Meredith slowly stretches her arms as she rises to her feet. My old bones aren't happy with me, she mentally chides herself as her back pops. Sound like a good cup of ginger and turmeric is in order for the afternoon tea. She dusts the dirt and soil off her pants as she makes her way back to the house, enjoying the cool October breeze fluttering about her. But she can't help but smile down at her day's harvest: a full basket of Calendula. Her neighbor's poor son is going through puberty and it has not been kind to him. Perhaps a strong calendula tincture can help along with some of her witch hazel stock. "Maybe this will convince him to take a couple more showers, too," she spoke aloud with a laugh.
As she nears her front porch, Meredith notices a small fawn and its mother near the forest tree line nibbling on her homemade seed ornaments. Thank goodness I made those last week. It's going to get harder and harder for animals to find food as winter draws near. She mentally adds more seed ornaments to her mental to-do list. Usually, the local animals adore her apple trees and love to munch on the low-hanging fruits, but she spent last week canning and storing the last of her apples. So, now she'll have to start looking into other foods for her friends. The squirrels loved the raisins she added to her sunflower seed stations last year. Perhaps she should do that again?
Later that evening after she was finished making her creams and tinctures, Meredith makes herself a hot tea and pours some into a cup for her family. Their little altar is next to the side window so they can have a beautiful view of the stream that flows beside her cottage. Only the best will do for her ancestors. She sits her cup down first so it can begin cooling and walks the other cup to her altar. "Here you go, Grandmamma, hot chamomile tea with a dash of sugar, just like you prefer it." As she ventures back into the kitchen, Meredith feels another presence at her side, fleeting but demanding. "Don't worry, Uncle Mike, your Dr.Pepper is coming." He'd always had a penchant for the sugary things she wouldn't deny him in his afterlife. It's a small price to pay for the comfort that he will be among those to protect her tonight when she rides the hedge. She places the small 8oz can of soda at the altar and walks to her comfortable chair draped with her favorite quilt made by her great aunt. Family, guides, spirits... she thanks them all for the continued protection and friendship as she continues to sip her tea. Meredith sighs with utter contentment.
What is a Hedge Witch?
If you resonated with the story above, I can confidently say that you are a hedge witch or that your soul wishes to become one. A hedge witch is the witch of the in-between. We visit the human world, the forest, and the other side, but we truly belong to none. We live a solitary life and feel happiness and contentment in our sanctuary-like home which often looks similar to hearth witchery. After hedge riding and visiting the other realm, hedge witches understand the need to have a home to feel grounded in and protected. We do everything we can to make our homes feel, smell, and sound like sanctuaries. Bells, floor washes, candles, incense, charms, and spells are some of our most common tools.
Some hedge witches believe in deities, but most practice ancestral veneration and nature worship. We are in tune with nature and the animals around us and do our part as guardians of the woods. We take care of the animals around us because we understand that they are sacred guides. Similar to a green witch, a hedge witch feels great happiness in her garden with her hands in the dirt, however, it is what we do with the herbs that makes us the happiest. We are the herbalists, the alchemists, and the tinkerers. We take the bounty of nature and transform it into something new and powerful. Hedge witches are the solitary witches on the edge of the forest in fairytales, offering aid and medicine to those who seek us. We blur boundaries and classifications into something that fits our needs and desires. We are hedge witches.
In the weeks to come, I will open my doors and allow you to follow me on my journey. Learn different techniques and spells that I use in my daily life to worship my ancestors, purify my home, and journey between worlds. If you've ever been curious about hedge witchery or wanted to become one, make sure to sign up to get my blog notifications to follow along. You'll also be eligible to download my free grimoire pages each month.
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