Question for Kitchen witches

[wind]

I am an eclectic pagan, and I take from other practices and religions. I always loved to cook when I was a child, but I sort of lost touch. I am 18 in a year and I thought its time for me to step up the game. I need to learn how to cook and get in touch with my cooking roots once again (grew up in a family and ancestery who used to bake and own there own gardens and everything was natural)

I am all about being healhty and eating healthy. I hate buying stuff from a can. I am raised to cook everything homemade and NOT to buy anything prepackaged. I thought though, It might be boring sometimes to cook unless I incorperated kitchen withcery in it. I do most of my spells with candle magic, and using natural items. But I want to try doing spells and magic when I cook in the kitchen.

Does anyone who is into kitchen witchcraft know any books for begginers? I heard of some people setting up an altar on the stove, and things. Keep in mind I still live with my mom (and 20 year old brother who is an atheist and is judgemental) and she likes to cook too, so If I were to have a godess or god for the hearth ,the altar would be a temporary thing for only when I cook. I would have to keep the items in a box or cuboard and stuff. I also thought I could ask for a cupboard to be reserved where I put herbs, items, etc in there.

So does anyone know or have any books, and ideas how I can get started into kitchen witchcraft, seeing as though I am learning how to cook again and want to migle it with my spirituality. Thanks and blessed be

[thalassa]

Re: Question for Kitchen witches

Kitchen witchery is really just about putting magic into the domestic arts. Its not necessarily about cooking, though cooking magic is a skill of most kitchen witches. I've read most of the kitchen witch books out there, and most of them aren't all that impressive to me. Some of them have some nifty ideas or yummy recipes (or occasionally both), but most of them are the same recycled tripe--most of which you can find for free on the internet.

You need some basic books on cooking and baking, a good herbal, maybe a correspondences book (if that is your thing), and some composition books. After that, the only think you *need* is you. Cooking magic is an experimental practice--it comes from trial and error and repeated practice in figuring out how to get what is in your heart into what your hands make and your oven bakes. The most important skill you can have here is the cooking itself, a basic knowledge of herbs and their medicinal and magical attributes (and which shouldn't be used for consumption), and mindfulness.

If you think you need a special altar in the kitchen to help put you in the right frame of mood, or if you think a spoon for a wand is a great idea, or if you want an apron as a stand in for ritual robes...go for it! But, none of that is necessary. (I have a special apron and a kitchen altar*)

*My kitchen altar is really just an altar in the kitchen because the deity in question is a kitchen deity, and it seems logical...I really don't use the altar in my kitchen in conjunction with my cooking magic.

[Gardenia]

Re: Question for Kitchen witches

I heard of some people setting up an altar on the stove, and things. Keep in mind I still live with my mom (and 20 year old brother who is an atheist and is judgemental) and she likes to cook too, so If I were to have a godess or god for the hearth ,the altar would be a temporary thing for only when I cook. I would have to keep the items in a box or cuboard and stuff.

An altar doesn't have to be obvious. My kitchen shrine is a little shelf in the corner of the kitchen, and currently just has a candle (the flame of which represents the hearth Goddess I worship) and two bowls for offerings, and the bowls could easily be only put out as needed. Sometimes there might be flowers or other seasonal items (like mini pumpkins and gourds for fall). Even just something like a small stone on the stove can act as a little focal point. Not that there's anything wrong with a temporary altar! Just don't feel you need to write off a small permanent space if that's something you want to try, something subtle could just be mistaken for a little decoration or something like that.

As far as books go, it's been a while since I read it, but I remember liking Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen (which is not totally Wiccan specific, despite the name). Most of the other books I use are just normal cookbooks with foods my family and I like, some old family recipes, local recipes, and books on herbalism, so you don't need to find pagan specific cookbooks - although there are lots out there, if you want a few. As was noted, there's a good amount of information on kitchen witchcraft (as well as recipes and such) online, too, which might be better/easier than looking for books about kitchen witchcraft.

[wind]

Re: Question for Kitchen witches

Thanks you two
I will look more into it and okies, Maybe I will study the magical uses of spices and herbs that can be used in cooking, and setup subtle things to represent a kitchen goddess. (It could be a candle with a stone with a moon on it) I will look more on the internet as well , thanks and blessed be <3

[Dez]

Re: Question for Kitchen witches

My first intro to pagan practices was a vegetarian cookbook called Cooking Like a Goddess, by Cait Johnson. It's not a very serious book, but it had a strong impact on me long before I got to this point in my path, you might like it