#hedgerider | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

the-witchy-housewife · 7 months ago

Text

An Introduction to the Path of the Realmwalker

This is an article from my website, The Witchy Housewife. You can read it at the source here or look under the cut to read it here on Tumblr. If you enjoy my work, please consider subscribing (at the bottom of this page) to receive articles as they're posted via e-mail, exploring the shop, leaving a tip, or reblogging this post. I run this all myself, so all support is greatly appreciated. 💜🔮✨

The more I discover about the nature of reality, the less I feel I truly know. I’ve had countless experiences – and read of countless more – that have left me baffled and in awe. Over the past several years, exploring the limits of our human ability to peel back and squeeze between the layers of this reality has become a primary focus in my life. Today, it is that very topic which we will be diving into.

The more I discover about the nature of reality, the more I realize just how much I don’t know. I’ve had countless experiences – and come across countless more – that have left me baffled and in awe, and over the past several years, I’ve become utterly fascinated with exploring the edges of human perception. I’ve been enamored with peeling back the layers of existence and squeezing myself in between them. It is that very exploration which has led to the topic of discussion that we will be diving into today.

What Is Realmwalking?

When I first started toying with the idea of extra-reality exploration, I found myself switching between a lot of varying terminology. It grew tiresome very quickly, and ultimately I felt that I really needed a term that fully encompassed everything I was studying and practicing. I’d considered hedgeriding at first, though that wouldn’t really cover it all, either. I considered psychonautics, but I felt that the connotations associated with mind-altering substances weren’t quite aligned with my journey, either. I needed something more neutral – something more holistic that could serve as a true umbrella term for it all. Thus, I arrived at realmwalking. Realmwalking, then, is the term I use to describe any practice which involves having one foot in this realm and the other in another – and though the term may be “new”, the elements, topics, and practices which fit rather nicely under its vast umbrella are not. They include:

Meditative Trance: A form of deep meditation intended to bring about visions, insights, and information – the person performing it acting as a receiver of sorts. This state of mind is used in plenty of spiritual and occult practices, including as a gateway into other forms of realmwalking.

Shamanic Journeying: A shamanic practice referring to a specific form of meditative trance utilizing rhythm and visualization which grants passage into spiritual realms often referred to as the Upper World, Middle World, and Lower World to commune with the spirits who live there for the purpose of guidance, healing, or soul retrieval. Different traditions may approach this differently.

Past Life Regression: A practice which often utilizes meditative trance coupled with hypnotism in order to gain insight into the other lifetimes which your soul has experienced. As the name suggests, many people consider this practice to be chronologically linear, but I do have to wonder if it really works that way in my own explorations. If the concept of time as we understand it applies only to a physical experience, is it possible that future or alternate lifetimes are also accessible?

Hedge Riding: I’ve seen practitioners of hedge riding use the term in a couple of different ways, often displaying similarities to practices like shamanic journeying or astral travel. The term hedge itself in this context refers to the boundary between realms or worlds. However, one commonality I notice is the frequent incorporation of magick during the practice to influence the physical world.

Astral Projection: The act of intentionally leaving the physical body in a theorized astral form, typically used to explore what is considered an astral plane or realm. Often, the goal of such a practice is purely spiritual curiosity or for exploration of the astral realm.

Astral Travel: Often, this term is used interchangeably with astral projection, but there are some who make the distinction that while projection pertains the conscious act of separation, astral travel pertains to the act of traveling the astral realm after the point of separation, which makes it possible for astral travel to be unintentionally initiated.

Reality Shifting: The practice of moving your awareness from an instance of you in one reality to an instance of you in another, akin to tuning a radio to a different station. This is a wildly debated topic, often dismissed as daydreaming, lucid dreaming, or astral projection. However, I have read of far too many experiences which have piqued my curiosity to dismiss it myself – including experiences which long predate the circulation of the term itself. If this is to be a valid standalone practice, my current theory is that the creative process may possibly give way to new realities and iterations of ourselves within them. This would function similarly to concepts like servitors and egregores and plays off of related ideas of our ability to partake in Divine creation.

Lucid Dreaming: The conscious exploration of your inner world – your dream realm – which may or may not reside within the collective consciousness or be connected to the Akashic Records.

Mediumship: The act of communicating with spirits – typically, human spirits – to serve as a sort of psychic “telephone” between the spiritual and the physical.

Channeling: The act of communicating with spirits to receive information. Often, this includes a process of invocation, and often, the information received is spoken or recorded while the spirit being communicated with uses the channeler as an instrument for their message. This practice, I feel, falls somewhere between ideas like mediumship and divination.

Transdimensional Divination: Depending on how you view the inner workings of divination, this term could encompass all divination. In using the word “transdimensional”, however, I am referring specifically to the act of divination with an intention to communicate with beings across all of existence, including those within our own realm.

Note that this is by no means an exhaustive list. As I continue to study and explore and evolve on this path, so will this list grow to accommodate any undiscovered term which may fit within it. This goes, as well, for anyone who chooses to step onto the path of the realmwalker.

