sorceress

We’ve all seen some sort of ghost-hunting show in our lives, whether you were an avid Ghost Adventures fan or looking for scary things to watch on Halloween.

Here I’m whipping up a guide based on my 10+ years working with spirits on how to approach spirits respectfully and conduct yourself during contact whether in your own home or another location. This is focused on the types of spirits you may encounter while on a ghost investigation.

••• Spirit Work

Pt.2/2

You’ve seen it around and decided you want to try your hand at Spirit Work or you have had encounters and would like to take back some control by deepening your knowledge of this practice. So:

I. Where to begin

• First Step

Ask yourself and define this: What do you want to work with? What do you classify as spirits?

Ancestors and Known Deceased

— These tend to be the easiest to communicate and connect with, due to your shared experiences and energies. In this type of Spirit work most people tend to utilize divinatory instruments or the astral.

Unknown Human Deceased

— Just like the first example, these also are somewhat accessible, since their plane tends to be parallel with ours. Normally it requires more steps of protection and precaution, since you don’t know the spirit's temperament nor it’s signature.

Nature Spirits: elements, plants, animals

— These are at the same time the most common and the most difficult type - common because people tend to, unknowingly, communicate with them all the time and due to that their presence is quite naturalized, making it tricky for some to actively seek them out. Each of the subcategories also have their own language and means of communication.

*I’ve added elements, because honestly, ask any nature or green witch out there, elements are also spirits and have their own language, messages and signature.

Nature Spirits a.k.a Entities: angels, fay, demon

— Ah, yes. The coveted and honored. These are easy to connect to, but also are easy to mess up with. Each subcategory of entity has its own subcategory, and in those the methods of communication and connecting vary a lot, but are heavily influenced by two aspects: Respect and also Trying not to mess up and unknowingly sell yourself.

Divine Spirits a.k.a Deities

— Divine Spirits and Deities are the most popularized, since many these days are visited and maintain a tight relationship with their deities. Each deity or divine spirit has its own specificities when it comes to communication and connection, not to mention the UPG’s and particular experiences of their followers, worshipers or workers.

Thoughtforms a.k.a Tar Spirits

— This is a topic to debate, as I’ve seen thoughtform being used in various themes with different connotations, but to specify, this one is related to what the web has been calling Tar Spirits. I, particularly, don’t communicate with them because their egregore and existence isn’t really one amenable to cleansing, enlightenment or anything - but there are people who claim they do so, these two have their own way of being handled when doing Spirit Work.

Those were only some (yes, only some!) generalize examples, each one has its own subcategory. So you see, deciding what you want to work with, first and foremost, is the first step to begin practicing Spirit Work. Also, nothing impedes you from broadening your range of work with time, as long as you have a clear intention as to who and what you’re working with.

• Second step:

With that done, you’re ready for the part that many dread and others adore - Research.

Yeah, yeah, I know. People in the community are already tired of seeing research be always recommended, as if it is implicit. But hey, doesn’t hurt to comment about it once again, because it is true.

This practice, as any other can be done through the empirical way, but will you really put, quite literally, your life at risk?

If the answer is no, then a way to prevent that is to research. Understand the details and methods of the target audience you’ll be working with so that you can prepare and protect yourself.

• Third step:

You defined your target audience, you researched, so much so that you’re confident in yourself and have a certainty that you’ll be safe. Now what? Practice!

Finally the time to start acting and testing all the theory you went through, so… how do you begin?

I’d suggest here beginning in controlled environments with controlled methods. Those, different from just wandering around on energetically charged places (like hospitals, cemeteries and so on) are the ideal to at least not be straight up traumatized in the beginning. So, choose your method of communicating - will you use divination, herbs, meditation, trance, the astral plane, channeling, psychography (the spiritual one, not the study method)?

Whichever method you choose make sure it’s one you're well versed in interpreting, so the chances of having your leg pulled are lesser.

