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Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Food

John Hunt Publishing Ltd.

The Magic of Food

Food is magical, not just because of the amazing tastes, flavours and aromas, but also for the magical properties it holds. The magic starts with the choice of food to use and it can then be added in while you are preparing and cooking, then the magic unfolds as people enjoy your food. Dishes can be created for specific intents, moon phases, and rituals; to celebrate sabbats or just to bring the magic into your family meal. Many food ingredients can also be used very successfully in magical workings in the form of offerings, medicine pouches, witches' bottles and poppets.

When you are cooking, whether it is baking, stirring, kneading or whatever process it involves, make sure to add the magic as you go. Stir deosil (clockwise) to bring in positive energy and widdershins (anticlockwise) to banish. Think about your intent, desires and wishes as you make the dish; add your energy to it, visualise the outcome as you add the ingredients and you can even chant a blessing or a spell as you make it.

Think about how you work in the kitchen and see if you can add a magical spin to it, there are some ideas in my book Pagan Portals: Kitchen Witchcraft, so I don't want to duplicate the information, but to give you some ideas to get started with:

• Chopping – this releases frustration and emotions ... just be careful.

• Peeling fruit and vegetables – as you take off the skin release old habits and negative energy revealing the fresh, clean surface underneath and a refreshed, revitalised you.

• When you mix or shake any recipe ... dance and sing.

• Slow stirring of sauces brings peace and calm.

• Mixing and whisking brings things together; use your visualisation skills.

This book includes the more commonly used foods, herbs and spices and it also contains magical information for meat. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater, animal welfare should be paramount. For those of us who choose to eat meat I wholeheartedly believe that we should honour the animal that gave its life. If your joint of meat or bird has the bones make full use of them after you have eaten. Boil the bones to make stock and then dry them to use in magical workings.

If you are able to purchase your meat direct from the farm you may even be able to get hold of the skin as well to create something useful with. If you get the feathers from a bird make sure you use them as well. All life is precious and if one has been taken to be used as food then we owe it to the creature to use everything it has provided for us.

If you can afford to, I would encourage you to purchase organic or free range meat; the animal deserves the best life that it can have. If you don't have a farm shop local to you seek out your local butcher where you should be able to purchase meat that has a history. The butcher will know exactly where the meat came from and how the animal was treated. They are also really helpful in advising and suggesting cuts of meat to use and how to cook them.

Your Magical Kitchen Space

Some people love the kitchen, some hate it. I guess it depends whether you like to cook or not, but even if you just use the microwave to heat up a ready meal (gasp!) the kitchen is quite often the centre of a home. I do believe that part of cooking successfully is feeling comfortable in the space that you work in. Although I often dream of a huge farmhouse kitchen with space for a large table that everyone can gather around ... my kitchen is not that. It is a small space in a terraced house, but – and here is the important part – it is MY space. Everything I need is to hand and I know where everything is; I am very comfortable there, in some ways it is even my haven. So no matter what the size, age or state of your kitchen – make it yours. It doesn't have to be fancy or expensive, but do what you can to make it feel like your own.

I know I have said this before, but I do find that 'making like Snow White' really does help. You don't have to be a total clean freak, but keeping your kitchen clean and tidy helps the magic flow. If the kitchen is in total chaos then that is the kind of magic that you will produce. If the kitchen is dirty and unclean then the magic gets stuck in all the debris. I also find that keeping everything tidy and organised helps when you are actually cooking, with everything to hand and knowing where it all is helps with the flow. And, let's face it, if you walk into your kitchen ready to do some work and it looks like an explosion in a cake factory you won't really feel inspired to create something beautiful.

I've also said this before and it might sound completely loony, but make friends with your appliances. You don't have to buy them birthday cards or anything (that would be mad ...) but add your positive energy to them to keep them working properly and helping you in the kitchen.

Food is a source of energy, but it can also be full of magic. Try – and I say try because we can't always be sweetness and light 100% of the time – but try to cook when you are feeling happy and content. Cooking when you are cross or angry not only transfers the negative energy to the food and therefore into the people who eat it, but it also doesn't help the cooking process. If you are upset and grumpy when you cook the chances of your dish turning out a disaster are much higher. If you are feeling less than your best, take a few moments first, clear your mind, ground yourself and just breathe ...

Bless Those Pots and Pans

When you purchase or are given a new pot, pan or utensil it is a nice idea to give them a quick cleanse, after all you don't know who has picked them up in the store to look at them or what snotty child has wiped his fingers over them in passing ... ewwww! Give them a good wash in soapy water, and then I like to sprinkle mine with salt water then dry them. You can also smudge them if you like. If you feel poetic you could also say a little blessing or chant for them: 'To my little baking pot, help me cook perfectly a lot.' OK, you must be able to come up with something far more lyrical than that, but you get the idea.

