Am I Kitchen Witch? A Review of Sarah Robinson’s Kitchen Witch
Photo Credit: Crystal Sands
In my study of all things witches, I have learned there are different categories of witches—green witches, kitchen witches, folk witches, crystal witches, cosmic witches, and more. So far, I haven’t found a category for a witch who communicates with animals, but I have been very interested in kitchen witches because the kitchen is where I do my best to make magic from the secret ingredient of love.
I know that sounds cliché, but it’s what I do when I cook. In fact, I seem unable to cook things that I do not like very well because I’m convinced I have to love something to do it justice.
In the summers, I specialize in low-sugar fruit jams and pies. It’s because I love the berries with all of my heart that I know what to do—at least this is what I believe. I grew up very poor, and we didn’t have a lot of fruit. Fresh berries were extremely rare treats.
I now live on a little farmstead in Maine with my husband, and we grow gobs of organic strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries. I feel like the richest person in the world every summer when the hens are laying their eggs and the berries are ripe. What more could I ask for in this life?
But I digress. It is my belief that I have such a deep love for the berries that I am able to listen to them and cook them in a way that allows them to stand out and be admired for who they are. I cannot eat jam from the grocery store anymore because those jars are not made with love for the berries. All I can taste is sweet. I can’t taste strawberries or raspberries.
My jams and pies have become a little bit famous among family and friends, so I thought I surely must be a kitchen witch. I guess my husband thought so too because he bought a copy of Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore, and Fairy Tale by Sarah Robinson for me for Christmas this year.
It’s a beautiful book. At first, I thought it would be full of recipes, but it is not. Instead, Robinson focuses on stories, myths, magic, and tradition when it comes to food and food rituals. The back cover reads, “This book is an exploration of the history and culture of food, folklore and magic and those skilled in healing and nourishing—herbalists, wise women, cooks, cunning folk and the name many of them would come to bear: witch.”
I was not disappointed that this book did not have recipes; instead, I was delighted that it offered me a lot of what I was after in terms of my learning. The book is divided into four sections: The first section provides some overview material on kitchen witches. Section two focuses on food in folklore and fairy tale. The third section centers around food healing and food magic. The fourth section is my favorite right now. It focuses on food in ritual and celebration.
Because our family is so food centered as farmers, I am most interested in learning about witch celebrations and holidays and what to cook for said celebrations and holidays. This book really delivered on this. Robinson not only summarizes the importance of the day but also gives examples celebrations for the day, complete with traditional foods. For example, I have been reading about Imbolc and wondering what this is. I learned it is celebrated on February 1st or 2nd and marks the half-way point in between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox, so it’s a hopeful day here in the north where I live—hope for spring to come.
I learned about St. Brigid and that modern ways of celebrating Imbolc include planting seeds, which we cannot do in our frozen ground here in the north, making pancakes and cakes, and lighting a white candle and with a small food offering to St. Brigid. I am so excited to celebrate my first Imbolc!
I feel this book is going to be a handy tool for me in the coming year as I work to celebrate a lot of firsts as a beginner witch. If you are new like me, I cannot recommend it enough.
I learned from the book that I may not be solely a kitchen witch, but kitchen witch is definitely one of my leanings. Of course, I realize it may not be necessary to have any type at all, but for me, it just feels like a way in. I am going to keep learning about more about kitchen witches and embracing my inner kitchen witch.
I will also keep trying to learn more about what kinds of witches connect with animals because I think that’s definitely my other leaning.
In the meantime, I am going to treasure this book. It’s a kitchen witch treat!
(Witch-ish is a beginning witch journal and journey by Crystal Sands.)
*Editor’s Note: Dear Crystal, you may be an Animist, as well. :)