So, do a checklist

Target audience ○

Study and Theory ○

Confidence ○

Preparation ○

Protection ○

Plan and Method ○

Plan B ○

Checked all of those? Then you’re ready to go.

Always make sure to tell a friend who knows what you're doing before, so they can also serve as a second pair of eyes if anything goes haywire.

II. Getting Better

Now, that’s a complicated topic. One because the answer, as you have probably guessed, is to practice. But other than that, when doing Spirit Work you have some… branches of possibility you may choose to follow.

One is to master one technique, applying yourself to the specific type of Spirit with one specific method. Another is to branch out, try as many different Spirits and methods as you want.

So yeah, pretty contradictory, though nothing impedes you from mastering something and then branching out after, just a thought.

III. Instruments

Most Spirit workers do their practices alongside instruments, that of course is not an obligation and it doesn’t mean that if you don’t have one of such you won’t be able to do Spirit Work - but I can not lie, having at least an aiding instrument helps a lot, specially so that you don’t use all your energy up, specially in the beginning of your practice.

Okay, so, these instruments will include herbs and such because they work as an aid during spirit working and also methods of communication, because these too are instruments. With that said, here we go, yeah?

Divinatory Methods: Cards, Runes, Charms, Seashell, etc.

— Used for communication.

Smoking Stick, Candles, Crystals or Incense

— Used for either channeling, warding or intensifying. Can also be used for inviting.

Rue Broom

— Used for cleansing the space before the Spirit work session and after to get rid of any lingering negative energies

Wands and Blades

— Used for directing and controlling energy

Tibetan Tingsha Bells

— Used for attracting and Inviting

Tibetan Bell and Dorjee

— Used for cleansing and passing on the Spirit.

Bones, Remains and Plants

— Used for channeling and Inviting.

Rope and Vessels

— Used for binding.

IV. Interesting Readings

-> How to Communicate with Spirits: Seances, Ouija Boards and Summoning by Angela Kaelin

-> A Brief Introduction to Macumba - on The Culture Trip site

-> Features of Trance Mediumship in Tibetan Buddhism and Modern Spiritualism by Martha Maxine Meilleur

-> The State Oracle of Tibet, Spirit Possession, and Shamanism by Homayun Sidky

-> Buckland's Book of Spirit Communications by Raymond Buckland

-> Talking with the dead: Spirit mediumship, affect and embodiment in Stoke-on-Trent by Nadia Bartolini, Sara MacKian and Steve Pile

••••• 👁•••••

This is it, I’m happy I could approach this topic because it has been one that I’ve been wanting to breach for a while here on tumblr. The readings above are mostly easily accessible pdfs, so if you have time take a look at them, yeah?

Hope this somehow can help someone.

-Lou

( ・∇・)👇🏽

unconditionally,

irrevocably,

eternally,

Great question, and I’m excited that you want to learn! It highly depends on your area, as each region has different plants. 

Apps:

Try seeking out reputable field guides that have been turned into apps. (Such as Peterson or Audubon). You may also find that different societies/whatever have created localized guides and turned them into apps.

There are a lot of Plant ID apps where you simply take a photo and it gives you it’s guesses. I haven’t personally used any, but they seem like a decent starting point if you have absolutely no clue. But please don’t use them as a sole identifier!

Edit: iNaturalist is a decent one because it has it’s first guess from whatever picture you submit, and then people review it and can either agree or disagree with your initial ID and provide their own.

Websites:

I look for websites that are created by government organizations, plant societies, museums, universities, tribal organizations, field guide publishers, etc.

When trying to identify a plant, sometimes something as simple as googling “purple flower shrub ___ (your area)” and looking at the image results can help you out, then go to more reliable sources to fact check. 

I’d also recommend familiarizing yourself with botanical terms, or at least figuring them out each time you have a mystery plant you want to identify. (Think: leaf shapes, branching patterns--opposite, alternate, whorled, other?--, flower types, fruit types, etc.) This is a huge rabbit hole you can go down but those four things are very helpful for basic identification. 

