Kitchen Witch

[jul511riv]

Howdy all. This thread is to discuss the magical or other energies of food. We can talk about how to cook it/eat it use it work with it WHATEVER.

Let's start with salt and please add your own. We will pull from traditions all the world over if enough people are into it...

SALT

Judaism: for cleansing from the Evil Eye...toss some outside the front door or on the floor/bed or room or all the openings from the house to the outside to "cleanse" the space.

can imbibe it for inner cleansing. Dip Challah bread in it every shabbat before eating.

[Panserbjorne]

Oh I'm SO in! I'll be back after kiddos go to bed. I dabble quite a bit with kitchen witchery and have the strongest draw to herbs and flowers. Thanks for this awesome idea!

[MyLittleWonders]

I am so in too ... and I too have a very strong pull towards herbs. I'm beginning to realize that the kitchen is my temple ... I prepare most of our food (dh does cook sometimes too) and have decided that cooking for me needs to be more than just throwing food together, but rather, I want it to evolve into a supreme act of worship and love (worship of the Earth from which we get our food and love for the living things that gave their life for ours and also love for my family who will be eating what I make). I think we can totally affect the energy of our food and drink based on our intentions with it.

Salt ... I know nothing about salt except lately I've been craving it. I have read before about cleansing with salt or salt water. I will have to do some studying.

[Panserbjorne]

eh-they're clearly not interested in going to bed

I have to say that several years ago I had a reading with an intuitive that I had enlisted to help with my two very food allergic kids. I didn't "know" at that point that they were allergic and I kinda wish it had stayed that way...but that's another story. The point is that she told me it was vitally important for my kids to bless their food. That their vibrations were off and if they could connect in a spiritual way, giving thanks then they would handle it far better. So I'm right there with ya MLW.

And if you are into Emoto's work then you KNOW how much intention has to do with it!

Back to the subject at hand...

I use fresh and dried herbs as well as flowers regularly. My kids pick their blends and it fascinates me daily. Dd cannot drink an infusion without flowers...she *needs* their energy. Rose hips and hibiscus are her top two. She is very otherworldly and the flowers ground her somewhat...their energy allows her I think to see the beauty of this life. They make a real difference.

We gather many of our herbs and their nourishing qualities are far greater when we have communed with them as live plants. Anyone read Anastasia? She describes it perfectly and I finally understood what we had been experiencing after reading the books.

We use salt and herbs to cleanse our stones...kiddos wear amber necklaces and they are always cleansed in the moonlight at full moon in a saltwater bath with each kid's herbs.

I know for us different foods have different magical/energetic qualities. Herbs are elevating, which root vegetables are grounding. Fruit is really magical to me, as are many spices. I also have a strong pull to ancient recipes. I can feel ancestors around me as I go through the motions. It's so amazing to be connected in that way. Again, makes the food more nourishing I feel like.

I went through a period of time where food was my enemy. I missed out on the beauty of it. I am thrilled to be recapturing a connection and finding the magic again. The earth has such amazing gifts.

Sorry to be so scattered...I just wanted to get out what's in my head. I promise to be more clear once they actually drift off!

[MyLittleWonders]

Not to be too OT, but what is the significance with amber necklaces?

[Panserbjorne]

Amber is analgesic and anti-inflammatory...amazing for pain. Also great for allergies. IT draws negative energy and purifies...but as a result it also holds the negativity and needs to be cleansed.

Many use them as teething necklaces (because they work so darn well for pain!) but we use them for healing in general.

Here's one link:
http://www.amber.com.pl/eng/amber/am...c_medicine.php

Supported by scientific research, the faith in the beneficial properties of amber proved to be justified. Amber acid was discovered to act as a biostimulant: it stimulates the nervous system, regulates the work of kidneys and intestines, it is an anti-inflammatory and antitoxic agent. This ingredient is the basis for ointments and creams to treat rheumatic and asthmatic ailments, skin ulcerations and irritations, bronchial, throat and thyroid conditions. The acid and oil obtained from amber are also used in the cosmetics industry as they destroy free radicals and bacteria, have disinfectant properties and alleviate the effects of burns and insect bites.

[Meiri]

I'd read that mined salt, as opposed to the more common evaporated process salt, has minerals in it that are good for you--and perhaps balance the sodium which is not all healthy.

On the "magical" level, I stir whatever I'm making with intention, though I don't usually do any special ingredients for magical purposes in our meals. OTOH, I will choose certain meals for the Celtic holidays, usually Salmon (wild if I can get it), which we love.

[Sage_SS]

Ooooh! This thread is great! I'm so back here as soon as I'm done with dinner!

