Since I have returned to London I have found myself much more exposed to the internet, advertising, and media than I have been over my spring and summer researches in the mountains of Portugal.

Now that I am back in London I see all of the advertising and hear the buzz of the concept of the “witch” as it froths at the top of popular culture like a decadent revival. The “witch” is everywhere, an icon for this age, packaged and being sold on the high street in volumes to match an American mall during October.

I have to admit though that I am uncomfortable with much of what I see. Particularly in the tropes of the witch being dragged out from some half understood post wicca new aged idiocy. The witch as an attractive young woman, and near exclusively as a female, with tons of fantasy powers that drive a narrative of consumerism and consumption.

The costume of the witch in the media seems to have settled into a tight fitting black dress and a pointy hat. Wands small enough to fit up your sleeve. Black cat that talks at the ready. Its such utter nonsense even at the best of times but the way the image of the witch is being co-opted as a purely feminine symbol is just historically inaccurate.

Men, and a swath of non binary gendered people, have long stood on the path of witchcraft beside women. Witchcraft is no more exclusively feminine than orgasms are, and the continued depiction of the witch as only young women (usually with a token old women who cleans up the mess) is disrespectful to practitioners of the craft that are not cis female.

This misrepresentation of the witch as exclusively female finds its roots in the church and its persecution of minorities and folk practitioners. By casting witchcraft as a feminine practice it allowed the ecclesiastical authorities to “other” feminine practices as an excuse for patriarchal control. Although historically just as many men were accused and convicted of witchcraft as women.

But beyond this misrepresentation I sense something else bubbling under the surface of our ever increasingly polarized world. Something that harkens to an ancient fear, a titillation, that comes with associating with the supernatural. Throughout history mankind returns again and again to the realm of magic in order to seek power when they find themselves powerless. Our era is a time of struggle, and a rise in conservative forces that would fear the power of the witch enough to persecute us is close at hand.

🃏 Find The Empress in your deck. The card behind her will reveal what you need to do to nurture and care for yourself. 

🃏 When in conflict or competition with someone, look for 5 of Wands. The card behind it will reveal the solution to the problem.

🃏 If you see the same card over and over again in readings, it is a sign and you must pay attention to its message for you.

🃏 For a better understanding of each card, observe it closely and form your own interpretation that follows its themes. It will help you interpret readings better.

🃏 To find out what is making you feel stuck or delayed, look to The Hanged Man. The card underneath him will show what is holding you back. The card in front of him will show you how to overcome it.

🃏 When shuffling your cards, if any card drops out of your grasp, take it as a sign and read the card. 

🃏 You do not need crystals with you to do proper readings, but a good way to cleanse your deck is to place a clear quartz on the top of your deck before each reading. Keep in mind; there’s a variety of ways you can cleanse your deck.

🃏 Often when The High Priestess appears in a reading, she is trying to tell you that you know the answers and that you should listen to your inner voice.

a relationship that resonates

an attraction spell for attracting those with similar intentions as you in romantic, personal or business relationships if you offer a service and seek to make your customer base more concentrated. for relationships that resonate with your vibrations.

Materials

empty bowl, jar, or dish

pink salt

small piece of paper + washi tape

a penny

rose quartz

Directions

☁️ visualize the bowl overflowing with love and the deepest sense of fulfillment. tune into the feeling of being in a relationship that makes you so overwhelmingly happy, where you feel understood and the other person completely vibes with you. when the bowl feels blessed, set it down.

🌹 first, add pink salt. this will ensure the pure foundation of your relationships and cleanse you of any draining or mismatched ones.

👁 add a couple drops of sage oil to salt to attract awakened and equally conscious people.

☁️ add the rose quartz to attract loving and compassionate people.

🌹 add a penny for luck, joy and abundance.

👁 finally, write your intentions on a small piece of paper and seal with washi tape. add to bowl.

I haven’t managed to find a lot of posts or blogs about Hedge Witchcraft, and just in case I’m not actually bad at finding such things, I figured I’d answer this question. Please note that this question is answered by me through my personal journey in Witchcraft, and is not a global response to what all Hedge Witches are. Just like in all other aspects of other forms of Witchcraft, every Hedge Witch’s journey is different.

So what is a Hedge Witch? A Hedge Witch is a Witch (of any identification) that focuses on astral projection, working with spirits/the dead/etc., divination, and healing. The term “Hedge Witch” comes from the Middle Ages where dedicated practitioners of medicine weren’t always available, but nearby Witches were easier to come across. These Witches often lived outside of town and near the forest, often called the Hedge. Hedge Witches would help heal not only physical wounds, but mental and spiritual as well. They were known to have potions and salves ready, with knowledge of the local environment and experience to act on the knowledge.

That practice became tradition for Hedge Witches, being able to help and heal. Astral projection, or soul wandering, is what I call “walking the hedge.” This means being able to travel to Otherworlds, whether its the land of the dead or somewhere else, for various uses. These uses can be for divination, spell casting, any soul magic, and more.

Because of their wide range of skills needed back then, Hedge Witches picked up an eclectic nature to their practice to best suit them and their environment. This eclectic nature means that every Hedge Witch is different in their practices, and what I say here may not be accepted by other Hedge Witches.

I haven’t brought up a major point, though, that needs to be mentioned. Hedge Witches don’t follow any Deities, unless you count Nature, the Sun, the Moon, or the Stars/Universe as Deities. They can work with any Deities, but usually don’t dedicate themselves to any.

So what does this all mean? This means that a Hedge Witch is a little mixing pot of a Green Witch, a Kitchen Witch, and many others depending on their individual practices. The biggest differences are their ability to astral project (or at least borrow magick from Otherworlds) and they don’t usually follow Deities. Due to this, most Hedge Witches are solitary in nature.

I plan to make a post in the near future going into more detail about hedge walking, how I believe it’s different to astral projecting, why I use the terms interchangeably, and the risks in walking the hedge.

black and white cat & tortoiseshell cat requested by Peter Jordan on patreon