Book Review: Hedge Witchcraft, by Harmonia Saille

“Hedge Witchcraft” is written by Harmonia Saille, and published by Moon Books as part of their Pagan Portals series.

The description reads:

“This book will guide readers 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 the accompanying book in the Pagan Portal series, Hedge Riding.”

This is a really nice little book about traditional British witchcraft. It ties all the information together with personal accounts from the author which heavily adds to the readability of this book. I enjoyed the section about tree lore, and liked the healthy does of folklore that was included in it. I also really liked the section on "Spirit of Place". This is a topic woefully overlooked in lots of similar books, and Harmonia does a fantastic job of eloquently, but unpretentiously, describing this. 

However, I can’t help but feel quite disappointed with this book, simply because it isn't specifically about Hedge Witchcraft. As the description indicated, it made little mention of hedge riding, referring you to another book by the same author. Given that neither book is hugely long I don't see why they weren't integrated, especially given the importance of hedge riding to this path. Although it made the very truthful claim that all hedge witches will follow a slightly different path, it didn’t highlight the key points that unite them. 

If you are after a short guide to traditionally based witchcraft then this is a really interesting little read, it will provide you with a general overview of  pagan festivals, and examples of how they are practiced. It also goes into elemental correspondences, and how these tie the everyday world to the magical one. But, if you have a decent background knowledge of general traditional witchcraft and modern pagan spirituality, then you may be left feeling a let down by this title.


The book market really needs some good titles about true hedge witchcraft, and if can be in a small, easy to read format like this, then so much the better. Unfortunately I don’t think this book does that. It will however keep it’s place on my bookshelf, due to the traditional folklore facts, interesting personal antidotes, and the style of writing, with turns this from a reference book, to an enjoyable quick read.

Poem: The Minor Arcana Rhyme

I put this together for the Tarot - Part 2 course I hope to be teaching later on in the year - (need to get some Part1 courses done first, lol). It's not my best literary work... but am a little impressed with myself that I got the meanings to rhyme... well, mostly! lol

Cups is the emotion, the joy and the cares,

it's both our elation, and our fears.

1 of cups, is abundance and gain,

2 of cups, the joy of another's name.

3 of cups is joy and happiness,

4 of cups says beware, of it in excess.

5 of cups re-assess, after the good gone bad,

6 of cups the past, may be, re-had.

7 of cups speak of ambition and hope,

8 of cups is disappointment, but widen your scope.

9 of cups is about, peace and contentment,

10 of cups is all that but with added achievement.

The Knave of cups is helpful, the Knight a lover and bright,

The Queen of cups creative and the King brings insight.

Swords are actions, often needed the most,

they slay our demons and, chase our ghosts.

1 of swords, is about achievement and success,
2 of swords gain, from having much less.

3 of swords, a door opens, paths are clear,
4 of swords a rest, from what you fear.

5 of swords shows struggle, and defeat,
6 of swords sees you, back on your feet.

7 of swords show hurdles, be brave and careful,
8 of swords patiences over comes what you thought fretful.

9 of swords failure, be steadfast,
10 of swords disaster, but it will end at last.

The Knave of swords is often clever, the Knight is strong like a soldier,
The Queen of swords quick witted, and the King brings order.

Coins are what we do on this earth,
our house, our home, what's in our purse.

1 of coins is prosperity, to have and hold,
2 of coins says a disruption may unfold.

3 of coins brings achievement in the intellectual
4 of coins show wealth, says we'll be successful.

5 of coins, is financial disaster and ruin,
6 of coins is help, something to stand firm in.

7 of coins success, but please be careful,
8 of coins, hard work will see you successful.

9 of coins is wealth and achievement driven,
10 of coins says there will be a gift you're given.

The Knave of coins is sensible, the Knight is just and true,
the Queen on coins is generous, the King advises to you.

Wands is the need to change, it is our passions,
bringing our ideas into worldly fashions.

1 of wands is inspiration, sees something new begin,
2 of wands sees good luck finally come in.

3 of wands success from being brave,
4 of wands success, and the popularity craved.

5 of wands says there may be, a set-back,
6 of wands gives encouragement, gets your will back.

7 of wands shows things aren't as bad as they seem,
8 of wands sees you closer to your dreams.

