You don’t have to don robes and dance in a circle with your significant other to experience the magick of a loving ritual. You do not have to check whether the Moon is waxing or if She is talking to Venus in order to have a tender hour in the kitchen preparing food for dinner. You don’t have to go out of your way, or engage in activities that don’t mesh well with your busy schedule in order to call Aphrodite to bless your union. Kitchen witchery makes it easy to turn a mundane activity into something magickal.
Tonight Jack and I worked side by side in our kitchen, unplanned, but contentedly. While I whipped up dinner (a salad and spinach ravioli with vodka-enhanced tomato sauce), he sliced, diced, and simmered a beef barley soup. (The soup will serve as several wonderful lunches over the next few days.) Our conversation weaved itself into the aroma of sautéing beef and Rosemary, and danced alongside the roil of the water’s boil before I added the handmade ravioli. (Alas, my dear reader, I did not make the ravioli. We are fortunate to have a little shoppe that specializes in handmade ravioli and sauce – the best I have ever known. A good Witch knows when to use the better handiwork of another!)
The magick we created stemmed from the energy of our actions, our intentions, our friendly words, our attentions, and our desires (for food and for each other's happiness and success). This magick grew in our kitchen and empowered our food. We served up helpings of happiness and satisfaction as we shared our observations of the day. Upon completion of our meal, we agreed that dinner was wonderful and the scent of the beef barley soup is still filling our home with strong positive energy. We will experience that magick this week during lunch, whether it’s in on a campus several miles away (Jack), or in a cozy home office as one glues herself to her laptop for the afternoon (that would be me).
As I have said many times, kitchen witchery is natural, and so is the love that stretches between two committed individuals cooking together as the January evening settles across the hearth. Consider taking some time with your loved one. Experience the magick of making a meal together.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
With Chamomile, relax after a stressful day...
Many of you already know that Chamomile is calming. You can also brew a nice cuppa tea whenever you are feeling particularly stressed - or a bit depressed. Why, you can even make brewing Chamomile Tea a ritual in your kitchen...
Fill your tea kettle with cold water, and place on the stove to in order to boil.
While dunking or pouring, chant softly to yourself:
Chamomile brew
Relaxing and true
With each cup
Lift my spirits up!
Now, if you are using a tea pot, the herbs will certainly remain in the pot much longer than 3 to 5 minutes. You do have the option of transferring the tea to a different container, of course, straining out the loose herbs from the tea pot.
Finally, as you enjoy the tea, envision calming, uplifting energy drifting up into your smile. Sip quietly and practice relaxing your body. If you need a little help in physically relaxing, you can even tense your muscles and then relax them as you take a drink. This practice can assist in mindful relaxation!
Some items of note...
Chamomile is a gentle herb and reportly can aid in sleep and digestion. There are two types: Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) and German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla). Parts of the plants that are used: the flowers. Some ritual practitioners consider this herb to be a representative of the element of Water, and ruled by the Sun.
Lore...
"Much of its (Chamomile) lore comes from the position it can hold within a garden, for it brings health to the other plants in the gardens and is said to cure nearly any plant that it grows next to." - The wonderful Paul Beyerl, herbalist and author of The Master Book of Herbalism.
And lastly, I am not a trained herbalist or a medical professional. Remember, plants and herbs can be dangerous - and even deadly - if taken in too high of a dose. Always tell your doctor what herbs you are using. Be safe, be responsible!
Fill your tea kettle with cold water, and place on the stove to in order to boil.
- If you are making the tea by the cup, choose a tea bag of your favorite Chamomile tea blend, or measure out loose Chamomile and Spearmint (often used in healing rituals) in equal parts (start with a teaspoon of each) and add to your tea ball. I love using the loose herbs! Blending your own mix is simple and yet so very personal!
- If you are making a pot of tea instead of a cup, make sure you fill the tea pot with hot water from the facet to pre-warm the container while the tea kettle readies its water on the stove. When the tea kettle water is boiling, you will (1) dump out the warm water from the tea pot, (2) then put in your loose herbs (or tea bags) into the tea pot, and finally, (3) fill the tea pot with the boiling water from the tea kettle, covering the loose herbs. How much of the loose herbs should you use in a tea pot? Plan on a teaspoon of each herb per cup.
While dunking or pouring, chant softly to yourself:
Chamomile brew
Relaxing and true
With each cup
Lift my spirits up!
Now, if you are using a tea pot, the herbs will certainly remain in the pot much longer than 3 to 5 minutes. You do have the option of transferring the tea to a different container, of course, straining out the loose herbs from the tea pot.
Finally, as you enjoy the tea, envision calming, uplifting energy drifting up into your smile. Sip quietly and practice relaxing your body. If you need a little help in physically relaxing, you can even tense your muscles and then relax them as you take a drink. This practice can assist in mindful relaxation!
