If you are a visitor to the realm of hedge magic, you may be wondering what hedges have to do with spell-casting (or indeed with anything other than bordering fields and gardens!) Here is some kind of explanation. First, the hedge witch or hedge priestess/priest is a solitary worker. Like the Victorian ‘hedge teacher’ they work on their own initiative – unofficially, as in a field corner by a hedgerow rather than with a coven or group. That is the short answer.
But there is a much earlier definition contained in an old German word ‘hagazissa’ meaning ‘hedge sitter’. And another term found in Northern European traditions – ‘haegtessa’ meaning ‘hedge rider’. Each of these refers to a symbolic hedgerow, one which could be seen to divide the everyday world of the human community from what was perceived as being beyond it – the Otherworld of wild nature spirits and ancestral spirits and elves or faeriekind. This and similar symbolism seems to have come to Britain mainly with Saxon and other Germanic tribes. However, it has parallels within the Celtic tradition, such as the Green and Burning Tree which stands at the outer edge of Faerie. And there are now hedge witches all over the World, along with hedge priestesses, hedge priests and hedge Druids.
The job of a hedge witch (or any worker of hedge magic) was and is to ‘part the hedge’ or even ‘fly over it’ or in other words attain altered consciousness by means of rites or spirit journeys undertaken in light trance. This is in order to connect with those on the far side and so to give and to gain blessings from and for human communities and the living lands we inhabit. It could also lead to alliances with nature spirits and to the gaining of a familiar and so to increased power for any spell-casting work. (Familiars do not require an offering of blood, our own or anyone elses’. Instead, they give help on the basis of friendship or common interests. And indeed the personal familiar, the fylgia, is very much an aspect of the witch her or himself, a part of the soul, so help is mutual.)
Today’s hedge magicians wisely begin by learning to ground themselves within the seasonal celebrations of the land’s yearly cycle and by coming into step with the Moon’s cycle as well. In this way, awareness of those on the far side of the hedge can open gradually and also be fully aligned with the natural world on our side of the hedge. A meeting with nature spirits or familiars then has a context, a setting which extends beyond our personal circumstances and facilitates an awareness of the bigger picture, allowing us to develop a sense of interconnectedness with all creatures - all beings of any kind.
There are many, many ways to practice hedge magic and hedgerow spirituality now in the present day and to reinterpret the themes and ideas. In my own work, they can be blended with such things as natural magic, Wicca, Green/environmental spirituality and faerie lore. (We may work alone but that does not mean that we are uninfluenced by other approaches and styles.) For me, hedge witchery and hedge priest/esscraft must be creative, aligned with the times that we live in, exploratory, healing and, as far as possible, original. Therefore, dear visitor, if you proceed, your hedge magic and spirituality will not be like exactly like mine because your own individual style will emerge with experience. After all, you are a free spirit.
I have been practicing hedge magic and hedgerow spirituality for almost forty five years. So I can tell you this. If followed with commitment, this Path can bring you to see the magical, shape-shifting nature of all reality and also to see a role for yourself within that as a healing spell-caster with spirit allies.
Each of my books describes a different aspect of the work of a hedge witch or hedge priest/ess or covers a subject relevant to that.
The first book, HEDGE WITCH, blends hedge witchcraft with solitary Wicca and roots the hedge witch firmly in the Wheel of the Year, giving rites and spells for each festival and for the Full Moon as well.
THE HEDGE WTCH’S WAY concentrates on the hedge witch and priest/ess’s Deities, the Lady and Lord, whom we know by many names and in many aspects. Prayer is described as a magical act and devotional hedge witchcraft is blended with natural magic.
SPELLCRAFT FOR HEDGE WITCHES teaches the magic that can help a wise hedge witch to survive in a harsh time or to come through a personal crisis. It contains spells to banish bad spirits, to counter an ill wish, to bring psychic protection, to transform destructive feelings, to heal a trauma, to bring justice and to consecrate your life to a creative purpose. (These are some of the many ways in which we can help to heal wounded lives.)
