HedgeWitch

*
Silver RavenWolf
*

is perhaps best known as one of the most widely published authors of her time, including bestsellers like Solitary Witch and Teen Witch. Artist, photographer, and Internet entrepreneur, she also heads the Black Forest Clan, a Wiccan organization that consists of 58 covens in 29 states and 3 international groups. Wife of 28 years, mother of 4 grown children, and grandmother, Silver has been interviewed by the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, US News & World Report, and A&E Biography. Visit her at silverravenwolf.com!

Llewellyn Publications

Woodbury, Minnesota

Copyright Information

HedgeWitch: Spells, Crafts & Rituals for Natural Magick
© 2008 by Silver RavenWolf.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any matter whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the form of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any unauthorized usage of the text without express written permission of the publisher is a violation of the author's copyright and is illegal and punishable by law.

First e-book edition © 2011

E-book ISBN: 9780738722092

Book design and editing by Rebecca Zins

Cover design by Kevin R. Brown

Owl photograph on page 113 by John R. Wells

Papers on opposite page and xiv, 42, 113, 223, 229, 250, and 266 by Debra Glanz, Reminiscence Papers

Llewellyn Publications is an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

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Llewellyn Publications

Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

2143 Wooddale Drive

Woodbury, MN 55125

www.llewellyn.com

Manufactured in the United States of America

Contents

Introduction
: The Magickal Garden of
Your Mind

Section 1
– Nature: Your Connection to the Source

The
Frequency of All Good Things

Section 2
– Thirteen Rites: Guide for Personal Transformation

The
HedgeWitch Guide to Personal Empowerment

Section 3
– Rite of Passage: The Fourteenth Ceremony

The HedgeWitch Dedication Ritual

Section 4
– Love, Health & Beauty: Tips, Formulas & Techniques

HedgeWitchery Within and Without

Section 5
– Hearth, Home & Garden: Tips, Formulas & Techniques

HedgeWitc
hery in Daily Life

Summary

Recommended Reading

Appendix 1
: Your Garden Journal

Appendix 2
: How to Make Florida Water

Appendix 3
: HedgeWitch Haggling

Appendix 4
: HedgeWitch Fast Herbal Reference

Appendix 5
: HedgeWitch Meditation for Manifestation and Problem Solving

Introduction

The Magickal Garden of Your Mind

Deep in the forest glen of your mind, where the shadows never quite release the world, sits the ancient establishment of the HedgeWitch Academy. A learning center for young and old alike, this edifice of enchanted scholarship welcomes anyone truly magickal at heart who desires to improve the quality of their being. Here, students harmonize with the world of nature, learn powerful potions for self-improvement, and brew within themselves the enigma of the treasures of earth, water, and sky. For years, the outside world saw only a glimpse of these natural empowerment tools—an awareness that has always undulated in the secret world of Witchcraft. Indeed, the workings of the HedgeWitch through various cultures and thousands of years have become legend … and with these easy lessons, formulas, magickal tips, and the inspiring dedication ceremony provided here, you can be one, too!

Relax, take a deep breath, and smile. Success begins with joy!

Nature acts as a secret shifter, gently filling us with the power to change our circumstances whenever we choose. Interacting with Her allows us to switch mental gears in an instant, helping us to overcome boredom, fear, depression, anger, frustration, sadness, and a host of other negative emotions that sap our personal well-being and block our pathway to success. Accessing Nature can immediately place us in the still point of balance—that moment of pure potential that can open our minds to the attractive power of the universe and bring us all that we desire.

To see what I mean, go outside and put your hands in the dirt. Yep! March out there right now and take the first step toward HedgeWitchery! As you place your hands on the ground, feel your deep, primordial connection with the life force of our planet. Close your eyes
… dig in your fingers … and open your heart and mind as you inhale the heady aroma of earth's sweet fragrance. Breathe deeply, and welcome the peace. Accept the balance of Mother Nature with joy! Allow the source of all things to course in, around, and through you.

Shift into the connection! Be
One
… there is no other experience like it.

Now, think of the most beautiful garden you have ever seen. Drink in the memory of the lushness, color, peace, and abundant wealth of that sacred space. We're going to change our lives to be like that gorgeous garden, and we are going to do it in just two short weeks. Granted, we'll have to continue to tend our new lives (maintenance is a must), but, by using the HedgeWitchery techniques I've developed, we're going to make marvelous changes in a limited amount of time. How do I know this? Because I did it—and if I can do it, you absolutely can, too!