Some items of note...
Chamomile is a gentle herb and reportly can aid in sleep and digestion. There are two types: Roman Chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) and German Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla). Parts of the plants that are used: the flowers. Some ritual practitioners consider this herb to be a representative of the element of Water, and ruled by the Sun.
Lore...
"Much of its (Chamomile) lore comes from the position it can hold within a garden, for it brings health to the other plants in the gardens and is said to cure nearly any plant that it grows next to." - The wonderful Paul Beyerl, herbalist and author of The Master Book of Herbalism.
And lastly, I am not a trained herbalist or a medical professional. Remember, plants and herbs can be dangerous - and even deadly - if taken in too high of a dose. Always tell your doctor what herbs you are using. Be safe, be responsible!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
An Introduction, Welcome to Sage Advice
Welcome to Sage Advice, my little blog of kitchen witchery! If you have landed on this page, you are interested in taking control and making some positive changes in your life. When I say, taking control, I mean taking control of YOU. We cannot control other people. If you had hoped to learn how to control another person, then maybe you should visit another page. However, if you are ready to work some magick in your own kitchen, for healthy and positive reasons, read on!
Kitchen witchery is practiced intentionally and unintentionally. What do I mean by that? Simply put, some purposely cast spells for the greatest good right from the sacred space of their own kitchen. Others have been doing it all along, in varying degrees, and have never even heard the phrase, kitchen witchery. For example, think of eating comfort food when you are under the weather. When I was little and suffering from some nasty ailment, my mother would make homemade potato soup so that I would feel better more quickly – she did not make this particular soup at any other time. What were the ingredients? Obviously, potatoes. This root veggie, represented by the element of Earth (of course!) and ruled by the Moon, have significant healing and protective properties. Potatoes can be used in sympathetic magick as well – perfect for a poppet. Now, combine the ingredients of the soup with (1) my mother’s love and her desire to make me well, (2) the energy she put into the cooking task, maybe a little humming or singing as she blended the (3) ingredients, and there’s a fine example of unintentional kitchen witchery.
I do want to address right up front using magick does not mean that you never have to do any work! In fact, some of the most adept and successful magick practitioners work the hardest. But, this does not have to be unnaturally difficult. In fact, the "work" should come easy – it shouldn’t feel like work. But, you will have to put in the time, energy, and dedication to becoming an adept kitchen witch. You will have to study, do a little research, and practice, practice, practice. Sometimes, things will come easily and move beautifully. Other times, you might have to begin anew to achieve your intended purpose.
And lastly, life is wonderful in that there are no guarantees, that there is no absolute destiny that you must adhere to. As the old adage says, you are the author of your own fate. Magick can help you get to where you want to be, but ultimately it is YOU who affects the way your life will unfold.
So, my fellow kitchen witch, it’s time to roll up those sleeves, don your magickal apron, and pick up your wooden spoon. (It’s your kitchen wand, you know!) With a little help from Sage Advice, you are going to start cooking up some magick!
Kitchen witchery is practiced intentionally and unintentionally. What do I mean by that? Simply put, some purposely cast spells for the greatest good right from the sacred space of their own kitchen. Others have been doing it all along, in varying degrees, and have never even heard the phrase, kitchen witchery. For example, think of eating comfort food when you are under the weather. When I was little and suffering from some nasty ailment, my mother would make homemade potato soup so that I would feel better more quickly – she did not make this particular soup at any other time. What were the ingredients? Obviously, potatoes. This root veggie, represented by the element of Earth (of course!) and ruled by the Moon, have significant healing and protective properties. Potatoes can be used in sympathetic magick as well – perfect for a poppet. Now, combine the ingredients of the soup with (1) my mother’s love and her desire to make me well, (2) the energy she put into the cooking task, maybe a little humming or singing as she blended the (3) ingredients, and there’s a fine example of unintentional kitchen witchery.
I do want to address right up front using magick does not mean that you never have to do any work! In fact, some of the most adept and successful magick practitioners work the hardest. But, this does not have to be unnaturally difficult. In fact, the "work" should come easy – it shouldn’t feel like work. But, you will have to put in the time, energy, and dedication to becoming an adept kitchen witch. You will have to study, do a little research, and practice, practice, practice. Sometimes, things will come easily and move beautifully. Other times, you might have to begin anew to achieve your intended purpose.
And lastly, life is wonderful in that there are no guarantees, that there is no absolute destiny that you must adhere to. As the old adage says, you are the author of your own fate. Magick can help you get to where you want to be, but ultimately it is YOU who affects the way your life will unfold.
So, my fellow kitchen witch, it’s time to roll up those sleeves, don your magickal apron, and pick up your wooden spoon. (It’s your kitchen wand, you know!) With a little help from Sage Advice, you are going to start cooking up some magick!
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