Signs You’re a Hedge Witch and Readily Walk Between Worlds

The mist filled path leading to an ancient moss-cloaked graveyard. The feeling of your soul lifting from your body and traveling far and wide. Over snow-covered mountains and down into the deepest of seas. A mystical day with tea, meditation, incense, and oils. If you’ve been a fairy-tale-loving, dreamer you’re entire life and now you’re a witch…well, I have news for you. You might be a specific kind of witch…and here we will explore all the signs you’re a hedge witch. Or, at least, that you should try practicing hedge witchcraft.

First, What is a Hedge Witch?

A hedge witch is an individual who practices a specific kind of witchcraft…obviously called hedge witchcraft. Hedge witchcraft is more than just working with herbs and tending a garden. I feel in recent years there was a misunderstanding of what a hedge witch truly is. To clear it up – a hedge witch crosses the “hedge”, so to speak, between the physical and the spiritual worlds. The hedge witch walks that fine line between here and there, and essentially is a liminal being. They might work with spirits from the Otherworld, go on regular journeys or “witchflights” up and down the World Tree, engage in astral projection and lucid dreaming, and much more. Let’s find out if you might naturally be a hedge witch…without even realizing it!

What it means to cross the hedge.

17 Signs You’re a Hedge Witch
Here are a few signs you might be a hedge witch. OR signs you should try actively practicing this form of witchcraft:

1. You’ve always been a dreamer
Ever since I was a little girl, I had vivid dreams almost every night. These dreams took me to other worlds, led me to meet my ancestors and other spirits, taught me how to heal myself, and warned me of things to come. One sign you’re a hedge witch is if you’ve always been an avid dreamer. Dreams of flying, separating from your body, traveling up and down a large tree, and diving down to the bottom of the ocean are all signs that you’re naturally crossing the hedge in your sleep.

2. Spirits are attracted to you
Since you were a child, you’ve had paranormal experiences. Spirits seem to be attracted to you…or perhaps you just sense them easier than others. You’ve never been quite sure. You just know that they are there. And it’s not a specific kind of spirit, it’s likely multiple types. At night, you had dreams of them. Any time you’d go to a haunted or historic location, you get hitchhikers (if you’re not sure what a hitchhiking spirit is, check out our post on types of ghosts). The reason why you are a magnet to spirits is because you perpertually walk in a liminal space between here and there. This is a big sign you’re a hedge witch.

3. Meditating and Visualizing Come Naturally
Visualization (being able to see pictures playing out in your mind) is an important factor of journeying to the Otherworld. Some folks have to practice at visualization, which is totally normal! And some people have the ability without ever practicing. If you find you’ve been able to visualize and meditate with ease, you might be a hedge witch.

4. Liminal Animals are attracted to you

Liminal animals have always been drawn to you. Since you were a child, strays and injured wild animals seem to come to you…drawn to you like a magnet. These liminal (in-between, Otherworldly) animals feel akin to you, since you yourself are Otherworldly. A few examples of liminal creatures include the deer, owl, cat, crow, fox, coyote, horse, and hare. The last time I visited my favorite place in the world, a mountain cabin nestled beside a babbling creek, there was a doe that seemed to come near whenever I stepped outside. I knew she was drawn to me and I to her because of our connection to the spirit realm. If you’ve had this moment, you’ll know. This is a sign you’re a hedge witch.

5. You enjoy studying and using herbs

Lots of witches are all about that crystal life, dawg. But you’ve always been more interested in herbs and that herbal life. You enjoy drinking teas for magical and medicinal reasons, you enjoy growing and harvesting your own herbs, and making magick with earth’s bounty. Some of your favorite herbs probably have otherworldly lore attached to them including the elder, hawthorn, rosemary, oak, thyme, ash, apple, etc.

6. You feel comfortable in liminal places

When you’re friends wanted to go to the city to go shopping and eat at cafes, you felt the urge to travel to the mountains to go hiking and sit by a creek. You’ve always felt more comfortable in liminal places…graveyards, crossroads, herb gardens, abandoned places, shorelines. These are your happy places. You feel at home here because these places are closer to the Otherworld…you’re true home as a hedge witch.

7. You’ve had an interest in fairies and mythical creatures

Fairies, mermaids, and other mythical creatures are your jam. Signs you’re a hedge witch might include an interest in otherworldly creatures like fairies, elves, gnomes, dragons, phoenix, mermaids, and more. As a child, you pretended to be a fairy princess and a mermaid in the pool. You wanted to have a gnome as a friend, more so than an actual human friend.

8. You have Clair abilities

My honest opinion is that most witches have some sort of psychic abilities. These are often referred to as the “6 Clairs” which include clairvoyance (clear-seeing), claircognizance (clear-knowing), clairsentience (clear-feeling), clairaudience (clear-hearing), clairsalience (clear-smelling) and cleargustance (clear-tasting). Signs you’re a hedge witch include having one or more of these abilities…and probably in alignment with mediumship (speaking to the dead).

9. Liminal times call to you

In addition to feeling comfortable in liminal places, those otherworldly times also call to you. Samhain and Beltane are your favorite sabbats. You feel powerful during sunrise and sunset, as well as at midnight.

10. Divination is a favorite pasttime

What easier way to communicate with the other side than to use divination? Your favorite pasttimes are tarot reading, pendulum dowsing, reading omens and signs, throwing bones, reading runes, and scrying in mirrors. All of these practices connect us to the spirit realm and provide a channel of communication. If your favorite hobby is divination, you might be a natural hedge witch.

11.You practice in a solitary nature

You’ve never been one to join a coven or go to a group circle. Your practice is private and deeply personal to you. If someone asks, you typically say you are “solitary” and prefer it that way. Many hedge witches do. Your coven consists of your familiar spirits, animal guides, herb allies, and ancestors.

12. You live at the edge of town

Historically, witches and wise people often lived at the very edge of town. They didn’t like being in the middle of the chaos for multiple reasons. Maybe you find yourself living out in the country or far out at the edge of a suburb or city. Your body and mind crave solitude and quiet over the busy-ness of an urban setting.

13. Healing comes naturally to you

When you were a kid, you instinctively knew how to heal a scraped knee with a bit of aloe vera. You plucked mint from your grandma’s garden and chewed on it to ease a stomachache. How did you know these plants could do this? Healing comes naturally to you. This is one of the big signs you’re a hedge witch.

