Cottage witchery is a way of encouraging you to bring both the beauty and the charm of nature into your home with simple enchantments and down-to-earth magick.
No matter where you live, in the city or a rural area, cottage witchery can successfully be employed to create a little enchantment in your home.
Applying the subject of natural magick to your home is a great opportunity to get in touch with your sense of enchantment and to link back to nature to celebrate the cycles of the earth, the moon, and the seasons.
The kitchen is at the heart of cottage witchery, this is the room which holds all your witchy paraphernalia, your herbs, candles, and a wooden spoon which doubles for a wand you are all setup to do some natural magic in the kitchen. Various common kitchen spices, extracts, and seasonings pack a wallop of magickal power when worked into charms and spells. You’d be amazed at what kinds of enchantments you can create just by working with common kitchen spices, seasonings, and cooking herbs. Clean out a small section of kitchen cupboard, up and out of reach of young children. Then arrange a few natural magick supplies like candles, crystals, and herbs in there.
Though you don’t need to use all the fancy witchcraft tools, you can make use with what you already have in the kitchen. Instead of using an athame, use a simple kitchen knife. Instead of Altar cloth use a nice bed sheet. I am not saying, don’t buy the proper tools, I’m just saying you don’t need them. Be inventive, create your own tools, make them from natural items or look through charity shops/thrift stores and buy things second hand.
Even the appliances in the kitchen can be used, if you have had a heated argument with your lover, place a photo of you both together in the freezer overnight, this will help ‘cool off’ the relationship.
One item I would suggest is an Altar, this is a small space set aside where you sit and meditate, honour the deities, cast spells and keep all your magical goodies. You don’t need a huge ornate table with wiccan symbols and ornaments, it can just be a small space you set aside for your magical workings, such as a coffee table.
I have three altars set aside in my home, one in the garden, one the kitchen and a larger setting in a spare room. This one I do most my work, however for kitchen witchery I use the one in the kitchen. How you set up your altar is really up to you, just do what feels right.
There are many small things that a kitchen witch can do around the home, such as using lemon scented cleaning products, this will dispel bad vibes and negativity. When dusting away with your broom, focus on cleaning out bad energies and vibes. If you want to cleanse and freshen things up a bit, add a couple drops lavender oil to your cleaning products. You should also light incense when cleaning, this will help remove negative energy and bring in a fresh vibe.
If you wanted to attract love into your life, anoint a red candle with rose essence focusing on drawing a new lover into your life, light the candle and leave it to burn. You can put out the candle and relight it later and it will still have desired effect.
To protect your home from bad spirits, sprinkle a small dash of salt in each corner of your home. lighting a blue candle or painting the front door blue is also a great way to keeping negative energies away.
Doorways are in between places. Therefore, they are considered to be magickal. By enchanting the threshold to your home, visitors will feel a warm welcoming or a feeling of warning or unease to intruders.
Add plants by the doorway to your home, or perhaps herbs, magical symbols, flowers or a seasonal wreath. Bless these items with prosperity and protection. All these items add to the magical welcoming. If you cannot decorate outside your front door, decorate the inside instead, it will still have a good affect.
Hex signs work great for both protection, wealth and good luck. Each hex symbol has its strengths. Five-pointed stars symbol for protection. heart symbol for love, a Distelfink symbol for good fortune.
The porch, patio, or deck offers all the magick of nature plus the comforts of home just beyond your door. An outdoor room like a porch or a patio is an in-between place. It is exposed to the elements and the weather, yet it is still part of your home. In-between places are traditionally powerful places for enchantment.
If you have enough space make it more inviting by adding some seating, you can use any kind of furniture you are drawn to. As weather permits, move a houseplant or two out on the porch or patio. A couple of magic bottles would go nicely in this magical area. Part fill with sand first so they don’t blow over.
Some outdoor evening lighting will add enchanting mood, Watch for garden lanterns and stylish citronella candles. As this room is out in the elements it is the perfect place to work your wind and air magic.
