Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft
Learning by experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
Learning by experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
Learning by experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
Paganism & neo-paganism, Witchcraft
Hedge witchery in general is experiential and a slow and natural progression of interests and events often experienced from childhood and persisting all through your life. As Aristotle said, ‘For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.’
Learning by experiencing is about trusting your instincts and connecting with your inner spirit.
There is no dogma attached to hedge witchcraft. There are no tenets to follow. The path of a hedge witch is very much an individual one, and it is a solitary practice. In this way, this book is based on my own experiences as a hedge witch living in Ireland and following a Celtic path.
This book will guide you if you wish to read more about hedge witchcraft as a pathway, or are already following such a path and wish to progress. It only has a little about hedge riding as this book has too small a scope to include it. Please read my accompanying book in the Pagan Portal series, Hedge Riding.
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Let me begin by saying, FINALLY! This book hit the nail on the head when it comes to hedgewitches. If you are a frequent reader you have seen me complain quite often that many witches and authors get hedgecraft wrong. While it is not a new path per say, it is under researched and often overlooked tradition. Harmonia Saille does an excellent job giving a very brief introduction to the hedgecraft in her book Hedge Witchcraft. I give the book 5 out of 5 stars for accuracy and accessibility. Anyone interested in hedgecraft can pick up this book and have a general understanding of what a hedgewitch is and how they perform magic. Throughout the book she talks about her personal experiences, drawing the reader in as if they were a dear friend sipping tea in her living room. The personal tone made the text easy to connect with and read, making it great for witches from all walks of life. I very strongly recommend everyone read this book to not only clear up some misconceptions about hedgecraft but also bring back that sense of awe and wonder for the craft we sometimes lose when life gets in the way. Let me know what you think about any books you have read in the comments below. I am always looking for new materials to read! ~ Willow, http://flyingthehedge.blogspot.ie/2016/06/book-review-hedge-witchcraft-by.html
Hedge Witchcraft is a simple, practical approach to Magick, free from dogma and doctrine. Following requests from fans of her previous works, experienced hedgewitch, Harmonia Saille takes the reader on a journey of discovery as she explores Festivals, Sacred Trees, Herbal Lore, Folk Magick and Divination. Unlike similar books on the subject, which often blend the tradition with other paths (Wicca being the most common) this book stays true to the roots of what Hedge Witchcraft is, and isn’t. Pagans who enjoy a more hands-on approach to magick will certainly feel at home. Hedge Witchcraft is packed with reliable, straight-forward information, with an emphasis on individuality – the reader is encouraged to draw their own conclusions and to act on the knowledge they receive. Hedge Riding – the practice of Shamanic and Astral voyage – is covered in-depth in her follow-up book: Pagan Portals Hedge Riding. Harmonia’s engaging but friendly style of writing is empowering, through simple exercises, poems, charms, spells and anecdotes she demonstrates that you do not need to be initiated in order to connect with the life-force. I particularly enjoyed the Shapeshifting Exercise and Journal entries of her day-to-day life as a modern witch in Ireland. It was refreshing to see concepts other than those found in Pagan 101 books discussed, such as the Magical 4s and Land, Sea and Sky. It is fitting that the book ends with the words “I love being a hedgewitch, it is what I am all about”. Harmonia’s passion for the subject is evident, and reading her words made me smile, I felt as though I were having a cup of tea and a chat with an old friend. With an open mind and an appreciation of nature this book will help you find your own magick. This is Hedge Witchcraft, in its simple, practical form – as it should be. ~ Dawn Gribble, Pagan Magic
Harmonia writes, "When you touch something you directly connect with it". This is exactly what you the reader will do when you take her book, Hedge Witchcraft into your heart. You won't just read this book, you will have a deep beautiful experience of the connectedness of all beings. Somehow, you get close to the soul of the author, and you get closer to yourself as she walks her talk in each page. You feel nature seeping into your heart, wide open to absorb each line fully, with delight and often with awe. At times I felt I was being lead into a deep meditation with sentences like "feel the rough bark of the tree, ...hum, sing, whistle as you join the sounds of nature" etc. She whispers to us, " Remove the line that lies between you and the hills, lakes, rivers, oceans" And she is by our side as we follow her whispers. What I really like about Harmonia's book "Hedge Witchcraft " is that it is full of soul, full of who we all are, and maybe have forgotten . Harmonia, keep reminding us of our true nature, our divine beingness. ~ Phyllida Anam-Aire, A Celtic Priestess.