THE GREEN HEDGE WITCH goes into detail about the symbolic hedge between the Worlds and how we may start to work with nature spirits, principally trees. The technique of exchanging blessings with the trees and other land spirits is described fully. The main focus of the book is the healing of damaged places and species and the renewal of harmony between human beings and other life forms. (In my opinion, this is the most important work we can do and is a present day version of the hedge witch’s traditional role.)
THE WAY INTO FAERIE looks at what is on the far side of the hedge – the Otherworldly dimension – and at who lives there. It explains how we may relate to ancestral spirits and non-carnate species (known as faeries) as well as to nature spirits. This book is written from the point of view of a natural psychic – a fey person – rather than specifically a hedge witch. It is about our Pagan ancestors’ beliefs concerning the Dead and the faerie races and is based on a great deal of research. However, it is not scholarly but experiential and, I hope, also inspirational. In this book there are fictional sections interspersed with non-fiction and memoir. The fictional bits contain characters, an older woman and her apprentice, who are hedge witches. (Their male equivalents are described as well.)
THE LAMP OF THE GODDESS appears to be different. There are no instructions for hedge witchcraft in it at all. It is about reincarnation, the cycles of life, death and rebirth and the fate of Atlantis. And yet. And yet the book focuses upon the Dark Goddess (not an evil Deity but ‘Dark’ in the sense of hidden – like the scientific concept of ‘dark matter’ – and concerned with the realm of the dead as a place of healing and renewal. She has been known by many names, worldwide, and to the traditional hedge witch or priest/ess She is Huldra, Lady of Wisdom or Freya (the Lady) who is Mistress of Elves and leader of the Valkyries. (So for me, it is not so far after all, from the temples of Atlantis to the nearest hedgerow.)
THE NINE MAGICAL WAYS is a look at some of the principles of Enchantment. It is a short e-book. At this time (January 2022) all my other books are available in both paperback and kindle. HEDGE WITCH is also an audiobook. Each can be ordered from your local bookshop or bought from Waterstones online or online from Amazon.
As a hedge witch and priestess, I link trees with rites and mysteries…..And if any tree sums up the themes of an Autumn Equinox for me, it is the elm. Ulmus species, especially campestris. Of course, there are no fully grown common elm trees left in Britain. Thanks to Dutch Elm disease, they are all under thirty feet tall – the height at which the disease-carrying beetle flies. But though small and beleaguered, they are still here along with wych elm and Cornish elm. Magically, they bring the gifts of communion and psychic communication with nature spirits, elves and the ancestral dead of any area where they are growing. They can also bring us a sense of place as a whole community of spirits – plants, creatures (including humans), the living and the dead. And of our interdependence and interconnection. At this time of the balance of darkness and light – the Autumn Equinox – they can also bring a harvest of memories all linked with the land as well as bring any gentle haunting that uplifts us. But they ask what we will give the land, the natural world, in return. Fair exchange, giving and getting in balance and harmony, this is the way of the elm spirit. (What could be more needed in today’s world?)
Grace at Autumn Equinox
Great Mother, Lady of all our Harvests, I give thanks for what I have reaped this summer of living magic.
For communion with nature spirits and with the land’s beauty, thanks.
For all my relationships with plants, creatures and places and people both human and faerie, thanks.
Let this, my harvest of soul, bring increasing strength in love and wisdom.
Let it make me whole!
And let me give of myself freely, give just as I receive, that I may live always in balance and harmony.
This is the time of year for bringing the harvest in. (If you live in Britain, the lanes around where you live are most probably full of tractors now and the combine harvesters are out in the fields.) When it comes to our personal harvests, the fruits of this year’s efforts, our ancestors knew that an extra effort was needed at this time to bring success. Nowadays it can feel more complicated. Where is the effort needed exactly? What is the way forward? What should we do when harvesting the right new job or move of house or personal development – or trying to. Or even anticipating the birth of a child? The gooseberry tree (ribes grossularia) links us with family wisdom and, beyond that, to collective ancestral lore about how to bring birth or fruition. When I was young, they grew in most peoples’ gardens. (Now that is not the case, you may have to make do with gooseberry leaves, ordered from a herbal supplier.)
Visit a gooseberry bush or drink the tea when you need help bringing a new project, business, vision or idea to birth. Ancestral knowledge can help you succeed if you or your family are struggling. Ask for help. (The ancestors must have known something or we wouldn’t be here?)
