This morning, a close friend and I did this Emotional Healing Spell together after services at our local UU Church. It was lovely, peaceful, and best of all, a cat came by to help us out….! We had tweaked it somewhat to suit our situation but not much.  This spell makes some nice lemonade. “When Life gives you lemons, make lemonade!”

http://www.sistersincelebration.org/Spell/EmotionalHealingSpell.pdf

Knowing if you are pagan is relatively simple, but choosing your path is a little more complex. There are literally hundreds of pagan paths and sub-paths that a pagan practitioner can follow. About the only way to figure out which path to choose is through research or teachings.

INTRODUCTION
Kitchen Witchery is a simple Pagan practice that is often associated with the practice of Wicca. However, as with many pagan paths, KitchenWitchery can adapt to many different paths, it all depends on the practitioner. The general populace of Kitchen Witches tends to be women, but males certainly can be Kitchen Witches if they feel that is their chosen path. It is one of the more simple practices or paths to follow because it does not involve a lot of ritual or set up. It is an earth-based practice that focuses on the hearth and home being the center of life and family. Being that it is so low-key, many Kitchen Witches can practice with very little notice or speculation from outsiders. A Kitchen Witch turns the mundane into magick.

Kitchen Witches can use a variety of spells or resources to accomplish their desires and means but generally, stays rooted in anything that is earth and home-based. The spells that tend to make up the majority of a Kitchen Witches’ spell book might be anything that comprises of work with gemstones (precious, semi-precious and river rocks), crystals, string or knot magick (witch ladders), divining (tarot, pendulums, prophecy pebbles, runes), use of the elements (fire, water, earth, air and sometimes spirit), herbs (for healing and for aroma), essential oils, and candles (certain colors signify certain properties).

ALTAR or MAGICKAL ITEMS
A Kitchen Witch is certainly allowed to use any item that feels comfortable or useable to them. However, most Kitchen Witches tend to use everyday items as altar or magickal items. For example, a wooden spoon can become a wand; a cup or bowl can become a chalice or vessel; kitchen knifes can be used as athames; a broom can become a staff; a slow cooker (crockpot) or cooking pot can be used as a cauldron. A kitchen counter, table or chopping board can become an altar. And, of course, a mortar and pestle are essential for Kitchen Witches (for grinding or herbs or sea salt). Mortar and pestles are often common for cooks to use to grind fresh or dried herbs. It is best to use items made of natural materials such as a straw broom or a wooden spoon; however, for items that do not come in natural materials, it is fine to use what is available. A Kitchen Witches’ magick comes from within and not without. Some natural materials to look for when purchasing kitchenware that will still comply with Kitchen Witchery is: glass, wood, metal, ceramics and pottery.

WHAT THEY DO
Kitchen Witches are very attune with nature, family and animals. They will use essential oils or incense for aromatherapy, home remedies for minor illness and minor wounds (this does not mean that a Kitchen Witch or any pagan practitioner should seek religious or homeopathic cures, always consult a doctor) and turn the everyday mundane life into a magickal moment.

Kitchen Witches do not put foreign items into food in order to cast spells, but can imbue foods with magick but stating a simple spell over the food. Kitchen Witches will not cast spells on people without their knowledge and slipping something into food certainly breaks this rule and can cause a potential health hazard. Kitchen Witches, generally speaking, love to cook and love their kitchen. They will take pride in their food and recipes, therefore, doing nothing to jeopardize this.

A Kitchen Witch can use food to heal, to bring out emotions, or to bring people closer together. A simple spell that imbues food with power may be something like making homemade chicken noodle soup. Once the soup is in the bowl a Kitchen Witch can utter a short incantation or prayer that will bring forth healing powers to the person who eats the soup.

Someone who practices Kitchen Witchery might also use foods or herbs for healing, for beauty treatments, as protective spells around the home, or other such practices that goes beyond just food. Even cleaning can become a ritual. There are many spells involving the use of a mop or broom. Many “cleansings” that Pagan practitioners do, involve literally cleaning the space before doing the spiritual cleansing.

SYMBOLS
A Kitchen Witch can adapt any symbol that feels comfortable to them. But, there are some base symbols that are recognized as being “kitchen witchery” symbols.

Symbols for Kitchen Witchery involve household items such as a cauldron and broom (in Pagan terms a broom is known as, Besom), corn dollies (dolls made out of corn husk), witch figurines, triquetra, witches’ knot and the pentacle (5-pointed star in a circle. The 5 points represent the 5 elements). A Kitchen Witch may also use a that represents their God/Goddess.

