Beginning hedge witch

[Adamn]

Hello all, sorry if there is already a topic started about this but I'm just starting to practice hedge witchery and I can't really find much information about it anywhere I just bought a book by silver ravenwolf I just started reading it. The thing is I'm really interested in herbs and the like for healing but I can't find recipes or anything online just wondering if anyone can share links or explain things for me.

Thanks-Adamn

[Siona]

So I have to be honest, that book is one of the worst sources for actual hedgecraft. None of it actually has to do with hedgecraft, and quite a few bits of it are just straight up made up by her, but she tries to pass it off like it's something all hedgewitches do. Frankly, it's not even a great source for herbalism and the like. (Unfortunately she is one of a few popular authors who've sort of made hedgecraft into just a version of solitary Wicca with some herbs thrown in, instead of the full tradition that it is. Rae Beth's earlier works, and Arin Murphy-Hiscock's book on the subject are also not good sources... although to make things more confusing, Arin's book is actually a very nice source on kitchen/hearth witchcraft...)

Now, many hedgewitches do have an interest in herbalism, but the key element of hedgecraft is actually soul flight/spirit journeying. The hedge is a symbol for the boundaries between the world, and hedgewitches will cross/ride the hedge in their practice. I actually wrote a short article about hedgecraft a while back, here's a link to it. If that's the sort of thing you're interested in I can certainly recommend some much better books on the topic.

If you're looking more to herbalism without necessarily having the whole spirit-work aspect, you might try checking out green witchcraft or even kitchen witchcraft. Scott Cunningham has also written a few books which you might find helpful, The Encyclopedia of Magical Herbs, The Complete Book of Incense Oils and Brews, and Magical Herbalism.

[Adamn]

Thank you very much! Wish I would have known about the book before I bought it haha but oh well, but soul flight and spirit journeying sounds appealing

[Siona]

Yeah, there might be some recipes in it that you might find useful, but the whole 'get anything you want as long as you're positive!' bit is... unrealistic, to put it mildly. :p You might look into picking up a book called "To Fly By Night: Craft of the Hedgewitch," by Veronica Cummer. It's not a standard 101 type of book, but a bunch essays, rituals, poems, etc, by different authors that really give a fuller look into being a hedgewitch from many different views. It's definitely a much better starting point.

[Adamn]

Yeah the get whatever you want bit was kind of when I sat the book down but thank you for your input! I will definitely check out the book

[dolphinpatronus]

I know you are looking at hedge witchery but you can probably find some recipes that will cross over looking into kitchen & green witchery books. Look into on called Kitchen Witchery: A Compendium of Oils, Unguents, Incense, & Comestibles by Marilyn F. Daniel. I know the title is insanely long but it's loaded with recipes & obviously from the title not just foods. Lol but seriously it seems like something that may interest you.

[Adamn]

That does sound like something I would like. I'll defiantly check it out thank you!

[dolphinpatronus]

That does sound like something I would like. I'll defiantly check it out thank you!

Let me know if you like it