Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft

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Set in a modern day magical world, The Hedge Witch follows Rowan on a summer visit to relatives in a small town, nestled in the Welsh countryside, before she starts sixth form. This places Rowan in her mid-teens and the themes of the novella match her age, with Rowan trying to fit in, make friends, assert her independence. The Spells and Rituals are also very practical and at the same time informative, teaching you to use simple elements and at the same time guiding you in the process to understand why you are doing (the way of the ritual) and 'why' of each step. A truly realistic book for the solitary practitioner and the eclectic witch. A book which is not just focused on doing spells, but more in creating an individual and beautiful connection with the nature and the Divinity in your surroundings, a connection you're not able to find just reading books.

But there is a much earlier definition contained in an old German word ‘hagazissa’ meaning ‘hedge sitter’. And another term found in Northern European traditions – ‘haegtessa’ meaning ‘hedge rider’. Each of these refers to a symbolic hedgerow, one which could be seen to divide the everyday world of the human community from what was perceived as being beyond it – the Otherworld of wild nature spirits and ancestral spirits and elves or faeriekind. This and similar symbolism seems to have come to Britain mainly with Saxon and other Germanic tribes. However, it has parallels within the Celtic tradition, such as the Green and Burning Tree which stands at the outer edge of Faerie. And there are now hedge witches all over the World, along with hedge priestesses, hedge priests and hedge Druids. in high school I graduate with honors in horticulture and agriculture. I was always gravitated to our high-schools green house. my teachers said I had two green thumbs and possibly a green toe.

IMBOLG 2023

If so, then you build a spiritual time capsule inside your home. You have enchanted each corner of it, that so many people feel and want to be a part of. Say, ‘As I fill my pot fairly, so may I/we receive sufficient prosperity. May it come from those who can afford it to me/us. May it come as such things as gifts, grants, awards, patronage or fairly paid work opportunities. I need it for such things as……(here list all your expenses, such as ‘paying my bills, food, rent/mortgage, heating, house maintenance, clothes, transport, health, gifts for others, leisure and learning.’) As my cause is just, let me receive all the wealth that I need, without harm to anyone. By root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower, in the names of Mother Earth and the Lord of the World Wood, So May This Be.’ Unlike similar books on the subject, which often blend the tradition with other paths (Wicca being the most common) this book stays true to the roots of what Hedge Witchcraft is, and isn’t.

Threadneedle was one of my favorite 2021 novels. It had such a rich magical world, such intriguing and layered characters and such a brutal plot-line. I was therefore very excited that we were gonna get more books in this world! Of course, I had hoped for the sequel, but while waiting for that I take what I can get, among which this novella. This book is an absolute joy to read. It is both simple and profound. It guides the reader step by step in the core practice of the hedge witch (spirit travelling into the Otherworld – known as ‘hedge riding’.) And all is presented in the context of natural magic and nature’s cycles. The author’s approach is non-dogmatic, encouraging everyone towards an individual and creative approach. She knows from experience just how to walk with one foot in Faerie and one in the Everyday World – without recourse to hallucinogens – and she tells us about it and what can be gained from it. This is the real deal. And although it is written for beginners, it made me think and it reinspired me. I give it ten stars! I’ve heard it said that there’s not a great deal of practical difference between a solitary Druid and a Hedgewitch. This little book certainly gives that impression too! Irish pagan Harmonia Saille writes in a warm, friendly and engaging way, giving an overview of the path of the Hedgewitch. So what is hedge witchcraft? Hedge witchcraft is often seen today as a solitary pursuit, crafting one’s life in a magical way that reflects the talents and abilities of the practitioner. The term hedge witch was coined by the author Rae Beth in her book, Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft (1992). She took the term “hedge” from “hedge priest”, one who preached from the hedgerow, and who had no physical place for a congregation. A renegade, a solitary, a priest who didn’t follow the rules. This still appeals to many today, myself included.The art of hedge riding can still be seen today, in the traditional portrait of a witch riding her broom. The broom is the magical tree which takes her to other worlds, and in this work we will use trees, staffs, wands, brooms and more. It is a symbol of the World Tree, the axis mundi, that so many religious and spiritual traditions the world over use in their cosmology. Through this world tree, we find the roads leading to the faery realms, the realms of the ancestors, and the realms of the gods. Hawthorn is very much the plant of the hedge witch and priest/ess. It can help to bring a union with a familiar spirit and to make communications with many spirits a possibility. But hawthorn brings us challenges that must be met with courage……. A coming-of-age novella, set in the timeline before Threadneedle, focusing on Rowan and her journey before she enrolled to school in Threadneedle. This could be classed as a coming of age read, great child’s read or teen/ young adult read. For me this was a cross between ‘Sabrina The Teenage Witch’ and Hermione (From Harry Potter) on her summer break.

A new book called Hedge Witchcraft,by Harmonia Saille, author of Walking the Faery Pathway, attempts to explain exactly what a hedge witch does, and how anyone with the willingness to learn can follow in the hedge witch's footsteps to learn her craft. Witchcraft can be followed as an individual or as part of a coven, or with a partner but this book is chiefly for the solitary practitioner. It explains about rituals and stresses that you can use your own words though the book suggests words which can be used. What came over to me most strongly from this book is that anyone considering the practice of witchcraft needs to understand themselves and their own motivations. Samhain/Hallowe’en (October 31st) is the time when we can most easily commune with those among the dead whom we have loved and also honour the ancestors who lived too long ago for us to have known them. Plus, we can bless the unborn – the generations who are yet to come. This small rite can be deeply healing, not only for the living but for the dead. It works best if you don’t try too hard but let it happen in a relaxed way. Other trees can help as well as the elder with this work. Some examples are yew (but never ingest it as it is poisonous), hawthorn and elm. The shamanic nature of hedge riding appeals to many within the tradition who are aware of the hedge riding nature of this path. It is learning to access through journeys in the mind and spirit, as well as in the physical, information that can be useful in everyday life. It also re-enchants our world, allowing us to see the beauty that lies all around us, the magical and the wonderful, the awe-inspiring moments that transcend “normal”, mundane life. It can be compared to the Northern or Norse tradition of seith, an ancient trance-based oracular tradition that often uses communication with various beings while leaving your physical body and being between the worlds in an astral form. [1] While seith is usually a group working, hedge riding is a more solitary affair, though it may be used to benefit the community at large and not just the practitioner. It can be viewed as a form of astral travel, where the consciousness of the hedge witch travels to the Otherworld, but it can also be done on the physical as well, where we can use the real-life hedge or other liminal marker to move beyond this realm and into another (with all due precaution and skill). In either aspect, an altered form of consciousness helps us in the work.

LUGHNASADH 2023

For all hedge morris dancers, there will be ‘a “Dusking” celebration that will take place at 16.43 on October 31st. This will be to welcome the winter and the gifts of reflection, rest and replenishment that the darker months can bring……’ I am primarily a seeker of knowledge. I tend to levitate towards spiritual knowledge. I am not religious. I do not fear nor worship any deity. I do believe in a creator. just more of respect even admiration. like a son who admired his father had respect for him. Who or what are the spirits on whom you call for aid? They may be elementals, the Fae, kindly ancestors or nature spirits. You will need to have invoked them before saying the above charm. And after speaking it, make them an offering such as a garland of flowers or a freshly baked loaf of bread or a song or poem you sing or recite for them. However you see them, your relationship with those of the Otherworld (or of the unseen dimension of this World) is central to your practice as a hedge witch.