14. You know there’s an afterlife

You’ve always known there’s something more out there. You’ve always known there’s an afterlife and feel comfort in that. Maybe you’ve had dreams of Heaven or the Summerland. Maybe you’ve even had a near death experience and saw the afterlife yourself. Another sign you’re a hedge witch is that you know of your past lives and even know where you’re going when you die.

15. You ease the pain and uncertainty during major transitions

Speaking of the afterlife, your loved ones and friends come to you when they need comfort during times of great transition. Like death. Like pregnancy and childbirth. You seem to have a peaceful countenance and draw people to you that need advice during these scary times of life. Perhaps you’re even in the medical field and work in labor and delivery OR hospice.

16. You can find lost objects with ease

The hedge witch at the edge of town was frequently sought out for her advice and otherworldly knowledge. One of the things that people asked their town witch to help with was finding lost items. Every hedge witch has their own way of accomplishing this task from using tarot to pendulums, asking the fae, or simply using their clair abilities. If you’re able to find lost items with ease, this might be your sign.

17. The Hedge Witch’s Household Spirits

The typical hedge witch has many similarities to the green and hearth witch including an inevitable connection to the land on which they live. And to the spirits present in their own homes. If you’re naturally a liminal being, you likely already have ancestors, animal spirits, and fairies living in your home. Your home’s spirit itself might already feel a connection with you.

How to Practice Hedge Witchery

You’ve been nodding your head to every single on of the signs you’re a hedge witch. And you’ve decided perhaps this is a practice you’d like to explore. But how do you go about starting to practice hedge witchcraft? First, if you’re already a witch, you’re probably already practicing at least a few of these.

But if not, here are some practices to get you started:

1. Meditation and visualization
2. Shamanic journeying and astral projection
3. Lucid dreaming and recording your dreams
4. Keeping a grimoire to document your otherworldly experiences
5. Work with herbs of a “liminal” nature like mugwort
6. Learning to make and use your own flying ointments
7. Meeting and connecting with otherworldly beings and familiar spirits
8. Spirit work: aiding spirits who come to you for help, eradicating negative energy and spirits from your home or others, communicating with the other side
9. Keeping an herb garden and using your homegrown herbs in your practice
10. Connecting with liminal animals in the physical and spiritual realms
11. Honoring and celebrating liminal holidays and sabbats.

The Hedge – Physical Boundaries

Henges and hedges, dill heaps, stone walls and more have marked the edges of a community. In my own little parish, a couple of years ago we re-established “beating the bounds”, a tradition of going around and adding soil and sod to the “dill heaps”, little mounds of earth that mark the parish boundary. We have two boundaries, one for the lower common and one for the upper common. Looking at old maps, we determined that there were 35 dill heaps for the lower common, and established a day when members of the community could walk the
boundaries and search for these little heaps of earth, to reinstate them and to take care of them every two years. It was also the custom to
bounce the youngest child on top of each dill heap: why I have no idea!

Our vicar blessed the community, the farms and fields, the crops and gardens, the shop and school and then we headed out on a four-mile trek through the landscape. At each dill heap I left an offering of seeds for the local wildlife and the Fair Folk .

To walk a boundary is to find where edges meet. In permaculture, the place where two environments meet, such as forest and field, is where there is the most diversity. Where we find our edges meeting with another, we can gain inspiration, called the awen in Druidry. This is
what relationship is all about: the give and take, learning and working together, finding out how you fit in your own local patch. The threads of awen shimmer where the edges meet. These are liminal places, where one energy merges with another, such as at the seashore, or on a
mountaintop between earth and sky, at the edge of a lake or in a park in the middle of a city.

Hedges are often places that delineate boundaries, and here in Britain there are some hedgerows that are hundreds and hundreds of years old, places of great bio-diversity in an ever-increasing mono-cultured world. Where I live in East Anglia, it is mostly farmland or grazing pasture, and the hedgerows mark the boundaries of the farmer’s land. They are also incredible habitats for nature, wonderful “corridors” that allow animals to travel many miles in search of food or places to live. Hedges that link with each other can stretch for miles, and are places where wild birds, mice, snakes, toads, insects of all kinds and more can thrive. Hedges are also places that can mark the boundary between our garden and the wilderness beyond. I have a hedge all around my back garden, and at the bottom of the garden the hedge marks the spot
between me and a small patch of a wild and wooded area that flows along the small valley’s depression. Often wild creatures come through
holes in the hedge to visit my garden: fallow deer and muntjac deer, badgers, foxes and pheasants. It’s also a highway for local cats to pass
through into the “wilds” beyond. Yet the hedge is not only a boundary in this very physical sense; it is also a boundary between this world and the Otherworld.

