Magic Forums

by: UnholyRose on Nov 24, 2024

Hedge Riding

My Efforts In Research

I first learned of a type of witchcraft called Hedge Witchcraft in 2018. Although based on the actual definition of Hedge Riding or Crossing The Hedge I have been practicing Hedge Witchcraft since my start in witchcraft practice, in 1996.

With this I conclude that the term Hedge Witch, while a more modern term, is not impossible to have been practiced at earlier times, and there are many people, in fact, who have practiced this sort of craft by another name.

The Definition of Hedge Riding

Simply put, hedge riding is a spiritual journey into the otherworld realms, the collective unconscious . It is shamanic in nature.

From: https://www.flyingthehedge.com/2018/01/hedge-riding-series-what-is-hedge-riding.html

The hedge is the symbolic boundary between the worlds. Hedge riding is the journey your spirit takes into the Otherworld or Underworld realms, sometimes called the upper and lower realms . The middle realm being our everyday world that we live in.

From: https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/hedge_riding

Hedge riding is a trance-like state where one can be taken in the "astral and even sometimes the physical to walk between the worlds . In doing so, one can glean information to take back into daily life.

From: https://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/3049

It is a form of neo-shamanic journeying. There are a number of great books on it. Other related ideas are hedge crossing, entheogenic journeying, and the witchs sabbath.

The reason it's called hedge riding is because the hedge is seen as a boundary, or liminal space. So, you are straddling the space between one world, or reality, and another.

From: https://www.reddit.com/r/pagan/comments/12e0q28/so_i_heard_the_term_hedge_riding/?rdt=64436

Is Hedge Riding Astral Projection?

It can be, but more typically when a hedge witch practices hedge crossing what they are undertaking is a meditative journey using the clair senses to retrieve and then interpret information.

My personal opinions on astral projection lack enough experience with it. I have done remote viewing and this can act as a way of gathering information but this form of perceiving is done at the physical level. It is a physical world thing so the information perceived is not coming from the spiritual world. It is a way to gather psychic information but on the physical level only.

Astral projection while can be considered a type of hedge crossing is not the only way for a hedge witch to cross, and can be a rather difficult way to cross for some.