from Episode 30

Kitchen Witchery, also known as Kitchen Witchcraft or Cottage Witchcraft, is a practice that centers around the use of the kitchen and cooking as a sacred and magical space. It is a form of domestic magic that focuses on infusing everyday tasks and culinary activities with intention, mindfulness, spiritual significance and, of course, magick. 

From Ancient Times to Now:

The roots of Kitchen Witchery can be traced back to ancient times when the hearth was the center of the home. In some cultures, the hearth was considered a sacred space, and cooking was seen as a magical act, where the cook would infuse food with love, healing energy, and blessings for the family.

Throughout history, women, in particular, were often the keepers of the hearth and the ones responsible for cooking and preparing meals. As a result, they were the more common practitioners of any form of Kitchen Witchery, passing down their knowledge and traditions through generations.

As we entered modern times, Kitchen Witchery experienced a resurgence, especially within contemporary Pagan and eclectic magical communities. With a focus on mindfulness, intention, and connection to nature, practitioners of Kitchen Witchery find magical and spiritual significance in the act of cooking, baking, and creating meals.

Practices and Techniques:

Kitchen Witchery involves various practices and techniques, and each practitioner may adapt it to suit their personal beliefs and preferences. Some common applications include:

  1. Cooking with Intention:

    Kitchen Witches infuse their cooking with specific intentions, such as love, healing, abundance, protection, or success. They may use herbs, spices, and other ingredients that correspond to their magical goals in the same way that plant spirits are called upon to aid in spellwork.

  2. Ritual Cooking:

    Preparing meals for specific rituals or seasonal celebrations is a common practice. Special dishes and offerings may be crafted to honor deities, ancestors, or nature spirits during festivals and ceremonies…. I myself have a slowly growing collection of recipes that I’ve assigned to specific celebrations to not only mark certain occasions and times of year but to incorporate ingredients that have both seasonal and magickal significance. Its fun, I have a recipe box engraved with the words, a Year of Recipes and my initials that include recipes not just for the wheel of the year celebrations but every holiday we celebrate as well as birthdays and anniversaries and a section for the unexpected, like recipes, teas and cocktails for heartbreak or loss or special occasions and impromptu celebrations like weddings, births and special achievements…. Its still a work in progress and I hope to be able to hand it over to someone who will find it meaningful one day… 

  3. Herbalism and Kitchen Medicine:

    Kitchen Witches often work with culinary herbs and plants for their magical and healing properties. They may create teas, tinctures, or herbal remedies for various purposes.

  4. Kitchen Altars:

    A kitchen altar may be a part of a kitchen witchery practice as Some practitioners maintain a sacred space or altar in their kitchen, dedicating it to the spirits of the hearth or kitchen goddesses. This space serves as a focal point for magical work and blessings – while other practitioners may look at their entire kitchen or their entire home for that matter as an altar.

  5. Special Kitchen Tools as Magical Objects:

    These may play a role because Kitchen utensils and tools can be seen as magical instruments to kitchen witches. For example, a wooden spoon might be used as a wand, and a cauldron, or a stock pot, can symbolize transformation.

  6. Cooking by the Moon and Seasons:

    This may be a part of your practice, as some Kitchen Witches chose to may align their cooking practices with the phases of the moon and the changing seasons, using these natural cycles to enhance their magic.

In my opinion, however, what is at the very root of Kitchen Witchery, is Mindful Cooking. Kitchen Witchery emphasizes the importance of being present and mindful while cooking and creating nourishing meals for yourself and your loved ones. Each step of the process is performed with intention and gratitude, fostering a deeper connection with the food and its spiritual significance.

It's essential to remember that Kitchen Witchery is a flexible and adaptable practice, and each practitioner may incorporate elements that resonate with them personally. It's not necessarily tied to a specific religious tradition, which makes it accessible to people from various spiritual backgrounds who wish to infuse their kitchen activities with magick and intention.

The Ethics of Magickal Cooking for Others:

To those who would ask about the ethics behind cooking a feast that’s spelled with magickal intention for attendees who are possibly unaware… This is a decision and a position that you must come to on your own. There are practitioners who look down upon the practice of magick on anyone at all and even those who look down upon magick for personal gain – which, to them I say, PLEASE do your research into folk magick, which was often practiced by underprivileged and marginalized people who had no other recourse, before you pass judgement.  You might just be thinking from a place of privilege.

However, everyone gets to set their own code of ethics here. I feel no apprehension when I’m cooking a meal to bring health, peace and prosperity to those who I love – but that is my own personal position and I would push that on no one. And yet, there are some practitioners who have worked some not so friendly spellwork into their kitchen witchery - and that is also on them to decide if they are justified or comfortable with such actions. My point here is that it is not for any of us to point the finger or set the rules for anyone other than ourselves, in witchcraft. Most of us have turned away from other traditions or religious systems for that reason. Here, we are all tasked with the sole responsibility to govern your own actions, own them and deal with whatever consequences – good or bad – that may or may not come as a result – even I the kitchen…


Lammas Rustic Sun Bread & Sunflower Honey Butter Recipe - from Episode 30

Lughnasadh, Lammas and the First Harvest - from Episode 30

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