9 of wands be strong ,and hold your ground,
10 of wands, struggles may make you frown.

The Knave of wands is lively, the Knight energy beckons,

the Queen is practical, the King a force to be reckoned.

Podcast: Episode 1 - Yule 2012

Episode 1 - Yule 2012 - The new site, Yule & music from Snowflake!

What is a Hedge-Witch?

Book Review: The Book of Mirrors, by Luthaneal Adams

Ok, I don't normally do book reviews for people I know. This is because I take books very seriously and I would never give a bad book a good review. I'm also a very loyal friend and would never want to do anything that would not be 100% supportive. As you can see how these two things might conflict with each other, I decided "I will not review friend's books" was a good general rule to live by. 

However, when one of your closest friends, who you love dearly plays an absolute blinder and writes an absolute frickin' "must read" as their debut book, you kind of feel the need to shout about it... So on with the review...

***

‘The Book of Mirrors’ is quite a unique book… actually it’s a very unique book, the likes of which I've never read before. The market for Wiccan books is huge, as is the shear number of titles out there, so for Luthaneal Adams to pull out this absolute gem as his debut is astounding.

The book blurb gives potential readers an insight into what sets this book apart from the rest of it’s genre:

“The aim of this book is to help people who find themselves training with a witch coven or just considering it. The author concentrates on his experiences, rather than trying to pad out those experiences with a lot of general information on Wicca. There are already enough books on the market that provide the basics of Wiccan belief. This book opens a window into the process of training with a coven, both for the prospective trainees and for all those covens out there who may benefit from seeing things from the other side.”

My main concern when reading the above text on the back cover of a book would be that I was about to invest in reading page after page of dramatic emotional self exploration, which although interesting would offer little in the way of practical advice to anyone. However nothing could be further from the truth.

What ‘The Book of Mirrors’ actually does is present the road to initiation in a very honest, relatable way. This book is not preachy on any level, in fact it devotes as much time to the doubts, reservations and disappointments of the author, as it does the rewards and spiritual benefits.

In the interests of giving a balanced review I always try and give some criticism of books, but in this case the only one I can honestly give is that it occasionally makes the reader feel slightly guilty. The type of guilt you feel when encroaching on someone’s privacy, looking at them a little too intensely, or reading their diary. In reality, this is something that the author should receive absolute praise for.

‘The Book of Mirrors’ is written entirely without ego, it is honest and it wholly endears the reader to the author.


I honestly can't see a way in which 'The Book of Mirrors', won't become essential reading for every would-be initiate and coven leader. If you are interested in Wicca, read this book. If you are part of a coven, read this book. If you have Wiccan friends/family, read this book.

Cornish Cunning Folk

Cunning men and cunning woman form part of Cornwall’s rich history of mythology and folklore. They were known as skilled seers and those of high reputation were in high demand. People would seek them out in order to help find lost items and heal illnesses. They were in high demand during the 'Witch Trials' that swept most of Europe, despite being magical practitioners themselves. As much as witches were painted as evil beings seeking to cause harm and chaos, cunning folk were seen as the positive side of magical practices. Often if someone believed they had become a target of a witch, they're first port of call would be to a cunning man or cunning woman. They were also employed by the authorities to help find witches and other criminals.


The type of magic practised by cunning folk often consisted of charms and amulets. One of the best known being Charm Bags which were small sewn bags containing written charms or magical powders. There is also Stroking Stones, that were special charmed stones that were used for healing. Of course there is a long list of artefacts connected with cunning folk, ranging from Snail Beads to Cauldrons and everything in between. There are a few good sources of further information of these online.


There have been some very well known cunning folk throughout history, arguably the best known being Granny Boswell. She was born in 1813 (though some believe this date is incorrect) in Ireland, but spent most of her adult life in Helston, where she lived with her husband Ephraim. She was well know for her foresight and the magical skills she acquired through her Romany heritage. She was also known as a troublemaker. During some elections a car was being used to ferry voters to the local polling station. As it was driving down the street an elderly and somewhat drunk Granny Boswell wandered into the road. The driver beeped the horn and loudly shouted at her to get out of the way. She didn't take kindly to this and stood in the middle of the road cursing the car and throwing verbal abuse at the driver. When she finished her rant she stepped out of the road and the car pulled away. The car made it only a few yards before coming to a halt, the car that had been running perfectly minutes before was found to have a very badly damaged engine and had to be towed away.

