Arin Murphy-Hiscock - 18 Mar

Introduction
Hearth and Home

Many people follow a home-based spiritual path that can't be clearly defined or identified as an existing Neo-Pagan path. Hedge witch is one term that is sometimes encountered when reading about followers of paths such as this. In some circles it has the connotation of one who engages in traditional shamanic practice involving spirit journeys or trancing, often with the aid and support of herbal knowledge. In other circles it is another term for a solitary nature-based spiritual path. Wise women, cunning men, and other such practitioners were sometimes called green witches or hedge witches, and they worked to heal individuals, communities, and any malaise in the natural world. Very often they worked out of their own homes, making those homes repositories and sources of healing energy and knowledge, both collected and crafted.

A hedge borders properties, separating private land from public land and order from chaos, and this is one of the main themes of this book. The hedge is more than a physical barrier: it is a symbol of spiritual protection from the stresses of the outside world. Inside this protective enclosure you can create a rejuvenating environment, one that is spiritually supportive and nourishing. In traditional shamanic practice the hedge is perceived as a barrier between the world of men and the realm of the spiritual world, a boundary to be crossed while in shamanic trance in search of solutions and information. Whereas shamanic work is a fascinating subject and worthy of study, it isn't what I've chosen to focus on in this book. Instead, it explores the home and hearth as representative of valuable knowledge and energy that can be used to deepen and enrich your spiritual path, whatever that may be.

Like The Way of the Green Witch, this book seeks to help you develop your own home-based spiritual practice. While The Way of the Green Witch focused on using the energies of the natural world to support your spiritual practice, The Way of the Hedge Witch explores the energies of hearth and home and how they can enrich your spiritual work and life. I've chosen to focus on the concept of hearth and home throughout this book because it's a concept that is often overlooked in books about solitary nature-based practices. Solitary alternative spiritual paths often look beyond the home to what lies outside it to focus on the natural world. Creating a solid and supportive place to work from both spiritually and in everyday life a literal home base is a step many people don't think to take.

The home is the center of power for an individual and family. It is a place of refuge, renewal, and creativity, where we begin and end each day. It is a place where we are nourished, rested, and otherwise strengthened. The home reflects the individuals who live within it on several levels, including a physical level (choice of dcor and arrangement) and spiritual level (the energy or feel of a home). The home is the primary root of your family's energy and spirituality. If you work to honor and strengthen that center of power and renewal, making it as peaceful and spiritually nourishing as possible for you and your family, then you are working to create and maintain a place of peace and a source of energy.

The concept of the home as spiritual center is found in many cultures and throughout many eras. The home, and in particular the hearth, has often served as a point of connection for gods and humankind. Many people today seek some sort of practice through which they can empower their homes to serve as part of their spiritual philosophy. There is little existing literature on the subject of modern hearth-based spiritual practice and magic, an oversight that this book seeks to correct.

This book explores the idea of home-based spirituality using two symbols as joint keystones: the cauldron, and the flame. The cauldron is a traditional representation of abundance and hospitality. It is also a symbol of rebirth, mystery, creation, and transformation, making it the perfect symbol to use as a focus in hearth and home-based spirituality. The flame is a symbol of life, activity, the Divine, purification, and creativity, making it an excellent partner for the cauldron.