ASKING THE GOOSEBERRY
Spirit of gooseberry, bless me with knowledge
Gathered by ancestors through generations.
Many before me have stood
Where I’m standing, faced
What I’m facing, knew what to do
For success and fruitfulness.
Help me obtain true guidance about ………(describe the problem.)
Wait for the guidance to come to you, perhaps through something somebody says or in a dream or just as a definite inner knowing. Gooseberry is ‘the family tree’. It’s particular magic can reconnect us with what our forebears knew – the wisdom that is in our bones and blood if only we knew it.
‘This festival has been linked with the Pagan Grail that heals the wasteland – the Celtic cauldron of regeneration which restores life to a deadened heart or damaged environment. Take a chalice of wine. Any ordinary wine glass or chalice-shaped container will do for this…… Breathe into it a long description of the Earth in her beauty. This need not be difficult. You can say things like, Trees that are strong and green and healthy, wildflowers everywhere, foxes, hares, badgers, deer, skylarks and thrushes and clear clean rivers and strong fishes….. (And) you can alter this if necessary to describe your (own) area or land. When you have poured your words into the wine so that it is imbued with all those images, say,
Let this be the way on Earth.
Let this be.
Wild creatures and plants and places in regeneration.
Wild and free and strong and everywhere!
Take three sips and then pour the rest out on the ground, saying,
I give this vision to life. May we all share it and live by it.
(from THE HEDGE WITCH’S WAY by Rae Beth published by Robert Hale)
The above is a simple outline of the sort of thing you can do at the Summer Solstice. It is based in some of the key themes of this festival – love (of the land or of an individual place or person) and beauty. And the desire ‘to put to flight forces that oppress love and deny justice’. You can extend or alter the spell in any way you choose. For example, you can use the idea of the chalice whose vision is poured out on the Earth to cast a love spell for yourself (a non-manipulative one that does not coerce any other person.) Just alter the words as you see fit. But remember, no-one drinks from the Grail - even symbolically – without the risk of being permanently changed! What would you give for the dream you place in the cup to come true? What would you let go of? In what way would you be prepared to be remade in the service of your true vision? These are questions we rarely ask ourselves. The Summer Solstice is a good time for them as it often brings an experience of fulfilment, showing us just exactly what it is that we long for or love.
For an alcohol-free version, fill your chalice with a seasonal herb tea, such as organic rose petal or camomile. Or substitute elderflower cordial or presse.
May poles traditionally were made of ash, a tree known (to those who practice magic) for its power of connection, the power of the Goddess to bring creativity by links and mergings, interaction, between one being or place or condition and another. The power of the God to set in motion journeys that make many varied connections more possible.
Around an inner May pole in each of us (that is, around the central axis of each individual spirit) flow and weave the ‘ribbons’ of our psychic links with one another and also with the dead and the unborn and with those of other species and with many places and situations. There is much scope in this for spirit journeys in which we may choose to untangle or to reweave or change the nature of many threads. Certainly, the ash is a mighty tree. It has the power and magic of centrality – the great World Axis – as well as the power to help us make new links whenever we need inspiration or information or a new relationship or to move on. An ash staff or stang or ash wand or even just a twig can be used to invoke this magic. Not forgetting that now the species is suffering from ash die-back, it is especially good to make the ash spirit an offering of some kind – perhaps a blessing, perhaps a subscription to the Woodland Trust, perhaps a spell for ash recovery……
TO THE ASH TREE
Ash spirit, please bring me to a place
Where I may be learning in body and soul
That what heals each one of us heals us all.
And that I am always myself as a part of the Whole.
So may I be changed and, safely returning,
Bring back my knowledge to help and console
And to co-create and to celebrate life and love.
And to honour the one Being of all upon Earth.
Gorse Charm
Gorse bush, bless me with creativity
Within my spirit and of my body.
Let me be productive, as you are,
Even in the poorest conditions.
Just like the hare who lives
Beneath your golden flare,
Let me be potent, healthy, successful.
