“K” Is For Kitchen Witchery

Few things call to mind the images of witchery more than bubbling cauldrons, jars of herbs, bottles of potions, and rustic cottage kitchens. The most natural place in the home for brewing and working magic is the kitchen. It’s where all the elements meet (fire in the stove– or if you’re lucky enough to have it –a hearth, water from the faucet, earth from the foods you’re working with, and air as the delicious scents tease you.)

To perform kitchen witchery is to put magical intention into the mundane chore of cooking food. You can be as elaborate or as simple as you like, it’s totally up to you. But let’s start with your working tools: pots, pans, and cooking utensils.

If you want to feel really traditional, nothing beats wooden spoons and utensils and cast iron cookware, but those aren’t absolutely necessary. You can work kitchen magic with whatever you have on hand.

First, it’s nice to get your kitchen in tune with things. A mundane cleaning– sweeping and mopping floors, cleaning counters, and getting everything set up and ready to work should be your initial step.  Mixing up a magical floor wash or adding some lemon juice and florida water to your mop bucket will help with a magical cleansing of the area. I like to burn some incense while cleansing the room too — my favorites are lavender, nag champa, and frankincense for this task, and listening to some upbeat music that puts you in a good mood is highly encouraged.

The next step is to cleanse and consecrate your cookware. If you have a preferred method for doing this, use it now. If you don’t, then check out the steps I include in doing an altar devotion to set your kitchen tools to the task of cooking up some magical recipes. Now your kitchen is ready and your tools are all set.

Herbs are not only tasty ingredients, they possess magical alignments and properties that can be utilized in your cooking. Want to prepare a meal focused on health and happiness? Add some garlic and lemon rind. Need money? Sprinkle on some oregano. Want energy and focus? Add some cinnamon.

For further reading I recommend Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen by Scott Cunningham and for great magical recipes check out Patricia Telesco’s A Kitchen Witch’s Cookbook.