A History of Kitchen Witchcraft

The practice of kitchen magic and hearth-centered witchcraft is as old as human society itself. Arising from daily rituals of mundane necessity, the act of feeding ourselves, our community, and our wider ecology of spirits has been viewed as a form of important magical technology from Neolithic feast rites to charms of the contemporary “kitchen witch” revival. In this lecture, join Melissa Jayne Madara, witch and author of “The Witch’s Feast,” in tracing the meandering history of this oft-overlooked and undervalued subject. Beginning with the first human cities in ancient Babylon and working our way to the present, we will explore spells and charms of culinary craft throughout history, examining the technology and cultural expressions of this unique (and delicious!) magical arte. 

This class will include - 

• Feasts, sacrifices, and dietary taboos of magicians throughout history

• Folklore of culinary craft and the spirits, gods, and allies of the hearth

• Analysis…