The Hedgewitch's Little Book of Seasonal Magic

Introduction

Hedgewitchery is just one small branch on the giant tree of Paganism. It can be found within the realms of witchcraft and is often viewed as a solitary practitioner’s path. Hedgewitchery is deeply esoteric and embedded within nature. Although witchcraft in general is a nature-based religion, hedgewitchery seems to stand alone in its views as no two hedgewitches practice exactly in the same way. This is due to the very isolated and individual way it approaches the year and, the seasons.

In many ways the best way to describe a Hedgewitch is that of folklorist or a follower of nature craft. Plants, trees, wildlife and the environment hold a sacred place in a hedgewitch’s heart as does all weather phenomena but there are a number of core beliefs that sets a Hedgewitch apart from her other Wiccan brothers and sisters, first she does not adhere to Wicca, second she does not have a bespoke ritual to follow, third she does not engage in a coven, and lastly hedgewitches generally do not engage in affairs of the world. First and foremost, she protects, helps, and heals flora and fauna including the elemental energies that live in our worlds.

In this book you will find several spells and practices that are from a Celtic Hedgewitch and yet if you were to seek an Australian Hedgewitch, she would do things slightly different. This is because Hedgewitchery is determined by the environment the Hedgewitch finds herself in and further, which culture she stems from. We all have a go to herb or plant or dish that is used in healing, spell-weaving, and/or curing, for example in Italy it is basil, in my culture it is the nettle, whilst in an Australian sister’s pantry, it could be eucalyptus.

Magic and witchcraft are around us all in so many ways from lighting a candle and making a wish on a birthday cake, to Valentine Day cards that are pink and red. The wishing on a candle is one of the oldest forms of magic known; it is candle magic. Whilst the cards covered in pinks and reds are synonymous with the thoughts and feelings of love. This colour association forms part of what is our basic language otherwise known as correspondences.

The correspondences are like our alphabet and although other witches do adhere to them, like a universal language as it were, for the Hedgewitch they are paramount to everything we do and how we live. The correspondences are infinite and with each new generation they grow that bit further, but their origins are deep within the earth and universe and this is what hedgewitches adhere to, the beginning bit as it were.

Therefore, in this book you will find recipes, spells, and potions with nature very much as its heart. All manner of natural resources will be used and that includes the weather on some occasions, for example the practice of cloud divination and cloud weaving is a beautiful practice to do but probably not many have heard of it.

This book will follow the sun around its seasonal year and will generally have the same subjects in for each. However, there are seasonal differences in the ingredients and specific craft projects you can make. Also, the seasons themselves dictate to us what we can create for example there are tonics and teas in spring whereas in autumn we concentrate on making chutneys. This is because the spring herbs and plants are bursting with new life which can have a healthy effect whereas with the onset of autumn our attention turns more to preservation of the fruits and essentially ‘stocking’ up for winter. Further, there are some generic instructions that feature throughout all the seasons and they can be found in the next section. In each season there is also an Esbat ritual and a seasonal correspondence chart. An Esbat is a bit like our sabbath but instead of every week like many religions we perform it once a month, coinciding with the full moon.

Furthermore, this book contains recipes, craft ideas, spells and elemental beings who are the corner stone of a hedge-witch’s path. Hedge-witchery may go against your realistic belief system of Darwinian science and if that is the case then this is not for you. Always trust your instincts as this branch of the Craft (witchcraft), is not for everyone. Further, this branch has its origins in hereditary witchcraft: recipes, sayings, spells, both healing and defensive. But first and foremost, the hedge-witch is the solitary, nature protecting and esoteric witch.

Traditionally the Hedgewitch was a female, but times are changing and that is the magic of the Craft, that, it can adapt to needs and wants of the world. The Hedgewitch can now be any gender, the Craft accepts all as we are all magical.

The very essence of the hedge-witch is the rider of realms, she is the witch that travels to two lands; the world we see around us and the one we do not. That other realm which communes with earth energies known as elemental beings. And we are not just talking about the fae but also other energies whose presence in the everyday world is felt by cobwebs on the face, taps on the shoulders, orbs, flashes of light, cats watching and following the movement of the empty space, or dogs barking at ‘nothing’.

