Okay Y’all, Take It From A Southern Queer Kitchen Witch: Biscuits ‘n Gravy IS Indeed A Witch Meal

Kitchen Magic: Empowerment Oils

Empowerment oils… oh, boy! When it comes to oils, there are about as many oils as there are witches in the world, and more! When I had first started getting into witchcraft, I was most intrigued by what I could do in the kitchen - something that definitely makes sense, as I am a cook and am pursuing a culinary degree - and between the herbs, teas, and oils, I had discovered an entire world of witchery that seemed daunting at first. And oils, I think, were probably the most daunting.

In learning about oils, I had come across entire books dedicated solely to herbal concoctions that can be blended up for use - Cunningham’s The Complete Book of Incense, Oils & Brews alone has 62 oil recipes, and that’s just a select few that Cunningham had shared.

But, sister witch, understand that you don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen, nor a certified herbalist to make use of oils. With research, you can learn quite a lot, but like any aspect of the Craft, it comes down to what feels right. Trying to make a healing oil and you want to throw an amethyst into the bottle? Go right ahead! Making a money oil and don’t feel like bay laurel draws money to you? Leave it out and toss in some cloves! The possibilities are nearly endless.

So in order to cover oils in any kind of meaningful way, I feel like it’s best to break that umbrella topic down into what the oils are being used for. And as tempting as it is to hop straight into specialized oils, like Return-To-Sender or Road Opener oils, I realized that when I was studying oils and learning from other witches, I almost never came across a general-purpose oil, or what I call an empowerment oil.

In short, an empowerment oil is a multi-purpose oil meant to give a spell or other working just a bit more umph. It’s not focused to any particular use, and if I were to compare it to crystals, I would say that an empowerment oil is most like clear quartz in its uses. It is a battery oil, an energy drink for your mojo bag, liquid fire warmth for your spells that are going cold.

So! All of that rambling said, say you want to get into making empowerment oils. What do I look for? What do I put in it? Do I have to have a special carrier oil extracted from the wood of an endangered arctic berry bush? Well… first of all, I hope that you’re practicing wisely and not using endangered species for your work if your practice calls for it and it can’t be substituted for something non-endangered… well, good on you, but I won’t be helping you out on that one.

I break down what I look for in an oil based on the following criteria: What is it for? What do I want it to look like? Do I want to put it in my body? And can I easily make it with ingredients I have access to, or can easily gain access to?

What is it for?

Simply saying “empowerment” isn’t enough. Just like with any spell, you want to be able to visualize the purpose of the oil. So my Fire Water oil, for instance, is an oil where I knew I wanted it to protect, cleanse, purify, and enhance my workings. I visualized it as liquid fire, and when dressing, say, a healing candle, I can see the candle glow with golden healing warmth.

This is the kind of thing you want with your oils. Specific intent. The beautiful thing about empowerment oils is that they can be enchanted time and again for whatever you’re using them for. Going back to the Fire Water, I enchant it when I make it so that I can align the herbal properties, and then when I use it in a spell, I enchant it again so that the more specific property is called upon. My oil can be used for all sorts of purposes, but if I’m needing it for protection, I call upon that specific property.

The best way I personally use to do this is by using multiple herbs that share common traits. Cinnamon, Rosemary, Sage, and Cloves are all exceptionally good protection and purification herbs. All four of them are in my fire oil. Cinnamon, Clove, Rosemary, Sage, and Juniper are all very good for energizing and waking me up. All of them are in my fire oil.

You can use your intuition to determine what properties you want to incorporate into your oil, and start determining your ingredients from there!

What do I want it to look like?

This varies from person to person. Some couldn’t care less what their oil looks like, as long as it smells good, or as long as it does what they want it to do. For me, the senses are very important to incorporate into the spell or mixture I’m using - call it the cook in me.

If you’re a person who is put off by something because it stinks, looks or tastes rancid, or has floaty bits in it, then put together your recipe in a way that counters all of that.

I love vibrant colors, swirling movements, and pleasant smells that remind me of the purposes I want to incorporate. As such, my oils are pretty, have floaty bits, and smell - if I may say so - rather divine. For me, all of that adds to the magick of my Craft, so I take it into account.

Do I want to put it in my body?

