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Tag Archives: kitchen witch

Kitchen Witch Oracle, by Jena Dellagrottaglia

Kitchen Witch Oracle: Spells, Incantations, and Natural Remedies, by Jena Dellagrottaglia
Rockpool Publishing, 1922786233, 112 pages, April 2025

Feeling like you need a shift energy, but can’t put your finger on what to do about it? Kitchen Witch Oracle by Jena Dellagrottaglia is an engaging oracle deck that merges the mystical energy work with the practical world of kitchen alchemy. Each card offers a variety of readers spells, incantations, and natural remedies readers can easily perform using everyday ingredients to shift their energy and call in their intentions, like a true sorceress in the kitchen.

In the introduction to this deck, Dellagrottaglia offers a heartfelt tribute to her late grandmother, or Nona as she says in Italian, who taught her the ways of being a cucina strega (kitchen witch). I found it quite touching that she created this deck with such love, choosing to share her family’s special wisdom with readers. Her thoughtful intention for this deck shines throughout each card, creating an ancestral connection when working with it.

The cards in the deck are divided into four categories of intention: focus, balance, manifestation, and protection. This makes it so readers can use the deck in a variety of ways. If one knows the type of intention they are seeking, they can pull from the specific category. Or, as always, one can pull a card randomly from the entire deck to see what they get to either perform the working on the card or let the card’s intention guide their day. Dellagrottaglia has also indicated specific seasons that are the best time for the working on many of the cards, so readers can look through and find a working that aligns with the current seasonal energy.

As for the cards, Dellagrottaglia describes them as pulsing “with the energies of herbs, spices, and oil, which serve as keys to unlock the secrets of natural magic.”1 There’s all types of scenery depicted on them, most portraying witchy women, but some feature still-life scenes or animals. There’s lots of visual clues to stimulate one’s intuition that speaks through the imagery. Mixtures of kitchen items, cauldrons, magical symbols, and elemental settings invoke powerful feelings when gazing at the cards. Past and present merge, blending the infinite timeline of women practicing kitchen witchcraft, giving readers a connection to a long-standing lineage of wise witches.

One each card there is an incantation at the bottom, and one can go to the guidebook for more insight in the cards’ meanings. In the guidebook, Dellagrottaglia shares a bit of background about the card, providing context about the potion or spell, shares a list of ingredients needed, and then gives detailed instructions. Unlike other oracle decks, there is no specific message of guidance. Surely, one can make use of the incantation for the card for divination purposes, but the deck is definitely more geared towards action. I mean, isn’t that the whole way of the kitchen witch? Crafting and blending her will to put out into the world…

And if kitchen witchcraft is something new for you, then this deck is perfect because throughout the deck, Dellagrottaglia shares plenty of practical tips and insights so one feels at ease doing this type of magic. There’s short sections in the guidebook on preparing one’s kitchen, the importance of intent, stocking ingredients (which also include a long list of ingredients and the intent they enhance), and magical tools. This information not only enriches the reader’s understanding of how to incorporate witchcraft into daily life, but also provides a wonderful overview to make them feel confident in their practice.

Granted, as well prepared as you might think you are with ingredients, you might find yourself in the same situation as me, frantically dialing my partner to make sure I reached him while he was still at the grocery store so I could tell him to pick up a few lemons and some rosemary. After a day of feeling very out of sorts, I pulled the card Citrus Rosemary Cleanse, which Dellagrottaglia is “a simple old midwives’ practice to cleanse your aura, boost your positivity, and help you get out of a rut.”2

The instructions explained to cut the lemon in half, add the rosemary sprig to the center of the lemon, and then sprinkle the lemon with sea salt. Then I took the lemon and moved it around my body as I imagined “the negativity drawing out into the center of the lemon like smoke furling away from you,”3 just like Dellagrottaglia describes.

Believe it or not, I’ve now drawn this card twice, so I’m glad I stocked up on the lemons!

Another card I enjoyed was Focus and Alert Simmer Pot. Once again, this spell called for a lemon, along with an orange, sage, eucalyptus oil (optional), and water. Dellagrottaglia explains how to stir the ingredients together in a simmer pot, infusing the intention as you do so, and then once cooled, transferring the brew into a glass jar or spray bottle. Then you can spray or drizzle the brew outside your windows to welcome in focused energy.

And there’s so many other cards I am excited to work with in this deck! Dellagrottaglia shares kitchen witch recipes for such a wonderful variety of things: reclaiming your power, removing back luck, money manifestation, attracting love, finding a new job or getting a raise, peaceful and soulful alignment, relieving stress, lucid dreaming, and more.