A few plants would go nicely in this space, I always use red Geraniums and red Begonias as these are protective plants. Palms are good if you want to attract some wealth, for love use Jasmine or Orchids. The plants add the element of Earth.
The best part of working with kitchen magic is It rarely costs you anything. There is a plethora of plants and trees out there that are aligned with your magical purposes. You can find them growing all around you! Go take a walk and see what magickal plant materials nature has to offer. Especially Look for these trees: ash, cedar, elder, oak, pine, and the poplar. See if you can pick up a fallen twig, leaf, pinecone, or acorn to work with.
Traditional kitchen folklore states if you prop your kitchen broom up against the doorframe, it keeps all troublesome family members or unwanted visitors out. Also scattering mustard seeds across the threshold of your home would keep out unwanted guests. To keep away spirits you are supposed to bury mustard seeds under your doorway or porch.
Energy Magic
When walking the path of a witch, it is important to learn how to work with energy. Energy is used when we cast spells, charge candles and herbs and when we send healing. Every object has its 
own energy, whether it a person, flower, or a simple pebble. When creating a potion, all the ingredients you gather have their own individual energy and characteristics.
The elements can provide us with energy too – earth, air, fire and water all provide sources of energy that we can tap into. But generally, you are also the conduit, you summon the energy, you gather it, you add to it and you direct it. Everyone has energy within them and everyone has the power to tap into it and use it. But unfortunately, most people have no idea how to do so.
There is an energy created within our body and spirit, this is referred to as ‘Aura’. The energy that surrounds us is known as’ Chi’ Part of being a witch is being connected and aware of the energies so we can interact with them and use them.
A simple way of understanding the energy within us is to briskly rub your hands together, then slowly pull them apart. You should be able to feel the energy between your hands. Keep practicing if you cannot feel the energy the first time. Once you feel the energy, try making it into an energy ball. You can focus and make the ball bigger, smaller or throw it at someone if you like. (not nice, but fun)
You can draw upon energy in many ways and from many different sources, it can be taken from the Earth, the Moon, the Stars or from Universe and then directed towards your desire.
When working magic within a group the power of the energy is raised by all those present.
The phases of the Moon have great impact on us and the planet we live on. Each moon phase carries with its particular qualities that we can utilise when doing our spell working. The energy from the Waxing Moon is best for money and Career magic. The Full moon energy is best for love and romance spells, the Waning Moon is best for banishing and protection spells. Conduct your spells under the correct moon phases to add extra power to your magical working.
Cooking is a big part for the kitchen witch, each and every ingredient that is used in any meal has an energy of its own and a magical property. Cinnamon, for instance, is an excellent ingredient as it adds love and passion; it is also good for prosperity and protection. Adding a pinch of herbs to your cooking can add the magical properties that come with it. Popping a bit of basil into a salad adds courage and strength, mint brings success and protection and rosemary dispels negative energy. When you are stirring the saucepan or casserole dish, the wooden spoon becomes your wand and the stirring clockwise becomes your way of adding positive energy to the food. Speaking of the wooden spoons, you can engrave magical symbols and charge it with your own personal energy to add some extra power.
Magic Herbs
Every kitchen witch needs her herbs and their magical properties. If possible, it is wonderful to grow your own herbs to use in your magical workings. You don’t need to store large amounts, just 
take only what you need. If foraging in the wild for herbs and flowers, you must take care you correctly identify the plant you are harvesting or the results could be disastrous.
Every herb, plant, tree and flower have magical properties.
If doing candle magic, you can rub the candle in sub herbs to imbue the candle with the properties of the herb. You could also sprinkle the herbs in the flames. Herbs, plants and spices can all be used as ingredients in your magic. Crushed herbs are also excellent offerings to deity.
Before you use herbs in any spell work you will need to charge them with your intent to increase their effectiveness. You should charge the herbs just before you are about to use them to make sure the energy is fresh and at its strongest. If you are using more than one herb in a spell you can charge all the herbs together or do them individually, the choice is yours. To charge the herbs place them in a clean bowl, hold the bowl with your left hand. Hold your right hand above the herbs and visualise your intent and then send this energy into the herb. You can say a chant at this point if you wish.
