Sarah Robinson's Blog

The eagerly awaited Kitchen Witch Companion is now available to Pre-Order

The Kitchen Witch emerges with a waft of cinnamon, summoned up with the pestle and mortar crushing cardamom, with the harvesting of fresh rose petals. She emerges any time a pan bubbles or cranberries pop or the scent of melted chocolate or orange zest fills the air. She is there in the bubbling of yeast, the rising of dough, the whipping of egg whites or cream into billowing clouds, and the scent of freshly baked bread. She appears as spices crackle in hot oil and when boiling water is poured over fresh herbs in a teapot. She is there in a wonky birthday cake made with love or a stew for a grieving family. She is there as we gather the season’s bounty from our gardens – a bunch of flowers to mark a birthday or a passing: roses for love, rosemary for remembrance. Her spirit is in the smell, sound and symbol, freed in the process of cooking, of transforming one thing into another. She is real here and now, in this strange modern world, if we choose to engage with her, if we allow her to awaken the dormant kitchen witch within us.

Not all witches in folklore are portrayed as bad; some are connected to joyful folklore traditions (but like many, they may have a dark past). In Sweden and Finland, it is an Easter tradition for children to dress as paskkarringar – Easter witches. They dress up as little hag figures, wearing headscarves, and with rosy cheeks painted on their faces. These little old folks carry copper kettles and cauldrons to hold their bounty, as they go door-to-door wishing people a happy Easter and receiving sweets in return. They may also use their birch and feather brooms to sweep away bad luck.

The tradition is based around folklore that before Easter, witches would fly to the Island of Blakulla to feast and dance with the Devil, who held his earthly parties in meadows on this island during the Witches' Sabbath. (Blakulla is a real island in the Baltic Sea, but it is referred to most often now as Blå Jungfrun, The Blue Maiden, because sea-lore suggests that saying the island’s real name whilst at sea would brew up a storm.) As the witches were on their flight back from their revels, Swedes would light fires to scare them away, a practice honoured today by the bonfires and fireworks across the land in the days leading up to Easter Sunday. 

The paskkarring tradition has been around since at least the early nineteenth century, though originally it was teenagers and young adults who dressed up to cause mischief, like guisers in England. Like many traditions before it, the act of warding against witches and casting out evils has become to some, a celebration of witches, and to others, a chance for revelry and games. 

Witchy traditions in Sweden include both the cheerful Easter Witches welcoming in the springtide and that household poppet figure: The Kitchen Witch. In Sweden, at least in modern times, it seems the witch is a favourable symbol, and to have a witch in your house brings good luck and blessings. 

A Bright and Happy Easter to all, may your copper kettles overflow with abundance! 

xxx

Chicago is a beautiful bustling city, one I very much enjoyed visiting one very hot summer many moons ago. I am honoured to have been offered, in a very small way, a chance to give something back to the city, specifically women of the city, and further out into other states in America. I received a request via my publishers to donate some of my books to Chicago Books to Women in Prison.

Apparently, books on yoga are among their most popular requests, but it’s rare that they get books like this as donations, which is why they reached out to me. So, along with my publisher Womancraft Publishing, we have sent over multiple copies of Yin Magic. (I’m not suggesting my books are going to change anyone’s life, but if they can brighten a day, or offer a pause of reflection, that’s good enough for me!)

Since 2002, Chicago Books to Women in Prison has been sending books free of charge to women in state and federal prisons nationwide. They are a small all-volunteer, nonprofit organization funded by individual donations and occasional grants and awards. They provide a critical intervention into an oppressive system by offering the self-empowerment, education, and entertainment that reading provides. Every woman receives three books, no strings attached, along with a personal note. Books in prison programs give many women a powerful way to make better lives for themselves.

If you would like to help and read more about this project, you can head here  chicagobwp.org. 

Which isn’t really relevant at all but I enjoyed revisiting some happy memories

Remember folks, pre-orders of my new book Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale ship March 4, 2022!

And I have created Pre-order bonuses, two sweet and sumptuous treats for those who pre-order Kitchen Witch: food, folklore & fairy tale…

First, a half-hour reading of a fairy tale called ‘Misfortune’ which is a retelling of a classic Spanish fairy tale that features some very special cakes!

Secondly, a little recipe ebook chock full of golden jewels called ‘In the Honey Fields of Magic’ includes 6 honeyed recipes (with suitable vegan alternatives!) and snippets from Kitchen Witch! For those who pre-order Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale - I have created an exclusive ebook: In the Honey Fields of Magic with honey recipes (& vegan alternatives), snippets from the Kitchen Witch book, and a special tale or two!

