This book offers recipes from old and new sources to help heal and center readers. Reaching the divine within.
The recipes look good. I am not a great cook but loved looking through

Food is a thing that binds. Some of my fondest and strongest memories are linked to meals with my friends, which we prepared together, ate together and bonded over together. Even now that we live far apart, meals and food continue to remind us of each other. So Raven's book really did hit the spot with me and even gave me some inspiration to be more mindful in my own approach to food. I really enjoyed the way the book started with a history of sorts, before discussing the way food interact with various major forces in life, such a sex and grief.
Although I'm far from considering myself a kitchen witch, this book gave me a new way of accessing the power of food and for that I am grateful!

I started smiling with this one from the first page. This is such a fantastic blend of history, ritual, and just delicious food. I also appreciated (being unable to eat gluten or egg) that the author detailed early on that whatever someone's dietary restrictions, the magic will work if you need to alter it. It feels like sometimes Magick/Craft is exclusionary of people that don't fit a certain "type", and so Gwion Raven's addressing of this made me smile even more.

I think I will be returning to this one for recipes and rituals soon, if not just for some of Raven's beautiful and funny personality.

This book was pretty cool! I enjoyed some of the recipes and I even tried a couple. If I was in the market for a cookbook I totally would purchase this as I am also a big fan of anything this publisher makes.

This book was fantastic! This was the first piece of work I've read from Gwion Raven and, honestly, I am in love! I love the way the author writes and expresses themselves. There's this amazing and cosy vibe coming from the book, like you feel like you're in a kitchen with them, learning and listening to stories. It's amazing! There are so many resources (recipes and information) in this book and so many things I hadn't thought about it. I think this is a revolutionary book in Kitchen Witchcraft and I highly *highly* recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about Craft! It is truly a masterpiece and I hope to read many more books from Gwion Raven!

As you can probably gather from the title, The Magick of Food, is a combination of cookbook and book of Pagan worship practices. Obviously this is ideal for the wannabe kitchen witches out there, but as someone who doesn’t follow Pagan beliefs I did wonder whether I would find anything in here for me.

I needn’t have worried! This book has value for even the devoutest non-believer, providing they can see the value and sense in enjoying food and making eating a conscious act.

Gwion Raven takes the reader through the ritualistic aspects of cooking and eating, historically through to the present day, peppering the information with recipes, spells, prayers and personal anecdotes. The main focus is on making the preparation and consumption of food a mindful act. If you are ready to live in the moment, and treat every mouthful as both pleasurable and meaningful then you will find plenty to enjoy in this book.

Raven also avoids any judgements about the kinds of food you ‘ought’ to be worshipping. He observes that doughnuts can be just as magickal as dill: it is the intent behind the act of consumption that matters. If you want to eat takeaway pizza then he is right behind you, but wants you to savour every melty cheesy bite, be thankful for how delicious it tastes and perhaps share it with good company (or your household spirits… you do you!)

It shouldn’t need pointing out that food is linked to all of the important ritual moments in our lives (good/bad health, sex, grief), but reading this book made me very conscious of how mindlessly I shovel in my daily bread (and cheese, and pasta…). It’s not really a recipe book or a spellbook – although it does contain both – but more a thoughtful and informative discourse on living a more meaningful and connected life in all spheres, via food.



Practicing food magick, consciously preparing meals, has shaped who I am as a witch, while at the same providing nourishment for myself and others. Kitchen witchery, magickal cooking, Pagan pantrifying (okay, I made that last one up) is simultaneously delicious, fun, ridiculously practical, and profoundly satisfying. And let’s speak plainly here for a moment. We all must eat. We might as well make it a magickal act, right?

– Gwion Raven, The Magick of Food


Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog

Two of my favorite things combines: Rituals and food. This was really good. I enjoyed learning about the rituals and how food is integrated

I loved the combination of practical recipes and pagan rituals. This book will help you nourish your soul and improve your rituals.

