Confessions of a Hedge Witch

This was my final working draft of an article to be edited and added to by Helix for publication on the Anderson Faery website.  The final version can be read there, and I encourage you click that link.

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so you want to learn faery, but you can’t find a teacher?

Faery/Feri is an ecstatic tradition of witchcraft.  That means it’s an embodied tradition, it’s also a lineage passed physically.  By its very nature it requires in-person transmittal. But many of us, for various reasons, will never live near an initiate or be able to travel to visit one.  What do we do if this flavor of the craft speaks to us and we find ourselves without access to a teacher?

The first big thing we must do is let go of expectation. A sure way to get ourselves into the weeds is by trying to compel something to happen.  To learn any esoteric system, but especially one that is left-hand, a trustworthy, responsible teacher with integrity is paramount. If you try to force your access to a teacher you will end up settling for any situation.  That would be a bad and potentially dangerous idea. So, just take a deep breath and let it go. Let go of your expectation around Anderson Faery. Let’s do it together. Ready? Deep breath…and let go. Now let’s chat about some things you *can* do.

A key tenant of Anderson Faery is the divine nature of the human self in its multi-part form.  The self can be developed and explored through many systems and practices. This is not dependent on Faery.  Start here. Begin the task of self-reflection, personal development and resiliency training. You might find an established meditation group nearby, search for a good therapist to explore with, or ask like-minded friends to form a regular sitting group with you.  There are many resources available for personal growth. A healthy, balanced Self is the cornerstone for any human, Faery witch or otherwise.

Another foundational practice within Anderson Faery is the dismantling of cultural world-view and the intentional cultivation of an enchanted worldview.  A good way to go about this is through study. There are several good books available that will help you begin to see a little more sideways, and question aspects of culture you may not hitherto have done.  A list of reading material that might be helpful is below. Don’t rush these books. Instead go slowly, contemplatively, making notes as thoughts arise. It’s by spending time with mind expanding concepts that transformation occurs.  Maybe that sitting group you formed could read through these together?

• The Spell of the Sensuous: Perception and Language in a more-than-human world by David Abram
• Dancing in the Streets: a history of collective joy by Barbara Ehrenreich
• Joy Diet: Ten daily practices for a happier life by Martha Beck
• Radical Acceptance: Embracing your life with the heart of a buddha by Tara Brach
• The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, mind and Body in the healing of trauma by Bessell van der Kolk
• Sapiens, a brief history of humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
• The Reenchantment of the World by Morris Berman

Like many ecstatic traditions, Anderson Faery has a strong thread of Ancestral veneration.  We stand on the shoulders of giants. Whether you have a nurturing or harmful relationship with ancestors of blood, their genetic heritage is still yours.  The work of a witch is to explore those threads, heal them so He Hirself is healed, and strengthen their resiliency for the benefit of our descendants. Yet this is not purely imaginal. If you aren’t up to date on the new science of heritability, you might look at It Didn’t Start With You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are And How To End The Cycle by Mark Wolynn.  A practical first step in this process is to create a dedicated space for ancestral offerings. This can be as simple as a clean surface with a little cup for water. Pour fresh water in the cup, and say a little blessing over it, such as, “May my ancestors be blessed, may my descendents be blessed.” There is more elaborate and complex work that can be done but this small step will take you far.

If this all sounds very heady thus far, it has been.  An educated witch is a prepared witch, but the body is included in that. Get out of your box – out of your car, your room, your apartment, your house  – and get your feet, limbs, elbows in the grass. Explore the land around you. This may be a city park, a strip of wild grasses along a curb, or rambling lanes in the deep countryside.  You don’t need to do anything out there, just observe. Be polite, and pick up rubbish if you see it. Say hello to other living beings you meet – in your out loud voice. Witches are uncannily quirky, and psychic, but we rarely read each other’s minds, so don’t expect other-than-human persons (big or small) to read yours.  

Observe the clouds and the winds where you live. Which direction do they predominantly blow from? What does the wind from those different directions feel like on your skin, what sensations do you get, is there a taste?  Write this all down, or make art about it. Record your observations in some way. It doesn’t have to be with words. It can be with movement, poetry, painting, clay or music.  Continue these observations for other living beings, like animals, rivers, birds, insects, trees, flowers.  Be polite, say hello, pick-up rubbish (as an offering) and spend time with them. You’d be surprised at the strong friendships you build by just showing up and sitting with someone, whether they are human or not.

Speaking of art, explore yours.  How do you express your creativity?  Do you move your body, perhaps through ecstatic dance, yoga, line-dancing or ballet?  Do you paint, draw, sew or knit? Dedicate time to the cultivation and expression of your creativity.  This is life force, and Anderson Faery focuses strongly on feeding and expressing this part of our Self. You don’t need to spend money on this pursuit, but it should be something you create a regular practice around.  Allowing our creative expression to flow keeps our channels open and clear.

So does healthy sexuality.  This is a sex positive tradition because Sex is Life.  Not for procreative purposes but for pleasure. We value pleasure.  We value personal responsibility. We value knowing and owning our choices, behavior, and actions.  Hopefully part of your study on dismantling worldview has led you to question cultural norms around sexuality, and to ask yourself what your own inherent views are.  What is your sexuality and how can you nurture it and express it in healthy responsible ways? Another simple practice for exploring sexuality in its many subtle forms is to take a bath or shower and feel the water moving over your skin. Simple huh?  But really experience it. What does the water trickling over your ankle bone feel like, or the small of your back, or your shoulder? Try laying on the ground under the full sun. Spread your body out, expose a bit of skin, and feel the rays of the sun absorbing into the flesh of your bicep, your thigh, your stomach.  The fleshy parts.

You might not know it, but you have just learned some of the mysteries of Anderson Faery.  Hold them with care, cherish them, and let them unfold in your life.

May it be so.