Pre-orders close on March 2nd 2022; head straight over to www.womancraftpublishing.com

All free goodies are emailed out after pre-orders close on March 2nd

Lil’ snippets of my new book Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore, and Fairy tale

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Keeping House Spirits Happy

A household deity or spirit may protect a home or look after the household, or they may have more mischievous or opportunist intentions. It is a common belief in paganism as well as in folklore across many parts of the world that ancestors reside in groups in family homes as well as domestic goddesses like Hestia, watching over all homes. So families may well feel a more personal connection to household spirits, as ancestors of the family or land, and they would be honoured, not in temples but within the home.

Some examples of these spirits in European cultures include:

●      Fairies – also known as fae, faery, fair folk and fae folk (Throughout the British Isles)

●      The Coblynau; mine fairies and Bwbachod; household fairies (Welsh)

●      Elves (English, Icelandic)

●      Brownies (Scottish and English) 

●      Leprechauns and clurichauns  (Irish)

●      Bogles (Scottish)

●      Piskies (Cornish)

●      Kobolds (Germany) 

●      Hobgoblins and pixies (England)

●      Bogey, bwg, goblins (Welsh)

●      Nisse (Norwegian or Danish) 

●      Tomte (Swedish) 

●      Tonttu (Finnish)

Because of their place within the home, house spirits were connected to the day-to-day goings-on and chores. House spirits are often considered to clean, tidy, and protect in exchange for milk, bread or cake as thanks. They are also part of deeply woven together ideas of witches and fairies and night flying spirits. So we will meet many fairy folk through the book, and vestiges of their presence persisting in small ways, into the modern day.

A bowl of milk placed for the brownie is not so different to an offering of wine poured out before the household gods of the Romans. Fairy lore contains certain elements of mythology and of older religious beliefs. I believe fairies reflect remnants of pagan beliefs of animism – that all objects, places, and creatures possess a distinct energy or spirit. Animism perceives all things – animals, plants, rocks, rivers and homes, words and food — as alive in some way, possessing a certain magic, you might say.

Hobgoblin and Bogles

"Hob" is a generic term given to a goblin, bogle or brownie. A hob is also a shelf by a fireplace for heating pans, which means that a hobgoblin may be referring to a household goblin or spirit that resides in this particular location in the kitchen. Hobgoblins may help with cleaning and housework in return for food, however, if offended, they could become disruptive and mischievous. There is a story of a bogle who would hide in potato fields of Scotland – the  Tatty Bogle might attack unwary humans or cause blight to the crop.

Kobold

The kobolds of German folklore hold many similarities with the hobgoblin – they may help with chores but are just as likely to be mischievous and hide household tools. Like similar incarnations in other countries, he becomes outraged if he is not properly fed. Kobolds dwell in dark and solitary places, basement and storerooms and further afield in mines and tunnels. 

Bienal is a kobold of the beer cellar, like the leprechauns and clurichauns, for every image of a pixie or elf, there often seems to be one specifically for booze (even whisky has its own angels – we’ll meet them later). The bienal is appeased by a daily jug of beer, and in return might assist in cleaning tables and washing up. Finally for our stop in Germany, numerous demons are recognized as dwelling in trees and amongst the crops of wheat and vegetables. So, amongst the Feldgeister "field spirits," you will find, to name just a few: the Roggenhund – rye dog, the Kornkatze – corn cat, and Kartoffelwolf – potato wolf.

Piskies

Fairy folk local to Cornwall, piskies are often sighted at places of ancient worship, such as stone circles and barrows. There are many tales attached to who the piskies are: the souls of pagans who could not transcend to heaven, ancestor spirits, relics of pagan gods or nature spirits. Even moths, who some believe to be departed souls, are still in some areas, called piskies. 

They can also be mischievous, and if you get lost, the Cornish might say you were “piskie-led,” although people are often lead astray in order to join in with dancing and games before being returned to their path, so it’s not all bad. The piskies of the Cornish Moors are also called nightriders for their hobby of knotting tiny stirrups into the manes of moorland horses and galloping across the moors. Horses ridden by witches in similar stories are called  “hag-ridden”.

Piskies might also blow out candles or stop milk from being churned to butter or sneak through keyholes to eat sweet food. There are plenty of stories of very kind acts of the piskies. One tale tells of the piskies who sent to the Earl of Cornwall's wife – who longed for a baby – a pie, within which lay, on a bed of sweet herbs and wildflowers, a smiling infant.

