Skills For Kitchen Witches

Resources of Interest for Early Modern Magic in England & New England (circa the 1500s to 1800)

Primary Sources

The Key of Solomon. I’ve heard a lot of good things from several ceremonial magicians, including @thedesertgod , that the edition to go for is Skinner’s. He’s compiled, edited, and added scholastic commentary to The Veritable Key of Solomon, as well as The Magician’s Tables. Joseph Peterson, also recommended, has worked on The Lesser Key of Solomon and the Clavicula Solomonis (or Key of Solomon). I probably would read it in its original Latin, if you have the means. 

Agrippa, Cornelius (false attribution). The Fourth Book of Occult Philosophy. 1655. Stephen Skinner also worked on an edition of this book. Unlike the actual Agrippa’s original three books, this volume does not hold much in the way of theory but offers plenty of practical instruction.

Casaubon, M. A True and Faithful Relation of what passed for many years between Dr. John Dee…and Some Spirits. 1659. As a record of the seances held by Dr. Dee and Kelley, it recounts the techniques used to conjure spirits. 

Chamberlain, Richard. Lithobolia. 1682. One family’s account of witchcraft perpetuated by the fetch of a neighbor.

Culpepper, Nicholas. Complete Herbal. 1653. It provides a comprehensive description of the herbs, along with their medicinal uses and instructions on preparing them to treat illnesses. 

Culpepper, Nicholas. The English Physician. 1652. The first medical guide published in the American colonies (apparently), it is intended for the average person. 

Defoe, Daniel (assumed). A Compleat System of Magick; or, The History of the Black-Art. 1727. As a skeptic, like Reginald Scot, this anonymous author (who we’re pretty sure is Defoe) provides much information on the work of witches, conjurors, and cunning-folk. 

Hale, John. A Modest Enquiry into the Nature of Witchcraft. 1702. After the Salem witch trials, he challenges the legal proceedings and religious principals of witch hunts in general. 

Magnus, Albertus (false attribution). The Book of Secrets. “Provides a portrayal of the magical culture that predominated in the 16th century. This work includes secrets which are divided into five distinct parts: Of the Virtues of Herbs, Of the Virtues of Stones, Of the Virtues of Beasts, Of the Planets, and The Marvels of the World.”

Mather, Cotton. Memorable Providences. 1698. Having fanned the flames of the Salem hysteria, this book discusses several witchcraft cases in New England before the Trials arose.

Mather, Increase. Cases of Conscience. 1693. Intended to vindicate the Mathers’ involvement in Salem, it was intended to prove that witches and devils could assume the shape of an innocent person. 

Scot, Reginald. The Discoverie of Witchcraft. 1584. By attempting to debunk witchcraft as a hoax, it managed to record a good cross-section of their formulae. 

Turner, Richard. Botanologia The Brittish Physician: or The Nature and Vertue of English Plants. 1664. Another guide to British herbs and medicine, by an astrologer, occultist, and botanist.

Modern Accounts

Davies, Owen. Cunning-Folk: Popular Magic in English History. Hambledon and London, 2003. 

Demos, John. Entertaining Satan: Witchcraft and the Culture of Early New England. Oxford University Press, 2004. 

Godbeer, Richard. The Devil’s Dominion: Magic and Religion in Early New England. Cambridge University Press, 1989. 

Merrifield, Ralph. The Archaeology of Ritual and Magic. Batsford, 1987.

Semmens, Jason. The Witch of the West: or, the Strange and Wonderful History of Thomasine Blight. Semmens, 2004. 

Thomas, Keith. Religion and the Decline of Magic. Peregrine, 1978.

Weisman, Richard. Witchcraft, Magic, and Religion in 17th-century Massachusetts. University of Massachusetts Press, 1984. 

Wilby, Emma. Cunning Folk and Familiar Spirits: Shamanistic Visionary Traditions in Early Modern British Witchcraft and Magic. Sussex Academic Press, 2005.

Just a few of the books my mother brought up with her this weekend. I haven’t gone through the majority of these yet, but I’d love to hear all of y’all s thoughts!

Practicing Witchcraft in Secret

I love things that are traditionally “witchy.” I love dressing candles with herbs. I love setting things on fire. I love making poppets and charms. But not everyone is able to be so obvious in their craft. For various reasons, some witches choose to be secretive about their magical practice.