The Goals of the Realmwalking

Realmwalking is a living, open, self-exploratory practice. There are no strict rules or requirements to adhere to. The path of the realmwalker is as curious and unique as the person who walks it. The only requirement to be a “realmwalker” is to study and explore the in-between in any capacity. Curiosity is as good a goal as any, and truthfully, giving the term a code to abide by would feel really counterintuitive to its creation.

That said, in my own practice, the goal is to explore, to learn, to communicate, and to help others do the same. As a Priestess of Hekate, it only feels appropriate to follow dutifully in her footsteps – to bridge the gaps in body, mind, and spirit to the best of my ability. It is my belief that, in doing so, any insight I may obtain has the potential to be of tremendous benefit to us as a species.

A Theory of Realms

In my own explorations, studies, and experiences, I’ve developed a, sort of, working theory of realms. Similarly to the worlds of shamanic journeying, these realms are categorized into three categories: the Overworld, the Physical World, and the Underworld, each category encompassing the three or four realms which exist within it. It includes ideas developed from various mythos and exploratory belief systems, as well, and, ideally, this information may serve as a good jumping off point for those who wish to build on it.

We begin at the Overworld, a concept similar to things like the Upper World, Heaven, or Olympos. It is what some New Age thinkers would consider to be of a “higher” frequency, and the primordial beings of Aitheric Light who inhabit it are those who serve the Divine purposes of creation, growth, and organization. For visualization purposes, I will continue this explanation by referring to my list of realms from “top” to “bottom”, but note that this is perhaps only a tool to aid in comprehension and not quite so descriptive.

At the top of this visualized list of realms, we have the Khaos Realm. This is comparable to the idea of the Apeiron (ἄπειρον) or the Boundless as theorized by Anaximandros of Miletos. The Khaos Realm refers to a space – if it can even be called that – which exists far beyond linear comprehension. It is eternal and ageless, with no beginning and no end. It is from this realm which existence has sprung. It is the Void Womb which cradles All things, and you will notice that it appears again later when we discuss the Underworld. More than a line, my theory of realms views existence as an expansive and unending sphere, a bottomless and incomprehensible bowl of existential soup.

We then have the Kosmic Realm, which I would playfully refer to as reality’s headquarters, where the energies of Khaos are organized. In organizing entities, this is where I would place the Gods or the Divine, the first beings to spring to life from the void of the Khaos Realm. In my theory, there is an innate desire of the Divine to create new things, to grow and develop this existence, and to keep everything organized, just, and in the best possible order to facilitate that growth and development. This, I believe, sets the tone, in general, for the Overworld. It is possible that the majority of beings in the Overworld share these goals.

Just beneath that, we have the Angelic Realm. If the Kosmic Realm is the headquarters of reality, the Angelic Realm is the administrative office space. The beings here seem to have an innate service-to-others attitude and serve as these, sort of, assistants and messengers of the Divine. Part of that assistance includes, as you’d expect, the protection of the Divines and the thing they’ve created.

At the bottom of the Overworld, you’ll find the Astral Realm. In this theory, the Astral Realm is the gooey in-between filled with a multitude of traveling transdimensional energies. As with the Khaos Realm, you will notice that it appears again when we discuss the Underworld, as the Underworld has its own gooey in-between. Again, it may be that this realm is circular in nature, if its nature can even be defined in such a way. Given the energies present within this realm – and the potential purpose it serves – many people find it a particularly useful space for aiding in manifestation and all manners of space/time travel.

Moving on from the Overworld, we arrive in the Physical World, similar to the Middle World, which includes the sensual physical world as well as the spiritual overlays imposed on it. Compared to other realms described within this theory, the Physical World is a relaxed space, as the only goal of the beings who inhabit it is to simply exist and ensure continued existence.

At the top of this section may just be one of the nebulous realms (pun intended), the Galactic Realm. This encompasses the far reaches of the physical universe as we know it. It includes life, both physical and spiritual, which exists beyond Earth and up until the very precipice of the Physical World. The uncertain nature of this realm – with its many stories of “interdimensional” encounters and its consideration as a separate realm in some mythos – is what has earned it its own category within my theory.

Next, we have the Fae Realm, which is the spiritual overlay over our physical reality on Planet Earth – comparable, of course, to concepts like Faierie, Elphame, and Álfheimr. The beings who occupy this space include, in my book, not only things that would traditionally be considered Fae, but all earthbound Gaian-born spirits. Promethean humans, therefore, could be considered connected to this realm.

If you look around you’ll see where we are now – Point 0 – what I call the Gaian Realm. This refers specifically to this physical reality, but my theory does not deny the possibility of alternate physical realities and worlds. Relative to every being in every physical reality is their own Point 0.

Then we enter the mental space of the Dream Realm. Despite its name, my theory does not consider this space exclusive to dreams, but rather, to the subconscious and the mind’s eye. Besides the space where dreams and deep meditative visions occur, it is also the space where thoughtforms are born and, with enough gestation, become servitors. If my theory on the creative process and the birth of new universes has merit, this, as well, is where that process would begin. Additionally, it may be a direct connection to the collective consciousness, given that dream experiences seem to sometimes be shared or prophetic. The only way out is within, so they say, and that “within” space just may be the one I’m referring to here.

