CHALLENGE ENTRY - Hedge Magick: Into Other Realms
Readings and a Ritual - Jan The Green Witch
Being a green witch over all of these decades has demonstrated to me how integrated all forms of witchcraft are and how they intersect and are with each other. I perform green, white, kitchen, hedge and water magick along with Shamanism and many indigenous and folk forms in my day to day practice while working extensively with the Fae and Otherworld. In addition, for rituals and Sabbats I incorporate Wiccan and other forms of magick when it makes sense to me to use and when I am comfortable with doing so. To me, no magick is as integrated into all types of witchcraft as is hedge. Since incorporating dream work, astral travel, and other hedge/liminal realm practices into my weekly practice, it has been part of my identity as a witch for nearly 30 years.
Because I am bedbound at the moment, I decided to re-read some of my own Hedge magick books for this challenge as a refresher, one of which is a recent purchase* and I will give a review on it in our > book club this month in addition to the one I’ve committed to read:
*The Green Hedge Witch - by Rae Beth (will give the review in the book club)
The Hedge Witch Herbal - by Nuit Moore
The way of the Hedge Witch - Rituals and Spells for Hearth and Home - by Arin Murphy-Hiscock
The Taoist Hedge Witch: Witchcraft For a New Age - by Bishop Whitewind
Then, I spent time in dream work and dream journaling and performed this ritual early this morning traveling into the liminal meditational discussion with my dead, on Samhain, Oct 31, 2022:
SAMHAIN RITUAL 2022
This small rite can be deeply healing, not only for the living but for the dead. It works best if you don’t try too hard but let it happen in a relaxed way.
Light a candle to the Goddess as Queen of the Dead, She who brings peace and renewal of harmony;
Light a candle to the God as Lord of the Wild Hunt, He who brings the souls of the dead home to the Otherworld where they dwell between lives;
Light a candle to welcome the kindly dead, saying ‘May this flame be seen in the Otherworld as it is in this World.’
Holding a wand or a twig of elder, say this charm:
‘By elder wood, Keep me from harm. But let the kindly dead appear To my inner sight – And the kindly unborn – So that I may bless and be blessed In the name of the Goddess.’
With your eyes closed, visualise the candle you have lit for the dead and the darkness around it. See what is illuminated by the candle. How far does its light go? Begin to name your Beloved Dead and bid them welcome. See who is appearing to your inner sight. Speak to them in your heart and see if you can sense an answer. This may come in words or as a sort of inner knowing or they may show you symbols. Bless them and ask them to bless you in return.
Ingredients: 3 candles, wand
https://knibbworld.com/rae/
Blessed be, Coven and a very happy New Year!!!