The Lowestoft Witches

In 1662 Bury St. Edmunds became another backdrop to the Witch Trials that were sweeping Europe. However, this story does not start in Bury St. Edmunds, it starts in Lowestoft, a thriving fishing town on the east coast of England. It was also the home of Amy Denny and Rose Cullender, know today as ‘The Lowestoft Witches’.

Amy Denny was first accused by Samuel Pacy, who claimed she had cursed his daughters after a dispute about buying fish. It began with his daughter Deborah being seized by fits for a number of weeks. Samuel sought medical help from his neighbour, Dr Feavor, he said that he could find no natural causes for her illness. Not long after this Samuel’s other daughter Elizabeth also became similarly afflicted.

Upon the evidence being formally presented Amy Denny was thrown into stocks, but the Pacy sister's torment did not end there.

Rose Cullender had been the subject of local rumours for a while, with lots of locals believing she was a witch. She soon became implicated along with Amy. Both Deborah and Elizabeth claimed that they had been seen visions of the women whilst suffering fits, seizures and loss of senses. Samuel had the girls move to their aunt’s house, hoping the extra distance would weaken the affects. It did not. Whilst there the symptoms continued, including vomiting pins and on occasion nails. Elizabeth gave an account of how the specter of Amy Denny visited her and implored her to drown herself.

The Pacy’s neighbours soon started alleging that similar fates had befallen their children following a dispute with Rose, and the case against the two women grew. After days of witness accounts and experiments being conducted on both the women and their victims, a jury took half an hour to find them both guilty. They were hanged the next day.

This trial played and important role in the history of the persecution of witches for a couple of reasons. The first of which being the publication of ‘A Tryal of Witches, at the Assizes held at Bury St. Edmonds for the County of Suffolk; on the Tenth day of March 1664’. Despite it’s rather inaccurate title - (the trial took actually took place in 1662) - this makes this trial one of the best documented on record.


This leads to the second reason why this case was so important. ‘A Tryal of Witches, at the Assizes…’, was later used as a reference for specter manipulation during the famed Salem Witch Trials.

Witchcraft in Wales

Wales has a historical reputation for being a land of magic, myth and folklore. It is steeped in Arthurian legend, and it is well known that the building blocks of Stonehenge originated here.

It is little wonder then that Wales does not share the same history as most of Europe when it comes to the persecution of witchcraft. However, that does not mean there is no trace of it at all.

One of the first cases on record was that of Tangwlyst ferch Glyn. The Bishop of St David made the mistake of crossing her when he accused her of “living in sin”. Tangwlyst promptly responded by making a poppet doll of him, in order to curse him. The Bishop was swiftly overcome by a sudden illness. The case against Tangwlyst fell apart due to lack of proof. She was fortunate that this took place before the 1563 statute making witchcraft a capital offence was passed, otherwise she may not have been so lucky.

One of the first, and most well known witch trials in Welsh history is that of Gwen ferch Ellis. She was a weaver, who was also very well known as a healer. People would travel quite a distance to come and seek her help. She was best known for healing animals, but also healed people and assisted them in other minor ways, such as casting spells to retrieve lost items. Had she continued in this practice she may have been spared, however things went very wrong for her when she met Jane Conway.

Jane Conway was known to have a grudge against Thomas Mostyn, a justice of the peace and a very powerful man. When one of Gwen's spells was found written backwards in the cellar of his home, it was seen as an attempted curse against him. Gwen was initially thrown in Flint Jail, she was then put through a formal investigation at Diserth Church at Llansanffraid Glan Conwy. Eventually there was a trial at Denbighshire Court of Sessions, Gwen was found guilty of murder and causing serious harm by the use of witchcraft. She was later hanged.

Although the the majority of formal witch trials took place in the 16th and 17th century, this did not prevent vigilante actions continuing to a much later date. There are stories of people being accosted as witches right up the 19th century. These accounts often include women being cut, as it was a popular belief that once you drew blood from a witch they could no longer cast a spell against you. There were however some very serious cases.