At the bottom of the Physical World, we have the Afterlife Realm, the Khthonic (meaning “of the earth”) space where beings go at the end of a linear incarnation. If things like reincarnation hold true, this realm would then function as a, sort of, waystation and rest stop to and between other existences.

Just beneath that, we come into the final section of realms, the Underworld, comparable to – you guessed it – the Lower World. As above, so below; the Underworld sits as an inverted reflection of the Overworld. It is what some New Age thinkers would consider to be of a “lower” frequency, and the primordial beings of Erebosian Darkness who inhabit it are all about primal freedom, discord, and rebellious independence.

Then we are once again in the Astral Realm. I told you we’d be seeing it again. Same deal. Gooey in-between filled with a multitude of traveling transdimensional energies. It is either a separate astral space or connected to the astral space of the Overworld. I’m inclined to believe the latter.

Where we see that rebellious energy most clearly, however, is in the Demonic Realm. People tend to consider the beings that dwell here to be inherently evil, but I think a more accurate descriptor would be a service-to-self attitude that stands opposite to the attitudes present within the Angelic Realm. It just so happens that a self-serving attitude can result in decisions which are harmful to others. In your favor, however, is the theory that these energies are so determined to promote freedom and independence that the result is free will. Though, it’s also possible that the spirits in the story of Pandora’s jar dwell here.

If Kosmic Realm represents the Everything, the Void Realm represents the Nothing. It is a space to simply be outside of our understanding of existence, a space where you are pure consciousness, unbound by any particular incarnation’s identity. It is total freedom, void of responsibility – void of everything. It is the universe’s take on a sensory deprivation chamber. To some, it is peace or an in-between. To others, it is the Tartarean prison where they are doomed to nothingness forever; oblivion.

Finally, as we make our way to the end of the circle before beginning again, we arrive once more in the Khaos Realm, the point where Everything and Nothing meet as one.

Now, keep in mind that this is just a theory – and a working one, at that, subject to change with whatever new insights and information I may be exposed to. Take what you need to explore these spaces for yourself, but do not take my ideas as gospel. There is a great deal out there yet to be discovered.

The Veiled Palace

The Veiled Palace is another fun term I’ve coined for what I consider to be an important part of my realmwalking practice. This is comparable to things like Mind Palaces and Waiting Rooms but assumes it to be as real and physical as possible regardless of whether it is a mental construct, an astral construct, or a space in another reality which we create for ourselves. In this way, it becomes as open a term as the term realmwalking itself. It is a private, highly customizable, heavily protected space which starts within and is built upon with regular meditative visits. For me, it is an actual palace – hence the term I chose for it – on a remote and beautiful Mediterranean-style island. For you, it can be absolutely anything you want it to be, but I’ll highlight just a few recommendations here:

Develop and maintain strong protective wards. You should ensure that this place remains private and protected. The only other beings who should be able to enter this space should be able to do so by invitation only, and you should be able to remove that invitation at will, should you need to. You may also choose to develop a servitor to maintain and protect your Veiled Palace.

Create sealable doorways into other realms. I find that in practices like shamanic journeying, astral travel, and reality shifting, people tend to have a lot of success utilizing visualization methods that implement doorways, archways, or portals. This is a companion tool for a practice of realmwalking, so it only makes sense to have a dedicated area in your Veiled Palace for this. As with a servitor for maintenance and protection, you may also wish to have a servitor to accompany and assist you in your realmwalking journeys.

Create a library or database for tracking knowledge. In my Veiled Palace, I use a combination of the two. I have an office space for creating all records and a library organization.

Create a tool or area for magick work. Magick is often thought to start in the mental or astral space to begin with. In my Veiled Palace, this is simply a candle that I can send my intention into.

Create a tool or area for stirring up energies. I got this idea from Foolish Fish’s Mind Palace teachings, so for me, it’s a fireplace with various color flames representing various emotions and states of mind. This can be to stir up emotional energy or as a trigger to quickly get you into various states of mind just by envisioning the change in the space.

Above all, you want your Veiled Palace to be a place that you really enjoy visiting, and you want to make time to visit it often in order to add a stable stream of energy to its construction. In my Veiled Palace, there are areas to relax, areas to create, and areas to enjoy good food and music. I’ve also created an entire area for my working servitors to occupy and make their own, which allows me to interact with them, get to know them as they develop, and bond with them as they grow more energetically independent. If nothing else, a Veiled Palace can be a private escape from the monotony and doomsaying of modern existence, which we all need from time to time.

Starting on the Path

The terms and practices referenced in this article may be a bit more advanced than what you’d find in the primer articles I’ve been sharing for beginners recently. We’ll dive into and break down all of these topics in my relevant articles to come, but in the meantime, information on all of the facets of realmwalking already exists out there under the many names presented in the first section of this article.