Why Would You Want to Keep It a Secret?

Historically, witches kept their practice a secret because it wasn’t safe to be open about their beliefs. In the late middle ages, the Catholic Church began to actively persecute witchcraft, herbal medicine, and folk spirituality with the publication of “witch hunting guides” like the Malleus Maleficarum. This witch hunting fervor would continue even after the Protestant Reformation, with some of the most famous witch hunts (such as the Salem trials) carried out by Protestants.

It is important to remember that the witch hunts were political at their heart and that very few of the people executed for witchcraft were what we would recognize today as witches. They were mostly women, poor folks, or members of ethnic or religious minorities. But even so, the danger of being accused of witchcraft and/or devil worship drove many medieval witches, herbalists, and pagans to hide their practice.

The United States experienced a modern witch hunt of sorts in the 1980s with the “Satanic Panic.” We still don’t entirely understand what caused this cultural phenomenon, but what we do know is that it resulted in widespread paranoia about devil worship. Anything that could be misconstrued as “satanic” was shunned or outright persecuted, from Dungeons & Dragons to heavy metal music to nature-based religions like Wicca — and, yes, witchcraft. People who had been comfortably open about their spirituality suddenly found themselves practicing behind closed doors. If you’re over 30, you may remember this. If you’re under 30, the Satanic Panic probably shaped how your parents view witchcraft and paganism, and they may still be grossly misinformed as a result.

Even today, a lot of witches choose to keep their practice a secret because it would be unsafe or uncomfortable to go public. Many witches have family members, friends, or coworkers who would be uncomfortable if they knew about their witchcraft, and may even choose to end the relationship because of it. Some witches live in culturally Christian areas where it might be harder for them to get jobs or make friends if they were openly self-identifying as a witch. Some of us live in places where an outdoor ritual could get the cops called on us, or have missionaries showing up to save our souls.

On the other hand, some witches just like privacy. You may feel like your spirituality is nobody’s business but yours, and for that reason you may prefer to do witchcraft in a way that is more subtle and secretive. Desire for privacy is a perfectly valid reason to stay “in the broom closet.”

There are also some magical traditions that require members to swear a vow of secrecy and to keep the group’s secrets. However, these traditions usually require an in-person initiation, so I won’t be discussing them here.

Inconspicuous Witchcraft

If you haven’t read my posts about magical journaling and kitchen magic, I highly recommend you check them out. Those are two forms of magic that are very easy to practice discretely.

No matter what your reason for keeping your practice a secret, here are a few tips for making magic without drawing attention.

Use scented candles. Candle magic is one of the easiest and most versatile forms of spellwork, and all it requires is a candle and your intention. Scented candles are perfect for undercover witches because, rather than adding herbs and oils, you can simply buy a scent that matches your intention. (For example, a vanilla candle is great for love, while a pumpkin spice scent will attract wealth.) Plus, they’re so commonplace that no one will think twice about seeing one in your bedroom or on your desk at work. If you’re a purist and want to make sure you’re using real plant materials, you can get all natural candles scented with essential oils — but lots of witches use artificial scents and get good results, so don’t feel like you have to go with the more expensive option.

Diffuse essential oils. Essential oils contain the concentrated essence of a plant, which makes them a must-have tool for witches. Essential oils are also extremely popular right now, both for holistic healing and for aromatherapy, so you definitely won’t attract any negative attention for using them. You can get a good essential oil diffuser for under $20 online. Some brands overcharge for their oils, but you can find good quality oils for under $10. When choosing an essential oil, look at the magical correspondences for the plant it is made from. You can diffuse oils to infuse your space with their energy, similar to the way you would use incense.

Enchant your perfume. You can choose a perfume to match your intention or make your own custom perfume by mixing essential oils in a carrier oil. Focus on your intention as you spray the perfume, letting it infuse your energy field with magic. You can also buy magical perfume blends from witch-owned businesses online or on Etsy.