Here are some search queries to try:

Wild plants of ___ (your area)

Native plants of ___ (your area)

Weeds of ___ (your area)

List of ___ (your area) plants

___ (your area) plant guide

Broaden the search if your area isn’t pulling up much. For example, I’m in Washington state so I might try “Pacific Northwest” or “West Coast” or even “North America” if desperate. 

Here’s some examples of decent sites for my region (WA/PNW):

(I got to all of these sites by using the search queries listed above btw)

Washington Native Plant Society

Burke’s Washington Flora Checklist (University of Washington Herbarium)

USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Plant Database

University of Washington’s Directory of Recommended Links (lots of resources)

King County Native Plant Guide

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board

Downloadable PDFs:

Northern Forest Atlases for woody plants, mosses and sedges.

Here are the plant guides I use the most:

Other plant guides (I’ve collected them over the years through used bookstores, there are likely newer editions):

EDIT: Since making this post I’ve done a lot of traveling and moved to a different area so I wanted so share my improved collection!

Lots of libraries have field guides, I recommend borrowing them and seeing what formats work for you!

For the hardcore crystal witch:

Specific harm

On a very sunny day, write on paper: "[Name Of Enemy] will [experience a great misfortune] before [date]" or similar, or use a sigil. Take a sphere of quartz, hold above the paper, and allow the sun to stream through it until the victim's name is scorched from the paper.

Harm in love

Write their name on a slip of paper. On another, write "your/their heart will not find love", similar, or use a sigil. Wrap in cloth or tinfoil with a piece of rose quartz. Unwrap to release.

(Even if you do not cleanse your crystals, I would recommend doing so after using them as described above)

For the elemental witch:

General harm

Create a vial of strong sun water, then "corrupt" with a pinch of pepper or a splash of red dye. On paper, write the name of your victim, and cast them into the vial. Shake vigorously to expedite.

Productivity-related harm

Cast a small item taken from your victim into a vial of ocean water. They now feel as if they are drowning in their responsibilities. Pour out to release.

There are always alternatives to the risk of pickpocketing items on and off of people, but this is a method I have always had success with.

For the nature witch:

Long-term harm

Healthy acorns sink in water, while rotten ones will float (most of the time). Take a floating acorn and and whisper to it its purpose. Sneak it into your victim's belongings and let it take root.

Bad luck

Paint the name of your victim in water on a maple leaf. Place the maple leaf under the candlestick of a black candle and let burn for as long as you like. Negative energy, including that of any standing hexes against you, will be captured and sent on to your victim, even if they are its originator.

What is a liminal space? A liminal space is the space between the physical and the astral realm where we can manipulate our surroundings, meet with deities, entities, and spirits of all kinds (that we invite to meet us) and it can get your feet wet before you go fully into the astral if it's a bit intimidating.

How do I get there? Getting to the liminal space is admittedly MUCH different than going to the astral. Getting into a meditative state will be the first step. When I do it, I will count backwards from 100 and then backwards from 30 and imagine what i can only describe as that black endless space that Eleven experiences when she is blindfolded in Stranger Things. It can look completely black to you, completely white, illuminated from just the top, anything you make it. It's important to note that this is not like the astral at all. It's a space you create yourself that you put yourself in. Like a pocket dimension.