In Monmouthshire in the early 1800's an elderly woman was set upon by a constable, a farmer and two farm hands. They accused her of bewitching some livestock, and proceeded to cut her arm to prevent her causing further harm. As a crowd gathered around, they stripped her to the waist and cut off her hair. They decided to 'duck' the woman. 'Ducking' is a practice where by an accused witch would be thrown into water, if they floated, they were using magic to save themselves and were guilty. If they sank, they were innocent, but almost always died due to drowning. Luckily by this time the woman’s daughter had arrived and managed to dissuade them. When the men stood trial the judge said they were lucky not to be facing murder charges.

Today Wales proudly holds onto it's magical heritage and has many sites and attractions based on it's associations with myth, history and folklore.

The North Berwick Witches

The North Berwick Witches were a group of seventy or so people from southern Scotland prosecuted for witchcraft between 1590 and 1592.

At this time Scotland was ruled by King James IV, who had always been very relaxed with regards to implementing laws against witchcraft. However, this attitude changed when he sailed to Copenhagen to marry Princess Anne of Denmark. During the journeys both there and back they were met with horrific storms. The Admiral of the escorting fleet of Danish ships blamed the extreme weather on witchcraft, an opinion shared by many crew members. This experience drastically changed his views on witchcraft, and upon returning to Scotland set about eradicating any trace of it.

One of the first people accused was Gellie Duncan. She worked as a servant, but often provided healing cures to people. Her cures were deemed to be a little too successful, and quickly drew suspicion. Initially she resolutely pleaded her innocence, however after ongoing interrogation and the discovery of a 'Witches Mark' on her neck, she changed her plea. She confessed that her treatments were prepared with the help of the Devil. She also implicated several other people.

One of the most shocking things is that one of the people she named as an accomplice was King James's cousin, Francis Stewart, 1st Earl of Bothwell. However, he was by no means the only member of high society accused. Others that Gellie accused included Barbara Napier, widow of Earl Archibald of Angus and Euphemia Maclean, daughter of the Lord Cliftonhall. Gellie was eventually burnt at the stake.

King James was heavily involved with the trials, presiding over many of them. One story tells of how he examined Agnes Sampson at Holyrood House. She was kept without sleep for days and fastened to a wall with a 'Witches Bridle'. A Witches Bridle is a metal contraption that places sharp metal prongs against the tongue and the inside of the cheeks. Eventually she confessed, and was subsequently burnt as a witch.

Most of the confessions obtained during these trials were done so under horrendous torture. The accounts given where often of coven meetings at Auld Kirk Green, which now forms part of the modern day North Berwick Harbour area. North Berwick churchyard also featured heavily. Many of the accused claiming they went there at night to meet with the Devil. There were numerous confessions that detailed an attempt to sink the kings ship. They detailed that on Halloween 1590, they had met with the Devil in North Berwick churchyard. In order to raise a storm they retrieve limbs from corpses, attached them to a dead cat and threw this into the sea.

King James went on to write a book, 'Daemonologie', instructing his followers on the prosecution of witchcraft. The North Berwick trials were the first major occurrence of many witch trials in Scotland, it is estimated that from the late 16th century to the early 18th century between 3000 and 4000 people were executed for witchcraft in Scotland.

Magick vs. Magic

"What is the difference between 'magick' and 'magic?" is a question a lot of people new to witchcraft will ask themselves at some point.

Anyone researching magic or witchcraft on the internet, in books or anywhere else, will come across the words 'magic' and 'magick'. This is something that often confuses people, as they seem to be referring to the same thing. And, for the most part the are.

The use of the spelling 'magick' is largely believed to have started with Aleister Crowley.  He offers one explanation as to why he used this spelling in his book 'Magick in Theory and Practice'.

“In my third year at Cambridge, I devoted myself consciously to the Great Work, understanding thereby the Work of becoming a Spiritual Being, free from the constraints, accidents, and deceptions of material existence. I found myself at a loss for a name to designate my work, just as H. P. Blavatsky some years earlier. "Theosophy", "Spiritualism", "Occultism", "Mysticism", all involved undesirable connotations. I chose therefore the name "MAGICK" as essentially the most sublime, and actually the most discredited, of all the available terms. I swore to rehabilitate MAGICK, to identify it with my own career; and to compel mankind to respect, love, and trust that which they scorned, hated and feared. I have kept my Word.”