Hedgewitchery is the creaking of the stairs and the whispering of leaves in a city park. It is the world of missing keys, falling feathers and objects moving and appearing in strange places, smells of flowers when there are none to be seen, or cinnamon baking when no one is cooking. It is owls in the night and strange music carried on the breeze.

This is nature.

This is our earth.

Welcome to the world of the Hedgewitch.

The Hedgewitch’s Supplies

When it comes to equipment the above saying is a guide as hedgewitches dislike throwing anything out and will always try to reuse something. There are a number of utensils and resources which will be used in every season and one of them is jam jars or mason jars.

Jam Jars

This valuable resource is cheap and environmentally friendly so start saving all your glass jars and make sure they have a top to go with them. Always wash them out completely and remove labels, and if using them to make jams or chutneys sterilise them before use.

Traditional Sterilise

Wash jars and their lids in warm soapy water and then rinse, leave them upside down on draining board and leave but do not dry them. Then put them on a tray with the lids and place in preheated oven at 160c/320f – 180c/350f for about 15 to 20 mins.

As they seal themselves, ladle the preserve into the jars using a special heatproof funnel or ladle into a heatproof jug to make it easier to poor hot contents in. Do not fill jar but leave about a ¼ inch or ½ cm gap between to the preserve and lid.

As soon as the hot contents are in cover with a piece of wax paper or cellophane and then securely fasten with the lid. As the mixture cools the lids will start popping as they seal themselves.

Furthermore, use smaller jars for jellies, as you would not use as much jelly as the jam or marmalade. Plus, they look tres chic when given as a gift of two or three.

Glass Bottles

Start saving your glass bottles as well, especially all different sizes and colours as these are particularly good if you make different bath oils and massage oils. Further if you intend to make different types of alcoholic beverages, they are great to give as presents.

Once again wash in warm soapy water, removing the labels and make sure to wash the lids. Rinse and leave on draining board once again. Place all bottles and lids on a tray and place in preheated oven at around 170c/330f for 15 minutes before taking out and leaving to cool slightly while you sieve the alcoholic beverage such as rhubarb gin. Pop the lid on and leave before labelling.

The Hedgewitch’s Cupboard

Seven Key Ingredients

There are seven key ingredients that are important and very versatile in a hedgewitch’s pantry. They are food items which can be used for culinary purposes but are equally beneficial both medicinally and magically.

Salt

Salt is the probably the most important ingredient a Hedgewitch can have in her cupboard. It can be used for so many things including healing and spell weaving, purification, consecration and of course, cooking. There are many different types of salt too and it can come in many different colours from pink Himalayan salt to white sea salt to the black lava salt of Hawaii.

Salt represents the five elements; it comes from the sea and therefore it is water, it is also found in the earth and mined, but it is dried in the air and if you put a piece on your tongue it burns thus it is also fire. It is also pure and therefore it represents divinity. It is one of those natural resources that are fundamental to life, it is crucial for life and yet too much of it is also dangerous.

The best form of salt to have in your Hedgewitch cupboard is a good sea salt one in any of its forms such as flakes or rocks or finely ground. Any of those is fine and as it is white; it will go with any dish or recipe or spell intent.

Sugar

Sugar is another fundamental ingredient to life and just as trees lose their colour in autumn and winter due to the lack of sugar via photosynthesis which combines carbon dioxide and sunlight in their leaves. Then sugar is a vital resource to have in any hedgewitch’s cupboard. Once again there are different forms of sugar from refined white sugar to brown sugar, demerara sugar, icing sugar to sprinkle on cakes etc to lose sugar to sugar cubes. The best sugar to have is white granulated sugar that is used in every household dish from tea to cakes.

Honey

Honey is a sacred product made by bees who are revered in hedgewitchery. In many ancient cultures’ bees have often been described as deities and given high status in the lands they inhabit. From ancient Egypt to Meso America, bees are sacred beings who command respect and the product they make is often believed to be a gift from the gods themselves. Honey for a Celtic Hedgewitch is regarded as a blessing and therefore having it in your house both protects and blesses it.

However, honey has many purposes and not just for cooking or sweetening your tea. It also has healing properties and stirred in a cup of hot water, lemon and ginger can help with colds and flu. Honey has antibacterial and antifungal properties and is a good source of antioxidants. Up until the last century people were known to use it on wounds to help to heal and cure.