Gorse can grow on very poor soil where not much else grows. It even survives by the sea in sand and salt winds. It is ideal for spells for e.g. prosperity when circumstances are not apparently favourable. And as a Bach flower remedy it is good for those who have given up in despair. It is linked with the Spring Equinox and with hares and is known as a faery tree. Gorse is an indicator and an attracter of success, passion, good health, romance and all kinds of abundance – even in a seemingly barren situation.
HEDGE WITCH has again been translated into Portuguese and published this spring by Darkside Books under the title BRUXA SOLITARIA by Rae Beth. This is a hardback edition with lovely wildflower illustrations and a beautiful cover. However, there is no title or author’s name anywhere on the cover or spine. Instead, the book comes in a cellophane wrapper with title and author’s name on that. (This is not what I would have chosen, for environmental reasons and also because it makes browsing impossible! But authors do not usually get consulted about an overseas edition. And presumably Dark Side are happy with their decision to do it that way and have their own reasons.)
In the ogham tree calendar, the species most associated with this time of year is rowan, which rules the period from January 21sr to February 17th. Rowan is sacred to the Goddess Brighid whose particular festival is Imbolg. ( January 31st – February 2nd.)
Rowan Tree Charm
Rowan tree spirit, bless me with power
To link with spirits who guide and assist me.
By root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower,
I ask to be aided by healing spirits.
By your own harmony, rowan,
Your strength and beauty,
Let me be one with healing allies.
And let me be put right
In putting my own house in order!
Protected in my own being
And in what I create in every feature.
So let the forces of harm all be put to flight!
Visit a rowan tree and bless it and pour out some milk, apple juice or water in offering to the tree’s spirit. This may bring a booste to your creativity or to your magical skills as a healer particularly of plants or animals or any damaged area of land. The rowan spirit can also bring healing and protection to you, yourself, and/or increase your success.
This year will see the publication of THE CRAFT OF THE HEDGE WITCH by Joanna van der Hoeven with a foreword by Rae Beth.
WINTER SOLSTICE CHARM
Holly, the guardian,
Ivy, that keeps the thread,
Mistletoe, blessing all love and delight,
Keep us from every harm
Throughout the longest night.
Without fear, without dread,
Let us live in strength and magic
In the growing light.
Put sprigs of holly, ivy and mistletoe in a vase. Place an unlit candle in front of them. Speak the above charm three times. Light the candle. Stand or sit silently for a while, calling to mind your heartfelt intentions for a strong and effective magical life in the coming year.
Blessed Be, everyone.
On the Fate of the Dead in the Otherworld……
‘As well as the Celtic paradise called Tir nan Og/Hy Brasil ‘the Isle of Apples’, there were other more challenging places in which you could find yourself facing various perils and temptations. Afterwards, each person was believed to be reborn in this World. Existence could take many forms, including those of animals and plants, but after enough experience for the gaining of wisdom and integrity, there could eventually be a permanent homecoming to an Otherworldly realm of light and harmony. However, a descent into dishonour and corruption could lead to a sojourn in outer darkness and chaos. This is a simplified version of how our ancestors thought of the Afterlife, but in neither Nordic nor Celtic belief does there seem to have been much in the way of judgement by a stern God. It is rather that each of us goes into the state/place that is of the same nature as our own souls or which our souls have somehow required. In other words, our true state of being is mirrored back to us after death, even more acutely than here in this living World.’
from ‘The Way into Faerie’ by Rae Beth (Robert Hale, an imprint of the Crowood Press, 2017)
Crow feather, hagstone,
Berries of elder –
Links with the dead
Who we bless and remember.
Apples and berries
Of rowan, red,
Chervil and vervain
And food for the dead.
Candle and cauldron,
A whispered request.
‘Bless us, the living,
From where you are
In your realm beyond
Gates of hawthorn and mist.’
The Autumn Equinox is a big switchover point in the year. It is a day on which the light and the darkness are equally balanced, day and night being of equal length. If we take the light to symbolize the state of rational consciousness and the darkness to be the realm of dreams and psychic perceptions we can spin many a spell around the theme of bringing a balance between the outer and inner dimensions. And we can go even further and aim to help heal the balance between this World and the Otherworld of spirits. Such work is the primary concern of a hedge witch, anyway. But now the time is very propitious. And we can help it along with a charm like this.