If I had to give a blanket starting-off point, though, it would be the following: First, decide what your goal is in starting your journey with realmwalking, and be sure you have a set-up which can comfortably accompany you on that journey. Remember, this can be as simple as a journey of discovery brought on by curiosity. Second, start meditating regularly today. Consider meditation as important as physical exercise, and get into a good routine with it. Remember: “The only way out is within.” Third, approach all of this through the eyes of the Inner Child. When we meet exploration without the burdens of the cynical adult mind, we may discover far more than we do when we approach it with the subconscious goal of explaining it away.

To close, I’ll leave you with two tastes at hints of what may be: An appetizer on the Astral Projection Subreddit involving someone (and a handful of commentors) who seems to experience projecting into different lives entirely and a rich entrée recalling an assumed lucid dreaming experience which the poster dubs as “persistent realms”. Until our next exploration, I wish you the best on your journey between realms.

3 notes · View notes

gefdreamsofthesea · 10 months ago

Text

I just finished The Witch at the Forest's Edge: Thirteen Keys to Modern Traditional Witchcraft by Christine Grace. It's primarily an introduction to the author's Forest Edge Tradition of witchcraft but I think there's material here for folks who are interested in non-Wiccan witchcraft. It covers topics like developing your intuition, cultivating "spirit senses" (like the ability to visualize), hedgeriding, ritual, spellcraft, theology, and ethics.

I feel like the author is pretty up front that this is how her tradition works but it's one of many ways to do witchcraft. When she talks about magical tools, I like that she says "this is how I use each tool" than just rattling off correspondences. Her tradition is animistic, but you don't necessarily have to have a relationship with a deity or deities. She says "I encourage each witch to cultivate a theology but not which theology."

I also like how she addresses the subject of holidays: her tradition celebrates the Wheel of the Year, but she encourages the reader to observe festivals important to your local area/culture. Suppose you do want to observe the WotY but some festivals don't really mesh with what's going on around you, she talks about finding themes or aspects that are relevant rather than dropping that holiday entirely.

If I had one criticism I feel like her bibliography is all over the place when it comes to the quality of her sources. She talks about hedgeriding and its similarities to "core shamanism" so the resources in that section talk about "shamanism". Interestingly, the theology section is mostly books about goddesses, not theodicy, deity work, or the other topics discussed in the chapter on theology. I think it reflects what she says in the book that when you go looking for, say, resources on folk magic, you're sometimes going to run into works by anthropologists who were openly disdainful of the subjects of their research, works that are, well, old, and a lot that's explicitly Christian (or the dominant religion of your area). So I would approach the recommended reading with caution.

3 notes · View notes

paganizmturkiye · 10 months ago

Text

Witch: enemy of empire. Tracker of spirits. Lover of angels. Worker of charms. Twohanded sorcerer. Knower of the sabbat. Dancer with demons. Priestess of Old Gods. Transgressor and hedgerider. Friend to the Good People. Teller of jokes. Listener with land. Flyer at night. Dreamer of story. Initiate of mystery. Belongs to themself.

The Witch Belongs to the World: A Spell of Becoming by Fio Gede Parma.

#Paganizm #Cadılık

1 note · View note

ofsmokeandsoil · 2 years ago

Photo

This box contains wares to assist your Imbolc and Candlemas workings to celebrate the first fire festival of the wheel and to adorn your altar. This celebration takes place around February 1st or 2nd, marking the halfway point between the Winter Solstice and the Spring Equinox. For many Pagans it's a celebration of candles, light and fire. ~ Contents of box ~ 🐑 Inbolc Correspondence and info sheet - includes info on celebrating the sabbat, Correspondences, and the goddess Brighid. Also Return the Light spellwork created by me using the items in this box. This spell is for bringing life, light, and warmth back into aspects of you, relationships, or projects you are working on. 🐑 7" x 5" Art Print of "Brigid's Flock" 🐑 A yarn wrapped sheep for your altar 🐑 St. Brighid Cross wreath - handmade on a grapevine wreath - hung over a hearth, this cross traditionally protected a home from disasters such as lightning, storms, or floods, as well as keeping family members safe from illness. 4" wreath 🐑 Imbolc Ritual Oil - Scented with oatmeal, milk, and honey. Includes dried botanicals such as jasmine and other dried flowers. Also added are flourite chips. Sweet almond oil base. Use to anoint and dress your candles, altar tools, divination items, even yourself! 15 ml bottle with dropper top 🐑 a hand poured soy wax tealight candles scented with milk & honey and dressed with jasmine and apatite chips 🐑 Selenite crystal 3-4" 🐑 Return the Light Spell items - one yellow candle, lambs wool, bay leaf and parchment with printed brighid's cross - spell instructions on info sheet 🐑 Brigid's Flame Incense - inspired by the goddess Brighid and her fire - a rich, aromatic loose incense of ancient recipes. Some of the highlighted ingredients are sandalwood, citrus, benzoin, Alder wood chips, frankincense, and some other secrets. Contained in a 15 ml corked bottle. Must be burned on charcoal in a heatproof container 🐑 Wheat stem for your altar #imbolc #candlemas #stbrigid #goddess #brighid #wheeloftheyear #sabbat #sabbatbox #ritual #altar #ritualkit #witchesofig #witchesofinstagram #witchcraft #witch #hedgewitch #hedgerider #pagan #occult #goddessbrigid https://www.instagram.com/p/CnABEFqugEd/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