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Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore, and Fairytale will be released on Ostara 2022

The best way to make sure you don’t miss Pre-order time is to sign up to the Womancraft Mailing List - you can do that here (bottom of the homepage on the right)

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Ale Wives

The stories of the beer goddess offer us a glimpse of just how essential a role beer and ale have played over many thousands of years of feasting, ritual and daily life—and how women have always played a central role in its production. The word "alewife" appeared in common use in England from the end of the 1300s in various medieval texts describe women who brewed and sold ale. Brewing was something done at home for the household, but especially for widows and spinsters, brewing a little extra for sale was a good way to earn some income. And many were familiar with herbs and flavourings that might make the ale taste better as well as containing healing properties. Apparently, ale was particularly useful after The Black Death (around 1346 – 1352, wiping out from one-third to one-half of Europe's population). As it was boiled, ale was more likely safer to drink than water in some areas, it provided some nutrition and hydration, and selling it was profitable for women who'd learned the craft.

Professional alewives would have broomsticks in their kitchen to keep things clean, cats often scurried around their' bubbling cauldrons, killing mice that liked to feast on the grains used for brewing or warm themselves by cauldrons of cooling wort. The frothing yeast from the pot might be skimmed and added to flour, for the baking of bread that day. If this image is sounding familiar, it's because this is all iconography that we now associate with witches. While there's no definitive historical proof that modern depictions of witches were modelled after alewives, there are some uncanny similarities between alewives and anti-witch propaganda. And as brewing gradually moved from a cottage industry into a money-making one, this connection to witchcraft proved useful for men to remove women and their roles with demonization and character assassination. Other skills such as lay healers suffered a similar fate, and women were being stripped of their ability to claim a profession or have their skills recognised. Medicinal knowledge or natural remedies were considered impossible for a woman to possess or skills begotten by the devil. As the idea that women were inherently corrupted spread, societies implemented strict laws that ever increasingly regulated and removed women from brewing.  Brewing Guilds were set up in cities and excluded women as they were considered unfit to brew or sell ale and beer, or worse; that they might use their feminine charms to lure men into drunkenness. And through Europe the founding of these guilds often forced women out of the brewing industry - according to Essex witch trial record accused witches were quite often blamed for spoiling beer. Or using powers to ’bewitch’ beer, which could among other things, mean it was watered down. Connecting brewers with both witchcraft and general untrustworthiness. Away from the big cities, it was still possible for women in rural villages to continue their craft, albeit more surreptitiously.

This again sounds a lot like healers, cunning folk, herbalists and midwives whose good work was twisted and undermined. The link between female brewers and pagan practices became a convenient weapon in the campaign to remove women from various professions and ultimately proved successful.

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It's not that all alewives were witches or that all witches were also alewives, or even that the alewives cauldron and outfit created the stereotype image of the Witch. I believe many images combined and amalgamated to make that image. But there is a kinship here - the Church went out of their way to demonise these women. I do not doubt that more than one alewife has been called a witch in her time. And alewives, along with many women of the time and all the way through to professional women today - can certainly relate to being belittled and having their skills dismissed.

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Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore, and Fairy tale will be released Ostara 2022

The best way to make sure you don’t miss Pre-order time is to sign up to the Womancraft Mailing List - you can do that here (bottom of the homepage on the right)

So Kitchen Witch is open for Pre-orders! yay! but what does Pre-Order mean?! Here’s a little summary if you are unsure. And head over to WomancraftPublishing.com if you’d like to Pre-Order Now!

To Pre-Order is to place an order and pay for a book before it is available for purchase.

Why Pre-Order?

As an author, pre-orders can alert retailers and consumers about the book.

For booksellers, the pre-order quantity is a good early indicator of a book's success and can lead to retailers increasing their initial orders.

As a publisher - we can get orders ready ahead of time, knowing how many we need to print, order, and have the author sign.

BUT we know pre-ordering a book but then still having to wait some time for it to arrive can be a trial! We all want the book in our hands right?! Which is why we at Womancraft offer exclusive goodies, ones you only get as a pre-orderer as a thank you, for supporting an Indie publisher, for being patient, and to inspire and delight while you wait for the book!

In the case of Kitchen Witch, the pre-order copies will be sent out on March 4th, The general release date is March 22nd so you are also getting the book a good few weeks before anyone else!

Two sweet and sumptuous treats for those who pre-order Kitchen Witch: food, folklore & fairy tale…

First, a half-hour reading of a fairy tale called ‘Misfortune’ which is a retelling of a classic Spanish fairy tale that features some very special cakes!

Secondly, a little recipe ebook chock full of golden jewels called ‘In the Honey Fields of Magic’ which includes 6 honeyed recipes (with suitable vegan alternatives!) and snippets from Kitchen Witch!

