Gather your coven and familiars and dive into magical worlds 🧙‍♀️

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska

Now She is Witch by Kirsty Logan

The Scapegracers (trilogy) by Hannah Abigail Clarke

Payback’s a Witch (series) by Lana Harper

These Witches Don’t Burn (duology) by Isabel Sterling

Toil & Trouble: 15 Tales of Women & Witchcraft

Elysium Girls by Kate Pentecost

The Circle (Engelsfors trilogy) by M. Strandberg & S.B. Elfgren

The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow

The Lost Coast by A.R. Capetta

All the Bad Apples by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Her Majesty’s Royal Coven by Juno Dawson

Sweet & Bitter Magic by Adrienne Tooley

Witching Moon by Poppy Woods

The Midnight Girls by Alicia Jasinska

The Reluctant Witch (trilogy) by Kristen S. Walker

The Sting of Victory (series) by S.D. Simper

Not Your Average Love Spell by Barbara Ann Wright

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker & Wendy Xu

Out of Salem by Hal Schrieve

Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley-Doyle

Improbable Magic for Cynical Witches by Kate Scelsa

Walking Through Shadows by Sheri Lewis Wohl

There are a lot of different belief systems in modern Paganism, and one that's seeing a resurgence in popularity is the path of the hedge witch. Although there are a lot of different definitions of what a hedge witch is and does, you'll find that for the most part, there's a lot of work with herbal magic, as well as an emphasis on nature. A hedge witch might work with gods or goddesses, perform healing and shamanic actions, or perhaps work with the changing seasons. In other words, the path of the hedge witch is as eclectic as those who practice it.

Key Takeaways: Hedge Witchcraft

Hedge witchcraft is usually practiced by solitaries, and involves deep study of plants and the natural world.

The term hedge witch is an homage to the wise women of old who often lived on the outskirts of villages, beyond the hedge.

Hedge witches typically find magical intent in routine, day to day activities.

History of the Hedge Witch

Ask any modern hedge witch, and they'll probably tell you that the reason they call themselves a hedge witch is an homage to the past. In days gone by, witches—often women, but not always—lived along the fringes of a village, behind the hedgerows. One side of the hedge was the village and civilization, but on the other lay the unknown and wild. Typically, these hedge witches served a dual purpose and acted as healers or cunning women, and that involved a lot of time gathering herbs and plants in the woods, the fields, and—you guessed it—the hedges.

The hedge witch of old usually practiced alone, and lived magically day to day—simple acts like brewing a pot of tea or sweeping the floor were infused with magical ideas and intentions. Perhaps most importantly, the hedge witch learned her practices from older family members or mentors, and honed her skills through years of practice, trial, and error. These practices are sometimes referred to as green craft, and are highly influenced by folk customs.

History of the Hedge Witch

Ask any modern hedge witch, and they'll probably tell you that the reason they call themselves a hedge witch is an homage to the past. In days gone by, witches—often women, but not always—lived along the fringes of a village, behind the hedgerows. One side of the hedge was the village and civilization, but on the other lay the unknown and wild. Typically, these hedge witches served a dual purpose and acted as healers or cunning women, and that involved a lot of time gathering herbs and plants in the woods, the fields, and—you guessed it—the hedges.

The hedge witch of old usually practiced alone, and lived magically day to day—simple acts like brewing a pot of tea or sweeping the floor were infused with magical ideas and intentions. Perhaps most importantly, the hedge witch learned her practices from older family members or mentors, and honed her skills through years of practice, trial, and error. These practices are sometimes referred to as green craft, and are highly influenced by folk customs.

Magical Practice and Belief

Similar to the practice of kitchen witchcraft, hedge witchery often focuses on the hearth and home as the center of magical activity. The home is the place of stability and grounding, and the kitchen itself is a magical place, and it's defined by the energies of the people who live in the house. For the hedge witch, the home is typically seen as sacred space.

If the home is the core of the practice, the natural world forms the root of it. A hedge witch typically spends lots of time working on herbal magic, and often learns associated skills like herbal medicine or aromatherapy. This practice is deeply personal and spiritual; a hedge witch doesn't just have jars of plants. Chances are good that she grew or gathered them herself, harvested them, dried them, and has experimented with them to see what they can and cannot do—all the while, she's been writing down her notes for future reference.

Hedge Witchery for Modern Practitioners

There are plenty of ways to incorporate hedge witchcraft into your daily life, and most of them involve simple actions of living mindfully and magically.

