).
Fill a pot with water and let it boil on the stove. Add a sprinkle of salt to cleanse, provide taste, and help the water boil.
Cleanse ingredients, yourself, and other spell-related items using the steam from the boiling water (with caution and from a distance as necessary!).
While the water is boiling, meditate on one elemental monkey at a time using the representation you’ve chosen as a guide. For each one, focus on what their powers can bring to the table in this spell. Hold up your hands and imagine a ball of energy forming in your palms. Channel your intent into the ball, focusing on a connection with the monkey you’re working with. Let this ball form into a Pokeball containing all that energy and intent, then release it into the physical food that represents that monkey. Add that ingredient into the boiling water.
For pansear, I channeled fire, energy, and passion to power through my studies with enthusiasm.
For pansage, I channeled calm, a lack of stress, and a playful, upbeat attitude to make sure I don’t get overwhelmed or stressed while I study.
For panpour, I channeled wisdom, careful planning, and the ability to flow like water through whatever obstacles may come my way.
Now, I added all the other ingredients to the pot, such as the actual ramen noodles, the salt, the turmeric, and the ramen’s flavor packet.
Allow time to cook, stirring as needed.
Pour into a bowl, let cool, and enjoy!
Overall, this spell worked amazingly well!
When I prepared this spell, I expected it to work more or less as soon as I finished eating. However, I didn’t feel any particular effects until two to three hours afterwards. Gradually I felt more motivated, more focused, less stressed and less tired. I was able to get through a lot more of my notes than I believe I normally would have and it didn’t wear on me as much as it usually does. I was so energized by the end of the day, in fact, that I had some concern about how well I was going to sleep. I thought I’d have trouble falling asleep and I’d dream of school all night (which is par for the course for me) but I was pleasantly surprised. I fell asleep quickly and slept through the night without any school-related dreams. When I woke up the next morning the spell was still in effect: I felt just as motivated and focused on my work. This energy persisted through much of the day and kept me going. I also noticed I was significantly less tense and worn out despite doing nothing but studying for two days now. It gradually began to wear off by the end of the next day as my focus slipped more and I was less compelled to keep going, but the stress reducing effects lingered.
For one, the inspiration for the spell is something close to my heart. I’ve been a long time fan of Pokémon since before the release of the fifth generation games and looking back at them brings a lot of joy and nostalgia for me. This personal connection helped me to tap into the energy of the games and the characters in it.
Second of all, the theme of gyms for a finals spell seemed to click well. This is more of a hunch but I think the energies synergized well for the purpose of the spell.
The ingredients I chose for this spell well represented each respective Pokémon and I had no trouble using these correspondences to effectively channel and manifest the energy I was searching for. I think this would hold true for substitutions as well, such as other kinds of peppers (including powdered instead of fresh) or different kinds of vegetables. It could even be entirely different substitutions too so long as the new ingredients have the same connection to the elements. Having eight of each also worked well. I wasn’t sure how well the turmeric and pepper would work as they don’t have a direct connection to the source of the spell but overall I feel like they did boost the strength of the spell.
However one of the biggest reason I think this spell had so much success was the use of three different elemental Pokémon who are part of a trio. This allowed me to channel my intention through three different lenses that each added a unique element to the spell. This is how I suspect I had the energy and motivation to power through the work for the day yet still had the peace of mind to sleep well and stay relaxed. Focusing on just one Pokémon or element would’ve changed how I channeled my intent and likely how it would’ve manifested.
Additionally, the Pokémon I chose were easy to continue to connect to for the rest of the day. I kept the artwork of them I made underneath my notebook and I followed up the spell with an essential oil blend that I also associated with the three monkeys. I had Pokémon music playing in the background as well. All of these made the energy of the spell easy to raise and direct with intent. I felt connected to these energies throughout the duration of the effects of the spell.
As for the actual food component, the ramen turned out to be pretty good! It’s still just instant noodles with veggies, but I really enjoyed it. It’s a classic studying food with a handful of fresh veggies to make it more appealing. If I were making this for taste only though, I’d add more veggies and perhaps top it off with some egg. Cooking it on a stovetop as opposed to a microwave definitely improves the dish.
There were some things I could have done better during this spell. The biggest flaw in the spell was a lack of foresight and planning for things that could have gone wrong. What if I did make it too strong and I stayed up all night studying? What if I made the scope of the spell too broad and it leaked into other aspects of my life in ways that I hadn’t planned for? However, I think one of the biggest things I overlooked here was personal protection. Ultimately this spell invites the energy of something that could very well be an entity--or three entities. There is a chance that the energies I called upon were not the energies I got and I was inviting possibly dangerous spirits into my life. In the future, I should be more careful about placing the proper protections on myself and my home and incorporating a defense mechanism into the spell to block out any unwanted intrusions. Additionally, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to incorporate some sort of offering or thanks to the energies that aided in the spell.
This spell worked amazingly well and achieved exactly what I wanted. It was also some pretty tasty ramen. When replicating this spell, place more of an emphasis on protections from unwanted energies and perhaps consider leaving offerings for the good energy that does help.
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