Imagine a witch’s cauldron…
Was it a classic black cauldron? Ear of newt and eye of toad? Boil, boil, toil and trouble?
Betcha you didn’t envision a teacup! Or a pot of simmering soup!
Enter Jenay Marontate, proprietress of Kitchen Witch Gourmet and author of “Tea Magic — Spells, Rituals, and Divination in Your Cup,” and discover that her many teas and spice blends, already have the magic mixed up and ready for you to brew. A look at the labels not only reveals what ingredients are included, but also gives you a little hint about the intention infused within:
“Spellbound,” for example, contains rooibus, red roses, pink roses, cornflowers, calendula petals, safflowers, and orange peel, and doesn’t that already sound lovely! But the label also says, “… enchanted with Beauty, Happiness, and Flower Magic.” On the spicier end of her handmade offerings, there’s “Flying Monkey Pepper,” which, in addition to fire roasted garlic, crushed black pepper, and lemon peel, comes with the added zest of “the cackle of 1,000 witches.”
Jenay’s whimsical flair on her products are an added bonus, because the products themselves are simply top notch. Her booth has become a fixture at both Pagan and gourmet food culinary gatherings, as well as Renaissance Faires and gift shows all over California. Those who can’t browse their wonderful array of offerings in person can find the shop online. It’s no exaggeration to say that Kitchen Witch Gourment has developed its own cult following of those who can’t get enough of their products. When you crave a little “Peaceful Harmony” or “Night Tea Night,” there just isn’t a substitute.
Kitchen Witch Gourmet came into being more than ten years ago, inspired by some good old-fashioned kitchen witchery. Jenay says the practice of cooking with intent naturally lent itself to developing her own spice blends for specific occasions.
“If you were planning a stay-in date night dinner, wouldn’t it be nice to add a little Hot and Sultry Passion spice? Just to kick it up a notch,” she says, noting that the occasions inspired the names for her creations. “If you are gathering your friends and family together for a holiday celebration or a random Tuesday, go to your cupboard and get your jar of Birds of a Feather poultry seasoning. You know the old saying—it’s right there on the jar: Birds of a feather flock together. Use this spice to bring family and friends close together.”
With intentional spicing in mind, Jenay set out to create new blends, and before long, a line of magically infused spices materialized.
“I started playing around with herbs and spices, and researching herb and folk lore and magical food traditions. It really hit me all at once where the spices are concerned. I just knew I was on the right path and I got this surge of energy. It poured out of me—inspiration, ideas, recipes. I became obsessed with reading and research.”
In its early days, Kitchen Witch Gourmet was a small-batch endeavor. Jenay blended each variety with love and intent, packaged them up, and started having booths at small psychic fairs and craft shows. The popularity of the products grew, and she eventually hooked friends and family into helping her sell and create the products.
“Even though this is my concept, and magical vision, the entire business is made up of friends, sisters, nieces, and goddesses. In fact, no one ever really leaves. As the company continues to grow, the right people show up at the right time.”
The spice blends were the sole foundation for Jenay’s business for several years. The teas were almost an afterthought, and she started including them on her trips to festivals and events. She said she thought of the tea blends as just “something on the side.” Her first was “Abundance of Happiness,” which she says “just magicked its way right out of the garden and onto my shelf.” Even when people started buying the tea, she initially only viewed the tea blends as complementary offerings for her spices. But over time, she realized the teas had traction all on their own.
“I started noticing the buzz around the tea. I would almost always sell out of the three I had,” adding that she imagined the tea could be more than just an enjoyable beverage. “When I started with these teas, I was thinking you could not only drink in and imbue the effects of the potion, but also use the herbs in mojo bags, incense, and spell work.”
Her first three teas were Abundance of Happiness, Love Tea #3, and Prosperity, and the attraction was obvious: Most everyone is interested in happiness, romance, and good fortune. As these items kept flying off her shelves, it hit her that the teas themselves had their equal spot in the marketplace beside her spices, and this epiphany transitioned into a burst of inspiration and creativity.
“The next thing I knew, I was under another hypnotic download from the great divine. It just hit me one day: Duh… kitchen witches brew up tea! Yes, we cook with love and intent, and we nourish our families and ourselves, and I love the spices so much and everything behind them, but the tea just began to flow.”
She says ideas and inspiration for tea and tea blends started blossoming in her mind.
Just like with the spices, everything just fell into line. I started with the research, the history, the mystery—I had no idea I would fall in love and find my life’s passion in tea, tea magic and all the aroma and herbal therapies that tea has to give.”
Sometimes her inspiration for a new tea just bubbles up and inspires a creative new magical tea blend, and others take a while to form in her mind. Most, she says, “arrive in my mind when it’s time.”
“Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it takes forever to name a tea. One of our newer blends is called Wishing Well—a wellness blend that helps to boost the immune system and ward off illnesses. And it was born purely from the idea and cleverness of a tea called Wishing Well.”
She notes that medicinal intentions for tea come to her “fairly easily,” and all of the teas and their names are created with magickal intention, like “CinnaMantra,” a caffeine-free cinnamon, coriander and ginger blend, “dedicated to uplifting mantras and happy words spoken.”
Jenay’s exploration of healing properties from nature actually began with scent.
“Before I was immersed in tea and spice, I had a small aromatherapy company called Body of Sun — Aromatherapy and More, located in the Richardson Square Mall outside of Dallas, Texas. In this New Age-y shop I whipped up lotions, potions, scoops, and goops. Herbal baths and essential oils were in high demand.” Her blends and concoctions were in a “New Age atmosphere that included tarot and palm readers, a massage therapist, and belly dance classes.”
After 10 years with this shop, Jenay sold it and moved to the West Coast to be closer to family.
“I’m originally from a small town outside of Portland, Oregon, in the foothills near the ocean named Forest Grove. I suppose this is where all the witchy-ness started—in this little town of lush forest and mystery. I was born under a full moon to hippie, witchy parents who instilled in me the power of natural healing and healthy eating, the love of gardening, and potion concocting.”
In her return to the West Coast, she says she “didn’t quite make it back to the grove,” but instead chose California’s central valley, relocating in Lodi, “where the weather is warmer, but close enough to run home when needed.”
Building upon her success in Texas, Jenay set up a Body of Sun kiosk at a local mall, but it didn’t have the same success in Lodi.
“I crashed that right into the ground. Body of Sun went down in flames. Now, in my defense it was right at the beginning of the 2008 housing crisis. It was 2006, and the (economic) bubble was just starting to pop in California.”
Although that business failed to thrive, Jenay says she pushed forward anyway.
“Kitchen Witch Gourmet is the phoenix that grew from those ashes. It was a painful transition, but it was the absolute right destruction and chaos that created the most amazing and fulfilling thing in my life.”
Over the years, the Kitchen Witch Gourmet has become a go-to booth at many Pagan festivals, with loyal customers who keep coming back for refills and to browse new products. With such a following, Jenay eventually gave teaching a try, leading tea magic workshops and classes, ultimately catching the attention of Llewellyn Worldwide, which published her first book, “Tea Magic — Spells, Rituals, and Divination in Your Cup” in late 2022. Now, tea lovers and tea magicians don’t need to travel to Lodi to benefit from Jenay’s knowledge about teas and spices. It’s all in the book, and it’s a project born of love.
“I love tea and spice, I love sharing it, I love teaching about it, and I love writing about it.”
At its simplest, Jenay recommends approaching tea magic like one would with kitchen witchery—cooking (or brewing) with intent. The main thing is to start exploring the wonderful world of tea, and to discover its health benefits and magical bonuses.
“Whether you are a seasoned tea drinker or novice, my advice is always the same: Drink what you like, the rest will come naturally.”
Spells for Your Teacup Cauldron
Jenay believes that some of the best magick available to anyone is right there in your “teacup cauldron.” Besides picking just the right blend for your needs, like a warm, spicy-sweet tea to lift your spirits or a green tea variety to begin your day, the steeping and drinking of the tea can form a personal spell for just about any intention.
Don’t just dunk the tea in water and slurp it down. Make the entire experience a magickal process.
“As the tea steeps, it fills the air with its hypnotic aroma. As you hold this brew in your hands, use the magic of mantras to imprint your words of focus, happiness, love, or whichever word best describes the mood or reset you’re looking for.
“When using the vibration of your voice and speaking your mantra onto your tea, this leaves an impression on the tea water, allowing you to actually become the vibration of what you are drinking. You can use any tea that you resonate with and enjoy.”
For perking up your mind and energy midday, Jenay offers a productivity tea spell.
“Speak this productivity mantra over your tea:
Midday focus,
centered motivation.
l finished the day with
a standing ovation.
“Repeat this mantra three times over your tea, and inhale the warm, inspiring aroma. Focus on your words. Repeat as needed or what you feel is necessary to imprint this onto and into each sip of tea.”
For more information about Jenay and Kitchen Witch Gourmet, follow her on TikTok, Instagram, or Facebook for the latest in tea magic and recipes, and check out her online store, KitchenWitchGourmet.com. Her book, “Tea Magic — Spells, Rituals, and Divination in Your Cup,” is available at Llewellyn.com and on Amazon. She has two more books in the works on tea too! Stay tuned!