A Dark and Secret Magic

by Wallis Kinney

As a hedge witch, premonitions come to me shrouded in the mists of dreams. But when I’m awake, I watch the forest.

As a hedge witch, it’s one of my duties to care for the sick members of the Atlantic Key, the coven I was born into.

“The veil weakens as Samhain approaches. The King Below tests you. Find your mother’s book, and you’ll know why she named you a hedge witch.”

In the Atlantic Key, tradition dictates a girl wait until her thirteenth birthday to choose her magic. But my mother chose my path the day I was born. As the sun set that Halloween, she swaddled me in a forest-green blanket, named me Hecate Goodwin, and proudly announced to the women gathered around her that I would be a hedge witch. An ancient practice, I would be the first in any coven in almost two centuries.

“Intention is what feeds magic. The desire to have something done and then increasing the chances that it will happen, all through our intention.”

“Sage for wisdom. Dried rose petals for love. Thyme, parsley, oregano. All things that can be found in any kitchen. Write this down, Hecate.”

When the chickpeas are fried and the charred mushrooms have cooled, I assemble a plate of pasta, chicken, and vegetables. The final touches are a ball of creamy burrata cheese, aged Parmesan, fresh butter, and balsamic vinegar drizzled over the entire dish.

Nutmeg, allspice, bay, cinnamon, vanilla, and black tea leaves. With each new addition, I imagine the wooden floors and walls of the house absorbing the aroma of fall and welcoming in the changing energy of the new year.

“Hedge craft, first and foremost, is the balance between life and death energies. A hedge witch is guardian to the living and the dead alike.”

For now, I just want to exist in this moment. This moment in which I simultaneously know I love him and know he has loved me for a third of my life.

Hearth magic is one of the most ancient crafts but also one of the tamest, based on protection and the creation of sacred home spaces.