CHARM OF BEING BETWEEN THE WORLDS
By hagstone and by hawthorn tree,
Let me be now on the boundary
Between the Worlds. And let me see
The spirits who are all around me -
Land-elves and those from Faerie,
The ancestors, earthbound or free.
And let me weave the Worlds as One
In my own soul – to the healing of all.
And help re-enchant the Living World.
Now let the balance be regained.
Let me bless and be blessed, equally.
Give and receive what is needed,
Listen and speak. So May It Be.
Such a charm or something like it can be followed by a spirit journey (a light trance) in which to meet with faerie familiars and/or the land-spirits, ancestors or even the deities. Guidance may then be given about how the lost harmony in our local areas or in our lives may be restored. (Remember to check everything you’ve been told against your own common sense and your sense of integrity. Not every spirit who puts ideas in our heads is friendly!)
Such work may seem complicated, requiring a lifetime of magical learning and much magical effort. But it is fascinating. And it can also be very simple…….
NEWS
I was delighted to hear from Lucy Wright about her inspirational work as a ‘hedge witch morris dancer’. This is self-initiated solitary morris and is for everyone, particularly those who normally feel excluded from morris ‘on the grounds of gender, race, class or disability.’ She goes on to say, ‘I’m busily trying to invite as many interested people as possible (they can dance wherever in the world they happen to be) and sharing the resources they might need to give it a go.’
For all hedge morris dancers, there will be ‘a “Dusking” celebration that will take place at 16.43 on October 31st. This will be to welcome the winter and the gifts of reflection, rest and replenishment that the darker months can bring……’
Myself, I love the idea of hedge morris for its informalty and creativity.
Lucy can be found at her website https://www.lucywright.art
Or email her at Lucy Wright artistic.researcher@gmail.com
For a more detailed explanation of hedge morris, go to
https://tradfolk.co/performance/morris-dancing/have-you-heard-of-hedge-morris-dancing/
Lughnasadh has to do with offerings and petitions to try and ensure an adequate harvest. Which may be of crops or may be of other things. Here is a suggestion for a charm.
CHARM FOR LUGHNASADH
Let me harvest all I need.
Beyond scarcity, beyond greed,
Let me have enough to share
And to celebrate, free of all fear.
Abundance that is harmonious, fair.
By root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower,
In the names of Mother Earth and the Green God of trees,
Let all that I need come to me
As I name it, here.
(Name what you need e.g. constant prosperity, good fortune, success…..Name it three times.) Then say:
‘By the aid of the spirits on whom I do call,
Let this come to me. So May It Be.’
Who or what are the spirits on whom you call for aid? They may be elementals, the Fae, kindly ancestors or nature spirits. You will need to have invoked them before saying the above charm. And after speaking it, make them an offering such as a garland of flowers or a freshly baked loaf of bread or a song or poem you sing or recite for them. However you see them, your relationship with those of the Otherworld (or of the unseen dimension of this World) is central to your practice as a hedge witch.
RAE’S RAVE REVIEWS
‘The Path of the Hedge Witch’ by Joanna van der Hoeven. (Llewellyn Publications 2022)
This book is an absolute joy to read. It is both simple and profound. It guides the reader step by step in the core practice of the hedge witch (spirit travelling into the Otherworld – known as ‘hedge riding’.) And all is presented in the context of natural magic and nature’s cycles. The author’s approach is non-dogmatic, encouraging everyone towards an individual and creative approach. She knows from experience just how to walk with one foot in Faerie and one in the Everyday World – without recourse to hallucinogens – and she tells us about it and what can be gained from it. This is the real deal. And although it is written for beginners, it made me think and it reinspired me. I give it ten stars!
“Themes – Beauty, fulfilment. The power of happiness to change our lives. Also, dedication, commitment The Sun is now radiant! In the whole year, this is the time of the greatest light in the northern hemisphere. There is great celebration, for life Is good. People play music. Some stay out in the fields all night, with friends or lovers. The time has come to live fully. At the summer solstice (as at any high point of life, any peak of fulfilment) we can be changed by the experience of joyfulness, by the land’s loveliness or by a healing vision……As with any climax, this is a turning point. Things will be different now. What we distil from the year’s culmination will enrich our spirits and affect our future creative direction.