Hedgewitch: A Universal Telephone Line

Remember Harvey? And do you recall how he said that his house insurance was cancelled?
Here is the creative way in which he handled it:
“I got this darned letter in the mail that said ‘your house insurance is cancelled because
your windows have peeling paint.’ I’d just finished arranging for a new loan on the house to
fix the place up, and here I get this letter. I was furious, because the insurer knew about the
loan that cleared not thirty days before and that I was planning to use the money to repair the
house. Frustrated, I decided to fix this problem … promptly!
“The day before, I’d purchased an old-fashioned phone at the mall, thinking it would add
a special touch that the wife would like. I marched to the bedroom and took the phone out
of the package, repeating a mantra: ‘Always a blessing.’ I placed the phone on our bedroom
dresser. I didn’t hook the phone up to the house line. In fact, I didn’t hook it up at all. In my
mind, if a cell phone could call my kid, my magick phone could call the universe! What’s the
difference?
“On a notecard, I wrote: ‘I want this house insurance mess fixed immediately, to my benefit.’ I stuck the card under the phone, picked up the receiver, and dialed 911. I said, ‘Hello,
Universe? Harvey speaking. I want this house insurance mess fixed immediately, to my benefit.Thank you for helping me,’ and I hung up. In less than one hour, I had the phone number
of a new agent. In less than twenty-four hours, I’d made arrangements with that new agent to
come view the house. In forty-eight hours, I had a new policy that was cheaper than the old
one, and it covered the exact same thing. And seventy-two hours after that phone call, the old
agent phoned, wanting to fix things, where before when I originally called them they had all
but ignored me.
25
“I didn’t stop there. My son has a new job as a salesman, and he was lamenting he needed at
least two sales his first week to show his employer he would be good at the job. So, I went to
the phone in my bedroom, dialed 411, and said, ‘Hello. This is Harvey. I want my son to land
at least two sales today. Thank you,’ and hung up. Sure enough, my son called me that night.
He made his two sales, and by the time the week was out, he’d made a total of four. You can
bet I’m going to keep using my magick phone!”
Harvey’s example shows us that a simple spell can work miracles. Now, let’s check Harvey’s
beliefs so we are all on the same page. Harvey believes that something runs the universe that
is good, caring, and all-loving. He isn’t sure what that something is, but when he is addressing
the universe, he believes that he is somehow aligning himself with divinity. Secondly, Harvey
has always believed that a solution to every problem exists; you just have to find it sometimes.
Therefore, solving this problem was well within both his conscious and subconscious minds,
and calling on a solution was not out of bounds in either type of thought.
To help his mind believe that he could contact the source of all things, he used a vehicle
familiar to all of us: the telephone. Like Harvey said, if he could call his son on a cell, he could
call the source on his magick phone. The act of dialing familiar numbers-911, in most areas
of the United States, is the three-digit Emergency number, and 411 is Information. Harvey
later explained that he used 411 because he wanted the universe to find two people who needed what his son was selling. In both cases, remember, the phone was dead-he never hooked
it up, so he didn’t really call 911 or 411. He just went through the motions. Also, in the desire
for his son to land the sales, Harvey had the greatest confidence in his son’s ability-he’d seen
him perform before, and knew his son could do it-meaning he believed his son was capable
26
of landing the sale. As his son’s desire and Harvey’s
desire for him matched, the sales were made in
less than twenty-four hours. When two or more
people are joined together in a single thought
in which they both believe (both consciously
and subconsciously), then that desire will manifest quickly. Finally, Harvey had this to say: “I didn’t
for one moment allow myself to doubt. I just forged
ahead, knowing that I would get what I wanted. I used a HedgeWitch technique whenever I
felt doubt coming on. I said, repeatedly, ‘It ALWAYS works!’”
And it did!
Linking your mind to a physical object to support your belief or matching your words
to something you know to be true is not new. Magickal practitioners have been doing this
for centuries. The trick is that you must believe in what you know to be true. Sounds funny,
doesn’t it? We find an excellent example in mental fluidity when studying Pow-Wow spells
(Pow-Wow is a German-American magickal system). In Christianized Pow-Wow, the practitioner often adds a rider, such as:
“As surely as Mary gave forth Jesus Christ, so will Suzanne experience the fullness of healing in His name.”
For a Christian, this works perfectly, but that isn’t the original text. Indeed, the original
version states rivers and territories that no longer hold the same names, so to update a bit, we
might say:
‘~s surely as the Mosel River flows through France, Luxembourg, and Germany, so too will
Suzanne experience the gentle flow of healing energy until she is completely well.”
Both versions work-again, it is what you believe that counts.

What is a Hedge Witch

A Hedge Witch is a solitary practitioner of the herbal arts – both, medicinal and spiritual. She is the person you call when you develop a rash or get a toothache, and the doctor or dentist is unavailable. She is the person you consult when strange things go bump in the night, or you are certain that someone just gave you the evil eye.

Her cupboard contains the remedy for what ails you – physical and spiritual.

A Hedge Witch does not belong to a coven. She does not follow the tenets of any sect or organized religion. Her craft is her own – usually handed down to her by family and honed by her own experience and research.

You will not find two Hedge Witches that are alike. Each follows her own path. The common thread that puts us under the heading of Hedge Witch is our herbal remedies and our solitary spiritual practices

The name, Hedge Witch, comes from days of old when villages were separated by forests. The edge of a village where the forest began was called the hedge. In most villages there was an herbal practitioner, who lived in the forest or near the edge of the forest. This was the person the villagers appealed to when there was no doctor, or the doctor couldn’t cure them. The practitioner who lived by the hedge and practiced herbal arts was called a Hedge Witch.

Today, a Hedge Witch may or may not live near the forest, but you likely will find her there at one time or another. Most Hedge Witches have a reverence for nature. They know the medicinal and spiritual properties of everything that grows, and they understand nature’s balance. A wise Hedge Witch enlists nature to deal with natural problems. She harvests more weeds than she pulls. She invites wasps, spiders and other predators to kill unwanted bugs. She uses plants and animals to divert bunnies from the vegetable garden.

But the most definitive characteristic of a Hedge Witch is that she has a remedy for everything under the sun, and much of it was prepared by the light of the moon.

Hedge Witches’ Rites of Fire

Light incense.

Pass over working area.

Place the representation of your magick key near your other supplies for this night.

Close your eyes, and envision yourself surrounded by white light.

Take thirteen slow, even breaths, inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth.

When you feel relaxed, open your eyes, smile, and repeat today’s affirmation three times.

Pick up the red candle and hold it with both hands.

Close your eyes.

Imagine the candle is filled with radiating light.

Say: “Peace with the gods, peace with nature, peace within.”

Open your eyes.

On the red candle, inscribe the word fire with a pin, nail, or clay-inscribing tool.

Place the candle in the appropriate holder.

Mix the cinnamon, hot peppers, galangal, and cloves together.

Sprinkle the herbs around the base of the candle.

Put your magick key beside the candle and herbs.

Light the candle, and hold your hands toward the candle and herbs.

Intone the following charm:

Herbal magick, speak to me Of fire! Passion! Creativity! Of Spirit’s gift of steady flow And herbs of flame that make things go.

Meditate for a few minutes on the meaning of fire in the life of a spiritual person.

Smile, and repeat today’s affirmation as much as necessary, followed by the word fire.

To conclude, chant the word fire several times, smile, and then open your eyes.

Draw your personal fire sigil in your journal and on a small piece of paper.

On the back of the small paper, write the project that you wish to begin.

Place the paper on top of the felt square.

Sprinkle the paper with some of the herbs from around the candle.

Add a lock of your hair.