Using the material in this book, it took me just two short weeks to totally alter many things in my life and bring me peace, harmony, good fortune, healing, and much more. By continuing the practice of working with the abundance of the earth's energy, over the following weeks and months I noticed positive shifts in my personality and my ability to deal with day-to-day stresses. My relationships with my family improved, and interactions with friends and acquaintances that weren't healthy for me or my family dissolved quickly, leaving a wake of calmness and well-being. I found myself in a more serene state on a more frequent basis, at ease with the world around me much of the time. I was able to sit back and enjoy life rather than running full-tilt into walls I'd built myself over the last several years. I began making major renovations to my property. I built an herb garden, a toad house, and a butterfly haven. I literally tore down buildings to make way for continued improvements—lugging, hauling, and sweating with the best of them—and it felt good! As these projects slowly took shape and came to fruition, my life blossomed as well. I shed those wintery pounds, my complexion improved, and I held a more healthy attitude toward my body and my diet. By harvest time, I'd learned a wealth of information on organic gardening, put it into practice, and celebrated the change of season with bounty from the earth as well as enjoying the mental and spiritual fruits of living “in” Nature rather than viewing Her from a distance.

You see, it's all a matter of choice (yours) and belief (your own) that will provide the opportunities you desire. If you expect the worst, that's precisely what you will receive. If, instead, you seek to raise your mental vibrations and incorporate fun physical activities to match happy, life-affirming goals, then you will reap the rewards of positive living and thinking.
You
are the most powerful catalyst in the alteration of your own life—and we're going to prove it with the loving assistance of Mother Nature. I did it. You can, too!

How to Use This Book

Section 1 discusses the mental aspects of this course and provides the basic building blocks of HedgeWitchery thought. Here you will learn how to formulate your thoughts and words to receive the most benefit from your training.

The core of the HedgeWitchery material lies in Sections 2 and 3: the fourteen-day, hands-on guide for transformation and change that culminates with a dedication ceremony performed by you to spiritually affirm your new choices in life. (The dedication ceremony is in Section 3.) Each day you will interact with a different aspect of earth, water, or sky energy that represents the totality of the Earth Mother and your renewed connection to the spiritual source you choose. You can work through the guide in two weeks' time, or you can spend a week on each aspect, or perhaps extra days on a formula that you particularly like. You are not required to rush through the guide, and it will work best for you if you utilize the material at a pace that is comfortable to you. I purposefully designed the material so that it lends itself well to group work—perhaps your circle of personal friends, your magickal family, or a course given through a magickal shop. In my experience, using the two-week process aids in making fast, major changes in your life. Using the fourteen-week process helps you to hold on to those changes and balance out your life for an entire season or more. You can return to the material at any time to reestablish any connection, strengthen your abilities, or enjoy new, creative aspects in your life. You can even make an annual or biannual practice of working through the various patterns offered here, or as a life situation requires. In 2008, I redid the entire fourteen-day process in April as an annual ritual. You can, too!

Sections 4 and 5 of this book contain helpful hints, recipes, tips, and formulas for living the HedgeWitchery life each and every day. From candle making to crafting your own beauty supplies, household cleansers, and magickal ink, to growing and harvesting herbs, there are plenty of ideas to help you master your own version of HedgeWitchery magick! Taking into consideration the fast pace of your life and perhaps limited resources or time, HedgeWitchery celebrates the minimal and encourages you to enhance your day-to-day experience through interaction with Mother Nature. Just being with Her, recognizing Her power, and allowing Her to enter the core of your inner self will help bring the most dynamic, dramatic changes into your life in a very short period of time. Feel free to use the ideas in Sections 4 and 5 as you work through Sections 2 and 3.

I designed the art and science of HedgeWitchery in concert with my own outdoor projects; however, you do not need to plant a large garden, own a plot of land, or invest an extreme amount of money to reap the benefits of the process. You can easily visit Mother Nature every day by simply stepping outside.

Celebrating Your Personal Environment

Live your own wheel of the year as you feel most comfortable and secure. I have been writing spiritual books for many years, and my work is read all over the world, which means your climate and environment may be very different from mine. Although I built the HedgeWitchery concept here in south central Pennsylvania, you are not confined to my climate, seasons, plant or herbal choices, or spiritual beliefs. In this material, substitutions are expected and encouraged. For example, if a cleansing recipe calls for lemon balm herb and you haven't grown it yourself or can't easily obtain it, choose something similar that has the same type of properties. Let's say you live in a country where lemons are commonly used in your cleansing formulas—then choose lemons instead. For substitutions in any food recipe (like the magickal vinegars), take care that your substitutions are not poisonous. The best way to do this is to check out the herbs at your nearest grocer or open-air market. Remember, magick is all about the mind and your connection to the source; everything else is secondary. View HedgeWitchery as a framework from which to grow your own glorious garden of life.

Take a moment to visualize the massive gates of the HedgeWitch Academy swinging open for you. Breathe deeply, and step inside. The art of HedgeWitchery is only a page turn away!

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