AND…if you order before the Winter Solstice you will receive an extra thank you present for Yule…

Grab a hot drink and join me for a short and sweet fairy tale of foxes, cake and coffee! This very special festive tale is available as an exclusive extra bonus, and ONLY for those who pre-order Kitchen Witch before Christmas. You will receive this little story gift by email on the Winter Solstice, to wish you all a very merry and warm midwinter from me and all of us here at Womancraft!

xxx

Head over to WomancraftPublishing.com if you’d like to Pre-Order Now!

Such an exciting day!

You can now Pre-order Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tales! direct from www.womancraftpublishing.com

As usual, those that pre-order receive exclusive goodies in thanks!

PRE-ORDERS SHIP MARCH 4, 2022 (almost a month before general release!)

First, a half-hour reading of a fairy tale called ‘Misfortune’ which is a retelling of a classic Spanish fairy tale that features some very special cakes!

Secondly, a little recipe ebook chock full of golden jewels called ‘In the Honey Fields of Magic’ which includes 6 honeyed recipes (with suitable vegan alternatives!) and snippets from Kitchen Witch!

Grab a hot drink and join me for a short and sweet fairy tale of foxes, cake and coffee! This very special festive tale is available as an exclusive extra bonus, and ONLY for those who pre-order Kitchen Witch before Christmas. You will receive this little story gift by email on the Winter Solstice, to wish you all a very merry and warm midwinter from me and all of us here at Womancraft!

Welcome to a place of great magic – the kitchen!

Magic, superstition, cooking, and food rituals have been intertwined since the beginning of humankind. Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore & Fairy Tale is an exploration of the history and culture of food, folklore and magic and those skilled in healing and nourishing – herbalists, wise women, cooks, cunning folk and the name many of them would come to bear: witch.

Kitchen Witch is an invitation to see the magic in every corner of your kitchen. With the Kitchen Witch as our guide, we’ll explore food, nature, magic, and transformation. We’ll discover what the name of Kitchen Witch could mean to us in modern interpretations of ancient practices. May this book of stories and ideas show that there’s magic in the mundane, witchcraft within your walls and the Goddess really is in the details.

Within this book you’ll find no recipes, but something cooked up just for you; you’ll find stories – stories of magic, healing, and hearth, of feasts and fasts and fairy tales. Of poisoned apples, bewitching gingerbread, and seeing the future in a teacup…

Discover the fantastic folklore and healing properties of everyday foods: fruits, vegetables, honey, bread and nuts.

Delight in food customs and rituals from ancient Babylon, Egypt, Greece and Rome.

Meet cunning folk, herbalists, ale-wives, beer goddesses and the many faces of the Kitchen Witch through the ages.

Journey through food for every seasonal festival on the Wheel of the Year.

Enjoy fairy and folk tales of witches and saints in Scandinavia, floating apples and snapdragon in England, potato-wolves in Germany, tatty bogles and angels who drink whisky in Scotland, and a rather surprising prevalence of pancakes…

In Sarah’s signature style of weaving together the magical, this exciting new book will touch on a myriad of modalities in a journey lined with folklore, fairytale and much, much food!

XXX

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We’ve seen Kerridwen, Brigid, Medea, and the cauldrons in myth and legend. There are some more goddesses here but also - many real women standing at their cauldrons…

The oldest known beer recipe in the world sits on a clay tablet in cuneiform writing. It is called, in translation, "A hymn to Ninkasi" it is a glimpse into beer's ancient history, a beautiful ode etched into clay, we know it was women, most likely priestesses; who were thought to have sacred connections to the deities, who made this beer, and they made it both for, and with the help of, the goddess Ninkasi. 

Ancient Sumerian settlements, located in Mesopotamia, is credited with both the invention of farming, written language, and of beer. It was a patriarchal society, and Sumerian women held significantly fewer rights than men. But in brewing beer, they had an opportunity to make a living and hold a position of respect as priestesses and creators; the Hymn to Ninkasi represents recognition of that. And the brewing craft was considered under divine protection from the goddess. Beer was used for religious ritual, medicine, and a day-to-day beverage and nourishment.

Along with the beer hymn the oldest known written culinary recipes also come from ancient Mesopotamia on tablets featuring recipes for lamb stew and soup with leek and garlic, they are kept in the archives of Yale University.

