The Magickal Cottage

Lately I have been inspired by the work of the whimsical witchy water color artist, Regan Ralston, to write a series of blog posts on the various types of modern witches. With her gracious permission I am featuring her beautiful water color drawings as part of my posts. (BTW, you will love exploring her website, so please check it out!)

https://waterofwhimsy.com/

Understand, please, that this is not an attempt to typecast or pigeon hole anyone, but rather a fun way to help people explore their magickal paths. You, like me, might be a blend of a few of these witchy types. So let’s explore!

First off are the witches of hearth and home. These witches love their home and garden. They are the nesters and the crafters whose homes enchant you with a sense of comfort as you step through their doorway.

The Hearth Witch

No florescent lighting for these magickal ones! Candles and vintage lamps decorate their homes. The hearth witch may have a favorite comfortable chair where they sip their coffee or tea. At their feet you might possibly see one or two contented furry companions. If they don’t have a fireplace to sit by, there will be some hearth-like area in their home they have created near that favorite chair. It might be a table with a grouping of candles or a glowing salt lamp, but it will be a place that gives off the warm glow of the home hearth. They may, in fact, have a spell candle glowing in the fireplace at any given time.

For me the hearth witch brings to mind the Scandinavian word, “hygge” which connotes a sense of comfort and coziness. So “witchy hygge” is what the hearth witch is all about.

The hearth witch is the journaling type who likes to write down their musings and magickal wisdom. Their bookshelves are filled with a wide variety of well used books on a variety of magickal subjects.

Whether the hearth witch decorates in hippie/boho style or “witch cabin in the woods” style, there will be an emphasis on comfort. So, pillows and soft throw blankets and comforting smells will prevail.

They may prefer grounding scents like patchouli or cedar wood or homey, coffee, spicy smells. Crystal geodes and sodalite are good for amplifying their mental acuity for reading and writing, and smoky quartz or black tourmaline will help them feel protected and grounded.

Anna Franklin has written a series of books on the hearth witch worth exploring for further hearth witch info:

The Cottage Witch

The cottage witch is happiest when they are working or sitting in the cottage garden, or planning their next witchy craft project. They will cherish grandma’s antique tea set and serve floral teas in their rose water scented parlor.

The cottage witch may amaze you by salvaging an old garden gate and recycling it into a shabby chic (enchanted) wall decoration. Their outlook is the rosey one that sees trash as possible treasures. They may make their own clothes and are always dressed in a creative way to fit the current occasion. A witches’ tea party or picnic in the garden would be their idea of the perfect get together.

They make an effort to always have a fresh bouquet of flowers placed on the home altar. And they may know the magickal properties and mysterious messages of many of the cottage garden flowers. Even if the cottage witch lives in an apartment they will likely grow flowers on their window sill or balcony. Creating scented sachets and dream pillows may be one of their favorite types of spell craft.

Their home may smell of lavender oil, rose absolute or rose water. They may wish to display and meditate with rose quartz, amethyst or selenite which possess a loving high vibration.

If you think you are a cottage witch you might want to read more on the subject. One of my all time favorite books on cottage witchcraft is Cottage Witchery by Ellen Dugan:

The Kitchen Witch

As one might assume, the kitchen witch is a good cook. More than that, though, their kitchen skills extend beyond the culinary. With the kitchen witch there is always something brewing!

When you enter their home you will always be drawn straight to the kitchen by the delicious smell of something fresh from the oven. Their hosting skills are excellent and they will ply you with home made brownies and a warm cup of tea.

You will feel immediately at home, but don’t be fooled! Kitchen witches can be mighty magickal. When they cook with intention they can influence the stubbornest of minds through their scrumptious creations. There have been some who would malign the kitchen witch with tales of enchanted gingerbread cottages and poisoned apples, but the kitchen witch typically has a heart of gold.

They, no doubt, have a kitchen altar and light a candle to their chosen deity before starting a spell …..I mean recipe! They have a wooden spoon for a wand, a certain enchanted kitchen knife and they may wear a special apron as their kitchen witch ritual garb. They use only the highest quality ingredients, and if the don’t have a kitchen garden they will frequent the local farmers market. Many kitchen witches grow and dry their own herbs to include in their food and herbal remedies.

Beyond the obvious delicious food they create, the kitchen witch may craft salves, lotions, soaps and candles. They may make their own enchanted cleaning supplies and floor washes. You name it. If they can brew it, they will!

Lemon and lavender essential oils may be their favorites because of their cleansing properties, but cinnamon oil may liven up the atmosphere while rosemary oil is the all purpose enchanter. A quartz crystal cluster may be on their kitchen altar radiating its helpful energy.

In addition to their kitchen cookbooks, they will own books that name the magickal properties of foods and magickal cooking methods.

Here are a couple of the many good books to explore:

If you are discovering that you are a witch of hearth and home, I hope this post has been useful in helping you along your path.

If you feel this witchy aesthetic doesn’t resonate with you, stay tuned. We will explore more witchy types in future posts!

Magickal Blessings,

Sarina