I am a cook. For a lot of my oils, I want them to either be edible and pleasantly smelly or safe to put on skin with pretty scents. This is why I use a lot of herbs and spices that I can easily find in my kitchen. However, essential oils are occasionally included, and it is important to make sure that you know if what you’re putting into the oil is safe for consumption.

This may sound like a no brainer, but it isn’t always so for some people… I’ve seen someone get herself sick because she didn’t stop to think about a) how much essential oil she was adding, and b) whether it was a natural oil or if it was an artificial oil meant for aromatherapy. Always. Do. Your. Research.

Similarly! If you want the oil to help you with divination or healing, don’t add selenite to it - the stone will dissolve, and you will get yourself sick by consuming it. If it’s a divination oil for communicating with the dead, do not consume an oil with nightshade in it. You’ll end up communicating with the dead, but your physical body would be most ready to become fertilizer.

Can I easily get the ingredients?

If the answer is “yes!” Then have at it! If the answer is no, then in my practice, it’s important to consider why that may be. The oil may not be meant to have that ingredient, or Goddess could be saying “leave it out” or “there’s something better that you already have.”

I often see recipes that call for woods that aren’t readily accessible where I live. If I’m making a protection empowerment oil, for instance, and I’m not worried about consuming it, but it calls for female holly berries (holly with pointed leaves), I won’t have access to that. What holly grows here is all male. I can, however, substitute the holly for acorns or oak leaves, since oak is very easily accessible here.

Use your intuition and go with your gut if you can’t get a hold of something. It is okay to change up recipes as you need to suit your purposes.

In conclusion…

Empowerment oils are beautiful tools for any witchy working, and can be used in place of any other oil if you don’t have access to it (drats! I’ve run out of amethyst oil… good thing I have a jar of fire water!).

Be safe, and mix to your heart’s content! Empower your empowerment oil and empower your spell with that lovely empowerment oil! Just know that as long as you’ve made it your own, it will do wonders for you!

I’ll leave you with a short list of good herbs that I personally love to use as all-purpose herbs for empowerment oils, or which are great for mixing with others!

Blessed Be! )O(

Herbs: Cinnamon, Sage, Rosemary, Cloves, Juniper, Bay Laurel, Chili Pepper

Oils: Olive (extra virgin), Grape Seed, Vegetable, Canola

Stones: Clear Quartz, Salt, Iron

To the menstruating anon, try raspberry leaf, rosehips, and hops (individually) or together in herbal infusion! (Fairly sure there a little to no medical implications to these herbs) ♡

Witchy teas~ Thank you for the tips ^^

(Also, because I forgot about this earlier, be sure to double and triple check any herbs and their effects on the body / hormones / mind / what have you before ingesting!)

Green Witch Healing Tea Blends ☕️🌿✨

Migraine Relief Blend 🍵

Holy Basil

Green Tea

Mint

Lemongrass

Ginger Root

Hibiscus Flowers

Anxiety Calming Blend ☺️

Lemon Balm

Chamomile Flowers

Mint

Catnip

Sore Throat Blend 😷

Mint

Sage

Cinnamon

Lemon Balm

Honey

Upset Stomach Relief Tea 🤢

Ginger

Mint

Lemon Balm

Chamomile Flowers

Fresh Lemon Slice

Immune Boosting Tea Blend ☕️

Elderberries

Calendula Flowers

Echinacea

Orange or Lemon Peel

Honey

Menstrual Relief Blend 👩🏽‍🦱

Raspberries

Chamomile Flowers

Lemon Balm

Mint

Winter Cold Relief Tea Blend 🌲

Pine Needles

Cinnamon

Mint

Fennel Seeds

Allergy Relief Tea 😪

Purple Dead Nettle

Peppermint

Cinnamon Bark

Lemon Peel

Ginger

Honey

Full Moon Dreams Blend 🌕

Black Tea

Chamomile Flowers

Lavender

Mint

Peaceful Sleep Tea Blend 😴

Chamomile Flowers

Spearmint

Lavender

Cinnamon

Passion Flowers

Jasmine Buds

Rose Petals

Psychic Protection Tea 🔮

Black Tea

Rosemary

Chamomile Flowers

Rose Petals

Lavender

Happiness Honey Milk Tea 🌞

Sun Water

Milk

Cinnamon

Honey

Autumn Nostalgia Tea Blend 🍂

Black Tea

Cinnamon

Sage

Orange Peel

Fennel Seeds

Forest Dweller’s Comfort Tea 🍄

Cinnamon Bark

Fennel Seeds

Ginger Root

Licorice Root

Orange Peel

Marshmallow Root

White Oak Bark

Yule ball

Ingredients:

🌙 salt/sea salt, pine needles, dried rose petals, rosemary, dried orange peel, lavender, star anise, *coffee beans

Process:

🌙 First add the salt, then your herbs. After this you can add *optional items like crystals, ribbons, sigils, ...

As you add your items, state your intent and the purpose of each one.

Now you can decide, were to hang youre Yule ball - I prefer it in the corners of the room or near the window.

Please feel free to put other ingredients in it and hang the ball wherever you like. ❤ Try to collect some ingredients outside. 🌙🌲

Have fun. 🌙

Proofing Spells

So, I am a baker by trade.  And, if I may say so, I am a very good baker.  I make very pretty baked goods.  I am good at my job.

Except that I always feel like I’m slow.  I take longer than most other bakers at my job.  And, yeah, it’s the trade-off for making high quality goods, and most everyone accepts that.  But it’s something I’m really, really insecure about.  Especially since I work 9 hour graveyard shifts; I don’t want to be there any longer than I have to.  Too tiring.

So I started doing this spell for myself at work:

Whenever I make something that proofs, I channel energy into whatever dough I’m working with (usually as I shape it, but also as I spray non-stick pan-spray into the pans, visualizing the spray as a vehicle for the transference of energy).  This is usually accompanied by aggressively chanting (in my head so my coworkers don’t think I’m crazy), “I am a good baker.  I work quickly and efficiently while still maintaining a high quality product.”

So now I have this charged up bread dough (often in charged-up pans; thanks pan-spray).  But - okay, so, I think this is so cool - as the dough proofs and gets bigger, the intentions of the spell proof up and get bigger.  And then, when I bake the bread/pastries/whatever, it completes the spell (usually with even more of an oomph, since things get just a bit bigger when they bake as well).

And that’s my speed and confidence at work spell!  Works for me every time!  That first batch of dough goes in the oven and BAM!

“But Miss D, I’m not a baker.”   You say.  “I don’t need to be a faster baker.”

Well, you know what, that doesn’t matter!  This can be a great medium for spells of any intention!  Think of something you want to be bigger.  The money in your bank account, your confidence, the number of friends you have - whatever.  If it can grow bigger in some way, this’ll work!

Now, you can bake yourself some bread for this (if you knead your dough by hand, you can really pound that energy into it!), but I’m thinking that anything that grows could work, since that’s basically what proofing is - the dough growing bigger.  Like, maybe if you get a balloon, you can charge the balloon itself with the energy (maybe tugging at it or whatever people do to make the plastic more pliable).  Then blowing air into the balloon is the action of proofing, making your intentions and whatever your spell is for grow bigger as the balloon grows bigger.  And then maybe you could pop it (like baking the bread) and BAM - MO MONEY/CONFIDENCE/FRIENDS/WHEVS.

And you could totally throw extra oomph into this method with things like color correspondences (especially for balloons, but also you could use food dye or certain ingredients for bread), or especially for bread, throw in some herbs relating to your intentions!  (Need some success?  Cinnamon bread.  Protection?  Basil, rosemary, onion.  The possibilities are l i m i t l e s s ! !)

Eh?  Eeehhhh?  Wha’cha think?

Let’s Talk Litha!: Celebrating the Summer Solstice

June 21st marks this year’s Summer Solstice - the Sabbat known as Litha (or Midsummer)! If you celebrate the Wheel of the Year, Litha is one of the key points in the calendar: The summer solstice marks the Sun’s peak of power, and also marks the longest day in the year!

Litha, or, The Summer Solstice

Litha marks the longest day of the calendar year - the Summer Solstice - and is positioned at the bottom, Southernmost quarter point in the Wheel of Year. Traditionally, this is a great time to commune and connect with the Sun, do solar magic, and use the Sun’s peak power to spellcast, charge, and cleanse.

