I've been a busy because of finals, but the semester is over! I should be graduating next next winter! So I have more time for other stuff, even though I go back to school next week, sigh... I haven't found much about apple mint, but my herbalist friend tells me that it has the same medicinal uses as any other kind of mint, so I would imagine it has similar magickal uses as well. I'll post more about that soon.
Things are finally getting warmer here, so I am starting to feel the transition from air to fire. As a fire sign (Aries), this is always a pleasant time of year for me. I am looking forward to hiking in the woods and feeling the warmth of the sun. My boyfriend and I are going to go hiking very soon, so that will be great.
I got my first cauldron the other day, and I am so excited. I am looking forward to some sigil burning this coming New Moon. I love the cleansing properties of fire for banishing negative behaviors. (I am quite overweight, and I'm finally working on changing that).
I think the fire energy is much needed this year, not just for me. So many people I know feel totally drained after last year, and I think the summer is going to rekindle some good energy.
Blessed Be.

New Herbs

I got some new herbs for my garden today! I got some chamomile, fennel, and apple mint. I have never heard of apple mint before, but I'll learn. That's part of the fun, bumbling along my path, learning how to grow and use herbs by trial and error (not too much error though, I'm careful about learning which ones are poisonous!). I'm excited about the chamomile especially, I love chamomile tea and I can't wait to drink tea that I grew! I am going to look up apple mint. That's going to be my herb of the month. I will pick a new one every month, and talk about the medicinal and magickal properties of it, the history and lore, as well as what kind of tasty food stuffs you can make with it! So the herb of the month, coming soon!

I got a new book...

I'm really excited about it. It's called The Way of the Hedge Witch, by Arin Murphy-Hiscock. From what I've read so far, its really great. It has a lot of info about making everyday things spiritual, the sacredness of the home and hearth, as well as spell, recipes, crafts, etc. Get it here at amazon.com:
http://www.amazon.com/Way-Hedge-Witch-Rituals-Spells/dp/1598699741/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242269947&sr=8-1

Summer and the Element of Fire

Since fire is the element associated with summer, I've decided to do a seasonal theme here at the Hedge Witch's Garden. I'll post spells, recipes, etc. that are fiery in nature.

Here are some things associated with fire (I took these from Asiya's Shadows at http://www.asiya.org/article.php/FireCorrespondences) :

Direction - south
Gender - male
Energy - projective, pro-active
Qualities - hot and dry, light and active
Colors - red, orange
Power of the Sphinx [also referred to The Four Words of the Magi] - to dare
Point of pentagram - Lower right
Season - summer
Hour of day - Noon
Time of life - young adulthood
Elemental spirit - salamanders
Nature - fire, sun, stars, volcanoes
Part of body - heart, spine
Human senses - sight
Keys - Light Principle, Action
Virtues - courageous, self-assertive, chivalrous, enthusiastic, passionate, experienced, virile, energetic, daring, faithful
Vices - self-centered, ruthless, fanaticism, vindictiveness, anger, hatred, stubborn, greed, jealous, vengeful, resentful, egotistical
Excess - hot, hyper, flitting thoughts, insomnia, anger, dominating, egotistic, violent
Stage in the cycle of creation - the desire or Will to manifest the idea, the driving life force, the principle of change and transformation.
Emotions - intense and urgent, but usually passing quickly: desire, anger, joy, panic. Without Fire to prod the other elements along, the world would likely settle into a rather uninteresting fixed state.

Blessed Be!

Herb Garden

I've started growing my own herbs for the first time, I've never really had a good space to grow them, but my dad has been putting more beds in this year, so thats cool. I need to find some seeds or sets, good herbs are hard to find.
I'm growing cilantro, sweet basil, and lemon thyme right now. They are all coming up pretty nice so far. I'm also growing some flowers and veggies. I really want to grow some of the more expensive herbs, so I don't have to pay for them.
Blessed Be!

Calming Oil

Here's a recipe for a calming oil blend. I came up with this when my friend, Owlfire, and I decided to mix some oils after watching the movie Perfume (lol, that is a messed up movie.)


Calming Oil

3 parts bergamot oil
3 parts hyssop oil
1 part roman chamomile oil
1 part petitgrain oil
3 drops lavender oil

mix with an equal amount of base oil, like grapeseed oil

You can shake to mix it, but shake very gently. Don't mix this oil if you are angry, anxious, or otherwise stressed, because it can affect the energy of the blend.
Mix the oils delicately, and enhance the oil with your own calming, healing energy.
Blessed Be!

Ok, so this is my new blog. I mostly made it so I could comment on my classmate's blog, but then I decided that it would be more fun than myspace or something. I am so sick of myspace. On that note, my myspace user name is marichan869
So welcome to the Hedge Witch's Garden! (Thats me, your friendly neighborhood Hedge Witch.) What is a hedge witch, you ask?

Well, there are two kinds of Hedge Witches, and sometimes the two kinds overlap

(These are my ideas of what a hedge witch is, and no one can really agree on the exact definition.)

The first kind of hedge witch is similar to a shaman. They do work with the other realms of existance, like the astral realm, the underworld, faerieland, etc. They communicate with spirits and do divinations.

The other kind of hedge witch is more of a kitchen witch. They use herb lore, cooking, potions, fae energy, low magick (by low magick I mean magick that isn't heavily ceremonial, not that it is not as good or effective.) and work healing magick, protection, and divination (like tarot or scrying). Midwifery and herbalism are practices associated with hedge witchcraft. Some of these witches are craftswomen and men. Home, hearth, and garden are important. Some of these witches prefer the term Green Witch.

Most hedge wtiches fall somewhere inbetween these categories.

I draw mostly from the latter category. I use herbs, cooking and potions. I would call myself a Hedge Witch, also a Green Witch or a Kitchen Witch. I mostly work healing and protection magick, but I do a little divination. I work with the fae spirits, elemental magick, and I do astral projection and spirit guide communication. My practices are heavily celtic wicca-based, but I also draw from ancient greek philosophy, hoodoo, native american religion, shinto, buddhism, taoism, and hinduism. I am also a craftswoman, I made woodcrafts, leathercrafts, I sew, I do cross stich, etc.

My craft and my religion are tied together (although not all hedge witches share the same beliefs.) I believe in the Mother Goddess and the Father God.

I'm going to post spells, charms, recipes, poems, prayers, chants, or just whatever I'm feeling at the time.

Blessed Be!