NetGalley ARC review

Pleasant and authenticity written, has all the qualities I look for in these kinds of books. I’ve read a few books by this author and I’m never disappointed. I always come away with a new perspective on something I didn’t have before, or learn something new all together.
Highly recommend

Very informative book. Full of a lot of useful information. This book will also be very useful for future reference

Honoring Nature in your Solitary Practice.

Joanna describes a Hedge Witch as someone who honors their craft by communing with nature. While she does not delve into the nuances of hedge witchcraft and its relation to Wicca, she does an excellent job of defining the craft through her own Druidic lens.

By and large van der Hoeven does an excellent job of breaking down hedge witchcraft in all of its components, starting with the history of witchcraft. In fact, the whole first section of the book is dedicated to word origins and history. While fascinating, most of it is not new information.

I enjoyed taking this journey with her, even if it did not do much to invigorate my own practice beyond emphasizing the importance of practical application and dedication in solitude. I would definitely recommend this read to anyone who is new to their craft and struggling to find structure as a solitary practitioner.

[Thank you to NetGalley and Llewellyn Publications for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.]

p.s. I decided to revisit the text in audio format to see if there were other lessons I had missed but found the narrator's voice too irritating to finish. She has a habit of speaking flatly and adding inflection only to the end of her sentences, even when the book is written with tongue-in-cheek humor. It was almost palatable at 1.5x speed, but even then, I found myself chronically checking to see how much time was remaining. I would advise listening to a sample before purchasing the audiobook.

This book is a gorgeous introduction to The hedge witch and the craft related to the hedge witch. The art in this book is stunning and the author is such a gifted writer when it comes to subjects like this, she really knows how to make this subject very approachable and easy to read, and easy to adapt to your life if that’s what you’re looking for. This is one of those nonfiction, witchy books that you definitely should read and add to your collection.

Overall, this was a good introduction to hedgecraft and hedge riding. As with most books on witchcraft, the history should be taken with a grain of salt. There were some inaccuracies, which was disappointing considering this went through multiple reviews before making it to us. This book also has a lot of Wiccan influence, which is understandable given the influence Wicca has had on the New Age community, but it was a turn-off for me, especially the references to Rae Beth and her work as if they are what hedgecraft really is. Despite this, there is great foundational knowledge throughout, making it a great book for beginners. The section on hedge riding is decent and provides enough information to teach readers how to successfully hedge cross into the Otherworld. I would supplement this book with practice and other books on folklore, occult history, and herbalism.

I really enjoy reading about others practices and learning from them. What I like a wee bit more is learning about old customs and traditions, so this book was a great choice for me.

As a solitary witch, it doesn’t mean that I don’t learn from others, it just means I practice solo and spend time in Nature. The author, who is also a solitary witch, is sharing her practices and old lore. You’ll learn about being a hedgewitch and her witchcraft path. She also shares how to ride the hedge, which is up to you whether to embrace and try. Either way, you’ll learn a lot from the author and can add to your own oath, as each of ours is different and unique to ourselves. An excellent read!

Very informative and interesting! It was a lot more history of witchcraft than I think I expected, which is refreshing. A lot of books like this skip over the history quickly and just move on straight to how-tos. I liked it!

I really liked the history in the book. I thought it was well explained and helped to place the traditions within the history of modern witch craft. Very UK and Europe focused.

I liked the book but it was very entry level which was not totally expected. There is also some what I view as problematic opinions in the book as well. The information about Fae is incorrect and telling people who believe in these entities things like this is harmful.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

Absolutely amazing book, very helpful I learned a good amount.

This is an excellent book about magic techniques, and even though most of the information is basic this text will charm you with its beauty, sincerity and care for the reader so that he or she will understand much better these ancient occult arts.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

I really wanted to like this book since I've been studying areas related to Hedgewitchcraft. I was expecting something related to focusing on your local area (which is considered important) but there were more Wiccan influences that I couldn't deal with. Giving more time to Gardner and the other Wiccan forefathers than to historical record bugged me. But then again, the historical record isn't even accurate. Early in the book (page 18), the author says that King James I (IV of Scotland) is the son of Queen Elizabeth I who had an astrologer, Dr. John Dee, as an advisor. I knew this sounded wrong so I looked it up (a very quick Wikipedia search combined with drawing my own family tree) and it's completely false! Like come on, no one caught this? After that, I felt like I had to take everything said with a grain of salt.

Good Information

Joanna van der Hoeven begins by providing background information on witchcraft, what it means, and it's practice. She that Witchcraft is a practice that is as old as the hills, is a skill in the arts of magic, healing, herbcraft, psychology, animal husbandry and more. She, also, states that it has been practiced all over the world, by every single civilization throughout time.

The author discusses the difference between a Solitary Witch and the Hedgewitch. She describes the Hedgewitch as being a deliciously enigmatic figure, conjures the image of person living on the edge of a village, brewing potions from the herbs they have gathered in the wilds, chanting magical spells over it as they stir the cauldron or cooking pot with cats wandering underfoot, or sleeping in nooks and niches around the home. Furthermore, she states that all these ideas may indeed be true of a Hedgewitch today and that, she for one, do actually live on the edge of a village, and collect herbs from my meanderings on the heath and in the forest, or just down the lane.

On the other hand, the author states that Solitary Witchcraft is just that: Witchcraft that is practiced solo, that it doesn’t mean that solitary Witches don’t have contacts with others or become hermits. It simply means that they practice their Craft on their own, and that this might be because there are no other Witches in the area, or that they simply prefer to practice the Craft alone.