Learn shufflemancy. “Shufflemancy” is a modern form of divination that is done by putting a playlist on shuffle — whatever song plays first contains an intuitive message for you, either in the lyrics or in how it makes you feel. You can find playlists specifically made for divination by Googling “shufflemancy playlist,” or you can make your own by compiling a playlist of songs from different genres that deal with different topics. Just be sure to keep it diverse — if your playlist only has love songs on it, you might not get very helpful messages if you have a question about your career.

Learn bibliomancy. This divination method is similar to shufflemancy, but much older. Bibliomancy is done by asking your question while holding a book, focusing on your question while connecting with the book’s energy, and then opening it to a random page. There is a long, long tradition within Christianity of doing this with the Bible — if you feel connected to a certain sacred text, you could use it for bibliomancy. You could also use a book of poetry, a novel, or even a dictionary. However, I think it’s important to use a book you feel a connection to, rather than something randomly grabbed off the shelf.

Use Pinterest and Spotify as manifestation tools. You may have heard of vision boards, a tool used to manifest something by creating a detailed collection of images that match your intention. Pinterest boards are already essentially virtual vision boards, and creating one with focused intent can be a spell by itself. Likewise, you can use Spotify playlists for manifestation. To do this, create a playlist of songs that match your intention (songs about money or love, for example) and listen to it while meditating on your desired outcome.

Choose your outfits with intention. You can pick clothes based on color correspondences (see this post for a guide to color magic), the material they are made from (a wool sweater vs. a cotton T-shirt), or some other symbolism. For example, if you want to feel empowered, you might wear leopard print to channel the energy of a fierce predator.

Enchant a piece of jewelry for a specific purpose. You can choose your jewelry based on the correspondence of the metal or gemstones it is made from, make your own piece, or use whatever you already have on hand. You can enchant this jewelry by passing it over the flame of a candle or through the vapor of an essential oil diffuser. State what purpose you want this charm to serve, either out loud or in your mind. Wear this jewelry whenever you need to tap into that energy, and make sure to cleanse it often.

Create magical art. If you want to manifest something, draw or paint a picture of it. You don’t have to be a skilled artist — what matters is that you are taking your mental image of what you want and bringing it into the physical world. Fold up the picture and keep it in your pillow, or in some other special place. Likewise, if you want to banish something, draw or paint a picture of it and then rip it into little pieces and throw it out. This ritual allows you to purge yourself of the negative emotions tied to the thing you are banishing.

Take a magical bath. We rarely have more privacy than when we’re in the tub. Taking a bath is already a ritual of sorts, and it’s easy to add magic. You can, of course, make magical bath salts by mixing essential oils into Epsom salt, but you can also create bath spells with household objects. For example, a bath with salt and vinegar will clear up nasty energy, while adding milk to your bath will attract love and abundance.

Practicing in secret does not have to mean a less deep or well-rounded practice. There are lots of magical acts that can be done subtly or kept private. The suggestions in this post are by no means exhaustive, and I hope they will give you some ideas for other ways to fill your life with undercover magic.

Resources:

“Introduction” from The Malleus Maleficarum at http://www.malleusmaleficarum.org

The Fat Feminist Witch podcast, “Episode 34 — Witches, Midwives, and Doulas”

“Most witches are women, because witch hunts were all about persecuting the powerless” by Bridget Marshall for The Conversation

New World Witchery podcast, “Episode 118 — The Satanic Panic”

Small things you can do for Yule 🌲✨

Decorate your Altar with Pine cones, Holly leaves and Pine leaves 🌲

Wear winter colours of dark greens, Black, Grey and Maroon.

Grown indoor plants during the winter🌱

Cleanse your space with Musky incense and candles and be fresh for the colder months ahead ✨

Use various nuts in cooking for any correspondenses in your kitchen Witchcraft

Cook veg stews (or meat) with herbs to keep you warm ✨

Put birdhouses in your garden to keep the birds warm and feed them seed 🐦

Do some winter inspired make up looks and outfits with your glamour spells ❄️✨

How Magic Works

These are just some of many different theories about how spells work. For anybody who really enjoys “magical theory” like I do or is looking for validation that there’s something to all these weird spells! None of these serve to discredit magic, but rather add a deeper level of understanding to it. The success of a spell could be credited to more than one of these, or something else entirely!

