KITCHEN   BLESSINGS

Kitchens are an important part of a home. Up until modern times they were the centerpiece of all homes, Witch or otherwise, because kitchens were the center for most activity in the home. All meals were eaten there, preparations were made for winter, medicine was generally administered in the kitchen and it was a comfortable place to sit, talk and tell stories. Not to mention it was also the warmest room in the house for those that lived in colder climates.
A lot of positive energy, love and hard work went into everyone's kitchens. Many cultures even had kitchen Gods they prayed to for blessings because it was such a significant part of their lives. Your kitchen inevitably becomes a font for a lot of residual energies. It stands to reason that if you make happy memories in your kitchen, it can positively affect many parts of your life. I always leave a little something for my kitchen God and the Faeries that live under my fridge. The foods I make for Esbats, Sabbats and holidays always seem to have an abundance of positive energy. So take it from me, it pays to have a happy kitchen!

 A WITCHES KITCHEN BLESSING
GERINA DUNWICH

Blessed be this Kitchen of Air, Fire, Water and Earth. Be warmed by the sacred light of the Goddess and the Horned One. May all that is created here by means both magickal and mundane bring nourishment, healing and sustenance and cause harm to none. With love and peace, with joy and magick, be now and always filled. So mote it be!

MYTH AND LEGEND

* If you knock over a sugar bowl, find bubbles in your coffee or tea leaves float to the top of your cup, moneys coming.
* If you forget to add a spice to your recipe, you spill the salt, spill pepper on your table or floor, or 2 people stir the same boiling pot, trouble is coming.
* Someone is thinking about you if your apron comes undone and falls off.
* It's an omen of good news if baked apples burst in the oven, or the salt and sugar are accidentally mixed.
* A woman will show up at your door if you drop a fork on the floor, if it is a spoon it will be a man.
* You will have unexpected or unwelcome visitors if you drop a knife and it sticks in the floor, or cracks form on your boiling eggs.
* It is unlucky to wash a bread knife on sunday, leave a knife stuck in the loaf, take the last slice or drop the slice buttered side down. If you drop it buttered side up it is a good omen.  
* If a broom falls over it is a sign of company coming.
* Basil growing in your kitchen will protect against evil spirits and negativity.
* A quartz crystal on or near the stove will make the food taste better.

RITUALS AND HELPFUL HINTS

An ideal Witches kitchen should contain herbs and essential oils, a mortar/pestle, lunar calendar and cauldron.
It's a good idea to have an aloe vera plant on hand for burns and lots of other plants for positive energy.
Burn sage to clear out any negative vibrations, always stir clockwise for luck and be sure to leave a little something for your kitchen God and the Faeries.
Don't forget to hang a kitchen Witch, sun catchers and some garlic bulbs in your kitchen for luck.
You can invoke the four elements for protection, Magickal aid and positive energy through their kitchen symbols. The fridge is connected to air, the stove is dedicated to fire, your sink rules the element of water and food you prepare of course has a strong connection to earth.
Your candles will hold their shape and burn longer if they are periodically chilled.
If your preparing foods to manifest an energy, psychic awareness, love, money, etc. do it during the lunar phases that corresspond to those energies and you will get better results.
Always prepare your love potions and any aphrodisiacs during the waxing moon. Never boil your herbs in aluminum pots, always use copper, earthenware or glass, it prevents contamination of the herbs.
Don't forget, the everyday spices you use from your spice rack have strong Magickal properties and are as useful as herbs and essential oils.
Candles and incense add a nice positive touch to any kitchen.
When taking possession of a new kitchen, don't forget to clear out any residual energies from the previous owner and christen your new kitchen with a ritual to invite your favorite kitchen God and the Faeries.
If you are comfortable with the energy left over from the last owner then by all means don't clear it and simply add your own positive energy to the mix.