GODDESSES
A Kitchen Witch honors a Goddesses or feminine aspect for their higher diety. In the pastimes the kitchen was always the responsibility of the woman (or women) of the household. Some common Goddesses associated with Kitchen Witchery might include:
1. Brigid, a Celtic goddess associated with fertility, feminine creativity, martial arts and healing (sometimes seen as Brigit).
2. Hestia, the Greek Goddess of hearth, fire, and family (Roman name is Vesta).
3. Hera, a Greek Goddess who is often thought to be the “mother” of the other Gods/Goddesses. She and Zeus were married and Hera is generally thought to be the Goddess of married women.
4. Hecate, this Goddess is often associated with wilderness and childbirth and is often thought to be a Greek Goddess.

ELEMENTS
Kitchen Witches also work with the elements. There are generally thought to be 4 elements: fire, air, water, earth, but many practices also consider a fifth element: spirit. The elements come into play with a simple act of cooking. The water used in cooking, or the juices of the foods, represent the element of water. The heat used for cooking represents the element of fire. The steam that comes off of food represents the element of air. And the element of earth is represented in the foods that either come from the earth or come from animals.

With a little thought and creativity, meals can also be prepared that represent the 4 elements. Vegetables that contain a lot of water can be used to represent water, meat or bread can represent earth, or the colors of foods can represent the elements. For example, foods in the red, orange and yellow category would represent fire. Study what each element is comprised of (properties, colors, etc) and find a food that fits. Hot peppers or spices could represent fire because of the heat they produce.

SABBATS
A Kitchen Witch can celebrate any days that are special to them, but generally the 8 Sabbats as celebrated in Wicca are followed: Yule or Winter Solstice (Dec 21st), Imbolc (Feb 2nd), Ostara or Spring Equinox (Mar. 21st), Beltane or May Day (May 1st), Litha or Summer Solstice (June 21st), Lughnassadh (Aug. 1st), Mabon or Autumn Equinox (Sept 21st) and Samhain (Oct. 31st-Nov. 1st). A Kitchen Witch may also follow the seasons (especially if they fancy themselves a gardener) and the moon phases. Certain spells and gardening tips are done best by certain moon phases. Full moon rituals are called “Esbats” and are often honored by Kitchen Witches.

RESOURCES
A Kitchen Witch should do what feels right in her heart. For more information typing in “kitchen witch” into any internet search engine will produce a wide variety of results. There are many books involving the topic of “kitchen witchery” as well. A Kitchen Witch may also use family recipes, folklore, family traditions, home remedies, cook books, the Farmer’s Almanac, and old wives’ tales or superstitions (great for simple spells or wards) for additional information. It is best to gather information from a variety of sources and copy them into a “Book of Shadows” that can be in the form of a journal, 3-ring binger or on computer for easy reference.

Always do research or consult a doctor before ingesting anything or using homemade recipes for medicinal purposes. Certain health conditions cannot allow the use of certain herbs or essential oils. Always consult a doctor or emergency services for any major illness or wound.

CONCLUSION
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but a Kitchen Witch will view the entire home and yard as a sacred space rather than having just one room that is designed or fitted for ritual.

Kitchen Witchery is one of the simplest paths to follow and holds its basic rules in Wicca (power of 3, Wiccan Rede, rule of 3) and its sayings stem from traditional Wiccan sayings (so mote it be, blessed be, merry meet). It is a path to follow if interested in recycling, gardening, the earth, animals (does not mean that a Kitchen Witch has to be vegan or vegetarian) and views their house as a sacred space to call home rather than just a place to live.

Other practices are similar to Kitchen Witch are: Greenwitch and Herbal Witch.

A Brief History of Wicca and Its Origins

This article is not about how Wiccans are misunderstood, or how witchcraft isn’t “evil”, but merely worshiping nature. There are plenty of those articles already. Instead, this article deals with the most misunderstood facet of Wicca among its own followers – its history and origins.

It seems strange that those who have the deepest misconceptions about Wicca are the Wiccans themselves. Many believe that Wicca is a direct link to the ancient Celtic religion of pre-Christian days. Others believe that it was totally made up by a bunch of new-age hippies in the 20th Century. Both views have valid points, but neither is entirely correct.

Wicca began in a far different form than its current incarnation. Following the Christianization of the Celtic lands, and the destruction of the Druidic fellowship, many people were left wanting to hold to the old ways, but stripped of their spiritual guidance. These people paid lip service to the new faith, in order to avoid the same fate as those who openly refuted Christianity, but had precious little of their own heritage left to them.