2 notes · View notes

thejaggedpoisonpath · 3 years ago

Photo

Black Henbane Flying Ointment⠀⠀ Since the Middle Ages, known as the "Witches Plant", Henbane has been used by practitioners and healers in ritual purifications by smoke, in addition to the preparation of flying ointments and love philtres. Ancient times saw Henbane used for ritual purposes in Europe 34 separate alkaloids have been discovered in Black Henbane. Most focused upon today are hyoscine, hyoscyamine, and atropine. One recorded experience states: "I experienced an intoxicating sensation of flying…I soared where my hallucinations—the clouds, the lowering sky, herds of beasts, falling leaves…billowing streamers of steam and rivers of molten metal—were swirling along.” Henbane has long since been used for communicating with the deceased. Black Henbane has consistently been reported as one of the “witches herbs” included in flying ointments.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Henbane aids with depression, hindered libido, insomnia, headaches, carpal tunnel, menstrual cramps, motion sickness, arthritis, & muscle and joint pain.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Henbane is a nervine relaxant, immediately targeting the nervous system, aiding to calming of nerves, reducing psychological & physical strain.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ A larger dose of ointment helps to induce sleep, acting as a sedative.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Historically, Henbane was a fundamental part of the “soporific sponge”, which was used as an anesthetic before surgical procedures.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Plant material(s) for this ointment is grown, harvested, infused, and poured by me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Ingredients include Black Henbane (hyoscyamus niger), poplar buds, organic sunflower oil, and candelilla, vegan wax. ⠀⠀⠀ *For educational purposes; sold as a curio only. Statements not reviewed by the FDA. Information not meant to take the place of medical advice. *⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #thejaggedpath #henbane #deadlynightshade #poisonpath #bruja #hedgerider #queerownedsmallbusiness #womanownedbusiness #folkwitch (at Galveston County, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CkDTGcaO2aK/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

#thejaggedpath #henbane #deadlynightshade #poisonpath #bruja #hedgerider #queerownedsmallbusiness #womanownedbusiness #folkwitch

5 notes · View notes

poisonerspath · 4 years ago

Photo

Teufelwurzel- Devil’s Root- Thornapple- D. Metel- there is a spirit that dwells in the roots of certain plants the daemonic consciousness of the green world, virile and destructive and adversary of civilization and structure. People have used roots as talismans since prehistory. Mankind has always been able to sense the powerful spirit dwelling within. Roots contain the most chthonic aspect of a plant, this makes them very receptive vessels to call in the genius of a plant or invite another spirit to dwell within. There are many roots attributed to the devil himself, and as such they make great familiar spirits. The alraune of Germanic folklore is one such root. Alruna is also a term used to describe witches. Having powers of its own rituals would be performed and offering made for its service. #alraune #alruna #hedgerider #hagazussa #devilsroot #teufelwurz #datura #thornapple #devilsapple #witchcraft #luciferian #greendevil #witchsdevil #witchsfamiliar #poisonpath #poisonousplants #poisonmagic #veneficium https://www.instagram.com/p/CRB-eyLL58a/?utm_medium=tumblr

#alraune #alruna #hedgerider #hagazussa #devilsroot #teufelwurz #datura #thornapple #devilsapple #witchcraft #luciferian #greendevil #witchsdevil #witchsfamiliar #poisonpath #poisonousplants #poisonmagic #veneficium

17 notes · View notes

prairiefirewitch · 4 years ago

Photo

DFW Witches! Higher Purpose Emporium @ivyofhpe carries a selection of Prairie Fire beeswax ritual candles! Ivy currently has Hekate, Greenman, Moon, Hedge Rider, and Mars candles in stock! Go visit Fort Worth’s newest witch shop and support small local businesses! #witchshop #keepfortworthfunky #hekate #greenman #hedgerider #mars #moon #witchesofinstagram #dfwwitches #wbah #candlemagic #witchcandles https://www.instagram.com/p/COapDL_nfSO/?igshid=1igmxjl6ap4nk

#witchshop #keepfortworthfunky #hekate #greenman #hedgerider #mars #moon #witchesofinstagram #dfwwitches #wbah #candlemagic #witchcandles

2 notes · View notes

haga-grimalkin · 5 years ago

Text

Hedgeriding, a report of my experience

Like a lot of other, but not all, witches I fly once in a while. Today was such a day. On dark moon I can't fly this time, carnaval is here and that gives a lot of noise in my surroundings and hubby is home too. Both things are not appropriate if I want to fly. Most of the time I fly /trance or whatever on full or dark moon, if it's possible. I made a report of it, not all the details are in this report. Some things are to personal to share with you all.