The best time to harvest a herb depends on the type of herb. Most need to be harvested just as the flower buds appear. The summer and autumn are usually the best seasons of the year. Early morning is the best time of day to harvest herbs, just after the sun has dried the leaves but before it gets too hot. To store herbs, you should use a dark glass with an airtight lid.
if you are in a pinch for some herbs, Take a closer look at the trees in your neighbourhood. For example, you could work with the foliage of the following trees: ash, birch, cedar, dogwood, elder, hazel, holly, juniper, linden, oak, pine, rowan, and lastly, the willow. All of these trees have protective properties and a leaf or two would be a fabulous addition to any protection spell.
Herbs and their magical properties
Allspice: money and good luck
Basil: wealth and good luck
Bay Leaf: purification, health, and strength
Chives: protection, absorbs bad vibes
Cinnamon: prosperity, happy homes
Cloves: protection, stops gossip
Dill: security, money; frightens away unwanted creatures
Garlic: protection, purification, exorcism
Ginger: power and prosperity
Lemon: breaks up negativity, healing
Mace: increases psychic powers
Mint: prosperity and protection
Mustard Seed: fertility and safe houses
Orange Rind: energy, vitality, and health
Parsley: purification, protection
Peppermint Extract: cleansing, purification, and protection
Rosemary: healing, love
Sage: wisdom
Thyme: sleep, courage; promotes good health
Vanilla Extract: love, passion; stimulates mental powers
Cleansing and Consecrating
When acquiring a new magical tool, we must cleanse it to remove any negative energy. All items pick up energies if they have had previous owners, from the store keepers, from the air around them. it is a worthwhile process to cleanse any new items and charge them with our own energies. The magical items will work better when they recognise us and our unique energy.
For instance, if you purchase a set of Rune stones and someone else has been using them, they will would have picked up the energies from that person. When you try to do a reading without cleansing them, the reading may be a bit squiffy because it may be confused with the energy still hanging about from the other person.
There are several ways to cleanse an item, all methods work, it is up to you which one you use. A simple method is to run the item under cold water for a minute then anoint the item with oil essence. You could also hold the item over a burning increase stick, slowly turning the item as you do.
A popular method of cleansing is to leave the item under the moon light for an evening or Sun light for the day. The item will be cleansed and charged with pure energy.
When moving into a new home you should perform a cleansing ritual to get rid of the old vibrations. The most popular way to do this is called “smudging.” Light some dried sage and allow the aromatic smoke to waft through the area, purifying it.
To charge an item, hold it in your left hand, close your eyes, and focus on sending white light energy into the item. The longer you do this the better. Though a couple of minutes would be plenty.
Now with the understanding of energies the kitchen witch can put together all the different energies to create the most powerful of potions.
Magic Bottles and Witch Bottles
I love magic bottles, I always have a few around the home. They are easy to make and work well. You don’t need special pretty bottles; you can just use old clean jam jars. Magic bottles can be used 
for any purpose. They can be used for protection, love, to draw wealth into your life or to improve health.
Basically, a magic bottle is a jar which is filled with objects that have a given magical purpose. The magic jar can hold its power for many years if the jar remains unopened and undamaged.
The typical contents of the magic bottle are similar to ancient ones, sand, crystals, herbs, candle wax, flowers, salt, vinegar, coins and ashes. You can even add leftovers from your normal magical workings. Tradition magic bottles were mainly used for banishing, protection or keeping evil spirits away.
To create your magic bottle, start first with the jar, cleanse it and charge it with energy. Next charge each item before you add it, layering up the ‘ingredients’ as you go.
For a protection bottle I like to part fill it with salt, add black obsidian crystal, a small pentagram and sometimes a family photo folded in half. If you don’t have a pentagram, you can draw one on the bottle. Garlic is good for protection too.
Add flowers, herbs, spices, whatever items correspond with your intent. – rose petals for love, cinnamon for success, mint and basil for prosperity etc. Keep filling the jar or bottle up until you reach the top then put the lid on.
