Witchn' in the Kitchn' - An Introduction to Kitchen Witchery

A kitchen witch is someone who uses her home and hearth to work her magic for herself, her family, and others. She uses herbs, cooking, kitchen utensils, and household decor to help encourage good spirits and blessings on those she cares about.

Each meal for the kitchen witch is a magical ritual. Most kitchen witches enjoy preparing meals from scratch, that a way she can imbue the meals with magic and love. Unlike most witches, kitchen witches usually do not cast circles for their kitchen rituals.

Not only does a kitchen witch use magic to help herself and the ones she loves, but she also tries to use her skills in the kitchen to honor her deity (or deities!). Cooking, especially if the deity is a kitchen related deity, is a great way for the kitchen witch to connect with her deity and honor the deity.

A kitchen witch does not need to be married or have children. They can be a single person who really enjoys cooking and being in the kitchen. Being a kitchen witch isn't just subjective to women, but a man can also be a kitchen witch. Any man wanting to bring love and magic into his home and food can make a great kitchen witch.

Herbs are a huge part of kitchen witchery. Almost every kitchen witch loves herbs and working with herbs. Herbs are a great way to infuse magic into any dish.

Perhaps someone in the family is having trouble sleeping; the kitchen witch can add Lavender into a meal to help ease a restless night's sleep. Lavender can also be added to a meal to help someone with gas, bloating, and stress issues.

Most kitchen witches enjoy growing their own herbs, whether it be in a garden with several herbs or just a few herbs in pots sitting in the windowsill. All kitchen witches should consider using herbs to help infuse her cooking with greater blessings and magic.

Here is a short list of gods and goddesses associated with Kitchen Witchery:

• Agni - a Hindu god of fire and hearth.
• Ashnan - a Mesopotamian goddess of grain.
• Brigit - a Celtic goddess of healing, child birth, love, and protection.
• Ceres - a Roman goddess of motherly relationships, fertility, and agriculture.
• Cerridwen - a Celtic goddess of rebirth, transformation, and inspiration.
• Chantico - an Aztec goddess of the family hearth.
• Chicomecoatl - an Aztec goddess of maize and nourishment.
• Concordia - a Roman goddess of marital harmony.
• Ekajati - a Tibetan goddess of mothers.
• Freya - a Norse goddess of love and fertility.
• Frigg - a Norse goddess of marriage, motherhood, love, and fertility.
• Hestia - a Greek goddess of hearth, domesticity, and family.
• Hehsui-no-kami - a Japanese goddess of the kitchen.
• Hygieia - a Greek goddess of health and sanitation. She is who we get the word "hygiene" from.
• Kamrusepas - a Hittite goddess of healing and magic.
• Lakshmi - a Hindu goddess of fertility, wisdom, and generosity.
• Mama Occlo - an Incan fertility goddess and goddess to mothers.
• Nikkal - a Phoenician goddess of orchards and fruit.
• Ong Tao - a Vietnamese kitchen god.
• Pomona - a Greek nymph goddess of fruit trees, gardens, and orchards.
• Pukkeenegak - an Inuit goddess of children, pregnancy, childbirth, and seamstress'.
• Tsao Wang- a Chinese god of the kitchen.
• Vesta - a Roman goddess of the hearth, home, & family. A common symbol associated with her is fire.
• Xiuhtecuhtli - an Aztec god of fire, heat, and food.

Hearths are not common in most homes today, however the stove is the modern day hearth. Every kitchen witch should try to set up an altar centered around her stove. This altar should be very simple, as she'll need to move it around often for cooking and cleaning purposes. Perhaps getting a statue of the family deity, or objects that the witch feels connected to. Candles are also a great idea to add to a stove altar, as they can be easily moved around and provide tranquility and calmness in the kitchen.

Kitchen witches should keep in mind that whatever her mood is or what she is feeling can go into her dishes. She should always try to cook in a happy mood so she doesn't transfer any grumpy moods onto her unsuspecting friends and family.

Kitchen witchery is a great practice for anyone who loves being in the kitchen and working with herbs. Anyone can be a kitchen witch, so long as he or she loves what they're doing and loves passing blessings and good energy onto friends and family.