Fold the felt toward you and then roll it toward you.

Tie it with the red string.

Place the rolled felt in your Hedge Witch project box.

Close the box.

Tap the lid three times, and say:

Easy! Easy! Easy! It always works.

Always a blessing.

This rite is ended.

Place the box where you can see it but where no one else will disturb it.

Allow the candle to burn completely.

Offer remaining herbs outside to Spirit, saying: “Thank you!”

Dispose of cold candle end and incense.

Remember to record any feelings or experiences about fire energy in your journal.

Don’t forget to write about any dreams you may have this night!

When you have successfully finished your project, burn the red felt packet, remember t0 thank the source of all things, and sprinkle the ashes in the wind.

Cleanse the inside of the project box by sprinkling a bit of fresh HedgeWitch formula clean Sing water in the box.

Allow the box to completely dry before closing.

Your project box will then be ready to use again anytime you desire!

Before you drift off to sleep, close this evening by saying:

Peace with the gods.

Peace with nature.

Peace within.

It always works.

Always a blessing.

Hedge Witches Candle Spell

Take a candle of an appropriate colour to use in your work.

As a very basic guide, red is for love and passion, pink for emotions, blue for healing, green for the environment, brown for animals, yellow for inspiration, purple for magical strength, black for release of negativity.

White candles are used for purification, and they can be used to replace any other colour that you may not be able to obtain.

Alternatively, you can always use wax crayons to decorate or colour your candle as you see fit!

Sit with your candle and meditate upon the work that you wish to achieve.

Then, stating your intention clearly, pour your energy into the candle.

Allow the energy to flow from your hands into the candle.

When you have poured enough into the candle, you can then add more strength to it by carving words or symbols into it, still holding your intention.

Then, place the candle in a holder and light it with a match.

As you strike the match, keep your intention in your mind, and as you bring the match to the candle’s wick, visualise the power of fire igniting your work.

Sit before the candle and meditate upon the flame, still holding the visualisation of the end result of your spellwork coming to fruition.

You can add herbs around the base of the candle, if you so wish, to allow them to add their magical energy to your work.

You can infuse the herbs with your intention and energy in exactly the same way as you did the candle.

See with your mind’s eye a cone of power rising from the herbs around the candle, blending with the candle’s flame and sending the power out into the world.

The Basics of HedgeWitchery

Always connect to Spirit first.

By Spirit, I mean that which you believe runs the universe.

Some call it the source, others God or Goddess, or both, or neither, or whatever, or lots of names with particular influences from different pantheons.

The details don’t matter what matters is that you believe in a greater power

As everyone’s needs for and in spiritual connection are different, there isn’t anyone right belief

What you believe is right for you as long as it doesn’t purposefully hurt anyone.

Power “over” in anything will bring you a whole lot of hurting in the end.

Power “within” is the ultimate vehicle of success. (The universe does not take kindly to negative beliefs, thoughts, or actions.)

Warning: Be careful that the beliefs of others don’t inhibit you; conversely, don’t shove your beliefs on others (it lessens your own personal power).

Believe that you will receive, and it will be so.

Start and end everything, and I mean everything, with a smile!

Smiling raises your personal vibrational level, moving you toward the essence of the universe, which is pure joy.

The magick key of the universe that opens the door to every opportunity is a simple, sincere smile.

Learn to speak the true language of the universe!

The source of all things has its own language: basically, nouns and verbs that focus on the attraction of any given thing.

The All doesn’t acknowledge the rules of grammar as humans have made them.

Instead, we must learn to think and speak in a simple, fundamental syntax when focusing on our desires.

Stick with nouns and verbs to begin.

For example: “I want cookies.”

The words “I” and “cookies” are nouns.

“Want” is the verb.

Then, embellish carefully. “I want chocolate chip cookies.”

More? “I want delicious, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies.”

Remember, by using primal language, we condense our desire into a translation that the universe will understand.

Visualize yourself absolutely delighted with what you want, which should produce a smile, which raises your personal vibrational level, which brings the thing faster.

If you need something right away, be happy!

You must ensure that your conscious and subconscious beliefs about the issue are in agreement.

If they do not agree, then your transmission to the universe will either be changed in a way you didn’t desire or will not manifest at all.

Nothing can grow if there isn’t space.

You can’t receive if you’ve blocked the door and bolted the gate.

For every specific thing that you want, whether it is healing, money, a new job, or a great relationship, let go of anything that inhibits the flow of what you desire.

If you start listing a bunch of excuses, you’ve just lost big time.

No magick elf presents for you! Allow change.

While you are waiting for what you desire, focus your attention on the positive aspects of your life.

Allow new and different energies to keep you occupied, rather than worrying or fretting about what you don’t have.

Instead, learn to honor what you do have (or had), and go from there.

When we are legitimately grateful, we bring closure to any situation and allow fresh, new experiences to energize our lives.

Always remember to say thank you!

The Hedge Craft – Elder (Sambuccus nigra)

Elder (Sambuccus nigra) – flowers and berries
• febrifuge – used to break fevers (blossom)
• flowers support circulation (lymphatic system), promotes
elimination through urinary tract, cuts congestion and
inflammation of upper-respiratory tract, breaks up catarrh
• reduces symptoms of hay fever, often used with nettle in this
instance
• berries reduce the length and severity of colds and flu, also good
for coughs
• flowers and berries are anti-viral
Used as tea, tincture, glycerite or succus, cordial or syrup.