What can you do there? And Why would you want to go there? Whatever you want and why-ever you want. Many people, myself included, use the liminal space to train with magic and weaponry with deities and entities teaching us. I work on Chaos magic principles and exercises there so if anything goes supernova, it won't affect anyone or anything in the astral or in the physical. I have trained in astral warfare with Archangel Michael using swords, and even just meeting deities for a pleasant conversation and tea. You can do this with any deity, spirit, angel, demon, ancestor, etc that you please. But because this is a space you create yourself (in a sense), you ask them to join you and they will meet you there. This can be the perfect space to train, talk to deities, ask them questions, and experiment with your energy. This is kinda like the training holo-deck from Star Trek (sorry if I'm showing my age) where you can just kind of go nuts and be immersed into something for a while (i should mention here as well, this is NOT shifting, it is NOT lucid dreaming, and it is NOT daydreaming, this is a meditation form and you should not use this for escapism purposes). Get a feel for your energy, because here it can manifest pseudo-physically. You can SEE your energy working and what it's doing, you don't have to guess at it like you sometimes have to when you are awake. Shoot it from your palm, create targets and try different tactics on them, bind, restrict, push, bring things in, and manipulate your energy however you please. It can really be useful to practice this in a liminal space where you can't harm anyone or anything accidentally. Ask your spirit guides, ancestors, deities, or any other entity to come with you and help teach you. It may take a bit of time to get used to the Liminal space, but it can be a lot of fun.

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!

Working with Familiars in Witchcraft

What is a Familiar?

A Familiar is any spirit of the servitor subcategory who agrees to assist you. Higher beings such as dragons, demons, angels, deities, etc. obviously won’t become a Familiar since they aren’t willing to act as servants. The majority of servitor spirits come from Hell, where they serve under demons as their butlers. These infernal entities are often imps or shadowy beings (not the “shadow people”, which are Khaibits). These are the most common Familiar spirits since they are generally easy to gain (if a contract is made with a supervising demon), although anyone who works closely with the demons will have an even easier chance at getting a Familiar.

However, if you are living near nature, you may have a chance to gain an elemental spirit as a Familiar. There are many types of elementals, including salamanders (fire), sylphs (air), plant spirits, and undines (water). These elementals will become a Familiar only if they agree to it, and as long as you stay living around nature (since elementals can’t live in cities). If you do live in a nature-filled area, you will have to venture into whichever place feels right and contact an elemental type of your choosing. If you choose a plant spirit, you must keep its plant body with you and keep it alive. When the plant eventually dies, you will have to seek another since the spirit will depart and reunite with Gaia. If you choose a water elemental, they will stay with you only if you have a large basin of water in your home for them to live in.

A rare exception to the two above options is if a deity loves you a lot and sees you as worthy in your progress of magick. If this happens, the deity will grant you a familiar spirit that is connected to them (for example, Horus may grant a hawk Familiar). But again, this is very rare to occur, making the two above options the most likely choices.

Despite common misconceptions that arose in modern times, a Familiar cannot be an ordinary pet. This is because the pet is simply an animal and has neither connection to magick or even an understanding of what magick is. Thus, they cannot do anything as a Familiar. If one wishes to have a physical Familiar, however, they would have to do a ritual that the old witches performed. This was to take a Familiar spirit they had, and with their consent, have them embody a physical animal. Although this method is no longer advisable due to potential risks that I will mention later.

How to acquire a Familiar:

In the vast majority of cases, a Familiar is only gained through making a contract. As stated before, this is usually with demons, but can also be done with elementals who agree to assist you. Though be warned, if you attempt to force any spirit into this as a slave, whichever higher being that looks after them will find out and act in wrath.

As for contracts, 9/10 of these are going to be life-binding since Familiars are a life-long commitment. Due to this, think very carefully on whether you are taking this seriously, if magick is something you wish to devote your whole life to, and if you are fully accepting of the Familiar in question. Once bound, you are obligated to treat your Familiar with respect and they to you. Because of the life-long partnership, Familiars can sometimes be passed on to your descendants if they become witches as well.

In very rare circumstances, a deity may grant you a favour if you are deemed as worthy and will send you a Familiar of their own. But in the majority of times, Familiars are gained through pacts with demons since they are the easiest and most likely ones to acquire. Make sure that you make a pact with a demon who is trustworthy for you, and one who you have spoken with before. Additionally, make absolute certain that it is truly a demon you are signing a contract with and not a tar spirit disguising itself as one, since this will lead to trouble.