The Magick of Food by Gwion Raven
Rituals, Offerings and Why We Eat Together

Ideas I wrote down while reading:
* Food is sustenance for the body, spirit, family and community
* Cooking can be an act of devotion and service
* Rituals around food are cultural, religious, personal...sometimes magickal
* Deity eats, too
* Cook with intention and attention
* Share leftovers with the earth
* Food and rituals go hand in hand

The five principles of food I believe are true and were worth recording in my notes:
* All food is sacred
* Eat what you need
* Share what you can
* Express gratitude
* Pass knowledge on

This book includes information on ways to use food and spices in magick, rituals, celebrations, with community and alone. There is an intriguing chapter about food and sex that mentions a feast for the senses as well as going on a “date” with self. I loved the idea of eating a meal with intention and quite a few other ideas that were mentioned in this book. The recipes are not necessarily to my taste but I enjoyed reading through them and finding out why the author chose them and how he would use them for his own purposes for rituals, to work magick, etc. I found much to like in this book but at times felt bogged down in details periodically.

Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd for the ARC – This is my honest review.

3-4 Stars

What a great book. I have always thought of eating being a ritual between friends and family. This book has rituals for those who like a step by step and recipes which are very good. Magick with food and done in a kitchen or any setting where you can cook is #1 in my opinion. Loved this book. I received this book from Net Galley and Llewellyn for a honest review.

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

I have to say this read more like a history lesson. There are some really good recipes I think I'd like to try. While I enjoy the lore and it's accompaniments I was just a little bored reading the other parts.

First of all, I have to say I did not expect what I got out of this book. Gwion Raven's magick is something special, spectacular and all together of another sort. And of course the humor! You really get a sense of the author just by reading the names of some of the recipes; my personal favorite: Baba Yagatini.

I feel there is something for everyone in this book and I plan on experimenting further with the recipes provided as the few I have tried were delicious!

Blog: Flying the Hedge
Published On: December 31, 2019
Link: https://www.flyingthehedge.com/2019/12/book-review-magick-of-food.html
Review: "The Magick of Food: Rituals, Offerings & Why We Eat Together by Gwion Raven is a new and interesting approach to kitchen witchery. Unlike other kitchen witch books, this one focuses on the food itself and the act of preparing it. This is not your regular introduction to kitchen witchcraft and Wicca and lacks a lot of that beginner fluff so many of us are tired of reading about. Authors and publishers, please stop with the cookie-cutter introductory book already. But I digress once again. Raven covers a variety of food topics in this book, from the history of food to how you can use food in your modern magical practice. Scattered throughout are little nuggets (pun intended) of wisdom from a variety of authors, chefs, witches, and more and some fabulous recipes. I haven't cooked any of them yet, but reading them made my mouth water.

On top of it all, there are wonderful magical rituals included involving food. I don't know about you, but I love food; I purposely plan entire vacations around food! Raven speaks from this same place; this place of absolute love of food and the amazing things that come with it. His passion for food and the magic it contains is evident in his writing and his sense of humor. I really enjoyed reading about his personal stories that centered around food and it got me thinking about how the biggest events in my life had food at the center, how those smells and tastes bring me back to those moments and that there is amazing magic in that. Furthermore, Raven encourages healthy relationships with food, although he doesn't specifically say this is what he is doing. His exercises around mindfulness and listening to our bodies, even if they want that donut, encourages healthy eating habits by refocusing our attention on the act of eating and enjoying food, instead of just mindlessly eating because we have to or because we are bored.

While some of the historical interpretations, although seemingly well researched, seemed a little farfetched or speculative at times, the foundation the book is built upon is solid. However, there was some little attacks on GMOs at one point which science doesn't support, but otherwise Raven was understanding and mindful of food deserts and food insecurity and refuses to pass judgment on people eating what they need or have to in order to survive. If you are looking for a new book on kitchen witchery, the magic of food, or just looking to practice magic more often, I encourage you to pick up this book. Many witches I talk to complain about not being able to practice magic everyday and how it makes them feel less witchy for whatever reason. Raven offers practical, everyday solutions to practice magic daily through food because we all have to eat, right? That's what separates us from the dead. So prepare to put on your apron or head out to a restaurant and enjoy the magic of food.

The Magick of Food: Rituals, Offerings & Why We Eat Together by Gwion Raven is currently available for preorder and will be released January 8, 2020. What a great start to the New Year!"

This was a bit too informative and less recipe/cookbook for me, unfortunately. I also didn't enjoy the formatting of the digital copy, which made it very difficult to read and included no photos at all. I'm not sure if the physical copy is different, and if so, I'd definitely consider checking it out!

An informative and well written book that gave food for thought and helped to think about the role of food in our life.
I liked the style of writing and found the explanations clear and informative.
I look forward to reading other books by this author.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.

