Being a Kitchen Witch

Being a Kitchen Witch

Being a Kitchen Witch is all about magick in the kitchen. Kitchens are often the central hub of a house with people gathering to talk, drink, and get small samples of what delicious food soon lies ahead. With fresh aromas wafting out and the bustle of preparing dishes, kitchens are the perfect place for creating magick. Kitchen witches predominantly rely on things that grow which is why many of them practice herbalism. Some kitchen witches even have their own garden from which to create herbal concoctions or use for culinary dishes. These practitioners are most often down to earth and focus their intent on healing, whether that is others, themselves, their community, or mother earth.

Within the repertoire of a Kitchen witch is food magick. And what better time to practice food magick than during a harvest Sabbat. Mabon, the autumn equinox, celebrates the abundance of the harvest. By paying homage to mother earth for her bounty, Mabon is a time to prepare for the coming dark and cold. During Mabon celebrations, it’s fun to bring as many seasonal components into dishes as you can. But don’t just add apple butter to your bread or eat an ear of corn, take time during this season to bring intention and will into your dishes. Transform the mundane into the sacred as you view your kitchen in a whole new mgickal light.

Your kitchen is a room full of magick! In here the gifts of mother earth and transformed into delicious, delectable dishes to nourish the body and mind. The more you integrate your path with your everyday life, the more you will come to truly appreciate your kitchen as one of the most magical spaces in your home. Here are some ways to make this year’s Mabon even more special by bringing intent and will into your meal preparations.

First begin by creating a kitchen altar. It could be as simple as your cutting board or as elaborate as you wish. When looking at the stove, don’t just see a place to warm and heat food, see the hearth fires lighting linking you to your ancestral past. Making an easy to move altar is a great idea and can include a deity of your choice, a candle, and a simple symbol of your own personal path.

Decorate your kitchen with jars of dried herbs or fresh pots where plants grow for you to use in various dishes. Consciously place items in places according to the cardinal directions if possible. Keep your space clean so that the energy is able to flow freely throughout the room as you prepare your meals. And consider painting your kitchen a color that makes you happy every time you walk in the room. Consider yellow for happiness and livening up the room or green for the earth and all of its abundance, but ultimately choose a color you like and want to be around!

You can start your own Book of Shadows dedicated to magickal explorations in the kitchen. Keep track of different herbs used in culinary dishes. Write them down in your Book of Shadows and then document the outcome of each use. You can also keep your favorite recipes for each Sabbat. Write them down in your Book of Shadows so you can remake them each year to create lasting traditions. During Mabon, it is an excellent time to make and experiment with any root vegetables, berries, or nuts.

You can combine cooking with your magickal practice in lots of different ways. Intentionally choose which direction you stir your food, widdershins and deosil produce different end goals. Stirring deosil will bring harmony, health, and success while stirring widdershins will help to undo. The simple act of stirring clockwise or anti-clockwise while focusing your intent on a dish can infuse your soup, stew, or batter with magickal work.

Instead of mindlessly squirting the mustard on your sandwich, draw a sigil. If your intent is to find or keep love, draw a heart. If you are looking for peace from an argument, choose to put the mayo on the sandwich as a peace sign. Carve images into carrot slices such as protection sigils or purification symbols. Use these symbols when making food for others. Your significant other or child may need a magickal boost during the day and what better way to do it than through their lunch.

Cut food into different shapes based on your intention. Cut an apple through the middle to expose the pentagram inside rather than just absently slicing it up. Or when baking bread for Mabon, twist it into different shapes before you bake it. When making pancakes, leave the circle behind and try other edible symbols.

Use different herbs and spices on your food for various magickal workings. The oregano on your chicken or in your spaghetti sauce can be used for more than flavor! The oregano can be worked into a love spell or to produce joy within the household. Add a pinch of saffron to your rice in order to increase your psychic abilities. The important thing is to focus your will and intent when adding a herb or spice rather than just measuring and dumping it in because the recipe says to do it.

Every dish you make can be a ritual full of meaning. Intent in preparation as well as consumption can have a long and lasting impact on yourself and your family. Shift your thinking to the magickal by viewing your crock pot as a cauldron, your spoon as a wand and all of the ingredients as the best part of any spell.

Incorporating your magical needs into the kitchen is fun, so be creative! Everyone has to eat, so why not make it a favorite part of your day full of sacred wonder instead of just heating something up in the microwave and scarfing it down without a second thought. When prepared with intention, your cooking can help manifest what you want out of life.

Spells for Mabon Meals

Mabon is the second harvest and directly linked to abundance and prosperity. Grains are being harvested and fruits are falling from the trees. It is the perfect time to bring intention and will into our meal preparation and cooking. Begin by transforming your dining table into a beautiful Mabon altar. Decorate with reds, oranges, and yellows throughout your tablecloth, napkins, and even plates. Place various gourds, pinecones, and acorns as a centerpiece. Here are a couple spells for the harvest season.

Wise Acorn Squash

This recipe uses squashes and root vegetables which are central to the harvest during Mabon. It incorporates sage and apples for wisdom and prosperity. Infuse your intent into the recipe by consciously chopping

Ingredients

• 2 acorn squashes
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 pound ground pork (optional)
• 3 sage leaves sliced thin
• 2 carrots
• 2 celery stalks
• 1 onion (white or yellow)
• 1 clove of garlic
• ½ cup white wine
• 1 cup rice
• 1 bunch of kale
• 1 apple
• Salt
• Preheat the oven to 400^o F (205^o C). Slice squash in half and scoop out insides. Rub with olive oil and place side down in the oven to bake for 30 minutes.
• Cook rice as per the instructions.
• Brown pork in a large skillet with the sage. As you place the sage in the skillet, stir deosil.
• Dice carrots, onion, celery, and garlic. While dicing, focus your intent and energy into the process. Consider using your athame if possible. Add to the pork mixture.
• Pour the white wine into the pan to deglaze. Cook until wine reduces, 1 – 2 minutes and then remove from the heat.
• Stir (and deosil!) in the rice, kale, and apple. Add salt to taste.
• Place a mound of the mixture into each squash cavity. Cook for another 20 minutes and then serve!

Wisdom Bread

Breaking bread has been a tradition for thousands of years. Bread is about balancing the elements of earth (wheat), air (letting it rise), water (activating the yeast), and fire (baking). As you perform this recipe, think of it as a ritual honoring the elements in all their aspects. Focus your intention and will on creating something from the four basic elements that can and does sustain life.

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp active dry yeast
• 1 cup warm water
• 2 tsp honey or sugar
• ¾ tsp salt
• 2 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 ½ cups all-purpose or bread flour
• 1 egg
• Water
• Dissolve the yeast in warm water. Whisk in honey, salt, and oil. Fold in flour until it becomes a dough. Place the dough on a lightly floured countertop. Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Place the dough ball into a lightly greased bowl and place a clean cloth over it. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes.
• Punch down the dough and shape it into various forms. Place each shape (or one large shape) onto a greased cookie sheet. Let rise for 30 more minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350^oF (176 ^oC). Whisk the egg with 1 tablespoon water. Brush the egg wash over the dough. Bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.

This article is from our Mabon issue of Wicca Magazine. Our most recent issue can be found by visiting https://www.wiccamagazine.com/subscription