Colors: Red, orange, and other fiery, bold tones

Incense & Scents: Dragon’s blood, orange, musks (personal correspondences here - use your own for max results!)

Altar Setup: Find stones and crystals that have washed up on the summer shore, local flowers, seasonal fruits, and plenty of candles. A bonfire is traditional (a red candle is practical!)

The Litha Feast: What would a Sabbat be without a feast? Litha is a perfect time to eat outdoors (if possible!). Traditional foods include herbed breads and pastries (baked!), desserts and dishes with summer fruits (try berries, stone fruits, or citrus, depending on what’s local to you!), cold cooked poultry for our omnivore witches, and flower or berry wines. More modern foods for Litha could include potato salads, dishes made with lavender or sorrel, peppery foods, or dandelion greens.

Litha Traditions:

Light a bonfire and jump over it (if it’s small enough!) to cleanse yourself of past ills.

Stay up on Midsummer Eve to wait for the rising sun.

Dispose of old amulets in the Litha fire.

Work magic with stone circles.

Make speeches to Fortuna, the lady of Fortune (is my Hellenic Revivalism showing?).

Phone past friends and invite them over.

Honor the Oak tree by paying one a visit in your local neighborhood.

Lead the way to your Litha celebration with a torchlit procession (or lantern or sparkler-lit, as it were!).

Magic for Litha: Healing, purification, cleansing, fire, protection, rebirth, power, sun magic, magic with stones and crystals, reaffirmations, and oaths.

Have at it, witches! (and link me to your Litha altars/plans/feasts! I’m a sucker for peeking on all your aesthetics & magics :>)

Chicken Pot Pie with Scallion Pastry

A comfort-food classic with magical properties of healing, protection, prosperity, and love.

Special equipment: immersion blender

Ingredients

1 double crust pie dough

½ cup chopped scallions (measure green parts only; any white parts may be added to pie filling)

4 cups water

1 large onion, roughly chopped

4 whole garlic cloves

2 celery stalks, roughly chopped

2 large carrots, roughly chopped

2 chicken thighs

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried thyme

salt & pepper to taste

¼ cup butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup dried wild mushrooms (can substitute fresh; just sautee the fresh mushrooms ahead of time to remove excess liquid)

1 cup frozen peas (do not thaw)

1 egg, beaten

Maldon flake salt (optional)

Methods

Boil chicken thighs with water, onion, garlic, carrots, celery, bay leaf, thyme, and salt & pepper. Once chicken is cooked through, remove from broth. Discard bay leaf. Use an immersion blender to puree the vegetables with the broth until smooth. Set aside.

Make pastry according to recipe of your choice, but before adding the water, stir in the scallions. Chill pastry.

Rehydrate mushrooms according to package directions. Reserve the water. Roughly chop the mushrooms if necessary. Shred the chicken (or cut into bite-size chunks).

Make a roux: melt butter in saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture becomes foamy and turns a light golden color. Add 4 cups of the vegetable broth puree and whisk constantly. If necessary, use the mushroom broth to thin out the gravy. Bring to a boil. Boil one minute while whisking; remove from heat. Allow the gravy to cool.

Heat oven to 400°. Roll out pastry and line a pie plate. Mix together chicken, mushrooms, white parts of scallions, and frozen peas. Add enough gravy to reach desired consistency (3-4 cups). Pour mixture into pie shell. Apply top crust. Brush top pastry with beaten egg, and if desired, finish with a light sprinkling of flaky salt such as Maldon.

Bake at 400° for twenty minutes, then cover the edges of the pie with aluminum foil or a pie collar to prevent excessive browning. Bake an additional 25 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the gravy bubbles (total bake time about 45 minutes). Allow the pie to rest at least twenty minutes before serving.

Serves 6-8.