 Ninkasi was the goddess who gifted women with instructions on beer-brewing, she was the patron of beer, but she was also the beer itself. Her spirit and essence infused the beer; her name means "the lady who fills the mouth." Spices and herbs were added to the beer that were also found in ancient medical remedies. Ninkasi was also associated with healing and fertility, nourishing and nurturing going hand in hand.  Sumerian women brewed beer in, and as ceremony. And the image of the woman as brewer persisted well into the Middle Ages. In the following translation of the Hymn to Ninkasi; woven between the hypnotic words are detailed instructions for brewing beer, a sacred, feminine, life-sustaining craft. You get a sense of the song, movements and rhythm that would have been part of making this drink for their goddess.

In the hymn, Ninhursag is an earth goddess figure and 'Lady of the Mountain'. Ninkasis father is mentioned; Enki; God of Creation (Nidimmud), Fertility, Magic and Mischief. And Bappir is a barley bread that was primarily used in beer brewing. This translation is drawn from several academic versions.

Hymn to Ninkasi

Borne of the flowing water,

Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,

Borne of the flowing water,

Tenderly cared for by the Ninhursag,

Having founded your town by the sacred lake,

She finished its great walls for you,

Ninkasi, having founded your town by the sacred lake,

She finished its walls for you,

Your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,

Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.

Ninkasi, your father is Enki, Lord Nidimmud,

Your mother is Ninti, the queen of the sacred lake.

You are the one who handles the dough and a big ladle,

Mixing in a pit, the bappir with sweet aromatics,

Ninkasi, you are the one who handles the dough with a big ladle,

Mixing in a pit, the bappir with dates and honey,

You are the one who bakes the bappir in the big oven,

Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,

Ninkasi, you are the one who bakes the bappir in the big oven,

Puts in order the piles of hulled grains,

You are the one who waters the malt set on the ground,

The noble dogs keep away even the kings,

Ninkasi, you are the one who waters the malt set on the ground,

The noble dogs keep away even the kings,

You are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,

The waves rise, the waves fall.

Ninkasi, you are the one who soaks the malt in a jar,

The waves rise, the waves fall.

You are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,

Coolness overcomes,

Ninkasi, you are the one who spreads the cooked mash on large reed mats,

Coolness overcomes,

You are the one who holds with both hands the great sweet wort,

Brewing it with honey and wine

You the sweet wort to the vessel

Ninkasi, You the sweet wort to the vessel

The filtering barrel, which makes a pleasant sound,

You place well on top of a great barrel.

Ninkasi, the filtering, barrel which makes a pleasant sound,

You place well on top of a great barrel.

When you pour out the filtered beer from the cask,

Like the flow of Tigris and Euphrates.

Ninkasi, you are the one who pours out the filtered beer from the cask,

Like the flow of Tigris and Euphrates.

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Lil’ snippets of my new book Kitchen Witch: Food, Folklore, and Fairy tale

Hecate is a witch-goddess associated with crossroads and the Underworld, gateways, night-time, magic and witchcraft, knowledge of herbs and poisonous plants. She was one of several deities worshipped in ancient Greece as a protector of the Oikos (household), alongside Hestia, and other gods such as Hermes, Zeus, and Apollo. 

Each Greek luni-solar month ended with three days of special ritual and celebrations allowing families to step into a new month with a sense of hope. The new moon was the last day of the lunar month, and the time for cleansing the household with incense carried through rooms, and the clearing away of any leftovers of ashes, sacrifices or remaining food or food fallen on the floor (not to be eaten, as it belongs to Hecate at this point). One would also atone for any bad deeds that may have offended Hecate (which may include animal sacrifice), causing her to withhold her favour, and the offering of Hecate's Deipnon. 

In Ancient Greece deipnon was the evening meal. And Hecate's Deipnon was a sacred meal offered to the goddess at new moon. Offerings were intended to appease not only this goddess and seek her blessing for prosperous daily life, but as goddess of the Underworld, this was also an appeasing of any restless spirits and beings in her company, that may seek to cross boundaries from the Underworld. On the night of the new moon, a ritual would take place and a meal would be set outside. Common offering foods included cake or bread, fish, eggs and cheese. In households this would be laid out in a small shrine to Hecate by the front door with the street in front of the house and the doorway creating a crossroads, known to be a place Hecate dwelled. 

The next day was celebrated as the Noumenia, marked when the first sliver of moon was visible and was held in honour of moon goddess Selene, Hestia and the other household gods. And the third day would honour the agathos daimon (good/noble spirit) as well as one’s own personal spirit. Often a libation would be set at a family altar and prayer offered to seek continued blessings for one’s self and family. 

Due to roaming spirits, Greeks might stay within their homes during the night hours of the dark moon. There are some elements of real fear and importance to these rituals and ceremonies, based around belief: it was serious stuff to protect your family from furious gods or evil spirits and vengeful ghosts. 

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