Walking the Spiral Path
Celtic Hedge Witchery with Joey Morris
On my latest podcast episode (95), author Joey Morris joins me to talk about her book Celtic Hedge Witchery—A Modern Approach and a little about what hedge witchery is. It seems to me that over the past year or so, there has been a noticeable growing interest in Celtic spirituality and the manifestation of the Morrigan.
I’m glad to see this, because our society today (October 2025) is in need of good earth healing and connection—and we also need the warrior spirits of the Morrigan (and like-minded Gods and Goddesses) to battle injustice, bigotry, and authoritarianism.
About the Book
Celtic Hedge Witchery presents a natural way to connect with nature that doesn’t rely on implements, potions, large group rituals, and the like. These are all useful tools in a spiritual practice—particularly when working with groups—but what Joey shares encourages readers to build a personal connection with the land, spirits, and deities they choose to work with. This form of spiritual work makes the use of those physical tools more meaningful and powerful.
“This is my definition of what it means to be a modern Celtic hedge witch: it is a calling to be a guardian—not quite like the Hagazissa of old, but instead to honor the interconnected nature of the ecosystems of earth and spirit.” – Celtic Hedge Witchery (pg. 34)
The book provides guidance to either start a journey on the Celtic path or bring new elements into an existing practice. The material can be easily adapted to your worship style, geographical area, and available tools, whether you live in an urban, suburban, or rural setting.
Practical Tools & Practices
Included are meditations, spells, and rituals that can be used as written, or serve as inspiration for practices more attuned to your own relationship with the earth and the spirits. A particularly useful chapter explains the Three Cauldrons.
The Cauldrons (Wisdom, Motion, and Warming), referenced in Celtic literature, represent energetic centers of well-being and correlate to the realms of Land, Sea, and Sky. Morris explains these correspondences and offers exercises to connect with each realm.
Many know that Celtic spirituality is intricately tied to trees, sacred spaces, and nature beings (including the fae). She explores plant spirits with expanded discussions of silver birch, rowan, and hawthorn trees, the ogham, and non-ogham plants as well. The spirit of the tree network can be worked with wherever you are—even if those specific trees are not native. These practices will also help you connect with trees in your local area, some of which may be related to those presented in the book.
Deities and Mythology
Another essential aspect of the practice is the mythology and the deities. Being familiar with Celtic myths offers context and some understanding of how they viewed in the past which can inform and enrich a practice today.
As a priestess of the Morrigan, Joey shares how The Morrigan is a big part of hedge witchery and how She remains as relevant and involved today as ever. This section of the book offers a nice introduction for any who have an interest in working with Her.
But the Morrigan is not the only option. Morris writes:
“There are no rules about which deity is best suited for hedge witchcraft, and you may find yourself drawn to others, such as Cerridwen, or Nemetona, or Cernunnos. The spiral path will always be following your heartbeat and your soul cry—you will find what you need on the path of the wild witch.”
To learn more about Celtic Goddesses, Joey also offers the Celtic Goddess Calling Planner (2026), featuring twelve deities along with rituals, invocations, and spells which is available on her website.
I find this an excellent book for anyone interested in pursuing a Celtic path through experiential practices. But don’t just take my word for it—listen to my interview with Joey on episode 95 of Gifts of the Wyrd. Celtic Hedge Witchery—A Modern Approach is published by Weiser Books and available through their website, Joey’s website, local bookstores, and online booksellers.
You can find more about Joey’s work at starryeyedsupplies.com and follow her on social media.
This book was sent to me by the publisher. I have not been compensated for this interview or review; all opinions are my own.
About John Hijatt
John Hijatt is an inclusive practitioner of Northern/Germanic spirituality and has hosted the Gifts of the Wyrd podcast since 2015, highlighting authors, artists, and inclusive creators in conversations inspired by NPR’s Fresh Air.
I also work with and teach about runes (as a runester). I’ve taught workshops locally and at both in-person and virtual conferences, and written for publications about runes. I try to post here on Substack at least once a month, but between life and editing podcasts, things take time. Thank you for your patience and support. Please share this with like-minded folks, and feel free to send me your topic suggestions and recommendations.