Cooking with Magick

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“Boil, boil, toil and trouble, fires burn and cauldrons bubble!”

There’s something to be said about good food- it is a magick all on its own, bringing families and friends together for centuries.

It’s also the most powerful tool of healing that both witches and non-witches have in their arsenal. Therefore, a good diet, for me, has become an essential part in cultivating mine and my family’s best selves. I feel better, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, too, when I’m eating right.

For each of us, eating right means something wholly personal- and I’m not just talking about “diets” or restrictive eating. Eating right is also a feeling. That proud moment when you ignore the sugary donut in the break room in favor of a salad because you know those vegetables are going to nourish your cells much better than that donut would- that feeling is eating right.

Or, maybe it is eating that single donut instead of the salad, because you recognize that depriving yourself could lead to bingeing later.

It’s all about having a real and honest conversation with yourself about what your body needs to keep you at your best. We all know when we’ve made a healthy choice for ourselves because it always comes with that sense of accomplishment.

I’m not here to persuade you to eat a certain way, or make you feel guilty for not eating another way. As long as you’re happy with your diet, and what it does for you body, mind, and soul, I’m happy for you. I, personally, feel my best when I’m following a low-carb or Keto diet, as I’m an honest-to-goddess sugar addict. And, I don’t mean that lightly. If you’ve ever cried over a piece of cake you knew you didn’t want, but ate anyway, you know what I’m talking about. Sugar is my heroin, and eliminating it makes me feel cleaner- inside and out.

When I was spiraling the drain with my mental health just recently, my diet was one of the first things to tank. Eating healthy takes energy, planning, and prepping that I just didn’t feel like dealing with. Eating fast food and sweets was so much easier than cooking wholesome meals every night. For two months I’ve been eating my feelings, and everything from my waist band to my skin complexion has reflected my poor choices.

That’s why I figured one of my first posts back in the saddle here should be about getting right with my eating and going over some ways we can make our meals (no matter what lifestyle we choose) a bit more magickal!

This first bit isn’t what most would think of as witchy- but I do. It’s that routine or mundane part of being a witch that preserves a feeling of content- which is what, for me, all magick is meant for. I’m talking about the magick of meal planning. Do you meal plan? For years I thought it was such a waste of time, but now, I actually enjoy it. I make me a cup of hot tea, put a bit of music (or ASMR) on in my headphones, and I spend an hour or so browsing pinterest for things that whet my appetite. Even though it’s technically a chore, it’s also a bit of me time that I spend sacrificing the impulse to be lazy in favor of gaining more time later in the week. Since I looooove Pinterest, it’s an easy sacrifice to make.

I like to drool over all the food I’ll never cook…

I know I’ve said it before, but self-care isn’t just bath salts and face masks. And, for me, meal planning has become a huge part of making me feel at my best. Not only am I better able to stick to a budget (which is absolutely vital to our feeling of content), I order my food which saves me from having to navigate through a store full of anxiety, and I know full-well what’s going into our food and therefore into our bodies.

It also makes me feel grown up. I know I’m 31, and therefore very much an adult, but I’ve never quite felt like it. Do you ever feel that way? I always feel like I’m winging things, and/or flying by the seat of my pants- never quite knowing what I’m doing or how things will end up- but being organized, following a budget, and preparing healthy meals for my family? Psh, call me the Martha Stewart of Witchcraft, baby!

Then there’s the actual cooking. I loathe cooking. I don’t know why. I think it’s the having to sit still and wait bit, if I’m being honest. I’m not good at waiting. I have two speeds: turtle and hare. I’m either lazy and unwilling to move, or I’m on the go, go, go. Cooking requires a finesse that’s somewhat in between, and I just don’t possess the gene that allows me to throttle back. However, I do do my fair share, even though my husband is responsible for half the meals made in this house.

But, whether it’s me cooking or the hubster, best believe we’re getting magickal all up in that kitchen.

Spices and herbs are the quintessential kitchen witch tool. Not only are they used for flavoring, but each one has its own magickal element that can enhance not only your dining experience, but your life! But wait, there’s more!

Just kidding. There isn’t more, but I felt like I was spinning off into a Billy Mays (RIP) infomercial there for a minute and couldn’t resist. Don’t worry, I know I’m the only person who finds myself funny! 🙂

So, spices, right.

These are only some of our kitchen spices. I love me some flavor, but I also love me some magick!

We don’t just use spices to flavor our food, but to add magick to it. A pinch of cinnamon, which I have a giant container of, won’t throw off the flavor of the spaghetti sauce, but it will add an extra layer of protection for everyone eating it.

However, you don’t have to get fancy schmancy to add magick to your recipes. Two of the most common spices used in most cooking are actually powerful magickal elements. I’m talking of course about Salt and Pepper.

And, no, you don’t have to get all crazy and buy only Sea Salt or Himalayan Salt. It all comes from the Earth and it’s all good. In fact, unlike the one pictured, it’s best for to get salt with iodide as we don’t get enough in other foods to keep up with what our body needs!