The Magick of Food is a collection of musings and philosophy based on the history and cultural significance of food and the spiritual aspects of making and sharing food. Originally published in 2017, this reformatted edition is due out 8th Jan. 2020 from Llewellyn publications, it's 288 pages and will be available in ebook and paperback formats.

Author Gwion Raven is an author, teacher, musician, and cook, pagan, and more. Llewellyn (the publisher) has a long history printing new age and alternative titles. If that sounds like this book is full of new age 'woo' (and ancient wisdom), well, it is, honestly. That being said, I (firmly 'school of western medicine' and about as non-'woo' as it's possible to be) found quite a lot of interesting food for thought here. This is a well structured and well written book. The author has a sure voice and a deft touch with the written word. He's never strident or preachy and I found a lot to like. I especially appreciated the wonderfully entertaining annotated history of food and cuisine from ancient times through the middle ages.

The second section of the book includes essays on food and rituals in modern life. We all have these rituals from the family favorites we all enjoy (it's not the holidays without aunt's cake, cousin's cranberry sauce, grandmother's stuffing etc), and the author does a good job exploring the concepts of food in specific settings, food and magic, sex, healing, grief, community, etc.

The third section (~30% of the content) includes the recipes. The author has provided in-depth commentary for most of them with suggestions for use and preparation. The book also includes a fairly comprehensive bibliography for further reading.

The book has uses well beyond the spiritual. The recipes and practices are mostly appetizing and sensible. There maybe isn't a great deal of really groundbreaking info here, but it is an unquestionably enlightening and entertaining read as well as providing information for further exploration. The author has a whimsical and wry sense of humor that is also very appealing.

All in all, interesting especially for practitioners or would-be seekers.

Four stars.

I did enjoy this book. It was very informative, giving not only great recipe ideas to match various intentions but the historical background on some various pantheons and their use of food magick. Some recipes I can see myself trying and even sharing with my family. I never knew, but I am always adding my intent in my food, now I can add the spices to match.

The only thing I did not like was the lack of images of the food. When I read a recipe, I'd like to see what the completed dish might look like...I say might because though my food tastes amazing it doesn't always look magazine perfect.

Now I would read this again and maybe glance at it now and then but I'm not sure I'd use the recipes in it or not.

The Magick of Food is a interesting and unique book. It is a book written for a selective group, but you should keep a open mind when you read it.

This was a pretty intriguing take on a kitchen witch book, as it really focuses (in my opinion) less on kitchen craft — the actual acts, that is — and more on the magic inherent to food. I'm not sure how to explain this better (I'm writing this review at 5am after being up all night, so I might come back and try to reword this later lol). There are a ton of great tips as well as rituals you can do in your own home. I'll admit that the author did lose me a few times here and there, most notably in the magical dining-out ritual where you're essentially instructed that you have to drop all your inhibitions and let the waitstaff in a restaurant dictate your entire meal for you. It's an interesting idea in theory, but I know I would be so anxious in execution (as a picky eater who strongly dislikes some very common ingredients) that I genuinely doubt I'd feel any "magic" in that situation. To be fair, though, that's a 'me' thing, so if you're a bit more open than I am, it may work better for you.

Anyways, it wasn't quite what I was looking for and I don't think I'll be adding a finished copy to my collection personally, but it's still one I might recommend to others.

Thank you so much to the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

My favorite thing to do for my family, is to make them a home cooked meal. I never thought of including my solitary practice in the kitchen, until now. "The Magick of Food", by Gwion Raven is a delicacy of simple yet delicious recipes, with a sprinkle of witchcraft.

The authors perspective of how she cooks, is just magickal. The 288 page book is not your everyday cookbook, but a history of cooking, rituals and witchcraft. I enjoyed the authors witty anecdotes throughout this well written book.
I was intrigued by the authors theory on dining out, but with a magickal twist. So I tried it. We were dying to try the new Chinese restaurant in town, so upon arriving I decided to follow the authors instructions on how to ask the waiter what they would suggest , and it happened. Magick. Not only did we have the most wonderful meal, but we were also immersed in the owners culture behind his amazing dishes.

You do not have to be a kitchen Witch or a expert cook to benefit from the many wonders , "The Magick of Food", by Gwion Raven has to hold.

I received a digital copy of this book from Netgalley for my honest opinion.