Odysseys to
Learn about the ways witches transport themselves to other worlds . Reporting by Náoimí Smyth .
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The power of transcending to mystical realms falls under many names : some refer to it as soul flight , others call it journeying . And in witchcraft , it ’ s known as hedge-crossing .
Hedge-crossing is a practice found within traditional witchcraft , and much like astral projection , it ’ s achieved through an altered state of consciousness and occurs when your mind and spirit separate from your physical body .
Although hedge-crossing is a relatively new term , it derives from an Anglo Saxon word “ haeggasta ”, meaning “ hedgerider ”.
In folklore , the hedge is the metaphorical boundary between the mundane and magickal worlds and often practitioners will visualise this when making journeys to the Otherworld . Other techniques and tools include meditation , music and mind-altering substances .
Kelden , author of The Crooked Path and practising witch of over a decade , says that as a child , he spent a lot of his time “ seeking out spirits and forming relationships with them ”. It wasn ’ t until
Kelden started formally exploring witchcraft in his late teens , where he found that hedge-crossing “ perfectly encapsulated ” what he had been doing all his life .
Hidden Realms
The Otherworld is highly fluid in nature , and with no two experiences the same , it can be difficult to illustrate . It ’ s typically perceived to be made up of three planes : the Midworld , the Upperworld and the Underworld . Each of these realms are the landscapes for various types of spirits and magickal workings .
Practitioners commonly visualise a tree when accessing these planes , climbing up its branches to the Upperworld , and down into its roots for the Underworld . In Norse cosmology , this tree is known as Yggdrasil , and is considered to be sacred .
The Midworld is the most solid of the three worlds , and is ruled by the laws of physics , logic and science . It ’ s the realm inhabited by humans , but also supernatural entities such as fairies , found hidden within its seemingly mundane landscape .
Spellwork pertaining to physical healing and growth , abundance and stability are typically undertaken here by practitioners .
The Upperworld is the epitome of ethereal : home to
divine spirits , and entities such as gods and goddesses . It ’ s where magical workings relating