Ah, my kitchen witch heart is absolutely singing! Kitchen Magic: 65 Enchanting Recipes and Rituals for a Cozy, Witchy Kitchen by Laura May is such a wonderful addition to a cookbook library. Within these pages, May shows how each meal can become a spell, ritual, or act of sacred nourishment. Featuring delicious recipes and magical insights this is a wonderful cookbook for creating a warm, enchanted kitchen where food and magic come together.
As witches we love to share recipes, often including them in our grimoires, spellbooks, and even the community newsletter each month! But a hardcover cookbook filled with thematic pictures, culinary folklore, and delicious recipes takes on a life of its own. Flipping through the pages of Kitchen Magic, you can see the time devoted to infusing each page with reverence for the food we create, whether this be teaching readers about the magical correspondences of ingredients in the cupboard, blending herbs into a brew, or making pancakes for mindfulness.
May begins the cookbook by inviting readers into her world. In first-person style, she sets the stage of her daily life during the seasonal transition into autumn, living in a boat and baking her recipes in a stack stove, creating a cozy sense of intimacy as we glimpse her routine. We get to know May through her morning coffee ritual, spellwork, and tale of what drew her to the path of being a kitchen witch.
“The philosophy behind my recipes is to give you a sense of meaning and consideration to everyday cooking – even the smallest acts can impact the way we live and see the world. The rituals aid us in discovering what we really want out of life and align our daily consciousness in order to get it.”1
The introduction also covers topics like what it means to May to be a witch, symbols of the witch, core aspects of ritual (opening and closing a circle, moon phases, spoken word, sigils, etc.), foraging in nature, and a list of magical correspondence of the herbs and spices commonly used in kitchen witchery. Overall, this section is very grounding, preparing readers to move ahead and test out May’s recipes.
As for how the recipes are sectioned, May has divided the chapters into the following: “Folk Medicine”, “Botanical Bakes”, “Ceremonial Recipes”, “Menstrual Magic”, “Broomstick Brews”, and “Practical Magic”. There’s a good variety of recipes to make, ranging from coffee syrups and protection cake to pumpkin gnocchis and tahini blondies.
Each chapter is unique and May has made the content extremely engaging and interesting to read. In the chapter “Folk Medicine”, she gives a history of all the elixirs she shares. One that I found fascinating is Four Thieves Vinegar, “a tonic for protection”2, that is based on the legend of thieves “who used it to protect themselves against plague while they robbed the dead or dying” but was also “used as a disinfectant or immunity tonic.”3 May suggests readers now use it as a salad dressing, health tonic, or cleaning spray. I will definitely be making this one soon!
Then in “Botanical Bakes”, May “explores the folklore, histories, and personal stories” around seven of her favorite plants, focusing on the power and meaning of the ingredients specifically. “Menstraul Magic” teaches how to use food to nourish biological rhythms, where May offers insight into the four menstrual phases and a recipe to support each one.
“Ceremonial Recipes” offers recipes for each turn in the Wheel of the Year, starting with Imbolc. She provides a bit of background about each sabbat and the recipes correspond to the magic best attuned to that season, such as Store Cupboard Soda Bread for spring cleansing during the equinox and Memento Mori Rosemary Soul Cakes for Samhain. Sometimes she includes rituals to do or words to say outloud, always explaining along the way the magical significance of the recipe as an introduction.
“Broomstick Brews” gets into the herbal liquid alchemy, which is something I am particularly excited to explore since I often forget this type of magic can be done in the kitchen, opting for cooking or baking instead. May teaches about witch bottles and how to carve your initials into fruit peels to bind the magic to you in her recipe for Witch Bottle Sweet Vermouth and offers a variety of coffee syrups to call in specific intentions for the day that can be amplified with candle magic too. She also offers variations of Moon Milk to manifest different goals ranging from attracting wealth to calming anxiety.
The final chapter, “Practical Magic”, is where the rituals get a bit more complex. May offers guidance on the moon phase, day of the week, candle color, incense, and crystal best suited for working the ritual. She shares incarnations and actions to do during the creation process, requiring a bit more of an energetic and time dedication in this magic making. All throughout, she offers tips and tidbits that add to one’s understanding of the spellwork.