I lighted the candles, on the table before me is homemade mead. This evening I do everything without tools, everything I do is in my head. I found a place on my couch and started rocking for- and backwards on the tic toc rhythm of my little clock. (Please try this rocking method if you want to learn yourself how to fly. It's simple and it's working) Around my neck is a necklace with knockles and bones. In my hand a witch bottle for protection. I called the elementals just by recognizing them, the cold North with its icy face, the Birds in the East, Salamanders in the South and Mermaids in the West. Then I started to grow a tree, a green tree, roots are growing and his branches high in the sky. I need some branches to grow to a friend of mine of lost her father last week. The branches are touching them and I send them warm dreams full of love of their (grand) father. Tonight they will be dreaming. One branch touches my husband, he's tired from the last busy weeks. Another branch touches all my newly grown pepper and tomato plants.

In the branches I see an owl, I heard one when I started to rock. My mind goes to a cave in Barvaux, Belgium. There is a door to the other world. I knew it was there, but never entered that door. Light, shadow, dancing people and creatures, a fire, an old witch leans back to a tree. In her hand a cup with a drink. Now, while I'm writing this I know it's me. I didn't recognize my old self over there. When I called the old spirits, they instruct me to drink that whole glass of mead and start dancing in the dark. Dancing, dancing, dancing, dancing. A great fire and out of that fire comes a knight with fiery red hair. I feel a kind of honored to see this. I've saw old vulcanoes awaking, earthquakes in the past and the future, how the sea is deforming islands but forming new ones. There are great powers, scary for us humans but just part of nature. After all this I awakened in my own living room. Somehow in this all I changed my normal clothes to my pyjama's and I didn't even know that.

#hedgerider #traditional witchcraft #witchcraft #flying #treeoflife #magic

92 notes · View notes

poisonappleprintshop · 5 years ago

Photo

My favorite drawings to work on are the ones that transport me to another place, and this one took me on a tranquil journey through the hedge, that most sacred of liminal spaces where realms meet in a verdant dance and plant spirits hold council. Can you identify the 6 plants I harvested along my journey? ✍🏽🌿 #poisonappleprintshop #sketchbook #hedgewitch #hedgerider #hedgejumper #poppieswillputthemtosleep #cottagewitch #wildcrafting #herbalism https://www.instagram.com/p/B8O_-HbHL-i/?igshid=1geo63d4akvpp

#poisonappleprintshop #sketchbook #hedgewitch #hedgerider #hedgejumper #poppieswillputthemtosleep #cottagewitch #wildcrafting #herbalism

67 notes · View notes

alfrungrima · 4 months ago

Text

Another interesting technique is the shaking technique that Jan Fries describes in Seidways. Is linked to the technique I used for years: my rocking chair. Just start rocking and concentrate on that. Bodyrocking can work as well.

An exercise that learned me to focus while I am in a relaxed state: counting down from 999. (Yes counting sheep before you fall asleep is there with a reason) If your mind does wander away to countless not helping thoughts, just start over on 999. After practicing a while this was another technique that was very useful to reach a trance state. I was typically able to reach a trance state before 888. You don't need a empty zen-mind for hedgeriding but you have to leave your daily life with all those racing thoughts behind you. You have to leave the feeling and idea that your daily life is important for your being. If you still are, it is difficult to leave and to travel to other worlds. The feeling of attachment can prevent that. A counting exercise like this not only helps you to focus, but also to leave your life for a moment. At the end of a trance you can counting up to a centain count you like and attach again to your daily self...... And in that process you have to find out for yourself why you want to travel. Why you want to leave your body and daily life. Knowing the why can help you not be scared about not finding your body and life back. Finding an answer about the why is not always easy. Leaving the body and flying is not for everybody.

I had in the beginning problems when there were sounds I didn't expect like cars in our street, neighbours. I learned to deal with that by travelling by bus. Just watch the world outside the bus and constantly tell in your mind what you are seeing without getting attached to what you see, reckonless the sounds the other travelers make around you. Don't get attached to that sounds either. You can do this on public places as well....Other people learned to watch a little fire doing its thing while not reacting to sounds around them that they hear.

A last technique which aids me sometimes: just relaxing and concentrate on the feeling that I am sitting not completely in my body but just a little bit beside of it. It is a kind of variation on peeling the skin that @windvexer describes.

I have to add a comment about body temperature. It doesn't matter what kind technique I use or if I sit still while hedgeriding, but my body temperature tends to change. Usually I getting it hot and start sweating, I think it is because the relaxation and the change in brain waves. Sometimes the body starts to heat up just before I reach a trance state. First it radiates between my shoulder blades, than it goes to the arms and further on. In the summer I have to wear lighter more airy clothes to prevent the feeling of getting so hot that it is not comfortable anymore. (Which kicks me out of my trance) So maybe, don't use techniques like this when you are sick. You can give your body another burden that it is not able to handle.