How to work with a Familiar:

If you wish for your Familiar to act mainly as an advisor for your magick or on other needs (such as advice), it needs to remain in spirit-form, not embodied. In the past however, witches would sometimes have their Familiars embody animals so they could do things such as guard them, deliver messages, retrieve important things, spy on enemies, etc. Depending on how powerful the Familiar was, they were still able to project out of the animal body; but less-powerful ones couldn’t and also weren’t able to act as advisors due to this.

Yule Goat

Witchy Ball

Magical Gingerbread Poppets

Handmade Yule Ornaments: Dried Oranges

Pine Cone and Felt Gnome Yule Ornament

Toadstool Ornaments

Cashmere and Herb Heart

Winter Nights Incense

Yule Simmering Potpourri

Winter Solstice Oil

Enchantments are used widely by witches and practitioners in the community for many different reasons. It can be super helpful within your craft, as enchantments are basically portable spells that you wear or items around your home made magical for a specific purpose

Why: Enchanted items can act like a spell that you wear or carry. It can look like a simple necklace or a ring or earrings, a rock you found in the garden, pretty much anything you want. They help bring about a magical intention. (This can also be done with larger objects around the home, but i suggest the third or fourth method below for that) It itself becomes imbued with magic, your power, and intention to bring about your chosen action.

How: There are a few methods to choose from that are listed below. Some methods may not work well for most people so I made sure to include a handful of different methods to choose from.

The first method is putting herbs that match your intention into a bowl of water with a candle in the middle. Place your jewelry or item you wish to enchant in the water, and speak your intention over the bowl. Light the candle and let your small item sit for as long as you feel is necessary.

The second method is to use energy and your own intention to activate it. Just hold it in your hands and focus, meditate with it and put energy that matches your intention into the item you're holding. You can also use elemental energy for this as well. Visualize yourself holding a piece of earth to create a grounding effect. A ball of fire for passion or love or energy. Water for intuition, psychic abilities, peace, etc. Air for mental agility, communication, freedom, etc. This also works for larger items as well, just direct your energy instead of palming it.

The third is to write a petition down on paper, what you want the enchantment to be, any limits you want it to have, anything you want it to achieve, and even how you wish it to recharge and cleanse itself if you desire it. Fold the paper a couple times (works best if its longer than it is wide), Burn the paper and bathe the piece of jewelry or the item in the smoke. Put out the smoldering paper in some water or snuff it out. it doesn't have to burn to completion.

You can also dip the item in oils that match your intention, or anoint larger objects with the oil of your choice.

First off, What are Portals? Portals are like weak points in the veil between the world of the living and dead, whether intentionally weakened or not. These weak points may also be made and formed. These weak points allow for easier transit from the astral plane to the metaphysical plane just above ours. it's like a tunnel connecting different planes of existence.

What do Portals feel like? Portals feel kinda warbly. It feels like something is off, there is a sense of discomfort, being watched, and like the space around you enters uncanny valley. Reality around you becomes more liminal than anything else. It may also feel dense, like you cant or shouldnt walk into/near where the portal is.

What causes portals? Things like mirrors facing mirrors (compact mirrors or others) and unclosed Ouija rituals can cause portals to open and stay open. Sometimes even pendulums can cause a portal to open. Leaving them swinging can cause open portals. Uncleansed divination can open portals if you are not properly protected.

Left open, these portals can let in all sorts of uninvited guests, spirits from beyond the veil, and entities that just want to fuck with you have an open doorway to fuck with you. Your divination may not be clear, you may have entities posing as your guides/ancestors/deities, and ask things of you no deity/SG/ancestor would ask of you.