Another theory that a lot of people subscribe to is that he chose this spelling for numerological reasons. In Numerology 'k' corresponds with 11, and 11 is a powerful number denoting psychic ability and deep insight.

A lot of people who chose to use this spelling do so in relation to Wicca. This is a little unusual as Aleister Crowley was not Wiccan. In fact the majority of significant figures within Wicca (including Gerald Gardner), used the spelling 'magic'.

As a general rule of thumb, if you see the spelling 'magick', it is usually in relation to a form of ceremonial magic. However, as with a lot of things within witchcraft, it comes down to personal choice. A lot of magical practitioners use the way they spell it as an expression of the path they follow. Some simply use the same spelling as the person that taught them. Some take it from their favourite witchcraft books or websites.

Either spelling is neither correct nor incorrect, and you can see examples of them both on all manner and type of literature and websites.

Witchcraft on the Isle of Man

The Isle of Man has a rich history of associations with witchcraft. Ronald Hutton Professor of History at Bristol said “At one point the Isle of Man was regarded by everybody else in the British Isles as a hotbed of sorcery.”

There is even cases of England sending witches to the Isle of Man. In 1441 Eleanor, Duchess of Gloucester - (Wife of Humphrey), along with Margery Jourdemaine and two noted Oxford Scholars - (one an astrologer and one a doctor), was accused of using sorcery to seek the death of King Henry VI. Her punishment was to be banished for life to the Isle of Man.

Whilst in England hundreds of people lost their lives in witch trials, the Isle of Man was far more tolerant. There were only two people to be executed for witchcraft on the Isle of Man. These were Margaret Ine Quane and her young son. Margaret was accused of using witchcraft to secure a good crop by working a fertility spell. When she was found guilty, it meant her son was automatically guilty of having 'witches blood'. They were burnt at the stake in Castletown in 1617. The incident is mentioned in Gerald Gardner's book 'The Meaning of Witchcraft'.

Gerald Gardner was also a resident of the Isle of Man when he moved there with his wife Donna in 1952, where he became owner of the Museum of Witchcraft.

The Museum of Witchcraft was originally founded by Cecil Williamson. Cecil worked with MI6 during the second world war. He was employed to investigate the Nazi's occult interests, and formed the Witchcraft Research Centre. In 1947 he decided to open a museum dedicated to witchcraft. He originally planned to do this in Stratford Upon-Avon, but local opposition prevented this from ever actually happening. It was in 1948 that he purchased the near derelict 'Witches' Mill' in Castletown on the Isle of Man. The museum – (then called the Folklore Centre of Superstition and Witchcraft) – opened in 1949. He turned to Gardner, who he'd met a few years earlier at a talk he was giving in London, to become 'resident witch'. A few years later Williamson decided he wanted to return to England, and move his collection to a new museum in Windsor. In 1952 he sold the museum to Gardner who installed his own collection of artefacts.

Williams original collection remained in Windsor for a year, before a brief spell in Gloucestershire, before ending up in Boscastle in 1960, where it remains today.

The Isle of Man still embraces its occult history and Manx National Heritage have held a number of events and talks.

Circle Casting

Casting circles for spells and rituals is something practiced by many branches of witchcraft and Paganism. The purpose and necessity of casting a circle is something that will vary between practitioners and covens.

Some believe that circles are cast to create a protected area in which to practice magic. Others see them as a way of building magical power and focusing it into the ritual that is being carried out. There are others that believe they are a way of acknowledging, paying respect to, and thanking the deities and magical energies that are present during rituals and spells.

As you can imagine, due to the difference in believes as to what a circle is for, there is also a large sliding scale as to how important and elaborate a part of rituals it becomes.

Personally, as a Hedge Witch, circle casting as we know it today isn’t really a big part of my chosen tradition, but it’s still something I often do. Granted in a very short simple format, but I find it creates a nice start and finish point to spells. This may sound a little strange but after a day at the office or running round after children having something you do as a regular prelude to workings is a good way to enter the right mind set and clear away the cluttered thoughts that may distract your concentration.

Below is a very simple example of circle casting, as with all magical workings it’s best to come up with your own adaptation and make it personal to you.

