So much of what we do on a day to day basis is deeply rooted in habit – we get out of bed the same way, we stare unrelentingly at the computer at work the same way, we drive the same routes and have the same thing for lunch.
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| the view from the my desk |
It is in this perpetual habit that we lose touch with everything around us. Look outside for a moment today – either from your office window (if you’re so lucky) of from your car window or even, just for a second, from outside your car before you drive home. (your co-workers will just thing you’re trying to remember if you forgot anything at your desk) Notice the color of the light, how the branches look, how the grass looks. Notice the clouds – how many are there? Are they light and fluffy or are they stratus? What color are they?
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| the view from my car! |
As a kitchen druid, these are things that I strive to notice every day. I won’t sit here and tell you that I have no habits that I follow on autopilot – first thing in the morning is a very routine moment for me, as is first thing home from work… those moments when we’re just not quite there after just waking up or after a crazy day at the office. But breaking that routine, crushing that habit just a little bit to make room for observation… that’s what will help you foster magical intent and power in your hearth work.
I’ve been asked before, by a few different people, how I do what I do. One woman asked me “but how? I mean, how do you ‘work it’?” Another asked me how I knew what I was doing was working. Both asked me where I learned this, who taught me, how long it took. I think they were hoping I would pull out my diploma from Hogwarts or something. I told them what I tell everyone who asks – I taught myself. I read, I studied, I meditated and I put real energy into it. I didn’t come on it one day while walking the dog. I didn’t happen upon it like one happens upon a shiny stone on the beach. I’ve been working on this for 12 years and in the last 5 years have really felt the pull to share what I do, and how I do it. I remember “coming into my power” – it’s a bit like finally learning the words to a tune you’ve always known. It was just a matter of realizing its shape, its form… learning how to use it, how to direct it and then putting all of that into practical application.
Don’t let practical application scare you! This is how we get to be who we are – and this applies to everything in your life. I joined a re-creation society 8 years ago and had to make my own clothes. I was nervous – I was barely good with needle and thread! They weren’t the best clothes, but I did it… and almost all of the pieces are still wearable! Granted, I’m much better now than I was but it was the will to do it, to start without knowing the success rate of the final outcome. Practical application in kitchen druidry is just the same – don’t let it scare you out of trying. Get in that kitchen! You don’t need a lot to get started… a wood spoon, a good bowl, your stand mixer. The point is use what you have.
Getting started – Dinner tonight. Here’s a little assignment for you. Look at what you have planned for dinner tonight, then look at the ingredients. Jot them down and then hit the internet. Look up the magical properties of the spices and herbs in your dinner. If there aren’t any, then think about what you could add – salt, pepper, garlic… maybe rosemary, ginger, thyme, oregano, parsley… get creative! Then look at the basis for your dinner. What meat are you serving? What veggies? Look at the magical properties of your main ingredients and write it down! Stickie notes work great here, it doesn’t have to be some awesome notebook or something. Now… put it all together and see what you have. Is it a prosperity dinner? Is it a healing meal?
Now, start cooking. Think about the properties of the ingredients as you add them – and look at your notes if you need to. As you stir, see those properties blending and mixing. Smell the ingredients complimenting each other, mixing into the finished dish. See those properties complimenting each other as well. I’m a big fan of blowing kisses to my dishes as they cook – a little love goes a long way. Stir in the blessings as you cook!
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| eggs - a little seasonal magic! |
As you sit down to eat the finished meal, think about what the food holds. Think about the properties of the foods all together. This is more than nourishment for the body – this is nourishment for your soul and your magical life. Let the food carry blessings for weight loss, for health, for beauty inside as well as out, for prosperity. Remember, our food can carry a myriad of intentions – clarity of sight, aid in psychic sight, blessings for healing of a wounded heart, bolstering for self esteem.
The more you do this, the easier it will become. And soon, once our herb gardens are developed to where we can begin gathering a little for cooking without harming the plant… well, think of the magic we’ll be using when we use plants we raised ourselves, imparted with magic and raised in a blessed house!
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