Bay: healing, banishing, success, wishes

Thyme: courage, protection, prosperity

Garlic: love, purification, warding

Scallions: fertility, healing, exorcism

🌿  warm + nourishing // sausage, kale & leek soup 🌿

*makes 8-10 good sized bowls *i used homemade turkey broth (scroll back 2 see a recipe for easy spiced veggie broth), but u can also use water! *treated my sick self to organic pork belly, rosemary & red wine sausage from my local butcher shop - amazing and filled with good stuff! use whatever tho!! *for herbs & spices, assume 2 thumb-sized pinches unless noted! Ingredients // spices: black peppercorns (x2), 1 bird’s eye chili, coriander, rosemary, 2 cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, 1 bay leaf, salt

-garlic, 5-10 cloves (rough chop)      -kale, 1 bunch (cut into rough ribbons)

-yellow onion, 2 medium (rough chop)  -leeks, 2 stems (cut into thin circles)

-brother, preferably homemade, or water (8 cups or more for brothier soup)

-1 lemon, zest and juice    -sausage, preferably local, ~1lb

Recipe // around one hour of kitchen + simmer time

*grind spices and add to large soup pot with a good amount of olive oil, a bay leaf, and the zest of a lemon. sauté on medium

*add garlic and onions, cook until translucent

*tear sausage into 1inch pieces and brown in pan. add a lil cider vinegar and the lemon juice, scrape up all the bits!! add salt!

*add leeks + kale, stir and cook until bright green, about 5 minutes. do you have enough salt? good question to consider here

*add broth or water (or a combination of both!). bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer for at least 25 minutes. 

*enjoy :-)

my body and my spirit deserve nourishing, warm, and lovingly made foods. food is not my enemy, it is my friend and tool to connecting with the world around me. food brings magic into my life. to create and share food is a divine act.

dorm friendly magick for broom-closeted student witches

Got roommates that aren’t into witchcraft/magick? Can’t burn incense in your dorm room? Don’t have time for elaborate rituals between studying for exams and writing papers? I’ve been there. Here are some of my favorite undercover spells and rituals for witches living that college life. 

Journal Magick

Keep a manifestation journal! Find a journal that really speaks to you and makes you feel good every time you open it, whether it’s a bulky leatherbound tome or has a holographic cover and hot pink pages – what matters is that you feel a connection to it. 

Every morning, write down the things you want to manifest in your journal in the present tense, as if they had already happened. [Note: this works better if you are writing the same thing every day for at least a few weeks. Consistent intent is key!] 

For more information on this type of manifestation, just search “scripting” on YouTube and you’ll find approximately 642934 videos on the subject. 

This is a really great technique for closet witches, because no one is going to be suspicious of you writing in a notebook – plus, it’s normal for people to want to keep their journals private.

Work with correspondences just like you would for a normal spell! You can print out photos of herbs, crystals, tarot cards, astrological signs, or moon phases that correspond to your intention and glue them into your journal (or draw them, if you have artistic talent). You could even get an essential oil that matches your intention and dab a drop of it on the page. You’re essentially creating an altar dedicated to your intention, just on paper instead of in a physical altar space.

Tap into the magick of color by writing your intentions with a pen in a corresponding color (green = abundance/wealth, pink = love and friendship, yellow = academic success, etc.).

Tea and Coffee Magick

Tea and coffee are already essentially potions, and no one is going to think twice about a college student drinking a lot of coffee/tea. 

Coffee is associated with grounding and protection, and it adds energy to any spell it is added to. Black tea is associated with protection, courage, and abundance. Green and white tea have their own, slightly different magickal uses. Based on these correspondences, you can use coffee and tea as a base for undercover potions!

For mental clarity and memory retention, brew a mixture of black coffee, lion’s mane, chaga, and ginger. For a caffeine-free alternative, brew an herbal tea with rosemary and peppermint. 

To cleanse negative energy and release stress, brew a mixture of black coffee, Ashwagandha, cinnamon, tulsi or basil, and Eleuthero. This is based on a Four Sigmatic blend, lmao.

For a sneaky prosperity spell, brew a mixture of black coffee, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and vanilla. Yes, that is essentially pumpkin pie spice, and yes, you can use a pre-mixed pumpkin pie blend instead of buying the individual spices.

I could go on, but you get the idea. You can customize your morning beverage to suit any magickal or spiritual need. 

Most plants have medicinal uses that are the same or similar to their magickal uses. So if anyone asks, tell them you’re adding these extra herbs for their nutritional and/or medicinal value. 