Kitchen Altar

I have a small altar on the wall in my kitchen; it is actually a green man shelf. It isn't very big and just has a tiny vase on that I put a fresh flower in (it is only big enough for one flower) and has tiny representations of the elements – a pebble, a shell, a small red crystal and a tiny feather. When I start any cooking, whether is it a family meal or a witchy lotion or potion, I give the altar a nod and ask for blessings. It does not have to be a huge or ornate altar flowing with velvet and gold tassels – just the corner of a shelf would do, even just a vase with a flower in. Something that just represents deity, the divine or the universal energy that can aid you in your cookery endeavours.

Kitchen Rituals

We all have rituals that we perform throughout the day, even simple ones such as brushing our teeth before getting into the shower. Rituals are actions that we perform with a purpose or intent in mind. A kitchen ritual need not be complicated and sometimes the simple ones work the best. Your kitchen ritual may just be like mine ... I give a nod to the altar in my kitchen and ask the goddess to bless my cooking – it really is that simple. It might be that you like to light a candle before you start your culinary escapades or you might like to pour yourself a glass of wine, these are all rituals.

You could visualise as you wash your hands – allow the water to rinse away all the worries and stresses of the day.

Smudge your kitchen before you begin cooking; just a quick waft around with an incense stick would do the trick.

Light a candle and hold it up to each direction and ask for the blessings from the four elements.

Come up with a short chant to ask deity to bless your cooking skills and the food that you create.

Think about what works for you.

Kitchen Deities

There are many deities associated with the home, hearth and cooking. If you wanted to work with one to help you with your culinary skills or just to give you support and add their energies to your magical food, you could look at the following list. A lot of them are associated with fire as that has a big connection to the kitchen or to the harvest and food:

Agnaya – Hindu goddess of fire

Agni – Indian fire god of home and hearth

Ayabba – African goddess of the hearth

Brighid – Irish goddess of the hearth and fire

Ceres – Roman corn goddess

Cerridwen – Celtic goddess associated with the cauldron

Chantico – Aztec goddess of hearth fires

Dugnai – Slavic goddess of the home and bread

Ephesus – Greek god of fire

Erce – English goddess of blessings

Fornax – Roman goddess of the oven

Freya – Norse goddess of fire and domestic arts

Frigg – Norse goddess associated with domestic arts

Fuchi – Japanese goddess of fire

Hestia – Greek goddess of fire and the hearth and home

Hehsui-no-kami – Japanese kitchen goddess

Hyang Api – Indonesian god of fire

Hyang Kehen – Indonesian god of the hearth

Li – Chinese goddess of fire

Mama Occlo – Inca goddess of domestic arts

Ogetsu-im-no-kami – Japanese goddess of food

Okitsu-hime – Japanese kitchen goddess

Ong Tao – Asian god of hearth and home

Pele – Hawaiian goddess of fire

Pirua – Peruvian goddess of corn

Pomona – Roman goddess of orchards and gardens

Saule – Slavic goddess of the hearth and domestic arts

Tsao Wang – Chinese god of hearth and home

Ut – Siberian goddess of the hearth

Vesta – Roman goddess of domestic fires and the hearth

The Magic of Tea

We all know that blissful moment of putting our feet up at the end of a hard day and sipping a hot cup of soothing tea. Relaxing, calming and apparently the answer to every situation: 'Have a cup of tea, it will make you feel better.' But tea can also be extremely magical, especially if you create the blends yourself and tie them in with your magical intent.

I have a beautiful teapot that has a built in infuser, but you can get small metal infusers for individual cups of tea and these are brilliant for popping your tea blends into or just use a normal teapot and a strainer. You will want to use one of these methods otherwise you will be spitting bits of herb and spice out ...

I think there is something very magical about the whole process of making tea, especially if you make a bit of an effort rather than just throwing a teabag into a cup and filling it up. It can become a small ritual in itself.

The Japanese have a tea ceremony called Chanoyu, Sado or Ocha. The whole event from preparation to serving and drinking the tea (a green tea called Matcha) is part of the ritual. It isn't all about drinking the tea, it is about the care and attention that goes into it, the serving of it and the appreciation.

The Japanese tea ceremony is for creating relaxation, communication (if you are serving guests), connections with your surroundings and the elements, to create harmony, but ultimately the aim is to make that deep spiritual connection that you get from drinking the tea in silent contemplation. Almost as if the process from preparation, serving and drinking is all part of a ritual to send you into a meditative spiritual state. The Japanese tea ceremony philosophy is one of harmony, respect, purity and tranquillity.