Hedgewitch: Circle of Influence

No HedgeWitch is an island. We have friends, those we love, perhaps children, significant
others, parents, partners, co-workers-people that we allow to exert influence over our lives
because we like them, because we love them, or because our environments somehow overlap.
All of these people are in some way affected by our behavior, and our behavior is somehow
affected by them. This influence doesn’t automatically disappear just because we want to do
magick. Life and magick (for good or ill) are a bit more complicated than that.
In magick, we’ve always been taught to know (belief), to will (I want), to dare (open the way
and accept change), and to be silent, because if every Jane, Lisa, and Abby in the world heard
about what you want, they might try to block your desires-just by being jealous, they can
mess things up for you, especially if your belief is shaky. Yet there is always an exception to
any rule; on occasion, you will have to verbally agree with someone in order for the change
to happen. By agreeing on any subject, then the stage is set for action. If you disagree, even
subconsciously, failure is a possibility.
Let’s try an example.
You’re reading this book, working through the exercises, and you’re feeling really good
about the whole thing. You live with someone (significant other, spouse, your child, mother,
whatever), you are merrily doing the primal language thing, and you decide you want a new
sofa. For brevity’s sake, let’s say the other party involved here is your husband.
Every day, you say: “I want a new sofa in my living room.” Day after day, you repeat these
words. You’ve followed all the other suggestions on manifestation in this book, and so you
think you’re good to go. Except days progress into weeks, and somewhere along the line you
become convinced that primal language doesn’t really work, or at least isn’t working in this
case, because you can’t seem to get your mitts on a new sofa. You are stuck with the same old,
threadbare, smelly couch-which, by the way, you refuse to sit on.
This actually happened to me until it dawned on me that I wasn’t receiving my new sofa
because my husband hadn’t let the old one go! Heck, I’d have burned that blasted couch in a
heartbeat, and I’d released the image of it in my mind just fine. But he hadn’t: not physically and not in his mind. And, yes, we’d discussed how we needed a new one, but evidently
we weren’t really in agreement. You see, my husband, blessed man, loves that sofa. He takes
Sunday naps on it. Cuddles into the cushions. Sips his coffee on it. Wrestles with the dogs,
watches the Friday night fights … my husband loves that sofa and hates change to his comfort.
(Taurus moon, need I say more?)
9
Which, of course, resulted in keeping the old sofa just where it was. This was a totally
duh moment for me. No wonder the universe couldn’t fulfill my desire for a new sofa. Only
one couch could fit in that living room at a time, and it still sat there-physically and, more
importantly, mentally-through my husband’s adoration of it. He simply wasn’t emotionally
ready to part with it.
Okay, I thought, new line of attack. Haul out all the good wifely reasons why we need a new
sofa, concentrating on, of course, his comfort. Bingo. He mentally released the old sofa, and a
brand-new one finally trundled in the door.
My point here is this: those that you love influence you, therefore they will influence your
desires if you allow them to. And you usually do … because you love them! (To read more
about agreements with others, check out my MindLight book, which discusses various facets
of human interaction and thought [especially partnerships], and how, simply through conversation, you manifest the circumstances of your own life without even realizing it.)

Hedgewitch: The Fertilizer of the Mind and Belief

I’m sure you’ve read many spiritual articles over the past several years that have in one way or another discussed the universal connection of all beings and how we are all an integrated part of the whole.

Writers teach about how to access what you most desire by using techniques and ideas that have worked for them.

From motivational speakers to magickal practitioners, you’ll find a plethora of information just waiting to be downloaded into your eager brain.

Sometimes these tips serve the reader well, and sometimes, depending upon the reader’s belief structure, they don’t work at all.

Belief, truly, is the key.

Our beliefs are structured on what we think to be true.

Some of us delve into the scientific to give us a firm base of belief, others go the more mystical, spiritual route, and then there are those who don’t believe anything unless it works first (which is rather a conundrum).

Finally, everyone’s beliefs are somehow shaped by the boogie-bird in the closet, commonly known a childhood misconception, which we either dreamed up ourselves or were exposed to by parents, caregivers, siblings, extended family members, teachers, spiritual advisors, neighbors, organization leaders, etc., as they peddled through their own lives doing (to be fair) the best they could.

Which leaves us a bit on shaky ground when it comes to creating our own reality, which is nothing more than manipulating the world through quantum means.

What I’m trying to say is: if you believe it is possible consciously and subconsciously, then it is. Period.

Each individual functions within the parameters of two types of belief: that which you consciously say to be true, and that which your subconscious has already accepted to be true.

Which means you have two very different animal crackers in your head when it comes to what you believe in, and why you can say you believe in something and receive just the opposite.

Both conscious and subconscious beliefs have to be in alignment in order for any desire to manifest.

Your conscious belief can be represented by the above-ground part of a plant, and your subconscious belief can equate to the root system; as you know, if your root system is lousy, you can baby the top of the plant all you want and still it will either die or grow poorly.

Conversely, the root system can be great-but if pests or blight attack the above-ground portion of the plant, you can only go so long until the plant weakens beyond saving and dies.

Just as the root system and the above-ground portion of a plant must be in alignment to create a beautiful, healthy plant, so your conscious and subconscious beliefs must also match to make a beautiful, healthy you.

This brings us to why humans have created a compendium of religions.

The various designs have occurred in an effort to create a system that appeals both to the conscious and subconscious minds of a particular culture.

Did you ever wonder why you can’t force someone to believe like you do (well, people try), and why the belief in angels may work for some but not for others, and why the Holy Spirit performs like gangbusters for your sister but not for your father?

Ogoun helps your best friend dance on the head of a pin, pulling in super sales, and your brother-in-law may swear by snake charming to get those eBay deals, and then there’s your uncle, who claims nothing works like a nice dead relative to provide assistance from the other side when the chips are down.

Many cultures, many beliefs … who is right?

The one you believe in, of course.

Belief, quite frankly, isn’t as easy as it sounds.

Let’s say everyone around you fervently believes that a Great Rabbit runs the universe.

You have always been told, and therefore it must be true, that he sits up there, munches on carrots, wants you to be a good boy or girl, has
an instruction manual for you to follow, and demands sole fealty.

Everyone in town believes in the Great Rabbit (or so they say).

They pray to the Great Rabbit and have holidays in his honor.

Perhaps you’ve outwardly questioned the validity, and you have certainly inwardly gone over it a million times-nothing with teeth that long can be good.

You are told the Great Rabbit is also a wrathful rabbit because, ifhe isn’t pleased, he can cause hurricanes, drought, fires-you know, the normal Mother Nature stuff, which is now bad stuff and not normal because you, you infidel, did not believe deep down inside.

So much for the concept of universal love in deity form. Indeed, the worst type of believer is the secret nonbeliever.

Do you see where I’m going with this? I’m not poking fun at any specific belief-what I’m saying is if you make believe you believe, it ain’t gonna work for ya, no matter how hard you try.

What is worse, we can say we believe, but 10 and behold, our subconscious (for whatever reason) doesn’t.