To fill the void, a loose order of “Wise Ones” arose. These individuals, mostly village shamans and healers, preserved what little remained of the old ways as best they were able. Though often no two would agree on the exact methods of ceremonies, or the reasons behind them, it is through their heroic efforts, under threat of death for heresy from the Christian Church, that any remnant of the authentic Celtic culture has been passed down to us today. After all, written records were not an option at the time: neither were they available, nor were they safe for those doing the writing.

These Wise Ones passed on the ancient myths, legends, fables, and stories, from generation to generation, orally, and centuries went by. Sometimes the Wise Ones would band together for mutual protection. Occasionally, they would put their knowledge into practice, forming worship groups, keeping the faith they guarded alive. More often, though, the secrets they held remained hidden. Because of that, much of the knowledge that remains to the present has been altered by the interpretations, mistakes, and personal beliefs of those who have kept these secrets through all the long years. Bloodlines merged, along with their own versions of the histories, split apart, and sometimes vanished altogether. Information became distorted and lost. Yet, still the guardians carried on, through strife and inquisition, as best they were able. The truth, what remained of it, was hunted – and so were they.

In the early 20th Century, a number of unique factors combined that changed the nature of Western society. For one, Einstein’s Relativity was conclusively proven in 1919, with the solar eclipse over Brazil and Principe, giving rise to a new scientific revolution. The Great War had ended, and the stage was being set for the next one. The world was in an unusual limbo, and the grip of the Church, faltering since the Renaissance, finally gave way to independent thought amongst the “average” people.

In this strange time, where free thought amongst the masses was finally returning, some thought to explore the curiosities of the world around them. Some were bitter over the life they’d led under the Church’s spiritual tyranny, and thought to rebel. In England, these groups of people collided.

In 1921, famed Egyptologist Margaret Murray published The Witch Cult in Western Europe. The work led to an explosion of interest in what Murray researched and presented as “a survival of an ancient Pagan tradition.” It wasn’t until years later that Gerald Gardner (aka Scrire), a one-time Satanist, published his own books that formed modern Wicca.

Gardner combined what he’d learned from Murray and her authentic witches, what ancient tales that remained that he could lay his hands on, and bits and pieces from other philosophies and faiths to fill in the blanks.

Gardner’s works gave birth to the Neo-Pagan movement, of which modern Wicca is a part. For example, the concept of one God and one Goddess is not, technically speaking, a Celtic tradition, as the Celts had a whole pantheon of various divine beings. However, a case may be made that the ancients believed that all divinities were aspects of the same ‘one power’. Whether Gardner was aware of this obscure possibility, or was simply importing ideology from Plato is unclear.

Likewise, the notion of ‘four elements’ is Greek in origin. The Celts, along with the early Germans, Norse, and others, held that Fire was not an “element”, but a link between the three physical “elements” of Earth, Air, and Water, and the spirit realm.

Following Gardner, Wicca degenerated from a single cult-like melting-pot faith into a patchwork blanket of religio-philosophy. It seemed that everyone had an idea, and every idea had its followers. The growth of the various Wiccan belief systems continued until the mid 20th Century, when the very free-thinking “hippies” got their hands on it. From that point, Wicca exploded into a veritable cornucopia of nature-based faiths. From Faeries to the Four Winds, every aspect of ancient myth was drawn upon, regardless of the culture of origin, and a new faith was based on it.

Today, Wicca is not the same as the ancient traditions passed down from the Wise Ones of old. Though it carries many of the traditions, ceremonies, and even legends of the old religion, it is a New Age reinterpretation of what material was publicly available.

Despite that, and the various Neo-Pagan separatist faiths that Wicca has spawned, it is undeniable that Wicca is descendant from the remnant of the ancient Celtic beliefs. There has been a lot of evolution (or corruption/pollution, depending on your perspective), yet the core of Wicca ultimately comes down from that one primary source. Were it not for the acts of the Wise Ones, preserving what little remained, and inspiring others, there can be no doubt that some form of New Age Aquarian-ish faith would have taken shape – but it is unlikely that it would resemble anything so beautiful, if confused and diverse, as the Wicca we have today.

Though it would be, technically, incorrect to say that the Wise Ones of old were “Wiccan”, or even the Witch-cults Murray researched for her books, the name remains, and is applied, justifiably, to link the entire lineage together, to promote the values of individual truth above and beyond doctrine and dogma that sustained all those believers from that day to this, and, most of all, to honor all those who have suffered, burned, and died for putting “Faith” above “Religion”. In that way, more than any other, Wicca is the same today as it was when the Celts were still Celts.

