Kate West - The Real Witches’ Kitchen - Spells, recipes, oils, lotions and potions from the Witches’ Hearth

Samhain , 31 October. The most important festival, marking the beginning and end of the year, the beginning of the resting season of the land and a time of remembrance of those who have gone before. A feast of the Goddess as Crone and Wise One.

Yule , 21 December. The Winter Solstice when the decreasing days give way to increasing light and life and we celebrate the rebirth of the Sun.

Imbolg , 2 February. The time when the first signs of life are seen returning to the land and the Goddess changes her robes of Crone for those of Maiden.

Oestara , 21 March. The Spring Equinox, when day and night are equal. The festival of the Goddess Eostar, who is derived from the Goddess Astarte, and whose symbols are the egg and the hare.

Beltane , 1 May. The second most important festival of the year, when the Goddess changes her robes of Maiden for those of Mother and we celebrate the marriage of the Goddess and the God.

Litha , 21 June. The Summer Solstice. Here the Sun is at the peak of its power; from this time onwards the days gradually grow shorter again.

Lammas , 1 August. The festival of the first of the harvest. The feast of Lugh and of the Sacrificial King, who is these days most often represented by a gingerbread man.

Madron , 21 September. The Autumn Equinox, once more a time of balance when day and night are equal. The feast of the height of the harvest.

On the return to Samhain the year has turned full circle, hence the term ‘Wheel of the Year’. In this book you will find recipes for wines, breads, cakes, biscuits (cookies) and other feasting food to celebrate each of these festivals. You do not have to reserve these celebratory aspects of the Craft to share with others on the Path, you can share them with friends and family as a seasonal celebration, so long as you remember not to use this as an opportunity to preach in any way!

People living in the Southern Hemisphere will find their seasons are reversed and may prefer to celebrate the Sabbats as appropriate to the season rather than the calendar date.

The main ‘rule’ in the Craft is called the Wiccan Rede: ‘An it harm none, do what thou will.’ This in itself includes not only respect for others and the world around us, but also respect for ourselves. We believe that we cannot blame others for our thoughts, words and deeds, and that if we do wrong it is up to us to do our best to rectify it.

There is much to learn in the world and in the Craft, but we do not expect others to feed us this information, we seek to expand our knowledge and extend our skills by personal effort. All Witches are aware that they will never know enough, let alone everything. This personal development also includes expanding our personal skills and attributes, ‘ironing out’ our personal misconceptions and problems, and working to become the best self we can. Witchcraft has been called ‘a thinking person’s belief system’, and rightly so in my opinion, as it involves a course of personal exploration and general study which never ceases.

Witches believe that we live many lives and between them we return to the Summerlands, a resting-place where we review the lessons we have learned in the life we have just completed and select the lessons to be learned in the life to come. When we speak of reincarnation we do not mean that we come back as the same person but rather that our spirit is born again. Whilst it can be interesting to research previous incarnations, and the information we acquire may illuminate aspects of our current lives, it is necessary to remember that the personal responsibility we also believe in means that we cannot blame our past(s) for our current problems. We must live in the present and work towards achievement in this life.

We utilize the properties of plants and nature for healing and self-improvement and in the course of our Magic. Herbs, plants and spices can be used in food and drink, lotions and ointments, sachets and talismans (Magical tokens), incense and candles. They can be used in their natural state (as I write this I have rosemary on my desk to aid my thoughts and concentration), fresh, dried or in the form of oil, as in aromatherapy, which has become so popular in recent years. The bulk of this book will be taken up with recipes and suggestions for the use of natural resources to enhance life.

Witches do not have special buildings in which they worship, in fact most Witches do not even have a room or even a space set aside for working. They create their own working space wherever and whenever they need it, and this can be inside or out. This space is called the Circle and it is created in several steps. Briefly speaking, they are:

The invocation of the elements of Air, Fire, Water and Earth, which are the energies on which we draw. They are always called in this order as Air represents thought, which should precede all our actions. We bring the element of Spirit to the Circle ourselves and through the Divine.

The invitation of the Goddess and the God , the Divine, whose assistance we need to perform our working and in whose honour we gather.

The drawing of a Circle large enough to contain those taking part and the actions they are there to perform. This is usually done on the psychic level rather than on the physical, although some will place markers to show the boundary. The Circle is drawn clockwise (or Deosil) from the north-east point of the area, between Earth and Air, and overlaps at that point in order to ensure that it is complete. The Circle is there to contain the energy raised until it is ready to be released and to protect those within its boundaries from outside energies and distractions.

These steps can be formal and elaborate, as in group working, or very simple and performed using visualization when working on your own.

Any Craft-related action done within the Sacred Space will have more effect and potency than the same action performed outside the Sacred Space. Having said that, in most cases things can be made outside the Circle and then taken into it and blessed or consecrated for use. Alternatively, you can Magically enhance your remedies whilst making them and empower them for use.

Whether you are making a healing potion or bathing in preparation for a Magical working, the first step is to clear your mind of all distractions so that you can fully focus on your intent, for it is intent and focus which make the Magic work. One of the keys to this is to carefully prepare your working area. Make sure it is clean and tidy before you start, for physical distractions lead to mental ones.