Then again, we can tell everyone what they believe in isn’t quite right and that they should change their beliefs, or at least tweak them so that we can all really believe now, because if everyone thinks the way we do, then we have created a believable comfort ‘Zone.

Therefore, what we all believe must be true-because we all believe it.

Except we know we told everyone what to believe without empirical evidence.

So, therefore, in our subconscious, we know what they believe in is not true, and therefore, we don’t
really believe it either.

And if you don’t believe, you can’t make nothin’ happen.

Let’s, for the moment, move this topic away from religion and our All-Powerful Bunny.

The same premise works for other things in your life as well: health, income, politics, perceived status, love, friends, working environment (flap hand, yada yada)-religion, really, is just one

facet of the totality of your beliefs.

Just one. So, even if you work diligently on your spirituality and let the rest go (or ignore them or deny their importance), then all you’ve done is focus the conscious mind in one direction while your subconscious mind is having a banquet-at your expense.

You’ll not find a truer bait-and-switch scam than what occurs in your own brain each and every day.

Money problems?

Don’t check what’s in your wallet-check what’s in your brain.

How do you know that your subconscious beliefs aren’t in alignment with your conscious
mind?

That’s easy.

What part of your life has just gone down the toilet?

Or, what in your life could be better?

Or, maybe things have been holding steady, but you are bored, bored, bored.

Or, where have you been placing your primary focus of thought and activity because you had to?

Let’s take a look at what beliefs might be attached to that issue.

We’ll keep it simple, one issue at a time.

Pretty soon, you’ll see how troubles that seem separate can actually be the result of a single negative thought.

Hedgewitch: Prove It to Yourself

Just because something is written, it doesn’t mean you have to believe it.

So I’d like you to do an experiment for yourself.

I’d like you to take one thing you complain about all the time, and I’d like you to totally rearrange your thinking on the subject.

Remove words like don’t, not, hate, dislike, bugs me, crappy, irritate, etc.

Change your thinking to what you do want that involves this subject.

Translate this into as few words as possible that still gets your point across.

Every day, communicate that positive statement to the universe.

Every time you think about the subject or talk about it with others, do it in a positive way-no more complaining.

If you open your mouth to complain, snap it shut and say to yourself, ”Always a blessing,” and change the subject.

Keep doing this until the change occurs, no matter how long it takes.

Don’t give up, and don’t give in!

You may even be amazed at the results.

Rite of the Mountain

Light incense.

On a purple candle, inscribe the word mountain with a pin, nail, or clay inscribing tool.

Place the candle in a safe holder, and light.

Intone the following mountain charm:

Herbal magick, speak to me Of mountain’s sacred journey Of strength and will along the way Of choosing carefully what I say.

Treasures lie inside me Tonight I grasp my own true wealth And give to earth that magick seed To grow and thrive deep in me.

Thank you!

Mix coffee, sage, frankincense, and sandalwood, and “charm” it by using the following incantation:

Sacred Spirit, light the way Bless my work with herbs this day! Air bestowing … Sunlight glowing .. . Droplets flowing .. . 15 Earth for sowing … Moonlight nourish garden growing Hand of joy and heart of knowing LeafY vines and sweetened fruit Cast this pattern of pursuit!

Hedge Witch power I invoke

Heaven’s prayers like sacred smoke

Clear the way to manifest

That desire which I think best!

Empty the herbal mix in the cotton bag.

Insert the paper with the quality you wish to nurture and grow within yourself in the bag, along with a lock of your hair.

Tie the bag shut. Place it on the north edge of your altar.

Cover the bag by stacking the stones over it.

As you place each stone, either repeat the above mountain charm (the first incantation you spoke this evening) or repeat today’s affirmations, whichever applies best to you.

Then say:

“As surely as I have placed these rocks,

so will my desire manifest.

Thank you!

It always works.

Always a blessing.” Smile.

Sprinkle the stones with a bit of the water you prepared yesterday.

Pass the incense smoke over the stones.

Meditate for fifteen minutes on the meaning of a mountain in the life of a spiritual person.

Draw your mountain sigil on the other piece of paper, and put it underneath the top stone of the pile.

Copy the sigil in your journal.

Allow the candle to burn completely.

The following day, you may be filled with a new sense of purpose.

On the night of your final ceremony, you will uncover what you wish to grow inside of yourself  Before you drift off to sleep, close this evening by saying:

Peace with the Gods Peace with Nature Peace within. It always works. Always a blessing.

The Hedge Craft – The Middleworld (Abred)

The Middleworld is the place where we live most of our lives. Yet it is
not “ordinary” or dull in any sense in comparison to the other worlds.
The Middleworld is a place where the worlds of Upper and Lower come
together and dance right before our very eyes. It can be a wondrous hill
in the middle of a plain that we can visit, walk up, sit on and meditate.
It can be a deep well that bubbles to the surface where the sunlight
sparkles upon it. It can also be the trunk of a tree in our own backyard,
where we can travel up and down to the lower and upper worlds
respectively.
The Middleworld, as the place where we spend most of our time,
requires us to be fully awake to it, to establish a deep and intimate
relationship with it. We need to know the land upon which we live,
where we make our homes and walk the dogs. We need to know the
names of the trees and plants, the geological formations, the rivers and
streams and where they run. Through a practice of deep connection, we
work with the Middleworld and realise that it’s just as wondrous as the
Lower or Upper worlds of Annwn and Gwynfed.
In the tree motif, the Middleworld is the trunk, the strong and sturdy
part of the tree that connects the Lower and Upper worlds. If you have
found a connection with a particular tree, perhaps in your garden or
local park, forest or woodland, then you can use this tree easily for
connecting the three worlds of Lower, Middle and Upper. Simply by
leaning your back onto the trunk of the tree, you can connect with it and
open your awareness to the present moment, the Middle world, with
ease.