You can also charge your tea or coffee with crystals. Just set a small crystal associated with your intention (amethyst for mental clarity, black tourmaline for protection, citrine for prosperity, etc.) next to the mug for a few minutes, or place it on top of your coffee maker. Be sure to charge both the crystal and the drink with your intention!

Candle Magick

If your dorm lets you have candles then congrats, because candle spells are both super powerful and a super easy way to hide your magick in plain sight.

Find a candle in a scent and color that match your intention. For example, you could use a pink, rose-scented candle for a love spell. 

You can find custom spell candles made by witches for witches on Amazon and Etsy, and these have the added bonus of having been specifically created for magickal use. Some of the businesses I’ve personally had good experiences with are Art of the Root (available on Amazon), Esoteric Arts (available on Etsy), and Crystal Journey (Amazon). 

That being said, I’ve gotten good results with $1.99 scented candles from Walmart, so please don’t feel like you need to spend a fortune on special candles for your spell to be successful.

In a pinch, an unscented white candle can be used for any intention. You can get these at the dollar store, and it’s never a bad idea to have a few on hand.

Oil Magick

Your dorm has a no-open-flames rule, so candles and incense are out of the question. No problem – you can get similar results with essential oils. 

An essential oil literally contains the concentrated essence of a plant. Magickally speaking, this makes them a powerful way to add some oomph to your spells. They’re also commonly used for aromatherapy, so your roommate probably won’t be phased by you diffusing them in your dorm.

You can create custom EO blends the same way you would create an incense blend, by combining different plants based on their correspondences. You can also buy pre-mixed blends online if you’re feeling lazy or if you have a certain blend you know you’re going to use a lot like, say, a focus-enhancing blend for studying.

Another option, and one that’s more traditionally witchy, is to use magickal oils/ritual oils. A magickal oil is an oil that has been created for a specific magickal purpose – it’s like a spell in a bottle. A ritual oil is created for a specific use in magickal ritual. You can find tons of different ways to incorporate these oils into your daily life for some very subtle witchcraft.

You can create your own magickal oils by combining herbs, essential oils, and crystals that match your intention, or you can buy magickal oil blends from witch-owned businesses. Art of the Root has my absolute favorite oils – I have like six different blends, and they’re all ridiculously powerful.

Some ways you can use magickal oils: 1.) wear them as a body oil, 2.) diffuse them like you would an essential oil blend, 3.) use them to anoint and bless objects, like tests or study guides, 4.) add them to spiritual baths, and a million more. [Note: many magickal oils come with real herbs and resins in the bottle. These chunky bits could damage a diffuser, so do keep that in mind.]

Personally, I wear magickal oils on a daily basis in the place of perfume, since most of the ones I own smell really good. As I apply them, I say a small incantation to power them up. For example, if I’m wearing an attraction oil, when I put it on I’ll say something like, “I am powerfully attractive to the people and things that will improve my life.” Which oil I choose to wear depends on the day and the area of my life where I want some extra help. 

Tech Magick

The nice thing about being a witch in the 21st century is that, if all else fails, you can keep your entire magickal practice contained on your laptop and/or phone. And even if you’re not doing 100% of your witchcraft in a virtual space, you can still use your technology as a tool in your practice. 

Pinterest is the ultimate visualization tool. You can create a virtual altar to a deity or spirit guide by dedicating a Pinterest board to them, or create vision boards for the things you want to manifest, or create a brainstorming space to plan your full moon rituals… the possibilities are endless. 

Keep your Book of Shadows and/or manifestation journal in a Word document. If you’re really concerned about privacy, you can even password protect these documents. Another pro of an electronic Book of Shadows is that most word processors have a “search” function that lets you look things up more easily. 

Make a devotional playlist for a deity or spirit guide. Making Spotify playlists for my deities is one of my favorite devotional acts! I’ll put together all of the songs that remind me of that deity, and I can listen to it anytime, anywhere to instantly connect with them. And don’t be afraid to ask your deities what type of music they like – you may be surprised by the answer!

If any other witches have similar tips, feel free to add onto this! This is just stuff that I’ve found works for me, but magick is deeply personal and everyone will do things a little bit differently. 

And not to shove my content in everyone’s faces, but I did just post a spell to enchant your school notebooks on my YouTube channel, so check that out if you’re interested!