Kitchen Witchcraft: Crafts of a Kitchen Witch

by Rachel Patterson

Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, sit back and take a glimpse into the world of Kitchen Witchcraft. This little book will give you an insight into what a Kitchen Witch is, what they do and how they do it. It gives an overview of the Sabbats, working with the Moon, the elements and candle magic. Packed full of ideas for crafting such as washes and smudges for your home and your body, witch bottles, incense, medicine bags, magic powders and offerings. Take a stroll through a Kitchen Witch's garden and discover what you will find there and finish up with some lovely meditations. Follow the heart of a Kitchen Witch...

Genres: Witchcraft, Nonfiction, Occult, Magic, Wicca, Paganism, Spirituality

98 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 8, 2013

About the author

Rachel is an English witch who has been walking the Pagan pathway for over thirty years.

A working wife and mother who has had over 30 books published (so far), some of them becoming best sellers.

Her passion is to learn, she loves to study and has done so from books, online resources, schools and wonderful mentors over the years and still continues to learn each and every day but has learnt the most from actually getting outside and doing it.

She likes to laugh...and eat cake...

Rachel gives talks to pagan groups and co-runs workshops with the Kitchen Witch Coven.

High Priestess of the Kitchen Witch Coven and an Elder at the online Kitchen Witch School of Natural Witchcraft.

A regular columnist with Fate & Fortune magazine, she also contributes articles to several magazines such as Pagan Dawn and Witchcraft & Wicca. You will find her regular ramblings on her own personal blog and YouTube channel.
Rachel is host for the Pagan Portals Podcast, produced by Moon Books Publishing.

​Her craft is a combination of old religion witchcraft, Wicca, hedge witchery, kitchen witchery and folk magic.

Her heart is that of an English Kitchen Witch.

​Rachel was added to the Watkins '100 spiritually influential List' for 2023.



For more information www.rachelpatterson.co.uk and www.kitchenwitchhearth.net

She lives in Portsmouth, England.

Website: www.rachelpatterson.co.uk

Personal blog https://www.rachelpatterson.co.uk/blog

You Tube:
her YouTube channel features lots of videos with talks, information and short reference films.
https://www.youtube.com/user/Kitchenw...

Social Media:
Personal Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/racheltansyp...
Author fb page https://www.facebook.com/RachelPatter...
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/racheltansy...
Twitter https://twitter.com/TansyFireDragon
Kitchen Witch fb group https://www.facebook.com/groups/kitch...

Reviews

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am actually good friends with Rachel and work alongside her at Kitchen Witch school. But while you may think that would make me biased, I think that would make me her biggest critic.

Reading the book is honestly how she would talk to you over a cup of peppermint tea and a slice of cake. The book is down to earth, uncomplicated and in all honesty a breath of fresh compared to other witchcraft books.

I really wish there was something like this when I first began my journey into witchcraft. A lot of the books around then tended to preach and tell you the way it should be rather than gently guiding you and giving you ideas as Rachel does in this book.

I also like the simplicity too. You don't need to rush out and buy expensive herbs (which you will probably never use) and all the sparkly tools. You can use whatever is to hand. This makes witchcraft accessible to everyone.

Kitchen Witchcraft will not only teach you the foundations of the craft but will also teach you to trust your intuition because after all that's what being a witch us all about.

[Alexia ✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I could've sworn I had already marked this book as read but turns out I hadn't. So I'm gonna mark it now since I read it very often. This is a really nice book! I wouldn't say it's the best on Kitchen Witchcraft (in my opinion, Cunningham's Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen still holds that title) but it's fantastic and it's one of my main recommendations for Beginners to Kitchen Witchcraft. It's very simple and straightforward, Rachel Patterson always does great work at references and correspondences and this book does not fail. I really enjoy it and I grab it often in my works and practices.

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Only complaint...too short. There is so much more. But hey, That's what follow-up books are for!

[Dana Burgess · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this was an interesting and fast read, it didn't give me a lot of the information I was hoping for. There's lots of good information about spells and magical uses of various herbs, making poppets and the like but very little on the use of herbs in concoctions.

[Diamond · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot tell you how amazing this book is.

First of all, it's incredibly straight forward and easy to read. I actually read it the first time in one sitting - I was mesmerized.

Second of all, it's a great reference book for beginners. Although I came into it with prior knowledge, it didn't feel 'dumbed down' or watered down in any way (for those of you who are more advanced in your knowledge of esoterica). It's precisely the right amount of information to get you started with whipping up your own magic in your kitchen.

I think this is an absolute fabulous way to empower yourself as a woman. You are taking your life into your own hands and creating. We are, after all, masters of our own fate.