Making a magical mindpalace is a visualisation technique which can ge helpful too if you do it a a period on almost a regular basis. After a while things in that mindpalace starts to change by itself and when you are starting to interact with that, you will get in contact with spirits. Some people do this in bed, just before sleeping: visualize a room which is you own magic room. Add or change things every day, giving it a every day attention. I have posted about this on my own blog.

@thegodwhocums in response to your post for anon!

First Anon, huge props for seeking sobriety and I understand your desire to stay on anon. Trance state and altered states of consciousness can be totally accomplished during sobriety, without the need to use any substances (including milder 'flying ointments').

Here are just my tips and resources coming the context of Traditional Witchcraft:

First, definitely look up brain wave states :) Trance is a measured brainwave thing, right. And we know how different brain states feel. So you should start by researching the expected sensations and mental states associated with entering trance! Don't leave yourself in the dark.

In Traditional Witchcraft there are close parallels between trance state and spirit flight (or 'hedge crossing'), because spirit flight is undertaken in a trance state. Therefore any guide you find that teaches spirit flight/hedge crossing (and even generic 'astral travel') is probably on some level also a guide to induce trance state.

Many such guides specifically for spirit flight encourage finding trance state through rhythm and meditation, as opposed to ecstatic movement; this is of course because spirit flight is usually undertaken while the body is physically at rest.

Don't take meditation to mean zen meditation of clearing the mind. Rather in this context it's a paradox of relaxed focus, like the cat waiting at the gopher hole.

Entering a relaxed trance state is greatly facilitated by sonic drivers, which are rhythmic sounds (like drumming or chanting) that carry the 'pulse' you ride on towards trance state (youtube ""shamanic drumming"" to find great audio tracks). This rhythm is especially well accomplished through careful counting of the breath (look up 'breath work', not to be confused with breath play; deep and rhythmic breathing, even without hyperventilating or limiting oxygen, can help rapidly induce trance).

Guided meditations themselves can be a powerful way to experiment with trance states. Seek out relaxing meditations that involve systematically relaxing the body, especially ones that combine counting down. But these can be completely secular guided meditations for relaxation on youtube, you don't have to find one necessarily written for 'trance state', although many exist.

Especially with spirit flight, entering trance state very often is accompanied by counting down to descend into the underworld or fairyland. Very common meditations (which do not have to be visual in nature) involve taking your consciousness downwards through a tree, down a well, or to the bottom of a lake. You can combine this with counting, counted breath, sonic drivers, and progressive relaxation to achieve deep trance states.

For example, you can record a meditation for yourself (or just remember the steps) wherein you become physically relaxed (sitting or lying down), and count your breaths (in/hold/out/hold of equal lengths; not limiting oxygen). Every time you take three complete breaths, you imagine taking one additional step into a lake. As the water rises up around your body, you focus on relaxing that part of the body. It takes 13 steps (39 breaths) to completely submerse yourself in this imagined lake, and when you do you see a door at the bottom of the lake. You go through it with the knowledge that it will return you to your body within a full trance state. All the while, you can have on a rhythmic drumming track.

A meditation such as this one may need to be practiced several times, but if you get along with the method of relaxed trance, it's the kind of thing that can really take people in.

Other hints are to block the vision to partial or full darkness, to always burn an incense of the same scent (or daub an EO nearby, etc), to always use the same audio track, and especially to always use the same charm or prayer to begin the session.

But a full relaxed meditation can put people to sleep or be a struggle if you have focus issues. Try using a technique like Horne's 'awakening the second sight' exercises in A Broom at Midnight (which I extremely recommend for those interested in the intersection of trance and witchcraft). This technique is to sit in a dark room with a single lit candle and focus on your 'second skin' until it feels like it awakens and comes alive.

If you have a lot of space, trance can be induced more ecstatically by 'treading the mill' or casting a circle by running, walking, or dancing around the circle; you can also dance or run to enter an altered state. I have arthritis and no experience with these things so I couldn't comment further.

Any technique you like will take time to get right. Asking your gods or spirits to help you enter trance is extremely useful, they can sort of 'carry' you into trance (or dunk you underwater, so to speak).

At first, expect to only enter a shallow trance, especially if you can't do extended and deeper exercises. Entering a deep trance may take 30 minutes, or an hour, or a significant period of time. With experience, you may be able to enter shallow trance states very rapidly, but deep trance typically always takes some amount of effort.

Before you enter any trance state you should have a list of things to do to exit trance state and readjust. These are simple things that include envisioning your second skin perfectly aligned with your physical skin, wiggling your fingers and toes, doing psychological grounding (name 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, etc), eating food and drinking water, turning on the lights, turning off all sonic drivers (and eliminating incense or other scent triggers), turning on the television or grounding music, and talking to people.

Just have a list of things to do that are very within your comfort zone.

Trance isn't dangerous; people enter trance and flow states all of the time. But knowing the process can be under your control can feel a little unsettling and destabilizing, so it's always a good idea to plan to fill your space back up with good and grounded vibes before you begin. Just as often as you practice entering trance, you should practice intentionally exiting trance and returning to an everyday state of mind. You should be able to do so on purpose and when you choose to.