Salt is not just used in purifying your thresholds and warding off negative energies- sodium is a vital electrolyte that is used by the body to maintain fluid levels. This is important for the health of your kidneys, liver, and heart. Metaphysically, it is energy itself- the balance of life-giving water with air. It is a purifier and when eaten in foods after imbuing with purpose, it can be used as a talisman of protection and health.

Black pepper is a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent as well as healer and protective magickal herb. If you’re familiar at all with food sensitivities, you’ll know how much inflammation can affect not only our moods but our connection with our bodies, so pepper is not only metaphysically powerful but physically as well. Used in wards against evil in many practices such as Hoodoo, Voodoo, and African Folk Magic, pepper is wonderful to add to any dish when you’re looking to spice up your personal protection. See what I did there? Spice it up! Ha! I crack myself up!

I feel like this could be a band pic, if bands consisted of spices. Obviously, Italian Seasoning thinks he’s the lead…

I love me some Garlic, and if I’m not using the real thing, I’m sprinkling in a bit of that powder there. It’s not only great for lowering cholesterol, but it’s proven to be anti-inflammatory and boost the immune system. It’s a sickness, and the only prescription is more garlic. Metaphysically, Garlic is perfect for bringing in good health. My goal is keep my family alive for forever, so Garlic is a perfect magickal addition to our meals. It also ward off vampires, both of the blood-sucking and the energy variety.

Onion powder is another spice I use quite often. There’s something wonderful about onions that most people overlook. Onion, and therefore Onion Powder, is beneficial for regulating blood sugar and heart health. Metaphysically, it’s a detoxyfier in that it eliminates negative energies from the body. This is great for someone like me and my son who gets easily wrapped up in anxious overthinking.

Italian Seasoning. I’m sure some laughed when they saw this up here, as it’s a combination of several spices in one; however, you’d be surprised to know that this exact combo is not only healthy for the blood, it’s healthy for the heart. Oregano is great to enhance love in a home, while Majoram brings luck, Basil increases financial wealth, Rosemary adds protection, and Sage cleanses. There’s also Thyme, which purifies ones mind and body against impurities, physically and metaphysically.

Dill Weed is not only funny to say, and a perfect schoolyard insult, it’s used to treat fevers and coughs in a lot of folk medicines. In Magick, it’s great for not only bringing luck to the consumer, but it’s perfect for warding against nightmares and curses.

Ginger, Tumeric, and Cloves, oh my! The Trifecta of anti-inflammatory properties and protective magickal benefits rolled into a delicious blend of aromatic spices that I find is best in teas, milks, and tonics. Sometimes I’ll add them to a meal or two, but mostly these bad boys are best enjoyed individually as they’re not only powerful but potent.

Rosemary, the Godfather of all herbs. I plan to have a giant plant of this, hence why I only have a small container at the moment, but this herb is the go-to if you’re looking to add a bit of flavor along with luck, financial gain, protection, and pretty much anything else you can think of. Rosemary, like Salt, can be used in place of almost any herb and/or spice out there. It’ll make you an offer you can’t refuse.

Anise is a weird spice, in that even just a pinch can mean disaster if you’re not into licorice. It’s best enjoyed like the Ginger and such in a tea, as it has a delicately sweet taste that can imbalance certain palates. However, it’s great for upset stomachs, IBS, and runny noses! It can also be used magickally to call to spirits and enhance psychic visions.

Sage. If Rosemary is the Godfather, surely Sage is the Godmother. It’s a masculine herb, but it’s another all powerful cleanser that plays no games when it comes to negativity. It has relaxing medicinal properties as well, especially when smoked!

My son calls Cardamom Cardy’s Mom lol

All four of these spices are perfect if you want to spread a little love. They’re kind of like the Beatles, if they were spices and in my pantry. Though I don’t use Nutmeg or Cardamom very much, I’m a huge fan of Cayenne and Crushed Red Pepper. Those bottles are brand new, as I’d just run out of them last week- so don’t be fooled, I use them all the time. I love a little heat in my food, and the fact that it inspires love (not just romantically, but all kinds of love) is something that I appreciate as a domestic witch. The world could use more love.

Though that’s not all the spices I use, or all the spices you could use, I feel like you get the idea. They’re a fantastic way to add magick into your cooking.

That leaves us to the last bit of magick we can bring to our cooking- and that’s doing it together. Getting my family involved, whether it be setting the table, talking to me while I chop vegetables, or stirring the pot while I grate the cheese, there is magick being made in those moments. Memories we’re creating by being together and being happy that we have this time. Soon, though it breaks my heart to think about, our son will be grown and living his own life. My husband and I will be old and may not have the energy to have a water fight while dinner boils on the stove. However, right now, in these minutes we’ve been given, we try to make the best of them. It’s why we eat together every single night, whether it’s a home cooked meal, or a pizza on the living room floor. If I was never allowed to use a single spice every again to add magick to my food, I would still know that I had all I need to be the best witch I could be because we make our own magick.

And with that, it’s time for me to head over to pinterest and get started planning for the rest of the week.

Until next time, my friends…

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