This fabulous little book, released on 27th May, is an excellent guide for those who are just beginning on the path of the Hedge Witch. When you first start out on the path there can seem to be a massive range of information to absorb, with an equally long list of ingredients, correspondences and equipment which may or may not be needed, but Harmonia lays out her way of working in a simple, easy to read style, which stops it all being overwhelming.
It provides a brief overview, dipping into many areas of hedgewitchery and giving the reader a great starting point to choose which areas they may wish to explore in greater depth. There are sections on creating spells and rituals, including several examples in context to illustrate use of ingredients, along with correspondences for the elements, trees and herbs as well as meanings and uses of runes.
I particularly liked the idea of using the 'Monday's Child' nursery rhyme which the author uses to remind her of the qualities of each day of the week in spellwork.
Throughout the book, Harmonia weaves in her knowledge of hedge witchcraft, emphasizing that all objects have natural spiritual power and we can empower this further if we take the time and really connect with the herbs, stones, feathers, wood, etc, which we want to include in our spellwork. As any good practitioner does, she emphasizes the need to be mindful in nature and go with your instinct even if it doesn't tally up with correspondences listed. She also includes a brief section about hedgeriding, pathworking and visualisations, which she shows will support focus and intent in spellwork. (As an aside, if you are particularly interested in hedgeriding, I can also recommend her previous book entitled 'Hedge Riding' which I read before a Kitchen Witch lesson on the subject. It was a great introductory book on the subject, which made me feel well prepared for my own exploration of the subject as part of the lesson).
Although I am not a beginner, this book and the author's passion for connecting with nature speaks to me on such a deep level - working to develop the connection to really see things, connecting with them, even the little things like leaves and pebbles opens up the natural world all around and the more you notice, the more naturally the connection comes to you. It's totally worth taking the time to do this, and this book can give you a firm foundation to begin.
As Harmonia says: 'It all comes with practice'.
4/5 cauldrons.
Comments