Nar the Schoolmarm

            I’ve had a lot of free time on my hands since November 2024. I got laid off and haven’t found another full-time job in my field or any field. I’ve had some part-time contract work, and I am grateful for that, but I’m itching to have some structure again. Without a schedule, my brain ferrets are out of control. I can’t focus. I put the ‘fun’ in ‘executive dysfunction’. I spend a lot of time staring off into space. But I’m thinking about things. All the time. Too much.

I’ve been toying with the idea of putting together some content and materials that would act as an introduction to yet another version of kitchen/hearth witchery, as well as a way of teaching others how I do things. Beginners still benefit from the basic building blocks, and more experienced practitioners get another perspective on the craft. 

When I first had the thought to combine my background as a teacher with my experience as a kitchen witch, I had a lot of in-person classroom experience but not a lot of online teaching experience. I’m kind of a low-tech witch and person in general. I use very little social media. I prefer physical media to streaming. We don’t have any paid streaming services in our household right now. And, above all, I have never liked depending heavily on technology for teaching purposes. There are a couple of reasons for this. 

The first is Murphy’s Law. If you base your lesson and materials around the internet, or a slideshow or video, chances are very good you will have trouble accessing it when you need it. I always give myself extra time to get comfortable with a platform or piece of equipment before I utilize it, and I make sure I have a contingency plan. 

Second, depending solely or largely on virtual classes and activities to teach students is going to lead to students who haven’t learned very much at all. What I mean is, there is very little engagement or active learning when students are just clicking the mouse or watching videos. 

Before anyone gets up in arms over that statement, know that I am basing it on my experience in the classroom. Students knew I wasn’t the high-tech teacher, but they got used to it. Some of them even surprised themselves by how much they understood and remembered. We need to write, not just type. We need to read and think, not just pick from a list of options. All of those things are useful, together. 

           Why, then, do I want to put together an online kitchen/hearth witch course if I am such a Luddite? Again, we’re aiming for a combination. My combination consists of downloadable online content, printable practices, and virtual discussions. This isn’t the type of class that has formal assessments, but I have planned a few lessons and activities for students to explore what they’ve read and put it into practice. 

This is another attempt to reach out and form connections and community. It’s also a way I might be able to use my education, background, and talents in a new way. Maybe posting this and preparing for it means I will get a job and have no more free time. You just never know. 

I am considering using Patreon to set this up for the materials and any video hangouts or tutorials that I do. Right now, though, I have a lot of notes, plans, and beginnings, but I haven’t managed to hyperfocus on any one of them hard enough just yet. At least we know I’m very, very good at getting distract —---

Nar dreams of community

 At the risk of sounding Spicy, I’m going to tell you what I want. What I really, really want. Sorry. No, I’m not. Anyway, back to this dream I have, the ultimate goal. 

I want a place to host events. There would be space for tent camping, as well as a few cabins. There would be portable toilets, naturally, but carefully maintained ones, as well as a building with showers, sinks, and toilets. 

A key word is accessibility. I remember the campground I used to visit for a gathering in my youth, and it was not accessible at all. Camping was very primitive, and the terrain was rugged, with tree stumps, fallen branches, rocks of varying sizes, and a deep-rutted road that turned into a tire-sucking path of mud whenever it rained. And it rained every time. Therefore, I would want to make all spaces accessible, from indoor workshop areas, ritual spaces, and cabins. 

I know I’m dreaming big here. Let me loose. I’m a kitchen witch, so I am fully ready to provide meals for attendees who want that option. I’ve discussed all of this with a friend or two over the years, and we agreed that it would be useful to have a kitchen structure to use for events and other purposes. 

I miss the twice-yearly gatherings and would like to have one or two bigger outdoor events per year. With some indoor workshop and camping spaces, we could also host events, rituals, and classes during colder months. I want a space for teaching, for handfastings, for memorial services. Ideally, I’d like space for you to get married and buried if you wanted. And what gathering is complete without a roaring bonfire and energetic drum circle? I got you. 

All of this requires lots and lots of money. Money, time, land, work, dedication, knowledge…Right now, I have a lot of time because I am not employed, so I have time but not money. I have dedication and drive. I have pages of research, tons of notes and plans. I want to build a community, but I need a community to help me build this bigger one. I need a team who also want an accessible, inclusive, safe space like this one to become a reality. 

Anybody want in?

Ostara, the New Year, and Food

 As I may have mentioned, I celebrate the new year at Ostara. I do this because a new year, to me, means new beginnings and new life. The calendar new year in January doesn’t really say new life to me. It says slushy, cold, gray days and long nights. Although I do end the year at Samhain, I view the time after it until the winter solstice as an “in-between time”. At Yule, the days start to get a little bit longer, but again, the timing just isn’t right to me. 

The Persian new year of Nowruz is also celebrated around the time of the vernal equinox. It’s the start of the Iranian calendar and lasts for thirteen days. There’s focus on family and friends, celebrations with fireworks or around bonfires, and, of course, food. 

