Kitchen Witch

Planet: Venus Element: Earth Lore: Wheat has long played a part in the human diet. After rice, it’s the second-most commonly used grain for human food, and was first cultivated during the Neolithic ag...

(Pucium miliacaeum) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: In ancient China, grains of millet were used as a unit of measure: ten millet grains placed end to end constituted one inch, on...

This ancient Celtic festival lives on in the United States and in other countries as Halloween, a degraded version of both the earlier Pagan holiday as well as the later Christian variant—All Hallow’s...

Pantries were once common to every home. Today, most of us fill cupboards with staples and canned foods. The pantry is ruled by the element of earth and the moon; because it is a container that houses...

Another rationale for vegetarianism seems to be that meat is a poison. It’s true that much of the meat eaten today in the United States is injected with growth hormones and is too fatty for sustaining...

Lughnasadh is the first harvest—the promise of spring’s planting realized. Sometimes known as the Feast of Bread, Lughnasadh is a time for kneading, baking, slicing, and eating this basic food. Lughna...

(Lycopersicon spp.) Element: Water Energies: Health, money, love, protection Lore: Known as zictomatl by the Aztecs,the tomato is an ancient food. When it was introduced into Europe in the sixteenth c...

(Olea europaea) Planet: Sun Element: Air Energies: Spirituality, health, peace, sex Lore: The olive was sacred to Aten in ancient Egypt. Olive oil, which was in great demand in the ancient world, actu...

(Cucumus sativus) Planet: Moon Element: Water Energies: Peace, healing Lore: Fresh cucumbers were once placed under swooning women’s noses (remember swooning?). The odor was supposed to rouse them fro...

(Beta vulgaris) Planet: Saturn Element: Earth Energies: Love, beauty Lore: Beets have been eaten for centuries by persons wishing to lengthen their life spans. Aphrodite, the ancient Greek goddess of ...

(Fagopyrum esculentum) Planet: Jupiter Element: Earth Energies: Money Lore: Buckwheat pancakes are common enough in the United States, but few seem to know the magical history behind buckwheat itself....

Altar Cloth Amulets, Talismans, Jewelry Athame’ or sharp Knife Baskets Beads Bells (brass or glass?) Book of Shadows Bowls, Platters, Pitcher Candles and Holders Capes and/or Robes Cauldron Censor or ...

Many cultures celebrate the New Year, but not always on the same date. Japanese and Chinese New Year festivals, for example, fall on different days each year (according to our calendar). The pre-Chris...

About prayer: if you don’t subscribe to any particular religion, and haven’t been in the habit of praying before meals, there’s no reason for you to begin to do so. Prior to eating, simply attune with...

Planet: Mercury Element: Fire Energies: Sex, peace, psychic awareness, weight loss Lore: Roman women ate celery to increase their sexual appetites. Magical uses: This plant’s aphrodisiac powers have l...

(Glycine max) Planet: Moon Element: Earth Energies: Protections, psychic awareness, spirituality Lore: We know soy in two forms: soy sauce and tofu. While soy sauce has always enjoyed popularity in th...