By using many of the most common kitchen ingredients, Rachel empowers us to open the cupboards and start! Just, begin!

Many of the books on witchcraft involve complicated ingredients and supplies. The thing is, you don't always need that. It depends upon you, your personality, and your style. Now, if you're new to this, you probably don't have a style yet. This is exactly why you should read a book like this! You can become a kitchen witch, and honestly, it's so creative and freeing!

I hope she writes more books, because I would gobble them up (ha ha). It's incredibly easy to read and covers an enormous amount of subjects and ailments. There is certainly something for everyone.

[Bridgett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book held up to it's promise. It gives us a glimpse into Kitchen Witchcraft. There is an overview of the Sabbats, moon correspondences, days of the week correspondences, elemental correspondences, flower and herb correspondences etc. There are a few simple candle spells that you can use for different reasons as well. Simple crafts that you can craft with magical intent, and even some meditations. I liked the section on gardening. I wish that it would have went into a little more detail with the potted plants though.

The author is well known in the pagan community, and she is a respected person. I don't find any major flaws in her writing style, and think that this little book was full of useful information. Just what I was looking for. Short, and sweet but to the point.

I would recommend it to anyone interested in Kitchen Witchery. There are others out there, possibly better, but this one is well worth the $3.00 price tag.

[Nimue Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excerpt from the Pagan Portal Kitchen Witchcraft, and I think it's a great expression of what Kitchen witchcraft is all about - this is the kind of magic you weave into your daily life, working with whatever is to hand.
 
Rachel Patterson has a really warm, engaging, easy to read kind of style which I think comes through really well in this quote. Reading her work is like sitting down with a friendly mentor and a nice cup of tea.

[Siusaidh Ceanadach · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book and found it to be a wonderful little book full of advice, recipes and straight forward, easy to read information. I think this will be a great help to any Pagan or in fact anyone who wants to use natural things rather than a whole bunch of chemicals.
Its on my pad and I am bound to look in this often!

[Nyx Vera · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe closer to 2.5 stars? The first chapter is about kitchen witchcraft, and the rest of the book is a beginners/basics witchcraft book. This could almost be a decent introductory book, with a dash of information about kitchen witchcraft, but I really wouldn't recommend it's beginner information either (PLEASE don't put salt in nature, and don't use things that you know are from closed practices you're not part of). Started off promising, and then spiralled downwards.

[DIMITRA BENISI · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was no surprise. It was exactly as I expected it to be. A great one. If you know nothing on kitchen witchcraft, this is the place to start. I am not new in this-magic etc. This book, however gave me something that I needed. A new perspective. And a great smile

[Rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a really fun & relaxing read! This is the first book I purchased in the Pagan Portals collection & I will be purchasing more.

If you are a beginner or not you should totally read this!

It was a very relaxing, short & lovely read!

[Charlene Wearne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this Book, great guide to Becoming a kitchen Witch

[Jeanette · Rating 4 out of 5]

The guided meditations are the end are beautiful. I want to own it just for that.

[Hakuzimana Thomas]

Keep up

[Josie Yerk · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was straight to the point without too much information. I enjoyed the meditations. I liked the short reference lists for herbs and oils.

[Suzanne Ruthven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rachel Patterson and the Witch’s Kitchen
Traditional witches didn’t have temples and the nearest they ever got to an established meeting place was a remote grove in a wood or a cunningly concealed cave – most of the time their witchcraft was practiced in the privacy of their own kitchens. If this seems rather mundane, then we need to remind ourselves that the hearth fire is one of the most sacred elements of old witchcraft; and this is what Rachel ‘Tansy’ Pattersen harnesses in her series of ‘kitchen witch’ books. Her first book ...

Pagan Portals: Kitchen Witchcraft
Written in an informal, chatty style that invites the reader to: “Pull up a chair, have a cup of tea, sit back and take a glimpse into the world of Kitchen Witchcraft”, this slim volume gives a valuable insight into the secret world of a witch’s kitchen: what they do in there and how they do it. Packed full of ideas for crafting such as washes and smudges for your home and your body, witch bottles, incense, medicine bags, meditations, magic powders and offerings, a brief glimpse into the meaning of the Sabbats, moon working, the Elements and candle magic. An excellent introduction for those who interested in following the Path of the old ‘parish pump’ style of witchcraft.
ISBN: 978-1-78099-843-5 (Paperback) £4.99 $9.95
ISBN: 978-1-78099-842-8 (eBook) £1.99 $2.99


Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch
Rachel’s second book is essentially a ‘Book of Shadows’, describing what it means to be a witch, how they work, what they do and how they celebrate the turning of the seasons. Like the previous title, it is packed full of information about all sorts of subjects from a breakdown of rituals and magical tools to reading auras and rites of passage, along with meditations, recipes for oils, incenses and spells and a huge amount of crafts to make for each Sabbat. The author admits this is a personal approach to witchcraft and although it doesn’t follow any particular tradition, it still manages to give a highly informative overview of the witch’s Craft.
ISBN: 978-1-78099-958-6 (Paperback) £14.99 $24.95
ISBN: 978-1-78099-957-9 (eBook) £2.99 $2.99


A Kitchen Witch’s World of Magical Herbs and Plants
Due for publication 31st October 2014 this third ‘kitchen witch’ title reveals that every plant, every flower, every herb and every tree has energy - and that energy has magical properties. Here Rachel Patterson takes us on a journey into the magical world of herbs and plants, explaining their magical uses, the folklore and history surrounding them, and practical magic – because this book is not about medicinal herb uses, but about magical ones. A comment from one of the publisher’s readers is well worth noting: “What struck me immediately here was the phrase: ‘There are lists of magical correspondences in books and on the net and I will give you lots of ideas and examples within these pages too, but at the end of the day it is you that decides what works for your particular need. Just because someone else says one herb is good for prosperity doesn’t mean it is necessarily the right one for you, if you really strongly feel that it is better for healing then go with your instinct’.” A book to look forward to reading ...


Too many people writing on pagan subjects only have a limited experience to draw on but this cannot be said of Rachel Patterson, whose Craft credentials are impeccable. She has been a witch for many years, having worked through the three Wiccan degrees (with two different groups), becoming a High Priestess in 2011. Exploring many different disciplines along the way, she is also a member of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids; has studied with Janet Farrar and Gavin Bone and contributes articles regularly to a variety of pagan magazines. When reviewing a book I want to know whether an author is qualified and experienced to write on a subject and Rachel Patterson’s antecedents pass with flying colours – here is an author well-worth following.

Melusine Draco : Principal of the Coven of the Scales.
www.covenofthescales.com

[Mabh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The phrase 'Kitchen Witchcraft' conjures up brewing potions and hanging herbs, and while this of course can be the case, the experienced witch knows the kitchen can be the beating heart of their home, where the material and the mystical meld to create magic.

Rachel approaches this topic with just such a theory in mind, and makes no assumptions about the level of skill or experience of the reader. It's important to bear in mind that as part of the Pagan Portals series, this book is intended as a brief introduction to Kitchen Witchcraft. Having said that, for such a slim volume, Rachel manages to pack in a great deal of info.

She starts by introducing the idea behind kitchen witchcraft, and giving an overview of things that may be needed; tools, ingredients and attitude. Even for the experienced, this is a good reminder and also interesting to gain an insight into what another experienced witch has in their own cupboards, physical and otherwise.

The eight big seasonal pagan festivals are discussed with particular focus on what kitchen crafts can be used to celebrate them. In here are correspondences, incenses and many more hands on ways to get your worship on. She also talks about how the differing phases of the moon can affect one's workings, and while this section is a little simplistic for those experienced in moon magic, again, it is a great point of reference and a good reminder of the roots of many more complex types of moon magic. She looks at working with energy, and how to utilise candle magic, from the very simple to the more convoluted spells that can be worked.

One of my favourite sections of the book is the meditations in the final chapter. Each one is a different journey for a different purpose, and while each is written as a detailed journey, there is plenty of scope to make the journey your own. Unlike the narrative style which is direct and almost chatty, these written meditations have a wonderful dream like quality which is just perfect for getting you in the right frame of mind for approaching this type of working.

Rachel's style is very accessible and conversational. Despite being almost a reference book at times, this short volume is a complete page turner as it is a real pleasure to read. It is as if she is in the room with you, talking you through the ideas that she is obviously passionate about. This is a very modern way of writing about a subject as old as the hills, and will make the subject easy to absorb even for the complete novice. Yet she manages this while making it a perfect refresher for the experienced witch, by including lists, correspondences and ideas from many paths.

This could be my favourite point of the book, that Rachel does not assume that you are Wiccan, or indeed of any particular religion at all. Most of the practical tasks in the book could be completed by someone of no religious beliefs at all, as the main focus is on a connection to nature, the world, and one's self.

There is no limit to who would enjoy this volume. The only downside is that it is so short, however as an introductory piece, as it is intended, it is absolutely ideal. I will definitely be getting a hold of her larger volume, Grimoire of a Kitchen Witch, to see if the style and themes are expanded upon. Highly enjoyable, and it has inspired me to get back in the kitchen- not something I say every day!