The image I see when I hear the term "hedge witch" is that of a traditional wise-woman walking along a wayside in a meadow, a basket in her arm, gathering herbs and flowers from the hedgerows to use in the cooking pot or for a healing balm or maybe a magic potion. As she walks, she watches the way the leaves on the bushes blow in the wind, knowing from ancient weather-lore that this will tell her if it will rain or if the sun will shine. But a hedge witch is much more than that, and the hedges she crosses can be those that represent the barrier between this world and the world of the spirits as much as the boundary between a field and country lane. A new book called Hedge Witchcraft,by Harmonia Saille, author of Walking the Faery Pathway, attempts to explain exactly what a hedge witch does, and how anyone with the willingness to learn can follow in the hedge witch's footsteps to learn her craft. I would recommend Pagan Portals - Hedge Witchcraft as an introduction to hedge witchcraft for anyone who wanted to learn the basics of this craft. For full review visit http://www.badwitch.co.uk/ ~ Lucya, http://www.badwitch.co.uk/
This little book has all you need to know about the basics of Hedge Witchcraft. Harmonia starts by introducing us to what Hedge Witches do, how they connect with nature and the spirit of a place, it also introduces us to ritual tools and familiars. It then goes on to describe the Celtic festivals of the year and how a hedge witch views them, along with a good section on the elements and the magic that they hold. The section on Sacred Trees takes us through each tree and what characteristics and energies it holds followed by a section on herbal lore. Harmonia then dips into folk lore and divination from a Hedge Witch viewpoint. An interesting book where Harmonia shares her own experiences of Hedge Witchcraft, good for anyone interested in following this path. ~ Rachel Patterson, Amazon
Beautifully and humorously written - obviously from the heart and soul. A very real account of life and beliefs merging in a way that brings peace, curiosity and thanks from me as the reader. I look forward to the next one! ~ Trish (Neath), Amazon Review
I’ve heard it said that there’s not a great deal of practical difference between a solitary Druid and a Hedgewitch. This little book certainly gives that impression too! Irish pagan Harmonia Saille writes in a warm, friendly and engaging way, giving an overview of the path of the Hedgewitch. What impressed me particularly, was the tackling of ‘connecting with nature’. Many pagan writers will mention the importance of doing this. Few will recognise that you might indeed be a very urban pagan, for whom nature is ‘other’ and somewhere else. This book tackles the issue head on with some fine advice. All of the content is sound, pragmatic and easily worked with. If you’ve already read a few introductions to paganism, witchcraft or druidry and are well under way with your study, then the odds are you know enough not to benefit from this book greatly. However, for the beginner, it’s a fine place to start, small enough not to be intimidating, rich enough to give you plenty to work with, and easy to read. Nice one! ~ Nimue Brown, The Druid Network
Albeit not the biggest of books, I found this to be a very pleasant and informative book to read. Worth buying. ~ Jf, Amazon Review
Harmonia Saille's two books on Hedge Witchcraft are a true delight, being both informative and entertaining. Hedge Witchcraft is often mentioned 'in passing' but seldom examined in detail. Harmonia rectifies that oversight with her revelations of that practice as it may be followed throughout the year. Anyone, Witch or otherwise, who feels a true affinity with Nature will appreciate the explanations and teachings found in these books. I very much recommend them. ~ Raymond Buckland