Feature Image by Oh The Raven Studio
Hard to believe, but it’s been more than twenty-five years since Alice Hoffman published Practical Magic, the story of the witchy Owens sisters and their magic. In 2020, when Magic Lessons, which traces the Owens family’s backstory, was published, Hoffman spoke about finding a drawing of a witch she made when she was a child: “This is what I’ve been interested in since first grade. There’s a reason why little girls especially are interested in witches, and it’s that witches are the only female mythic figures that have power. It’s really about the power of women in a man’s world.”
I have read and reread Practical Magic, and seen the film version with Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman so many times that I’ve lost count. I love the story and the acting, and the powerful women, but I also really adore the Owens’ rambling kitchen, with its modern glass shelves lined with apothecary jars filled with ingredients for casting ancient spells: dried herbs, bits of flotsam and jetsam, tinctures, elixirs, and brews. The decor of the entire house reads like a center of power for strong women, which, of course, it is.
Here are some witchy pieces that Sally and Gillian Owens may have loved as much as I do.
Halloween High Tea
I love high tea, and the beautiful Black & Gold Halloween Tea Set (pictured above), made of porcelain and festooned with gorgeous silhouettes of bats, cats, crows, and moths, is as elegant as it is whimsical. Kiln-fired at a very high temperature to fuse the image to the porcelain permanently, it will never flake or fade but remain as permanent as your favorite tattoo. It is, of course, food- and dishwasher-safe, and the set includes a teapot and a sugar and creamer set, and either two, four, or six cups with spoons and saucers. (Also available in a Black Witch and Bats motif.)
angiolettidesigns.com
Cast-Iron Cauldron
Every self-respecting witch needs a cauldron, and the Large Tree of Life Cast-Iron Cauldron with Three Herbs Kit from Celestial Wings is a beauty. It’s seven inches high (including the lid) and seven inches across and safe for food. It comes with three botanicals that you choose (or have chosen for you) for herbal healing: white sage, French lavender buds, rosemary, Jamaican hibiscus, juniper berry, cedar, sugar gum eucalyptus, Moroccan rose bud, yerba santa. The Tree of Life design symbolizes strength, beauty, and personal growth. etsy.com/shop/celestialwingsinc
Moon Spell Mules
Made from black canvas with frayed edges, these super-comfy handmade nonslip open-back Ancient Moon Spell Espadrille Mules feature blue or white embroidered celestial designs that are the perfect—and perfectly unique—magical shoes to wear around the house or in the garden. magickworkingsbywitchymade.com
Witch Garden Motif
Misentangled Vision’s spell-binding Spoonflower Periwinkle Witch Garden cotton fabric, in rich shades of purple and periwinkle with gold accents, is perfect for quilting and pillow making. The design features medicinal and poisonous plants, snakes, ravens, and other magical motifs. It’s sold by the yard and also available as wallpaper. spoonflower.com
Weather or Not
Stake your claim in the garden with the Windblown Wicked Witch Metal Weathervane Roof Mount, a rust-resistant aluminum witch on a magic broom weathervane. With stylized directionals and a hand-crafted, black satin finish, this witchy beauty is available as either a rooftop mount or a garden stake (mounting hardware not included). designtoscano.com
Self-Love Altar Table
Every religion and spiritual practice based in faith has an altar table mixed in with its traditions. Curio, Craft and Conjure, a woman-owned shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, offers several altars, and they are so popular they seem to fly out the door on their power! We like the Om Altar Table, perfect for meditation, incantation, and holding ritual offerings. Curio, Craft and Conjure offers a wide range of bells, books, and candles as well as crystals, cauldrons, herbs, incense, and more. curiocharlotte.com