Many keep a piggybank in their home which can easily be used a magic bottle. Simply charge each coin with your intent before adding it into the piggybank. I anoint my piggybank with peppermint oil first, peppermint oil is great for money magic.
Go ahead and arrange a few sunflowers in an old glass jar and set it out on your table this summer. It will brighten up the whole room, just like magick.
Colour Magic
Colour magic is also useful, when possible try to correspond the colour of the materials used to the intent. Corresponding the colour to your intent can add a huge amount of power to your spell working, whether it is in the form of the colour of candle, the colour of crystals used or the colour of medicine bag, it all adds that bit extra.
Black: Protection, remove hexes
Green: Money, Luck and healing
Orange: Strength, healing, vitality
Pink: Friendship, luck, romance
Purple: Power, intuition, Wisdom
Red: Energy, courage, passion
White: Peace, Meditation, purity
Blue: psychic awareness, safe journey, tranquillity
This is one of the lists of correspondences you should keep handy.
Planet Magic
Using the energy of planets within your magic, your rituals and spell casting will add extra power. The seven basic planetary correspondences are Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, the Sun, Venus, Mercury and the Moon. Each planet has its own magical qualities and strengths that we may wish to use in our spell work. Symbols, materials and objects that are associated with each planet and help to channel that particular planetary influence. The symbols of these planets can be carved into candles or wands, or drawn on paper or in the air for spells, their uses are limitless.
Mars: Winning, success in battles, courage
Saturn: Power and success, good fortune, Banishing.
Jupitar: Love, Peace, gains and riches
Sun: Good fortune, prosperity, find new love, making friends
Venus: Courage, joy, intuition
Mercury: Memory, Divination, Dreams
Moon: Safety, health, remove anger
Feng Shui
Feng Shui literally means “wind and water,” and it is the 5,000-year-old art of arranging and decorating your home to encourage a happy life, prosperity, well-being and contentment.
Everything around us is made up of energy, this energy is known as Chi. Good quality Chi will also contribute to harmonious, good quality relationships, vibrant health and an overall sense of well-being. Bad Chi will do just the opposite—it will attract low, negative energy into your home, which can express itself in a variety of undesirable events and experiences.
Feng Shui bases its principles of balance and harmony on the concepts of Ying and Yang (masculine and feminine) and the five elements. The five elements are represented as water, wood, fire, earth and metal.
Feng shui is a wonderful way to bring the energies in your home into harmony. Each item in your house has its own energy and life force and by placing the item into the best place will allow the energies to flow freely without any blocks. The energies will be happy and you will feel the happy energy in your home.
Working Magic
Work out your intent first, what type of spell you want to use, what ingredients or items you will need and get them all ready. Write out any words that you want to say. Lay out everything first. It’s 
a bit embarrassing to work a grand spell, call upon deity, light candles, sprinkle herbs and then realise you have forgotten one of the vital ingredients
If you want to add power to your spell check the correspondences – use herbs that have the same intent, work your spell on the day of the week that has the same intent, check the time of day, the Moon phase and even the planetary phase. Each one of these alignments will add power to your working.
A classic magic spell, usually involving a candle, is a seven-day spell. The magic is worked on a particular day and then repeated each day thereafter for seven days. This type of spell uses the energies of the seven days and the seven planets. Each day the magic and the energies of that day/planet building up until on the last day you have the power of all the seven classic planets.
Firstly, you will need to decide what day of the week to start your spell on and work out all the energies and planets that tie in with each day. You will also need to write yourself a short invocation for each day, drawing upon the particular energies for each day and planet that it corresponds with.
Light your candle and quote your invocation. Do this for seven days.
The goal of any cottage witch is to bless each room and corner on the home with magic. Beds situated east-to-west, a bag of herbs hanging from a chair. All these little things really add up and have a profound effect on your life.
Now you have your magic bottles, magic plants, magic colours, magic candles, magic incense and all the other witchy things you will have magic in every corner of your home.
