Our relationship with food can be complicated. We might not always feel the greatest about the things we eat, and we might not always have the greatest food available to eat. Food is obviously essential to our physical health, but it undoubtedly has a huge impact on our mental and emotional state as well. Whether it's a struggle to stick with reasonable portions or a challenge to overcome resistance to eating, preparing foods more mindfully and magickally can help shift the dynamics. It can also elevate humble ingredients into deliciously magickal meals, helping us to make the most of the food we have available.

Being a kitchen witch is a deeper and more meaningful practice than many realize, rooted in magickal tradition and capable of catalyzing transformation from the inside out. Magickal cooking nourishes not only the body, but also the mind and soul. Healthy eating isn't just about eating healthy foods; it's also about learning to nourish ourselves to the best of our abilities in ways we enjoy. Bringing more magick and mindfulness into the food selection and preparation process can naturally lead to healthier eating, as you'll be drawn to use more fruits and vegetables and other whole foods, and more antioxidant-rich spices. Cooking magick also adds a lot more fun to your meal prep routine, inviting new layers of flavor and creativity.

When I wrote Cookbook of Shadows: Simple Recipes for Powerful Magick, I wanted to create a cookbook that brings magick and mindfulness into the cooking process in an adaptable and customizable way, meeting the cook at their current level of interest and skill in both the culinary and magickal arts. The book provides recipes, techniques, and ingredient correspondences to incorporate as you choose to build your own style of cooking magick.

When we're just throwing ingredients together and approaching cooking like it's a chore to get done, or unconsciously munching on the nearest over-processed convenience food, the importance and potential of cooking and eating are easily overlooked. We forget about the tremendous power in ourselves and in the foods we eat. Magickal cooking reminds us of the interconnectedness of Nature, and our place in that world as beings seeking to survive and evolve. Eating is truly the cycle of life encapsulated, and cooking mindfully is a great way to be present to this fact and maximize the benefits of this sacred exchange of energy. When you are cooking with magick in mind, you are distinctly aware of the energies of the foods and of yourself. This can help us feel at a deeper heart and soul level the truth of our existence and the importance of honoring ourselves just as we honor the wider world in which we dwell. The very nature of magick highlights the essentialness of your mind and soul in the magickal process, while the very nature of cooking acknowledges the essentialness of your body and taking care of it.

Cooking can be a little intimidating, and trying recipes found online can be frustrating, as many recipes are fraught with errors. It's annoying to waste food, time, and money to prepare a recipe that doesn't turn out as expected, especially when we've purchased a bunch of new ingredients we'll probably never use again. Magickal cooking doesn't have to be complicated or expensive, and it should never be frustrating. I decided to create Cookbook of Shadows because I wanted a magickal cookbook of simple, everyday recipes that could be made from ingredients that are typically lower or moderately priced and easy to find if we don't already have it in our kitchen.

Cooking magick is just as versatile and creative as magick in general, inviting customization and adaptation to suit the resources, needs, and desires of the moment. A magickal meal can be simple or complex, humble and home,y or elevated and elegant. You can design a meal to be maximally magickal down to the smallest details, like choosing serving dishes with color symbolism in mind and taking the time to charm and empower your cooking utensils and appliances. Even the ways we cut or stir can become expressions of magickal will. On a busy day, you might choose to simply sprinkle on the magick with the spices, adding emotionally charged intention to the food as you season it with herbs aligned to your goals.

On an even busier day, you might feel you need a boost of energy, and choose to eat an orange to give you that boost. I designed Cookbook of Shadows to be a useful reference for all the varied ways we cook and eat. I wanted to give home cooks and witches a quick and easy way to find ideas, information, and inspiration to eat magickally everyday and to be creative and confident in developing a personal magickal cooking style. You can find recipes and ingredients aligned with the seasons, planets, elements, and common magickal goals like protection and passion. There's also a section where you can find the magickal correspondences of vegetables, fruits, grains, spices, and other ingredients to use as a handy reference, as well as adding your own bits of magickal wisdom and cooking lore. Cookbook of Shadows is truly a Book of Shadows that's meant to be used as such, with places built into the text to add your own notes and ideas about ingredients and recipe customizations.

Every cook is unique, and it's important to be true to your own tastes and preferences. Embracing a more mindful style of meal preparation can be a fun and gentle way to guide ourselves into a healthier relationship with food as well as boosting our confidence in both the culinary and magickal arts. As you work through the recipes and browse the ideas in Cookbook of Shadows, you'll start to feel more and more like a magickal master chef as you develop your own style of kitchen witchery and find new paths to greater empowerment. Food is fuel our bodies need, and preparing that food more mindfully will better nourish your heart and soul as well.