Book Review: Hedge Riding by Harmonia Saille

Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, meaning, at no additional cost to you, I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase.
 
Harmonia needs to write more books on hedgecraft, that much is for damn sure. She is one of the first authors to write on the topic extensively (well -ish because her books are WAY too short in my opinion) and gets it right. More often than not, hedgecraft is confused with the practices of a kitchen or hearth witch. Yes, we share many things in common, but the main difference is hedge riding and the stress we place on divination. Harmonia's book Hedge Riding covers the topic of hedge riding quite well, although, like her last book, she could have written a lot more. Her book gives a basic introduction to the art of hedge riding while comparing it to meditation, pathwalking, and astral projection. While these activities have similarities, they are distinctly unique. To learn more, please read my post Meditation, Pathwalking, and Hedge Riding: Making Sense of It All for more information.
As always, let's start with what I did not like. I did not like the length. That's a given. I also did not like that the content wasn't covered in enough detail to walk away with a firm understanding of how to hedge ride. If you are familiar with pathwalking, which many may be, jumping to hedge riding isn't much of a stretch, but for those new to the craft, this book will be difficult to understand. It is by no means for a novice hedgewitch. That's pretty much it for what I didn't like.

What I did like was that it accurately addressed the practice of hedge riding for experienced witches like myself. Harmonia also does a great job describing the different parts of the otherworld in a way all readers can understand. She even makes note that how you sort through the information she presents is completely up to you and that you should make it your own. Like her last book, Hedge Witchcraft, this is written from her perspective of her craft which makes the book relatable. Furthermore, seeing her step by step process regarding hedge riding makes some of the details clearer than if she had just listed the steps. She also leaves subtle warnings throughout that hedge riding can be dangerous and to take precautions. There are at least two chapters then deal with safety when hedge riding. The first covers entering an altered state of consciousness without the use of drugs and what you should bring with you and why, while the second chapter deals with proper preparation and etiquette once you enter the Otherworld.

I give this book 4.5 out of 5 stars because there are some parts that are slightly unclear. This is the book is clearly intended for experienced witches and some of the content would be unfamiliar to new or novice witches. However, for someone like myself, this book was an amazing addition to my collection.

Have you read anything wonderful lately?