Law of Attraction. Basically, the idea that you attract what you focus on. A popular example is focusing on the color red, and seeing how much red is around you that you didn’t notice before. This is most effective for spells involving personal matters and success, by formally opening your eyes to details and opportunities you may have missed otherwise. 

The Placebo Effect. It’s a proven fact that our bodies can heal ourselves merely by belief that what we’re doing helps! This can extend beyond health spells to things like confidence, performance ability, and other things that aim at personal improvement. The placebo effect may be all that spell needs to be successful ( and it wouldn’t have happened without the spell!)

Direct cause/effect. Something about the spell and the way it was cast directly affects the outcome. Example: a sigil designed for protection, when looked at, serves as a constant visual reminder that you are protected, subconsciously strengthening your wards.

Science/chemistry. This is most true for kitchen witchery and herbalism. Chamomile, lavender, and other herbs aren’t corresponded with calmness and sleep for nothing… they’re made up of chemicals that have been scientifically proven to calm the nerves and aid in sleep!

Quantum physics. There’s a phrase called “Quantum Woo,” where people use quantum physics (often incorrectly) to explain any type of magical thinking or practice. While the ultimate theory behind quantum physics was recently disproven, the discoveries made through research still hold true. Basically, we know particles behave differently when observed, and our energies can effect this. We just don’t know why that is. This is the baseline behind a lot of energy work.

Divine string pulling. Ask and ye shall receive. This is where we depart from the physical to the spiritual side of magic. Many people do magic by appealing to divine forces, Mother Earth, God(s), the Universe, whatever you want to call it. This could be with an offering, a ceremony, or even just bedside prayer. The divine force hears the request, and grants it by affecting change and “pulling strings” to cause the desired outcome.

Spiritual string pulling. Very similar to the previous point, but with entities that are not worshipped or seen as divine. Many believe that spirits can still affect change “behind the scenes.” A spirit worker may make a deal with a spirit for luck or protection, or someone may ask their ancestors for good fortune and health.

Personal string pulling. Instead of asking an outside entity, this is the idea that we, as the practitioner, pull the strings. This is most seen through the “cone of energy” method of casting, where we raise a lot of concentrated energy and intent in a space, then release it all at once to do its thing. You also see it with sympathetic magic, where by doing something to a poppet, we actively affect that change on the target. No middle man included.

This is probably the witch advice you didn’t ask for, but I’ve found it’s much easier to remember to do general periodic maintenance that’s otherwise easily forgotten or put off when tied to milestones such as solstices, equinox, new, or full moons. 

For example: Stow your winter blankets or clothes on the Vernal Equinox and take them out again on the Autumnal Equinox. Replace your air and water filters on solstices and equinoxes (every 90 days). Begin new 30-day challenges or do reset/cleaning of your living space on the new moon (every month). 

Living cyclically breaks life down into manageable little blocks of time and helps us live in the moment by paying attention to the ebb and flow of the Earth.

Khaire 💫💀🖤

kitchen witch smoothie recipe!

i'm eclectic but today i wanted to do some kitchen witchcraft which i actually do pretty often so here's the recipe for the smoothie i made and what the ingredients mean

frozen strawberries- love, good luck

apple- love, good luck

orange juice- good luck, sweetness, positive energies, love

coconut water- protection, strengthens the influences of the other ingredients

almond milk- good luck, positivity, beauty, love

honey- sweetness, positivity, luck

ice- water element

i make smoothies often as a snack and i love how they taste so i wanted to make one that would bring good things to my life, remember to stir clockwise to attract things such as good luck in this case, the potency of your product can be enhanced by actually saying a spell or doing other things that you want to do like lighting candles or drawing sigils on it

i had a lot of fun and i'll be making more things soon, let me know if there's any recipes for certain things that anyone wants! blessed be :)

Almond crescent moon cookies recipe

Ingredients

1 cup unsalted Butter - Softened

¼ cup Sugar

2 cup Flour

1 cup Ground Almonds

1 tsp Vanilla

Confectioners Sugar

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees

Mix all ingredients

Chill for 4 hours

Cut out in crescent shape

Place on ungreased cookie sheet

Bake for 35 minutes

While hot, roll in confectioners sugar

Pasta Shapes Correspondences

I love to make meals with pasta and sometimes it can be good to slip your intention in with the very shape of your pasta pieces and not just the toppings.  Here is my list of personal correspondences and uses, feel free to use them!