Look at small domestic tasks from a spiritual perspective. Whether you're cooking dinner or cleaning the bathroom, focus on the sacredness of the actions. Baking bread for your family? Fill that bread with love! Also, speak to your house—yes, that's right, talk to it. Your home is a place of magical energy, so when you walk in after a day at work, greet the house. When you leave for the day, tell it goodbye, and promise to return soon.

Get to know the spirits of land and place around you. Work with them, and invite them into your life with songs, poems, and offerings. The more you open yourself up to them, the more likely they will be to offer you gifts and protection when you need it. In addition, study the plants that grow around your immediate area. If you don't have a garden or a yard, that's okay—plants grow everywhere. What is native to your planting zone? Are there public woods or gardens you can explore, study and wildcraft in?

The practice of hedge witchcraft might be something for you to explore if you're drawn to certain aspects of the natural world. Are you someone who feels more at home in the outdoors and is drawn to nature, with a strong connection to herbs and trees and plants? Do you prefer to work your magic alone, rather than in a group setting? Do you have an interest in folklore and on expanding your own knowledge through research and experimentation? If so, the path of the hedge witch might be right up your alley!

Sources

Beth, Rae. Hedge Witch: A Guide to Solitary Witchcraft. Robert Hale, 2018.

Mitchell, Mandy. Hedgewitch Book of Days: Spells, Rituals, and Recipes for the Magical Year. Weiser Books, 2014.

Moura, Ann. Green Witchcraft: Folk Magic, Fairy Lore & Herb Craft. Llewellyn Publications, 2004.

Well, it's about time I brought them up once again, in their own post. This guide may be on the lengthy side, but it's here to explain what they are and how to begin working with them.

What the hell is a house spirit?

House spirits come from all different cultures and folklore. Known as, you guessed it, guardians of the home. They protect the house itself, the land around it (they get along with the land spirit(s) most of the time), and they also protect the family if treated right. A home certainly doesn't feel like one without these presiding spirits helping. In fact it gives the home a life of it's own.

What do they look like? Are there types?

Across many cultures, there are these spirits and the folklore varies for each. In my tribe, we consider them to usually be little dwarves or goblins that must be appeased, otherwise they will cause bad luck or even resort to curses. Regular offerings are required. Then there are the land spirits, which is a whole other topic. If given regular offerings and respect, we believe that they will not only generate good luck and events for us, but protect us and help with our daily lives. For the witches of the tribe, they will often assist in rituals and spells. That all being said, this has carried over into my personal beliefs. Many cultures describe house spirits assisting with the same things and if they are displeased, bad occurrences following. As far as looks go, it depends on the folklore surrounding your area and your cultural background(s). You may believe in one or two types or an entire spectrum of house spirits from the realm of the fair folk. You could have one house spirit or twelve. It's entirely up to your home. In some cultures, there are door spirits (yes, that guard the doors) and ones that work in the kitchen, among others for different functions of the home.

Okay so, I live in an apartment building. Can I still work with them?

Yes. When I used to live in apartments, I found it was an either/or situation regarding how many were there. Some buildings have only a few that roam around, sometimes only one that protects the entire building, or there may be multiple hanging out in one apartment. Most complexes have multiple however. And then for the lucky buildings that have one for each apartment...those are nice. I've included a short offering ritual at the end of this post, which you can use to ask questions about whatever you wish to know, including how many there are in the building.

What kind of offerings do they like?

Milk, honey, bread, and herbs are a safe bet. They especially like bread baked by you, as they see it as a labor of love and that your energy is in there. Taking time to tend to the garden and taking care of your property & home in general are things they like to see. Don't leave the house a huge mess, as many prefer a tidy atmosphere. Not an offering per say, but important to mention nonetheless.

What should I put on their altar?

I keep my altar for them in the kitchen, as it is in a place that is undisturbed and can't be torn up by my land shark (aka, my dog). I also feel that most of the house spirits I have worked with in my life enjoy hanging out in this area of the home. They seem to like assisting in kitchen magic and cooking in general and the warmth of the stove. You may also want to include a small area near the front door if you believe that there are separate spirits for there. I'd recommend a shelf, as it won't take up as much space in the entryway.

Okay, back on track. Plants (if the space gets enough light), a cauldron, candles, offering bowls, a chalice, glass, or mug of some sort. A special spoon to stir the drinks or potions with. Decorative pieces from nature. Things you craft by hand.

