It is always a good idea to do a kitchen blessing. The kitchen is one of the most sacred and shared places in the home and it is in everyone’s best interest to protect it.  The following blessing spells are simple- maybe you already use some of them in your ritual routine, maybe you haven’t done them in awhile, or maybe you just want to do some extra blessings because Thanksgiving and the Yule season are just around the corner. Whatever the reason, here are eight simple ways to get you started with blessing your kitchen.

1. Make things simply sacred with salt. Salt is one of the most basic and effective magickal ingredients anyone has in their home. Salt is both banishing and protective. I have a friend that puts a litter box full of sea salt outside her door and makes people stand in it before they enter, a good idea if you are up for such things. However, a simple line of salt across the threshold will accomplish much the same purpose. Many people are familiar with the folk magick custom of throwing salt over your shoulder for luck, this harkens back to age old protection customs and beliefs. You can also put a pinch of salt in the corner or on the windowsills to protect your space.
2. Build your protection up with red brick dust. My post about Hoodoo Up Your Hearth talks about red brick dust in the corners of the kitchen, and this item can be utilized in the same ways as salt. Red Brick dust is a folk magick ingredient that has been in use in the U.S. for hundreds of years, people used to have to make their own, but now there are several online companies specializing in dust for rituals and spells. Practically it forms a magickal barrier for your space.
3. Make a ritual broom or besom. Witches have brooms and there is a good reason for that, they are good practical magick. They can clean and bless at the same time. Like any good working magickal tool, first they need to be consecrated. Cleanse them first by sprinkling them with salt. Then bless them with lavendar oil or cover them with basil leaves overnight. Then the broom will be ready for use. It can be used for casting a circle in your kitchen as you begin to get ready for a Thanksgiving feast, or for banishing your kitchen of any negativity. If you like you may add ribbons or crystals to your ritual broom to help you bring about your desired results.
4. Light a Hearth-fire Candle. Fire is magick, even the cave people got that memo. In ancient times, as also today, we gather around the hearth fire for warmth and nourishment. A wonderful pagan kitchen blessing can be done with a simple candle. Before you prepare your next main feast, take a white candle, if desired carve it with your favorite protection symbol, or one of the magickal symbols mentioned below. Place the candle in a jar or holder filled with a small amount of tap water. This water will represent the spirit of place. Next add essential oils for protection. Some traditional protection oils would be basil, sandalwood, and myrrh. A few drops on the top of the candle will impart the magickal energy of the oil to your candle and your space. Light and focus on your kitchen , hearth and home being protected in the meals, months, and times to come. Please remember to never leave a burning candle unattended.

5. 

   Consider using sigils, symbols, and veves around the kitchen.  These symbols can be drawn on the bottom of a doormat, placed on small stickers in the corners and windows. If you follow an Asatru or Norse path you can use rune symbols as part of the protective magick crafted for your kitchen. You could also hang a hamsa or protection charm for warding off the evil eye. In Haitian Vodou and New Orleans Voodoo tradition we frequently use veves as protection and honoring symbols for the Loa/Lwa. Customarily these are created on the floor or earth and danced on during ceremony. You can create one of these in your kitchen floor or just put one of the symbols on parchment paper and place it on the door or window.

6. Make some Magic Bubbles. While the kitchen is a place for cooking, it is also a place for cleaning. Kitchen blessings can incorporate both physical and spiritual cleansings. The same essential oils mentioned above can also be added to your dish soap and other cleaning products. Lavendar oil is also a good choice for blessings, in addition to being magickally used for protection and removal of negativity, it has anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.
7. Suspend an Egg in a Glass. This kitchen blessing sounds more like a hocus pocus magic trick than an actual technique used to protect. Actually it comes from the La Regla Lucumi tradition, which is more commonly known as Santeria. First you take a glass and fill it with tap water, place the egg inside, cover the glass with a saucer. Then comes the interesting part, quickly flip the whole thing over so that the egg is suspended in the water in the upside down glass. This works as a kind of protective trap to catch any negative energy that may be in your home. Change the egg regularly for maximum effectiveness.
8. Use the Law of Attraction. Everyone seems to be tapping into the power of the law of attraction these days, not just pagans, but Christians and even muggles (mundanes) too. This is the concept behind many best selling books and motivational seminars. Basically it thrives on the premise that like attracts like, so if you want to attract good energy in your kitchen, then have good energy yourself. Leave your troubles at the doorstep, maybe release them as you cross your salted or red brick dusted threshold. Then as you cleanse your kitchen, and while preparing the sacred nourishing meals you create there, think about all the positive blessings you have, and the good things to come.

This blessing list is obviously just a beginning, there are many more ways to bless and protect your kitchen. Do you put mirrors on the windowsills? Do you place crystals on the stove? I’d love to hear your suggestions and tips, please post them in the comments below. If you’d like to hear more about ritual blessing and cooking please check out my African-American Ritual Cookbook !