There's a growing movement within modern Paganism known as kitchen witchery. The kitchen is, after all, the heart and hearth of many modern households. When you have a gathering in your home, where do most of your guests hang out? Why, the kitchen, of course! Also, thanks to a declining economy, many more people are making meals from scratch and the kitchen has once again become a place where people spend hours, rather than minutes. So it's no surprise that kitchen witchery has seen a rise in popularity.

Meal Prep as Magic

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When you take the time to put meals together from the basic ingredients, you have a magical opportunity at hand. You can infuse every dish with intent and will. A meal can stop being something you dump out of a can, and start being a ritual in and of itself. When you take the time to prepare something with your own hands, it lends sacredness to the meal, and will make you want to spend time savoring it with your family rather than just snarfing it down on your way out the door to soccer practice. By changing the way you view food, its preparation, and its consumption, you can craft some practical magic at its simplest level.

Maggie Haseman of Mumbles and Things says,

Take a moment to think about your kitchen. It's probably often overlooked and under appreciated but some truly magical thing happen in this room. The gifts of the Earth are transformed and combined into creations that nourish and benefit your body. That's pretty neat!

As you become more aware of what it's like to live magically, and more in tune with your own actions and activities, you may at some point realize that your own kitchen is a magical one. Just prepping a meal and lighting a candle doesn't make you a kitchen witch, but there are a number of things you can do to enhance the magical atmosphere in your kitchen. Try some or all of these to get started.

How To Bring Magic Into the Kitchen

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First of all, consider having a kitchen altar. The stovetop is today's equivalent of the hearth fires of old, and it's where most food preparation is done. Create a small altar with items that can be moved as needed—add a statue of a home or hearth goddess, a cauldron, or a candle. If you like, paint a trivet with symbols of your tradition.

Make sure your herbs are readily accessible in your kitchen. If you cook with them, display them in decorative jars. Make sure that they're not sitting in direct sunlight, though, or they'll lose their potency. If possible, have live plants in pots to use during the year. Keep fresh vegetables on hand as well.

Read up on practices like Feng Shui so you can optimize your work space for maximum efficiency, both spiritual and practical.

Keep the space clean. Much like any other sacred space, physical cleanliness maintains spiritual cleanliness. It's hard to find balance in a place that is cluttered and chaotic. Make sure countertops are wiped down after each meal, keep the sink free of dirty dishes, and organize cupboards and shelves so they are easy to use.

Want to feel joyful every time you walk into your kitchen? Paint the walls in colors that are comforting and happy! If your house still has the 1970's metallic flecked wallpaper in the kitchen, it's time to get it out of there. Choose a color that makes you and your family feel good—earth tones are soothing, yellows are happy and bright, and greens bring prosperity and abundance.

Keep cookbooks and recipes organized where you can find them. You might even want to have a special book of magical recipes that you keep separate from your regular Book of Shadows.

You can also incorporate magical practices into your cooking. When you're stirring a recipe, consider stirring in a deosil or widdershins direction, depending on the goal you wish to achieve. If you're making a sandwich, spread condiments like mustard in a sigil for your purpose. When you bake bread, add herbs or spices that correspond to your magical needs.

Get your kitchen clean and organized, and you'll be well on your way to a successful path as a kitchen witch!