Wicca is, ultimately, a return to the dominance of soul over scripture. In that way, Wicca is the Way of the Wise Ones.

Myth 1 – “Tarot cards can predict the future”

Predicting the future is not difficult we can all do it. If for example you know someone who is consistently spending more than they earn and paying for it by building up a credit card debt then it’s not hard to predict where that one is heading. Or if you know someone who is expecting a baby you may, based on experience, accurately predict that they will have many months of sleep deprivation and tiredness ahead of them. The Tarot does little more than this. It has centuries of human experience distilled into a simple philosophy and meaning for each card. Another way to look at it is to say the Tarot doesn’t make precise predictions of the future it merely allows us glimpses at some of the likely possibilities.

Myth 2 – “The Tarot come from Ancient Egypt”

The earliest that Tarot can be dated back to is 16th century Italy. There is no evidence of Tarot existing anywhere else in the world prior to this. Some people claim the cards derive from India or China but this is also baseless speculation.

Myth 3 – “Receiving the Death card means someone is about to die”

Unlikely. The whole point of the symbolism of the cards is that they represent deeper life truths. To take any of the cards literally would be to miss out on a layers of meaning and insight. In the case of the Death card, to the medieval mind Death represented an inevitable change and often a passing to a better place. The card represents change and evolution. One can’t, however, rule out the possibility of this occasionally actually signifying a death.

Myth 4 – “Reading Tarot is dabbling in the occult”

There are many claims that the Tarot have Pagan, witchcraft or shamanic roots and some have even implicated the Tarot in devil worship and satanic rites. Another frequent claim is that the Tarot derives from ancient religions now forgotten. None of this is true. Tarot , as has already been said, originated in medieval Italy and the predominant cultural backdrop of that time was christian. The symbolism of the cards is either christian or jewish – new testament or old. The word ‘occult’ merely means ‘hidden’ so in that sense one could say taking a reading is dealing with the occult because one is trying to reveal what is hidden.

Myth 5 – “Reading your own cards will bring misfortune”

This is one which professional readers and those experienced with the cards know not to be true but which often gets repeated. It may have arisen from the fact that Tarot card readers will avoid reading their own cards. Not because it is unlucky but simply because it is not effective. A good Tarot reading requires three parties; the questioner, the reader and the deck. The reader tries to remain objective and reports to the questioner what the cards are saying without any bias or desire to hear a particular message. Playing this role for your own reading is difficult if not impossible.

Myth 6 – “You need to have some psychic ability to read the Tarot”

Most people can learn to read the Tarot to a lesser or greater extent. No psychic powers are necessary because all the wisdom is in the cards and the meanings which have been developed over the years. In fact if one was psychic why would you need to use the Tarot? Tarot works best when the reader drops their preconceptions and feelings about a problem and just lets the cards do the talking.

Myth 7 – “Nobody should ever handle your Tarot deck”

There are some practitioners that wont let anyone else touch their Tarot cards. Even when they carry out a reading they wont allow the questioner to shuffle the deck for themselves. In my experience this precious attitude comes from those who want to build up themselves and their deck to be something special. A control thing if you like. This is against the spirit of Tarot which promotes open enquiry and sharing of understanding. Allowing clients to shuffle the cards helps them to feel a part of the process and focus on the problem at hand.

Myth 8 “The Tarot can be used to cast spells or effect other people”

It is sometimes thought that the Tarot can be used to make things happen rather than predict them. To influence someone’s life from afar, for good or evil. This is a long way from what the cards are actually about, which is simply gaining understanding. There is no reason to believe that the Tarot has any power other than that of insight. One of the frequent messages that comes out of Tarot readings is actually how little ability we sometimes have to influence our own lives let alone someone else’s. Put in a nutshell the Tarot would probably say ‘get your own act together before you try to change others’.

Myth 9 – “Different decks give different readings”

This is slightly subjective but in my experience, no. Whatever the deck the meanings derived over four centuries remain the same. Different people will however relate more warmly to some decks rather than others and the images that the client is most comfortable with will create the best atmosphere for a reading. A cynical person might suspect this myth is propagated by the deck manufacturers.

Myth 10 – “It is dangerous to have too many Tarot readings”

There is a belief that people who become obsessed with Tarot and keep taking one reading after another bring themselves bad luck or even risk pushing themselves over the edge. This maybe true in as much as seeking constant advice can be a sign of some sort of impending crisis. Such people may also have been close to the edge anyway. The main thing is that too much advice is bad for anyone and only leads to confusion.

by Linda Ann Stewart

I had a friend who learned Transcendental Meditation and practiced almost every day. She felt happier, more relaxed, even blissful as long as she meditated. If she missed a few days, she found that she didn’t feel much different than before she began to meditate. Although she felt better when she meditated, it wasn’t solving her underlying problems.