The circle itself may or may not be marked out physically. This can be done with anything you choose but rope and salt are common choices. Sometimes candles are used to mark the directional correspondences on the circumference of the circle, (Green for North, Yellow for East, Red for South and Blue for West). Sometimes representations of each element is used to mark directional correspondences, either around the circumference or on an alter within the circle, (Earth for North, Air for East, Fire for South and Water for West).

Before the circle is cast the person leading the ritual will welcome the Lord and Lady, or specific deities that they wish to be present.

They will then walk round the edge of the circle in a clockwise direction (traditionally starting at the East) marking it out with either an athame, a staff, a wand or simply their finger. They may stop at each compass point to welcome the energies / God / watchtower, or they may complete the circle and then welcome them. An example of what they may say would be:

“Energies of the East, I ask you watch over this rite with powers of knowledge and communication, guided by Air, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the South, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of strength and will, guided by Fire, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the West, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of peace and emotion, guided by Water, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’,
Energies of the North, I ask you to watch over this rite with powers of prosperity and stability, guided by Earth, I bid you ‘Hail and Welcome’.”

Once the circle is cast it is generally believed you should not cross it’s boundary, and break the circle, if it can at all be helped. Some practitioners will cut a doorway in the circle if someone needs to leave by using whatever they used to draw the circle to mark two small lines across the boundary of it. Once the person has left / re-entered they then re-connect the two edges.

One, if not the, most important part of casting a circle is for all the participants to visualise it as clearly as they can. For most people this will be a circular wall or sphere of light, but it is a very personal thing and will vary for everyone.

Once the spell or ritual has been complete, it is important to then take down the circle. Confusingly this is often called ‘opening’ the circle as people often visualise the energy or light dissipating outwards, rather than falling in on itself.

To do this the person leading the ritual will walk around the circumference in an anticlockwise direction tracing the outline of the circle. Either whilst they are walking and reach the compass points, or after they have finished they will say something along the lines of:

“Energies of the East, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can, go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’,
Energies of the North, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’,
Energies of the West, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’
Energies of the North, thank you for joining me in this rite, stay if you can go if you must, I bid you ‘Hail and Farewell’.”

They will often use a similar statement format for thanking and saying goodbye to the Lord and Lady or other deities, which they will do next.

As I said previously this is a basic outline of how circles are cast. Some are much more complicated, and by the same token some or much simpler. Some plainly consist of visualising the circle and mentally acknowledging the different elements and directions associated with them.

However you choose to embrace this practice, like all things magical, it will develop personal power and meaning the more you do it.

What is a Hedge Witch?

This is a question I get asked a lot it's also one with a lot of different answers, this is mine.

Hedge Witch has become a term that is often used for any solitary practitioner, or those between covens. A Hedge Witch is what used to be the old village wise woman, apart from, they aren't all old, they don't have to live out in the countryside - (though most prefer this atmosphere)- and they aren't all women... but hopefully you get the picture I'm trying to paint here.

Hedge Witches practice very organic forms of magic, spells are usually very simple and focus of the elements of the spell that is being cast (i.e. the stones, herbs, plants etc) and personal words and meditation, as oppose to the ceremony of the spell (i.e. doing set things in a set order and following pre set out patterns).

The reason they practice magic in this way is due to their ability to "cross the hedge". A lot of people think the "Hedge" in Hedge Witch refers to the fact they are often out collecting spell components from the local hedge row, although this is true it is actually referencing the "Hedge" that symbolizes to boundary between this world and the usually unseen world. A lot of magical paths talk about "Hedge Riding" as it's also known, as a "thinning of the veil"or "journeying", this can be experienced in different ways. Hedge Witches do go journeying into the other world when spell casting, to seek answers or for simply for a sense of solace, but they are said to walk with a foot in either world a lot of the time. Due to this they are able to see the magic in everything, they notice patterns and symbols in nature that would normally go unnoticed and work with them. This isn't a practice that quick to learn, it involves lots of practice and lots of time spent in the right atmosphere casting spells and practicing witchcraft in a particular way.

Hedge Witches may or may not work with deities and if they do it is more a personal relationship built over a long period, rather than working with lots of different deities depending on the work they are doing, festival they are observing or time of year. Hedge Witches so not follow the Wiccan Rede "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will", but do live by their own personal code of conduct that they feel comfortable with and will adhere to it strictly.