The card I am looking forward to working with soon is Limoncello Blessings, which Dellagrottaglia describes as “a lovely concoction for creating close family and community ties.”4 I think it would be fun to make and share with my community during the Summer Solstice.

Overall, Kitchen Witch Oracle is a delightful and inspiring oracle for anyone interested in the alchemy that can be done with common kitchen ingredients. Its practical approach and beautiful presentation make it a valuable addition to the library of both aspiring and seasoned kitchen witches. Whether you’re looking to enhance your culinary creations with a touch of magic or seeking natural ways to bring your intention outward, this book offers a treasure trove of wisdom and inspiration from Dellagrottaglia’s personal family recipes and her own experience as a magical kitchen witch.

The Hedge Witch’s Hearth, by Heliodor Press

The Hedge Witch’s Hearth: Crafting and Nourishing Your Magickal Home, by Heliodor Press
Heliodor Press, 979-8987571279, 144 pages, March 2024

The Hedge Witch’s Hearth: Crafting and Nourishing Your Magickal Home by Heliodor Press is a captivating guide for blending the mundane and magical aspects of tending to one’s home with devotion and care. Drawing on the perspective of an experienced hedge witch, this book offers readers an enriching journey through the art of creating a home environment that nurtures both the body and the spirit.

“Your home can be magickal. It is meant to support you on your journeys. If you care for it and fill it with the right intentions, you will be able to feel it caring for you back.”3

The book is thoughtfully divided into areas of the home, taking readers room by room to magically spruce up their living quarters. It’s encouraged to “pay attention to the spirit of the room, not just the physical walls”5 and to adapt when needed. While the chapters are organized starting with the entryway and ending with the outdoor space, there’s no need to go in order; if a certain area of your home is calling for your attention, it’s easy to use the table of contents to find the chapter best suited for your current needs.

It’s also worth noting that not all homes will have every room provided in the book (I wish I had the extra room for a home office!), while some homes might have additional rooms not specifically focused (ex. playroom, library). With flexibility and the general how-to provided, readers will be able to mix and match information from the book to figure out what the room energetically requires for magical enhancement.

The flow of each section is the same, which I really enjoy because it made going through each room feel like a bit of a ritual where I knew all the steps to complete. First, there’s an overview of the room/space and why it’s important to the home overall. For instance, the living room is a place of relationships, while the kitchen is an area of nourishment. I realized in tending energetically to each area that understanding the purpose of each room assisted me with creating the right atmosphere.

Next, the room “essentials” are discussed, offering insight into what might be missing in your area. I never thought about some of these small details, such as having all the elements present in the living room or reminders of how much I’m loved in the bedroom, but at the suggestion of this book, incorporating them has made all the difference in the feel of the rooms.

Also included in each section is a two-page list of journal questions that help readers to tap into their feelings about the space: how it feels currently, how they’d ideally like it to feel, and questions to ignite inspiration for going forward. The questions are great for tuning into the energy of the room, opening the reader’s perspective why the room is valuable.

A journal question for the how-it-is-now aspect of the bedroom reads, “How do you feel about your clothes?”6. My answer would be old and outdated; they don’t fit, are stained, and I am embarrassed to be out in them often. Honestly acknowledging this points out that I’ve been neglectful in the self-care of myself, and my home space and attire is reflecting this too.

Meanwhile, the steps-forward question for the kitchen, “How can you incorporate the symbols that are meaningful to you in your kitchen?” aided me in remembering I bought a lovely wood-carved sign that said Kitchen Witch that I never hung up. I plan on doing that soon and also looking into other artwork I can find that reflects the magic I want brewing in my kitchen for the nourishment of myself and my family.

The more magical aspects of each section include a profile of a goddess who can inspire the energy in the space, a crystal whose energy will enhance the space, and practical spells and recipes. There’s a Vanilla Brown Sugar Scrub recipe for scrubbing away negative energy in the bathroom, directions to create a Confidence Charm for hosting in one’s dining room, and a Business Blessing to enhance one’s office space, plus many more customized spells! One idea from the book that I found especially endearing is creating an Ancestor Garden in one’s outdoor space.

The book culminates with a list of further readings and listenings and a lengthy index. While the reading might feel quick, taking the time to feel into the energy of your home, journaling, and do the spellwork could last months! It’s certainly something that can be done again and again over the years, particularly if you move residences.

If you are seeking to deepen your magical practice or simply want to bring more intentionality into your home life, The Hedge Witch’s Hearth is a wonderful resource. Whether you’re seeking to learn more about hearth goddesses, gain insight from meaningful journal prompts, or simply seek to have many spells and recipes ready for whenever you need them, this book has you covered. It is a celebration of the home as a sacred space and a testament to the power of everyday magic to enhance the energy of one’s domicile.