I’ve known many people who’ve used spirituality and meditation as a way of avoiding dealing with their issues. Since they feel good when they’re pursuing a spiritual path, guru, or new technique, they think that will make all the uncomfortable stuff dissolve and go away. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work that way. Spirituality is no more a magic bullet than anything else.

According to Lawrence LeShan, a psychotherapist, meditation teacher and author of “How To Meditate,” meditation can help strengthen the structure of our personality, making us better able to deal with our challenges. And it may give us more insight into our issues, but meditation doesn’t do away with them. It may reduce overall anxiety, make us feel safe, therefore better able to face ourselves, but we still need to do the internal work needed to bring about change.

Anything that allows us to feel bliss and euphoria, whether it’s drugs, lust, romatic love, alcohol, achievement, spirituality or meditation, can become addicting. We become enthralled to the feeling and want to repeat it as often as possible. It makes the bad feelings fade away. Spirituality is a healthier escape than any of the others, but it still can be an escape. We need to ask ourselves, “What am I trying to escape from or avoid?”

There needs to be a balance and a grounding at the same time. Getting carried away with bliss can mean not attending to day to day affairs, such as paying the bills, eating right, and having healthy relationships. I knew a woman like this. She was so wrapped up in her pursuit of peace that when she received a chunk of money in a settlement, she didn’t want to be bothered by trying to invest it. Instead, she gave the money to a friend to invest it for her. Unfortunately, the friend put it in a high risk investment, which failed, and she lost all of her money. The euphoria from spirituality and meditation doesn’t erase our personal responsiblities.

We seek to recognize our wholeness through spirituality and meditation. Instead of feeling like we have a “hole in our soul,” spirituality helps us to understand that we are truly whole and complete as we are. It allows us to be more fully present in our world and expand our awareness of who we are. But as long as it’s being used to avoid our feelings and deep issues, we can’t move forward. We’re either resisting discomfort or moving toward wholeness. We can’t do both.

We have to be able to balance our spiritual practices with our everyday and emotional lives. Spirituality and meditation gives us a sense of connection that we can then take into the rest of our experience. When we are able to acknowledge our issues, work through them, and accept all of ourselves, we’re honoring our spiritual essence.

Copyright 2007 Linda Ann Stewart

The types of candles in Wicca depend on the reason for burning the candle. Votive candles are one of the types of candles in Wicca, but these are mainly used for light. They are short and stubby and are usually placed in a cup or other small container. Votive candles also take up less space so that more of them can be placed on a Wicca altar. There are many places where you can buy the types of candles in Wicca at wholesale prices. These retailers sell a variety of other Wicca supplies as well.

For use in Wicca, taper candles are another of the types of candles. In Wicca, these candles are long and slender and the wax drippings are allowed to collect in a pan or a plate placed under the candle. When you buy wholesale Wiccan candles and supplies, you can also buy the special pans you need for the taper candles. The wax drippings are read in a manner very similar to that of reading tealeaves. If a reading is not required, taper candles are often placed in elegant candleholders. At the wholesale store, you can buy them in various heights and diameters.

Jar candles are one of the types of candles in Wicca that have a special purpose. They are made by pouring colored wax into a clear jar or by pouring clear wax into a colored jar, Those involved in Wicca can get both the wax and the jars at retailers that sell wholesale Wiccan candles and supplies. These candles are anointed, although only the top of the candle receives the anointing.

There are also specialty candles used in Wicca. These include types of candles in Wicca dedicated to a Christian Saint or Voodoo Loa. These candles, which are available at wholesale Wiccan candles and supplies stores, have designs and signatures printed on the outside of the glass container. They are jar candles and each different candle comes with instructions about how to use it in Wicca. Another of the types of candles used in Wicca are candles formed in the shape of a cross. They come in black, white, green and red and they are mainly used as altar pieces.

If you want to see all the different types of candles in Wicca, a trip to a retailer selling wholesale Wiccan candles and supplies would be very informative. You will see male and female figurine candles that are burned either face to face or back to back. Burning this type of candle in Wicca face to face is intended to form a bond, but burning it back to back denotes banishment. Seven Day Knob candles are another of the types of candles in Wicca. You burn one knob on each of seven days to cast a spell with this candle.