Throughout the book, some of the recipes call for ingredients that I personally wouldn’t have on hand and would have to figure out how to acquire. For instance, Dandelion and Burdock Root Beer (I’ve never even heard of burdock yet I am learning so much from Kitchen Magic) calls for sarsaparilla root, burdock root, liquorice root, and dandelion root and petals, along with more common ingredients such as brown sugar, molasses, and cinnamon. This would definitely require a bit of planning to make, but I always feel like the hunt for the right ingredients in spellwork is part of the process.
While the recipes in Kitchen Magic do include quite a variety of ingredient, which at first makes the titles a bit intimidatingly fancy (Nettle Leaf Spanakopita Pie, Blueberry and Heartsease Cream Bread and Butter Pudding, Rose Hip Harissa Roasted Chickpeas), overall, a good portion of the recipes could easily be recreated by following May’s directions, whether you’re a novice or professional when it comes to the kitchen. As someone who thoroughly loves kitchen magic but is not a talented chef, May provides instructions that are detailed and simplified enough that even I’d have the confidence to follow along and see what I can create. Plus, venturing beyond my typical palette makes it feel even more ritualized and intentional for crafting these recipes.
Beyond all the wonderful text, the photographs in the book are absolutely mouthwatering. Nearly every page has a decadent image of the finished culinary delight set against a dark background with beautifully set tables. Sometimes there’s candles to set mystical ambiance; other times it’s a snap shot of ingredients, utensils, and flowers. Occasionally, we see May in action stirring or adding final touches. The texture of the food and the beauty of the presentation is just incredible. I could flip through this book over and over again just for the visual feast it provides!
The book is brought to conclusion with parting words from May, a list of ingredient suppliers, further reading, and a handy index. I love her sentiment when she writes:
“Remember, magic is not something far away or difficult to grasp. It lives in the ordinary moments – in the quiet stirrings of a wooden spoon, the fragrant herbs you sprinkle on a dish, and the warmth of a home-cooked meal shared with loved ones. The magic is always there, waiting for you to notice, to invite it in, and to make it a part of your life.”4
Overall, Kitchen Magic is by far one of the most impressive magic cookbooks I’ve come across. The way May weaves together ritual, folklore, personal insights, and delicious culinary crafts makes it a must-have for those who love to infuse intentions into their food. More than just a recipe collection, this book celebrates the kitchen as a sacred space where nourishment, magic, and ritual seamlessly come together to create meaningful revelation and transformation.
Whether a reader seeks to gain a stronger relationship with spice and herbs or nurture themselves through the seasons, May offers edible ways to support one’s intentions. May has shared her recipes with readers to be an opportunity to manifest our desires, foster connection, and honor nature’s cycles. Her philosophy towards culinary witchcraft is a heartwarming reminder that every meal can be more than just food—it can be a spell, a celebration, and a devotional act of everyday magic.
Alanna Kali is an astrologer, numerologist, and pioneer spirit that loves to explore life through the lens of depth psychology. She has a passion for studying the humanities and social trends. Her academic work is centered upon reuniting body, mind, and spirit through eco-psychology. She loves reading, spending time in nature, and travel.
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.”3 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.”5
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,”6 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.”7 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.
Alanna Kali is an astrologer, numerologist, and pioneer spirit that loves to explore life through the lens of depth psychology. She has a passion for studying the humanities and social trends. Her academic work is centered upon reuniting body, mind, and spirit through eco-psychology. She loves reading, spending time in nature, and travel.
The Hedge Witch’s Hearth: Crafting and Nourishing Your Magickal Homeby 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.”6
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”8 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?”9. 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.
Alanna Kali is an astrologer, numerologist, and pioneer spirit that loves to explore life through the lens of depth psychology. She has a passion for studying the humanities and social trends. Her academic work is centered upon reuniting body, mind, and spirit through eco-psychology. She loves reading, spending time in nature, and travel.