Summer Solstice Prayer
Great Lady and Lord of the golden Sun and golden days on Earth and the heart’s fulfilment, I call upon you. Let all be blessed with a sense of the beauty of this Earth…..Help us to celebrate love for one another and for all life. And help us also to put to flight forces that oppress love and deny justice. Make us strong in magic. Make us like summer trees. Make us like summer stars. Make us like summer seas. In dedication to the vision of untamed peace, set us free.”
(from “The Hedge Witch’s Way” by Rae Beth)
CHARM OF THE WHITETHORN AND BLACKTHORN
Bless all true lovers
With fulfilled desire.
Curse all abusers.
And curse every liar.
Bless all who love truly
With happiness.
Cursed be the users
Not to know peace.
Whitethorn protect them
Whose hearts are kind.
Cursed be the cruel.
By blackthorn, bind
With snares and angry thorns,
Body and mind!
(The whitethorn (hawthorn) wand is sometimes known as a ‘blessing rod’. Blackthorn (sloe) is powerful for cursing. BUT it is important in my view not to name any specific, alleged abuser in our spells, in case we are wrong. Better by far to curse the abuse, itself. Or to curse the perpetrator/s without naming anyone. Then we can’t possibly damage an innocent person but can still be effective, as in the above charm or something similar.)
And on a lighter note……
BELTANE BLESSING
Fae folk of this place
May you all be blessed,
You and your realm,
With joy and peace.
We/! bring you this offering…….
(Leave in a bowl some cake or honey, cream or apple juice or other biodegradable treat. Or sing a song for them.)
Bright and Blessed Be! May the joy of this season come to us all.
At the Spring Equinox, the hours of darkness and those of daylight are equal. But from now on, the days will be longer than the nights – until next Autumn. So we are poised between the ascendancy of long winter nights and the time of increasing light. It is a perfect time to say goodbye to whatever harms us or limits us – or to any harm we might be causing. To clear the way for a more healed and healing and creative way of life.
For help with this, a hedge witch can choose, from the symbolic hedgerow between the everyday World and the realm of spirits, the magical power of the blackthorn tree. (Prunus spinosa.) We do this by visiting an actual blackthorn here in the living everyday World and acknowledging, inwardly, the blackthorn spirit. As an outer sign of this, we may make the tree spirit an offering of apple juice or spring water, poured out at the foot of the tree. Then say this charm or something like it.
BLACKTHORN CHARM
Blackthorn, cleanse me of spite and corruption
And all the work of destructive spirits
And all the effects of these things when directed at me.
By your white blossom, let me be free from harm.
Unswayed, undamaged, undamaging,
Let me go on my way, from now on,
Downright creative and filled with life’s power.
Queen/King of my destiny.
(Visualise the destructive spirits and all their negative effects and whatever else you want to be rid of, streaming away behind you like black smoke in a high wind, sent from you by the blackthorn’s magic. They are being left behind, no longer to trouble you. Picture the smoke then settling onto the dark earth and being transformed by land and darkness into whatever enriches your growth. (As though it was the equivalent of decaying matter in some compost heap.) Feel how good it is to be free. Picture a sunlit path in front of you, bordered by blackthorn trees in blossom.)
If visiting a blackthorn is out of the question, you can work anywhere you like, using blackthorn tea as a focus – or even sloe gin – and honouring the blackthorn spirit in your heart. But if you do go to a tree, be careful not to get spiked by one of the thorns as they can give you a wound that festers. All in all, this is not a tree spirit to mess with! Traditionally, it is said we need to approach her with respect. She is a first rate exorcist and bringer of purification but in no way soft and cuddly! Hers is implacable magic. She takes no prisoners. So beware.
The festival of Imbolg occurs, in the northern hemisphere, at a time of increasing daylight and new life in the natural world. It is a natural time for spells of renewal of good health and inspiration and creativity. Or of magical power……...
CHARM AT IMBOLG
Power of the Earth be in my body for I am a child if the living Earth.
Power of Nature’s Soul in my Soul for I am one with Earth’s Otherworld.