Joanna discusses the difference more in detail, while stating that many Witches work with deity, in the form of a twin or dual deity concept of the Goddess and the God, or the Lord and the Lady, others in the path of Witchcraft follow many deities, or focus just on one deity. However, there are also other Witches who don’t follow any deity figures at all, who don’t believe in deity or who are agnostic. Some see deity simply as the forces of nature, and have no need to personify them or worship them in any way.

While discussing the Lunar Path, the author states that the moon is perhaps the most magical draw to the path of Witchcraft, and for Hedgewitches it is no different. Just as Witches follow the tides of the moon, so too do they follow the cycles of the sun, and states that the eightfold Wheel of the Year known in Modern Paganism was created by Gerald Gardner and Ross Nichols.

Hedges have so many uses. They mark boundaries, they protect, they shelter, they can provide food, and they can also be used to travel between the worlds.

The author really discusses the Hedge Witch in great detail, from hedge riding (The art of travelling between this world and the Otherworld), ritual concepts, tools, rites and rituals, and many other aspects of being a Hedge Witch.

This is a very good book dealing with the ways or the path of the Hedge Witch. Highly recommend. It has a lot of valuable information, especially, dealing with spell-casting.

Book Review:
The Path of the Hedge Witch: Simple Natural Magic and the Art of Hedge Riding
by Joanna van der Hoeven

Rating: 3.5/5 Broomsticks


Joanna van der Hoeven is well-loved among modern Druid circles for her previous work on hedge druidry. This is the author’s first book dedicated to her witchcraft practice.

Hedgewitchcraft can be defined in many ways and van der Hoeven’s definition is a quote from author Rae Beth: “Hedgewitchcraft works upon and with relationships between humanity and the land, and between this tangible Earth and theelven (fairy) realms.” She describes the practice of hedge riding as essential to hedgewitchery…”

The book reads sometimes descriptively and sometimes chatty. The author is upfront that this book is a depiction of her personal solitary practice and not a how-to for hedgewitchery. Her practice (and therefore the book,) is a mix of ideas from folk witchcraft, Wicca, and druidry. This may be confusing for some readers, especially for those who pick up the book looking for more information on British folk practices.

Overall, this is a pleasant book for a 101 practitioner but it does fall short in some ways. Like many books on hedgecrossing, the author assumes a certain level of skill and does not include adequate suggestions on how to begin this type of work. She also talks extensively about “Fair Folk, what they are called in different regions, and how she works with them in her own personal practice. However, her definition of Fair Folk isn’t well defined to the reader and she gives no historical insight.

This book is best suited for:
beginner practitioners
practitioners from a Wiccan or Druid background who are interested in integrating folk magic into their practice

Thank you to Llewellyn & NetGalley for providing an ARC.

Even if I already read other books about hedge wtichcraft this one made me learn something new.
Well written and easy to follow.
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book offers a strong foundation for anyone interested in witchcraft, carefully moving through the basics before specifically moving into the hedge witch practice itself. It’s written without unnecessary detail or dramatics — I think it would be ideal for beginners (like me!). It repeats a lot of what I already know from general witchcraft books, but some interesting new pieces are also included.

I did enjoy this book, there are a lot of general practices that are included. It is a good resource for a beginner but I wish it would include more complex items in the hedge witch practice.

What a lovely read! It was a great introduction to an interesting topic. The author gave tons of reference for other readings and ensured the reader knew it was a personal journey. I loved every minute of it and have preordered it already!

the perfect introduction if you dont know much or anything about this topic but would like to get started. The info is presented in a really engaging way,a making it easy to learn and read. The practical portion of the book in the second half is really where the book shines.

As someone who isn't very knowledgable in this area, but has an interest in learning more, I found this to be the perfect place to start. The author explores a lot of topics and offers a ton of information at the beginner level. She provides a great foundational basis in the first half of the book, only getting into the actual practice of Hedgewitchery in the later part of the book, once I was more familiar with the concepts and basis. Many of the unfamiliar terms were defined clearly, with information on background and history provided in a way that was interesting and informative, and avoiding the pitfall of becoming lecturing and dry.

One of the things I liked the most about this book is the way the author consistently encourages readers to find what works for them as individuals. The path of the Hedge Witch is a unique one for each practitioner, with no one path that fits all. The rituals and workings must be adjusted to feel right for each person, and as a solitary practitioner, this will obviously be different for each individual. She encourages the use of smarts and common sense, especially since some of the herbs, rituals, and practices can be dangerous if used incorrectly, but just about everything in the book seemed relatively straightforward and accessible to even a beginner.

The author's practice and knowledge skews towards the rituals and practices that she seems most familiar with; the Celtic, Druidic, Norse, Roman, and Greek roots of witchcraft, with some European history thrown in for good measure, but I couldn't help but notice the heavy Christian influence over all of it. So many of the significant dates correspond to Christian holidays, as do the way they are celebrated, and at least one of the sources that was cited co-opted from Jewish religious texts, essentially stealing from a closed religious practice. I would have liked to see how other religious systems practice witchcraft, or how those are drawn into more modern practice, but I think I'd probably have to dig a little deeper into that. In addition, I'd also probably have to study a little deeper to see how these practices could be put into action in a different setting, such as in North America as opposed to the UK, since the flora/fauna are different, as are the seasons and tides.

Overall, this was an interesting and enlightening read, full of information presented in an engaging and captivating way that was easy to grasp. Looks like I'll be getting started on my journey for more information soon!