: : :

[MyLittleWonders]

I didn't know that about amber except the teething necklace part. We have allergies here. Like you said, I wish I didn't know about them. Right now, it's only gluten and any artificial ingredient (though coloring is the biggest culprit), but cutting those two basically eliminates anything out (we do have 2 places we'll frequent and honestly we shouldn't be eating out, but that's another thread ), and makes it very hard to eat anything at anyone's house. So, I try to be on top of my game with always packing food.

Oh, and I really like what little I know of Emoto's work. What amazing stuff there.

Today I cleaned my pantry (boy did it need it - it was insanely cluttered in there) and rediscovered all my herbs. I also have a pretty good order coming from Mountain Rose Herbs. I plan on making dream pillows for us all. But, I really want to learn more about using herbs - both medicinally and magickally.

Ok, rambling, and I need to go cut hairs for heavy metal analysis tests.

[jul511riv]

oooh, okay, I'm so excited about this thread taking off. Maybe we'll end up with a TRIBE one day.

I LOVE hearing about everyone's picks and intentions and lore. So enriching!

Okay, as for me, I feel flowers are not so grounding at all, which just goes to show the other thing about magic/herbs/aromatherepy (which we use not only with EO's but also with the SMELLS coming out of the kitchen!)/etc...and that is that we all have different associations. Much like dream anaylysis, there are some standard defalt interpretations, but we also have our specific "quirks" and meanings and it is always good to ASK when treating others how they FEEL about things, if they DO feel anything at all or carry around any associations. Then I think it is important to KNOW the vibration of the food/herb/oil we are working with and what that might say about someone. For example, a friend told me that her husband was having some issues and that he is OBSESSED with cinnamon lately. This tells me that the bottom line of the issues revolve around MONEY because energetically and magically or however you want to call it, cinnamon is attracting money, when used for those purposes. So, even though her husband wasn't doing this with any intention, or knowingly, his soul/spirit/psyche WAS craving the foods/herbs that could help him out with the underlying concerns. After speaking with her husband, she was able to confirm that, yes, in fact the underlined issue IS about money. Of course I looked like a genius, or some Wise Woman but it just so happens that cinnamon is one of those herbs that I know somethign about.

For me, any thing with the spice of cinnamon or a cinnamon compliment (neroli/orange/ginger/clove/etc...) would all radiate at that same vibration, which I intuitively KNOW and isn't something I've read or researched per ce, but that is just how it FEELS to me. So when she asked her husband about trying other foods/herbs and he mentioned all of the above, that just confirmed for me that he was in a frantic, frenetic, frenzied state about this money issue. Now, I don't believe in pulling from the body what it needs and perhaps he really TRULY NEEDS this, so I decided to beef things up a bit (beef...no pun intended) and not try to TAKE AWAY any of these things, but recommended they burn in a diffuser just a dash of cinnamon in water or annoint a candle with it or hang it on his computer where he works and the money issue is stemming from. THis will get that smell (aromatherepy) with him in a low dosage, ever present and draw money to him and put those vibrations to work for him, if that is where HaShem (G-d) wants them to be. I also recommended taking clove (a compliment) and buring with lavendar before bed. Just a way to mellow out and ground the energy associated with this issue. I also recommended adding a floral tea, such as chamemile or jasmine to help calm and soothe with this issue, in addition to his regular "high vibration" teas.

I recommended eating a plain baked potato (root vegetable, dealing with the ROOT of the problem and also GROUNDING) with some salt (cleansing) and butter (magical feminine aspect of G-d/dess, how ever you want to look at it) to give him some nurturing and also like breastmilk to let him know that he has all he needs and can feel relaxed and calm with what he has going on there. I made other food recommendations based on intuitive symbolism and the energies/ideas that came to me as I talked with my friend about her and her husband and the energy in the house.

So far so good.

As far as cooking, I work intuitively (one reason I can't "plan" meals much ahead of time) based on what the family needs. Sometimes I will intentionally TRY to put herbs/foods on the table that I KNOW would help with a current situation. The way to a man's heart is through his stomach...well this has new meaning when you realize that the intention behind food and the magic and power behind what G-d has given us is so profound.

Anyway, I have a LOT to say on the issue, and look forward to having discussions with others who feel the same!



YAY!

:

[KoalaMama]

I'm jumping in!

I absolutely believe in the power of intentions with food (or anything else). I think it was firefaery that mentioned Emoto's work? I'll give a huge second to that recommendation. Hidden Messages in Water is well worth the read.

I also feel quite drawn to herbs and flowers. I think part of the beauty/draw for me with herbs and flowers in particular is that I can get exposure through tea, which has been easier than cooking/injesting in other food forms.

