Reading Times, Pennsylvania, October 14, 1926

Foggy autumness

Photographer: Peter Baker

Karelian swamp creature

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For the Deep Blue Hours: © riverwindphotography, January, 2020

Where is the Mugwort Hedge?

I thought I might write about the place that inspired this tumblr. 

It begins with the large, Victorian cemetery in my city. This place has long been my refuge and inspiration, and often the most accessible and open green space in this part of the city. This cemetery is special to many people, and is home to many wild creatures that otherwise would not have space to survive. 

Since the quarantine began, I’ve found myself spending most of my time there at night, largely as a way to avoid people. There is a sort of unspoken rule that allows nighttime visitors (the front drive-through gates are closed, but a smaller walk-in entrance is kept open at all times), and spanning an area of multiple neighborhoods, it would be near impossible to patrol the entire grounds all night long. It’s not unusual to walk through at night in the summer and hear the sounds of the living, talking and laughing, occasionally bursts of music may waft over the landscape. For the most part visitors are respectful and keep the space clean. 

I used to live very close to the main entrance, just a short walk up the road and I was in my special place. Last year my partner and I moved slightly further away, leaving a gap in my routine and my heart. I felt like accessing the cemetery would be a chore. Then one day in April, I decided to act on a hunch based off an anecdote an old friend once told me about a trail that led into the cemetery from the back - coincedentally just up the hill from my new location. The trail itself begins with a very nondescript gravel turn around for large trucks, you wouldn’t really know it was there at first glance. No wonder it had eluded me all these years! 

On this particular day, I journeyed in. Immediately I felt like I was in another place, despite being sandwiched between a road and housing up the hill. The trees kept the place protected. This path is not very long at all, but every time I go through I feel transported. Past the fallen logs and the tree that tipped over, covered in grape vines and creating a canopied portal from the mundane city world into the wide open field that begins the border of cemetery land. 

As I have now walked this path many times, over the months I’ve taken to observing what is growing there in order to better connect with this magical space. Wild tangles of raspberry and notorious knotweed line the path, and I have found precious wildflowers like bluebell, spiderwort, pea vine. Sitting proud at the trail head are boneset, mint and mugwort. 

Lately when I’ve come up at night, I have been greeted by one or more of the deer that live in the cemetery. They are without a doubt the guardians of the lands. I remain humble and nod gently to them, making sure to give a wide berth between us so they know I mean no harm. I have always felt welcomed by them although I think they greet me with some curiousity. When I get to the hedge, I always greet it and talk with it as I walk through, and thank it for granting me a safe passage. 

Louis Fleckenstein - Woman Praying Amidst Trees, 1907-1943

Witch house aesthetic 🌿🍂🌷🌙☀️☕️

- TRASH BLESSINGS -

A series of pieces based off of common urban fauna with the aim of reminding people of traits in them we could all do well emulating sometimes, and celebrating the ability of nature to carve out a place in any environment.

Interested in seeing these on patches or pins? Please send me a message! If there’s enough interest, I’ll look into the cost of having them made.

[REDBUBBLE COLLECTION] // [COMMISSIONS]

Astride the Hedge

—by Gemma Gary

An Introduction

Hello! Old tumblr user here, back to try something different and hopefully connect with others. 

I thought I would start this off with a little intro to who I am and my practice. 

My name is Sylvan, and I practice green/hedge witchcraft, with a particular emphasis on using traditional methods and “insight” based knowledge. By insight, I am referring to using the knowledge I’ve gathered through personal experience growing and interacting with local plants, as well as what I’ve learned through studying botany, horticulture, and herbalism. 

What you will not find on this blog is anything related to Wicca, neo-paganism, or any kind of “pop” witchcraft. I do not use astrology or tarot cards. I don’t worship any gods or deities beyond Nature itself. I am similarly also not interested in any kind of gnostic, Golden Dawn style occultism. I mean no ill will to anyone practicing those paths, they just aren't for me.

There will also be no culturally appropriative or racism here - if you see me posting something that seems like it might be please let me know! As a white person living on stolen Indigenous land, it is imperitive for me to be aware of that and to make sure that I am not contributing to the perpetuation of any harmful practices. My goal is to give back as much as I can to the land and to aid in its healing while recognizing my limitations as a descendent of settler colonialism. 

I am an anarchist, an artist, a nonbinary person in my 30s (I use he/they pronouns). My favorite place to be is deep in the woods, or curled up with my cat & partner.