Acini di pepe- This is pasta in tight tiny balls- For temporary spells

Agnolotti- Little pasta parcels- Gifts, money

Alphabet pasta- This is pasta that is in the form of letters- Writing, studying, research

Anelli- This is pasta in the shape of small rings- Bonding, relationships/friendships

Calamarata- This pasta resembles squid rings- Good for hiding/invisibility glamours

Campanelle/Gigli- This pasta is in the shape of a frilly flower- Relaxation, tranquility, peace

Casarecce- The name of this pasta is from the Italian word for ‘homemade’- Family, warmth, hearth magic

Conchigle- This pasta is made in the shape of a shell- Communication, sea magic, water magic

Crest di galli- Pasta shaped a bit like the pipette but had a frilly edge like tripoline on top. I had it a lot when I was very young and I think looks like the Loch Ness monster- Imagination, creativity

Elbow Macaroni- I think this pasta looks like rainbows- Welcoming, affection, bonding, comfort, hope

Farfalle/Farfalline/Corbatta- This pasta is in the shape of butterflies- Transformation, renewal, changes

Fusilli/Cavatappi/Rotini- This pasta looks like a corkscrew- Celebrations, festivals and holidays

Gemelli- Means ‘twins’ in Italian but many think it looks like a unicorn’s horn- Good for fae work

Lanterne- Though the name means ‘lantern’, I think they look like waves- Sea magic, turbulance, change

Lasagna- Flat sheet like pasta- Protection, safety

Linguine/Fettuccine/Pappardelle- These are all flat, ribbon-like pasta shapes- Beauty, self love and acceptance

Maltagliati- Meaning ‘badly cut’ as it is made from scrap and left over pasta- Resourcefulness, creativity, adaptivity

Mezza Luna- This pasta is shaped like crescent or half-moons and is stuffed with meats or vegetables- Lunar magic, celebrating points of the lunar cycle

Nuvole- This pasta is shaped like little clouds- Good for weather magic

Orecchiette- This shape is named after ears- Communication, understanding, listening

Penne- The name of this pasta means ‘pen’ in Italian- Writing, long distance relationships/friendships

Pipe/Pipette/Lumache- These all look like closed ended pipes or snail shells- Good for slow acting but stubborn spells

Radiatori- This pasta is named after radiators!- Warmth, affection, friendships

Ravioli- Little pillows stuffed with meat, cheese or vegetables- Dreaming, rest, good sleep

Rigatoni- Wide and ridged tubes- Memory, retaining information

Rotelle/Ruote- This pasta is shaped like wheels- Safe travel, exploration

Spaghetti/Angel Hair/Bucatini/Vermicelli- Thin lengths of pasta- For long-lasting spells

Spighe- This pasta looks like an ear of cereal- Harvest, fertility, plenty, money

Sorprese- Meaning ‘surprise’ in Italian due to not having filling and they resemble fortune cookies too- Luck

Stelle- Often given to children and are shaped like stars- Adventure, discovery, finding spells

Tagliatelle- Little nests of flat ribbon pasta- Hearth magic, family, affection

Tortellini- Little stuffed rings of pasta- Bonding, relationships/friendships

Tripoline/Mafalda- Both are frilly edged long pastas, but tripoline only has one frilled side and they look like jellyfish tentacles- Good for curses, banishing

Trofie- Twisted up pasta- Reliving stress, relaxation

Vesuvio- This twirled pasta has a flattened and domed end and is named after Mount Vesuvius- Destruction, power, good for curses

Ziti/Tubini- Smooth sided tubes- Forgetting, fading, disappearing

This list is not for every single pasta type, just types I have came across and have used and think I will use/make in the future. Please, if you have an interesting pasta shape, add it on!

I view witchcraft in the same way that I do vitamin supplements. Vitamins can help boost you up if you’re deficient in certain things, but if you ate nothing but vitamins, you’d still be very unhealthy. Witchcraft is the same way. If you need help finding a job, a job spell can help increase your chances after you submit a job application. However, if you ignore mundane means and only ever use witchcraft, you’ll never reach your full potential.