Learning about herbs and flowers and wildcrafting is a major part of our home education plan. I am learning alongside my kids, and it's a beautiful thing! We'll be planting our first garden this year. :

[Panserbjorne]

No, flowers aren't particularly grounding for me...but dd is not quite in this world. They really serve to tie her here. You're right, it's very individual.

I don't tend to use herbs medicinally, but I use them in the same way nutritionally that others might medicinally...if that makes sense. They are foods to us to be utilized and incorporated when the vibration is right. I don't often use them in times of sickness for the purpose of getting well (ie matching up herbs to specific functions.) Meaning I don't use echinacea for instance if we have a cold coming on...but I will use nettles. They are not antibacterial/antiviral but they are nourishing and the chlorophyll is amazing stuff!

Smells are so big for me too! I love using oils/spices for an energetic shift.

Have you read Full Moon Feast? I love how she addresses the folklore of food.

[Aeress]

I don't use flowers in cooking...it has more to do with pesticide contamination from the local grape fields than anything.

I find that when I cook with herbs, I feel rejuvinated. Infact, I need to start more indoor herbs...I have a great cookbook that I use alot. The Wicca Cookbook...it talks to the wheel of the year and the history.

I offer different herbs at different sabbats.

[CariOfOz]

Originally Posted by brendon

I find that when I cook with herbs, I feel rejuvinated. Infact, I need to start more indoor herbs...I have a great cookbook that I use alot. The Wicca Cookbook...it talks to the wheel of the year and the history.

I have that one, it's got some neat recipes in it I'm definitely leaning towards the kitchen witchery side of things... I love to cook & bake .. today we are connecting with the lovely properties of rosemary (in the crock pot.. with the lamb lol) I tend to do more cooking with herbs as opposed to teas/tinctures etc. (rosemary healing properties here

A question.. I found on an Ayurveda site this

:Menstrual Disorders
Cooked banana flower eaten with curd is considered an effective medicine for menstrual disorders like painful menstruation and excessive bleeding. Banana flower helps increase progesterone hormone which reduces the bleeding.

does anyone know if the banana itself carries any of these properties? Cause ye gods I'm crampy & feeling awful (heading over to the red tent thread asap) and just happen to have a loaf of banana bread in the oven.. might this be a good excuse to have a big chunk?

[BurtsGirl]

Jumping on board, this is definately a subject I want to learn more on!

[BurtsGirl]

So I went to Amazon and was looking around for some kitchen witch-y books. I had no idea there are so many. Anyone have any recommendations? I did already check out the Witches Cookbook

[Sage_SS]

What the?? I could have sworn I posted in here last night...
Maybe I was dream posting..

Anyways I use alot of herbs in the kitchen, on nearly everything I make. I'm still learning the magickal and medicinal qualities of them so its a step by step process. I'm incorporating herbs and kitchen witchery into our home school program and that way I'll be learning with the girls.
I use salt in all my magickal workings. I use it to cleanse and ground. I use alot of clove, sage and allspice as well.

So I'll be : and I'll share what I know when my topics come up!

[MyLittleWonders]

I just received and started reading Susan Weed's Healing Wise book. (I had a nice big order from Mountain Rose Herbs. ). I dabble here and there for now (last night I made "happy dream milk" for us all with fresh peppermint leaves, lavendar flowers, catnip, and chamomile steeped in heated milk), but want to make it a regular part of who I am.

Here is my first calendula flower of the year. I planted the seeds last year but it decided to join us this past month. Now I need to very careful up-root it and replant it at our new house in March ...

I'm also very interested in learning more about salt and it's magickal use. I know we are going to use salt and/or salt water to cleanse and bless our new home when we move (after we smudge it ... it is my childhood home and I want to give us a fresh start in it). But, I know very little about salt and definitely have no rituals in using it.

[GoldBerry]

Interesting thread!

For me, the spirituality of the everyday is the foundation of my spirituality. Dare I say, it is even more- holidays or sabbats are becoming more just like the cream on the top for me. Cooking dinner was not something that came naturally to me- I was not a good cook and it seem like a Sisyphean task that tormented me. Sometime over the last few years, I've embraced it and honored it. It is a chore, but it is a sacred chore that uses the gifts of the Earth and nourishes me and my family.

To start off, I would give these three sacred items as a basis for about every meal I make: Olive oil, garlic and salt.