[Anna Katherina · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is... Oh boy, where to start.

Firstly, I read it all within 30 minutes. That's not too bad considering it's labeled as a "Portal" and I've honestly shelved any expectations for books with that label now. But still, 30 minutes is less than I would expect from a book in general.

That aside, the formatting and tone, like with most self published books, was atrocious. I get that it's not a professional book vetted and edited by a team of skilled and specialized people who have likely been in the book industry for a while now... But there used to be standards for writing. It seems we as authors have flushed those down the toilet with the advent of self publishing- and this book appears to be no exception to that in all honesty; between the smiley faces doting it here and there (I'm not even joking), the questionable formatting, highly informal tone, and the mishmash word-vomit-esque way in which it was written, I could barley stand to read it in the best circumstances.

But my main problem isn't with any of that. My main problem is with the content itself.

This book isn't really about Kitchencraft in the slightest; the first few sections undoubtedly focus on the Kitchen, sure. But the further you get into the book, the more the subject devolves and becomes unclear... By the quarter mark the author has left Kitchencraft behind entirely and the book becomes less a "portal" primer for any sort of magic, and more a hapdash grimoire of mostly Cottage based spells (with a healthy dose of appropriation thrown in for good measure).

And at $3 a copy for the Kindle version... There is nothing new in this book; the tables, the information, everything is a watered down version of the exact same thing that you could get anywhere else on the internet- and it does it all with the same Neo-Wiccan, Goddess focused flavor as pretty much most things you'll encounter about Witchcraft.

If you actually like Neo-Wicca, have a basic grasp of its ideology, and are a complete beginner to Cottage Magics (because it is, in all honesty, far more oriented in Cottagecraft in general despite its title)? Then this might be a decent enough primer to get you started in the most disturbingly bare bones way possible.... But I really don't see this genuinely helping anyone except those who have been spoon fed the typical Neo-Wiccan information that saturates the market enough already. Even then, what informative (non spell) information it contains is paltry at best, and I've seen more in depth (and better) information available on online blogs for free.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this delightful little book so that I could write an honest review. These days I am starting to teach again and so I am on the lookout for books that could be helpful either in my studies or for the beginners coming my way. I truly enjoyed this little gem. It will be a lovely quick reference book for myself and a great book for the beginner.


For those who are new to any type of paganism or who are simply looking to expand their spiritual awareness, I feel it is important to have a wide variety of perspectives. This is one I highly recommend to be a part of this spectrum. It has the basics covered in nice little lists that are easy to understand, and it has the great focus on the natural aspect. That part alone leads me to suggest it may be good for a person who is interested in growing their spiritual practice towards being more in tune with nature. I say this meaning non-pagans who are simply open-minded & spiritual.

I will say, as great as this book is, it should not be considered a book for the absolute beginner. For example, it has a short section on spells, but it does not explain what a "spell" actually is or how it works. I have come to view beginners books with an eye towards my fiance. If I handed him this book, would he understand all that is explained here? In this case, the answer is - not quite. There are sections where basic information is assumed and certain things really need some explanation, but none is given.

Overall, I would say this is a great book. It is full of useful information & has a friendly way of speaking to the reader.The meditations inside are perfect for a beginner and the lists are comprehensive yet not overly long. This book is well suited for a variety of audience and a perfect
glimpse into the world of Kitchen Witchery. Yet another excellent addition to the Pagan Portals collection.


http://www.moon-books.net/books/pagan...

[Arietta Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of the Moon Book collection called "Pagan Portals"

On the surface you might think that this book has nothing to offer the experienced craft practitioner but I can guarantee that there will be a nugget of gold to be found by all who read it

As I have come to expect of a book published by Moon Books, this book is well presented and well written, the author has a personable style and writes with familiarity over formality, a quality I enjoy in this kind of book. The reader feels as though they have popped in for a cuppa at Rachel's house and are being given a little tour of her kitchen and garden.

I would recommend this book to those taking there first steps into kitchen craft as it is in my option one of the better guides available, and for others with more experience in kitchen craft I would still recommend it, especially if they own other Pagan Portals books and wanted to add to their collection.

This book should live somewhere easy to reach, once you start using these techniques for a more Magickal life you will dip back into these pages again and again.

[Nightphoenix · Rating 5 out of 5]

I bought this book on a whim after trying to find a more friendlier simpler book, I was not disappointed.Extremely well written,the style it is written in is friendly and more like you are sat in her kitchen with a cup of tea having a chat.
Very inspiring,fresh and very informative,great for if you are new to the path.
I have since bought her new book Grimoire of a kitchen witch .I will definitely be buying more of her stuff,I urge you to give it a go for so little money.