Power of the Moon be in my body, one with the tides that ebb and flow.
Power of the Moon be in my soul, the power to dream, bespell and know
Wherever I am, wherever I go.
And now in this northern land where I live, the Earth is turning towards the Sun.
Light is growing. Let me be strengthened by warmth and light with which I am one.
And the starry sky above frames all that is done.
Let power rise in me, power of Great Nature
In soul and body, the power of the Lady
As my will serves Her will
Whom I name Mother of All, the power of renewal.
(Read or recite this three times. Then stand or sit with eyes closed, sensing the various powers of Earth and Moon and Sun and Stars within your body and soul, You are their channel. Elements of the Imbolg magic following on such a charm may include candle flames, spring water, swan feathers and a rowan wand. And for those who like things a bit earthier, the shed skin of a snake (if you happen to have one!) can be used in spells for leaving behind e.g. ill health or a perceived lack of magical power and gaining renewal of good health and magical creativity).
Samhain/Hallowe’en (October 31st) is the time when we can most easily commune with those among the dead whom we have loved and also honour the ancestors who lived too long ago for us to have known them. Plus, we can bless the unborn – the generations who are yet to come.
Light a candle to the Goddess as Queen of the Dead, She who brings peace and renewal of harmony. And light one also 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.
And light a third 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 even just 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.
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. Other trees can help as well as the elder with this work. Some examples are yew (but never ingest it as it is poisonous), hawthorn and elm.
RAE’S RAVE REVIEWS
‘A Sea Witch’s Companion’ by Levannah Morgan, published by Robert Hale 2022
This is an inspiring book. It is rich with the recent history of magic, with especial reference to witchcraft and Goddess worship, as well as being rooted in folklore. The author is herself an experienced sea witch and priestess. She guides the reader into the magic and spirituality of communion with sea tides and sea Goddesses and Gods – in rites that seem simple but are profound. This book is entirely grounded in the natural world – the tides of Moon and ocean, the scent of a sea wind, the overwhelming rush of the incoming tide in the Bristol Channel, the sea caves and cliffs of Devon and Cornwall, the island of Anglesey.
Spell for Prosperity
Say something like this. ‘I call on the Goddess as Mother Earth, Lady who provides for us. And on the God as Lord of the Forests, Green God of the World Wood. Lady and Lord, I thank you for all I’ve been given to nourish and sustain me throughout the entire year. Also, for all my kith and kin, I give thanks for what has sustained them. In your names, I ask that the Fae, the gods and goddesses of the land, shall bless me/us with fair increasing prosperity from now on. May they bring to me/us enough always for all my/our needs and enough also for pleasure and generosity and security.’
Have two pots of earth in front of you, one full up to the top, the other one nearly empty. Consecrate the full one to represent the wealth of those who have more than they really need. Consecrate the other one to represent the wealth of yourself or of you and your family.
Say, ‘As I fill my pot fairly, so may I/we receive sufficient prosperity. May it come from those who can afford it to me/us. May it come as such things as gifts, grants, awards, patronage or fairly paid work opportunities. I need it for such things as……(here list all your expenses, such as ‘paying my bills, food, rent/mortgage, heating, house maintenance, clothes, transport, health, gifts for others, leisure and learning.’) As my cause is just, let me receive all the wealth that I need, without harm to anyone. By root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower, in the names of Mother Earth and the Lord of the World Wood, So May This Be.’
Now fill your pot from the other one, until they are each about half full.
Oats, wheat, corn, flaxseeds or rice may be substituted for the earth or mixed in with it. Do this magic out of doors in a place where you sense there may be faerie presences. Make a contact with them that is heartfelt, not just of the head. Traditionally, they will only help you if your cause is just. They are gods and goddesses of the interconnectedness of all and of the balance between things. If they are satisfied, then the above spell will be effective.
Pour out spring water or milk or honey for the Fae or sing to them as an offering. Finally, clear away anything you have brought, such as tealight holders or anything else non-biodegradable or in any way likely to harm wildlife.
SPELL FOR PROSPERITY
Blackberry spirit, bring me prosperity in great abundance.
The magic you bless is of the harvest –
So let me know how I may increase the fruits
Of all my own labours. And bring me excess
Of strength and of good fortune
To gather my harvest in.