I like to take the idea of the Japanese tea ceremony and make it a very magical one. This is easily done and can involve the whole ritual process of casting a circle, calling the quarters and even requesting the presence of deity if you so wish, but it can also just be kept very simple and run along the lines of casting a spell or simply spending time in meditation.

Create your space, the ambience and the setting – this could just be sitting in your garden or at your kitchen table, but maybe put a vase of fresh flowers on the table and a nice tablecloth. You could put on some nice plinky plonky meditation music if you are indoors.

Select your tea blend. There are a huge amount of fantastic herbal tea blends in the shops, but herbal teas are also super easy to make for yourself using herbs and spices you have in your kitchen or garden.

Here are some simple ideas to get your creative side working:

Ginger – Truly simple ... Just use a few slices of root ginger. Ginger has the magical properties of love, success and power.

Ginger and lemon – Use a few slices of root ginger and a slice of lemon (or a squeeze of lemon juice). Add in the magical properties of lemon and you get a double whammy of love and also friendship, purification and the power of the moon.

Cinnamon – Either cinnamon stick crushed or a sprinkle of ground cinnamon. This is a brilliant magical spice and brings in success, healing, psychic powers, protection, love and a spiritual connection.

Cardamom – Squish a couple of cardamom pods so that the hot water can get to the flavour of the black seeds inside and you will have yourself a hot drink that not only brings love, but also a powerful boost of lust too.

Clove – Two or three cloves per cup and you have yourself a protection, love and money tea blend, although it can be a bit 'medicinal' tasting on its own. I like to mix it with cardamom and fennel.

Fennel seed – Half a teaspoon of fennel seeds per cup brings you a healing, purifying and protective cuppa.

Lemon balm – This makes a lovely lemon flavour tea (unsurprisingly). It grows like a mad thing in my garden so I just pick a handful of the leaves and pop them in a teapot. Lemon balm is brilliant for success, love and healing.

Mint – Could not be an easier tea to make, a few mint leaves and et voilà a cup of protective, healing, prosperity filled tea is yours for the sipping.

Rose petals – These can be used in tea blends as well (make sure to wash them first as you don't want green fly in your cup). Rose brings with it the magical power of love, psychic powers, luck, protection and healing.

Rosemary – This works well in tea blends, but be careful not to use too much otherwise it tastes like antiseptic ... but it does have the magical properties of healing, purification, love, protection and that lust thing.

Sage – Very good for protection and wisdom and it also makes a good 'make a wish' cup of tea, but as with rosemary don't use too much as the flavour can be quite overpowering.

Thyme – One of my favourite flavours, thyme comes with healing, purifying powers that boost your psychic abilities and also bring love and courage.

Your usual cup of black tea has magical properties itself and is good for bringing courage and strength, but you can also use it as the base for tea blends if you don't fancy the herbal ones on their own.

If the taste of herbal tea on its own makes your face twist up in disgust you can try adding a teaspoonful of honey to sweeten the blend. And if you really can't stand the taste of a blend don't waste it ... use it as magical floor wash.

Experiment with your ingredients, go with your own instincts, have fun and be creative with it.

Take some time to think about the blend you want and the magical intent you need, then as you pour the boiling water onto the herbs and spices visualise your goal, desire or wish being activated by the water.

Allow the herbs to steep for about five minutes. Take this time to clear your thoughts and to ground and centre yourself.

When you are ready pour the tea into a nice cup, I prefer a china cup for tea – but that's just me, you might prefer a big builder's tea mug.

Hold the cup up and take a whiff of the scent as the steam rises from the cup, take deep breathes in and then sip ... ahhhh ... allow the hot tea to connect with your inner being. Allow it to flow and bring the energy it has to your body, mind and total being.

Enjoy a few moments of utter peace and calming bliss. Allow the world to carry on around you, leaving you to your own personal space and inner thoughts.

Once you have finished your tea return the used spices, tea leaves and herbs back to Mother Earth either via your garden or your compost heap.

And, of course, if you have a nice slice of cake to go with your cuppa ... so much the better ...

Tea Leaf Reading

Tea leaf reading, or tasseography, is fairly simple to do. First of all you need to make a cup of tea ... that was pretty obvious wasn't it? You will need to use loose leaf tea made in a pot, let it steep for a few minutes (if you don't have loose leaf tea you can open up a tea bag). While the tea is brewing use this time to ground and centre yourself and allow your mind to become calm. Then pour yourself a cup of tea, a plain light colour cup is best.

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Excerpted from Kitchen Witch's World of Magical Food by Rachel Patterson. Copyright © 2014 Rachel Patterson. Excerpted by permission of John Hunt Publishing Ltd..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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