The Pagan Heart
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July-August 2005 Issue
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The Art of the Kitchen Witch
By Josh P.
So how did Kitchen Witchery come into being? Is it the new "fad" of Paganism? A fluffy bunny style witchcraft, perhaps? I don't think so. I believe it's the most primal of magics - from it evolved everything else. Why? Because it is so intimately connected with everything that it is to be human. Family, health, love, safety, happiness, friendship - even work and wealth - all these things are the provenence of the Kitchen Witch and have been throughout recorded history. Mind you it wasn't always called kitchen Witchery. But whether it's the Craft, Folk Magic, Hedge Wizardry, Witchcraft, or simply working to propriate the gods and bring luck to the home, it's a part of humanity's heritage. When the earliest gatherers brought home food and mixed it with healing herbs, offered some to their gods, decorated a dish with flowers - they were developing the fundamentals of the Craft. I think the great magic workers evolved from the kitchen witches. Our earliest forebears were more concerned with a good hunt and healthy children than anything else. As they became "civilized" and developed the time and prosperity for luxuries, I think magic became an art to be developed and studied. This idea that it is something we humans have done naturally since the so called "Dawn of Time" influences how I perform my craft. It's tied to race memory - much of what I do is instinctive. I do study as well - learning about herbs and their properties, for example. But most comes from my sense of what "feels right". And I think this is true for most Kitchen Witches. Unlike my religious practice, witchery is simply a part of how I do things. When I cook I am as like as not to toss in extra herbs, or recite a cantrip on the spur of the moment. I select candles for their magical component. Arrange rooms using Feng Shui influences. And usually there is no planning or forethought - unless a specific problem has arisen. It's like eating right and getting enough sleep. I don't set out to make magic, I simply live it. And from my intent, my inner strength, and my will comes the unfolding of my Will. Magic happens. Interestingly, despite my Christian background, much of my witchery is founded in what my mother and grandmother taught me when I sat watching them cook. Devout Christians, both of them, nevertheless they practiced a bit of magic in their daily home making. Hearing my mother talk about how a certain herb blend in dinner would cheer everyone up, or drinking Gran's "Summer Bless Tea" - designed to heal all manner of emotional ills - gave me an indepth understanding as to how much of our life is underpinned by magic. I have, however, developed certain practices that I try and incorporate on a regular basis - not because I think they are necessary to success. But because I have come to realize that a certain amount of structure can provide a wonderful foundation upon which to build. It also lessens unintentional errors and increases my focus. If you want to be a Kitchen Witch, there is no right way. There is only "your" way. It may follow a similar path to me, or it may be poles apart. But as long as it works for you and leaves you feeling balanced and successful, it's right. So what I have to suggest may not be for you. But why not try it? There may be things you'd like to use yourself. Or it may give you ideas. Next issue I'll be talking about a ritual, from the first to the last step. I tend to cleanse my workspace metaphysically once a week with my normal kitchen broom. I sweep the floor, walls, and air clean and push the "debris" out the door - there I give it a good spritzing with salt water to banish any negativity and prevent it lingering about. I light a white candle (preferably vanilla as that cleanses the air physically as well) and tend to my live herbs, wash out my water fountain (I like to have that there to balance out the fire of the cooking), cleanse and recharge those crystals in need, and do a quick stocktake. Check the calendar to see what astronomical and astrological phases are approaching if you like to work in harmony with the stars and moons. Make sure there is a calendar in your kitchen for this purpose! I always have herbs growing along my window sill - even if it's only a jar of mint sprigs in water. Rosemary and basil are preferable, as is a solid pot of chives. But having living plants that are used in cooking and ritual is important if you can manage it. They absorb the energies of the household, feeding them into the food and thus the people. It's a wonderful way to strengthen familial bonds. Using seasonal foods is another tip I follow. Especially if you are able to obtain foods grown locally. Aside from tasting better, they ground you more in the here and now (of the season) and are filled with the energies of the local area which keeps you more in harmony with your territory. Although most of my work is "unintentional", I do have a ritual I follow with intentional witchcraft. I have a large wooden chopping board that takes on "altarness" when necessary. I always rub it down with salt, rinse with cold water, and while it's drying, I clean the bench and set out my tools. By the way, I am not big on seperating ritual tool from mundane. I follow the school that believes daily use infuses a tool with energy and power making it a better implement for a ritual. So my knives, for example, function as all-purpose choppers and also gatherers of sacred herbs. It's a decision every Witch must make, although it seems more common that Kitchen Witches don't distinguish. I do however have extra space for all the additional ingredients I seem to end up needing! Anyway, by tools I mean both cooking utensils and ingredients. Measuring and sorting, laying them all out - this is a form of meditation. It's a time to set my mind to the task, decide exactly how I wish to procede and make any adjustments. I light candles, say a prayer or invocation, read through the spell or rite, and start work. With smaller spellcraft - especially the unintentional ones that are simply a part of the meal or activity - I may not prepare my altar. But I rarely start work without a muttered prayer to my patron God. After an intense ritual - especially one to heal or banish - I always spritz the air with vinegar, light a candle, and some incense, and let the energies realign to harmonious and healing states. Having quartz crystals around the kitchen helps this. They keep the metaphysical energies cleaner and tend to filteer out a lot of crap. They also help act as lodestones for the magic worker. A few icons also help - they focus my concentration upon my Gods, and provide a place for him to inhabit in comfort should they choose to visit my kitchen. One final word. Kitchen Witch is sometimes a misnomer. It almost implies we are stuck in the kitchen. In reality, a Kitchen Witch is so much more. The bathroom, bedroom, loungeroom, and garden are all work places - as can be anyplace I am in when I need to perform a ritual. So too for you.
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