How do you close a portal? You typically close a portal by either cleansing the energy of the space. If they are mirrors, open the mirrors and prevent them from facing each other. Light a white candle in the space and bolster the weak point - what i mean by this is funneling your energy or source energy out of your body into the space to counteract the energy within the space caused by the portal. This should only need to be done once. Once the portal is closed, it can open back up, but to prevent it, you can ward your mirrors to not open portals (binding or protection spell on the mirror), keep up regular cleansing, and locking mirrors that you may have in your space. One unlocked mirror cannot create a portal, but two unlocked mirrors facing each other definitely can. If you have a compact mirror, slide a piece of cloth between them or ward them to keep them from opening a portal in your space.

Other Portal Notes:

On equinoxes and solstices, the veil is much thinner and portals are more easily opened and the fabric of the veil may be more easily thinned or torn. During this time, extra protection and warding is needed so to not encounter one.

The longer a portal is there, the less you will notice it. You can and will become accustomed to the energy of the portal and you may not even be aware something is off until someone else feels it. It may create a constant sense of unease that you grow used to but never fully write off.

Spirits can rip open portals as well but it requires a TON of energy, so not all spirits can open them. This is how nasty hauntings take place. Spirits will become poltergeists, move shit, people get scared, spirits feed off the fear over mass amounts of time, they rip open a portal, and then they are able to do a LOT more damage. Hauntings are like cancer, early detection is key.

Electronics facing mirrors and facing each other will not create portals. It's purely mirrors and other mirrors. The distortion created through the refraction of mirrors facing other mirrors create portals.

WHAT IS A HEDGE WITCH?

A hedge witch is a witch who utilizes the practice of hedge riding. This is a magickal practice that involves spirit work and, most notably, spirit flight (astral travel/projection). The history of spirit flight is a long one and one that is found in many cultures throughout the world. The idea of spirit flight is most notably found in folk magick practices from Europe as well as Ireland and Scotland.

The reason this particular practice is called hedge riding, hedgecraft, or hedge witchcraft is due to the symbolic nature of a hedge. A hedge, if you are unware, is generally a border between two different lands. The word hedge comes from the Old English word heċġ meaning fence. The hedge in hedge witchcraft is the border between this world and the spirit world.

The word hedge in hedge witch or hedgecraft indicates a symbolic barrier between this world and the spirit world. The hedge divides the current world from the otherworld, the mundane world from the spiritual one. The hedge is the border between the material and intangible existence.

To put it in simple words, a hedge witch is one who can cross the hedges present in the world through their practices. They are able to move through the veil and interact with the spirit world and then come back to the material world. In fact, this ability of crossing is their most important one. This is often why you will hear the phrase “riding the hedge” or “flying the hedge” which is often shown in images of witches with brooms crossing over the sky.

By riding the hedge, these witches move through the veil between the two worlds. In some practices this is done to attend a great feast with other spirits, deities, familiars, and witches. These journeys to the spirit world involve the use of gateways or doors, trance, and journeying. The reasons a witch might ride the hedge vary greatly. Some employ familiars to act as guards as they cross. Some witches ride the hedge to gain knowledge that is only accessible from the spirit world and the spirits that reside there.

What Sets the Hedge Witch Apart?

People often mistake hedge witches for green witches or kitchen witches. A green or kitchen witch is often known for working with nature, their home, and their surroundings. However, an important distinction is that for a hedge witch, spirit work and work done across the hedge is the main focus of their practice.

Consequently, the hedge witch travels to the other world for their journey and practices. In hedgecraft, the witch leaves the physical world on a spirit flight through a gateway or door into the spirit world. It is highly recommended to travel with a familiar spirit during this process to guide and protect you. By moving to the spirit world, one can seek healing, answers from spirits, protection, knowledge, and even space to rest away from the stresses of the material world. They hold the power to become healers and seers as they work with the astral world to perform their magic.

Dangers

Being a hedge witch can be intense and unpredictable. It is advised for one to be confident in their skills before attempting to practice such witchcraft. It is also heavily advised to contact a familiar spirit that can travel with you. This familiar is then responsible for keeping you safe and guiding you. Just because it is the spirit world doesn’t mean it is free of dangers. One has to have patience as they move through different parts of their learning through trial and error.