Let my best efforts bring me enough
To thrive and to be generous.
Without harm and in the names
Of Mother Earth and the Green god of Trees,
By blackberry, by root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower,
So May This Be.
For this spell, it is good to go out and find a blackberry plant. (Rubus fructicosus.) Bless it and all its species with good health and great increase. And pour some apple juice or spring water near to the stem in offering. Then speak your spell.
This kind of thing is called a petitioning. It works effectively if you have made, through the plant, a connection with Nature that is respectful and of goodwill. (Some other plants that can help with prosperity magic are flax, oats, wheat, pine and oak. But each species has its own particular take on matters such as sufficiency or abundance. Your spells can be framed accordingly.)
Wise, Prosperous and Blessed Be.
CHARM FOR HAPPINESS
By rose, apple and elderflower,
Take from me all my sorrow, Lady of Earth.
Bring me the balm of happiness,
A healing time in the Sun, pleasure and mirth.
I give to the green trees my blessings,
Give to the spirits of rose, apple and elder my goodwill.
Uplifted be my heart! And let me share joy! Let my cup be full!
The magic of the Summer Solstice is linked with joy and fulfilment. In these difficult times, perhaps we need such spells and rites more than ever? (Some light relief. Oh yes, please.) Visit the trees mentioned above and bless them, giving an offering of fresh spring water or apple juice. If you can’t leave home for health reasons, do your best with bought flowers or leaves or dried rose petals etc.
Hale to the time of blossoming – and to the festival which, more than any other, celebrates love. One of the plants linked with Beltaine is hawthorn. It is said to grow on a boundary between this everyday world and Faerie. It is also linked with heart healing and with the kind of love that serves a shared vision.
Hawthorn is very much the plant of the hedge witch and priest/ess. It can help to bring a union with a familiar spirit and to make communications with many spirits a possibility. But hawthorn brings us challenges that must be met with courage…….
At Beltaine, find a hawthorn tree or have a sprig of it in the house. Bless the tree and all its species with increased abundance, good health and good fortune. If outdoors, pour out an offering at the base of the tree – spring water (but not if bought in a plastic bottle) or unsweetened apple juice.
Say something like this.
HAWTHORN CHARM
Hawthorn, bless me with a love
That heals my heart –
May I see the truth of beauty
And the beauty of truth
And defend both.
Bless me with the courage
To achieve my heart’s desire
So long as my fulfilment serves love.
May each of the barriers across my path
Become an open door
By root and stem, leaf, fruit and flower.
In today’s world of war, disease, social injustice and environmental harm, it is easy to succumb to cynicism or to feel despair. But a hedge priest/ess or witch works on the boundary between this world and the Otherworld – between what is here and happening and what remains to be seen. With the help of the gods and goddesses of the Earth, we can hold bright visions of the future – and hold them as a magical act of the soul. And we can cast many spells to help make the World a better place.
I suggest we speak charms like the following – asserting what our hearts really want for the future’s children. And doing it in the hope that we will see at least some of it come into being while we ourselves are still alive.
CHARM FOR ONE YET TO BE BORN
Child, may you live in a World at peace where wise spells are being said
To turn what is ill into that which is well.
And where the seas are alive with fishes and great forests flourish and spread
And are held sacred.
And where what was done that harmed the land, sky or sea
Or one another is dead and gone.
A World where we do not wage war on other nations
Nor upon Nature.
And may you know yourself as a part of the Earth
And not apart from Her.
And may you love all life and always love wisely.
And may your best destiny always be fulfilled.
By root and stem, leaf. fruit and flower
And in the names of the Great Mother
And of the Lord of Winds of Change and of Spell-casting Power,
For you and for us all, So May This Be.
I help you to be still yet to cast your spells
To have power of your own to do your work with.
Between us, there is love and need.
My spirit is composed of the language of mist in the woodland.
It is the foresight of rivers.
But I can speak as an animal
or bird or fish.
I change my shape, to meet in secret
Without you, I have no host in houses of the mortal.
Without me, you've no power to bring healing to the ill.
Your being beyond words has obtained my conversation.
I am of Earth's unearthliness.
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