I added kuku sabzi to my Ostara menu several years ago. It’s sort of a frittata but packed with fresh herbs, making it perfect for celebrations of spring and new life. My kitchen witch path is pretty eclectic when it comes to food. That leads me to the real topic of this post, and that is traditional new year dishes from different places and groups. What do people eat, and why? 

First, I’ll look at some dishes eaten in the US because that’s where I’m from. More specifically, I’m from the Appalachian region, with its mixture of Irish, German, and Italian ancestries, among many others. Some of Appalachia is in the south. These things all come together to influence the dishes consumed on New Year’s Day. The purpose of these foods is usually to bring good luck and abundance/money. This includes Hoppin’ John, with its combination of black eyed peas and rice. It’s often served with collard greens. All of these ingredients represent money. Dried beans, salt pork, and rice would be winter staples. 

In Japan, buckwheat soba noodles are eaten to represent longevity. Noodles are also eaten during the Chinese lunar new year, also for longevity. Dumplings are another traditional food. These represent wealth. Grains and meat are foods that symbolize wealth, abundance, and prosperity. 

In Germany, people eat a lot of pork to bring good luck in the coming year. My university German teacher said in his grandparents’ home, they ate pork and sauerkraut at midnight. The idea in their household was to fill up on good food to start the year right. “May you never hunger”, right? 

With most new year celebrations occurring in the winter months, preserved foods and dried foods made the most sense. A pig could be slaughtered for fresh meat if needed. Most of us aren’t so agrarian these days, but we tend to follow the traditions we know, and that includes eating a lot of the same foods every year even though we can now access pretty much anything at any time. (Yuck to produce out of season!)

While the dishes could be switched up for variety or due to availability, dietary restrictions, etc., the purposes remain the same. We want to welcome prosperity, abundance, wealth, health, and good luck into our lives in the new year. A magical diet can include these energies from a variety of ingredients, meaning you can consistently imbue your diet with properties of good luck, protection, prosperity, or anything else you choose, any goal. 

Two of the resources I started with and go back to most often are Scott Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs and his Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen. The indices are great for quick searches. There are lots of great titles for the kitchen witch with recipes ready to go, too. Start by making something for a specific sabbat, such as the aforementioned kuku sabzi. And here’s to a happy new year and new beginnings.

The Wheel of the Year

 I don't observe the Wiccan wheel of the year because I'm not Wiccan. I'm also not agrarian, so I don't observe planting and harvesting times as closely as a farmer would. Many of us live in urban or suburban areas and don't have the same connection to the cycles as our ancestors did. 

I do observe some changes during the year, and I do celebrate some sabbats. I’ve just shifted the focus a little bit to fit my beliefs and more contemporary lifestyle. For example, I don’t really observe Beltane because it’s more Wiccan. The veil opens a bit at that time (stronger in the Southern Hemisphere at Samhain), so I may do a bit of divination, but not much more.

Litha and Lammas are more centered around agriculture, and while I respect and revere harvest deities, I have other ways of offering support to the growth, harvest, and transport of the crops and the people responsible. Mabon/Harvest Home/the autumn equinox remains a celebration of thanksgiving.

For me, Ostara is the new year. It makes sense to start the new year in the spring rather than in the cold, gray dead of winter. There’s little life or color in January. The Persian new year of Nowruz also occurs around the same time.

The year ends at Samhain. A lot of witches and pagans observe Samhain as the ‘death’ of the old year. Some begin their new year right away while others wait until Yule. For me, there is an “in between time” that begins at Samhain and stretches on until the winter solstice. Meatless meals are the norm during that time, and that can last until Imbolc, even. The veil is still kind of thin until Yule, just not as thin as at Samhain. 

The winter solstice brings us the longest night. I like to keep vigil and celebrate at dawn the next day, a fast to feast sort of thing. With brunch. It’s about lights, time spent with loved ones, a warm welcome to longer days coming, and different food. 

The time between the winter solstice and Ostara is often the coldest, snowiest, and iciest of the year for us. That’s why I like to mark Imbolc as a bigger celebration of fire and lights. More candles, the Yule tree still up, gifts, and all the other things you’d associate with Yule. Just at Imbolc.

Why? The days are getting longer, but the change isn’t noticeable yet. The weather can be dreadful. January and February feel like the longest stretch of the year to some. It’s at that time that we need the most light, the most warmth, the most cheer. Think of it as encouraging the sun to strengthen, to return to full power again. 

I actively observe Ostara, Mabon, Yule, Samhain, Imbolc. There are special foods, special activities, ritual, etc. Beltane, Litha, and Lammas are more relaxed. They're just kind of "Yay, summer!" all together.

How does your wheel compare?

Feasting when the Veil is Thin

 Here is a link to a collection of vegetarian recipes for the time just after Samhain up to Yule. I believe some of you have seen it before. It is linked through the blog on the other (less user-friendly) website as well. Yule-Imbolc and Imbolc-Ostara collections are forthcoming! Leave some comments on this blog or over on our Facebook page. We'd love to hear from you!

Introductions, Part II

 Part II of the witchy tag interview can be found here. This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase any of the books or other suggested helpful items through those links, we earn a small commission. Something to keep the lights on, as they say.