For most of history, the most powerful pharmacist in the village was a woman with a kitchen and a garden. For our founder Zhena, that woman was her grandmother Maria, and this is the story of remembering what she always knew.
Watch Zhena break down the history of the kitchen witch archetype, and why your grandmother’s cupboard of herbs was never “quaint.”
Where Does the Word “Witch” Come From?
“Witch” comes from the Old English wicce (for women) and wicca (for men), tied to the verb wiccian, to practice magic or sorcery.
For centuries it simply described someone who practiced folk magic, healing, or divination. That changed in 1487, when the Malleus Maleficarum, a witch-hunting manual, reframed witchcraft as heresy and devil-worship, fueling roughly three centuries of European witch trials.
By the 15th century, “witch” had curdled into an insult for an “old, malignant woman.” It took the neopagan and feminist movements of the 20th century to start taking the word back.
What Is a Coven?
The idea of witches gathering in groups of thirteen goes back to 1921, when Egyptologist Margaret Murray coined the term “coven” to describe secret pre-Christian gatherings, a theory later disputed by historians, but one that shaped how we think about witch communities ever since.
Today, a coven is simply a circle: women (or anyone) gathering for ritual, seasonal celebration, shared knowledge, and mutual care. Sound familiar? That’s what we’ve been building here all along.
A Glossary for the Modern Witch
Cauldron
The vessel of transformation; historically a kitchen pot used for cooking and brewing remedies.
Familiar
An animal companion (often a cat) believed to assist a witch’s craft; a fixture of English witch-trial folklore.
Grimoire
A book of spells and rituals, from the French grammaire (“grammar,” or book of knowledge).
Key Takeaways
- “Witch” comes from the Old English wicce/wicca and the verb wiccian, to practice magic.
- The word turned into an insult after the 1487 Malleus Maleficarum reframed witchcraft as heresy, fueling centuries of witch trials.
- The 20th century neopagan and feminist movements began reclaiming “witch” as an identity of power, not shame.
- “Coven” was coined in 1921 by Egyptologist Margaret Murray and today simply means a circle gathered for ritual and mutual care.
- A kitchen witch practices everyday magic through cooking, herbalism, and home ritual, a role women have held for most of history.
FAQs
What does the word “witch” mean?
“Witch” comes from the Old English wicce (for women) and wicca (for men), rooted in the verb wiccian, meaning to practice magic or sorcery. It originally described anyone who practiced folk magic, healing, or divination.
Where does the word “witch” come from?
It comes from Old English, centuries before the word carried any negative meaning. That shift happened in 1487, when the Malleus Maleficarum recast witchcraft as heresy and devil-worship.
What is a coven?
A coven is a circle of people, traditionally thirteen, gathering for ritual, seasonal celebration, and mutual care. The term was coined in 1921 by Egyptologist Margaret Murray.
What is a kitchen witch?
A kitchen witch is someone who practices everyday magic through cooking, herbalism, and home ritual, carrying on a tradition of women as the village’s healers and herbalists.
What do cauldron, familiar, and grimoire mean?
A cauldron is historically a kitchen pot used for cooking and brewing remedies. A familiar is an animal companion, often a cat, believed to assist a witch’s craft. A grimoire is a book of spells and rituals, from the French grammaire.
Join the Club
Join the Club and keep remembering what the women before us always knew: that a kitchen and a garden were never just a kitchen and a garden.
Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If pregnant, nursing, or on medication, consult your physician before use.