Olive oil: An ancient and revered substance that has been used medicinally, magically- just about in every way! A great book on this subject is Olives: The Life and Lore of a Noble Fruit by Mort Rosenblum. I think about all the thousands of years the people have used olive oil: ancient Greek athletes rubbing on their bodies, houses lighted by it's glow, and all the sacred purposes of this noble fruit. I pour it into the pan and am thankful and connected to all those people that have been thankful for it in the past. I long to visit Crete and taste the olive oil of the ancient trees there.

Garlic: I have grown our garlic in the past and it is a great pleasure. Such a beautiful and easy plant to grow! I love to watch it's parallel veined leaves grow so quickly and so strong ( the scientific name for garlic is Allium sativumand it is a monocot). I adore the curving, sensual flower buds that snake up- but, I never feel sad about cutting them off before they flower (they taste wonderful lightly sauted with olive oil and the plant needs to put it's energy into the bulb). Garlic's medicinal qualities are widely known- it's a antibiotic and anti-fungal. We're all familiar with the superstition that garlic keeps away vampires- I don't fear vampires, but I've been known to put a garlic clove on a door jam or window as a protective boundary. I like to think that as we eat garlic everyday, we are protecting ourselves both physically and spiritually.

Salt: Well, books have been penned to cover the historic importance of salt. Personally, the sacredness of salt it based on two things: One, it is essential to our life and two, it greatly adds to the pleasure of our life. My hubby likes to say that salt "releases the flavor of the food"- and it's true! My daughters are scandalized when I add salt to the cookie dough and amazed to learn that the cookies would not taste good without it. I think in a way that it is a metaphor of life- about what is needed for a full and joyous life. Salt is important in many religions as a purifier. The Aztec goddess Huixtocihuatl is known as the Goddess of Salt or Salt Lady.

[jul511riv]

Thank you for the link about rosemary. Here is my favorite way to use it: http://www.recipezaar.com/248766 keep checking back under that screenname for another link called Rosemary Potato as well. Makes for an AMAZINGLY magical meal!

Thank you for the lovely words about oil, salt, and garlic. Let me tell you a bit about the healing properties, and my "cure all"...

ANY TIME and I mean ANY(BA"H) time the children have a fever that indicates illness, I go and get a lovely cooking pot. I also get my bamboo cutting board (no synthetics for me...and I LOOOOOOVE the wood and the energy from the wood and having the "tree" in there in the kitchen with me) and a bottle of organic olive oil and the best garlic I can get my hands on.

Depending on my intuition (there's that word again!) I will usually chop up, in various directions or shapes, 4-6 cloves of garlic and then I will pour about half a cup of olive oil into the pot and put it on a gentle heat. Once the oil liquifies, I toss in all that olive oil and gently fold and stir the mixture.

I DO NOT want burned or sauteed garlic. I just want the garlic to be saturated with oil and translucent. If the garlic absorbes more oil than what will cover it, I make a decision about whether or not I would like to add more oil. I often do.

I will gently infuse the oil with the healing energies and properties of the garlic (for this is really all I'm trying to do), all the while gently pressing and "bruising" the garlic in the oil encouraging all the "goodies" to come out into the oil. I alternate letting it sit a bit and folding a bit. I put lots of healing intention in there. I put in my thoughts and requests. I put in thoughts about the kids.

Then, when it is done, when the garlic is translucent or turning to mush...or when I feel the "spell has been cast", I turn off the heat.

I let the garlic steep to room temp or just slightly warm

and then I rub a dime to quarter size bit of the oil on the child's feet, making sure to cover with socks to prevent mess and aid in absorption. (hand knitted or natural fiber socks are the BEST!!!)

I pour the oil off of the garlic into a container that I either leave sitting out on the counter or put in the fridge. I find that they go "rancid/bad" at about the same time, but use your own devices to determine what is right for you.

Reapply every 15 min...or every few hours....and gently taper off over the course of a few days, even if no fever is present it is certainly not harmful and usually only fortifies the body if used once or twice a day (first thing in the morning, last thing at bedtime).

The fever, btw, will usually be gone within the hour. The child, more importantly, will be up to their old mischief in about the same time frame.

This also works for ear infections (take a dropper and put 1-3 drops in each ear of WARM oil...but not hot...and massage a bit into the eardrum).

My dear second cousin also informed me today that she can cure ANY cough with a little concoction that she whipped up herself. Her kids have been having terrible coughs that nothing, including homeopathy and energy work have been able to touch. She SWEARS by this:

Fresh squeezed lemon juice
honey

Mix together and take by the table/teaspoonfull.

I SHOULD remind everyone about fear of botulism in unprocessed honey in babies under 1 year old so it is not recommended, but since most honeys are processed and since botulism is extremely rare and since coughing is not and since medications in children under a year can be EXTREMELY harmful, I wont.