Any form of honey is ideal to have in your Hedgewitch cupboard especially if it is locally produced, and always make sure never to run out of it.

Olive Oil

Another gift from the gods, the glorious olive and the oil made from it are also beneficial to the health of humans. It can be used for almost anything from cooking to healing to even beauty regimes. My own grandmother used it as a moisturiser for her infant son and until the day he passed my father’s skin was glowing with no wrinkles or blemishes ever. Once again olive oil has large amounts of antioxidants in along with anti-inflammatory properties and high quantities of vitamin E which are all ideal for healthy hair and skin.

The best type of olive oil to have in the hedgewitchery cupboard is extra virgin olive oil, as this is the least processed or refined type of olive oil.

Butter

For many years butter was regarded as the enemy however, new data emerging is finding what we in witchcraft have always known, that butter, like all things, taken in moderation is actually rather healthy for you. It has many minerals in it such as selenium and vitamins D, E, and K. It has also been discovered the saturated fats found in butter may have anti-tumour and anti-cancer properties[1]

The best type of butter to have is pure organic butter however, this goes without saying, always try to have the organic or purest type of ingredient in your cupboard.

Wine

Wine is used for many things including rituals, cooking, and healing a nauseous stomach. It changes during the seasons and red is regarded best for autumn/winter, while white is best for spring/summer. However, if you do not have alcohol in your house then a perfect substitute is grape juice and keep to the colour for the changing seasons such as red grape juice for autumn and winter, white grape juice for spring and summer. Grape juice is a good non-alcoholic alternative as is non-alcoholic wine and both can be used in any recipe, spell or ritual which requires wine.

Vinegar

Vinegar is one of those key resources we always should have in our Hedgewitch’s Cupboard. It can be used for so many things from cooking, cleaning, healing, and as a garden resource which can kill weeds, clean pots, preserve cut flowers, germinate seeds and increase soil acidity and a whole range of other garden benefits. Vinegar is similar to salt in as much it is an all-rounder and does so much.

The ideal vinegar to have in your cupboard is apple cider vinegar with mother, which is the cloudy bits you can see. The ‘mother’ is merely the process of fermentation and refers to the combination of yeast and bacteria which is formed during fermentation. It is also a good indication of the best type of vinegar as it is unpasteurised and unfiltered apple cider vinegar and will probably be organic.

Herbs

In addition to the seven food items there are a number of key herbs which are useful to have in your cupboard. These too have properties and uses which are beneficial to culinary, medicinal, and magical pursuits.

Rosemary

Rosemary is probably the most versatile herbs around and can be grown anywhere. In the Mediterranean, its natural home, as it is used as hedges and grows freely. Its distinctive flavour adds warmth to meat and chicken dishes especially but equally it can be used in magic. It is used in a range of spells and rituals from money to health, to career and protection spells. It is particularly good for enhancing good luck and many people also use it in remembrance rituals for deceased loved ones. In England, it was customary to place three sprigs of rosemary on the coffins and graves of recently deceased as a sign of remembrance and love.

Lavender

Lavender is an herb which is often overlooked for its culinary properties, but this is a shame as it is delicious in biscuits and cookies. It also makes soothing summer drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. A couple of flower heads placed in sugar or salt and left in a sealed jar creates lavender salt or sugar which can then be used for culinary, medicinal, and magical practices and dishes. Medicinally, this herb can be used for mental health especially, stress and insomnia. Magically, it is an herb which can be used in love, family, and healing spells.

Mint

Mint is such a versatile herb as it can be added to drinks both alcoholic and non-alcoholic, it can make sweets and desserts, it can also be a flavour in the main dish. However, though we may think of mint as predominantly a culinary herb it is equally beneficial in medicinal and magical practices. Mint has been used for thousands of years to ease stomach complaints such as nausea, indigestion, and sickness. It is herb ideal for the digestive system as it is believed to in increase and encourage bile flow which helps to speed and ease digestion. However, it can also ease headaches and cramps, further it can ease a sore throat when used as a mouth wash. Magically, mint is particularly good with money spells, though it is equally beneficial for cleansing, consecration, dream work, happiness, healing, protection, and passion to name just a few. It is used for all types of prosperity spell work including those not just for bringing money into the household but also at work for career enhancement and job promotion.