The only caution I have is if you find yourself entering trance states unexpectedly or when it's not safe to do so, such as when you're driving. If this happens I encourage you to stop practicing trancework for a while, and examine your practices for a lack of clear triggers (like sounds, scents, sights, chants or incantations, etc). If your triggers are too generic or aren't clearly established at all, you may be at a higher risk of accidentally training yourself to slip into a trance state when it's unwise or dangerous given the circumstances. In addition, some people may not necessarily be able to safely practice trance on a regular basis without falling into this - we all have unique minds, after all.

Besides that Horne book above, check out Crooked Path by Kelden which has a few exercises for entering trance state.

#just some thoughts #trance #hedgecraft #hedge riding #hedge witch #visualisation #witchcraft #spirit work #spirit flight #astral projection #altered consciousness #altered states

98 notes · View notes

ha-gold · 4 years ago

Photo

A thousand year ago, there was a Wise Woman, who lived in a cluster of hawthorn trees, half-way between the village and the forest, known as The Hedge. Gathering magic from the forest, and bringing it to the village, she rode the gap between two realities.

Her name was The Hedge-Rider.

Part mystic, part medicine-woman, part midwife and wizard, there was no male equivalent for The Hedge-Rider, because to dwell within the void, had always been a feminine role. Women had formed and carried humanity within their wombs, since the beginning of the species. The Hedge-Rider had been around for so long, she existed even before The English language.

A Proto-Germanic word, Hagatusjon was formed from haga (meaning hedge) and tysja (meaning fairy God-mother). The Hedge-Rider was known quite literally, as The Mystical Wise Woman of the Hedge. It was only in the thirteenth century, when Proto-Germanic and Anglo-Saxon merged into Middle English, that Hagatusjon or “Haga-rider” was shorted to the name we know today. Hag. Or as the modern dictionary will tell us: repulsive, ugly old woman. Oh how the Hedge-Rider has been demeaned. Literally, her name has devolved its entire meaning: De-meaning.

Slipping from the highest archetype a woman in Europe could aspire to, The Hag now rests, in the lowest place a woman could land: Because of course, there is nothing worse as a woman, than to be ugly, and old.

Or so they tell us…

But let’s not dwell on this. We were also participants in allowing our suppression, silencing and sexualisation. Lets leave the past behind us, and look ahead. The Hags are returning.

And I know this, because I’m one of them.

It was late last century, when my mother, Mrs Gold, was in her garden, labouring. She laboured for two days. Eventually, I landed earth-side, blue, limp, and lifeless. The doctor took my still body, rushed me into ICU, pumped my lungs, and incubated me in a glass box.

‘I don’t think she’s going to make it’, he told my Mother. ‘And if she does’, he added, ‘she’ll probably be brain damaged.’

But my mother prayed, filled in the birth certificate, and all was well.…

Nearly. Except for one thing.

In all the chaos, nobody noticed what my Mother had named me. It was right there on the birth certificate. She had given me the initials H.A.G. And it didn’t take very long for people to notice.

No woman would choose to embody a name known for its ugliness, and for this reason, I used a different name for most of life. Only in the last few months have I returned fully to my old name. And I did it, because I knownow, with complete certainty, that I’m meant be a Hedge-Rider, and I knowthat I was given this name, to reclaim it for my sisters. It is time for The Hedge-Riders to return. Although it might not look like you think it’s gonna look.

You see…Wise women were never called to go to battle. Feminism told us to fight, and it didn’t work. The opposite doesn’t work either. Patriarchy told us to submit. But you can’t win a war through surrender.

Both paths are wrong. And the answer is something else entirely.

The true power of femininity, of The Hag, is not found in rising up against man, but in stepping to meet him, in courage and grace. Her power isn’t found in submission or sexualisation, but in standing in the unfiltered strength, wisdom and energy of raw womanhood. The greatest power of women –– the power the earth needs right now — is not found in our ability to fight or surrender. It isn’t our softness or our hardness. Our power is found in the void. It is found in standing in impossible places. In holding impossible things. In making peace where there is no peace to be made. In alchemising what has been utterly broken. In creating, healing, loving and finding grace, even when there is none left to be seen. The Hedge-Riders are the rebuilders of broken bridges and the growers of new crops in burned out fields.

This is what Hedge-Riders can do.

And this is what the world needs. Fairy-godmothers. Void dwellers. Wizards. Mystics. Believers. Mothers. Midwives and Medicine women.

So. If you think you might be a Hedge-Rider too, please… Lay down your swords. Throw away your filters and fillers and botox. Stop silencing your wizening and ageing and ripening. Women, it’s time to cease being afraid of our power, our beauty, our ugliness, our love and our magic. It is all interwoven, and we need all of it. We need to rewrite the script on The Hags.

And so. Into the hedge we go.

– H.A.Gold

Aka The Hedge-Rider

#hedgerider

2 notes · View notes