The Legacy of the Kitchen Witch

Once upon a time, when the world was smaller than it is now and not so complicated, the countryside was fairly crawling with Kitchen Witches. They were the original Home Healthcare System: the naturalist healers, the folk philosophers, dispensers of herbs, knowledge and comfort. They were, in short, the rural Wise Women, and our ancestors’ societies would have been hard pressed to function without them. Even the tiniest villages usually had at least one kitchen witch to tend their wounds, tell their fortunes, and deliver their babes. Though, to be perfectly honest, they weren’t called “kitchen witches” back then. That was a title that came later—possibly to distinguish the homespun healers from the alchemists and ceremonial magicians, to whom they were as similar as wildflowers are to hybrid orchids.

The Wise Women were pragmatists, you see. If they worked magic, it was because they recognized magic as an integral part of life. But their magic was generally simple, straightforward and aimed at results. And they got them—results, that is. They eased the pains of birth and death alike, often with more success than the so-called doctors of the day. Maybe that’s why so many of the old gals ended up on the wrong side of a bonfire. Maybe it was the price they paid for being good at what they did. (Some people just can’t take it if others are not only more efficient, but also more effective than they are.)

Nowadays, of course, we don’t barbecue our kitchen witches. The mainstream world is more inclined to simply deny their existence. Modern society assumes that the Wise Woman, like the little villages she cared for, is a thing of the past. But society is mistaken. Today there’s a whole new crop of kitchen witches blossoming forth, rising from the ashes of those who went before. Outwardly, perhaps, they bear small resemblance to their ancient kin. Today’s kitchen witch roams the cities as easily as the countryside, and she can be from any background, any race, any creed, even any gender. But she (or he) can still be recognized, if you know what to look for.

Just like the Wise Ones of old, the modern kitchen witch is both a thinker and a doer, both a head-in-the-clouds dreamer and a feet-on-the-ground seeker of truth. Her power, as it always has, lies in her willingness to accept responsibility for herself and her own—in her capacity to face the world unblinking. Her magic is in her open mind, her loving heart, and her unquenchable spirit. To a kitchen witch, there are no obstacles, only challenges and adventures to be lived and learned from. She enjoys the view from the mountaintop, but treasures the climb there. A rainbow is as precious to her as the pot of gold at its end. The kitchen witch sees no contradiction in being both free-flying imaginative and solidly down-to-earth. She is cheerfully and creatively practical.

Her athame is the knife she chops vegetables with; her cauldron, the supper-pot. Her chalice may be her favorite teacup; her wand, the pen she writes with, or the hand that gestures so fluidly as she speaks. Her incantations are her thoughts, her songs, and her prayers. With little more than a dash of courage, a sprinkle of laughter, and a generous scoop of compassion, she makes life a banquet for herself and all those she touches.

Perhaps, in essence, the “Kitchen Witch” is simply an ordinary person who asks extraordinary questions and dares to expect answers. She is, in fact, anyone who views life not as a stagnant noun, but an active verb—not a bitter pill to be choked down, but a rich treat to be baked up, savored and enjoyed to the last crumb. She is simple, unadorned heroism and victory over despair—unflinching hope, ever-questing joy, and unconditional love. Put brave thoughts in your head, a dream in your heart, and look in the mirror. Maybe you’ll see her smiling back at you.

Blessed be.

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