How can I begin working with them?

Anytime, in reality. However, you do have to develop an actual relationship with them. This can take time and the more you speak to them, give offerings, and invite them in as you cook or clean, the more they will be willing to help with your spellwork, wards, and healing. Try the introduction ritual I've included. See what happens. Document it. Try again another time the following week. And just...keep going. Make sure that they know you haven't forgotten about them by leaving a small nightly glass of milk out before you head to bed. It doesn't have to be filled to the rim (hey, cost of living is ridiculous right now). It can be a splash with a squirt of honey added. Or a sprinkle of herbs on their bowl. Or maybe a small helping of what you whipped up for dinner. Point is to show them that you acknowledge and respect their presence. That will be the biggest component. Do the ritual once a week until you start seeing signs of contact. Once you do, make your own ritual with them. Incorporate them into your daily life. Ask them to help with blessing your cooking. Ask them to make sure your wards are in tact. Ask the door spirit to purify the energy of anyone that walks in & make bad people resist coming by. Start seeing if they'd like to sit in on a ritual, if you feel comfortable with that idea. Ask for a blessing when you clean the house & to assist you in removing all the bad energy.

Brief introductory ritual

To introduce yourself to your house spirits, I recommend sitting in your kitchen. If you consider your hearth to be the living room, you can choose to do it there. Make sure to bring offerings with that you feel will be applicable. Freshly baked bread (from your own hands) and some milk with honey stirred in would make a wonderful first treat. I usually introduce myself in a new home by bringing these treats to the location of choice, and start by speaking my intention aloud which goes something like:

"Spirits of the home,

Guardians and Protectors of this dwelling,

Please come sit with me and enjoy these offerings.

I wish to have a working relationship where we can honor, respect, and help each other."

I usually spend about ten-twenty minutes meditating after this is spoken aloud. Sometimes you will feel a strong presence. This is the time I take to set up my kitchen altar as well. If there is a place that I am able to create a mini-altar by the front door, I do so there for the door spirits. The land spirits get their own little thing out in the backyard. I've found in the many places I've lived, they almost always work together and some house spirits spend quite some time out there too!

I do not believe in gatekeeping knowledge, so this post will be sharing how I get all my folklore books for free, legally.

To explain, when a book gets over a certain age and the copyright is not upkept, it falls under “public domain.” When that happens, many different websites will provide those books as a free download.

This is not restricted to one type of book, either. You can grab anything from Sherlock Holmes to history books, to folklore, and more.

If you are looking for a specific book, you may have to check more than one source, so I suggest bookmarking more than one website.

Example Websites:

Internet Archive

Project Gutenberg

Google Books

Open Library

Electric Scotland (Scottish books)

Sacred Texts

National Library of Scotland: Ossain Collection

Forgotten Books

Hathitrust

For me when I download a book, I then upload them to my Google library so that I can use the search functions as well as bring up the books anywhere, but a popular PC option isCalibre.

If you are interested in Scotland-specific folklore, I do have some suggestions of books you can start with.

Scottish Folklore Books:

(link) A Dictionary of Fairies: Hobgoblins, Brownies, Bogies, and Other Supernatural Creatures by Katharine Briggs (1976)

(link) Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs by James M. Mackinlay (1893)

(link) Superstitions of the Highlands & Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell (1900)

(link) The Peat-Fire Flame: Folk-Tales and Traditions of the Highlands and Islands by Alasdair Alpin MacGregor (1937)

(link) Notes on Folk-Lore of the North-East of Scotland by Walter Gregor, M.A. (1881)

(link) The Fairy-Faith in Celtic Countries by W.Y. Evans-Wentz (1911)

(link) Witchcraft and Superstitious Record in the South-Western District of Scotland by J. Maxwell Wood (1911)

(link) Witchcraft & Second Sight in the Highlands & Islands of Scotland by John Gregorson Campbell (1902)

(link) Folklore of Scottish Lochs and Springs by James M. Mackinlay (1893)

(link) Folk-Lore From The West of Ross-Shire by C.M. Robertson (1908)

(link) The Fairy Mythology / Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries by Thomas Keightley (1850)

(link) Popular Tales of the West Highlands by John Francis Campbell (1862)

(link) Scottish Fairy and Folk Tales by Sir George Douglas

(link) The Scottish Fairy Book By Elizabeth W. Grierson (1918)

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