Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft

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The title and synopsis implies that this is a nonfiction book about witchcraft. Although it does cover some areas of witchcraft, it is primarily focussed on Wicca. Wicca =/= witchcraft. But, this book does do a great job of covering the basics of Wiccan beliefs and practices and if that’s what you are looking for, this could be a good place to start. A lot of the beliefs in this do not line up with my own personal experiences with the gods, and unfortunately, it wasn’t for me. The first book, HEDGE WITCH, blends hedge witchcraft with solitary Wicca and roots the hedge witch firmly in the Wheel of the Year, giving rites and spells for each festival and for the Full Moon as well. And light a third candle to welcome the kindly dead, saying ‘May this flame be seen in the Otherworld as it is in this World.’ I do like to learn I study everything. I am very cognitive aware. emotionally aware. I see myself as the master of my ship. I am fiercely interdependent.

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. The Hedge Witch tells the story of Rowan during her summer vacation at her aunt's house outside of London, who is a hedge witch. Being in a family with an affinity for plant magic, Rowan indulges in tales of friendship and self-discovery. A coming-of-age novel on a young witch trying to find her footing in life. Each hedge witch is most likely to love cooking. Or at least baking. Or preparing healthy smoothies. Nutrition is something that you pay great attention to. If you are a hedge witch you might find yourself following a couple or all of the things mentioned below. As a Hedge Witch, you love to work with natural elements. For you, nature has animalistic features. That means that all earth, air, fire, and water representing the Spirit element.

But a hedge witch is much more than that, and the hedges she crosses can be those that represent the barrier between this world and the world of the spirits as much as the boundary between a field and country lane. The Autumn Equinox is a big switchover point in the year. It is a day on which the light and the darkness are equally balanced, day and night being of equal length. If we take the light to symbolize the state of rational consciousness and the darkness to be the realm of dreams and psychic perceptions we can spin many a spell around the theme of bringing a balance between the outer and inner dimensions. And we can go even further and aim to help heal the balance between this World and the Otherworld of spirits. Such work is the primary concern of a hedge witch, anyway. But now the time is very propitious. And we can help it along with a charm like this. As a hedge witch, you feel a strong connection to the ancestors and old ways of living. For you, there is this beautiful simplicity in all the old practices. You don’t spend years studying with magic masters. Possibly you don’t even think about joining a coven. 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.

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. Rowan has been sent to visit her rather eccentric and unorthodox aunt - Winnie the hedge witch - in the wild and isolated Welsh countryside for the entirety of the summer holidays, thinking it more along the lines of some unknown penance she is paying for as this is not what she had planned… This was such a great side story for a character that I already really enjoyed. I took my time with this novella, I used it as my little breather between books because I love the magic in Threadneedle so much. 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. What I really loved about this novella is the magic. There is so much magic! In the first book in the series our heroine is kept away from magic and we're seeing a little of it, but never its full capacity. This novella absolutely makes up for it. All sorts of magic are being shown and that also gives an idea of the endless possibilities within this world.For 75 cents, and considering my disdain for the presentation of the material (Rae Beth provides instruction for two prospective Wiccans in the guise of letters), The Wiccan Path contains a surprising amount of information about Wicca, nature religions, and trancework. I integrated some of her recommended visualization exercises into my inchoate meditation routines, and to beneficial results (i.e., I learned a thing or two about myself and had a bit of a spiritual/creative outpouring). In addition, I learned a good deal about modern Wiccan practices and the symbology of the seasons, which I must admit is more fascinating than I had thought. Unlike other Wicca guides, Lisa's books provide information that's found across many Wiccan traditions, rather than coming from just one person's perspective. In fact, she writes the kinds of books she wishes had been available when she was just starting out in the Craft all those years ago. 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.

This story focuses on Rowan Greenfinch, a witch who's mother sends her to Wales during the summer holidays to spend some time in the countryside with her eccentric Aunt Winnifred and learn more about the family tradition of Hedgecraft. You like to think about your plants as spiritual beings, that maybe are a bit less sentient than animals, but still have their energy and nature. I suggest we speak charms like the following – asserting what our hearts really want for the future’s children. And doing it in the hope that we will see at least some of it come into being while we ourselves are still alive. I grew up in the Wye Valley area of Wales and moved to London in my twenties. I worked as a journalist for various publications and at a creative agency, before finally doing what I'd always wanted to do. I quit my job and wrote a book about magic. 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.THE GREEN HEDGE WITCH goes into detail about the symbolic hedge between the Worlds and how we may start to work with nature spirits, principally trees. The technique of exchanging blessings with the trees and other land spirits is described fully. The main focus of the book is the healing of damaged places and species and the renewal of harmony between human beings and other life forms. (In my opinion, this is the most important work we can do and is a present day version of the hedge witch’s traditional role.)