Hedgewitch Nature: Your Secret Shifter

Nature acts as a secret shifter, gently filling
us with the power to change our circumstances
whenever we choose. Interacting with Her allows
us to switch mental gears in an instant, helping
us to overcome boredom, fear, depression, anger,
frustration, sadness, and a host of other negative
emotions that sap our personal well-being and
block our pathway to success. Accessing Nature
can immediately place us in the still point ofbalance-that moment of pure potential that can
open our minds to the attractive power of the
universe and bring us all that we desire.
To see what I mean, go outside and put your
hands in the dirt. Yep! March out there right
now and take the first step toward HedgeWitchery! As you place your hands on the ground, feel
your deep, primordial connection with the life
force of our planet. Close your eyes
.
.. dig in your
fingers … and open your heart and mind as you
inhale the heady aroma of earth’s sweet fragrance.
Breathe deeply, and welcome the peace. Accept
the balance of Mother Nature with joy! Allow
the source of all things to course in, around, and
through you.
Shift into the connection! Be One … there is
no other experience like it.
Now, think of the most beautiful garden you have ever seen. Drink in the memory of
the lushness, color, peace, and abundant wealth of that sacred space. We’re going to change
our lives to be like that gorgeous garden, and we are going to do it in just two short weeks.
Granted, we’ll have to continue to tend our new lives (maintenance is a must), but, by using
the HedgeWitchery techniques I’ve developed, we’re going to make marvelous changes in a
limited amount of time. How do I know this? Because I did it-and if I can do it, you absolutely can, too!
Using the material in this book, it took me just two short weeks to totally alter many things
in my life and bring me peace, harmony, good fortune, healing, and much more. By continuing
the practice of working with the abundance of the earth’s energy, over the following weeks
and months I noticed positive shifts in my personality and my ability to deal with day-today stresses. My relationships with my family improved, and interactions with friends and
acquaintances that weren’t healthy for me or my family dissolved quickly, leaving a wake of
calmness and well-being. I found myself in a more serene state on a more frequent basis, at
ease with the world around me much of the time. I was able to sit back and enjoy life rather
than running full-tilt into walls I’d built myself over the last several years. I began making
major renovations to my property. I built an herb garden, a toad house, and a butterfly haven.
I literally tore down buildings to make way for continued improvements-lugging, hauling,
and sweating with the best of them-and it felt good! As these projects slowly took shape
and came to fruition, my life blossomed as well. I shed those wintery pounds, my complexion
improved, and I held a more healthy attitude toward my body and my diet. By harvest time,
I’d learned a wealth of information on organic gardening, put it into practice, and celebrated
the change of season with bounty from the earth as well as enjoying the mental and spiritual
fruits of living “in”Nature rather than viewing Her from a distance.
You see, it’s all a matter of choice (yours) and belief (your own) that will provide the opportunities you desire. If you expect the worst, that’s precisely what you will receive. If, instead,
you seek to raise your mental vibrations and incorporate fun physical activities to match happy,
life-affirming goals, then you will reap the rewards of positive living and thinking. You are the
most powerful catalyst in the alteration of your own life-and we’re going to prove it with the
loving assistance of Mother Nature. I did it. You can, too!

Hedgewitch: A Conscious and Subconscious Mind: Your Personal Filter

There is a really good reason why your subconscious and conscious minds don’t readily
believe the same thing, and at this point, you may wish you didn’t have a subconscious at all,
because it manages to be a major pain on certain issues and definitely can stand in the way of
what you want. Both your conscious and your subconscious minds act as police, trying to filter
thoughts and silly statements so that you don’t manifest a shark on your dining room floor, a
monster in the closet, or blow up the world. Both definitely have a unique function-gatekeepers to your running mouth and rambling brain. This way, you can think all you want, but
it’s what you believe that is the key.

The Hedge Craft – The Upperworld (Gwynfed)

This is the realm of inspiration, where immortal beings dwell, The
Shining Ones. It’s a place of divine beings and teachers of tradition. It is
the place where the spark that begins the intention is formed, to come
into manifestation. It is the waving boughs of the world tree, reaching
towards the heavens, yet connected to the deep earth through the trunk,
rooted into the soil as it reaches for the stars.
The Upperworld is a place of light, but this is not the sort of good/evil
connotation that usually abounds in modern thinking, where darkness is
evil and light is good. The darkness of the Lowerworld is the darkness of
mystery and transformation, the lightness of the Upperworld is that of
illumination and enlightenment. We need both in our lives, and cannot
ignore one or the other. The Upperworld is often called the realm of the
gods, but this too is an over-generalisation. The gods exist in all three
worlds. The Upperworld is perhaps the place of form, where the “purest”
form or archetypes can be found for many.
In the Hedge Druid’s Craft we work with the Upperworld after
becoming familiar with the Lowerworld and Middleworld, first. We need
the knowledge and stability from these planes of existence before we
move up into the branches of the world tree, otherwise our foundation is
shaky and we can easily topple over in the slightest of breezes. We need
to know who we are, through our ancestors, and where we are, in the
present moment, before we pursue the greater mysteries and questions
of humanity and our own souls.

The Hedge – The Lowerworld (Annwn)

Annwn translates as “in-world” or “the very deep place”. The translation
of “Ceugant” most roughly approximates “infinity”, or finding or
returning to some sort of “source” or “god”. It is found at the base of the
World Tree, deep within its roots. It’s a place of mystery, of power,
memory and grounding. In the Hedge Druid’s Craft, if we look to the
wisdom of the oak, we know that the roots of an oak tree extend as far
beneath the ground as branches overhead, with the trunk as the middle
ground between the two, connecting and supporting them. This
knowledge can be applied to the three worlds of the Lower, Middle and
Upper, positing that each world is as important as the other, and that
what is hidden only reflects what is apparent.
The Underworld holds the memories of our ancestors, of generations
upon generations of beings that have made up the soil that carries life to
us today. It is a place of quiet mystery and deep power. It is also the
domain of spiritual beasts, and of a stag headed god who guards the
Well of Segais. It is not a place of fear or condemnation, but rather a
place where transformation and knowledge work hand in hand to allow
things to come out into the light.
Annwn held the cauldron of transformation, which was warmed by
the breath of nine maidens. It is often equated with the feminine,
however, the Dagda, that wonderfully lusty and great god, had a
cauldron of his own, from which one could come back to life. His
cauldron was called Undry, or the Cauldron of Plenty. Deep in the
Underworld, within Annwn we can rest, contact the ancestors, and find
transformation through the slow process of warming our own cauldron
of potential. It is where the physical is broken down, much like
vegetable matter is broken down into compost, to become something
that can nourish and sustain us.
The Underworld or Annwn is also often equated to the lands of the
Sidhe. The term sidhe can be a difficult one, as it can mean so many
things, from a faerie or fey type being, to an ancestor. In the
Welsh/British tradition, the Sidhe lived in hollow hills, and so by
travelling into the hills and going deep into the land, we find
Otherworlds of great magic. Not always a place of darkness, when we
travel to these places we might find worlds that mirror our own, bright
as day or dark as midnight. Often they are described as neither day nor
night, as having no sunrise and no sunset. Time does not move the same
there as it does in the Middleworld, the world where we spend most of
our time. We can journey to the Underworld by travelling down into the
roots of the World Tree.