On the other hand, being open to experimenting has allowed hedge witches over decades to have their own unique practices to cross realms while staying rooted in the material world. Even more so, with time, one may come to have new favorite spirits, ancestors, or guides that they would want to work with in terms of healing and foresight. There will always be realms that will yet have to be explored!

The journey to becoming a hedge witch is to trust your abilities, your instincts, and to often push your own boundaries to see beyond the veil. The practice of seeing beyond the veil holds the knowledge between the apparent and the unseen, but also all the things in life that are more below the surface. It is embarking on the journey of understanding the layers to the world around us and accessing the knowledge present in our ancestral guides.

HEDGE WITCH PRACTICES

Psychic ability attunement

Spirit communication

Spirit work (deities, ancestors, other spirits or entities)

Astral Travel

Meditation

Herbal work (using herbs and substances for dream/astral work)

Entheogens (mind altering substances to enhance or assist hedge riding - totally optional)

Familiar work

To begin, I recommend working in your home. Invite in a house spirit, cleanse your home, and reinforce your wards weekly. You need to create a safe haven before beginning any type of spirit practice.

Spend time working with the spirits of plants and crystals in your house. If you don’t have any plants, this may be the time to pick out an easy plant to care for in your home as well as some crystals. Speak to the spirit, ask it where it would like to be placed, how much care it wants, etc.

Green witchcraft is a good foundation if you want to be a hedge witch. Do some theoretical study on the properties of different herbs and work practically with the spirits of these plants. Kitchen witchery is also fun and safe to experiment with at home.

It’s also good to infuse a bit of magic into your daily routines. Make cleansing, bathing, warding, and grounding regular activities.

Hedge witches are in-tune with the seasons. Do some research into seasonal holidays and festivals of different traditions and try various activities that correlate to nature.

For example, in the spring, I tend to clean, cleanse, prune my plants, etc. As the natural world wakes up and becomes more active, so do I. In the fall, I do a lot of introspective spirit work that can be a bit darker; I also work with the shadow self and perform rituals.

Many hedge witches like to focus on healing. If you’re interested, you may want to learn about the medicinal properties of herbs as well as the spiritual properties. Start with simple concoctions such as tea or herbs to help you sleep, relax, or ground yourself.

Once you have the basics down pat and are skilled at defensive spells, you can begin attempting to cross into the spirit world. After all, being a hedge witch is all about traveling to other realms!

However, hedge jumping can be dangerous. You intrinsically open yourself up to beings that don’t behave in the same ways as those in our physical world.

Therefore, it’s essential that you know how to protect yourself before beginning your journey as a hedge witch. You should learn how to cleanse, ward, and banish. You should also learn how to cast a circle before you start any spell work or spirit work.

Astral travel, dancing, drumming, trance meditation, sigils, and the use of entheogens are all popular methods of hedge jumping.

Once you feel properly protected, experiment with astral travel. You can find great drumming beats on YouTube to help you travel astrally. The goal is to get into a deep enough trance that you can travel to spiritual realms.

Crystals for psychic development can help you on your journey, especially if you work with the spirits of the crystals. You can also use sigils to both ground you and enhance your psychic sight.

When you’re working with spirits, I recommend that you begin with your ancestors. Most ancestral spirits are very safe and will help protect you from beings who could mean you harm.

Once you have been working with your ancestors for some time, you can branch out and begin to contact other types of ghosts or spirits such as deities, angels, demons, etc.

Work with the spirits in your area. The spirits of the trees, flowers, and water right outside your door are available and are great to contact when you’re just beginning your work as a hedge witch.

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Don’t worry about the “rules” of hedge witchcraft. Try all things and experience, but always protect yourself before beginning something new.

Remember that no two hedge witches are alike. What works for others may not work for you, and that’s totally okay.

Do some experimentation and find your own path. After all, hedge witchcraft is about being authentic and connecting with both the physical and spiritual world around you.