The Hedge – The Three Worlds and the World Tree

In the Hedge Druid’s Craft, we work with the concept of the World Tree,
which is divided into three realms: the Lowerworld, Middleworld and
Upperworld. As we like to use the hedge motif, when we are “hedge
riding” we are riding along the axis of the World Tree, travelling
between the worlds.
As Druids, who seek the wisdom of the oak, using a tree motif can be
wholly appropriate to the path. According to ancient sources, the Druids
celebrated in groves (sacred nemetons), and trees were very important to
their religious and spiritual tradition. Some Druids use this tree motif in
connection with the worlds, others see them as circles or spheres within
spheres, interconnecting. These three worlds are sometimes referred to
as Annwn (or Ceugant as Iolo Morgannwg named it), Abred and
Gwynfed.
Accessing the three worlds through the centre, the axis mundi, (the
Bile in Irish) is the trunk of the Middleworld that connects all three and
is how we are able to move between the worlds.

Hedgewitch: The Magickal Garden of Your Mind

Deep in the forest glen of your mind, where the shadows never quite release the
world, sits the ancient establishment of the HedgeWitch Academy. A learning center for
young and old alike, this edifice of enchanted scholarship welcomes anyone truly magickal at
heart who desires to improve the quality of their being. Here, students harmonize with the
world of nature, learn powerful potions for self-improvement, and brew within themselves”
the enigma of t~e treasures of earth, water, and sky. For years, the outside world saw only a
glimpse of thes~ natural empowerment tools-an awareness that has always undulated in the
secret world of Witchcraft. Indeed, the workings of the Hedge Witch through various cultures
and thousands of years have become legend … and with these easy lessons, formulas, magickal
tips, and the inspiring dedication ceremony provided here, you can be one, too!
Relax, take a deep breath, and smile. Success begins with joy!

The Hedge Craft – The Celestial

The sun, moon and stars have equal importance in the Hedge Druid’s
Craft. With the cycles of the sun we find ourselves travelling through the
year with agricultural festivals as well as the solstices and equinoxes
being celebrated. The earth’s orbit around the sun gives us our year, and
its axis gives us our seasons. We can watch where the sun rises and sets
each day, and make note in our own local area so that we will know that
when the summer solstice arrives, the sun rising directly over the
chimney of the pub, or behind a copse of trees on the hillside, or by the
right-hand side of the neighbour’s shed. Putting the great astronomical
forces into the context of your local environment brings matters down to
earth, if you’ll pardon the pun.
There were 12-13 moons in each calendar year, and each had its own
name that varied from region to region. This moon (which is where we
get our term, “month”) often relates to a natural phenomenon relevant
to the time of year. Here is an example of each month’s moon title, and
if there are two full moons in a calendar month, the second is termed a
“blue moon” (though this is historically incorrect, for a blue moon is
actually the third full moon in an astronomical season with four full
moons versus the normal three).
January – Wolf Moon
February – Snow Moon
March – Storm Moon
April – Growing Moon
May – Flower Moon
June – Mead Moon
July – Hay Moon
August – Corn Moon
September – Harvest Moon
October – Hunter’s Moon
November – Frost Moon
December – Cold Moon
Two of these moons are especially noticeable because they rise on
successive evenings more quickly than other moons. The Harvest Moon
and Hunter’s Moon have a shorter period of darkness between sunset
and moonrise, and they both appear larger in the sky than any other
moon. This is due to the Earth’s tilt at that particular time of the year.
These moons often appear very red in colour as they hang lower in the
sky when viewed through the huge number of particles in the
atmosphere.
Spend time watching where the moon rises and sets if you can. Notice
how the arc of the moon’s journey works in relation to the sun’s journey
in the sky and the seasons. Learn all that you can about how the phases
of the moon are created, as well as those special times of both solar and
lunar eclipses. During these moments, great works of magic can be
performed, especially for the Hedge Druid’s Craft, working as she does in
those liminal times!
As well as the sun and moon, our work in the Hedge Druid’s Craft
should also consist of the knowledge of the stars in their whirling round
each night. We can use the stars to navigate, or simply enjoy them,
greeting them as old friends, some who are with us always, and some
who only visit at certain times of the year.
You can locate the north celestial pole by finding the North Star, or
Polaris as it is named. To do so, you must first find Ursa Major (in which
you’ll find smaller collections of star constellations such as the Plough
which is sometimes called the Big Dipper). The Plough is easy to locate,
made up of seven stars that form the shape of an old plough (before
mechanised ploughs) or the shape of a ladle or “dipper”. These stars are
always visible in the northern hemisphere. At the lip of the cup furthest
away from the handle, if you follow the line from the bottom to the top
of the lip and extend that further, you will find that it points directly to
Polaris. That is North.
You can use Polaris or any other star in magical workings, but note
that not all stars are always in the sky all year round. Some of the
brightest stars in the Northern hemisphere are: Sirius
Alpha Centauri
Rigel
Belelgeuse
Aldebaran
Regulus
Find a good book on the starry heavens and learn what you can see from
your area. If you live in a heavily populated area, only some of the
brightest stars may be seen. If you are lucky enough to live in the
countryside, you will have a much larger repertoire to work with. If you
choose to do a magical working, or a hedge riding work at night, you
can always connect to the energy of a chosen star first in order to boost
your work. (You can do this during the day as well, but when the star is
visible it has more impact on your psyche.) Before you begin your work,
you might say something like: Star of (name the star)
May your light shine upon me and my work.
May I join in your dance, as you dance the starry round.
Fill me with your light, neither of sun nor moon
But that of the silvery eldritch light of Faerie and the Otherworld.